Ward Melville at the Stony Brook Village Center, circa 1950s. Photo from WMHO
Long before there were the Gates and the Zuckerbergs of the world, there was Ward Melville.
A major Long Island philanthropist and national business leader, the scope of Ward Melville’s generosity and vision included significant restoration of historic structures, purchase and preservation of environmental and commercial properties, education and countless other endeavors.
Ward Melville’s dream was to create a “living Williamsburg,” a place where history and culture would blend with natural beauty. Along with architect Richard Haviland Smythe, he designed what was to become the first planned business community in America, the Stony Brook Village Center. The Three Village area — Stony Brook, Setauket and Old Field — has been forever changed because of this forward-thinking benefactor.
Melville was president of Melville Corporation, the third largest retailer in the United States with some 10,000 stores, which owned Thom McAn Shoes, Marshall’s, CVS Pharmacies, Kay-Bee Toys, Wilson’s Leather and Suede and more. He also donated the very land that today houses one of our nation’s leading research institutions, Stony Brook University.
The Stony Brook Community Fund, now the Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO), was founded in 1939. On Jan. 19, 1940, Ward Melville hosted a dinner at the Three Village Inn to present his plan for the future of Stony Brook Village. On Jan. 19, 2016, this milestone will be commemorated at the Three Village Inn where it all began to “Celebrate What Was … Be Part of What’s To Come.”
Starting at 6 p.m. with live music by The Tom Manuel Trio, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, dessert and coffee, guests will enjoy the same menu from 1940, hear Melville’s original speech and see the original model of the village. There will even be chocolate cigars in place of real ones enjoyed in the day.
The evening continues with an 8 p.m. sneak preview of The Jazz Loft next door, which will soon showcase a historic collection of over 10,000 items of jazz memorabilia and serve as an education and jazz performance venue as well. This 6,000-square-foot structure, formerly the site of the Suffolk Museum, now the Long Island Museum, was another of Melville’s philanthropic works. Bringing this culture to Stony Brook Village is a case of history repeating itself while looking toward the future.
During the ‘50s and ‘60s, the likes of Tony Bennett and Lionel Hampton performed at the Dogwood Hollow Amphitheatre in the very spot where WMHO’s Educational & Cultural Center now stands in Stony Brook Village. The vision that Ward Melville had over 75 years ago still resonates today and the results of his efforts on behalf of the citizens of Stony Brook and beyond, both economically and culturally, will continue to touch generations for many years to come.
Tickets are $125 per person and seating is limited. Proceeds will benefit The Jazz Loft. For further information call 631-751-2244 or register online at www.wmho.org.
Dr. Benjamin Luft at the Stony Brook WTC Wellness Program, where he serves as director. File photo
The story of Sept. 11, 2001 will live on through the eyes of emergency responders who witnessed the tragedies up close, thanks to a program based out of Stony Brook University.
Benjamin Luft, MD, the Edmund Pellegrino professor of medicine at Stony Brook University School of Medicine and director of the Stony Brook WTC Wellness Program, announced on Dec. 22 the donation of the first installment of a collection of oral histories provided by 9/11 World Trade Center responders to the Library of Congress’ American Folklife Center. The Center will become the permanent home of the collection, known as the “Remembering 9/11 Oral History Project.”
Luft, along with colleagues, established the project by recording the histories of responders who attended the Stony Brook WTC Wellness Program, which cares for some 6,900 responders. After hearing many moving stories from his first responder patients, Luft said he came to believe that their experiences should be part of the nation’s history. In 2009, he and colleagues then began to record some their patients’ stories as oral histories.
By 2011, the Library of Congress formally expressed interest in serving as the repository for the collected oral histories and other documentation created by the project, which included stories from police officers, firefighters, paramedics, construction workers and others who worked at Ground Zero after the attacks. The project was featured on a special edition of the CBS news program “60 Minutes,” called “Remembering 911,” on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
“It is such a privilege for me to act as a conduit and be able to gift to the Library of Congress, our national repository of knowledge, our first 200 interviews with those who responded to the horrific attacks of 9/11,” Luft said.
