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Anthony Hopkins stars as Sir Nicholas Winton in 'One Life'. Photo courtesy of See-Saw Films

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Early in One Life, twenty-nine-year-old London stockbroker Nicholas Winton (Johnny Flynn) visits a makeshift camp in the center of Prague in 1938. Here, the mostly Jewish displaced families from Germany and Austria who fled the Nazi regime live in homeless squalor and starvation. 

Encountering child after child, he produces a half-eaten chocolate bar, which he proceeds to divvy among the starving children. Of course, there is not enough. In this moment, director James Hawes brilliantly shows Winton’s tacit epiphany: he must rescue these young victims. 

Above, Johnny Flynn as the young Nicholas Winton. Photo courtesy of See-Saw Films

Over the next ninety minutes, the brisk, brutal, and beautiful film alternates between young Winton and the seventy-nine-year-old Winton (Anthony Hopkins) struggling with divesting remnants of his mammoth undertaking, symbolized by the briefcase given to him when he committed to helping the refugees’ plight. The briefcase is home to a scrapbook chronicling the entire undertaking.

While the film shifts in time, each section proceeds in a simple, linear fashion. The narrative is clear, with the story focusing on the action played out under the shadow of the encroaching Nazi invasion. Winton takes on the British government, negotiating immigration. Additionally, he finds hundreds of foster families. One Life makes paperwork and red tape a visceral issue of life and death. The scenes in Prague are vivid and harsh and truly haunting, calling to mind equally difficult images of current events. 

Winton becomes an active member of the Prague office of the British Committee for Refugees from Czechoslovakia (BCRC), headed by the formidable Doreen Warriner (Romola Garai). Devastating scenes of parents sending their children away and of sibling separation contrast with the cold British offices. 

Winton managed to get eight trains, with six hundred and sixty-nine children, from Czechoslovakia to London. The Nazi invasion of Poland stopped the ninth train, which contained three hundred and fifty children. Their fate, like so many, would be the Nazi death camps.

Anthony Hopkins plays the older Winton.
Photo courtesy of See-Saw Films

One Life is about faith in regular people, a tribute—as Winton declares of their coterie—to “an army of the ordinary.” Quiet but adamantly dogged in his pursuit of humanitarian aid, Winton is joined by his mother, Babi (Helena Bonham Carter). Babi is a Jewish-German immigrant who converted to the Church of England. Both sensitive and a voice of reason, she reminds Winton, “You cannot save them all. You must forgive yourself that.”

The 1988 section of the film shows Winton trying to decide what to do with the final remnants of these historical records. His internal struggle leads to his appearance on the crass but popular television show That’s Life. The recreation of his two appearances highlights the contemporary portion, allowing Winton to reconnect to the lives he saved. (The actual footage of the real Winton is available online and featured in the documentary The Power of Good: Nicholas Winton.)

Lucinda Coxon and Nick Drake thoughtfully crafted a tight, taut screenplay from daughter Barbara Winton’s account of her father, If It’s Not Impossible … The Life of Nicholas Winton. James Hawes’ powerful direction is matched by Zac Nicholson’s stark, desaturated cinematography and perfectly complemented by Lucia Zucchetti’s sharp editing.  

The ensemble cast is uniformly strong. Hopkins, one of the greatest actors of our time, offers nuance, introspection, and pain, presented with subtlety and sensitivity. He is the rare actor that you can watch think. Flynn is his equal as his contemplative, anxious, younger self.

As Babi, the terrific Bonham Carter is a matriarchal force of nature, balancing raw honesty and wry humor. Garai brings depth and pain to the no-nonsense Warriner. As Winton’s wife, Grete, Lena Olin provides a luminous grounding, showing her deep love for the conflicted Winton. Jonathan Pryce is warm and knowing as Martin Blake, the older version of one of the BCRC members. Samuel Finzi’s scene as the Prague Rabbi Hertz presents a poignant meditation on complicated fears in the Czech Jewish community. 

But the performances that resonate above all are the children who play the refugees: they transcend the screen to create a heartbreaking reality.

According to the film, twenty-six thousand Jewish Czechoslovakian children were interred in concentration camps. Fewer than two hundred and fifty survived. Sir Nicholas Winton died at age one hundred and six, a man who never wanted the work to be about him. His legacy is some six thousand descendants because of the rescue mission. One Life is a genuine, gut-wrenching, but ultimately uplifting account of the ability of one person to make a difference.

Rated PG, the film is now playing in local theaters.

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Ellison's sister, Kysten Ellison performs an ASL rendition of 'Imagine'. Photo courtesy Chris Carrion
Brooke’s father Ed stands between long time friends of Brooke Ellison, Matthew, left, and Michael Rodriguez, right. Photo courtesy Chris Carrion.
Photo of Brooke Ellison displayed outside the Sidney Gelber Auditorium at Stony Brook University. Photo by Samantha Rutt
Ed Ellison speaks at the celebration event for his daughter. Photo by Samantha Rutt

Prepared by Samantha Rutt

Miracles happen. 

These words were often repeated during Brooke Ellison’s Celebration of Life on March 24.

Friends, family and loved ones came together to celebrate the remarkable life of Brooke Ellison, a woman whose resilience and determination inspired countless others. The room was filled with laughter, tears and fond memories during the three-hour celebration. 

Brooke’s journey, from a devastating childhood accident to becoming a beacon of hope and achievement, was the epitome of courage and determination. Despite being paralyzed from the neck down at the tender age of 11, Brooke refused to let her circumstances define her. Instead, she embarked on a journey that would see her break barriers and defy expectations at every turn.

The celebration, held at Stony Brook University’s student center, was a testament to the profound impact Brooke had on the lives of those around her. As attendees shared stories and memories, it became evident that Brooke’s spirit shone bright in every corner of the room.

“I personally do not have any memories of my life without my sister. She was born when I was 2 1/2 years old and she was the greatest gift that had been given to me by my parents,” Brooke’s sister, Kysten Ellison, said.

She exchanged fond memories of her sister growing up, sharing young Brooke’s aspirations to be a dancer and her love of dancing.

“Every single night, my dad would routinely sit between both of our beds and read us our favorite bedtime stories. After my dad finished his nightly reading and went to bed, Brooke and I would continue to chat,” she added. “We would talk about our future hopes and dreams and what we wanted to be when we grew up. And, ironically, my sister always wanted to be a dancer. She wanted to share her love of dancing with the entire world.”

Brooke’s brother, Reed Ellison, echoed this sentiment, recalling their deep bond and shared love for games and intellectual pursuits.

“Brooke was my best friend,” he said. “When other kids were out partying or at friends’ houses, Brooke and I stayed home and challenged each other to games of Scrabble or worked on logic problems, or crossword puzzles together. These are some of the best memories I have and I will cherish them forever.” 

Friends and family reminisced about Brooke’s vibrant personality, her love for themed parties and her infectious yet nearly silent laughter that could brighten even the darkest of days. Photos of Brooke, flashing her trademark smile, adorned the venue, serving as a poignant reminder of her enduring spirit.

Brooke’s legacy extended far beyond her personal achievements. As an advocate for stem cell research and disability rights, she paved the way for others to follow in her footsteps. Throughout her life Brooke pursued many things: She was a Harvard graduate twice over, an associate professor at Stony Brook, a researcher, a leader of various groups like the Inclusion in Innovation team in the Vertically Integrated Projects Program, a founder of SBU’s VENTure Think Tank, a selection for the World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, once a state Senate candidate and so much more. 

Her friendship with actor Christopher Reeve, himself a quadriplegic, underscored her impact on a global scale. Her sister shared her experience, watching her son, Carter, grow close to Brooke through their common love for comics and superheroes, especially Superman.

“My sister meant the world to a special little boy. This sweet little boy idolized my sister like nobody else on this planet. He liked everything that Brooke liked,” Kysten expressed about her son’s relationship with “Aunt Brookie” who was “hands down and always will be Carter’s favorite person, and we will continue to brag about her as time goes by.”

“After learning that Brooke was friends with Christopher Reeve, Carter became obsessed with watching clips from the Superman movies. As a matter of fact, Reed had recently purchased Carter a Superman costume that he put on every day when he got home from school and pretend to fly around the house,” she said.

The celebration also featured Brooke’s father, Ed Ellison, nicknamed “Steady Eddy” for his unwavering support of the relationship of Brooke and his wife, Jean.

Behind each speaker a photo stood as a backdrop. As Brooke’s father spoke, a photo of him smiling wide was projected with him playing with his daughter’s braided hair as she laughed with vigor. 

“People often use the phrase 24/7 to describe efforts being made on something or time spent with someone. In most cases, it’s really hyperbole — but with Brooke, Jean and her relationship and dedication to Brooke — 24/7 was not an exaggeration,” he said. “They were inseparable. Almost one person. Jean would describe it as ‘Brooke is the brains, I’m the brawn.’”

The proud father described what dedication looked like for the Ellison family, more specifically, for his wife.

“Jean would get up at 3:45 every morning and go to work getting Brooke ready for the day. And when I tell you, she never complained, you need to know that to be the truth. I know, I was there,” he said.

“In 33 1/2 years [since the accident], Jean never took a sick day, never went on vacation, never put herself before Brooke. A dedication and love that was so beautiful to be a part of. And Brooke’s admiration and gratitude to her mother was palpable,” her father added.

Among all the heartfelt tributes, a short film made by a friend of Brooke’s father, Todd Leatherman, showcased Brooke’s remarkable journey. The film shared testimonials from Brooke herself, clips from her experiences speaking at various events and coveted moments from her life.

As the celebration drew to a close, there was a sense of both loss and gratitude in the air. In true Brooke fashion, the guests were asked to sing themselves out to “That’s What Friends Are For,” as a tribute to her love of sharing life with others. 

