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Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie in still from Sabbath Queen. 2024. Sandi Simcha DuBowski. Image courtesy of Roco Films
The Long Island Jewish Film Festival is returning to the Cinema Arts Centre for its third year! The festival will span six days, May 1st – May 6th, and present a selection of films at the forefront of Jewish cultural storytelling. The festival will feature films that include innovative documentaries, riveting dramas, and hilarious comedy, all curated by David Schwartz, Curator at large at the Museum of the Moving Image, who will also host filmmaker interviews and audience discussions after many of the festival’s screenings.

The Long Island Jewish Film Festival was organized to help celebrate the rich cultural traditions and history of the Jewish community in America and abroad.

The festival will begin on Thursday, May 1st with a screening of the powerful documentary, Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire, with the second day of the festival focusing on the recently rediscovered and restored drama, The Heiresses.

The third day of the festival will feature screenings of three films: the fascinating documentaries Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round & Janis Ian: Breaking Silence, as well as the new biopic Midas Man, on Beatles manager Brian Epstein.

Sunday, the fourth day of the festival, will feature a screening and discussion of the documentary Ada: My Mother the Architect, in addition to a showing of the hilarious comedy Bad Shabbos, and an encore screening of The Heiresses. Monday will feature repeat screenings of both Midas Man & Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire, and the festival will conclude with a screening & discussion program highlighting the documentary film, Sabbath Queen.

There will be encore screenings for most of the films featured on Friday & Saturday for those who observe Shabbat. Tickets are $16 per film, $10 members.

The Films:
Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire
Thursday, May 1 at 7 PM
With editor/producer Michael Chomet in person
& Monday, May 5 at 7 PM
With director Oren Rudavsky in person
Eighty years after his liberation from Buchenwald, we seek to understand the man behind the searing memoir Night. Told largely through his own words and eloquent voice, Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire seeks to penetrate to the heart of the known and unknown Elie Wiesel (1928-2016) – his passions, his conflicts and his legacy as one of the most public survivors of the Holocaust. With unique access to archives, interviews and employing hand painted animation, the film illuminates Wiesel’s biography as a survivor, writer, teacher and public figure. (2024, 87 mins)

The Heiresses
Friday, May 2 at 7 PM
& Sunday, May 4 at 7 PM
Isabelle Huppert stars in this recently rediscovered and restored drama from Hungarian filmmaker Márta Mészáros. Huppert plays Irèn, a young Jewish seamstress in 1936 Budapest, who is recruited by the wealthy Szilvia (Lili Monori), to conceive a baby with her military officer husband so that Szilvia can inherit her father’s fortune. Meanwhile, the rise of Nazism has begun to poison Hungary’s ruling classes, complicating Irèn’s entrée into high society. Laying bare the complicated processes of class, motherhood, inheritance, and fascism. (1980, 100 mins)

Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round
Saturday, May 3 at 1 PM
When five Howard University students sat on a segregated Maryland carousel in 1960, the arrests made headlines. When the largely Jewish community living near the amusement park joined the Black students in picketing, the first organized interracial civil rights protest in US history was born, eventually leading to the creation of the Freedom Riders. With never-before seen footage, and immersive storytelling by Emmy-award winning director Ilana Trachtman, four living protesters rescue this untold story, revealing the price, and the power, of heeding the impulse to activism. (2024, 89 mins)

Janis Ian: Breaking Silence
Saturday, May 3 at 4 PM
& Tuesday, May 6 at 4 PM
With prerecorded interview with director Varda Bar-Kar
At the height of the Civil Rights movement, Janis Ian, a Jewish teenage singer-songwriter from New Jersey became a sensation after releasing a hit song about an interracial relationship, “Society’s Child.” Ian would go on to jam with Hendrix, party with Janis Joplin, and play duets with Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. But she also had to work to overcome the stigma of her debut, homophobia, industry misogyny, and serious illness. With access to Ian’s music, archive, collaborators, and music journalists, this in-depth documentary chronicles the singer’s epic life journey. (2024, 114 mins)

Midas Man
Saturday, May 3 at 7 PM
& Monday, May 5 at 4 PM
Brian Epstein is recognized today as the man who signed The Beatles, and in doing so, created the blueprint for music artist management. From his formative years to wild, unprecedented global success and the ensuing chaos as he managed and promoted some of the biggest acts in the world, Midas Man brings to life the untold story of one of the world’s most significant outsiders. (2025, 112 mins)