Luft also thanked both U.S. Reps. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) and Peter King (R-Seaford) for supporting the project, “from which the first installment of oral histories comes at a time of great anxiety considering the recent repeated terrorist attacks on our soil and elsewhere in the world.”
“No one else had the first-hand experience of being at Ground Zero on 9/11 quite like our brave first responders — their memories of that day will always be with them,” said Israel, who helped facilitate the collaboration with the Library of Congress. “Now thanks to the work of Dr. Benjamin Luft, who has collected the stories of our heroic responders, their memories will be preserved as part of the Library of Congress as a permanent collection for future generations of Americans. For those who sacrificed their lives but survived that tragic day, their memories and stories will forever be preserved as a part of our nation’s history.”
The collection includes some 200 oral histories, each one about an hour or longer, and more than 1,000 digital photographs, manuscript materials, logbooks and indexes involving the personnel who responded to the terrorist attack on the WTC towers and who worked on response to the event, including rescue and recovery work on the building debris pile.
“These stories are the responders’ gift to our nation, now and for generations to come,” Luft said. “Listening to them, with their descriptions of courage, love, sacrifice and survival, inspires us and informs us on how we need to be unified and care for one another during this time of unease.”
The donation is only a portion of what the Stony Brook WTC Program has collected, and future installments are expected, Luft said.
“After the attacks on Sept. 11, 2011, more than 50,000 workers from across the country descended on New York City to assist. Their first-hand accounts describe the unimaginable devastation of the WTC attack,” said Elizabeth Peterson, director of the Library’s American Folklife Center (AFC). “In these interviews, the responders describe the details of their disaster work, the atmosphere at their worksite, and the personal impacts of this disaster.”
The AFC and its predecessor, the Archive of Folk Culture, have collected public oral histories and other documentation following major events in U.S. history, such as the bombing of Pearl Harbor, which brought the United States into World War II.
Ward Melville's Brendan Martin holds off an opponent as he moves the ball downcourt. Photo by Desirée Keegan
Despite a 66-55 loss to Sachem East Monday, the Ward Melville boys’ basketball team can rest easier knowing it has three leading three-point shooters, including freshman shooting guard Ray Grabowski, who scored 17 points on the evening off five trifectas and a field goal.
“We need to play a little harder, smarter and we could have played better defense,” he said. “But I think we’re all pretty good at shooting three-pointers. I took the shots where I felt they would go in and I made them, so it felt pretty good today.”
Ward Melville senior Tim Specht put the first points on the board with a layup, but Sachem East scored the next six points to take the lead before Ward Melville junior forward Dominic Pryor nailed his first of three three-pointers in the first quarter to cut the deficit to one, 6-5.
“I think we played good, but we just could’ve used a lot more effort,” Pryor said. “They outplayed us.”
Ward Melville sophomore Brendan Martin also swished a three-point field goal, but by the end of the first eight minutes, Sachem East was up 18-16.
The Patriots nailed seven three-pointers in the first half alone, as Martin tacked on his final trifecta and Grabowski added two more, but the team was still behind 32-31 as a result of sending too many Sachem East players to the foul line.
Ward Melville’s Alex Sobel prepares to reach for the rim amid a swarm of Sachem East defenders. Photo by Desirée Keegan
“Our guys are comfortable shooting from anywhere; we practice it,” Ward Melville first-year head coach Alexander Piccirillo said. “Everyone has the green light, so they can shoot it from wherever they want when they’re open.”
Ward Melville scored the first four points of the third stanza to take a 35-32 lead, but the Patriots had some breakdowns on defense, leading to nine straight Sachem East points.
The two teams scored, and Ward Melville couldn’t cut the deficit after Sachem East’s tare, leading to a 47-41 score by the end of 24 minutes.
“I think that we didn’t really play so well, but we were in it until the end,” junior point guard Noah Kepes said. “We’ll continue to do what we do every day in practice, but continuing working on our shooting will help in the future.”
Grabowski managed three more three-pointers in the final quarter, but fouls proved to be a lingering issue, as Sachem East scored 10 points off free throws alone.
“Our intensity definitely decreased when we saw they were gaining on that lead, but that can’t happen anymore,” Pryor said. “We need to work on playing as a team and not letting one or two players take all the shots.”
