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Participants can create a Nautical Trinket Dish on Thursday, January 11. Photo courtesy of The Whaling Museum

The Whaling Museum & Education Center in Cold Spring Harbor will present Crafts & Cocktails, an exciting new adult series beginning this December and continuing monthly on Thursday evenings. 

The Whaling Museum invites adults to get creative and learn new skills while enjoying thoughtfully selected cocktails to enhance each monthly program. This new series will incorporate crafts for adults that celebrate history, science, and the sea. Each month, the museum education team chooses a craft that highlights a link to the museum, either from a historical or scientific angle. Cocktails are selected to further immerse participants in the theme of the evening. 

“Just as we find ourselves drawn to the sea today, artists and artisans throughout human history have found inspiration in the watery parts of the world.  Through educator-led instruction and artifact exploration, participants will have the opportunity to explore the fascinating origins of sea-inspired crafts, while engaging their creativity and learning new skills. Our carefully curated accompanying cocktails will further bring the past to life as we celebrate Long Island’s maritime heritage,” said Brenna McCormick-Thompson, Curator of Education at The Whaling Museum.

Felted Whale ornament

The debut session stars an adorable, felted whale ornament and mulled wine to get in the spirit. It will take place on December 7, 2023. Participants work with wool and a needle to craft a whale ornament with fins, eyes, a tail, and a loop for hanging. Mulled wine will be served. The full program description is as follows: 

Felted Whale Ornaments and Mulled Wine: Join the staff for this festive felting workshop as we explore the history of wool crafting!  Discover how whalers carved knitting needles and sewing tools out of whalebone for their wives and loved ones and see examples from our collection.  Design and create a needle-felted whale ornament to take home. Sip a festive mulled wine cocktail as you work and learn about the origins of this traditional drink.

Nautical Trinket Dish

The January session will take place on January 11, 2024. Participants will decoupage shells with a sample of patterns to choose from and use paints to decorate it as a fanciful trinket dish. Sample dishes will be shared for design ideas. Champagne will be served as the cocktail for the evening. The full program description is as follows:

Nautical Trinket Dish: This January the museum will be celebrating one of life’s most iconic duos — oysters and champagne! Explore the fundamental role oysters have played in the history of New York and discover current efforts to bring these bivalves back to Long Island Sound. Then, dive into the surprising history of champagne and enjoy a glass of bubbly while designing a unique seashell trinket tray.

Watercolor Wonders

The February session takes place on February 8 2023. Participants will receive watercolor paper and paint with instructions for different watercolor techniques to use in their design. The cocktail will be a “layered” vodka drink. The full program description is as follows:

Watercolor Wonders: Explore the science of water through the world’s oldest kind of painting — watercolor!  Discover how both sailors and painters learned to exploit the unique properties of water for their own purposes.  Harness the power of physics to engineer a colorful layered cocktail to enjoy while you experiment with a variety of fundamental watercolor techniques. Create a nautical watercolor painting to take home.

The final session in the museum’s winter series will take place on March 7, 2024. Participants decorate a planter with sea shells and plant a succulent to take home. Rum will be served as the cocktail of the evening in honor of the sailors that used to drink grog while out at sea. The full program description is as follows: 

Seashell Succulent Planter

Seashell Succulent Planter: Whales, dolphins, starfish….not the sea creatures, but the PLANTS! Join us to explore the incredible world of succulents.  For sailors out at sea, every drop of water was precious, but these hardy plants thrive in dry conditions – in fact, too much water often leads to their demise!  Learn about the health benefits and easy care for these houseplants and decorate a terracotta pot with seashells to plant your very own sea creature succulent cutting.  Unlike those sailors, we won’t leave you high and dry!  Sip a rum cocktail while you work in homage to the grog sailors used to drink.

“Adults will appreciate the dedicated attention to detail museum educators have made when crafting each session to encapsulate educational themes with adult enjoyment. Each evening is a perfect opportunity for friends, partners or family members to gather and spend time in a relaxed and unique environment. They’ll go home with something to remember the evening by in addition to a new skill,” added Gina Van Bell, Assistant Director at The Whaling Museum.

The Whaling Museum is located at 301 Main Street in Cold Spring Harbor. Each Craft & Cocktails session is approximately 1.5 hours long at begins at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $30 per participant and $20 for Museum Members.  Registration is online at cshwhalingmuseum.org/craftsandcocktails. For further information, call 631-367-3418.

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By Kevin Redding

“There’s nothing like stories on a windy night when folks have found a warm place in a cold world.”

— Stephen King, “The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole”

As the air gets chilly, and the season drifts from spooky toward snowy, there’s no better way to spend the long stretch of time indoors than slipping into comfy clothes, pouring yourself a hot drink, and curling up with a good book. We asked eight local librarians about their favorite novels and new recommendations to ensure you’ll be enthralled, entertained, and enriched in the coming months.

 

Lorena Doherty

 

Lorena Doherty

North Shore Public Library, Shoreham

What is your favorite book and why?

That’s a hard one because you have a favorite book in every period of your life. One of my favorites is an international book called “The Murmur of Bees” by Sofia Segovia and translated by Simon Bruni. It’s a book about love, family saga, history, healing, bees, Valencia oranges, a special boy, and really the ties that bind us as human beings. It was charming, delicious, and had a huge impact on me because of her ability to weave this brilliant story as a window into her culture. And the translation into English was done very well. Simon Bruni did not lose its essence or lyricism.

What is a new book that you would recommend and why?

“Flags of the Bayou,” a standalone historical fiction book by James Lee Burke. This is his 42nd book. What I love about him is that he writes from the landscape in which he lives, which is New Iberia, Louisiana. If you are new to this book and you’ve never read him, it is I think the best book he’s ever written and I felt that two-thirds of the way through. This is a work of historical fiction that is centered in the timeline of events near the end of the Civil Area in the area of New Iberia, the Bayou Teche, and the Mississippi River, where the North is waging and winning battle against the Confederates. It’s a unique window into the culture of plantations, social castes, freed men and women, those who live in servitude. There’s abolitionists and mixed cultures in that area. And in the midst of all the cruelty and chaos of the war, it’s also a love story. The characters are so fleshed out and the reader is carried away with the nuances of changing allegiances and how they choose to live with the possibility of their own deaths. He grounds you in there and there’s a huge level of the spiritual connection to the greater world. And if you love language and appreciate a writer who writes prose, he’s the kind of writer where I find myself going back and reading a sentence over and over again, like “Wow!” It’s a damn good read.