Event emcee and longtime friend, Justin Krebs, shared an excerpt from Brooke’s autobiography, “Look Both Ways.” “My life story is a love story. My life is a life of love and it is this love that makes me who I am,” Krebs read. As Brooke goes on to write, she describes her loves, “her love of laughter, her love of learning, her love of being an inspiration to others for loving her friends, and her love of family.” She also writes that “one of the biggest gifts I have been given is my ability to share my life with people.” 

Brooke Ellison passed away on Feb. 4, in the care of Stony Brook University Hospital. While Brooke may no longer be with us in body, her legacy of courage, determination and boundless optimism will forever remain etched in the hearts of all who had the privilege of knowing her.

In honor of Brooke’s impact and legacy, Stony Brook University has created a scholarship, the Brooke Ellison Legacy Scholarship. To contribute, send a gift to the Stony Brook Foundation at www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/foundation/types.

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File photo by Raymond Janis

Thank you from the White Family

To: Reverend Lisa of Bethel AME Church; our Bethel Church family; The Three Village community; Kevin Finnerty, director of athletics at Ward Melville High School; the Ward Melville faculty, Booster Club, students; Town of Brookhaven and others:

Words can’t express the heartfelt gratitude you all showed in your own special way during our time of sorrow. Thank you all so much for your kind words, cards, love and support!

Your memories, tributes and accolades that you shared were absolutely beautiful! They truly warmed our hearts and eased the pain for the moment. We knew Willie was special to his family, but from the attendance at his wake, homegoing celebration of life and repass, showed the love you had for him. Willie L. White is gone for now, but truly left a legacy that will forever live in our hearts.

Sincerely With Love, 

The White Family

A call for fiscal accountability

The Port Times Record of Feb. 8 published a letter [“Rallying against unjust state aid cuts”] from Jessica Schmettan, superintendent of schools of the Port Jefferson School District, asking residents to use a district-provided form letter opposing the New York State governor’s proposed cut of 28.38 % in state aid (“Foundation Aid”) to the district.

 I chose to write my own letter and sent state Assemblyman Flood [R-Port Jefferson] and state Sen. Palumbo [R-New Suffolk] the following:

 I’m a longtime resident of the Port Jefferson School District and notice that the district is aggressively encouraging parents to engage in a letter-writing campaign to state legislators regarding the cut in Foundation Aid proposed in the governor’s [Kathy Hochul (D)] budget. I’m sure you will receive the form letter the district is circulating.

 At this time, I would encourage you to examine the fiscal practices of this district. While the enrollment in the district continues to decline (from the present 910 students overall to projected enrollment close to 766 students by 2031) the district has done nothing to address this, despite numerous comments by district residents at Board of Education meetings.

 Instead, a pattern of spending has seen district funds expended of close to $800,000 on new bleachers on an athletic field, $240,000 on sod for that field, and a proposed “security booth” projected to cost close to $400,000.

 Two recent multimillion dollar bond issues ($23 million and $16 million, respectively) calling for substantial enhancements in an existing school building, as well as an artificial turn field costing $1.6 million, were wisely rejected by residents, although the district continues to ignore the message sent by residents.

 Despite the significant drop in enrollment, administrative staffing in the district has not been reduced nor has the district explored other potential cuts to address this major financial problem.

 The revenues from a Long Island Power Authority plant in the district are rapidly dwindling and the district presently faces seven Child Victims Act lawsuits. (The latter has only been acknowledged by the district when the proposed Foundation Aid cut was announced.) Transparency has not been evidenced by the school board and the administration.

 While you are examining the campaign to restore Foundation Aid cuts to the district, I would strongly encourage you, in the interest of fiscal prudence, to examine the spending practices of this school district and hold the board and district accountable for the lack of effective stewardship of taxpayer funds.

Charles Backfish

Port Jefferson

Cut the losses!

The recent article in the Port Times [“Uncertainty looms over the future of Port Jefferson Country Club,” Feb. 8] shows the futility of trying to keep back the forces of nature — the way of wind and waves — as concerns the East Beach bluff. For some of us the attempt to save the country club building always seemed a fool’s errand. 

To start with: Nature usually wins, but the previous village board of trustee’s would not admit to this, and forced without a vote a [$10 million] bond onto our taxes. See where this got us.

What to do? Declare the loss and build a more modest country club house way, way back, and let nature take its toll on the bluff; and focus on how to protect the downtown area with parks, shops, apartments and ferry infrastructure for the future and coming high waters.

Bente and Flemming Videbaek

Port Jefferson

Immigration history lesson

I want to thank Arnold Wishnia for the history lesson on immigration [“A critical analysis of immigration rhetoric,” TBR News Media letter, Feb. 8]. I was totally unaware that it occurred before the latest wave or that throughout human history some groups of people — including “mostly brown” people as Mr. Wishnia writes — treated other groups of people poorly. What an eye-opener. An eye-opener for him is that it is not only “Latin American immigrants” who are coming here illegally and in fact we don’t know who is coming. For this and many other reasons fear is reasonably mongered.

I could not and did not disregard “[George] Altemose’s inflammatory talk of invasion” as I do not know him and have not read the letter he wrote. This did not stop Wishnia from making assumptions about heroes and projection. An artful word to describe these assumptions is “prejudice” as Wishnia has, indeed, prejudged me.

Wishnia concludes by writing that I slandered the racist and sexist policy of diversity, equity and inclusion by describing it as racist and sexist. Let me ask him: If he did not get accepted by an Ivy League college or get hired as a university professor because of a quota, would he consider that to be “rather minimally” a mitigation of harm inflicted — not by him, but by other people? It seems that like Bruce Stillman [president and CEO of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory], Wishnia’s prototypical elitism is showing.

Paul Mannix

Wading River

One year after Grand Central Madison’s opening

There is still much to do one year after the opening of the Grand Central Madison station. Information was omitted from the MTA ceremony celebration that Port Jefferson LIRR branch riders would be interested in.

How many of the original 73 East Side Access contracts has the MTA completed? What is their collective dollar value? How much of the $600 million in debt service payments buried in the agency operating budget that covered project costs are still outstanding? 

The same applies to several hundred million more in debt service payments that financed $4 billion worth of LIRR readiness projects to support start of full service in February 2023. They are carried offline from the official project budget. These include the $2.6 billion Main Line Third Track, $450 million Jamaica Capacity Improvements, $387 million Ronkonkoma Double Track, $120 million Ronkonkoma Yard Expansion, $44 million Great Neck Pocket Track, $423 million for rail car fleet expansion. Without these, the LIRR would lack the expanded operational capabilities to support the promised 24 rush-hour train service to GCM and 40% increase in reverse peak rush-hour service. Honest accounting would include these other expenditures bringing the true cost of ESA to $16.1 billion.

How many thousands of the original promised daily ridership projection has not been achieved? This goes for the reverse peak as well. Why does Grand Central Madison still not provide 24/7 service as does Penn Station?

Grand Central Madison still has only two men’s bathrooms with a total of 18 urinals and 13 toilets, two women’s bathrooms with a total of 25 toilets, one lactation room and two gender neutral bathrooms each with a single capacity, all located on the Madison Concourse. There are none on the lower or upper level platforms and mezzanine.

There is still only one waiting room located on the Madison Concourse. It has only 29 seats and seven stools for Wi-Fi connections to serve riders. There are no other seating options on the platform and mezzanine levels while waiting. 

Options for recycling newspapers or beverage containers, disposal of garbage or other waste continues to be nonexistent except for a handful of garbage cans at the platform level. There are few options to dispose of waste at either the mezzanine or Madison Concourse levels. This conflicts with MTA’s claim to be environmentally friendly. 

There are still no open newsstands. These services are readily available in Metro-North Rail Road Grand Central Terminal, Penn and Jamaica stations. 

There are 11 ticket vending machines still waiting to be installed. It appears that the designed space is not wide enough to accommodate standard LIRR ticket machines. 

All the facility storefronts still stand vacant. The original completion date was 2011. Full-time service began in February 2023. MTA Real Estate had years to find tenants for the 32 vacant storefronts. MTA Real Estate has yet to issue a request for proposal to find a master tenant to manage all 32 vacant storefronts. When will this take place?

The MTA Arts & Design recent announcement that it is presenting a selection of works from photographer Stephen Wilkes’ “Day to Night” series of famous New York landmarks at this facility is of little value to most commuters. Some advertising posters would be better and generate some badly needed revenue. 

Transparency on the part of Gov. Kathy Hochul [D], MTA Chairman Janno Lieber and LIRR President Richard Free in sharing with commuters, taxpayers, transit advocates and elected officials in dealing with these remaining open issues is required

Larry Penner

Great Neck

 

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Brooke Ellison and her mother, Jean Ellison. Photo courtesy Jean Ellison
New York, NY; Edison Ballroom: (1/26/16) 40 Under Forty Event (1/27/16)
Brooke Ellison, 11 years old. Photo courtesy Jean Ellison
Ellison family at Suffolk County Women's Hall of Fame on Nov. 18, 2009. Photo courtesy Chris Carrion
Brooke Ellison with her siblings aged 5, 7 and 9. Photo courtesy Jean Ellison
From left to right, back row, David Martin, Kysten Ellison, Jean Ellison, Ed Ellison, Reed Ellison (holding Oliver), Ellen Ellison: front row, Carter, Harrison, Jamie, Theodore and Brooke. Photo courtesy Chris Carrion

Prepared by Daniel Dunaief

Brooke Ellison, 45, a pioneering disabilities advocate whose abilities with words and compassion far outdid her disability, died on Sunday, February 4.