Ada: My Mother the Architect
Sunday, May 4 at 1 PM
With director Yael Melamede in person
Ada Karmi Melamede is one of the most accomplished female architects in the world, but very little is known about her outside her home country of Israel. Ada – My Mother the Architect is a deeply moving portrait of an extraordinary woman directed by her daughter, filmmaker, and former architect, Yael Melamede. Ada is a true pioneer whose work gave physical form to some of Israel’s highest democratic ideals, most notably in the acclaimed Supreme Court building in Jerusalem, the Open University, and Ben Gurion Airport. (2024, 81 mins)

Bad Shabbos
Sunday, May 4 at 4 PM
Kyra Sedgwick and Cliff “Method Man” Smith lead a hilarious ensemble cast in the award-winning comedy that took home the Audience Award at the 2024 Tribeca FilmFestival. When David and his fiancé Meg gather for his family’s traditional Shabbat dinner on New York’s Upper West Side, things spiral faster than you can say “hamotzi” when an accidental death (or…murder?) derails the evening entirely. With Meg’s devoutly Catholic parents due any moment to meet David’s very Jewish family, soon Shabbat becomes a comedy of biblical proportions. (2024, 84 mins)

Sabbath Queen
Tuesday, May 6 at 7 PM
With director Sandi Dubowski in person
Filmed over 21 years, Sabbath Queen follows Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie’s epic journey as the dynastic heir of 38 generations of Orthodox rabbis including the Chief Rabbis of Israel. He is torn between rejecting and embracing his destiny and becomes a drag queen rebel, a queer bio-dad and the founder of Lab/Shul—an everybody-friendly, God-optional, artist-driven, pop-up experimental congregation. (2024, 105 mins)

The Cinema Arts Centre is located at 423 Park Ave., Huntington. Get tickets and find more info here: https://cinemaartscentre.org/long-island-jewish-film…/

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In celebration of its 50th anniversary, Monty Python and the Holy Grail will return to select theaters nationwide on Sunday, May 4, and Wednesday, May 7, courtesy of Fathom Entertainment.

“Fathom Entertainment has prided itself in bringing classic and cult classic films back to the big screen where they deserve to be enjoyed by fans – old and new alike. Few classic comedy films top the great Monty Python and the Holy Grail in terms of legendary status. Fathom is delighted to bring it back to theaters upon its 50th anniversary,” said Ray Nutt, Chief Executive Officer at Fathom Entertainment.

Grossing the highest box-office of any British film in the U.S. when released in 1975, this “cult classic” comedy from the Monty Python team loosely follows the legend of King Arthur (Graham Chapman), along with his squire (Terry Gilliam) and his Knights of the Round Table (John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin), as they embark on a fearless quest in search of the elusive Holy Grail.

Locally, participating theaters include AMC Loews Stony Brook 17, Island 16: Cinema de Lux in Holtsville, Regal Cinemas in Deer Park, Showcase Cinemas de lux in Farmindale and Regal UA in Farmingdale.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at Fathom Entertainment in advance or at participating theater box offices.

 

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Ryan Smith

Cold Spring Harbor High School proudly congratulates senior Ryan Smith on earning the Congressional Award Gold Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon civilian youth by the United States Congress. This esteemed recognition celebrates Ryan’s exceptional commitment to community service, personal development and civic engagement. In addition, Ryan received special distinction as a STEM Star, highlighting his outstanding contributions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Established by Congress in 1979, the Congressional Award is a nonpartisan, voluntary program designed to recognize initiative, achievement and service in America’s youth. Gold Medal recipients must complete a rigorous set of requirements, including a minimum of 400 hours of voluntary public service, 200 hours of personal development, 200 hours of physical fitness and a five-day, four-night expedition or exploration to foster cultural awareness and growth.

Ryan dedicated over three years to meeting these requirements. His accomplishments include work at Northwell Health’s 3D Design and Innovation Lab, where he developed an application to monitor oxygen levels in portable tanks used for patient transport—enhancing both safety and efficiency. To further his knowledge, Ryan pursued advanced studies in computer science, artificial intelligence, and mathematics through summer coursework.

As part of his recognition, Ryan has been invited to attend the 2025 Congressional Award Gold Medal Summit in Washington, D.C., from June 11–13. During the summit, he will engage with Members of Congress, national leaders in business and public service, and fellow Gold Medalists from across the country. His itinerary will include meetings with New York legislators and a formal reception with the Vice President of the United States.

Ryan exemplifies the values of leadership, service and intellectual curiosity. The Cold Spring Harbor Central School District commends him on this remarkable achievement and looks forward to his continued success.

