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JIMINY CRICKETS! Catch a screening of 'Pinocchio' at the Cinema Arts Center on July 30.
PROGRAMS

Magic of Reading Magic Show

Village of Port Jefferson will host a Magic of Reading Magic Show on the Performance Stage at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson on July 27 at 6 p.m. Bring seating. Free. 631-473-4724

Colonies of Coral

The Whaling Museum, 301 Main St. Cold Spring Harbor continues Friday Summer Fun Workshops with Colonies of Coral on July 28 at noon and again at 2 p.m. Discover what makes corals the ultimate teammates in nature! Explore how these tiny creatures cooperate together to build incredible structures that hundreds of sea animals call home. See coral from the Museum’s collection, and craft a beautiful coral creation of your own. No registration needed!​ Best for ages 6 and up. Admission fee + $10. 631-367-3418.

Growing Up Wild

Town of Brookhaven offers a summer program, Growing Up Wild, for ages 3 to 6 at Cedar Beach Nature Center, Harbor Road, Mt. Sinai on July 29 at 10 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. Parents are invited to explore nature with their little ones through story time, live animals and an activity or craft. Free. Registration is required by emailing [email protected].

BNL Summer Sundays

Explore Brookhaven National Laboratory, 98 Rochester St., Upton on July 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meet with scientists, visit world-class research facilities, enjoy live science shows, hands-on activities and more at the Lab’s Summer Sundays open house tours. Free. For a full schedule of events, visit www.bnl.gov.

Kids Crafts at the Park

Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Road, Setauket continues its 2023 Family Summer Program series on Aug. 1 from 11 a.m. to noon. Children can make a fun craft with Julie. Meet at Hap’s Red Barn. Free. 631-689-6146

Ice Ice Baby

Holtsville Ecology Site & Animal Preserve, 249 Buckley Road, Holtsville presents a summer workshop for children entering 2nd grade to 6th grade titled Ice Ice Baby on Aug. 3 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Meet and learn about our cold-blooded friends including snakes, lizards and turtles. $10 per child. To register, call 631-451-5330.

Summer Drop-In Workshop

Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington hosts a Summer Drop-In Workshop for kids ages 5 to 10 on Aug. 3 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Create fun works of art in a variety of materials inspired by artwork in the Museum’s Collection and exhibitions. Program will be held both in the Museum and in Heckscher Park. Fee is $10 per child payable at the door. Parents are free. 631-380-3230

DIDI Maxx Dance Party

Do your children love to dance? Village of Port Jefferson will host a Dance Party with DIDI Maxx on the Performance Stage at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson on Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. Bring seating. Free. 631-473-4724

Harry Potter Scavenger Hunt

If you solemnly swear you are up to no good, three museums in Huntington invite wizards and muggles to celebrate Harry Potter’s July 31 birthday week!

Walt Whitman Birthplace: From July 27 to 30, find Quidditch brooms, the Mirror of Erised, earn Walt Whit’s Beans, and try a sorting hat. Bring in a Potter-themed poem for display! Children 15 and under free with adult admission.

The Whaling Museum & Education Center: From July 25 to Aug. 5 (closed Mondays), see the largest cauldron in Huntington! Search for Potter-themed haunted items & potion bottles. Decorate an owl mask. Free with admission to the museum. 

Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum: From Aug 1 to 4, visit for a special scavenger hunt called “Mr. Vanderbilt’s Fantastic Creatures & How to Find Them!” Free with admission to the museum. 

FILM

‘Pinocchio’

Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington continues its Cinema for Kids! series with a screening of Disney’s Pinocchio on July 30 at noon. Geppetto’s beloved puppet, Pinocchio, longs to become a real boy. With Jiminy Cricket as his guide, he embarks on a thrilling adventure. Pinocchio must be brave. loyal, and honest to make his greatest wish come true. Known for its groundbreaking achievements in animation and Academy Award-winning music, Pinocchio is one of the most influential animated films of all time. Rated G. Tickets are $12, $5 children 12 and under. www.cinemaartscentre.org.

‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’

The 6th annual Farmingville Flicks outdoor movie series returns to Local Church, 1070 Portion Road, Farmingville with Space Jam: A New Legacy on July 31, courtesy of the Farmingville Hills Chamber of Commerce and Sachem Public Library. All movies begin at dusk. Free. 631-317-1738

THEATER

‘Seussical Jr.’

Smithtown Performing Arts Center presents an outdoor production of Seussical Jr. on the grounds of the Smithtown Historical Society, 239 E. Main St., Smithtown from July 8 to Aug. 17. Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat, JoJo, Gertrude McFuzz, Mayzie La Bird and all of your favorite Dr. Seuss characters spring to life onstage in this fantastical musical extravaganza. Tickets are $18.50 per person. To order, call 800-595-4849 or visit www.smithtownpac.org.

‘Goldilocks & The Show Biz Bears’

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents Goldilocks & The Show Biz Bears from July 7 to July 29. Join them for a delightful re-telling of the famous story as Goldilocks, a Campfire Bluebird Pioneer Scout Girl, joins up with the three nicest show-biz bears you’d ever hope to meet. Along with Granny Locks and Wolf Hunter, Forest Ranger, the crew foil the villainous plans of Billy de Goat Gruff. All seats are $12. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com. 

‘Cinderella’

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents Cinderella, the beloved tale of a young girl’s magical night at the Royal Ball where she meets and briefly loses her true Prince Charming, from July 22 to Aug. 27. Only his quest to find the perfect fit for the glass slipper left behind will reunite them. But will they live happily ever after? All seats are $20. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com. 

Disney’s ‘High School Musical Jr.’

Sachem High School East, 177 Granny Road Farmingville hosts a production of Disney’s High School Musical Jr. performed by their Summer 2023 Triple Threat students on Aug. 4 and 5 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 at www.potr.org.

