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Editorial: We walk with you

by TBR Staff - June 4, 2022

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Columbine-Walkout_Ward-Melville_April-20-2018_regan3w — File photo by Rita J. Egan

Last week, students nationwide walked out of their schools to stand up against gun violence and to demand stricter gun laws, including young people in the TBR News Media coverage areas.

It’s crucial for students to know that we journalists walk with you. We may not always be there physically, but we are always there in spirit. As community watchdogs, it is our duty to help educate people on what’s going on in their towns, and to let those in charge know that we are watching them too.

Parents, teachers, administrators and lawmakers must understand that young people are terrified by the headlines of the lastest mass shootings at schools. Our youth are being targeted, as our grownups stand by without solutions.

Yes, many school districts along the North Shore have several security measures in place. Visitors are often required to ring a buzzer before entering a front door, where an attendant will buzz them in. Once inside the main entrance, they cannot walk through the school without showing ID first. Often, a security guard or hall monitor will escort them to wherever they may be going.

While we applaud district administrators who have taken extra precaution to secure their buildings, protecting the lives of children and teachers goes beyond locked-door policies.

To prevent mass shootings — such as those in Uvalde, Texas; Sandy Hook, Connecticut; and Parkland, Florida — it is time for our nation to stop avoiding the deeper conversations about gun reform. The horrifying headlines we see every day will not disappear until there are real changes.

If a parent visiting a school to see their son or daughter receive an award is required to go through a few steps just to walk through a school, then someone buying a gun of any kind needs to go through several measures. The procedures in place are simply not enough.

We know that there are some in this country hellbent on committing senseless harm who yearn to leave a mark on this world by depriving it of what is good and pure. Our nation needs stricter gun control laws so that these deranged individuals can be denied the opportunity to be remembered for the carnage they inflict upon humanity.

The fight against gun violence goes even deeper than stricter laws, though. The battle begins with making mental health services available to everyone who needs them, including our youngest citizens. Children should always know that there is someone to talk to and help them navigate whatever they are going through in life.

Sometimes one’s journey in life may feel like a deep, dark tunnel. It’s up to parents, journalists, educators, administrators and elected officials to show our young people that there is always a light at the end of any tunnel.

Most of all, students need to know that the adults in their communities are there for them. We encourage students to attend board of ed meetings and to step up and speak out. We also invite our young readers to write in and let us know how they feel about the current gun laws, school safety and whatever else may be on their minds.

We are here for you.

Bellone, Kornreich visit veterans home for Memorial Day service

by Raymond Janis - June 4, 2022

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Public officials gathered before a room of vets at the Long Island State Veterans Home at Stony Brook University for a Memorial Day service Friday, May 27.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) gave the keynote address for the event. He continued the theme raised during his State of the County address a week earlier, invoking the example of the Greatest Generation as a model for Americans today.

“I can’t help but think that it’s just at the moment when we see our World War II veterans unfortunately slowly, but inevitably, fade into history, that 80 years later we now see war raging in Europe,” he said. “It’s so important that we never forget what they did.”

For Bellone, American veterans should be honored not only for their service abroad but for the work they perform for communities after they return from the battlefield.

“It’s what veterans always do — they come home after fighting for our country and they build and they strengthen our community,” the county executive said, adding, “To all our veterans who have served, you all have picked up the baton of service. From the Revolutionary War right up to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, American veterans have served and have sacrificed.”

Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) was also in attendance. Saying that he was inspired by Bellone’s address, the councilmember commented on the need for policymakers to temper their power to wage war and monitor their decisions that threaten peace.

Without memory of the great global conflicts of the 20th century, leaders today may be less cautious in their use of force.

“Maybe people now who are making decisions, who didn’t live through it, maybe they don’t have the same reluctance to engage in war and the same urgency to avoid it,” Kornreich said. “Especially right now, with all of the conflicts that are going on, that’s a very good lesson. I can’t think of a better way to honor the memory of those who have died in war than to try to fight for peace.”

