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Your Turn

Gerrit Cole. Photo from Wikipedia

By Barbara Anne Kirshner

The 2021 baseball season fizzled out for the Yankees with their embarrassing 6 to 2 loss against the Red Sox in the AL wild-card game. Fans were abruptly forced into a long, cold winter with the only ray of sunshine coming from the promise of spring training.

It is frustrating that Yankee fans were reduced to watching the ALDS with their arch nemesis the Boston Red Sox playing their villainous rivals the Tampa Bay Rays and then the ALCS with the Red Sox advancing on to play the sign stealing Astros. And the meanest cut of all is those dishonest Astros making it into the World Series against pearl-sporting Joc Pederson and the rest of the Atlanta Braves. The heart has been taken out of postseason for Yankee fans, but if there is any justice in this world the Braves will shut out the Astros.

There is much speculation over what our team will look like come 2022. The lingering question of will Yankee’s manager, Aaron Boone, face the same ax that the Mets’ Luis Rojas got as soon as the season ended was answered when General Manager, Brian Cashman, held a press conference on Oct. 19, where he announced Boone would receive a three year contract with the Yankees. 

Cashman defended this decision by saying, “Boone is part of the solution not the problem.” This response has only added to the frustration of Yankee fans. Apparently, Cashman feels his shake-up in the coaching staff with firing hitting coach, Marcus Thames, third-base coach, Phil Nevin, and assistant hitting coach, P.J. Pilittere, is the easy fix.

In that Tuesday press conference, Cashman went on to take all the blame for the Yankee’s dismal season. He is almost putting his own head on the chopping block with statements like that. By taking ownership for the failures, does this mean he’s out next year when his contract is up?

One thing Cashman promised is that the roster needs a turnover and will not look the same next year. Cashman admits they are seeking a short stop, a catcher and even center fielder. So, what is the fate of Aaron Hicks who spend most of this season on the IL for a wrist injury?

And it is well-documented that Hal Steinbrenner, Chairman and Managing General Partner of Yankee Global Enterprises, does not rule with an iron fist like his dad, George, who went into every season with the foregone conclusion that his Yankees would win.

It appears the heart has gone out of the Yankees. At the end of this season, only two players carried the entire team, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. D.J. LeMahieu was a dud. He has undergone sports hernia surgery and is expected to be ready for spring training. Let’s hope that will get him back to 2019 shape. 

Gleyber Torres, at only 24 years old, played like an old man, limping along when he should have been running to catch a ball. And the old man of the team, Brett Gardner, still has spirit though inconsistent at best. Don’t even get me started on Aroldis Chapman! Every time he came to the mound, it was cringe worthy! He has given away so many important games that it is perplexing he keeps getting chance after chance with Yankee fans reduced to sitting on the edge of their seats not knowing which Chapman will appear on any given day. Will it be the aggressor he was signed to be or will he melt down before our very eyes giving away the game? 

What is there to say about the disappointing start of Gerrit Cole, the golden boy with his $324 million dollar contract, who was not so golden after all. He gave up two home runs before he was pulled in the second inning of that wild-card game. It looks like those spider tack rumors were true! 

Poor catcher, Gary Sanchez, never gets a break. Yes, he fumbles behind the plate and fell into a long slump, but at least he worked hard, regrouped and started hitting home runs. At the end of this season, Sanchez was someone to count on for at least get on base.

I feel your frustration Yankee fans! We are reduced to boredom for the remainder of this 2021 season and we don’t even care who wins the World Series now that our ‘mighty’ Yankees have struck out.

Miller Place resident Barbara Anne Kirshner is a freelance journalist, playwright and author of Madison Weatherbee —The Different Dachshund.

Pixabay photo

By Martina Matkovic

The Three Village Garden Club welcomes you as their guest on Friday, September 17th, when members will have an opportunity to display their creative talents in floral design and horticulture. Many hours of careful preparation and planning will culminate in a Small Standard Flower Show at the Neighborhood House, 95 Main Street, Setauket. No charge to the public, doors will be open from 2 to 6 p.m.

The following quotation from Sandra H. Robinson, past President of the National Garden Club, eloquently states the purpose of executing a flower show: 

An award winning design from the TVGC’s June 2017 flower show. Photo by Karin Steil

“One of the basic urges of mankind is the desire to create. Creative flower arranging is an art form in which the artist’s vision is expressed through the use of plant materials. Using the elements and principles of design, the artist strives to achieve the following attributes- beauty, harmony, distinction and expression. Flower shows provide a unique opportunity for floral designers, horticulturists, judges and the viewing public to become an integral part of the creative process.”