Jeff Walden

Jeff Walden

Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, Setauket

What is your favorite book and why?

Yeah, it’s an old classic but it’s my favorite book and I just reread it recently again. It’s “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien. For me, it’s just a great adventure story. It’s got dragons, hobbits, dwarves and elves, treasure, adventure. It doesn’t get old, it never ages to me. It’s a book I can read and enjoy just as much the fifth time as I did the first time. Tolkien  was just a great storyteller and for that genre, he was really the first to create that whole other world that you can immerse yourself in very easily. It’s the ring, it’s Gollum, there’s just so many amazing parts to it. It’s just a fun story to read over and over again. I was just reading an original book review by C.S. Lewis [“The Chronicles of Narnia”], Tolkien’s contemporary, and even he predicted in 1937 that it was going to be a book that was going to be read over and over again. It came out to be, for me, true.

What is a new book that you would recommend and why?

I have one I’m reading right now, “The Armor of Light” by Ken Follett. It’s the fifth installment in his Kingbridge series. He’s another great storyteller with good, deep characters that you really get to know. It does mention some of the other books because it’s set in Kingsbridge, this fictional town in England over the course of hundreds of years…I think they’re up to the French Revolution in the late 1700s…but it has totally different characters. There’s creative license with it but he does incorporate a lot of historical facts about the time period in the books. And I think you can still read this new one if you haven’t read the other ones and it might interest you in going back and reading the other ones. It does help to have a little bit of the background but I think they can stand on their own.

Jenna Ely

Jenna Ely

Comsewogue Public Library, Port Jefferson Station

What is your favorite book and why?

One of my favorites is “True Believer” by Nicholas Sparks and it’s actually what made me want to become a librarian. I worked in a different industry before this and worked in television, and I would read this book just as a way to escape while on my commute. The main character in this book is a librarian and while I was reading it, I was like, “Oh my gosh, that sounds like a dream job. Why did I never think of becoming a librarian?” and then I ended up going to library school and pursuing this career. So that book was really monumental and influential for me in that way. And it’s Nicholas Sparks, so it’s a great love story.

And then if I had to pick my favorite book of all time, it would be “Beartown” by Fredrik Backman, who blows me away with all of his books. I’ve read all of them and he just continues to outdo himself. “Beartown” was the first book in a trilogy and in it you’re introduced to this hockey town and the obsession with sports and teams and the impact that it has on the community as a whole. And there’s a tragedy and the town has to choose sides. A lot of people’s hearts are broken, someone is killed, and it’s really dramatic. I feel like the winter is a really good time to dive into it. All the books in that series are so worth the read.

What is a new book that you would recommend and why?

So this is a new book that I think is just phenomenal. It’s called “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt. It is actually her debut novel, so it was incredible that someone’s first novel really took off and was so astounding. I actually loved it so much that I wrote a mini review of it on Goodreads. I was so moved by it. The characters, the stories…it hooked me from the first page and I devoured it in like 48 hours. It was so good I couldn’t put it down. There’s so much heart in these characters and there’s so much love, you really root for them. They’re flawed and they might do something that aggravates you but almost like how your family or friends might do. Not a protagonist where you’re like “Oh my God I hate this person, why are they doing this?” but more like “I feel for you and want you to find happiness!” And one of the narrators is a giant Pacific red octopus, which is really cool and I felt like I got to learn so much.

Donna Brown

Donna Brown

Northport-East Northport Public Library, Northport and East Northport

What is your favorite book and why?

That’s a pretty easy one for me to answer. I am a Teen Librarian right now but I do read a lot of adult fiction, nonfiction, everything…I used to run the Adult Book Club, so I definitely have a broad range of reading. But for me, my favorite book of all time is “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton. The movie came out in 1983, I was 10 years old and my mom would not let me see it but I read the book and it changed my life and the way I think forever. It is, I think, one of the best books of all time. I think it transcends. It’s a story about teenagers struggling to fit in, fighting, and bad incidents…but at the end of the day, all of them are pretty good kids and that’s one of my favorite things about that book. I can hand it to a teenager or an adult now and I overwhelmingly get such a great response. Most people want to meet a celebrity or a professional athlete, but it’s my dream to meet S.E. Hinton!

What is a new book that you would recommend and why?

My most recent one, which I’d recommend to anyone who likes to read realistic fiction with a little bit of imagination in it, is “Remarkably Bright Creatures.” It’s one of the only books that has made me sob in recent years because of what a beautiful story it is. It is the story of an octopus and the octopus’ caregiver in a marina in the Pacific Northwest. It is such a beautiful story that teaches you about humanity and mankind and how much every single person has worth in this world and makes a contribution in some way or another, even though a lot of the time people don’t see that. I run a book group and it overwhelmingly touched the hearts and minds of every single person.

Anne McNulty

Anne McNulty

Port Jefferson Free Library, Port Jefferson

What is your favorite book and why?

My favorite book has been my favorite book since 2013 when it came out…it is “Ancillary Justice” by Ann Leckie. It’s a sci-fi space opera novel and it won the Hugo and the Nebula awards. It is absolutely amazing. It’s just one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. I’m a really big fan of sci-fi and space operas, so I really love the kind of alien worlds they can make with them, and Ann Leckie did such a great job building the worlds and societies in her book. And she also did interesting things with playing with pronouns. So, in her book, everyone uses she/her pronouns, even if they’re not technically women. It’s very, very interesting and I love it. I love Tolkien so much and have read all of his books.  

What is a new book that you would recommend and why?