Ellison was a tenured Associate Professor in the School of Health Professions in the Department of Health Sciences at Stony Brook University.

A resident of Stony Brook, Ellison was returning home from Murphy Junior High School as an 11-year old when she was struck by a car. The accident, which paralyzed her from the neck down, didn’t deter her budding academic interest or her ambitions.

As soon as she woke from the accident, she insisted she not fall behind in school.

With her mother Jean at her side throughout her education, Ellison became the first quadriplegic to graduate in 2000 from Harvard College, where she received magna cum laude honors in cognitive neuroscience and gave the class commencement speech.

Ellison earned a Master’s in Public Policy in 2004 from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and received her PhD in sociology from Stony Brook University in 2012.

A passionate advocate for accessibility and opportunity for the disabled, Ellison conducted research on the ethics and policy of science and health care.

Her mission “was to turn what happened to her into a [way to] help people who are handicapped achieve independence,” said Miriam Rafailovich, Distinguished Professor in Material Science and Engineering.
Ellison wrote two books about her life. The first, called “Miracles Happen” became a movie directed by Christopher Reeve titled “The Brooke Ellison Story.” More recently, Ellison published “Look Both Ways.”

Jean Ellison said her daughter felt her recent book was one of her most important contributions. Knowing she was in failing health after surviving three bouts with sepsis over the last year and a half, Brooke Ellison felt a sense of urgency to share her experiences.

“She poured out [her life] to the universe through this book,” said Jean Ellison.

While Ellison died young, she lived for over 33 years after the accident, which is well above the seven years the medical community expected at the time for someone on a ventilator.

‘Deep sadness’

Ellison served on several committees and boards, including the Board of the Directors of the New York Civil Liberties Union and the search committee for a president of Stony Brook.

In a letter to the campus community, President Maurie McInnis, who expressed her “deep sadness” for Ellison’s passing, recounted how Ellison was one of the first people she met on campus.

“Her legacy at Stony Brook and beyond is defined by passionate advocacy for inclusive education, healthcare and disability rights,” McInnis wrote in a letter to the campus community. “She helped alert me and others to our blind spots and offered many ideas for making this campus more inclusive and welcoming.”

Ellison was recently teaming up with students using drones and artificial intelligence images to map the topography of Stony Brook.

“To go from one building to the next looks like a straight pathway, but at the end, a one-inch drop, which is not encoded anywhere” could be a huge problem for someone in a wheelchair, said Rafailovich.

Ellison’s students asked her what she would want a robot near her that she could control to do. She suggested a hand she could control that could turn the pages of a book.

Ellison was working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ensure that people with disabilities who need power for ventilators or other equipment receive immediate attention after power disruption.

“She noticed during Hurricane Sandy that emergency workers had no idea where people who were on life support were during two weeks,” said Rafailovich.

Ellison was working with the state to get a new system where people on life support could receive help quickly.

Ellison had planned to do a fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy Carr Center for Human Rights Policy.

Caring for everyone

In addition to her focus on helping people with disabilities achieve independence, Ellison served in many capacities at Stony Brook, including as the Director of the Center for Community Engagement and Leadership Development.

Among her many efforts, Ellison also ran for election in 2006 for the New York State Senate, where she lost to republican incumbent John Flanagan.

Ellison was a committed educator who asked students before they met her in an ethics class to describe what they thought would make a life not worth living. Students suggested this would include not being able to do things they needed, needing care from someone else, or living on life support.

At the end of the semester, she asked the same question.

“They thought if they were on life support or if they had to have someone take care of them, maybe it could be done,” Jean Ellison said. “Their whole outlook changed.”

Senior Sabah Bari, who is a Health Science student, appreciated how Ellison spent the first 15 minutes of class asking how students were doing. Describing Ellison as “one of the most influential people I’ve gotten to know,” Bari plans to dedicate her pursuit of a master’s in public health to Ellison.

Stacy Gropack, Dean of the School of Health Professions explained that the school is eager to make sure students are doing well and feeling well at all levels.

“Many of our instructors do that,” Gropack said, but “Ellison in her position took it to a different level. She was always very concerned that students were in the right place and were healthy. She made sure students had the capacity to succeed at all levels.”

A dedicated family

Ellison received considerable ongoing support from her family.

Jean Ellison served numerous roles, from getting up at 3:45 am each day to get her dressed to driving her to ensuring her slides were ready and in order for her presentation. It took six hours from the time Ellison awoke until she was ready to leave.

Jean Ellison is “probably one of the most dedicated, strongest women I know,” said Gropack. Ellison “could not have accomplished what she did without [her mother] on all fronts.”

Mathias Risse, Berthold Beitz Professor in Human rights, Global Affairs and Philosophy at the Harvard Kennedy School, recalled how he taught an ethics class that included Ellison in the fall of 2002.

Ellison was “one of the most talented students in the class,” Risse wrote in a memorial to his former student. “Jean was there with her, every time, and she was as much a member of the [class] of 2004 as [Ellison] was herself.”

When the two of them were on campus, “everyone knew who they were, mother and daughter,” Risse wrote.

Ellison’s father Ed and her siblings Kysten and Reed provided important, meaningful and ongoing care for her.

“One of us had to be with her 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Ed Ellison. “Jean and I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to help her do what she wanted to do. It was a life well-lived.”

Ellison adored her family and, in particular, her five nephews, who not only returned her affection, but were also fiercely protective of her.

One of Ellison’s nephews had a cat that she almost ran over in her wheelchair. She asked her students to help her design a 360 degree camera so she could survey the perimeter when the cat was nearby.

“That’s the kind of independence she wanted,” said Rafailovich.

Ellison shared affection with her family and friends by blowing kisses frequently. Her father stroked her cheek and lifted her up out of her chair and put her arms around his neck.

“The love she had for everyone oozed out of her,” Jean Ellison said. Her daughter “constantly told people how much she loved them.”

Before the accident, Ellison had been a ballet dancer. She would sometimes dream of herself dancing.

“We both like to think that she’s dancing now,” said Jean Ellison.

Stem cell research

Ellison became a powerful voice in some of the earlier battles in 2000 over stem cell research. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that could one day help in the treatment and care of people with neurological limitations.

Ellison, who founded the Brooke Ellison Project, helped establish the New York State stem cell research organization, which provided research funding outside of the federal level.

Ellison and the Christopher Reeve foundation “had the courage to put [state funding] in place,” said Rafailovich. “She saw stem cell research as the key if we’re ever going to regenerate nerves.”

Ellison recognized any new treatment wouldn’t happen immediately, but wanted to help people in the future who were dealing with similar challenges.

Ellison is featured in the upcoming documentary “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,” which was recently shown at the Sundance Film Festival.

Ellison served as a board member on the Empire State Stem Cell Board, which designed New York State’s stem cell policy from 2007 to 2014.

In 2017, Ellison also served on the board of directors of the New York State Civil Liberties Union and, in 2018, was chosen as a political partner for the Truman National Security Project.

“We count ourselves incredibly lucky to have known her and are extraordinarily humbled by who she was and what she accomplished in her short life,” NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman wrote in an email. “I have benefited immeasurably from [Ellison’s] wisdom and friendship, and I am especially grateful or her patience and determination in helping the NYCLU to better understand and advocate for the rights of people with disabilities.”

Leaders from the Truman National Security Project, which is a diverse nationwide community of leaders united with the goal of developing smart, national security solutions that reinforce strong, equitable, effective and non-partisan American global leadership, expressed their appreciation and admiration for Ellison’s contributions.

Ellison was a “visionary, leader, teacher, and, most importantly, a true friend to us and the disability community. [Ellison’s] eloquence captured the heights and depths of the disabled experience – beauty, pain, nuances, and silver linings – while pushing society’s boundaries of a more inclusive and dynamic world. Amongst [Ellison’s] vast list of accomplishments and accolades, her kindness and strength touched everyone she met,” wrote Jessica Gottsleben and Kristin Duquette, TruDisability Experts, in a statement.

Ellison thought well outside of her wheelchair and outside of the proverbial box.

In the first day of class, Bari recalled how Ellison asked students to think about the character Thanos from the Marvel series.

Bari recalled wondering, “are we in the right class? Where is she taking us?”

Throughout the class, Bari suggested that she and her fellow students rethought numerous aspects of their lives.

In her own words

In the introduction to her book “Look Both Ways,” which people can hear Ellison read on YouTube or on her web site BrookeEllison.com, she shares her life and perspective.

Look Both Ways

 

“People living with disability are celebrated yet rejected, are the objects of both praise and of ridicule, and are heralded for their understanding of challenge, while often left to battle those challenges on their own,” she wrote.

Ellison continued, “the lens from which I view the world is not one of disability, but rather one of humanity touched by disability, which serves to heighten the lessons fundamental to our lives: those of adaptation and problem solving, leadership and growth, compassion and hope. These are the lessons of disability. These are the lessons of life.”

Funeral

Ellison is survived by her parents Ed and Jean Ellison, her sister Kysten Ellison and her husband David Martin, their sons Carter and Harrison, her brother Reed Ellison and his wife Ellen Ellison and their three sons Jamie, Oliver and Theodore.

Visitation will be held next Monday, February 12 at Bryant Funeral Home, 411 Old Town Road in Setauket  from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. The family will hold a private burial service.
How you can help
Those interested in helping to sustain the legacy of Brooke Ellison can donate to the Brooke Ellison Legacy Scholarship through the following website: https://alumniandfriends.stonybrook.edu/site/Donation2?df_id=2660&2660.donation=form1&mfc_pref=T&designation=5701

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A NIGHT OF LAUGHS Comedian Stevie GB presents You Bet It’s Groucho at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington on Feb. 15. Photo from CAC
Thursday Feb. 15

HeARTS for ART

Fall in love with art at the HeARTS for ART Valentine’s Day event at the Heckscher Museum, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington from Feb. 15 to 18 from noon to 5 p.m. Fall in love with a work of art and place a heart in front of your favorite work of art for all to see! Then post your pick on social media with #heartsforart. All visitors February 15 through 18 will receive a heart to decorate and place in the galleries. Free with museum admission. To reserve your spot, visit www.heckscher.org. 