Piccirillo said he thinks his team played hard for half of the final eight minutes, where the team used a 1-and-1 opportunity to pull within two points, 51-49, but the team would only manage six more points to Sachem East’s 15.
“I don’t think we played with the right effort to win the game,” Piccirillo said. “We played hard for like four minutes and then it kind of fell apart. We’ll just make sure that we play for all 32 minutes next game.”
Volunteers hold the immobile sea turtles they discovered at West Meadow Beach, where Brookhaven Ranger Molly Hastings is working to nurse them back to health. Photo from Molly Hastings
December’s wacky weather made life more difficult for everyone — but sea turtles at West Meadow Beach had a particular struggle.
Recent outdoor temperatures were largely above normal, with some brief moments of frigid cold. Molly Hastings, who serves as Brookhaven’s environmental educator and park ranger, saw some of the environmental consequences of this when she received an unusual knock on her door on Dec. 20 after a volunteer encountered two immobile, or cold-stunned, sea turtles.
An immobile sea turtle discovered at West Meadow Beach is being nursed back to health. Photo from Molly Hastings
Hastings said the knock came from Celeste Gorman, who was taking a hike along West Meadow Beach as a volunteer in search of turtles rendered immobile by the cold weather. She ended up finding two in a very short span of time.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration described sea turtles as cold-blooded animals with circulatory systems that can slow to the point of immobility when exposed to extremely cold temperatures. Various factors have helped contribute to the higher prevalence of cold-stunning, like more shallow bodies of water and more dramatic temperature changes, NOAA said.
Hastings said she was well aware of the impact an unpredictable climate has on the wildlife living not only at West Meadow, but across the town and country. She said this small, isolated incident with the sea turtles should serve a greater purpose.
“Hopefully, the turtles will recover from this climate change-caused incident,” Hastings said. “Regardless of their individual fate, let it serve as a gentle reminder that we all are charged of fixing what we’ve done to the great outdoors.”
Steve Sacco’s character Matthew Moon captures a ghost in a scene from ‘Distiller.’ Photo from Andy Schroeder
There’s no genie in the Distiller’s bottles — only ghosts. The community can catch a glimpse of these ghosts in H.A.M. Studio’s spooky film “Distiller” at a free Long Island premiere screening at Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in Setauket this Friday evening.
Filmed partially on Long Island, “Distiller” includes scenes shot locally along the North Shore and was produced by the husband and wife filmmaking team of Andy and Erin Schroeder, residents of Port Jefferson Station.
The film follows renowned ghost hunter Matthew Moon, who hunts and captures menacing ghosts in liquor bottles until his disappearance. Twenty years later, Moon’s niece Blue inherits his belongings and estate along with Moon’s collection of ghostly bottles. Moon’s niece and nephew Charlie discover what gives their uncle’s liquor bottles their kick when they open the bottles during their Fourth of July party.
Above, actress Amy Ciupek, left, and Andy Schroeder finalize audio for the film Distiller. Photo from Andy Schroeder
Andy Schroeder, who also directs the film, came up with the idea for the film in the summer of 2012 with the help of Steve Sacco, who plays the part of Matthew Moon in the film.
Sacco and Schroeder teamed up to write the script, which took four months to complete. Filming followed shortly after and extended into 2013. Although less than two weeks was spent filming the actors’ scenes, Schroeder said more than 280 days was devoted to filming the movie’s numerous effect shots.
Schroeder wanted to take an “old school” approach to the film when it came to props and special effects. Puppets, real animals and other tangible props were used to add depth and authenticity to the film. This approach to special effects allowed the film to attract adults and kids alike. “We felt like there’s really not a lot of movies you can watch with kids that are under 13,” said Schroeder. “It’s definitely a movie for adults but we made it to be a family-friendly film … We didn’t want it to be a blood and guts kind of movie.”
Actor Dan Noonan, 31, who plays Charlie Moon, said people should look beyond the old school effects. “I think in this day and age in regards to just the tone of the movie, go in with an open mind expecting to have a good time,” Noonan said. “People get way too involved in how effects should look.”
Noonan lives in Albany but he met Schroeder in college more than 10 years ago. He said Schroeder reached out to him about playing Charlie for the film. Noonan added that filming was an eye-opening experience that left him wanting to make more movies. Noonan is waiting to pursue acting opportunities until after the film’s official release.