So it is Halloween time and I do love horror as well. I’m actually in the middle of this book “Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology.” It’s an anthology of short stories, which is nice if you don’t have time to sit and  read a whole book. All the stories are written by Native American authors and it’s really good so far. It’s horror so it’s perfect for the season and the stories I’ve read so far have been really creepy. I also love all Stephen Graham Jones’ books, especially “My Heart is a Chainsaw,” one of my favorite horror books.

Jennifer Zwolak

Jennifer Zwolak

Comsewogue Public Library, Port Jefferson Station

What is your favorite book and why?

I would say my favorite book in recent years has been “The Maid” by Nita Prose. It’s been popular but it’s very interesting for anyone who likes murder mysteries but ones that aren’t too graphic. The main character has a very unique perspective, which I enjoyed a lot. I’m actually rereading “The Maid” right now because I enjoyed it so much. I would recommend cozy mysteries when you really want to get that fall-winter feeling. 

What is a new book that you would recommend and why?

I would recommend reading “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus. It’s about a female scientist in the 1950s and all the struggles she goes through. Again, another unique perspective that gives a different type of person a voice. There’s a lot of science and a lot of feminism in it.

Erin Schaarschmidt

Erin Schaarschmidt

Port Jefferson Free Library, Port Jefferson

What is your favorite book and why?

“High Achiever: The Incredible True Story of One Addict’s Double Life” by Tiffany Jenkins, a nonfiction book about a woman who overcame a drug addiction. And she was married to a police officer so she had a double life. I love nonfiction and to read how she was able to hide from the police officer who she’s married to and all that was just amazing and then they all found out she was a drug addict and she went to rehab. And then something I read around this time every year is…I’m a huge Edgar Allan Poe fan so I always do his collected stories, like “The Raven,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and “The Cask of Amontillado.” I re-read them every year just because it’s the spooky time of year and it’s very nostalgic. 

What is a new book that you would recommend and why?

I just finished reading “The Daddy Diaries: The Year I Grew Up” by Andy Cohen. I really like nonfiction and it was a fun read about his family because you don’t usually hear about his kids and stuff like that.

Connor McCormack

Connor McCormack

Northport-East Northport Public Library, Northport and East Northport

What is your favorite book and why?

It’s like choosing your favorite kid, but probably “The Left Hand of Darkness” by Ursula K. Le Guin in terms of fiction. It’s really well written. Ursula Le Guin is one of the most prolific sci-fi writers from the 60s and 70s, and this one is considered her best work. It’s just really unique world-building and explores a lot about human condition, psychology, gender roles…just explores a lot of themes in a really well-done way. And for nonfiction, I read a lot of military history such as “The Guns of August” by Barbara W. Tuchman, and “Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland” by Patrick Radden Keefe. Those are probably my two favorite nonfiction books. 

What is a new book that you would recommend and why?

For a favorite one I’d say “Sea of Tranquility” by Emily St. John Mandel and then “Memory Police” by Yōko Ogawa. And then for nonfiction, there’s this book called “Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia” by Christina Thompson that I think I’ve recommended to everyone in my family at this point. It’s all about how the Polynesian culture spread across the Pacific Ocean — how they traveled between the islands, what their navigation methods were, the myths that they told, just like a whole view of their culture, and how it spread. 

A special thanks to all of the librarians who took part in this article.
Happy reading!

— Photos by Heidi Sutton

 

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Beyond the Book workshop
Kerriann Flanagan Brosky
Beyond the Book workshop
Joe Giaquinto
Beyond the Book workshop
Beyond the Book workshop

The Whaling Museum and Education Center in Cold Spring Harbor has announced the schedule for its Beyond the Book fall workshops which will include an Author Talk by Kerriann Flanagan Brosky, author of Haunted Long Island Mysteries.  

Beyond the Book workshops invite participants to dive into hand-selected books by museum educators who will explore stories and history related to the museum’s collections for a truly unique experience. Each session includes a close look at artifacts, many of which are not on exhibit, discussion questions that invite participants to make personal connections, and light snacks and drinks to enjoy while chatting.

The first session takes place on Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 6:30 p.m. and covers The Apparitionists: A Tale of Phantoms, Fraud, Photography, and the Man Who Captured Lincoln’s Ghost by Peter Manseau. Participants of this session will explore the intriguing history of Victorian-era spirit photography: supernatural ‘proof’ of ghosts which endured for decades and reflects the human desire to communicate beyond the physical. Historic photographs from the local Jones-Hewlett family will be on view for the group.

“Beyond the Book is one of my favorite programs. We have a regular group of dedicated readers. Discussions are interesting, engaging, and surprising! I love showing people objects from the collections to bring history into the present,” said Baylee Browning, Collections and Exhibit Associate at The Whaling Museum & Education Center who will host the September session.

The October session, held on Tuesday Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m., is a special edition featuring award-winning author and historian, Kerriann Flanagan Brosky, above, along with medium/paranormal investigator Joe Giaquinto. Participants will be delighted with tales of their ghostly adventures which weave local history with the spiritual realm. They will discuss research and investigations behind the making of Haunted Long Island Mysteries, Brosky’s latest book. The lecture will include a PowerPoint presentation of the places they have visited and listening to EVP’s (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) along with fascinating Ghost Box recordings from their field investigations. Books will be available for purchase and signing following the presentation.

The November session will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m. and covers The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann. Participants will explore one of the most gripping true stories from the high seas where in 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell — later challenged by other survivors with shocking twists of disaster, mutiny, anarchy, and murder. With a story based on six years of research, armchair adventurers will enjoy shipbuilding tools from the museum’s collection on view to the group.

“It’s been so rewarding watching our community of readers grow over the months and develop genuine bonds with one another.  I can’t wait for this fall’s sessions!” said Brenna McCormick-Thompson, Curator of Education at the Whaling Museum.

Beyond the Book club sessions are free for museum members and patrons of the museum’s partner libraries, Huntington Public Library and South Huntington Public Library. All others may attend for $15 per session. Register online at www.cshwhalingmuseum.org/bookclub.

The Whaling Museum and Education Center is located at 301 Main Street in Cold Spring Harbor. For more information, call 631-367-3418.