Felting Workshop

Huntington Historical Society hosts a Nuno Felting Eyeglass Case workshop with Oksana Danziger in the Conklin Barn, 2 High Street, Huntington from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Demonstration of technique and examples of the project will be presented at the beginning of the workshop. $50 per person, $45 members. To register, visit www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org.

Emerson Legacy Concert

Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook presents an Emerson Legacy Concert in the Recital Hall at 7 p.m. featuring Emerson members Eugene Drucker, violin, and Lawrence Dutton, viola. Program will include works by Bartok, Dvorak, Mozart and Mendelssohn. Tickets range from $41 to $48. To order, call 631-632-2787 or visit www.stallercenter.com.

CAC Comedy Night

Join the Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington for a special Stand Up/Sit Down night of comedy at 8 p.m. Titled You Bet It’s Groucho, comedian Stevie GB will present a hilarious evening as the iconic comedian Groucho Marx, with famous scenes from the movies performed live including Duck Soup, Horse Feathers and so much more. Hosted by Steven Taub, the evening will also feature special guests Joe Gelish as Chico Marx and Anita Starlite as Margaret Dumont. Tickets are $40, $30 members at www.cinemaartscentre.org.

Friday Feb. 16

HeARTS for ARTS

See Feb 15 listing.

Grounds and Sounds Concert

Rescheduled from Feb. 9. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 380 Nicolls Road, East Setauket hosts a Grounds and Sounds concert featuring the Claudia Jacobs Band (eclectic mix of folk, blues, pop and soul) with doors opening at 7:30 p.m.  Open mic starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 per person and are available in advance online or at the door. www.groundsandsounds.org, 631-751-0297

Third Friday at the Reboli

The Reboli Center for Art and History, 64 Main St., Stony Brook continues its Third Friday series with an interesting and informative lecture with currently exhibiting artist, Neill Slaughter from 6 to 8 p.m. Light snacks and refreshments will be served. Free. No registration necessary. 631-751-7707

Hiroya Tsukamoto in Concert

The Village of Port Jefferson Dept. of Recreation and the Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council continue their Winter Tide concert series at the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson with a performance by Hiroya Tsukamoto in the Sail Loft Room (3rd floor) from 7 to 8 p.m. Tsukamoto recently took 2nd place in the international Finger Style Guitar Championship. Tickets are $5 at the door. 631-802-2160

African-American Heritage Night

Kings Park Heritage Museum, located at the RJO Intermediate School, 101 Church St., Kings Park presents an African-American Heritage Night at 7 p.m. with the Ranny Reeve Memorial Jazz Festival featuring The Perfect Pitch Project Jazz Ensemble with performances by the Kings Park Middle/High School Jazz Bands. Free admission. 631-269-3305

Valentine’s Day  dinner dance

Time to put on your dancing shoes! East Wind Long Island, 5720 Route 25A, Wading River presents a Be My Valentine Dinner Dance and Comedy Show in the Grand Ballroom on from 7 to 11 p.m. Enjoy a 45 minute comedy show with comedians John Butera and Mike Keegan, a four hour premium open bar, live DJ music and a four course dinner including heart shaped ravioli and surf and turf. $125 per person. For reservations, visit www.eastwindlongisland.com. 631-929-6585.

Here’s to the Ladies!

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook presents “Here’s to the Ladies!” at 7 p.m. featuring The Jazz Loft All Stars, with Ray Anderson on trombone; Tom Manuel on cornet; Steve Salerno on guitar; Dean Johnson on bass; and Darrell Smith on drums. Tickets are $50 and includes a glass of champagne and chocolate. To order, visit www.thejazzloft.org. 

Saturday Feb. 17

HeARTS for ARTS

See Feb 15 listing.

Giant Indoor Yard Sale

The Moose Lodge, 37 Crystal Brook Hollow Road, Mount Sinai will host a Giant Indoor Yard Sale fundraiser from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Two years ago baby Amina suffered a traumatic brain injury after falling into the pool and the family now faces huge medical bills for her medical treatments, equipment and therapies not covered by insurance. All proceeds will go to her continued care!  There will be high-end goods, household items, books, puzzles, clothes and more. Amazing raffles baskets as well.  Come support this sweet girl.  631-816-5813. 

Garden Club Presentation

Wading River Congregational Church at 2057 North Country Road, Wading River hosts a meeting of the Shoreham-Wading River Garden Club at 10 a.m. Come join them for a free presentation (for those over 21) on Growing Cannabis 101 with professional cannabis grower Vince Watson. His presentation will include water & light, temperature & humidity, nutrients, pest and disease, annual plant cycle, seed vs propagation and indoor vs outdoor. Attendees are encouraged to bring donations of toiletries (small size) for Maureen’s Haven in Riverhead. 631-987-3733

Maple Sugaring at Caumsett

Join the staff at Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, 25 Lloyd Harbor Road Huntington for a Maple Sugaring workshop from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This interactive program geared for adults will teach you how to make your own maple syrup at home! Not recommended for children. $4 per person. Advance registration required by calling 631-423-1770.

Lovers of Comedy Night

The Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown presents Lovers of Comedy Night! at 8 p.m. Enjoy a night of laughs to round out Valentine’s Day week in partnership with Governor’s Comedy Clubs. Emceed by Christina Meehan-Berg, the show will feature comedians Aaron Berg, Vinny D’Agostino and Debbie D’Amore. Tickets are $40 per person. To order, visit www.smithtownpac.org.

Sunday Feb. 18

HeARTS for ARTS

See Feb 15 listing.

LI Songwriters Showcase

The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, 97 Main St., Stony Brook  presents a Long Island Songwriters Showcase from 3 to 4 p.m. An all-star lineup will be performing several of their original songs each including Karen Bella, J. Peter & Jeanette Hansen w/Charlie Cardone, Linda Sussman, Fred Raimondo & Greta Quezada, Maria Fairchild  and Bob Westcott The event is free with general admission ticket purchase. For more information, call 631-689-5888 or visit www.limusichalloffame.org. 

Monday Feb. 19

TVHS lecture

Three Village Historical Society continues its lecture series at the Setauket Neighborhood House, 95 Main St., Setauket with Food of Our Founding Fathers, a presentation on colonial cooking with stories, recipes, and samples by food historian Diane Schwindt, at 7 p.m. What was on the dinner menu for George Washington, Benjamin Tallmadge, and William Floyd? Come early, come hungry, and get ready to party like it’s 1799! Tickets are $20/ $15 for members. Registration in advance by visiting www.tvhs.org. 631-751-3730

Tuesday Feb. 20

NSJC Social Club event

North Shore Jewish Center Social Club, 385 Old Town Road, Port Jefferson Station invites the community to concert by Leah Laurenti, singer and entertainer with a jazzy, soulful vocal style — a joy to hear, in the Social Hall at 11 a.m. Bagels, cream cheese and coffee will be served. $5 per person, $4 members. 631-928-3737

Blockbuster Broadway

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Route 25A, Northport continues its Special Event Series with Blockbuster Broadway at 8 p.m.  Come experience all the show-stopping tunes you love from Broadway’s biggest hits! Spend an evening with songs from Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera, Annie, Jersey Boys, The Sound of Music, Chicago, and CATS, performed by some of New York’s top vocalists Tickets are $45. To order call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

Wednesday Feb. 21

No events listed for this day.

Thursday Feb. 22

SBU Clarinet/Piano Recital

Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicosls Road, Stony Brook hosts a faculty recital in the Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m. Stony Brook clarinet faculty Alan Kay, Principal Clarinetist of Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, is joined by the renowned pianist Marcantonio Barone, piano department and assistant director of the Bryn Mawr Conservatory of Music, in a dynamic program featuring music by Theresa Martin, William Alwyn, Takashi Yoshimatsu, and Johannes Brahms. Free admission. 631-632-7313

Film

‘When Harry Met Sally’ 

Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington will screen When Harry Met Sally on Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) meet when they share a car on a trip from Chicago to New York right after both graduate from college. As they build their lives and careers in Manhattan, they must decide whether to let their friendship develop into something more. Tickets are $16, $10 members. To order in advance, visit www.cinemaartscentre.org.

‘Slide’

After an 8 year hiatus from feature film making, Bill Plympton, the “King of Indie Animation,” returns to the Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington for the East Coast Premiere screening of his ninth and newest award-winning feature animated film, Slide, on Feb. 18 at 2:15 p.m. with a post-film reception featuring live piano and vocals by Lydia Sabosto where Bill Plympton will draw impromptu cartoons for every audience member! Event produced and curated by Jud Newborn. Tickets are $25, $20 members at www.cinemaartscentre.org.

‘Bird’ 

Join the Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook for a special screening of Clint Eastwood’s film Bird of the life and career of jazz musician Charlie ‘Bird” Parker on Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. $20 suggested donation. To reserve your spot, visit www.thejazzloft.org. 631-751-1895

‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ 

Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington screens Frank Capra’s comic gem Arsenic and Old Lace on Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. On Halloween, drama critic Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) returns home to Brooklyn, where his aunts greet him with love, sweetness — and a grisly surprise: the corpses buried in their cellar. A brother who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, a crazed criminal who’s a dead ringer for Boris Karloff, and a drunken plastic surgeon are among the oddballs populating this diabolical delight that only gets funnier as the body count rises. Tickets are $16, $10 members. To order in advance, visit www.cinemaartscentre.org.