— Photos courtesy of Long Island State Veterans Home

TBR News Media Police Blotter for issue of June 2, 2022

by Heidi Sutton - June 3, 2022

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The following incidents have been reported by Suffolk County Police:

Commack

■ Pristine Mitsubishi on Jericho Turnpike in Commack reported the theft of four wheels and tires off of a 2018 Mercedes on May 28. The stolen items were valued at $4,000.

■ Homegoods on Henry Street in Commack called the police on May 20 to report that a man and a woman allegedly stole assorted bedding items valued at $410.

Dix Hills

■ A resident on Ingold Drive in Dix Hills reported that his 2020 Land Rover was stolen from his driveway on May 25. The key fob had been left inside. Security footage showed three unknown men with hoodies entering the car and driving off.

East Setauket

■ Walmart on Nesconset Highway in East Setauket reported that two women entered the store on May 28 and allegedly stole miscellaneous clothing items valued at approximately $150.

■ BJ’s Wholesale Club on Nesconset Highway in East Setauket called the police on May 23 to report that a woman allegedly stole 5 packages of Canadian Snow Crabs and two packages of Bubba Burgers valued at $265.

Hauppauge

■ United Cerebral Palsy of Long Island on Marcus Boulevard in Hauppauge called the police on May 20 to report that catalytic converters were stolen from five commercial vehicles parked in the parking lot. The parts were valued at $3,000.

Holtsville

■ A catalytic converter was stolen from a 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe parked at the Jesus is Lord Church on Long Island Avenue in Holtsville on May 26. The item was valued at $800.

Huntington Station

■ LensCrafters on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington Station reported that two women allegedly stole 17 eyeglass frames on May 27. The items were valued at $5700.

Lake Grove

■ Selected Hype at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove reported a shoplifter on May 26. A woman allegedly stole six designer t-shirts valued at $900.

■ Dick’s Sporting Goods at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove called the police on May 20 to report a petit larceny. Two people entered the store, chose assorted Nike clothing, removed the sensors and allegedly walked out without paying. The clothing was valued at $880.

■ T-Mobile on New Moriches Road in Lake Grove reported a grand larceny on May 26. A man entered the store, allegedly cut the security cord from an iPhone 13 Pro Max on display and fled. The cellphone was valued at valued at $1100.

Melville

■ A resident on Hemingway Drive in Melville reported that someone entered his vehicle on May 24 and stole a gold Cartier bracelet and Rolex Daytona watch from the glove compartment of his Rolls Royce.

■ A woman shopping at Marshall’s on Walt Whitman Road in Melville on May 28 reported that someone stole her cellphone case containing her iPhone 11, credit cards, debit cards, driver’s license, etc. One of the cards was later used multiple times at a local Kohl’s department store.

Miller Place

■ A woman hiking at Cordwood Landing County Park in Miller Place on May 27 returned to her car in the parking lot to find that someone had stolen a backpack containing her wallet from her unlocked car.

Mount Sinai

■ A woman called the police on May 28 to report that while visiting Heritage Park on Mount Sinai Coram Road, Mount Sinai someone entered her car and stole a diaper bag containing cash and credit cards. The credit cards were later used at a local Walmart.

■ A pocketbook containing cash and credit cards was stolen from an unlocked vehicle parked at Cedar Beach on Harbor Beach Road in Mount Sinai on May 27.

Selden

■ A resident on Pamela Lane in Selden reported that an unidentified man stole a large package valued at $250 from their porch on May 24. The porch pirate was captured on a Ring camera.

■ A resident on Galaxie Lane in Selden called the police on May 27 to report that she heard her car alarm go off at 5 a.m. and found that someone broke the passenger front side window of her vehicle and stole her purse and AirPods.

Setauket

■ Assorted tools were reported stolen from a residence on Strongs Lane in Setauket on May 27. The items, which included a nail gun and circular saw, were valued at $2,700.

Sound Beach

■ A 2013 Honda Accord was stolen from the driveway of a residence on Long Beach Drive in Sound Beach on May 27. The vehicle, which according to the owner was locked, was valued at $9,000.

South Setauket

■ Stop & Shop on Pond Path in South Setauket reported a shoplifter on May 28. A woman allegedly stole miscellaneous grocery items valued at $350.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS.