 

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A scene from the Setauket Fire Department's 2023 9/11 ceremony. Photo by Bob O'Rourk
Bobby Thompson, center, delivers a closing prayer alongside Chief of Department Richard Leute, left, and 2nd Assistant Chief Charles Regulinski, right. Photo by Bob O'Rourk
A scene from the Setauket Fire Department's 2023 9/11 ceremony. Photo by Bob O'Rourk
Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich speaks at the Setauket Fire Department's 2023 9/11 ceremony. Photo by Bob O'Rourk
NYS Assemblyman Ed Floods speaks at the Setauket Fire Department's 2023 9/11 ceremony. Photo by Bob O'Rourk
A scene from the Setauket Fire Department's 2023 9/11 ceremony. Photo by Bob O'Rourk

By Bob O’Rourk

On my way home in 2001 from a photo assignment, I heard news about a plane crashing into the World Trade Center.

Within the following hours, the horrific events of 9/11 unfolded. I found myself at the Setauket Fire Department’s Nicolls Road fire station, where members assembled to respond to New York City with help. After assembling equipment and tools, Setauket led several neighboring departments into the city to support the NYFD.

On Monday night, Sept. 11, the memory of 9/11 was preserved by members of the Setauket Fire Department in a ceremony held at the Setauket 9/11 Memorial and led by Setauket Chief of Department Richard Leute. This year, the event was held inside the Nicolls Road Firehouse due to the threat of heavy rain and lightning. 

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 22 years,” Leute said. “Many of us remember that day like it was yesterday. That day changed our lives forever. 2,977 people were killed that day, and many more people have died as a result of sickness or injuries they got as a result of 9/11.” 

Several officials, including New York State Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson) and Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, delivered brief statements about that day of infamy. 

Kornreich spoke to the numerous Scouts in attendance, saying, “You won’t find a better example of honor and bravery than the men and women in front of you,” referring to the fire department members. 

Lou Andrade, a retired NYFD and SFD firefighter, gave an unexpected talk about his participation in the 9/11 response efforts. The ceremony then closed with a prayer from Bobby Thompson, after which four wreaths were placed upon the Setauket 9/11 Memorial.

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A vendor from last year's Sea Glass Festival. Photo from Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum

By Daniel Dunaief

One person’s old discarded glass bottle is another person’s artwork, raw material for a necklace, or artifact with a compelling historical back story.

After a well-attended debut last year, the Whaling Museum in Cold Spring Harbor is hosting its second annual Sea Glass festival on July 23rd from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event, which attracted over 600 people in 2022, will run two hours longer than last year and will include hourly flameworking demonstrations on the lawn of the museum’s Wright House.

Last year, “we thought we’d get 30 weirdos like me who maybe like beach trash,” said Nomi Dayan, Executive Director of The Whaling Museum. “We had this huge outpouring of interest. We weren’t expecting this many people, which was the most we’ve ever had [at an event].”

Brenna McCormick-Thompson will lead a jewelry workshop at the event.

Dayan is hoping to accommodate and appeal to even more visitors at the family-friendly event with the additional two hours, numerous local exhibitors, and sea glass competitions for best in show, most unusual and best historical piece.

General admission for the festival is $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Attendees can also register in advance for a Sea Glass and Wire Wrapping Workshop, which costs $25 in advance and, if there’s room, $30 at the door. Participants 12 and over will learn how to secure sea glass and design their own necklace. Materials, including sea glass, copper and silver wire and leather lanyard, are included.

Brenna McCormick-Thompson, Curator of Education at the museum, will help lead the workshop. People will “leave will new skills and completed pieces of jewelry,” McCormick-Thompson said. “It’s nice when you have an audience that’s just as excited to learn new things as you are.” 

Gina Van Bell, Assistant Director at the Museum, suggested the festival was a “family event” and said she hoped adults brought their children to learn about the history of sea glass. The museum is featuring presentations, a glass-themed scavenger hunt and crafts throughout the day which are included with admission.

Sea glass color and aging

Mary McCarthy

Mary McCarthy, Executive Director of the Beachcombing Center who has been beach combing for 20 years, will help people identify sea glass by color during talks at noon and 2 p.m. People can “date glass based on a certain shade” of blue, for example, said McCarthy, who is based in Maryland and has over 30,000 Instagram followers interested in her insights, pictures and finds.

In a photo she shared of colored glass, McCarthy said the oldest color is a dark, olive green that is nearly black, which is referred to as “black glass” and is nicknamed “pirate glass.” Those finds were produced before or near the turn of the 18th century.

Combing beaches and finding unexpected artifacts left from earlier generations offers its own rewards. “People find mental health or inner peace in the search,” McCarthy said. “Searching a coastline is a sacred process. People can find things that are meaningful to them personally, but also historically.”

She has seen pieces of glass made in occupied Japan, from the Prohibition era, and from other time periods. On a recent kayaking trip to a coastal landfill near a major city on the east coast, she found an Abraham Lincoln paperweight. For McCarthy, the discovery is among her top five favorite finds.

When she’s not presenting, McCarthy, who will serve as a judge on the Sea Glass of the Year contest, will also help people identify their own sea glass discoveries.

She isn’t surprised by the enthusiastic response to the Whaling Museum’s festival. “I’ve attended festivals with over 10,000 people, where people wait in line for an hour to have sea glass identified,” she said.

George William Fisher

Meanwhile, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., George William Fisher, author and local expert on antique bottles, will present the Origins of Sea Glass: Beverage Bottles and Medicine Bottles, including milk and condiment bottles.

This year, Fisher will focus on beverages through the ages, going back to the early 1840s. He will explore the evolution of design, including a look at bottles from the 1920’s.

One of his favorite bottles is an Emerson Bromo-Seltzer bottle, which counteracted the effect of digestive problems caused by a lack of refrigeration.

Attendees at his talks can handle objects, although guests can look at some of the more expensive findings without touching them.

While wending their way around local sea glass vendors, visitors can explore the museum and can listen to a live musical performance by The Royal Yard, as Stuart Markus and Robin Grenstine showcase sea shanties by the sea shore.

The Big Black Food Truck will also serve food in front of the museum. Last year, the truck offered a peanut butter and chicken sandwich, which Van Bell described as “surprisingly delicious.”