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Mirabelle Restaurant in Stony Brook Village is one of over 90 participating restaurants for Spring Restaurant Week. Photo courtesy of Mirabelle Restaurant

The tri-annual Long Island Restaurant Week is ready to kick off spring with an opportunity to bring customers into Long Island restaurants. Over 90 restaurants on Long Island will participate this year.

In a recent survey sent to diners, over 70% said they are very likely to dine out during Restaurant Week again in the future, and more than 45% said they dine out twice during the promotion.

The Spring edition will take place from Sunday, April 27 to Sunday, May 4, with several prix fixe options. Restaurants may offer a $24 two-course lunch, a $29 three-course dinner menu, a $39 three-course dinner menu and/or a $46 three-course dinner prix fixe. Restaurants may offer one, two or any combination of the four prix fixes during the promotion.

Each participant is required to offer three options per course (appetizer, entrée and dessert) for dinner. Participating restaurants MUST offer the $24 two-course lunch prix fixe, $29, $39 or $46 three-course dinner prix fixe all night every night they are open (or during lunch hours) from Sunday to Sunday, with the exception of Saturday when it may only be offered until 7 p.m.

Back by popular demand, the Gift Card Giveaway returns for the winter promotion and diners have the option to enter to win one of three gift cards to redeemed at a participating restaurant of their choice. To enter to win, diners must visit the Long Island Restaurant Week website before Monday, May 5th at 11:59 p.m. EST and input their information. Winners will be selected on or around Friday, May 9, and will be notified via telephone and/or email.

“On the heels of a very successful Winter Restaurant Week, the spring edition is sure to see more restaurants especially with the seasonal spots opening before the summer season kicks off. Winter Restaurant Week saw over 180 restaurants to choose from and we are expecting even more this spring. As 70% of foodies surveyed have shared that they plan to dine out during restaurant week it’s looking to be a busy week,” shares Nicole Castillo of Long Island Restaurant and Hospitality Group.

For a full list of participants and to view menus, visit www.longislandrestaurantweek.com. 

Long Island Restaurant Week is proudly sponsored by Long Island Restaurant News, Discover Long Island & Newsday. 

On Long Island Restaurant Week

Long Island Restaurant Week is a tri-annual event designed to garner positive publicity and additional business for the region’s restaurants. Since 2006, it has been an annual fall promotion until the first spring Long Island Restaurant Week was launched in April 2011 and then winter was added in January of 2016, due to popular customer and restaurateur demand.

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From left, Sheriff Toulon, John Cronin and Mark Cronin. Photo courtesy of Suffolk County Sheriff's Office
From left, Sheriff Toulon, John Cronin and Mark Cronin. Photo courtesy of Suffolk County Sheriff's Office

On Thursday, April 17, Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. honored John Cronin, founder of John’s Crazy Socks, with the Community Leadership Award in recognition of his hard work and dedication to entrepreneurship and advocacy for individuals with disabilities and neurodiversity. Sheriff Toulon presented the award to John and Mark Cronin during a special visit to their newly opened storefront in Farmingdale, celebrating both John’s business success and his commitment to making a difference.

Each month, Sheriff Toulon presents the Community Leadership Award to Suffolk County residents who go above and beyond to support their communities and make a meaningful impact on the lives of others. To nominate someone for the Sheriff Toulon Community Leadership Award, please email: [email protected]

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File photo by Raymond Janis

SBU visa revocations demand official action, not platitudes

As a proud Stony Brook University alumnus (M.S. 2005), I was deeply troubled by the recent report detailing the revocation of student visas for 11 international students at SBU. No explanation or evidence has been provided to justify these revocations. This lack of transparency leaves us to assume that these revocations — along with the roughly 1,500 others reported at over 250 institutions nationwide — are either arbitrary or motivated by an unconstitutional intent to suppress free speech. (Visiting students are entitled to the same free speech protections as U.S. citizens.) While the federal government does have the authority to revoke visas, exercising that power arbitrarily constitutes a clear abuse of power.

Some may disregard the educational value of a diverse student body or the fact that smart international students elevate academic standards in the classroom. But even skeptics should recognize that international students pay higher tuition than domestic students, effectively subsidizing SBU’s operating budget. Considering that SBU, Brookhaven National Lab and Cold Spring Harbor Lab are leading Long Island employers with globally diverse workforces, even pragmatic business leaders should be concerned. A climate of fear could prompt many of the approximately 3,800 international students at SBU to transfer, and discourage future applicants altogether.