— COMPILED BY HEIDI SUTTON

Northport boys lacrosse moves on to Long Island championship

by TBR Staff - June 3, 2022

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By Steven Zaitz

Northport defeated Smithtown East, 16-13, in the Suffolk County Class A Boys Lacrosse Championship game in a game that took place over the course of two days.

After a flash lightning storm struck at East Islip on June 1, the game was delayed for 30 minutes with Northport leading, 6-5. After the officials restarted the game, Northport would outscore the Bulls, 7-2, but the weather would force yet another stoppage. The game resumed June 2 with seven and a half minutes remaining, and despite a furious flurry of goals by the Red Bulls, Northport would hang on to win their second consecutive Suffolk County title.

Marcus Wertheim scored four goals and Brandon Marz three goals for Smithtown East. Michael Meyer and Jacob Starcke scored four each for the Tigers, and Jack Deliberti would net three. The Tigers take on Port Washington for the Class A title on Saturday at Hofstra.

Theater Review: ‘Kinky Boots’ struts its stuff at the Engeman

by Barbara Anne Kirshner - June 3, 2022

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By Barbara Anne Kirshner

SHOES! Cobbled into laced high-top boots, stilettos or platforms, they transport the wearer to another place, another time, even another attitude. As Cyndi Lauper’s lyrics put it, “The most beautiful thing in the world — SHOES!”

Kinky Boots isn’t just about shoes; there’s a much deeper message of acceptance that resonates in this musical with book by Broadway icon, Harvey Fierstein (Torch Song Trilogy and La Cage aux Folles), and music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper who already was the beacon for diversity with such anthems as True Colors. Together they crafted this poignant, funny musical that radiates so much heart.

The show is based on the 2005 British film, Kinky Boots, which was inspired by a true story, the topic of a 1999 episode of the BBC2 documentary television series Trouble at the Top.

This musical centers around a young man, Charlie Price, who is struggling to save his family’s five-generations-long shoe factory in the small town of Northampton, England that he inherited from his father. He forms an unlikely alliance with a drag queen, Lola, and they produce a line of high-heeled alternative footwear for men and take their kinky boots to the runways of the international shoe show in Milan. Along the way, Charlie and Lola realize they are not that different.

Kinky Boots premiered at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on April 4, 2013. It received 13 nominations and 6 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Actor for Billy Porter and Best Score for Cyndi Lauper giving her the distinction of being the first woman to win alone in that category. It closed on April 7, 2019.

Now the musical heads to the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport which enjoys a tradition of breathtaking professionalism and Kinky Boots only adds to its repertoire of fabulous theatre.

Musical direction by Jeff Cox keeps festivities energized with the band conducted by Ben Kiley, on the night of this review, brilliantly taking on Lauper’s high-spirited score and driving it home.

The dynamic cast is intense and multi-talented, injecting passion and energy into the show. In the lead role of Charlie Price, Zach Hess is compelling, making us feel his dilemma, torn between trying to keep his father’s legacy alive or giving in to his fiancée Nicola’s insistence that they start a new life in London. Hess’ vocals are rich and powerful in such numbers as Step One, Take What You Got and blows the roof off the house with the impassioned Soul of a Man. Sofie Flores’ Nicola is a steam-roller, prickly and conniving; she selfishly conjures up a plan to get Charlie out of the factory.

Omari Collins dazzles in the role of flamboyant drag queen Lola whom Charlie met after a chance encounter. Collins glamorously struts his stuff in such numbers as Land of Lola, Sex Is In The Heels and sends chills with his showstopper Hold Me In Your Heart. He is riveting when he confides how he didn’t live up to his father’s desire that he become a proper boxer.

We are thoroughly immersed in the duo of Charlie and Lola who come together to create all those kinky boots and along the way realize that above all else they must accept themselves, a revelation that resounds in I’m Not My Father’s Son.

In the role of factory worker Lauren, who comes up with the idea of footwear for a diversified market, Lily Kaufmann is so much fun especially when she regrets her poor choices in men with The History of Wrong Guys and is deliciously animated lusting after Charlie. As factory worker Don, Demetrio Alomar exudes the right flavor of gruff and macho especially when he rebuffs Lola leading to a pivotal confrontation.