Theater 

‘I Love You, You’re Perfect …’

John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St. Northport presents I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, a witty musical revue that tackles modern love in all its forms: from the perils and pitfalls of the first date to marriage, children, and the twilight years of life, from Jan. 18 to March 3. Set in the modern world and told in a series of vignettes and songs, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change traces the overall arc of relationships throughout the course of a life. To order tickets, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com. 

‘Tick Tick Boom!’ *

Theatre Three, 412 Main Street, Port Jefferson presents Tick, Tick…Boom! from Feb. 17 to March 16. This semi-autobiographical pop/rock musical by Jonathan Larson, the Pulitzer-Prize and Tony Award winning creator of RENT, inspired Lin Manuel Miranda’s 2021 Netflix movie adaptation and explores the sacrifices one man makes and the passion it takes to pursue a dream. Tickets are $40 adults, $32 seniors and students. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

‘(Mostly) True Things’

The Performing Arts Studio, 224 East Main Street, Port Jefferson presents a production of (Mostly) True Things on Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. with stories on the theme Sucker For Love about those times we go to extremes, abandon reason and take big leaps because of love. Four storytellers will compete to win the audience’s choice for the biggest “sucker for love.” Also 3 of the stories will include subtle little lies, but all the stories are otherwise true. The audience gets to question the storytellers, then vote for the person they think told it straight. Tickets are $20 online at eventbrite.com, $25 at the door (cash only).  631-928-6529

Festival of One-Act Plays

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents the 25th annual Festival of One-Act Plays from  Feb. 24 to March 23 at The Ronald F. Peierls Theatre, on the Second Stage. Selected from over 2,000 submissions world-wide, these eight cutting-edge premieres are guaranteed to entertain and engage. Directed by Jeffrey Sanzel, the plays will feature Sean Amato, Ginger Dalton, Jae Hughes, Brittany Lacey, Phyllis March, Andrew Markowitz, Linda May, Rob Schindlar, Evan Teich, Steven Uihlein, Julia Albino, Courtney Gilmore, Gina Lardi, and Cassidy Rose O’Brien. . Please Note: Adult content and language. All seats are $25. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com

Vendors Wanted

— Hallockville Museum Farm, 6038 Sound Ave., Riverhead seeks vendors for its annual Fleece & Fiber Festival on May 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Rain date is May 19). $155 early bird rate for 10 X 10′ outdoor space, $175 after March 1. Artisans sharing handmade and authentic works for sale may apply at www.hallockville.org by April 1. Questions? Call 631-298-5292.

— Benner’s Farm, 56 Gnarled Hollow Road, East Setauket is now accepting vendors for its popular Easter Egg Hunts on March 29, March 30 and March 31. $50 for one day, $90 two days, $125 three days for a 10′ X 10′ spot. To apply, call 631-689-8172 or email [email protected].

— The Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor seeks vendors for its annual Sea Glass Festival on July 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Vendors and artists offering crafts and products that appeal to sea glass enthusiasts and patrons who admire handmade or one-of-a-kind items honoring historic glass are welcome to apply. Get all the details and access the vendor application at cshwhalingmuseum.org/seaglass.

Farmers Markets

Huntington Farmers Market

Spirit of Huntington Art Center, 2 Melville Road North, Huntington Station hosts the Long Island Winter Farmers Market every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through March. 631-470-9620

Port Jefferson Farmers Market

The Port Jefferson Winter Farmers Market returns to the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through April 28. 631-802-2160

Lake Grove Farmers Market

Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove hosts a Winter Farmers Market in the southwestern quadrant of the parking lot (adjacent to Bahama Breeze) on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 516-444-1280

Class Reunions

•Centereach High School Class of 1974 will hold its 50th reunion at the Meadow Club, 1147 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station on April 26 from 6 to 10 p.m. For more information, email Jean Ann Renzulli at [email protected].

•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. For more information, email Mike Whelen at [email protected].

 

 

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'Rodney' by Sam Adoquei
Long Island Museum's Co-Executive Director Joshua Ruff with 'The Art Student' and 'Social Studies' by Sam Adoquei. Photo by Tara Mae
LIM's Co-Executive Director Joshua Ruff views 'The Art Student', oil on canvas, by Sam Adoquei in the Cowles Gallery of the History Museum. Photo by Kristin Cuomo/LIM
'Quinces' by Sam Adoquei

By Tara Mae

Perspective and reality merge in imagination, creating art that is tethered to truth and yet unfettered from realism. Finding Hidden Treasures: The Art of Sam Adoquei, a retrospective of the artist’s oil paintings, explores the scope of such interplay.

On view at the Long Island Museum (LIM) in Stony Brook through June 2, the show features 25 oil paintings of various sizes as well as an excerpt of The Unseen Beauty (2012), a film written and directed by Gabriel de Urioste about Adoquei and his work.

The entire exhibit is a milestone for Adoquei. 

“It is the first time in my life to have my large figurative works and small paintings, my traditional pieces and my outdoor oil paintings, my still lifes and my figurative pieces come together in the same room. It is also interesting to see some of my earliest paintings next to some recent canvases,” he said in an email. “Same with technique/approach: there are paintings that were approached with the most careful traditional/classical method while some of the canvases were approached with fun spontaneous innovative spirit.”

Finding Hidden Treasures reveals scenes of certainty and surprise, calmly tranquil or intensely evocative. During a recent guided tour of the exhibit before it goes on view to the public, I was immersed in a world of soothing still lifes, inviting landscapes, and compelling figures. 

For Adoquei, a Ghanaian immigrant who is also a writer and teacher, oil painting is a language through which he communicates, inviting viewers to enmesh themselves in the core of the work and the feelings they invoke. 

“Oils provide that unlimited range of expressing myself: from the leanest and thinnest effects to the thickest layers of impasto pigments,” Adoquei said. 

In many ways, the show is a reflection and meditation on moments in time, both simple and profound. It is an intimate invitation to become acquainted with new characters and reintroduced to uncommon elements of common knowledge.  

“Sam is very ambitious to be taking on some of the subjects he takes on, like these sort of massive scale history paintings. Then there is the sensitivity that he has in his figurative and portrait work, the expressiveness, the fact that you look at the people in the paintings, you feel a connection,” said LIM’s Co-Executive Director Joshua Ruff. 

Such a kinship is formed via a shared visual dialogue between artist and audience. The paintings in this exhibit entice the breadth of human emotion in what they depict and what they evoke. 

“My approach is diverse: traditional, innovative…Creating a painting to me is always communication with the enthusiasts: whether short and poetic, a short essay, or long and epic depends on the subject and what I aim to extract from it,” he added.

Two of the most arrestingly captivating pieces in the exhibit combine narrative tradition with creative interpretation: a 10-foot-wide triptych titled “The Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. (The Entombment)” which was featured in the New York Times and displayed at the S. Dillon Ripley Center of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC., and “Death of a President (John F. Kennedy).” These history paintings reimagine hauntingly human tragedies with interpersonal, even fantastical, elements.

In these renderings, persons from the artist’s life, as well as Adoquei, appear as bystanders or sympathetic participants. Adoquei frequently includes himself or his associates in his paintings, a practice that adds emotional depth to the works.  

“I love people, I am always inspired by the love of people, and humanistic pursuits are part of sentiments that I try to include in my mission to unveil my vision,” he said.

This generosity and warmth extends to pieces that do not include human figures, like idyllic interpretations of Long Island vistas and other settings. They encourage onlookers to step into them, feel the sand beneath their feet, the breeze as it rustles tall grasses, the sun on their faces, the sound of the sea, the taste of salt in the air. 

Adoquei’s still life paintings are intriguing and alluring, alluding to larger stories of which patrons are only catching a glimpse: two quinces with their stems and leaves attached, lilting sunflowers and daisies in vase, a partially sectioned grapefruit, with what appears to be a thumbprint left on the endocarp. 

“All that I do is inspired by nature, life and living, and the needs of the future. Turning nature and people into beautiful timeless paintings to inspire others inspires me daily,” Adoquei said. “As lives, works, and legacies of great minds took me from oceans and cultures away and offered me the support to create art that hangs on museum walls and in private collections, so do I hope to create meaningful timeless art worthy of inspiring future generations.” 

Versatility of technique underscores the scope and impact of Adoquei’s subject matter. His art contains and honors a multitude of human experiences, including his own journey from Ghanaian art student, to sign and billboard painter in Nigeria, and then working artist, educator, and author in the United States, where he arrived in 1987. 

Adoquei’s paintings welcome patrons to participate in moments fraught and freeing, stunning and serene. Finding Hidden Treasures is an opportunity for artist and art appreciators to enter the field of humanistic imagination.  

“I have never seen this collection of my paintings exhibited together, and knowing they wouldn’t be in the same room together again, I hope art lovers of Long Island will take advantage of the opportunity to come enjoy them at The Long Island Museum,” Adoquei said.

Also on view at the Long Island Museum: 

Painting Partnership: Reynold and Joan Ruffins in the Art Museum from Feb. 8 to June 30

Organized in conjunction with The Power of Two (see next exhibit), this exhibition presents a unique story of love, creativity, and art. Sharing 60 years of marriage and settling in Sag Harbor in 1992, Painting Partnership features close to 25 paintings and sculptures from the remarkable artistic duo, Reynold Dash Ruffins (1930-2021) and Joan B. Young Ruffins (1932-2013). Reynold began making his mark in graphic and advertising design in the 1950s and the 1960s, later working on such publications as The New York Times Magazine, Gourmet, and Essence, and creating award-winning illustrations for children’s books. Meanwhile, as Joan raised the couple’s four children, she created a studio in the family’s St. Albans home, creating art and teaching both children and adults.