Vague affirmations by university officials are welcome, but appear toothless. SBU is a public institution of New York State. What actions will the state take to protect its residents and universities from federal overreach? Has the university president sought support from the governor, or the New York Civil Liberties Union? Will SBU provide legal representation to the students or join wider lawsuits to contest these revocations in federal court? If not, why? And if this situation escalates, will university police intervene to prevent warrantless ICE arrests, or will they stand aside as masked, unidentified agents in unmarked vans seize students on campus?

Blame for all this must be placed squarely on Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY1) and his fellow House Republicans. As majority members of a co-equal branch of government, they have failed in their constitutional duty to perform oversight. Their role is to ensure the executive branch faithfully enforces laws enacted by Congress — not to stand idle as policy is dictated by executive fiat. While LaLota may disregard the voices of his Democratic constituents, perhaps his Republican supporters and donors can impress upon him the long-term consequences of his inaction.

John Hover

East Setauket

Solar and wind power will not fulfill energy needs

In his letter of April 10 [The realty of renewable energy on Long Island] Peter Gollon recommended a document entitled “Long Island Solar Roadmap,” which is basically a sales brochure for solar panels. It would be a simple matter, we are told, to install 10 to 15 million solar panels on various locations, including flat roofs, carports, industrial land and brownfields.

The largest source, however, 49%, will be from offshore windmills. In addition, there will also be a network of lithium-ion battery installations, which will be charged when the solar arrays and windmills are generating power in excess of the user demands. Then, when the sunlight and offshore winds are absent or diminished, the required power will be provided from the energy stored in the batteries.

The problem with this scenario is that, for a given amount of solar, wind and battery installations, the required power can be guaranteed for only a limited period of time, if the sun and wind do not cooperate. In this unfortunate situation, a total blackout will occur, and it will not end until adequate sunlight and wind levels have returned.

With the technology of today, we have systems that use “fossil fuels” (oil and gas), nuclear fission and solar/wind technology. Of these, only solar/wind systems are likely to experience blackouts caused by a lack of fuel. For a known solar/wind/battery design, and known sunlight and wind profiles, based on recorded meteorological records, it should be possible to generate computer simulation software to calculate the probability of a blackout for given periods of time, such as 3 days, 4 days, 5 days, etc. Possibly Peter Gollon and his colleagues have already done this. If so, it would be most helpful for them to share their results with us. I am sure they are not simply trying to get as many solar panels and windmills as they can, and hope to get lucky.

In an interesting related development, Microsoft is in the process of reactivating the Three Mile Island nuclear energy plant in Pennsylvania, with a capacity of 800 MW, for the purpose of powering their upcoming artificial intelligence computers. Here on Long Island, in Shoreham, we have the sleeping Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant, and it has a capacity of 820 MW. If we activate the Shoreham facility, and build two or three modern copies of it, we can have all of the power we could ever use, with zero carbon emissions, no possibility of a blackout, no thermal runaway and plenty of extra power for Connecticut and New York City during times when their sun and wind resources are in short supply. What is wrong with that?

George Altemose

Setauket

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We welcome your letters, especially those responding to our local coverage, replying to other letter writers’ comments and speaking mainly to local themes. Letters should be no longer than 400 words and may be edited for length, libel, style, good taste and uncivil language. They will also be published on our website. We do not publish anonymous letters. Please include an address and phone number for confirmation. Email letters to: [email protected] or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733

 

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Pixabay photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

Words pour out of our mouths like different kinds of liquids.

Sometimes, those words can offer necessary relief from white hot anger, agony or discomfort, serving as a cooling salve, bringing a smile to our miserable faces and turning, as the cliche would suggest, a frown upside down.

Other times, the words people choose to share can exacerbate an already inflamed state, serving as lighter fluid, threatening to turn us from a mild shade of pink into a deep red.

Words can also become an avalanche, forcing us to look elsewhere as a nonstop collection of words, phrase or ideas threatens to bury us beneath their verbal weight. Desperate to get away, we might hope the speaker gets distracted by a flying turtle.

A diatribe, lesson or self-aggrandizing soliloquy can be exhausting and irritating.

But, it’s not just the words and their effect that are so familiar in conversations.

No, you see, it’s the facial expressions. Many people have a remarkable ability to run the gamut of human emotions and thoughts without saying a word. A tightening of the skin around their eyes, a slight narrowing of the lids, a crooked smile, or a baring of teeth, which is probably the least subtle of the facial reactions, can reveal something about our inner state or disclose how we’re feeling about the world around us or, more precisely, the person in front of us.