The film may not have many big name actors, but it does includes local actors and actresses like Ward Melville High School graduate Kerry Logan. Logan also appeared in the CW’s “Carrie Diaries” and played Piper’s cousin in “Orange Is the New Black.”
Members of the cast and crew of ‘Distiller,’ from left, Ritch Harrigan; Amy Ciupek; Erin and Andy Schroeder; Dan Noonan; and Steve Sacco. Photo from Andy Schroeder
While the “Distiller” cast tackles their ghosts, the community can catch glimpses of Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in Setauket, Port Jefferson Village and the Berkshires in the film. Schroeder and his cast and crew utilized Emma S. Clark’s historic periodical reading room in several scenes, which was the original library building in 1892 according to Andy’s wife Erin who helped produce the film alongside her husband.
“It looks very rich and regal,” saidErin, about the older section of the library. The couple thought filming scenes in these areas of the library would improve the look of the film and save money at the same time. As a library assistant at Emma S. Clark, Erin helped secure the location for the film.
While her husband majored in music engineering and producing at SUNY Oneonta, Erin wasn’t as familiar with producing a film. She chose to help the film behind the scenes by designing props and helping her husband with effects, saying, “It was the two of us, Andy and I, doing all the editing, music production, doing all the sound effects.”
Andy Schroeder once worked at the Setauket library as a page while he was attending Ward Melville High School. Now he produces the Town of Brookhaven’s TV Channel 18 on Cablevision as an audio-video production specialist and is also the artist of a weekly comic strip based on “Distiller,” which follows “Uncle Matt,” the film’s ghost hunter, on his supernatural misadventures. While he has produced other short films and music videos in the past, this is Schroeder’s first feature film.
While Schroeder doesn’t plan on creating a sequel to “Distiller,” the money earned from this production will go toward creating more films in the future. While he grew up in Setauket, Schroeder and his wife currently reside in Port Jefferson Station with their parakeets Doc, Cuddles, Quattro and Baby.
Residents can find out what happened to Moon and his ghosts at the film’s free screening on Friday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m. at the Emma S. Clark Library, 120 Main St., Setauket. Andy and Erin Schroeder will be in attendance to answer questions and the film crew will distribute free “Distiller” posters and comics based on the film’s characters during the premiere. The film will be available nationally on digital Video-On-Demand on iTunes, Amazon Prime and Google Play this Friday.
For more information on the film, to view the trailer or to see behind the scenes footage, visit www.distillerthemovie.com.
Mummenschanz is headed to Stony Brook’s Staller Center in 2016. Photo from Staller Center
After a brief hiatus, Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts is gearing up for its second half of the 2015-2016 season with an exciting lineup filled with dance, music, film, comedy, theater and much more.
“The Staller Center season here at Stony Brook goes into full swing with the family-friendly mime theater troupe, Mummenschanz, on Sunday evening, Jan. 31. The humorous and whimsical sketches will surely entertain all ages. The season continues with variety in mind, from the actor, comedian and author Paul Reiser in a stand-up comedy show to a wonderful cirque theater, Company Finzi Pasca, in a surrealistic, Salvador Dali-inspired performance entitled ‘La Verita,’” said Alan Inkles director of the Staller Center. “We also have Philadelphia’s Walnut Theatre performing ‘A Moon for the Misbegotten,’ Eugene O’Neill’s romantic drama, which will give our patrons an unforgettable theater experience,” he added.
A scene from ‘A Moon for the Misbegotten.’ Photo from Staller Center
The lineup will be as follows:
Musical Performances
The Aulos Ensemble, featuring cellist Myron Lutzke; oboist Marc Schachman; violinist Linda Quan; harpsichordist Arthur Haas; and flutist Christopher Krueger will present a concert titled The Bach Connection on Sunday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. in the Recital Hall. Tickets are $38.
Starry Nights returns on Tuesday, March 8, at 8 p.m. in the Recital Hall with Carol Wincenc on flute; Nancy Allen on harp; Nicholas Cords on violin; Gilbert Kalish on piano; and Colin Carr on cello. Theprogram will include works by Bach, Ibert, Debussy, Ravel and Fauré. Tickets are $36.