The Power of Two: Artist Couples of Long Island in the Art Museum from Feb. 8 to June 30

Experience the dynamic interplay of creativity as The Power of Two: Artist Couple of Long Island exhibition showcases over 50 artworks comparing and contrasting the work produced by 14 artist couples of Long Island. From the 1880s to contemporary couples today, this exhibition provides a captivating insight into the collaborative spirit of artist partnerships.

Colors of Long Island in the History Museum from Feb. 8 to April 7

This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the  Annual Colors of Long Island Student Art Exhibition, a show that affords an opportunity for hundreds of students from across Long Island to display their artwork in a museum setting. Art teachers from public and private schools in grades pre-k through 12th grade were invited to submit up to two pieces of student artwork that capture the essence of the region’s landscapes, history, and cultural diversity through various mediums including watercolor, sculpture, pencil, ink, oil pastel, photographs and computer graphics.

Located at 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook, the Long Island Museum is open Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults; $7 for seniors (age 62 and older); $5 for students (ages 5-17, and college students with an ID); $3.50 for persons with disabilities (personal care assistants are free); and, free for active and retired military personnel. For more information, call 631-751-0066 or visit www.longislandmuseum.org. 

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LOVE AND MARRIAGE Tickets are selling fast for the Valentine's Day performance of 'I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change' at the Engeman Theater in Northport. Photo from The John W. Engeman Theater
Thursday Feb. 8

Volunteer Fair heads to Selden

Middle Country Public Library, 575 Middle Country Road, Selden will host a Venues for Volunteering Fair from 6 to 8 p.m. Come find out what volunteer opportunities are available in our area and how you can help. Representatives from over 20 organizations will be in attendance including Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, Bethel Hobbs Community Farm, Friends of the Middle Country Public Library, Girl Scouts of Suffolk County,  Long Island State Veterans Home at Stony Brook, Mercy Haven Inc., Save-A-Pet Animal Rescue, Selden Fire Department, and the Three Village Historical Society. No registration required. For more information, call 631-585-9393.

Reboli Art History Lecture

The Reboli Center for Art and History, 64 Main St., Stony Brook will host a free art history lecture with award-winning artist  and art history enthusiast Kevin McEvoy from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Light snacks will be served. No reservations are required to attend. 631-751-7707

Staller Center Music Recital

Jennifer Frautschi and Christina Dahl  of SBU Dept. of Music return for another popular evening of duos for violin and piano at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts Recital Hall, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook at 7 p.m. This program considers four very different sonatas written within a twenty-year period that encompasses WWI, and the aftermath of the war. Program includes Szymanowski Sonata in D Minor, Op. 9 for Violin and Piano (1904); Bartok Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano, SZ 76 (1922); Marguerite Canal Sonata for Violin and Piano (1922)—selections; and Ravel Violin Sonata No. 2 (1923-27). Free. 631-632-2787

Victorian Valentine’s Day

Join the Northport Historical Society, 215 Main St., Northport for a Victorian Valentine’s Day at 7 p.m. Make your date night, Gal-entine’s, or early Valentine’s Day celebration unforgettable! Education Coordinator Carol Taylor takes you on a journey from the beginning of Valentine’s Day to modern times while learning (and sampling) wine paired with handcrafted chocolates. Your evening concludes with a gift provided by Nite Owl Promotions. Tickets are $60, $50 members and must be purchased in advance at www.northporthistorical.org. Ages 21+ only. Questions? Call 631-757-9859.

Friday Feb. 9

Game Night in St. James

Join Celebrate St. James for an adult Game Night at the Calderone Theatre, 176 2nd St., St. James from 7 to 10 p.m. Enjoy board games, card games, light refreshments, pizza and a hot chocolate bar. $10 donation. To register, visit www.celebratestjames.org. 631-984-0201

An Evening of Opera

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 270 Main St., Northport hosts a concert by Opera Night Long Island at 7:30 p.m. The evening will feature an entertaining assortment of vocal excerpts from famous and beloved operas followed by a reception. $10 donation, students free. www.operanight.org

Bennett Harris in Concert

The Village of Port Jefferson Dept. of Recreation and the Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council continue their Winter Tide concert series at the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson with a performance by Blues Master Bennett Harris in the Sail Loft Room (3rd floor) from 7 to 8 p.m. playing tunes by Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson, Blind Blake, as well as his own originals. Tickets are $5 at the door. 631-802-2160

Grounds and Sounds Concert – This event has been postponed to Feb. 16.

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 380 Nicolls Road, East Setauket hosts a Grounds and Sounds concert featuring the Claudia Jacobs Band (eclectic mix of folk, blues, pop and soul) with doors opening at 7:30 p.m.  Open mic starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 per person and are available in advance online or at the door. www.groundsandsounds.org, 631-751-0297

Saturday Feb. 10

February Funny Fest

The Comedy Club@Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson announces the return of February Funny Fest at 8 p.m. with comedians Ellen Karis, Coach Tom Whitely, Richie Byrne and more. Tickets are $40. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

Sunday Feb. 11

Valentine’s Day Serenade

Smithtown Historical Society will host a Valentine’s Day Serenade concert by Transitions Saxophone Quartet at the Caleb Smith House, 5 North Country Road, Smithtown  from noon to 2 p.m.. Celebrating a century of songs of love, Transitions will perform the music of artists who have been inspired by love and romance. Wine and chocolate strawberries will be served. Proceeds will go towards preservation and repair of the SHS’s historic buildings. Ticket are $20 per person, $30 per couple. To order, call 631-265-6768.

Chinese Brush Painting

Join the North Shore Public Library, 250 Route 25A, Shoreham for a Chinese Brushwork Painting class from 1 to 3 p.m. where you will learn the basic brush marks, how to use rice paper using Chinese brushes and ink. By listening to the history of this art form and watching painting demonstrations of bamboo, stems, leaves and blossoms, you will create your original piece of Chinese brushwork/painting to bring home. All materials are supplied. Open to all. To register, call 631-929-4488.

Nick Russell in concert

The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, 97 Main St., Stony Brook welcomes Nick Russell with Sydney Swinson for songs and stories from 3 to 4 p.m. The event is free with general admission ticket purchase. For more information, call 631-689-5888 or visit www.limusichalloffame.org.

Ridotto Concert

Huntington Jewish Center, 510 Park Avenue in Huntington hosts a Ridotto Concert, concerts with a touch of theater, featuring pianist Sofya Gulyak at 4 p.m. Program will include works by Chopin, Debussy and Liszt’s Norma Fantasie. Tickets are $35 adults $30 seniors, $25 members and $12 students. For reservations, call 631-385-0373, or email [email protected].

Monday Feb. 12

Sound Beach Civic Meeting

Sound Beach Civic Association will hold a meeting at the Sound Beach Firehouse, 152 Sound Beach Blvd., Sound Beach at 7:30 p.m. The guest speaker will Suffolk County Legislator Chad Lennon. Also on the agenda will be a representative from Congressman Nick LaLota’s office with an update on the post office closure. All are welcome. For more information call 631-744-6952.

The American Bombshells

The John W. Engeman, 250 Main St., Northport celebrates Valentine’s Day with a concert by The American Bombshells, a modern day twist on the Andrews Sisters, who serve as Ambassadors of America’s Gratitude, traveling the globe with an All-American show that dazzles in three part harmony! Tickets are $45 per person. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

Tuesday Feb. 13

NSJC Social Club event

North Shore Jewish Center Social Club, 385 Old Town Road, Port Jefferson Station invites the community to a talk by Rabbi Aaron Benson who will discuss the current issues in Israel in the Social Hall at 11 a.m. Bagels, cream cheese and coffee will be served. $5 per person, $4 members. 631-928-3737

Shades of Bublé Concert

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Route 25A, Northport continues its Special Event Series with Shades of Bublé at 8 p.m. With three voices singing incredible songs like “Feeling Good,” “Moondance,” “Sway,” “Come Fly With Me,” “Home,” “Everything,” “Fever,” “Save the Last Dance for Me” and many more, the show brings the swinging standards and pop hits of Michael Bublé to the stage in an unforgettable high-energy concert event. Tickets are $45. To order call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

Wednesday Feb. 14

Valentine’s Day Breakfast & Trivia

Town of Brookhaven’s Rose Caracappa Senior Center, 739 Route 25A, Mt. Sinai hosts a Valentine’s Day Breakfast & Trivia Game event from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. A continental breakfast will be served. Free. Please call 631-451-5312 to register.

Valentine’s Day at the LIM

Drop by the Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook on Feb. 14 from noon to 5 p.m. for a special 2-for-1 admission! Treat your sweetheart to a romantic afternoon enjoying the museum’s new art exhibitions, including the Power of Two, featuring works by artist couples of Long Island; Finding Hidden Treasures: The  Art of Samuel Adoquei; Painting Partnership: Reynold and Joan Ruffins; and Colors of Long Island: Student Art Exhibition. 631-751-0066 See more on page B17.

Thursday Feb. 15

Emerson Legacy Concert

Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook presents an Emerson Legacy Concert in the Recital Hall at 7 p.m. featuring Emerson Members Eugene Drucker, violin, and Lawrence Dutton, viola. Program will include works by Bartok, Dvorak, Mozart and Mendelssohn. Tickets range from $41 to $48. To order, call 631-632-2787 or visit www.stallercenter.com.

Film

‘The Miracle Club’

Join us at Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station  for a viewing of The Miracle Club starring Maggie Smith, Laura Linney, and Kathy Bates on Fe. 14 at 2 p.m. Open to all. Call 631-928-1212 to reserve your seat. 