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The sand tiger shark, pictured above, is one of several shark species that inhabit the surrounding waters of Long Island. Photo by Christopher Mark from Wikimedia Commons

Last week’s Fourth of July celebrations brought fireworks, family gatherings, barbecues and interactions between people and sharks.

Independence Day has increased the number of brushes between these apex predators and humans over the last two years, particularly as people head to the beach in larger numbers around the holiday.

Christoper Paparo, Southampton Marine Science Center manager at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. File photo

Sharks go “wherever there’s salt water” and they often follow bunker fish, which can come closer to shore, said Christoper Paparo, Southampton Marine Science Center manager at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. People encounter sharks around Independence Day because “there are more people around state parks on the Fourth of July weekend.”

Despite potential hysteria and concern about the dangers posed by sharks, most of the encounters around Long Island are “minor” and “not life threatening,” Paparo added.

The waters in the area are a nursery for many species of fish, including sharks. Young sea turtles, dolphins and whales also live along the more protected shoreline.

In recent weeks, five people have reported shark bites along the South Shore. In one incident, a shark bit a 15-year-old boy on the heel and toes. He was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Also last week, a 15-year-old girl was injured with puncture wounds from an unknown source at Robert State Moses Park.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, at podium, urged residents to take protective measures to minimize the risk of shark encounters. Photo from Bellone’s Flickr page

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) recently announced that the county would step up its surveillance efforts, adding two high-tech drones at the ocean beaches.

“Shark bites and shark incidents are something that we’re going to have to be addressing on a more regular basis,” Bellone said at a press conference at Smith Point County Beach announcing the new measures. “It’s simply going to be a part of the routine of what we do out here every day in terms of the monitoring that our ocean lifeguards do.”

Surveillance teams go out on wave runners and paddle boards, while lifeguards also use binoculars to watch over swimming areas.

The county will train lifeguards as drone operators.

“This is not a simple thing,” Bellone said. “This is something that requires skill and expertise.”

As county beaches await the arrival of these new drones, the beaches have area fire and rescue available to respond to any needs.

“Our goal here is first and foremost to keep residents safe,” Bellone added, “and to provide a sense of reassurance and comfort, knowing that when you come to the beaches, we have every tool at our disposal ready to assist.”

New surveillance drones, pictured above, will help the county government monitor shark activity along its beaches. Photo from Steve Bellone’s Flickr page

Protective measures

Bellone urged the public to take measures to minimize the risk of shark encounters.

The county executive advised people not to swim at dawn or dusk when sharks might be feeding. He also cautioned against swimming toward schools of fish, which might attract sharks who can’t differentiate between a fish and a person swimming.

“Always swim in a lifeguard-protected area,” he added. “Don’t swim when lifeguards are not on duty.”

People who paddle board, kayak or surf should go out in groups.

The sharks in the area are a reflection of a healthy ecosystem, Paparo indicated.

“You need everything below [a shark] to support it,” he said. “If there are no fish or the water is polluted, you won’t see sharks.”

Sharks rely on other senses besides eyesight to find their prey. A swimmer in murky waters can send the same type of electromagnetic signal a shark picks up from a school of fish on the surface of the water.

The sharks “hone in” on the similar sounds, Paparo added.

Paparo also suggested people should avoid swimming near seals, which are prey for great white sharks. That’s not often a problem around Long Island as seals are more prevalent in Massachusetts.

Taking measures like avoiding swimming in murky waters will “increase the odds of not encountering them,” Paparo said.

A range of sharks swim around the waters of Long Island and can include sand tigers, dusky and sandbar sharks.

“We do have mako, blue, thresher, southern, black tip, spinner, scalloped hammerhead and smooth hammerhead,” Paparo said.

Paparo added that the numbers of bites this year — five so far — are still infrequent, especially compared with injuries people sustain in car accidents or other activities.

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Margot Robbie in a scene from 'Barbie'. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment

By Tim Haggerty & Jeffrey Sanzel

This summer’s cinematic offerings range from blockbusters to independents, with Hollywood stars intermingled with well-known character actors and a handful of up-and-coming personalities. 

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

First up is the fifth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Three decades in, Harrison Ford continues his adventures three decades in as the titular professor of archeology, Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr. Approaching retirement, Indy must don his hat and pick up his whip once more to make sure an ancient and powerful artifact, the Antikythera, doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Phoebe Waller-Bridge plays his goddaughter.

Rated PG-13 · Release date June 30

Insidious: The Red Door

Patrick Wilson makes his feature directorial debut with The Red Door. Wilson and Rose Byrne appear in this last entry of the Insidious run, in which the original Lambert family attempts to (finally?) exorcise the demons plaguing them. (As with most horror movies of this ilk, demons surprisingly can be resurrected by decent box office returns.)

Rated PG-13 · Release date July 7

Joy Ride

Joy Ride stars Oscar-nominated Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once) joins Ashley Park, Sherry Cola and Sabrina Wu in a buddy comedy about a quartet of friends who embark on a trek across Asia to help one of their group search for her birth mother. Directed and co-written by Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians).

Rated  R · Release date July 7

Mission: Impossible 7

Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Rebecca Ferguson join headliner Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning, Part One. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team embark on “their most dangerous mission,” tracking down a weapon that threatens humanity in this action-franchise. The claim is that Dead Reckoning, Part Two (due out June 28, 2024) will be the final chapter. 

Rated PG-13 · Release date July 12

Theater Camp

Budding thespians are the target of the satirical Theater Camp which follows the eccentric staff of a rundown theatre camp in upstate New York as they come together with a less-than-theatrically-inclined member of the camp family to keep the program going following the sudden absence of the beloved founder with Dear Evan Hansen’s Ben Platt playing a counselor guiding the campers in their summer’s big show. 