The ensemble is incredibly limitless, bouncing through the kinetic choreography of Natalie Malotke. The factory workers are appropriately gritty in contrast to the sizzling Angels. How the Angels are able to perform all those gymnastic dance routines in sky high heels is incomprehensible!

Under the direction of Igor Goldin, this production soars with vitality and feeling. The ingenious set designed by Kyle Dixon emulates the industrial feel of this small town factory with its steel scaffolding that glides into various positions as each scene requires and features a slide conveyor belt for spitting out shoes. Jose Santiago’s lighting design with well-placed spots that add pathos causes shivers and excitement just at the right moments. Sound design by Joanna Lynne Staub is crisp with all levels expertly set.

The shining stars are the thigh-high kinky boots in a rainbow of colors and bedazzled in jewels compliments of prop designer Kristie Moschetta. Kurt Alger must have had such fun designing costumes and wigs for this show. Every time Lola and her Angels appear we are awed by form-fitting confections in red, leather and animal prints with coiffeurs piled high or exploding in curls.

The finale, Raise You Up/Just Be, splashes joy over the audience and ejects them from their seats into an enthusiastic standing ovation. One can’t help but leave the theatre exhilarated. The Engeman has hit a home run with this mesmerizing production of Kinky Boots. Don’t miss it.

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents Kinky Boots through July 3. The 2021-2022 season closes out with the musical On Your Feet The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan from July 14 to Aug. 28. Tickets range from $75 to 80 with free valet parking. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

Hadassah Suffolk celebrates member’s 100th birthday with fundraiser

by Rita J. Egan - June 2, 2022

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There are many ways to celebrate a milestone birthday. When it comes to Three Village resident Claire Baer’s 100th birthday in June, Hadassah Suffolk based in Commack has decided to mark the special occasion in a unique way.

JoAnne Shapiro, president of Hadassah Suffolk, said the organization is raising funds in Baer’s honor to buy several “Bear Hugger” Patient Warming Systems for Hadassah Hospital in Israel.

Shapiro said Hadassah Suffolk has more than 3,000 members, and it has been spreading the word via postcards and social media.

“We kicked the fundraiser off last November because we wanted to give people the opportunity to recognize Claire well before her actual birthday,” she said

Shapiro added that enough money has been raised so far to purchase two warming systems. Hadassah Suffolk has raised more than $5,500 of the $6,600 goal as of June 1.

The warming system helps patients maintain their temperature before, during and after surgery, and Shapiro said they picked the piece of medical equipment due to Baer’s last name. The two hospitals in Jerusalem which will benefit from the fundraiser were built by Hadassah Medical Organization.

Shapiro described Baer as “a vastly influential leader in the Hadassah community.” The soon-to-be centenarian was president of Hadassah Suffolk from 1979 to 1982. She served on the national board from 1982 to 2003 and then went on to become president of Hadassah Suffolk’s Sea-Port chapter.

Baer’s daughter Ivy thought the fundraiser was a lovely gesture to celebrate her mother’s 100th birthday on June 18.

She said her mother, who grew up in the Bronx, became a Baer when she married her husband, Paul, in 1950. They celebrated 62 years of marriage before his passing at the age of 90.

According to their daughter, the Baers became Three Village residents when they moved to Stony Brook in 1972. Paul Baer’s job brought them to the area when he accepted a position at Stony Brook University’s dental school. Ivy Baer said the family lived in Maryland, and her father worked at the National Institutes of Health. After her dad retired from NIH, he accepted a job at SBU’s dental school, excited about the opportunity to teach at the new school. He would go on to be the founding chair of the Department of Periodontology.

“My parents really enjoyed being part of the university community,” she said. “There was just this whole group of really interesting people who came there around that time.”

She said her parents would attend the Bach festival that SBU’s Department of Music would organize, and the couple would host musicians who performed there from time to time. Always one to keep herself busy, Claire Baer had finished her college education when she lived in Maryland, and when she moved to the Three Village area, she looked for things to do, according to her daughter.

Claire Baer joined Temple Isaiah in Stony Brook, a house of worship where she remains a member and, in turn, became involved with Hadassah. She started the local Sea-Port chapter of the organization, eventually becoming chapter president. When she joined the national board, Ivy Baer said her mother would travel to Manhattan to the main headquarters of Hadassah regularly.