Visitors can also partake in candy made to look like sea glass.

Festival origins

The sea glass festival started when Dayan surveyed some of the 6,000 items in the museum’s collection. Some of her favorites include 19th century glass bottles. The museum had hosted glass workshops at the end of December.

Even though sea glass doesn’t have a link to whaling, Dayan was pleased to see the historic connection visitors made to their findings and to the glass that the ocean reshapes and polishes. The museum is “about illuminating a rich connection to the ocean that surrounds us,” she said. Sea glass provides an “artistic way to do that.”

The Whaling Museum is located at 301 Main Street in Cold Spring Harbor. To purchase tickets to the Sea Glass Festival  or to reserve a spot for the workshop, visit www.cshwhalingmuseum.org. For more information, call 631-367-3418.

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Steve Salerno

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook kicks off summer with a Guitar in the Garden concert  on Wednesday, June 21. Enjoy an evening of guitar performances, a glass of wine and a chance to take in the beautiful Count Basie Garden. The performance starts at 6 p.m. Friends Circle members get the first drink on the house!

The first Summer of 2023 Guitar in the Garden will feature Steve Salerno.  Salerno is an active performer of Jazz and Classical music. He has performed in France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, China, Malaysia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Cuba, Haiti, Russia and throughout the United States. He is a member of the Ray Anderson Organic Quartet (with Gary Versace and Tommy Campbell), Paul Smoker 4-Tet (with Drew Gress and Phil Haynes), Mala Waldron Quartet (with Miriam Sullivan and Michael T.A. Thompson), Blue Pipa Trio (with Min Xiao-Fen & Dean Johnson) a duo with the MET’s lyric soprano, Susanna Phillips, a duo with NY Philharmonic’s principal percussionist, Christopher Lamb and leads a variety of groups, including his Jazz quartet, Exiles.

The event is free; no registration required.

For more information contact the Jazz Loft at: 631-751-1895 or visit https://www.thejazzloft.org

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The Stony Brook Post Office by Dino Rinaldi

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization has announced the in-person return of its annual fundraiser, the Summer Soirée. The event will be held on Thursday, June 22 at the newly renovated Three Village Inn in Stony Brook, “where it all began.”

The event will raise funds to support the restoration of the 20’ wooden eagle that is affixed to the pediment above the Stony Brook Post Office. This beloved local and national treasure has flapped its wings every hour on the hour for over 80 years.

Funds raised will also support two new engines for the Discovery Pontoon boat, digitizing Ward Melville’s archives, repairs to the roof at the Brewster House (c.1665), a new exhibit at the Thompson House (c.1709), as well as education programs. 

The benefit will honor community members Katharine Griffiths, Director of Avalon Park and Preserve; Olivia and Harlan Fischer; Sally Lynch, President of Old Field Farm Ltd.; Nicole Sarno, Business Managing Director, Business Banking, Webster Bank; and awarded posthumously, philanthropist Judi Betts. 

One of the highlights of the event will be a live auction where one of the many wonderful items will be a painting of the Stony Brook Post Office by Setauket artist Dino Rinaldi who has been working on creating this beautiful work of art on the Village Green over the last few weeks. 

The WMHO will take phone call bids for the painting from the public until 5 p.m. on June 21. Valued at $1,200, bids for the painting will begin at $400. The successful bidder of the painting will be announced on June 22 and will receive a phone call or email the following day. 

For further information, please call 631-751-2244.

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Catch a screening of 'Unfinished Business' at Theatre Three on May 22 as part of the Port Jefferson Documentary Series festival.

Time to grab the highlighter! From community yard sales to festivals, concerts, walking tours, car shows, craft fairs and new theater shows, there is so much going on this week on the North Shore.

Thursday May 18

International Museum Day

Middle Country Public Library, 101 Eastwood Blvd., Centereach hosts its annual International Museum Day from 4 to 7 p.m. Representatives from many local museums, historical societies, science and nature centers will be on hand to share information regarding their collections, programs and exhibits. Free and open to all. Call 631-585-9393.

Bingo in Mount Sinai

Town of Brookhaven’s Rose Caracappa Senior Center, 739 Route 25A, Mount Sinai hosts an afternoon of Bingo  from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. with refreshments and prizes. Free but registration is required by calling 631-451-5312.

Atelier lecture

Join the Atelier at Flowerfield, 2 Flowerfield, Suite 15, St. James for a free “Seascape Plein Air” lecture and demonstration by artist Kirk Larsen from 2 to 4 p.m. Larsen, whose exhibition “WOW! You’ve Gotta See This” is currently on view at Atelier Hall, will demonstrate his “en plein air” technique. For more information, call 631-250-9009 or visit www.theatelieratflowerfield.org/lectures.

Walking Tour and Pub Crawl

The Huntington Historical Society presents a Walking Tour and Pub Crawl at 6:30 p.m. Led by Town of Huntington Historian, Robert C. Hughes, these walking tours will guide you through the notable buildings and events in the history of Huntington Village. Along the way participants will stop at local establishments to enjoy some refreshment before continuing the tour. The tour will begin at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Building, located at 228 Main Street in Huntington Village. $25 per person, $20 members. Call 631-427-7045  to reserve your space. 

Vanderbilt Museum lecture

Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport continues its lecture series with a presentation titled Coastal Playland: Developing the Sound with Kara Murphy Schlichting  at 7 p.m. in the Planetarium. Schlichting’s lecture will draw heavily from her 2019 book New York Recentered: Building the Metropolis from the Shore focusing not on Robert Moses and grand scheme planning but on the lesser-known local businesses, developers, and government officials whose efforts profoundly shaped coastal communities throughout the metropolitan region. Tickets are $10, members free, at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

Friday May 19

Garden Club Plant Sale

Centerport Garden Club will hold their annual outdoor plant sale at Harborfields Public Library, 31 Broadway, Greenlawn from 9 to 11 a.m. featuring perennials, herbs and house plants for sale at reasonable prices from members’ gardens and Dropseed Native Nursery while supplies last. Plant advice available. Visit www.centerportgardenclub.org.