Rated PG-13 · Release date July 14

Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer promises to be a dark, powerful, and cutting-edge biopic of the scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, chronicling his work on the atomic bomb and the repercussions on his professional and personal lives. Cillian Murphy plays Oppenheimer, supported by an extraordinary cast: Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Kenneth Branagh, Florence Pugh, Benny Safdie, Gary Oldman, Rami Malek, and Josh Hartnett.

Rated R · Release date July 21

Barbie

Possibly the most anticipated release is Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. With an all-star cast—Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Will Ferrell, Dua Lipa and many others—the meta-comedy shows a particular Barbie (Robbie) and Ken (Gosling) as they venture into the real world. If the trailers reflect the finished production, it should be one of the summer’s best.

Rated PG-13 · Release date July 21

Haunted Mansion

Haunted Mansion is Disney’s latest foray into bringing amusement park rides to the big screen. A woman and her son enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters. All -star cast includes LaKeith Stanfield, Danny DeVito, Owen Wilson, Rosario Dawson, Jared Leto, Winona Ryder, Tiffany Hadish and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Rated  PG-13 · Release date July 28

Talk to Me

The Australian horror film Talk to Me was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival and has already garnered excellent reviews. The traditional plot centers on friends who unwittingly unleash malevolent forces when conjuring spirits with an embalmed hand.

Rated  R · Release date July 28

TMNT: Mutant Mayhem

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle phenomenon returns with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The movie’s revival is due to longtime fans Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and is computer animated feature emphasizing the “teenage” element of the original comics.

Rated  PG-13 · Release date August 2

Strays

Will Ferrell leads an all-star voice cast (Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher, Josh Gad, Will Forte, Sofia Vergara) in the adult live-action animal adventure Strays. A naive border terrier (voice of Ferrell), abandoned by his deadbeat owner, decides to trek back home to exact his revenge. 

Rated  R · Release date August 18

Blue Beetle

Those seeking a superhero infusion will embrace Blue Beetle. Cobra Kai’s Xolo Maridueña plays the title character in this DC origin story about a recent college grad who becomes possessed by the Scarab, an ancient alien biotechnological relic, which turns him into the Blue Beetle. With Susan Sarandon and George Lopez.

Not Rated  · Release date August 18

Bottoms

After her dark comedy Shiva Baby, director Emma Seligman’s sophomore outing is Bottoms. Seligman reunites with Shiva Baby’s Rachel Sennott for this teen sex comedy in which two high school seniors create a fight club so they can hook up with cheerleaders.

Not Rated  · Release date August 18

Brief Encounters

Brief Encounters is the summer’s most unusual opening. Filmed in 1967, the movie was banned in the Soviet Union and is finally getting its formal American release. Romanian-born director Kira Muratova (generally identified as Ukranian) sets a romantic triangle amid the casual shortages and shoddy apartments of professional-class Odessa.

Not Rated · Release date August 25

With a mix of comedy, drama, thriller, and pure escape—along with the usual sequels—summer 2023 promises something for every filmgoer. 

This article originally appeared in Summer Times, TBR News Media’s seasonal guide supplement.

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Afternoon winners: Arabella Siegel, Ryan Liebold, Hunter O’Brien. Photo by Carol Tokosh
Tommy Biddle with the sunfish that he caught. Photo by Carol Tokosh
Morning winners, from left, Dominick Ferrentino, Easton Hodge, and Christian McFarland. Photo by Carol Tokosh
Kevy Doring and his grandfather John Mikkelson. Photo by Carol Tokosh
Birdseye view of fishing. Photo by Carol Tokosh

By Carole Paquette

Forty-six junior anglers caught a total of 182 fish at the Friends of Caleb Smith Preserve’s 19th annual catch-and-release Junior Fishing Tournament held on Saturday, June 10, at Caleb Smith State Park Preserve in Smithtown.

It was a clear day and the Park’s Willow Pond was active with geese, cormorants, turtles and a loud rapping woodpecker as the 46 jubilant young anglers pulled in all types of fish, examined, then released, them. A large colorful Rainbow Trout brought shouts of surprise and a winning trophy for its angler Hunter O’Brien, who had won a prize last year for catching the most fish.

Kevy Doring, 6, of Northport who was one of the morning anglers, was with his grandfather John Mikkelson. Within five minutes of the start of the tournament Kevy had caught two Panfish, one 7-1/4 inches, the other 8 inches. He eventually caught a third.

Co-chairperson Carol Tokosh said “The Junior Angler Tournament is a wonderful event to teach children how to fish and enjoy nature. It’s such a pleasure to see the smiles and reactions of a child when they catch a fish.”

Winners of the three trophies in the morning session, for those ages five to eight, were Christian McFarland, 6, of St. James, who caught 13 fish to win for Most Fish Caught; Dominick Ferrentino, 7, of St. James who won for Largest Pan Fish Caught, for his 8-3/4 inch Pan Fish; and Easton Hodge, 5, of Smithtown, won for the Largest Other Fish Caught, a 10-1/2” Trout.

Winners in the afternoon session, for those ages nine through twelve, were Arabella Siegel, 11, of Smithtown, who caught 17 fish, and won for Most Fish Caught; Ryan Liebold, 12, of Smithtown, won the award for the Largest Pan Fish Caught for his 9-3/4-inch Pan Fish; and Hunter O’Brien, 9, of Port Washington, won for the Largest Other Fish Caught, a 12-1/2 inch Rainbow Trout.

Several lotteries were held during the afternoon. Evelyn Folandro, 6, of Commack won a fishing rod and tackle box donated by the D’Agostino Family in memory of Mike D’Agostino who was one of the co-founders of the Friends of Caleb Smith Preserve, and a main contributor to the Junior Angler Fishing Tournament.