“She’d go down to the train station at the crack of dawn several days a week, and she would take the train into the city,” Ivy Baer said.

Baer, sitting, celebrated her 99th birthday with her daughter Ivy, center standing, and granddaughters Sara Short and Leslie Rothenberg. Photos from Ivy Baer

During the 20 years she was on the national board, Claire Baer made nearly 30 trips to Israel, according to her daughter. One of the programs she worked on involved planning month-long trips to Israel for women and children.

“Sometimes people would ask her what she did, and she would say, ‘I’m a professional volunteer,’” Ivy Baer said.

The daughter said her mother enjoyed helping the organization and Israel because it was something she believed in, and she felt she was making a difference.

Shapiro said the members of Hadassah Suffolk wished they could plan a large celebration for Baer’s 100th birthday, but they will keep it low-key due to COVID-19 by having just a few members present her with a certificate to mark her 100th birthday.

“If it was ‘our old normal,’ we would have had a very large and festive luncheon in Claire’s honor, showering her with well-deserved accolades,” Shapiro said.

Ivy Baer said the entire family including grandson-in-law Daniel and great-grandson Paul plan to be with Claire to celebrate her birthday.

To donate visit tinyurl.com/clairebaerbday online or mail donation to Hadassah Metro, 300 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ 07052. “Claire Baer’s 100th birthday” should be written in the check’s memo line.

D. None of the Above: Seeing teachers through the eyes of an appreciative child

by Daniel Dunaief - June 1, 2022

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By Daniel Dunaief

Once upon a time, a girl named Fiona read the book “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”

She thought it was funny and charming that a child could see what no one else admitted. But then, something strange happened: she thought she could also see things that no one else could.

“That’s sweet, Fiona, but focus on your school work and let your imagination run wild at other times,” her father told her that night.

Fiona did as she was told because she wanted to please her parents and her teachers. It was her teachers that caused problems for her.

It started with Mrs. Butler in her third grade class. A tall, thin woman with white hair and glasses, Mrs. Butler always wore high-heeled shoes. She looked directly in the eyes of every student. One day, her friend Simona fell and hit her head. When Mrs. Butler bent down and checked on her friend, Fiona saw the kind of coat doctors and nurses wear appear around her shoulders. Fiona rubbed her eyes, but the coat was still there. Mrs. Butler calmly told the class to go to their seats, sent Bill to get the nurse and kneeled on the floor near Simona.

When the nurse left with Simona, Mrs. Butler’s white coat disappeared.

The next day, Jeff couldn’t understand a math problem. He wrote numbers all over the paper, but he didn’t have the answer.

Fiona noticed a change again in Mrs. Butler’s clothing. Instead of her powder blue blouse, she had an orange vest and white gloves. With numbers on the smartboard, she directed Jeff away from all the dead ends.

When he got closer to the answer, Jeff smiled. Fiona looked back at Mrs. Butler, whose orange vest and white gloves disappeared.

Later, Doug and Andrew got into an argument near the stack of books at the back of the room. When Doug swung his arm to make a point, he knocked over several books.

Fiona saw Mrs. Butler’s clothing change again, this time into the kind of black and white stripes that referees wear in football games. She could even see a whistle dangling from her teacher’s neck.

The next morning, Jill and Amanda couldn’t agree on how to do a class project. Jill marched to the front of the classroom to complain. Amanda followed closely.

While Fiona couldn’t hear everything, she saw a black robe form around Mrs. Butler.

When the conversation ended, Mrs. Butler said something that made both girls happy. They shook hands and walked back to their desks, where they returned to work on their project.

One day, Fiona arrived early to class. She and her teacher were alone and she felt like she had to say something.

“Mrs. Butler?” Fiona asked.

“Yes?” Her teacher replied.

“I see all the clothing you wear,” Fiona said. “I don’t think anyone else sees it.”

Mrs. Butler narrowed her eyes and looked carefully at her student.

“What do you see?” Mrs. Butler asked.

She described the medical jacket, the orange vest, the referee’s coat and the judge’s robe.