To varying degrees, actors and actresses have mastered the art of using their often photogenic, compelling, or sympathetic faces to tell stories and, perhaps, to reveal the inner conflict we know they are feeling when, say, their sister asks them to be a bridesmaid when she’s planning to marry a person the actress has loved for years. Yes, that was a mildly amusing movie and yes, you probably know it.

The rest of us mere facial mortals, however, may not be as capable of altering our features to reflect the wide range of emotions we might reveal in response to the way we feel behind the masks we try to wear.

When I lived in Manhattan, I thoroughly enjoyed people watching. It’s a form of endless entertainment. Leaning on the railing at Rockefeller Center in mid December years ago, I watched an elderly couple gliding around the rink together, holding hands and glancing contentedly at each other, clearly enjoying the moment. With gloved fingers interlaced, they synchronized their legs as well as any pairs figure skaters might.

While I imagined that they had been together for decades and that they might have gone to an ice skating rink on an early date, they also could have been together for a couple of months or, perhaps, gotten married a year earlier.

Either way, their faces, which I can still picture decades later, revealed a keen and profound satisfaction.

Some people undoubtedly have mastered the art of the poker face, appearing interested or attentive when they are thinking about where to eat dinner later that night, what laundry they need to take to the dry cleaner, or when to sell a stock that’s been teetering with all the others amidst concerns about corporate profits and a potential slowdown in the economy.

Others, however, can reveal the equivalent of an SOS call, with a slight turn of their neck, widening eyes, and a faint but noticeable grimace around their pained mouths.

When we get to know family or friends well, we can read their expressions or hear the flat tone in their voices, knowing that the word “interesting,” or “you don’t say,” really means, “please stop talking. I’ll pay you to stop talking. In fact, here is a set of fake plastic ears that look like mine. Chew on them and, when you’re done, please recycle what’s left over.”

Sometimes, when I know someone well enough, I’ll watch their faces as they listen to a perspective that irritates them, a joke they don’t find remotely amusing, or a comment they don’t appreciate and I’ll recognize the unspoken but deeply held thoughts etched in their faces.

With all the finely tuned muscles in our faces and our ability to raise or lower our eyebrows, we can send signals that the attentive listener or others can read like a subtle or, perhaps more obvious, signal.

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A statue of Balto in Central Park. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Roman Eugeniusz

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief,
Publisher

While most of us know “of the famous ride of Paul Revere,” quoting Longfellow, there is another ride that happened 100 years ago that we can commemorate. It has to do with one of my favorite dogs. His name was Balto, an Alaskan husky and sled dog born in Nome, and he led a team of sled dogs, driven by Gunnar Kaasen and carrying vital diphtheria antitoxin through fierce Alaskan storms across the wilderness and into history. 

The serum was desperately needed to combat an outbreak of the disease. Planes such as they were in 1925, were grounded by the intense weather. The only hope for rescue was with the perilous trip by sled. Kaasen insisted that Balto was the true hero. A movie, a nationwide tour on the vaudeville circuit and a bronze statue in Central Park resulted.

Now I visited Central Park most Sundays, when the weather permitted, throughout my elementary school years, with my dad and younger sister. It was my dad’s way of giving my mother a few hours off and of having some time with us since he worked six days a week, left early in the morning, and only returned for a late dinner. He would cook us breakfast, and then we would walk through the Park, taking a different route each time until my mother would join us in the late afternoon with a picnic supper. 

Most often, he made sure our meanderings took us past the statue of Balto. I would climb up on the rock on which he stood, then sit astride his back, and listen as my dad read the words on the plaque adorning the site “dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the sled dogs that relayed antitoxin six hundred miles over rough ice, across treacherous waters, through Arctic blizzards from Nenana to the relief of stricken Nome in the winter of 1925: endurance, fidelity, intelligence” Visuals of the trip would run through my mind as I sat there, courtesy of Jack London, whose books I read. I loved Balto.

But there is quite a back story.

For starters, Balto was an underdog in a literal sense. He was owned by Leonhard Seppala, a native Norwegian, sled dog breeder, musher and competitive racer, and was named after an Arctic explorer. Balto had a black fur coat, a small, stocky build with two white stocking front feet and was considered “second rate” as a racer by Seppala, who had him neutered at six months and used him to haul freight for short runs and help pull railcars with miners over a disused railroad track. Gunnar Kaasen, another native Norwegian and a close family friend of Seppala, with 21 years of dog sledding experience who worked for the breeder, came to know Balto and believed Seppala had misjudged the dog because of his short stature.