Carter LeHanka, 12, of Commack won the Fourth Annual Tom Troccodli Memorial Lottery and received a fishing rod and tackle   donated by the Troccoli family. The drawing was held in honor of the late Tom Troccoli of Smithtown who enjoyed fishing and accompanied his grandson at junior angler tournaments. Raffle donors included Camp-Site Sports Shop in Huntington Station, which donated two fishing rods, one for each session, and books about catching bluefish. Carmine Petrone, manager of the fishing department at Camp-Site Sports Shop is a familiar person at the tournament having been one of the judges during these years. Visors that looked like a turtle were also raffled off. Other donors included sponsor The Fisherman magazine which donated the worms, hooks and bobbers.

Robert McCormick from the Diversified Education Curriculum at Stony Brook University made up packets to be put in the goody bags that were given to each angler. The packets contained information about catching fish in New York and Long Island, as well as cards identifying fish that are caught in New York State. Caleb Smith State Park Preserve included information about the park and fishing. Also in the goody bags the Friends group included fun fish-related treats such as puzzles, and goldfish crackers

Tom Tokosh, co-chairperson of the tournament, said “It was a great day. Everyone caught a fish. See you next year.”

 

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Catch a screening of 'The Dark Crystal' at the Cinema Arts Centre on June 4.

PROGRAMS

Reptile & Amphibian Appreciation Day

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor hosts a Reptile and Amphibian Appreciation Day on June 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with live exotic reptiles and amphibians presented by the Long Island Herpetological Society. The Hatchery’s own New York State native reptiles and amphibians will also be on display. Admission is $7 adults, $6 seniors, $5 children ages 3 to 12. Call 516-692-6768 for more information.

Frogs and Friends

Caleb Smith State Park Preserve, 581 W. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown presents Frogs & Friends on June 3 from 10:30 a.m. to noon. From frogs to toads, to newts and salamanders, amphibians are an amazing group of animals! Join the park staff to learn more about these amazing cold blooded creatures and try to find them in their natural habitat. For children ages 7 to 15. Advance registration required by calling 631-265–1054.

Turtle Walk

It’s that time of year! Join Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown for a Turtle Walk on June 4 from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Help check the fields for box turtles, examine the turtles and tag them if needed.    Meet some of the Center’s resident, non-releasable turtles and make a craft to take home. Meet behind the main house. For ages 4 and up. $10 per person. To register, visit www.sweetbriarnc.org.

Family Hour Sundays

Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington continues its Family Hour Sundays series with Dual Language on June 4 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Children are invited for a family-friendly art experience with Museum Educator Tami Wood. Explore exciting works of art on view in the Museum and create fun art projects using simple materials. $10 per child, adults free. Advance registration recommended by visiting www.heckscher.org. 

One Fish, Two Fish

Sunken Meadow State Park, Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings Park offers a Tiny Tots program, One Fish, Two Fish, on June 8 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Children and their parents will connect with nature through short walks, animal visitors, and crafts. For ages 3 to 5. $4 per child. To register, visit Eventbrite.com and search #NatureEdventure.

Next week:

Pizza & Painting

Registration is now underway for a Pizza & Painting event at the St. James Calderone Theatre, 176 Second St., St. James on June 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Enjoy a pizza lunch and create a painting to take home. $20 first child and adult, $10 additional child/adult. To register, visit www.celebratestjames.org. Call 631-984-0201 for more information.

THEATER

‘Cinderella’

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson closes its children’s theatre season with its original retelling of the poor waif Cinderella from May 27 to June 17 with a sensory sensitive performance on June 4 at 11 a.m. The classic love story finds its power in a pumpkin, a palace, a prince and a young girl whose belief in herself can overcome any obstacle. When her Fairy Godmother adds a dash of excitement, the magical possibilities are endless. Don’t miss this musical enchantment for the entire family. All seats are $10. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com. See review on page B3.

‘Flat Stanley’

John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley from May 28 to July 2 with a sensory friendly performance on June 10 at 11 a.m. Stanley Lambchop is an ordinary ten-year-old who longs to travel the world and do something amazing! Careful what you wish for, Stanley! One morning, Stanley wakes up really, REALLY flat! In a whirlwind musical travelogue, Stanley scours the globe for a solution to his unusual problem. He’s stamped, posted and mailed from Hollywood to Honolulu and beyond hoping to once again become three dimensional. All seats are $20. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

FILM

‘The Dark Crystal’

Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington continues its Cinema for Kids! series with a screening of The Dark Crystal on June 4 at noon. On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal, and to restore order to his world. Rated PG. Tickets are $12, $5 children 12 and under. Visit www.cinemaartscentre.org.

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A view of Owl Pond in Flanders. Photo by John Turner
A Pine Barrens trail in Flanders. Photo by John Turner
A trail in the pine barrens. Photo by John Turner
A trail in the Pine Barrens. Photo by John Turner
A pink lady slipper orchid growing in the Pine Barrens. Photo by John Turner
A view of Sears Pond in the Pine Barrens. Photo by John Turner
A trail in the Pine Barrens. Photo by John Turner
A trail in the Pine Barrens. Photo by John Turner
Atlantic White Cedar in the Pine Barrens. Photo by John Turner

By John L. Turner

John Turner

It’s a warm Spring day and I’m relaxing on a bench on the edge of Swezey’s Pond within Cranberry Bog County Nature Preserve. Situated in western Southampton Town, about three quarters of a mile south of the Riverhead traffic circle, the preserve contains the remains of one of the larger commercial cranberry bogs that once prospered on Long Island.

The light is bright and the warmth most inviting, both for me and the eight painted turtles of various sizes that have scrambled up on two nearby logs. At first the water appears to be still but looking a little more closely I can see a current moving from right to left or from south to north. This water drains from Wildwood Lake about a mile to the south providing the base flow to the Little River, one of the four tributaries to the Peconic River. 