‘Casablanca’ at the CAC

“Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.” Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington invites all lovebirds and lonelyhearts to spend Valentine’s Day with them revisiting a classic, “Casablanca” on Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. $20 per person, $15 members. Order tickets in advance at www.cinemaartscentre.org.

Theater 

‘I Love You, You’re Perfect …’

John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St. Northport presents I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, a witty musical revue that tackles modern love in all its forms: from the perils and pitfalls of the first date to marriage, children, and the twilight years of life, from Jan. 18 to March 3. Set in the modern world and told in a series of vignettes and songs, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change traces the overall arc of relationships throughout the course of a life. To order tickets, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com. 

‘Tick Tick Boom!’ *

Theatre Three, 412 Main Street, Port Jefferson presents Tick, Tick…Boom! from Feb. 17 to March 16. This semi-autobiographical pop/rock musical by Jonathan Larson, the Pulitzer-Prize and Tony Award winning creator of RENT, inspired Lin Manuel Miranda’s 2021 Netflix movie adaptation and explores the sacrifices one man makes and the passion it takes to pursue a dream. Tickets are $40 adults, $32 seniors and students. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

‘(Mostly) True Things’

The Performing Arts Studio, 224 East Main Street, Port Jefferson presents a production of (Mostly) True Things on Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. with stories on the theme Sucker For Love about those times we go to extremes, abandon reason and take big leaps because of love. Four storytellers will compete to win the audience’s choice for the biggest “sucker for love.” Also 3 of the stories will include subtle little lies, but all the stories are otherwise true. The audience gets to question the storytellers, then vote for the person they think told it straight. Tickets are $20 online at eventbrite.com, $25 at the door (cash only).  631-928-6529

Festival of One-Act Plays

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents the 25th annual Festival of One-Act Plays from  Feb. 24 to March 23 at The Ronald F. Peierls Theatre, on the Second Stage. Selected from over 2,000 submissions world-wide, these eight cutting-edge premieres are guaranteed to entertain and engage. Directed by Jeffrey Sanzel, the plays will feature Sean Amato, Ginger Dalton, Jae Hughes, Brittany Lacey, Phyllis March, Andrew Markowitz, Linda May, Rob Schindlar, Evan Teich, Steven Uihlein, Julia Albino, Courtney Gilmore, Gina Lardi, and Cassidy Rose O’Brien. . Please Note: Adult content and language. All tickets are $25. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com. 

Farmers Markets

Huntington Farmers Market

Spirit of Huntington Art Center, 2 Melville Road North, Huntington Station hosts the Long Island Winter Farmers Market every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through March. 631-470-9620

Port Jefferson Farmers Market

The Port Jefferson Winter Farmers Market returns to the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through April 28. 631-802-2160

Lake Grove Farmers Market

Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove hosts a Winter Farmers Market in the southwestern quadrant of the parking lot (adjacent to Bahama Breeze) on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 516-444-1280

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BRAZILIAN GUITAR MASTER Octávio Deluchi returns to All Souls Church in Stony Brook for a free concert on Feb. 3.
Thursday February 1

Unsung Heroes program

Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station kicks off Black History month with a program titled Unsung Heroes: Segregated Military Units from 7 to 8 p.m. Learn about history of the African American units that bravely served their country in the face of discrimination. Open to all. Call 631-928-1212 or visit www.cplib.org to register.

An Evening of Jazz

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook presents a concert featuring The Jazz Loft Big Band, a 7-piece big band directed by Jazz Loft Director Tom Manuel, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students, $15 children and children under 5 years old are free. To order tickets, visit www.thejazzloft.org.

Friday February 2

Groundhog Day Celebration

Six more weeks of winter or an early spring? The Town of Brookhaven will host its annual Groundhog Day Celebration at the Holtsville Ecology Center, 249 Buckley Road, Holtsville starting at 7 a.m. Come meet Holtsville Hal and find out what his shadow foretells. Following the ceremony, residents are welcome to enjoy complimentary hot chocolate, coffee and bagels provided by 7-Eleven and Bagel Lovers and visit the more than 100 non-releasable, wild or injured animals residing at the Animal Preserve, which will be open at 7 a.m. Free. 631-451-5330.

Black History Night

Town of Brookhaven will host the 33rd Annual Black History Night at the Brookhaven Town Hall auditorium, 1 Independence Hill Farmingville at 6 p.m. The evening’s program with the theme African Americans and the Arts will include performances, art exhibits, a cultural food tasting and the presentation of Academic Achievement Awards to Brookhaven’s top 51 African American high school seniors from 10 school districts who achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher. All are welcome. 631-451-TOWN

Cat Jones in Concert

The Village of Port Jefferson Dept. of Recreation and the Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council kick off the 2024 Winter Tide concert series at the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson with a performance by Cat Jones in the Sail Loft Room (3rd floor) from 7 to 8 p.m. The Rhode Island native brings old-school country flavored folk tunes, a perfect way to warm up a winter evening. Tickets are $5 at the door. 631-802-2160

Sound Symphony concert

The Sound Symphony Orchestra with guest conductor Alex Wen will be performing its annual Family Concert at Comsewogue’s John F. Kennedy Middle School, 200 Jayne Blvd., Port Jefferson Station at 7 p.m. Repertoire includes: Mozart’s The Magic Flute; Bernstein’s Overture to “Candide”; Peter Gynt’s Suite No. 1; Mission Impossible Theme; and Saint-Saens’ Danse Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah. Admission is $20 adults, $15 seniors, $10 students, children under 12 free. Snow date is Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. www.soundsymphony.org

Saturday February 3

Casino Night Fundraiser

East Farmingdale Volunteer Fire Department Station 2, 930 Conklin St., Farmingdale will host a Casino Night Fundraiser from 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $65 in advance, $80 at the door and include a $250 casino chip value, hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer, soda, door prizes and Chinese auction. Event is limited to 100 tickets. 631-249-0474 ext. 2307

Octávio Deluchi in concert

All Souls Church, 61 Main Street, Stony Brook continues its Saturdays at Six concert series with  SBU doctoral student and Brazilian guitarist Octávio Deluchi at 6 p.m. The program will feature a balance between well established and canonical pieces, with new works, with works recently premiered and composed.  Selections will include works by Geraldo Vespar, Vicente Paschoal, Laura Snowdon, Dilermando Reis, Augustin Barrios, Marco Pereira and Astor Piazzolla. Free. 631-655-7798

PJFD Steak Night Fundraiser

Port Jefferson Fire Department, 115 Maple Place, Port Jefferson will hold their annual Steak Night fundraiser from 7 to 10 p.m. $50 per person includes a salad bar, T-bone steak, baked potato, dessert, open bar and 50/50 raffle. To RSVP, call 631-291-8195.

Dinner Theater Fundraiser

Polish American Independent Ladies of  Port Jefferson will present a Dinner Theater titled Cooking with Germs, 4 Comedies and Such by Ed Eriksson at the Polish American Independent Club, 36 Jayne Blvd., Port Jefferson Station at 7 p.m. $50 per person includes a buffet, wine, beer and soft drinks. To order, visit Moonbeam.Booktix.com. For more information, call 631-793-9870.

An Evening with Drum Tao

Japan’s No.1 sensation, Drum Tao, heads to Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts’ Main Stage, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook at 7 p.m. for its 30th anniversary tour. Featuring the best in drumming, martial arts, and so much more. Tickets range from $41 to $60. To order, call 631-632-2787 or visit www.stallercenter.com.

Sunday February 4

Caumsett Hike

Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, 25 Lloyd Harbor Road, Huntington hosts Just a Hike (On the Roads) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This 4-mile, on road moderately paced walk affords walkers the opportunity to relax, socialize, and enjoy the park’s beauty. Adults only. $4 per person. Advance reservations required by calling 631-423-1770.

Port Jefferson Ice Festival

Rescheduled from Jan. 28. Port Jefferson Business Improvement District (BID) in partnership with the Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce presents the 5th annual Port Jefferson Ice Festival today from noon to 5 p.m. Enjoy ice sculptures throughout the village along with live music, dance performances, ice skating demos, live ice carvings by Rich Daly, character photo opportunities, horse-drawn wagon rides and more. 631-473-1414

Narwhal Ball

The Whaling Museum, 301 Main St. Cold Spring Harbor hosts its annual Narwhal Ball from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The whole family is invited to a wintry celebration! Explore the world of polar sea creatures through special activities and presentations. Gather around for “Storytime with Elsa” as she shares tales from her icy domain and meet the icy queen herself to snap a photo. Indulge in an icy treat with ice cream sponsored by Kilwin’s of Huntington. Create frosty crafts to take home with you. Tickets online (through Feb. 2) are $20 age 2-17 (all access) $8 adults, $6 seniors at www.cshwhalingmuseum.org; Door tickets are $25 ages 2-17 (all access) $8 adults, $6 seniors. 631-367-3418.

Anastasia René in concert

Join the North Shore Public Library, 250 Route 25A, Shoreham for a 20’s Jazz concert at 1:30 p.m. Join Anastasia René and her band as they take you back to the world of speakeasies, dancing, clubs, music (both early Blues and Jazz), with renditions of the jazz songs performed by artists such as Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and more. Open to all. To register, call 631-929-4488.

Frank Latorre in concert

The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, 97 Main St., Stony Brook will host a concert by Frank Latorre and the King Bees from 3 to 4 p.m. The event is free with general admission ticket purchase. For more information, call 631-689-5888 or visit www.limusichalloffame.org.

Monday February 5

DIY Winter Tote

Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station will host a DIY Winter Tote program from 4 to 5 p.m. and again from 7 to 8 p.m. Personalize a tote bag for the season using a variety of stencils with Theresa Maritato. Cost is $5 for materials. Open to all. Registration is required by calling 631-928-1212 or visiting www.cplib.org.