Third Friday at the Reboli

The Reboli Center for Art and History, 64 Main St., Stony Brook continues its Third Friday series with an engaging talk with May’s feature artisan of the month jewelry designer Gwen Beloti from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The talk will be followed by a Q&A with the artist and an opportunity to view the gallery’s latest exhibit. Light refreshments and snacks will be served. Free. No reservations necessary. Call 631-751-7707.

Greek Night in Kings Park

Kings Park Heritage Museum presents Greek Night at the RJO School Auditorium, 99 Old Dock Road, Kings Park at 7 p.m. Come enjoy traditional dances and song, live Greek choirs and bands, traditional foods and customs. Free. Call 631-269-3305.

Community Band concert

Join the North Shore Community Band for its annual Salute to Veterans concert at St. John the Baptist Church, 1488 North Country Road, Wading River at 7:30 p.m. An all-American musical tribute to our beloved veterans, the concert is in commemoration of 50 years since the end of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War and 70 years since the Korean War armistice. Free. Visit www.nscbli.org.

Northport Chorale concert

Northport Middle School, 11 Middleville Road, Northport will host a concert by the Northport Chorale titled For the Beauty of the Earth, a concert celebrating our planet, at 8 p.m. Enjoy a variety of nature-inspired melodies, plus an appearance by the Merrimac School Children’s Choir. Tickets are $15 at the door. 

Sara Caswell in concert

Grammy Nominee and world class violinist Sara Caswell and her quartet will be performing music from her new album The Way to You at the Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook at 7 p.m. Caswell will be performing with Jesse Lewis, guitar; Adam Cruze, drums; and Ike Sturm, bass. Tickets are $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students, $15 children at www.thejazzloft.org or at the door. Call 631-751-1895 for more info.

Saturday May 20

Spring Yard Sale – Postponed to May 21 due to the weather

The Yaphank Historical Society will hold a multi-vendor Spring Yard Sale on the grounds of the Robert & Isabella Hawkins House at 4 Yaphank Avenue, Yaphank from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring a large variety of crafts, collectibles, and household items. Rain date is May 21. Call 631-924-4803.

TVHS Community Yard Sale – Postponed to May 21 due to the weather

Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Road, Setauket hosts its annual Community Wide Yard Sale from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with over 40 community vendors. Get great deals on household goods, antiques, collectibles, toys, furniture and more. Rain date May 21. Call 631-751-3730.

Fleece and Fiber Festival – Postponed to May 21 due to the weather

One of Long Island’s largest celebrations of fiber arts and crafts, the Fleece & Fiber Festival returns to Hallockville Museum Farm, 6038 Sound Ave., Riverhead from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. An immersive experience in the life cycle of fiber, from sheep to sweater, the event will feature vendors, demonstrations, children’s activities, historical fiber tour, petting zoo, bake sale, raffles and much more. Rain date May 21. $10 admission, free for ages 12 and under. To purchase tickets, visit www.hallockville.org.

Community Yard & Craft Sale – Postponed to June 3 due to the weather

St. Cuthbert’s Episcopal Church, 18 Magnolia Place, Selden presents its first Community Yard & Craft Sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with antiques, clothing, crafts of all kinds, crystals, jewelry, home decor, yard sale items, Mary Kay and more. Rain date is June 3. Questions? Call 631-732-8773.

Friends of the Library Craft Fair

Harborfields Public Library, 31 Broadway, Greenlawn will host the Friends of the Library’s annual outdoor Friends Craft & Flea Market from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. featuring craft vendors, local businesses and flea market items from individual sellers. Held rain or shine. Call 631-757-4200.

Paige Patterson in concert — This event has been canceled due to the weather.

Celebrate St. James presents An Evening with Paige Patterson at Celebrate Park, 369 Lake Ave., St. James at 6 p.m. The free concert will include selections from the American Songbook a medley of standards with a twist, classic soul and contemporary. Visit www.celebratestjames.org for more info.

Arrizza Under the Stars

Vanderbilt Museum’s Reichert Planetarium, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport presents Arrizza Under the Stars, a live performance by local artist and musician Yannaki Arrizza, based on his recent 2022 album release Astronomia, at 6 p.m. Audiences can expect to be transported into immersive worlds and interstellar mediums that transcend both space and time and where the only limit is the imagination. This live performance includes artistic landscapes, original fulldome 3D artwork, projections of starfields, and deep-space objects, and includes colorful laser lights through a haze of fog. Tickets are $30 in advance at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org, $25 members, $35 at the door.

LISCA concert

The Long Island Symphonic Choral Association presents its annual spring concert at St. James R.C. Church, 429 Route 25A, Setauket at 8 p.m. Titled Sing Spring,  the choral concert with orchestra will feature Vivaldi’s “Gloria,” Randall Thompson’s “Alleluia” and Oja Gjeilo’s “Sunrise” and will be conducted by Richard Foley and accompanied by an eighteen-piece orchestra. Tickets are $25, $20 seniors, students are free at www.lisca.org or at the door. Call 631-897-8520 or 751-2743.

Spring Fling Comedy Night

Join the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. Main St.. Smithtown for an evening of stand up comedy with Governor’s Comedy Club at 8 p.m. with comedians Rob Falcone, Tom McGuire, Debbie D’Amore and Joe Crovella. Tickets are $45, $40.50 members and includes open bar of beer and wine. To order, call 800-595-4849 or visit www.smithtownpac.org.

Sunday May 21

Vanderbilt Car Show – just added!

Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport hosts a car show by the Cadillac & LaSalle Club on the Great Lawn from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors pay general admission to the museum; there is no extra charge for the car shows. Admission: adults $10; seniors (62 plus) $9; students (with ID) $9; children 12 and under $7; military and children under 2 are free.

Huntington Village Art Walk

Calling all art lovers! The Huntington Village Art Walk returns today from noon to 5 p.m. Visit 10 museums and galleries in Huntingon Village including the Heckscher Museum of Art during this self-guided tour. Many of the artists’ will be on hand to talk about their inspiration, while you enjoy tasty treats and check out the art scene with live music playing along the way.  Free. Pick up your flyer with the map at the info table under the Paramount Marquee, or visit www,huntingtonartcenter.com for a list of participants.