At the far end of the pond a ghost white American Egret stalks the shallows and to its right, much closer to me, I hear the “phoe-be” call of a spring migrant Eastern Phoebe flitting around the spindly-spiraled top of an Atlantic White Cedar.    

I am in the middle of the Pine Barrens, the largest intact forest remaining on Long Island, protected by state law after a long and intense legal battle that Newsday called the “War in the Woods.” It was a battle well worth fighting as the protection of the tens of thousands of contiguous pine-clad acres adds immeasurably to the quality of life of Long Islanders. 

From a pragmatic point of view the Pine Barrens sits over the largest and cleanest groundwater supplies on Long Island with an estimated five trillion gallons of water contained in the saturated sands beneath the barrens. Also, the Pine Barrens is ecologically significant as it provides habitat to many hundreds  of species of plants and animals, some with novel adaptations that enable them to survive wildfire and other harsh conditions of the ecosystem. 

And like Manhattan’s Central Park, a destination for  countless visitors and city dwellers, the Pine Barrens, Long Island’s Central Park, will, through time, become the same. Already used by many Long Islanders to hike, camp, bird, and canoe, the Pine Barrens will undoubtedly  be visited by many more as it becomes better known.   

Pitch Pine is the dominant plant of the Pine Barrens and provides half of the epithet — the Pine Barrens (the other half relates to the sandy, porous, and nutrient-poor soils that underlie the area). In many places, typically areas that have burned more frequently,  it is the only tree found; in other areas of the Pine Barrens it shares the canopy with various oak species such as scarlet, white, and black oak. 

Beneath the canopy, in the shrub layer, two dwarf oaks — bear oak and dwarf chestnut oak — form extensive thickets. These oaks are genetically dwarfed and even if their acorns are planted in soils rich in nutrients, the species will never obtain the height of our native tree oaks. Intermingled in these shrubby thickets are the heath species, such as black huckleberry, and early and late lowbush blueberries. On the forest floor where there’s ample sunlight you can find both common and striped wintergreen and the beautiful trailing arbutus. 

In the wetlands a host of other plant species abound — water lilies in the open water of ponds and lakes to a number of rare plants growing in the shallow water near shorelines and along the sandy shorelines themselves — including several carnivorous plant species as bladderworts and sundews. Highbush blueberry rings many wetlands and fills small bogs. These wetlands provide habitat to  turtles, frogs, toads, and salamanders while ovenbirds, scarlet tanagers, whip-poor-wills, pine warblers, and may other songbirds fill the forests and wetlands with song.  

Fire has long played a dominating role in shaping the character of these pine dominated forests, having swept through the barrens for thousands of years. Many of the plants and animals have adapted to fire with pitch pine having thick bark; in the unique and globally rare dwarf pine plains the dwarf pines depend upon fire to open their cones which remain resolutely closed in fire’s absence.   

It’s no accident that nearly one hundred square miles of the Pine Barrens has been permanently preserved. Were it not for the direct and intensive intervention of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society, both in the courts and in the court of public opinion, the Pine Barrens would, no doubt, have succumbed to development. But in a classic David (the Society, other conservation organizations) vs. Goliath (municipalities and wealthy, well-heeled developers) contest, the environmental community won with the passage of the 1993 Pine Barrens Protection Act that established the 105,000 acre Central Pine Barrens including the 55,000 acre Core Preservation Area in which development is not allowed.  

All Long Islanders will long be the beneficiaries of the Pine Barrens being preserved and this preservation effort has a unique aspect to it: it ensures in a bi-county region, cheek-to-jowl with one housing subdivision after another, surrounding industrial parks, strip shopping centers and large malls, where 2.7 million Long Islanders work, live, and play, there will always be wildness available — a wild character where if you’re positioned in the hollow of the morainal hills in Manorville you will hear no human sounds, where at night the pin prick light of stars shine amidst the inky blackness and from which the rhythmic calls of the whip-poor-will or deep hoots of the great horned owl can still be heard. It is a landscape where, in so many places you can hike on meandering trails for many miles and see no one, or evidence of anyone save the footprints of fellow hikers seeking the same solitude. 

A resident of Setauket, John Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.

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Port Jefferson Village trustee Stan Loucks on his bid for reelection. Sketch by Kyle Horne: @kylehorneart • kylehorneart.com

If reelected, what would be your top priority during the coming term?

I want to go forward successfully with a plan to capture water — not only to give us more water at the golf course but to protect the environment.

The water now that’s running rampant, a lot of it is dumping right into the Long Island Sound. We have a large spillway that goes right alongside our golf course. All that water we’re going to try to collect, putting it in ponds on the golf course. 

The water we collect will be purified before we put it on the golf course. We’re going to have a system to sanitize the water. 

The one pond we have now is filled with turtles, fish and wildlife. I’d like nothing better than to see more water on our golf course.

How do you intend to help guide ongoing bluff stabilization efforts at East Beach and maximize the potential of the village-owned Port Jefferson Country Club?

The lower wall is basically complete. The bluff itself — except directly underneath the clubhouse — has been stabilized.

It’s all been raked out, leveled out and covered with a heavy-duty burlap. And both the east and west portions of the bluff project are fairly complete. Now we’re waiting for [the Federal Emergency Management Administration] to come through with the money to begin phase II of the bluff project — an upper wall.

Our goal at this point in time is to save that structure, our clubhouse up there now. Prior to FEMA, maybe my thoughts would be different. But that [$3.75] million we’re getting from FEMA is a game changer for the taxpayers and the village.

What is the proper role of the Board of Trustees in overseeing new developments and redevelopment of village parcels?

We’re running out of space for further development, barring, for example, uptown. Many developers have come in there and bought out a lot of the businesses.