The show, titled “See You in September,” promises to be a spectacular visual experience. It is an opportunity to  find out about the club’s contributions to the community, with its emphasis on the importance of the use of native plantings and gardening techniques that help to protect the environment. Guests are encouraged to take a short walk to Frank Melville  Memorial Park where they may access the Arboretum, acquired by  the garden club in 1985 and maintained for the past 36 years. A map of the Arboretum will be available.

As guests arrive they will receive a printed guide to help navigate through the three parts of the juried show. Division 1, Horticulture,  will display cut specimens from the garden, fruits and vegetables, cut specimens from fruiting or flowering trees and shrubs, and container plants. Come see what a Blue Ribbon cucumber looks like!

An award winning design from the TVGC’s June 2017 flower show. Photo from Karin Steil

Division ll, comprised of four classes, will highlight members’ creative talents in floral design. Class 2 of this division, aptly named “Reflections and Inspirations,” will challenge those members who choose to enter by  creating a floral design that interprets the subject of a painting. The actual paintings will be hung nearby the corresponding design, inviting the viewer to observe. The artists who have loaned their works for this class are Patty Yantz, “The Sentinel”; Renee Caine, “Approaching Storm”; Eleanor Meier, “Winter Pears and Kimono”; and Robert Roehrig, “Dock Reflections.” 

Finally, but certainly not least, in Division lll guests will enjoy an exhibit that displays the club’s many contributions to the community with an emphasis on education and respect for our environment. This section also includes invitational exhibits solicited from florists and businesses in the community.  

Members who decide to participate will be judged for their entries, receive points and be awarded ribbons according to the National Garden Club System of Awarding.  The judging will be done in advance of the opening to the public and ribbons will be on display.

Please come and enjoy the beauty of the show, see what your neighbors and friends in the garden club are doing , and perhaps be inspired to join us. Our membership is open to all. For further information, please call 631 751-2743.

Author Martina Matkovic is a member of the Three Village Garden Club.

METRO photo

By Rabbi Aaron Benson

Rabbi Aaron Benson

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.  We all know the saying and it does seem to be true. It also captures nicely the spirit of the Jewish New Year season which starts Monday night, Sept 6th, with the beginning of Rosh Hashanah. What do I mean?

In synagogues around the world, we read the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, the first five books of the Bible, on a yearly cycle reading a portion every week. As the New Year holidays begin, we find ourselves coming to the end of the annual cycle with the reading of the Book of Deuteronomy.  That book is read over the course of 11 weeks, about a fifth of the year. And for those not familiar with its subject matter, Deuteronomy is primarily a review of the events of the previous four books.  

We spend a fifth of the year, and a fifth of the Torah, doing review. This is intentional because our New Year season is meant to be one of review and reflection.  We consider our shortcomings, failures, and misdeeds of the past year, actively seek to mend hurt and broken relationships, and plan for how to do better in the year ahead.  

That is a lot to do! If you hadn’t started yet, you’d have a lot to accomplish between now and Monday! Judaism is an optimistic faith. We do not believe anyone is condemned to be bad with no hope of changing. Every year at this time, we celebrate the idea that people can change. But our tradition, as reflected in our liturgical calendar, also understands it is a lot of work to change what’s wrong in our lives.  

Using the annual reading cycle as a guide, we probably should be spending a lot more of our time reflecting on what we do so that we can learn from our mistakes and try again — try again carefully and with the wisdom of experience to guide us.

If you will be celebrating Rosh Hashanah, I wish you a sweet and happy new year. And to everyone, I strongly recommend a life with ample time carved out for reviewing who you are, who you want to be, how to become that person, and never giving up on that process. A lifetime dedicated to such a process will be one well lived.

The author is the rabbi of  North Shore Jewish Center in Port Jefferson Station.

John Turner points to a flock of Common Nighthawks passing overhead. Photo by Patricia Paladines

By John L. Turner

Beginning on Friday, August 27th, the Four Harbors Audubon Society will kick off its fifth season of the “Stone Bridge Nighthawk Watch” at Frank Melville Park in Setauket. Each night participants will meet on the north sidewalk of the Stone Bridge (where Main Street crosses the water) and count Common Nighthawks as they pass overhead during their fall migration.

The Watch begins at 5:30 p.m. and concludes at dusk each night, when observers typically see bats emerge to forage for insects over the ponds. Sometimes participants are rewarded with a dozen or so nighthawks feeding on aerial insects low over the ponds before it gets too dark.

Nighthawks, related to whip-poor-wills, are highly migratory birds that leave the Northern hemisphere in the autumn as their insect prey wanes, ending up a few weeks later in the Amazon River basin where they overwinter. Unfortunately, as with so many bird species the Common Nighthawk is declining and the Nighthawk Watch was established by the Four Harbors Audubon Society as an effort to gather more specific long-term data about its numbers and population trends. 