Three Village Civic Meeting

Three Village Civic Association will hold its monthly meeting at the Setauket Fire Department Main Building 190 Main St., Setauket at 7:30 p.m. Guest speaker will be Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich. Open to the public. Refreshments will be served. www.3vcivic.org

Portrait of Aretha

CeCe Teneal returns to the John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport for a Portrait of Aretha concert at 8 p.m. to honor the legacy of the Queen of Soul with personalized interpretations of both popular and lesser-known songs from this 18-Grammy-Award-winning icon’s 50-year career, including “Chain of Fools,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Rock Steady” and more. Tickets are $45. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

Tuesday February 6

Comedy Night at the Engeman

Join the John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport for an evening of comedy at 8 p.m. Come have some laughs, enjoy some cocktails, and listen to some very funny comedians! Tickets are $45. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

Wednesday February 7

Vanderbilt lecture

Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport continues its lecture series with Living Pictures: Gilded Age Portrait Photography at 7 p.m. Erin Pauwels, an author and historian of American art and visual culture, will explore portraiture and identity formation, celebrity culture, and intersections between theater and the visual arts and examine the vibrant history of Sarony, a celebrity photographer once known as “the father of artistic photography in America.” Tickets are $10, members free at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

Thursday February 8

Crafts & Cocktails

Join the Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor for Crafts & Cocktails: Watercolor Wonders from 6:30 to 8 p.m. 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. Adults 21+. Tickets are $30 per participant, $20 museum members at www.cshwhalingmuseum.org. 631-367-3418

Reboli Art History Lecture

The Reboli Center for Art and History, 64 Main St., Stony Brook will host a free art history lecture with award-winning artist  and art historian aficionado Kevin McEvoy from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Light snacks will be served. No reservations are required to attend. 631-751-7707

Staller Center Music Recital

Jennifer Frautschi and Christina Dahl  of SBU Dept. of Music return for another popular evening of duos for violin and piano at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts Recital Hall, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook at 7 p.m. This program considers four very different sonatas written within a twenty-year period that encompasses WWI, and the aftermath of the war. Program includes Szymanowski Sonata in D Minor, Op. 9 for Violin and Piano (1904); Bartok Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano, SZ 76 (1922); Marguerite Canal Sonata for Violin and Piano (1922)—selections; and Ravel Violin Sonata No. 2 (1923-27). Free. 631-632-2787

Victorian Valentine’s Day

Join the Northport Historical Society, 215 Main St., Northport for a Victorian Valentine’s Day at 7 p.m. Make your date night, Gal-entine’s, or early Valentine’s Day celebration unforgettable! Education Coordinator Carol Taylor takes you on a journey from the beginning of Valentine’s Day to modern times while learning (and sampling) wine paired with handcrafted chocolates. Your evening concludes with a gift provided by Nite Owl Promotions. Tickets are $60, $50 members and must be purchased in advance at www.northporthistorical.org. Ages 21+ only. Questions? Call 631-757-9859.

Film

‘Network’

Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington presents a screening of Network on Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m. Sidney Lumet’s stinging rebuke of network television stars Peter Finch as Howard Beale, a veteran anchorman who is being forced out of his post after 25 years. At the end of his rope, he announces on air that he will kill himself during his farewell broadcast. Beale’s rants lead to a spike in ratings, opening the door for ambitious producer Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) to develop even more outrageous programming. Hosted by Wallace Matthews former columnist for Newsday, the New York Post and ESPN. Tickets are $16, $10 members in advance at www.cinemaartscentre.org or at the door. 631-423-7610

Sky Room Talk at the CAC

The Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington continues its Sky Room Talk series with Hidden Hitchcock Gems on Feb. 5 at 8 p.m. If another filmmaker made any of Alfred Hitchcock lesser known films, they would be heralded as a cinematic master. Hitchcock’s most popular films cause some to bypass his most classic like Young and Innocent, Saboteur, Torn Curtain and many others. Film historian Glenn Andreiev returns to the Cinema with a look at 12 entertaining but over-shadowed Alfred Hitchcock gems. Tickets are $18, $12 members in advance at www.cinemaartscentre.org or at the door. 631-423-7610

‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ 

As part of its Best of the Big Screen series, the Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington will screen The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) starring Errol Flynn and Olivia De Havilland on Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. With introduction by Philip Harwood. Ticket are $16, $10 members in advance at www.cinemaartscentre.org or at the door. 631-423-7610

Theater

‘The Gin Game’ 

Theatre Three, 412 Main Street, Port Jefferson presents D.L. Colburn’s The Gin Game from Jan. 13 to Feb. 3. A fierce battle of wits and wills is revealed as a mismatched pair in a retirement facility inadvertently reveal their hearts as they show their hands in increasingly combative rounds of gin rummy. Poignant, powerful, and heartbreakingly honest, The Gin Game shows that secrets held close to the vest are not safe from being put on the table. The production stars Theatre Three veterans Bradlee and Marci Bing. Tickets are $40 adults, $32 seniors and students. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com. 

‘I Love You, You’re Perfect …’

John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St. Northport presents I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, a witty musical revue that tackles modern love in all its forms: from the perils and pitfalls of the first date to marriage, children, and the twilight years of life, from Jan. 18 to March 3. Set in the modern world and told in a series of vignettes and songs, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change traces the overall arc of relationships throughout the course of a life. To order tickets, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com. 

‘(Mostly) True Things’

The Performing Arts Studio, 224 East Main Street, Port Jefferson presents a production of (Mostly) True Things on Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. with stories on the theme Sucker For Love about those times we go to extremes, abandon reason and take big leaps because of love. Four storytellers will compete to win the audience’s choice for the biggest “sucker for love.” Also 3 of the stories will include subtle little lies, but all the stories are otherwise true. The audience gets to question the storytellers, then vote for the person they think told it straight. Tickets are $20 online at eventbrite.com, $25 at the door (cash only).  631-928-6529

Farmers Markets

Huntington Farmers Market

Spirit of Huntington Art Center, 2 Melville Road North, Huntington Station hosts the Long Island Winter Farmers Market every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through March. 631-470-9620

Port Jefferson Farmers Market

The Port Jefferson Winter Farmers Market returns to the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through April 28. 631-802-2160

Class Reunions

•Centereach High School Class of 1974 will hold its 50th reunion at the Meadow Club, 1147 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station on April 26 from 6 to 10 p.m. For more information, email Jean Ann Renzulli at [email protected].

•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. For more information, email Mike Whelen at [email protected].

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A scene from 'The Wizard of Oz." Photo courtesy of Fathom Events

Fathom Events’ Big Screen Classics 2024 kicks off with the beloved 1939 fantasy The Wizard of Oz returning to select theaters nationwide in honor of its 85th anniversary on Jan. 28, 29, and 31.

In this classic musical fantasy, Judy Garland stars as Dorothy Gale, a young Kansas farm girl who dreams of a land “somewhere over the rainbow.” Dorothy’s dream comes true when she, her dog Toto, and her family’s house are transported by a tornado to a bright and magical world unlike anything she has seen before. Unfortunately, she makes a mortal enemy of the  Wicked Witch of the West when the house falls on her sister. Now, befriended by a scarecrow without a brain, a tin man with no heart and a cowardly lion, and protected by a pair of enchanted ruby slipper, Dorothy sets off along a yellow brick road for the Emerald City to beseech the all-powerful Wizard of Oz for his help to return home.

The Wizard of Oz received five Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture (Outstanding Production), and captured two Oscars®—Best Song (“Over the Rainbow”) and Best Original Score — plus a special award for Outstanding Juvenile Performance by Judy Garland. 

Each screening includes an exclusive introduction by acclaimed film critic and historian Leonard Maltin, shedding light on the groundbreaking film’s incredible legacy and lasting impact—both on cinema and pop culture.

Locally the film will be screened at AMC Stony Brook 17, Island 16 Cinema de Lux in Holtsville, Showcase Cinema de Lux in Farmingdale and Regal UA Farmingdale. For tickets, visit www.fathomevents.com.

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Stock photo

Recently, our community has been grappling with many unfortunate deaths among local prominent citizens. These individuals, pillars of our area, have left a mark on the tapestry of our communities, and the impact of their departures resonates throughout the richness of our existence.

These losses create a void that extends far beyond the immediate circle of loved ones. These individuals served as architects of our community’s history, culture and progress. Their contributions, whether in business, academia or civic leadership, have shaped the very essence of who we are and how we live. 

The richness of our community is intricately linked to the diversity of voices and perspectives that local notables bring. These individuals are the stories of our shared history, the advocates for progress and the mentors who guide the next generation. Losing them means losing a part of our collective identity.

But grief, while consuming, can also be a catalyst. It reminds us of the precious fragility of life and the fleeting nature of moments we often take for granted. In these losses, we see the faces we sometimes neglect to notice, the hands we forget to clasp in gratitude. We become acutely aware of the interconnectedness of our lives and how each thread in the tapestry contributes to the vibrant richness of the whole.

In times of sorrow, our community needs to unite and support one another. The legacy of the deceased can be honored through our unity. Sharing memories, celebrating achievements and acknowledging the impact they had on our lives can be a source of solace for those of us left behind.

As we mourn, we must also recognize the responsibility of preserving and continuing the work of those who came before us. The best way to honor the legacy of these outstanding members we lost is to carry forward the torch of progress, compassion and community involvement that they lit. In doing so, we ensure that their contributions live on through the actions and endeavors of the following generations.

Let us remember and celebrate the lives of our lost loved ones, cherishing their impact on our community. In doing so, we can transform the pain of loss into a catalyst for positive change, ensuring that the richness of our community endures through the years to come.

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