Enjoy the sounds of Louisiana Creole dance music as celebrated accordion player and zydeco musician Stanley “Buckwheat Zydeco” Dural takes the stage in the Staller Center’s Recital Hall with his band, on Saturday, March 12, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $42.
Featuring current and former stars of Broadway’s smash hits “Jersey Boys” and “Motown: The Musical,” The Doo Wop Project will take the audience on a musical journey with tunes from Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse and more on the Main Stage on Saturday, March 19, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $42.
The center’s Gala 2016will be held on March 5 at 8 p.m. on the Main Stage. Natalie Cole, who passed away on Dec. 31 from congestive heart failure, was originally scheduled to appear in concert. Peabo Bryson and Vanessa Williams have graciously stepped in as replacements. The two celebrated singers will entertain with solos and duets. Tickets are $75 each.
The award-winning Emerson String Quartet returns to the Recital Hall on April 5 at 8 p.m. for the third concert in their series, Passing the Torch, featuring works by Haydn and Beethoven. Tickets are $48.
A Judy Garland tribute featuring Hilary Kole will grace the Recital Hall stage on Saturday, April 9, at 8 p.m. Titled Over the Rainbow, the evening will feature songs made famous by Garland including “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “The Trolley Song,” “Look for the Silver Lining” and more. Tickets are $42.
Berenstain Bears Live! is headed to Stony Brook’s Staller Center in 2016. Photo from Staller Center
Artists-in-residence The Calidore String Quartet will return in concert to the Staller Center on Wednesday, May 4, in the Recital Hall at 8 p.m. With special guests The Emerson String Quartet, the program will include works by Bach and Mendelssohn. Tickets are $36.
Dance
Without uttering a word, the famous Swiss mime theater troupe Mummenschanz will entertain the Staller audiences with their masks, shadow, light and endless creativity “turning the ordinary into the extraordinary” on the Main Stage on Sunday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $42.
Company Finzi Pasca’s “La Verita” will transport the audience to another world as performers pay a theatrical homage to the life and work of artist Salvador Dali on Saturday, April 16, on the Main Stage at 8 p.m. Tickets are $42.
The season will close with the Paul Taylor Dance Company and an evening of modern dance on Saturday, May 7, at 8 p.m. on the Main Stage. Tickets are $42.
Comedy
Comedian, actor and author Paul Reiser will bring his stand-up show to the Main Stage on Saturday, Feb. 6, at 8 p.m. as part of his national comedy tour highlighting the funny things about life, love and relationships. Tickets are $48.
Theater
The Walnut Street Theatre will present Eugene O’Neill’s final play, “A Moon for the Misbegotten,” on the Main Stage on Saturday, Feb. 13, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $36.
Buckwheat Zydeco is headed to Stony Brook’s Staller Center in 2016. Photo from Staller Center
Not Just for Kids
As part of the Not Just for Kids family entertainment series, the center will present An Afternoon with the Bach Family featuring The Aulos Ensemble on Sunday, Feb. 21, at 4 p.m. in the Recital Hall. The one-hour program is designed specifically for school-age musicians and their families. Tickets are $20 each.
Adapted from the classic children’s book series by Stan and Jan Berenstain, Berenstain Bears Live! will take to the Main Stage with “Family Matters The Musical” on Sunday, March 13, at 4 p.m. Tickets are $20 each.
Films
The Staller Center’s spring semester films are all scheduled for Friday evenings. The lineup includes the latestaward-winning documentaries and star-studded feature films.
The series begins on Feb. 5 with the screening of the documentary “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution,” at 7 p.m. followed by the thriller “Shanghai” starring John Cusack at 9:30 p.m. “A Ballerina’s Tale,” a documentary on the American Ballet Theater’s first African American Principal Ballerina Misty Copeland will be screened on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. followed by “Suffragette” at 8:45 p.m. “Harry and the Snowman” will be screened on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. followed by “Freeheld” at 9 p.m.