Beyond the master plan, a lot of that development came in as a way to replace revenue lost from [the Long Island Power Authority glide path settlement]. Unfortunately, the Town of Brookhaven controls the [Industrial Development Agency] tax situation. 

When those developers come in and get a tax break, that’s not on us. That’s very unfortunate because, in the first two or three years, they pay a very small percentage of what they should be paying.

The village has probably reached its max in development. Maryhaven is kind of a foggy area for me right now. I was not involved in any of the discussions leading up to the [May 1] public hearing. I think some of the board members were a little surprised.

I have some great ideas, but I’m not so sure that, moneywise, the village can afford my great ideas. We have some major [flooding] problems with the fire department, Village Hall and all of Theatre Three. The village is built in a bowl, and as we keep developing more buildings and more blacktops, water has nowhere to go. Things are going to deteriorate and get worse downtown.

If I had a magic wand, Maryhaven would be a village possession. Village Hall, the parks department, the fire department — everything can go on that property. But I don’t think that’s going to happen. I definitely would not want and would not vote for any kind of apartment complex to go in there — we have enough of that.

Would I like to see more homes in the village and more green space? Absolutely. But I think we’ve reached the point of density that we want to be at in terms of building in the village.

How can the village alleviate its parking capacity challenges while balancing the competing parking interests of residents, businesses and tourists?

The only solution I see is a parking facility — a parking garage.

It would not be a subsurface parking garage because of the water table in Port Jefferson. Where I would put it, I don’t know, but that’s the only solution I can see — a two-story, maybe three-story parking garage somewhere in the village.

We do have some vacant land that the village owns. It’s the location, the acceptance or rejection of that location and the concept. Some people don’t like parking garages, but I can’t see a solution beyond that.

Would you support resurrecting the parking committee? 

I think a parking committee should be in place. The more people you can get ideas from, the better off you are.

What is your preferred method for engaging the public?

It’s about time that we’ve got a [civic] organization that’s going to take an interest in what’s going on in our village.

I have spent eight years as a trustee, and it was always amazing to me — I’d go to a board meeting and see eight people sitting in the audience. Yet you have all these major problems — parking, flooding, code enforcement.

I come from a small village upstate where their civic association was half the village’s population. It’s a valuable organization — to get information from the people who live there.

I was very pleased the other night with that whole scenario [during the May 1 public hearing]. People were sincere, they were civil and they gave a lot of good feedback. I hope the [Port Jefferson] Civic Association stays active, and I hope they stay in the direction that they’re going in.

When they talk about zoning, I don’t think that’s negative. That’s a sincere concern. The board can listen to the public more, and it’d be nice if even the Planning Board exposed themselves more to the public. I like hearing from the public, and I think that’s important. 

What is your professional background, and how does it apply to the duties of a trustee?

My professional background is in education. A graduate of [SUNY] Cortland, I started as a phys ed teacher. At that time, I immediately started my education at Hofstra University, receiving a master’s degree in secondary school administration, then continued my education and got a master’s degree in districtwide administration.

I moved from a physical education teacher to the local athletic director. Throughout my career, I coached girls tennis, boys golf, boys basketball and varsity football. After 34 years in Plainview, I retired in 1995.

One year after the village purchased the [Port Jefferson] Country Club, I got involved in tennis, belonging to the tennis membership up at the country club. I got involved on the tennis board and became chairman, then moved over to the golf side when it became reasonably priced. I got involved with the board of governors, became president and was later appointed to the [Country Club Management Advisory Committee].

In 2013, [Mayor] Margot [Garant] asked me to run for trustee. At that point in time, I was not interested. In 2015, I did relent and ran for trustee and was elected. I was elected again in 2017, 2019 and 2021, and I’m running again now.

I am involved in the recreation and parks in the village. And, of course, the country club is my main goal. Right now, we have a lot of projects going on up there.

My entire career, my goal has been to work for people and work with students of all ages and backgrounds. My main interest right now is to continue working in pretty much the same direction I have been going in. I’m interested in serving the public, continuing what I did for 34 years [in education].

Note to our readers

We intend to interview each of the declared candidates for village office, starting with those running for trustee, then mayor. In keeping with past practice, we first interview incumbents seeking reelection, followed by nonincumbents, selected alphabetically.

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Barn owls can catch their prey in complete darkness due to their acute sense of hearing. Pixabay photo

By John L. Turner

John Turner

As you begin to read this article please pause for a moment and take stock of your immediate surroundings. What do you feel? Your fingertips feel the largely smooth texture of the surface of the newspaper (perhaps using Meissner corpuscles as I have since learned) and your legs and back feel the chair you’re sitting in. What do you see? Obvious is the fine print of this article and other articles and different shades of color contained in this  edition. Lift your gaze to look around a palette of several dozen colors. As for smell? Maybe the aroma of your morning coffee or tea accompanying this reading experience. 

Maybe your dog is curled up nearby. While you’d have no reason at this moment to think about it, the worlds you and your dog are currently experiencing are very different. Our entire set of sensory skills — which allows us to perceive and react to the world, varies markedly from a dog’s.  We see color while dogs experience a more limited palette. We can detect many scents and odors but is far surpassed by the capability of dogs. 

Some research papers indicate their ability to detect smells — “their sense to detect scents” — is 100,000 times more sensitive than ours. And as far as hearing goes, your furry pet far surpasses your ability in what it can hear, especially noises at higher ranges (remember a dog whistle which, when blown, cannot be heard by the person blowing it but is definitely heard by the dog?)    