“What do you think of all that?” Mrs. Butler asked.

“Is it real?” Fiona asked.

“Thank you for seeing,” Mrs. Butler grinned. Other students walked into the room and class started.

Just then, Fiona heard an alarm. Mrs. Butler reacted immediately. She held up a shield and directed everyone to the back of the room.

While they waited, Mrs. Butler told everyone to remain quiet. The class waited for the all clear.

“It was a drill,” Mrs. Butler said. “You can return to your desks.”

Fiona was the last to leave the classroom that day.

“Fiona?” Mrs. Butler asked. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” she said. “Thanks for … everything.”

Between You and Me: A book that lets us consider what might have been said

by Leah Dunaief - June 1, 2022

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https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-283732679-220228424794-1-original.20220512-180232 — 'Undelivered'

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

“What if,” is always an intriguing question. This is true for our personal lives, as well as for history. And one way to consider many historic “what ifs” is through a newly published book by Jeffrey Nussbaum, one of President Biden’s speechwriters, called, “Undelivered.” This is a compilation of speeches, never given, by historical figures, whose words Nussbaum tracked down over 20 years.

These speeches include, among others, the draft of apology that was prepared for General Dwight Eisenhower, had D-Day ended in failure, and Hillary Clinton’s victory speech.

Civil rights leader John Lewis’ original speech for the March on Washington, August 28, 1963, in which Martin Luther King Jr. spoke his iconic “I’ve got a dream” words, is also revealing of the tension among the civil rights leadership. PBS, the television news hour, interviewed Nussbaum this past Monday, and he said that Lewis had originally intended to declare, “We will march through the South, through the heart of Dixie, the way Sherman did. We shall pursue our own scorched-earth policy and burn Jim Crow to the ground — non-violently” but was dissuaded from those words. The sponsors of the March, who feared looking too extreme and harming the chances of passing the civil rights bill, begged him to withdraw that particular rhetoric Lewis, with his back to the wall, most reluctantly changed his words that night, writing and rewriting his draft at the base of the Lincoln Memorial until it was acceptable, but the earlier text is in the book.

One of the most fascinating speeches never given was the one awaiting the arrival of President John F. Kennedy on the lectern in Dallas on November 22, 1963. In that text was Kennedy’s warning of the existence of “a rise in the far-right wing camp of voices preaching doctrines wholly unrelated to reality.” He would have said that “we are the watchmen on the wall of world freedom looking outside and INSIDE. [Capital letters are mine.]”

The subtitle of Nussbaum’s book reads, “The never-heard speeches that would have rewritten history,” suggests that had Kennedy’s words been heard, history might indeed have been altered. As it is, people who read it after the assassination just regarded that speech as generally one of foreign policy.

These speeches demonstrate how outcomes rest on the razor’s edge of history. Fascinating are “those warnings made in their moment of time,” according to Nussbaum, “that resonate even more clearly today.”

Another historic instance mentioned by Nussbaum was of the three speeches written for Al Gore in the 2000 election. Gore was to give none of them that night. One was a victory speech, the second was a concession, and the third was in the event Gore won the Electoral College but lost the popular vote — prescient of the 2016 election. Nussbaum was one of those speechwriters, and that experience inspired him to write the book about other undelivered speeches.

Not all the speeches included in the book are about politicians and policy. There is the one by Barry Jenkins, the director behind the 2017 award-winning movie, “Moonlight.” Some of you may remember the flub that night, in which the wrong picture was initially announced as the winner and the wrong cast mounted the stage at the Academy Awards before the correction was made. In the chaos, Jenkins never got to say what winning that award meant for him. But here, in Nussbaum’s book, he does get to tell what he would have said.

“They were filming in Liberty City, Miami,” explained Nussbaum, “and as in many poorer neighborhoods, there wasn’t sufficient lighting. They had to bring in lights, which attracted children to the set. At one point during the filming, [Jenkins] looks over to Video Village, where all the monitors and editing equipment were, and he sees a young man wearing his [Jenkins’] headset who’s just planted himself in [Jenkins’] chair.”

“And in that moment, I saw in this child the possibility which I hadn’t believed I could ever see for myself,” Jenkins, who is Black, would have read. How poignant. And missed.