After a short break, the series returns with a screening of “Brooklyn” on April 1 at 7 p.m. and “The Danish Girl” at 9:15 p.m. The final films will be screened on April 8 and include “Youth” at 7 p.m. and “Macbeth” at 9:15 p.m. Tickets are $9 adults, $7 seniors, students and children. A film pass may be purchased for $25.
The Met: Live in HD
As part of The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD series, the center will present live performances of “Les Pecheurs de Perles” (Bizet) on Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. and “Turandot” (Puccini) on Jan. 30 at 1 p.m.; and encore presentations of “Manon Lescaut” (Puccini) on March 6 at 1 p.m., “Madama Butterfly” (Puccini) on April 3 at 1 p.m., “Roberto Devereux” (Donizetti) on April 17 at 6 p.m. and “Elektra” (Strauss) on May 14 at 7 p.m.
All operas are screened in the Main Stage theater. Tickets are $22 adults, $20 seniors, $15 children 12 and under.
Music Department
The Stony Brook University Music Department will also present a number of concerts and recitals, including performances by the Stony Brook Opera, Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra, the Contemporary Chamber Players, the Stony Brook Composers and choral ensembles.
For tickets and further information, visit www.stallercenter.com or call 631- 632-ARTS (2787).
Steven Matz talks with Stony Brook Children’s patient Rachel Dennis. Photo from Greg Filiano
Three Village baseball star Steven Matz of the New York Mets brought holiday cheer and big smiles to the faces of dozens of Long Island’s youngest Mets fans: pediatric patients at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital.
Steven Matz poses with Stony Brook Children’s patients Nicholas Reinoso, left, and Anmol Jaswal, both displaying their Mets-themed colored drawings, which Matz autographed. Photo from Greg Filiano
The Mets pitcher spent time talking to the children and encouraged them to keep getting better and to finish all their treatments. Patients like Nicholas Reinoso, 9, of Bellport, shared artwork with Matz – colored drawings of Mr. Met and other Mets-themed images.
“It’s great to see these kids at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital and take time to learn about them,” said Matz. “That’s what it is all about this time of year.”
He signed their drawings and chatted with patients in the pediatric floor playroom and in some of their hospital rooms in the acute care and intensive care units.
“It was cool to meet him,” said Anmol Jaswal, 21, of Blue Point, a college student who attends Long Island University.
Zachary Cottrell gets a bedside visit from Steven Matz at Stony Brook University Hospital. Photo from Greg Filiano
Decked out in her tennis sweat suit, Anmol mentioned to Matz that it was her birthday the day before and talked about her tennis game and hopes to play for Long Island University. He wished her a happy birthday and said he would root for her.
Matz also visited the hematology and oncology clinic at the Stony Brook University Cancer Center, signing autographs and visiting with children undergoing chemotherapy.
Josephine Lunde poses with Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine during a back-to-school drive. File photo
Josephine Lunde never gives up.
More than a decade ago, Lunde started volunteering with the Town of Brookhaven’s annual Toy Drive. Her need to help Brookhaven residents landed her a full-time position at Brookhaven’s Youth Bureau two years ago, and because of her ongoing efforts to helping others, she has been named one of the 2015 Times Beacon Record Newspapers’ People of the Year.
“She was full time anyway,” said Maria Polack, a secretary to the tax assessor. “She does the work of, like, five men — for real.”
Polack met Lunde 15 years ago when Lunde started volunteering at the Town of Brookhaven. When it comes to helping others, Lunde’s work ethic is second to none. On many occasions, Lunde stayed up all hours of the night into the early morning to work on her many fundraising events. Lunde doesn’t only help organize Brookhaven’s Toy Drive, which helps about 7,000 children around the holidays, she also organizes a variety of events, including food drives, school supply drives, clothing drives, volunteer programs for senior citizens and the prom dress program, to name a few.
Lunde has led the prom program for around three years, according to Diana Weir, commissioner of Brookhaven’s Housing and Human Services department. The event allows girls from families in need to select prom attire, from dresses to purses, shoes and more. Schools allow their students to attend the event by appointment. Lunde started staying after hours to accommodate students and their families who couldn’t get a dress during the program’s daytime hours. Weir said Lunde’s dedication and desire to spend as much time as possible makes the Medford resident more special.
“She will never complain,” Weir said. “She never says boo.”