Now, let’s expand this idea outward to capture, say, some animal groups that might inhabit your backyard, such as birds, bats and insects. These groups perceive a very different world than we do. It is well known that some bird and insect species, for example, perceive ultraviolet or UV light, which humans, with rare exceptions, cannot (UV is the light spectrum below a wavelength of 380 nanometers). And a UV illuminated world for them is very different than the world illuminated for us. Certain floral patterns which we can’t see stand out as runways on flower petals for UV capable insects. Birds that have, to our eye, plumage that looks drab, actually have feather coats that radiate under UV light. 

As for bats, their famous ability to echolocate — emitting high pitch sounds (too high for us to hear) to locate prey with a high degree of accuracy — is a sense and capability so far outside the realm of human experience as to seem “other worldly.” Several bird species also are capable of echolocation. In the Western Hemisphere that includes the oilbirds of northern South America. 

Numerous marine mammal species also are known to echolocate — dolphins, as but one example. And unlike bats whose echolocation skills enable them to “only” detect the outer contours of their prey, dolphins can “see” inside their targets to perceive their organs and skeleton.    

Another hard to grasp sense of birds is their ability to detect and utilize the Earth’s magnetic fields which they use to migrate effectively. Researchers aren’t fully sure of the mechanism allowing them to achieve this, but it appears to involve proteins in a bird’s retina. 

‘An Immense World’

And I do mean hard to grasp — I’ve read, several times, the same explanatory article in Scientific American on the details of the current hypothesis regarding magnetic field perception in birds and how it aids their migration and I don’t fully understand what’s going on — involving stuff like cytochrome proteins in a bird’s retina, a blue photon hitting the cytochrome causing an electron to jump from an amino acid to a dinucleotide molecule which create a certain spinning of electrons that are, in turn, influenced by the Earth’s magnetic fields which the bird is able to utilize in determining direction. And I’ve left off the last most complicated steps…call me stupid but amazed!  

Many other species, such as sea turtles and spiny lobsters, but not us humans, also are known to navigate by using the planet’s magnetic fields but the mechanisms they employ are less well understood. These “other worldly” abilities, and so many more which are so different from ours, are richly revealed in a wonderful, recently published book, An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us, by Ed Yong. As the subtitle suggests, Yong takes the reader through dozens of examples of how animals perceive the world in a very different way than we do, using senses we either don’t have or that are far more sensitive or acute. The book is 355 pages of profound discovery and a most worthwhile read. 

As an example of the first are animals that can hear or transmit infrasound (below 20Hz), like whales and elephants. Humans can hear sounds as low as about 20 Hz, sounds lower than that are imperceptible to us unless extremely loud, so infrasound is outside our normal perceptive world. Not so with elephants who regularly communicate with infrasound, often involving elephant herds separated by impressive distances such as several miles. 

Whales, using the medium of water, easily make sounds that easily exceed this distance, with the blue whale, the largest animal on the planet, generating sounds that can carry many hundreds, if not thousands of miles, in the ocean. When first suggested the idea was thought implausible even ridiculed; it is now widely accepted.  

Ed Yong, author of An Immense World
Photo by Urzula Soltys

Or how about being able to feel the warmth of another person’s body that is not close to you but rather is several feet away? 

Well, you’ve entered the realm of rattlesnakes which can detect the infrared radiation given off by a mouse from several feet away. And their ability to strike prey just by heat detection is so accurate that blindfolded rattlesnakes can successfully hunt.     

As for senses more acute than ours we turn to the hearing of a barn owl. In well-known (and well designed) experiments, barn owls were capable of routinely seizing prey in complete and utter darkness and they have a special feature we lack. Their ear openings are asymmetrically placed, positioned at slightly different heights on the side of the head. So not only can they accurately determine if a sound is coming from their left or right, in the vertical plane (something we do well), they can also tell where the maker of the sound is in the horizontal plane, since if the sound is coming from below, sound waves will reach the lower ear milliseconds before they reach the higher ear, the bird’s brain can process this information and pinpoint its prey.   

And then there’s electricity generation. Electricity runs through the human body and is vital to human life. Elements like sodium, magnesium, calcium, and potassium, which we ingest through food and supplements, have electrical charge and enable us to perform basic tasks like nerve generation and transmission and the creation of a heartbeat through muscular contraction. It is reported that the energy output of a resting human adult is equivalent to powering a 100 watt light bulb. 

Some animals take electricity, though, to a new level. The best example involves electric eels. By discharging ions within electrocytes, which are specialized cells in specialized organs, the world champion eel has the ability to generate 860 volts of electricity — that’s nearly eight times the strength of the electricity available from your home’s wall outlet and is enough to debilitate and perhaps kill you. While we have little to worry about, not so for the fish and other aquatic animals that share the eel’s domain.    

As Yong’s impressively detailed book repeatedly illustrates, the animals that share our planet display a mind-bogglingly rich suite of survival skills for which one article cannot begin to do justice. Let me prove it by one tiny slice of life — a single shorebird species — the Red Knot, a medium sized bird with a robin red colored breast and a spangled pattern of gold, buff, tan, and black on its back.  Overwintering in the southern part of South America, flocks of Red Knots move north on the continent in April, launching in mid-May from the beaches of northern Brazil, driven by invisible impulses which we cannot understand, flying unerringly north toward the East Coast of the United States. 

Shaming human triathletes by their efforts, they will fly nonstop for several days as they traverse the waters of the western Atlantic, using the Earth’s magnetic fields, perhaps also using the Sun’s polarized light, propelled by breathing in a way so much more efficient than the human respiratory system. Their heart will have beaten perhaps a million beats and their wings flapped several hundred thousand times during this leg. 

They land, perhaps along Long Island’s South Shore or southern New Jersey, and begin to feed voraciously, sustained by tiny packets of protein in the form of horseshoe crab eggs — the perfect snack food. They feed so effectively that in a week to ten days they can add 50% more weight onto the weight they had upon arrival; in some cases they may double their weight in the form of subcutaneous fat. 