Long-awaited restoration work commences at Coindre Hall

by Press Release - June 1, 2022

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Coindre1 — The road leading to the Coindre Hall boathouse. Photo from Leg. Bontempi's office

Suffolk County Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R – 18^th L.D.) recently announced that restoration has begun at the historic Coindre Hall.

“Working with the Coindre Hall Advisory Board, the community, my colleagues in the legislature, and county officials, I am proud to say that we have begun to restore the property to its former glory,” said Bontempi.

“Despite the narrative the rumor mill has continued to push, this land will not – and cannot – be used for any development or commercialization. Coindre Hall will be preserved for generations to come.”

Coindre Hall’s seawall. Photo from Leg. Bontempi’s office

“A major part of the CHAB’s mission is to restore the property without compromising the overall character of the complex and larger park,” said Bontempi. “Before the recent restoration work began, Suffolk County secured the necessary DEC permits. Notice of such permits has been prominently posted on the property for the public to view. This has been a transparent and cooperative effort.”

Upon completion of the work, a replanting phase will begin to replace any vegetation that may be impacted during the project. In addition, the wetlands are protected as per DEC guidelines.

“These are pristine wetlands, surrounded by native flora and fauna,” said Bontempi. “It is of paramount importance that we protect the site’s natural state.”

Some proposed uses of the restored boathouse include establishing a law enforcement station, given the complex and unique location on the shoreline, providing easier access to various points on the waterfront.

“Restoring this Suffolk County park benefits every resident in Suffolk County,” said Bontempi. “This is a tremendous victory for Suffolk County residents.”

To learn more about the great work done by the members of the community working on the Coindre Hall Advisory Board, please visithttps://www.scnylegislature.us/1187/Coindre-Hall-Advisory-Board.

LIGMC presents ‘Destination – Anywhere’ Pride concerts

by Press Release - June 1, 2022

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The Long Island Gay Men’s Chorus (LIGMC) is celebrating Pride with a musical road trip – and you’re all invited to join them in traveling to “Destination – Anywhere!”

Featuring the works of Stephen Sondheim, Walt Whitman, John Denver, Peter Allen, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra and more, LIGMC’s “Destination – Anywhere!” concerts are set for 8 p.m. on Friday, June 10 at Saint Francis Episcopal Church, 1692 Bellmore Ave., North Bellmore; 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 11 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Stony Brook, 380 Nicolls Road, Setauket/E. Setauket; and 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 12 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 12 Prospect St., Huntington.

“LIGMC began our journey to ‘Destination – Anywhere!’ all the way back in the winter of 2020, so we are thrilled that our audience will at long last join us on this wonderful musical trip,” Bradley Meek, President of the LIGMC Board of Directors, said. “I am so proud of the hard work and dedication that LIGMC’s 17 members are dedicating to making this a concert season to remember and cherish.”

Upon its completion, the full trip will have included several musical pitstops. On April 2, LIGMC ventured into the wonderful world of drag at its sold-out “Broadway’s a Drag!” cabaret at Sayville VFW Post 433. On Saturday, June 4, LIGMC will be previewing selections from “Destination – Anywhere” at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre as part of the Long Island Gay & Lesbian Film Festival’s arts pride event. And, after the season is complete, LIGMC is scheduled to sing the national anthem for the Long Island Ducks on Friday, July 22.

“It is always a joy to work with this dedicated, enthusiastic – and growing! – group of singers,” LIGMC Artistic Director Jeanette Cooper said. “Filled with musical twists and turns, ‘Destination – Anywhere’ is bound to have something for everyone. We hope to see you at an upcoming performance and look forward to celebrating Pride with you!”

Tickets are $25 and are available for purchase at the door or online at www.ligmc.org.

About the Long Island Gay Men’s Chorus (LIGMC)

The Long Island Gay Men’s Chorus is a voluntary, not-for-profit, community-based organization that provides diverse audiences with high-quality choral performances and musical experiences. LIGMC uses music to unite the LGBTQ community, fight prejudice and discrimination, affirm the contributions of the LGBTQ community to the region’s cultural life.

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