Josephine Lunde poses with Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine. Photo from Brookhaven Town
While every child who registers for the prom dress program gets special attention, Polack remembers Lunde going above and beyond for one high school student who thought she was too overweight to attend her prom. Lunde didn’t only get her a dress, she organized for the student to get her nails and hair done.
“The determination in Josie is bigger than both of us when she makes up her mind that she’s going to help somebody,” Polack said.
Brookhaven Town Superintendent of Highways Dan Losquadro (R) said Lunde is one who focuses her attention on those in need in the community, especially those who don’t always want to ask for help.
“A lot of those folks that she works with are people who are very proud, and who might not otherwise seek assistance. These things have gotten really expensive,” Losquadro said about Lunde and buying gifts around the holidays.
Lunde’s son Mike said his mother has always been one to help others but, almost to a fault.
“She doesn’t think of herself,” the son said.
When Mike was a child, his mother was a den mother for his Boy Scout troop, and took on other responsibilities when her kids were getting older.
Regardless of her accomplishments, Lunde likes to stay in the background. But whether she’s in the forefront at an event or working behind the scenes, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) said the Town is happy to have her.
“Someone like her really adds to what it means to be a part of a town,” Romaine said. “She’s the heart of Brookhaven because she takes the heart of all the problems and tries to make them better. … We should have more people like her in this world. If we did, it’d be a much better place.”
They have a sense of urgency that motivates those around them to push for better results. In fighting against diseases that kill millions of people every year, they are doing what they’ve done from the time they left their home country of Lebanon until they arrived at Stony Brook three years ago: They are supporting their colleagues, recruiting top talent from around the world and encouraging their staff to train and encourage the next generation of researchers.
Yusuf Hannun, the director of the Cancer Center at Stony Brook, and Lina Obeid, the dean for research, continue to build a deep and talented team, adding researchers focused on curing diseases while also developing the next generation of Stony Brook scientists. The Port Times Record recognizes Hannun and Obeid as People of the Year for their day-to-day leadership, their discoveries in their labs, and their focus on the future of science at Stony Brook.
“In terms of what they are building at Stony Brook, their vision is to grow that Cancer Center into a NCI-designated Cancer Center,” said Gerard Blobe, a professor and research director at the Division of Medical Oncology at Duke University Medical Center who earned his Ph.D. in Hannun’s lab more than 20 years ago. They want to make it a “force in clinical care and research and training. They have a mission up there and I have no doubt that they’ll accomplish it.”
Yusuf Hannun is constantly working to improve his team of dedicated researchers with the hopes of curing complicated diseases. File photo
Blobe said the National Cancer Institute designation is just the “icing on the cake” that enables the center to seek funding for some projects. What’s more important, he said, is “what they will accomplish by getting that prize,” in building and developing Stony Brook’s research abilities.
Scientists in the same field as Hannun were quick to praise his achievements and innovation.
Discoveries by Hannun about sphingolipids, which are molecules that are involved in a range of roles, including cell division, differentiation and cell death, provided key insights.
Hannun “pushed the field into the modern age,” said Tony Futerman, the Joseph Meyerhoff professorial chair of biochemistry at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. “He’s been innovative for 30 years in the field.”
In her lab, Obeid, who is the dean for research and a professor at the Stony Brook School of Medicine, is exploring the role of enzymes that control molecules involved in cell growth and others that play a role in cell death or differentiation.
Futerman said Hannun and Obeid have been instrumental in the careers of many other scientists, developing talented and dedicated researchers who have also made significant contributions.
“They are excellent mentors of younger people,” he said. “There’s a whole school of former post docs who went on to get independent positions. This speaks to their mentorship. … They push young people into leadership positions.”
Those who have worked for Obeid and Hannun in the past suggested that they offered the kind of guidance, discipline and approach that was applicable in and outside the lab.
“Part of [Hannun’s] success is he’s very good at planning,” said Supriya Jayadev, who was a graduate student in Hannun’s lab at Duke and is now the executive director of Clallam Mosaic in Port Angeles, Washington. “He plans out an experiment such that it works the first time.”
Corinne Linardic, Hannun’s first graduate student, said, “I remember him saying, ‘It’s important not to look where the light is, but to try to look into the dark and turn the light on. … I thought that was very brave.”