Early in 1925, doctors realized a deadly diphtheria epidemic could affect the  people of Nome, Alaska, and putting the city under quarantine, transmitted with Morse code that the town desperately needed more serum, whose supply was almost depleted. Mushers were summoned to relay the precious cargo. Radio, a recent invention, picked up the story, as well as newspapers, and followed the more than 20 mushers as they took turns through storms and strong winds. Kaasen was appointed to drive a team of Seppala’s dogs, and although Seppala wanted a dog named Fox to lead the team, Kaasen picked Balto. They left the town of Bluff with the antitoxin at 10 p.m.

Shortly after they started, a blizzard caused them to become confused and lost. Kaasen yelled, “Go home, Balto,” and the dog, used to hauling heavy loads, navigated his team through the wild winds. At one point, Balto unexpectedly stopped before some ice on the Topkok River that broke in front of him, thereby saving Kaasen’s life and that of the entire team, according to the musher. The package was delivered in time, and the residents were saved.

There is more to the story. Especially as money entered the picture, lies and deception, jealousy and hatred all became part of the human saga. But Balto will always remain my 100-year-old dog. 

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One in 36 children aged eight in the U.S. were diagnosed with the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in 36 means that around 32 students are affected by ASD in a high school of 1238 students–the number of students enrolled at Smithtown High School West from 2023-2024. It means that 76 students from kindergarten to sixth grade in the Three Village School District may have trouble socializing, communicating and learning.

The number of adults impacted is less defined, with some adults going undiagnosed, though the CDC estimates 1 in 45 adults in the U.S. have ASD. These individuals are artists. They are educators, technicians, writers, engineers and leaders. They helped make our community, but our community was not made for them. 

Often people with ASD have to “mask.” According to the National Autistic Society, people with ASD sometimes mask in order to appear non-autisitic. Autistic people have described masking as “tightly controlling and adjusting how you express yourself based on the real or anticipated reactions of others.” 

ASD causes the person to have trouble communicating in social situations. They may exhibit repetitive behaviors called “stimming” or strictly adhere to a fixed routine. They may get overstimulated by certain sensations or experiences. Autism is a spectrum, so it affects everyone in varying degrees. 

People with ASD have helped shaped our society in significant ways. Greta Thunberg, for example, is a 22-year old environmental activist who inspired thousands to advocate for environmental protections. She is also on the autistic spectrum. 

Renowned actor Anthony Hopkins is also reportedly on the autistic spectrum and was diagnosed late in his life. 

Most people have some connection to a person who has ASD. Expanding consideration to the different needs and preferences of autistic individuals does not take much work. Offering different resources and services, like Father Andrew Garnett is doing in holding a sensory-friendly church service, is a great way to show that people with different abilities are valued. We can ask questions–what can we do to help? Perhaps we can communicate differently and avoid sarcasm. We can be cognizant of sensory issues. Most importantly, we can listen. Let’s make an effort to be more considerate to those with ASD and to learn about how we can make our community more inclusive, not just this April during Autism Awareness Month  but always. 

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METRO photo

As of April 21, all local gasoline prices are a penny to three cents lower than a week ago, except Long Island which held steady, according to a report from AAA Northeast. The national average fell three cents.

The AAA Fuel Prices website shows today’s New York City average at $3.09 per gallon, a penny less than last week. Connecticut is also down one cent at $3.04. Long Island remains flat at $2.99. New Jersey is down three cents to $2.97.

Prices continue lower on weak demand. Last week, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), Americans consumed just 8.46 million barrels of gasoline per day—a slight uptick of 37,000 barrels a day over the prior week, but still trailing 2024’s pace by roughly 200,000 barrels a day. Next week’s figures, which will include data encompassing the Easter holiday, will be closely watched by market analysts to see if demand breaks out of the spring doldrums.

“As demand has continued to stay soft, refiners have dialed back gasoline production to keep a floor beneath pump prices, which are the lowest for this time of year since 2021,” said Robert Sinclair of AAA Northeast. “Across the country, drivers are spending between 50 and 60 cents less per gallon than this time last year.”

On April 21, Mississippi and Tennessee have the lowest prices in the nation, at $2.68 and $2.70, respectively. California and Hawaii hold the highest prices in the nation this week at $4.84 and $4.50, respectively.

AAA Northeast is a not-for-profit auto club with offices in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire and New York, providing more than 6.5 million local AAA members with travel, insurance, financial and auto-related services.

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