Paws of War Car Show

Paws of War and the Fabulous 50’s and 60’s Nostalgia Car Club will host a car show at Nesconset Plaza, 127 Smithtown Blvd. Nesconset from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to raise money to support local veterans and first responders in the Long Island community. The car show will include vintage, classic and custom cars, live music, hot food, 50/50 raffles and more. Free admission for spectators, $25 fee for car show participants. Judging begins at noon. Rain date is June 4. For more information, call 631-402-2798, 631-624-4126 or visit www.pawsofwar.org.

Waterfront Festival Craft Fair

Mill Dam Park, Mill Dam Road, Huntington will host the 8th annual Huntington Waterfront Craft Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with over 125 artisans with crafts, nautical antiques, unique gifts, beautiful boats, food trucks and a stage with non-stop live entertainment.  Commences National Safe Boating Week. Call 631-846-1459 for more information.

Nesconset Craft Fair

Nesconset Chamber of Commerce presents a Spring Fling Food Truck Rodeo & Craft Fair at the Gazebo Park, 127 Smithtown Blvd., Nesconset from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 631-724-2543 for further details.

Chinese Auction

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, 800 Portion Road, Lake Ronkonkoma will hold a Chinese Auction at 12:30 p.m. with raffles called at 2 p.m. Over 160 prizes. $10 admission includes 25 tickets, coffee and cake. Extra sheets are $5 each. Call 631-737-4388.

Bob Dylan Celebration

The Long Island Museum, 1200 Rte. 25A, Stony Brook continues its WUSB Sunday Street series with a concert in the Carriage Museum’s Gillespie Room celebrating Bob Dylan’s 82nd birthday at 7 p.m. with The Kennedys, Rod MacDonald, Pete Mancini, and Emily Duff accompanied by Brian Kachejian (piano), Don Olsen (bass) and Tom Ryan (drums) with special guest Ray Lambiase. Program will feature Dylan rarities. Tickets are $35 per person at www.sundaystreet.org.

Monday 22

No events listed for this day.

Tuesday May 23

NSJC Social Club event

North Shore Jewish Center Social Club, 385 Old Town Road, Port Jefferson Station invites the community to a concert titled “A Journey Down the Golden Age of Song” with vocalist Marty Kupferberg and Thelma Grossman, piano accompanist in the Social Hall at 11 a.m. Bagels, cream cheese and coffee among other refreshments will be served. $5 per person, $3 members. Call 631-928-3737 for more information.

An evening of Swing Dance

Swing Dance Long Island, a non-profit social dance club, holds weekly dances every Tuesday evening at the  Huntington Moose Lodge, 631 Pulaski Rd. Greenlawn with beginner swing lessons at 7:30 p.m. and dancing from 8 to 10:30 p.m. Singles and beginners are welcome.  No partner necessary. Admission is $15 on DJ night,  $20 on band night on the third Tuesday of the month. Call 516-521-1410.

Wednesday May 24

Atelier virtual lecture

Join Atelier at Flowerfield in St. James for a free Zoom lecture titled Figure Drawing: The Naked Truth and History of Art’s Most Revealing Genre from 7 to 9 p.m. Artist and historian Randall DiGiuseppe will explore the fascinating history, evolution and future of classical art’s most essential and revealing practice: drawing from the live nude figure. Examine figure drawings as far back as 17,000 BCE to the modern masters of the genre. To register, visit www.theatelieratflowerfield.org.

Thursday May 25

Walking Tour and Pub Crawl

The Greenlawn Centerport Historical Association hosts a walking tour and pub crawl of downtown Greenlawn at 6:30 p.m. Huntington Town Historian Robert C. Hughes and Greenlawn historian  Toby Kissam, a Greenlawn historian will be your guides as you learn all about the history of downtown Greenlawn. Along the way, participants will stop at local establishments to enjoy some refreshments before continuing the tour. Starting point is Harborfields Public Library, 31, Broadway, Greenlawn. Tickets are $15, $10 members (drinks are not included). Registration is required by visiting www.greenlawncenterporthistorical.org. 

Native American drumming

All Souls Church Parish House, 10 Mill Pond Road, Stony Brook hosts an evening of Native American Drumming from 7 to 8:45 p.m. Led by elder drummer, Ric Statler, drumming meditation seeks to integrate the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual parts of the human self, creating a state of well-being. Call 631-655-7798.

Film

‘Unfinished Business’

Port Jefferson Documentary Series closes out its Spring 2023 season with a screening of Unfinished Business, an intimate look at the formation and legacy of the WNBA, and its flagship team, the New York Liberty’s, dramatic 2021 season, as they play for acceptance, respect, and the future of basketball, at Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson on May 22 at 7 p.m. Followed by a Q&A with Director Alison Klayman. Tickets are $10 at www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com or at the door.

Theater

Summer Shakespeare Festival

The Carriage House Players kick off the 34th annual Summer Shakespeare Festival in the mansion courtyard of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport with The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) on May 21 at 7 p.m. and May 26 at 8 p.m. Three Shakespeare enthusiasts attempt to do the impossible: Act their way through all of The Bard’s 37 plays in one night. Tickets are $20, $15 children under 12. To order, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

‘Cabaret’

Star Playhouse, Stage 74 at Suffolk Y JCC, 74 Hauppauge Road, Commack, presents Cabaret on May 20 at 8 p.m. and May 21 at 2 p.m. Daring, provocative and exuberantly entertaining, Cabaret explores the dark and heady life of Bohemian Berlin as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich. Tickets are $32, $25 seniors and students. Call 631-462-9800 x-136 or visit www.starplayhouse.com to order.

‘The Sound of Music’

Up next for the John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport is The Sound of Music from May 18 to July 2. The final collaboration between Rodgers & Hammerstein was destined to become the world’s most beloved musical. Featuring a trove of cherished songs, including “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “My Favorite Things,” “Do Re Mi,” “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” and the title number, The Sound of Music has won the hearts of audiences worldwide. Tickets range from $80 to $85. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com. 

‘Something Rotten!’