Linardic, who is now an associate professor of pediatrics at Duke University School of Medicine, also said she felt fortunate to work with Obeid.
“It was extraordinary to have a female mentor as well,” Linardic said.
While they have come a long way from the beginning of their careers and their family, Hannun and Obeid have kept a consistent focus on the potential clinical benefits of their research.
“They get the translational aspects,” Futerman said. “When [Hannun] moved to Stony Brook to head the Cancer Center, that was one of the aims for his move, to be in a position where he can apply basic science to translational research.”
Futerman said Hannun and Obeid deserve recognition in the Long Island and scientific communities.
“They are considered leaders,” Futerman said. “They contribute a lot to the academic community.”
Carolyn Emerson, left, leads a discussion at Emma S. Clark Memorial Library. Photo by Dianne Trautmann
She is the librarian’s librarian and one of Emma S. Clark Memorial Library’s longest-serving employees.
Throughout her 30 years at the East Setauket library, reference librarian Carolyn Emerson, 61, can find almost anything, her colleagues said. But it’s her involvement with the library and caring attitude that’s made her an intricate part of the library and the community, and that is why Times Beacon Record Newspapers selected her as a Person of the Year in 2015.
Every other Wednesday, this soft-spoken librarian has organized the library’s senior bus program, which transports residents who would otherwise be unable to make it to the library. Although she didn’t start the program, Emerson took it over to help these seniors.
She also used her position at the library and her knowledge of Three Village history to organize and create programs like last year’s Culper Spy Day, which paid homage to the community’s ties to spy rings during the Revolutionary War.
On June 20, 2014, the library held its first Culper Spy Day program, in which residents could learn about the Revolutionary War, the Culper Spy Ring and its ties to Long Island. Three Village Historian Beverly Tyler, of the Three Village Historical Society, helped organize the event and said Emerson established a user-friendly site to spread the word about the spy ring throughout the community.
“She’s a very community-oriented [person] and easy to work with,” Tyler said. “She really makes the library a good common resource for more than just books and videos, but also history.”
Her efforts to inform the community stemmed from a desire to share her vast array of knowledge with others and help those in need, those close to her said. And her hard work is not only for the bigger programs, but also for little tasks that accompany her title as a reference librarian in Emma S. Clark’s adult section.
“Whenever anybody comes up to the reference desk, she just gives it 110 percent,” said co-worker Jennifer Mullen, the public relations manager and community outreach librarian. “She doesn’t stop looking until she finds it either, and everybody appreciates that. She digs deep.”
Mullen met Emerson a little more than 10 years ago. They worked side-by-side as reference librarians. Now, Mullen works alongside Teen Services Librarian Nanette Feder, who also commended Emerson for her insight on art, local history and literature, and dedication to her work and the community members she serves.
Emerson’s husband, Mark Rothenberg, said his wife comes from a line of people who share her tenacity and need to give back to their community. Emerson’s mother was recognized for her work following Hurricane Andrew, building homes for storm victims. Her father, a psychiatrist who ran a family clinic, counseled families in the Miami area. While her parents did their part to actively help those around them, they encouraged a young Carolyn Emerson and her siblings to be compassionate and stand up for themselves and their beliefs, Rothenberg said.
Emerson was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. Despite the diagnosis, chemotherapy and surgery, Emerson remained resilient. She was cleared of cancer the following year and continued her work inside and outside the library.
“Many times, I’m in awe of her,” said Rothenberg, who works as the head of the Patchogue-Medford Library’s Celia M. Hastings Local History Room. “She’s been through a lot, including cancer.”
In addition to being a reference librarian, Emerson has also worked as a published poet. She has written poems in both English and French for publication. The librarian has also overseen poetry and book discussions at the library, which are a hit among residents, her coworkers said.
Mullen said Emerson acquired a large following for her evening book discussions and monthly poetry meetings. Her ability to listen appears to be one of Emerson’s many positive qualities that help further assist those who request her help.
While Feder didn’t pinpoint a specific moment illustrating Emerson’s character, she said, “It’s just how she works everyday at the library. She could be on a reference desk [or] helping a member of the library.”
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