Gaining enough stored energy they head further north for the last leg of their improbable flight, landing in the High Arctic, perhaps guided by those magnetic fields to the same hummock of dwarf tundra plants where, the year before, they established a breeding territory. They have finished their almost impossible to comprehend 9,000 mile long journey. Just one remarkable story illustrating the unique senses and abilities of species, in a global tapestry of species’ stories that collectively form the planet’s book of life. 

A resident of Setauket, John Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.

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FIEVEL'S ADVENTURE Catch a screening of 'An American Tail' at the Cinema Arts Centre on April 16.
PROGRAMS

Nature Detectives

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor celebrates spring break with Nature Detectives on April 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Become a detective by identifying seeds, learn what plants need to grow and then make your very own seed bombs to take home and plant in your garden. Admission is $7 adults, $6 seniors, $5 children ages 3 to 12. For more info, call 516-692-6768.

Live Animal Encounters

Join Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor for Live Animal Encounters on April 14 at 2 p.m. Come see some of the Hatchery’s turtles, frogs and salamanders up close and learn about these amazing creatures that call Long Island home. Admission is $7 adults, $6 seniors, $5 children ages 3 to 12. For more info, call 516-692-6768.

Books in the Barn

Smithtown Historical Society’s new Books in the Barn program for ages 3 to 5 with parent/caregiver continues on April 17 and 24  from 10 to 10:45 a.m. Meet at the newly refurbished Franklin O. Arthur Farm, 239 E. Main St., Smithtown to listen to stories about farms, barns and animals. Then visit with the chickens, bunnies, sheep, ponies and barn cats that call the farm home. Free. Open to all. To register, visit www.smithlib.org/children. For more information, call 631-360-2480, ext. 140.

Flower Power

Sunken Meadow State Park, Sunken Meadow Parkway, Kings Park presents a Tiny Tots program, Flower Power, on April 20 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. This program will connect children and their parents with nature through short walks, animal visitors, and crafts. For ages 3 to 5. $4 per child. To register, visit Eventbrite.com and search #NatureEdventure. Questions? Call 631-269-4333.

THEATER

‘Seussical the Musical’

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents Seussical the Musical on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. through April 30 with a special sensory sensitive performance on April 15.”Oh the Thinks You Can Think!” Dive into the colorful world of Dr. Seuss as The Cat in the Hat tells the story of Horton, an elephant who sets off to save a speck of dust containing The Whos from destruction. All seats are $20. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

‘The Adventures of Peter Rabbit’

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson kicks off spring with The Adventures of Peter Rabbit from April 5 to 29 with a sensory sensitive performance on April 16 at 11 a.m. Join Peter, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-Tail, Mrs. Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny and the McGregors in this delightful adaption suggested by the characters created by Beatrix Potter, a Theatre Three tradition for spring break. All seats are $10. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com. See review on page B23.

FILM

‘Ice Age’

Join the Farmingville Chamber of Commerce for an indoor matinee movie screening of the Disney classic Ice Age at Local Church, 1070 Portion Road Farmingville on April 15 at 1 p.m. Admission for the event is $3 per person at the door or at localchurchli.com/events. Proceeds will benefit Angela’s House. For more info, call 631-317-1738.

‘An American Tail’

The Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington continues its Cinema for Kids! series with a screening of An American Tail on April 16 at noon. A young mouse named Fievel Mousekewitz and his family emigrate from Russia to the United States by boat after their home is destroyed by cats. During the trip, a fierce storm throws Fievel from the ship, and he loses contact with his family. Luckily, he manages to sail to New York in a bottle. There, he meets new friends who help him search for his loved ones. Rated G. Tickets are $12, $5 children 12 and under. Visit www.cinemaartscentre.org.

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The Lion King. 1994. Walt Disney Pictures. Courtesy of Disney Entertainment & The Walt Disney Company.

A hit since its reopening in 2022, the Cinema Arts Centre’s Cinema for Kids series has continued to draw crowds for its weekly screenings of beloved family films. These affordable showings have been a hit, with recent screenings of family classics such as The Goonies, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The NeverEnding Story, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory drawing crowds exceeding 100 people.

This Spring, Cinema for Kids will feature screenings of treasured classics such as The Princess Bride, Steven Spielberg’s E.T., The Muppets Take Manhattan, Lilo & Stitch, Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, and The Mighty Ducks. The Cinema will also screen Disney’s The Lion King for Father’s Day, and Disney’s Brave for Mother’s Day.

With its Cinema for Kids series, the Cinema Arts Centre hopes to expose a new generation of movie-goers to some of the great animated and family films that were beloved by previous generations and to provide parents with the opportunity to see some of their favorite films back in theaters with their kids. Attendees are encouraged to share suggestions of films they want to see screened.

Upcoming Screenings:

The Prince of Egypt (1998)

Sunday, April 9th at 12PM

An American Tail (1986)

Sunday, April 16th at 12PM

Shrek (2001)

Sunday, April 23rd at 12PM

The Princess Bride (1987)

Sunday, April 30th at 12PM

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Sunday, May 7th at 12PM

Brave (2012)

Mother’s Day Screening!

Sunday, May 14th at 12PM

Lilo & Stitch (2002)

Sunday, May 21st at 12PM

The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

Sunday, May 28th at 12PM

The Dark Crystal (1982)

Sunday, June 4th at 12PM

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Sunday, June 11th at 12PM

The Lion King (1994)

Sunday, June 18th at 12PM

The Mighty Ducks (1992)

Sunday, June 25th at 12PM

Location:

Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave, Huntington, NY 11743

Fees:

$12 Public | $7 Cinema Arts Centre Members | $5 for Kids 12 and Under

The Cinema Arts Centre is located at 423 Park Avenue in Huntington. To purchase tickets, visit  www.cinemaartscentre.org

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