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson continues its Mainstage productions with Something Rotten! from May 20 to June 24.  Living in the shadow of Renaissance rock star The Bard, two brothers set out to write the world’s first musical in this hilarious mash-up of sixteenth-century Shakespeare and twenty-first-century Broadway. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being to thine own self be true—and all that jazz! Contains adult humor and situations. Tickets are $35 adults, $28 seniors and students, $20 children ages 5 and up. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

Class Reunions

•Ward Melville High School Class of 1973 will hold its 50th reunion at the Setauket Neighborhood House, 95 Main St., Setauket on Sept. 9, 2023 from 6 to 11 p.m. For ticket information, contact Tibo Dioguardi at [email protected].

•Save the date! Port Jefferson High School Class of 1964 will hold its 60th reunion at the Meadow Club, 1147 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station on Oct. 17, 2024. For more information, email Mike Whelen at [email protected].

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The mechanical eagle above the Stony Brook Village post office. File photo/TBR News Media

Atop Stony Brook Village’s post office is the only mechanical eagle in the world that flaps its wings, every hour on the hour from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Although the eagles wings are still flapping after 82 years of service, the hand-carve wooden fixture is in need of restoration. Funds are being raised by the  501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation  Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) to help the eagle soar once more. 

Stony Brook Village was constructed in 1941 by businessman and philanthropist, Ward Melville. At his own expense, he relocated, demolished, or modified some thirty-five buildings in the downtown area. The enormous undertaking also included the rerouting of roads, the relocation of large trees, and moving one million cubic yards of dirt. Although the construction of the village was impressive, Ward Melville’s centerpiece gem was the 20’ mechanical Stony Brook Eagle.

For generations, visitors of Stony Brook Village have been awed by the eagle’s mechanical movements. Watching the wings of the eagle flap is a childhood memory thousands cherish. Since the inception of fundraising, donations to restore the eagle have come from all over the United States, from coast to coast.

Fundraising efforts by the WMHO include: The Summer Soirée, a fundraising gala with a cocktail hour, dinner and live auction at the historic Three Village Inn on Thursday, June 22, and an online auction beginning May 22, with exciting items such as a real military tank driving experience for 30 people in “The Scorpion” British armored reconnaissance vehicle, a suite for up to 22 people at the Total Mortgage Arena, and an all-inclusive stay for seven nights in a three room, five-star Panamanian boutique inn.

While the primary purpose of the fundraising is to support the restoration of the beloved eagle, any additional funds raised may also support two new engines for the WMHO’s Discovery Pontoon Boat, digitizing Ward Melville’s archives, repairs to the roof at the Brewster House (c. 1665), a new exhibit at the Thompson House (c. 1709) in Setauket, as well as education programs.

Donations are being accepted now. To help support the WMHO in its fundraising efforts, visit wmho.org or call 631-751-2244. Checks can be made payable to the Ward Melville Heritage Organization, and can be sent to P.O. Box 572, Stony Brook, NY 11790. Your donation is tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by the law.

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Beyond the Book club members discuss 'In the Heart of the Sea' on March 23

The Whaling Museum & Education Center, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor  hosted its first session of Beyond the Book club on March 23. This month’s club read the book In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathanial Philbrick; however anyone that read this book, or anything related to the topic of the Essex including Moby Dick were invited to attend and participate.

Book club members gather around the museum’s whaleboat The Daisy

The club session hosted an audience of over a dozen people from the community including patrons of the Huntington and South Huntington Libraries who attend the club sessions for free through the book club’s partnership program. Upon registration, participants received a short video introducing the book and offering a discussion question to consider while reading.

Beyond the Book is more than a book club in that participants are invited to read the monthly text and then meet at the museum to dive deeper into the stories through connections with the museum’s collection. Book club meetings are led by museum educators to facilitate talks and share about museum artifacts that enhance discussions on the selected topic in literature and/or film. 

Brenna McCormick-Thompson, Curator of Education, The Whaling Museum & Education Center, shared feedback on the museum’s March book club session. “We used our collection to bring the past to life in a completely new and fun way. We got to gather around our historic whaleboat and imagine ourselves in the heart of the story. It was a great group discussion with everyone sharing different perspectives and highlighting parts of the book in new ways,” she said.

Members were invited to try hard tack crackers.

In addition to engaging with the museum’s artifacts, club goers were invited to taste test an authentic recipe for hard tack crackers, the whalers only food supply for months. The taste test table displayed the daily allotment of water and hard tack that the Essex crew needed to make their provisions last as long as possible.

The museum received positive comments from attendees through anonymous survey responses. One survey responder said their favorite part of the session was “… the combination of viewing of the whaleboat and other artifacts, along with the discussion of the book. The facilitator was great!” Another survey responder commented “Get the word out! You are a hidden gem!”

There are two sessions left— on April 27 and May 25—before the club breaks for the summer and then returns in the fall. Book club sessions are scheduled monthly on Thursday evenings at 6:30pm. Each meeting is approximately 1 hour long, and participants will enjoy coffee or tea and cookies while they chat about the text and make meaningful connections with the guidance of  the museum’s education staff.

On April 27 the book club will feature Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates by David Cordingly which explores the golden age of piracy and the truth behind many pirate legends. The educator-led talk and discussion will highlight the life of Huntingtonian Enoch Conklin (1763-ca.1815) a privateer during the War of 1812 as well as a ship builder, sailor and captain. Artifacts relating to Conklin’s life will be showcased for participants to see and explore.

On May 25, the book club will feature Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth’s Most Awesome Creatures by Nick Pyenson who unearths the incredible history of whales, from their small four-legged land ancestors to the ocean-dwelling giants we know today. In this session, the group will explore the biology of these creatures first-hand through the museum’s collection of bones and fossils. Discover the amazing adaptations that helps whales navigate their marine environment, while learning about modern threats to the future of these animals.

Beyond the Book club sessions are free for museum members and patrons of  the museum’s partner libraries. All others may attend for $15 per session. Registration is online at cshwhalingmuseum.org/bookclub. For more information, call 631-367-3418.

Photos courtesy of The Whaling Museum

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