Participants often see other birds species such as Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Great Blue and Green Herons, Belted Kingfisher, many types of songbirds and mute swans. The Watch runs through to October 6. Please join us. The only items recommended for you to bring along are binoculars and a healthy curiosity about the natural world!

Frank Melville Memorial Park is located at 1 Old Field Road, Setauket. For more information, visit www.4has.org.

Stock photo

By Barbara Anne Kirshner

The mighty Yankees and the AL Central first place White Sox magically emerge from a voluminous cornfield to take their places on a well-manicured baseball diamond and the game begins.

This scene played as if right out of a movie, except this wasn’t a movie, it was an actual baseball game. But it wasn’t being played in a grand stadium, instead it was played in a regulation ball field in rural Dyersville, Iowa, surrounded by acres of tall corn only feet away from the original baseball field and house featured in the iconic Kevin Costner movie Field of Dreams.

The regular-season baseball game, which had been delayed for one year due to the COVID pandemic, finally played Thursday evening August 12. It was exciting as if scripted by Hollywood with a surprising edge of your seat twist at the end. 

The Yankees fought their way back from a 7-4 deficit at the top of the ninth when they rallied with a two-run homer from Aaron Judge, then another two-run homer by Giancarlo Stanton off the Sox closer Liam Hendriks, to make the score 8-7 in the Yankees’ favor. 

But the Yankees’ dreams of victory in Iowa were suddenly dashed when at the bottom of the ninth inning Tim Anderson hit the first pitch from Zack Britton to land a walk-off home run right in the middle of those corn fields giving the win to the White Sox.

Though the Yankees left in defeat, just being a part of this spectacular event was thrilling for the players and their fans. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, “That was as special and breathtaking a setting for a baseball game as I’ve ever been part of.” Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge said, “It was pretty cool driving in and seeing everybody standing on the side of the road, with signs, cheering us on as we’re coming in.”

This newly built 8,000 seat ballpark sits right next to the original built for the 1989 movie starring Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, Ray Liotta and James Earl Jones. Before the game, Costner ambled onto the outfield like his character Ray Kinsella and watched as the White Sox and Yankees walked out of the cornrows to take their places. 

Baseball in hand, Costner headed to the microphone while the original musical score from the movie accompanied him. The actor looked at the crowd and uttered, “It’s perfect. We’ve kept our promise. The dream is still alive. There’s probably just one question to answer. Is this heaven? Yes, it is.” And it was perfect; it was heaven. The dramatic introductory festivities were a prelude to this exciting game.

Throughout the evening there were clips from the movie featuring some of the classic quotes, adding to the enchantment of it all. One pivotal quote from James Earl Jones’ character Terrance Mann was “Ray, people will come Ray. They’ll come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom.”

And that’s exactly what happened Thursday, August 12, 2021. People came to Iowa to that magnetic cornfield to be part of the tradition of baseball, but more than that, they came to be part of a unique event. In addition to those in attendance were the 5.9 million total viewers on FOX Television, the largest audience for a regular season game on any network since 2005.

At the end of the movie, the ghost players were on the field with Ray Kinsella looking on. Suddenly, the catcher takes off his mask revealing he is Kinsella’s deceased dad and after a few words, the father and son play catch leaving all of us to ponder what if we could have just a few minutes to play catch with a loved one. 

Playing catch is such a singularly inviting activity for two people. The ball and the throw unite the pair. If only I could have one more moment with my mom, the person who introduced me to baseball and her beloved Yankees. If we could play catch like we did when I was a kid, what I would give for the chance to relive that moment with her. 

Fans and players lingered after the game, then finally started their pilgrimage back home with the wish for one more moment.

Thankfully, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred announced that the Field of Dreams game will return to Dyersville, Iowa next August 2022. The teams taking part are undecided as of this writing.

Miller Place resident Barbara Anne Kirshner is a freelance journalist, playwright and author of “Madison Weatherbee —The Different Dachshund.”

From left, Michael and Deborah Livering and Terri Morrissey with an announcement that PAS will reopen in September. Photo from PAS

By Michael Tessler

What is a community without theatre? Theatre brings us comfort, joy, a sense of wonder, togetherness, and an appreciation for life. For children, especially those lucky enough to find themselves on stage, it is a great escape and a wonderful place to learn about humanity and its many expressions. It is a safe way to learn and explore. For theatre kids like me, it is a home away from home and the place you can truly feel most like yourself. 

For so many children in our community, the Performing Arts Studio (PAS) of New York at 224 East Main Street in Port Jefferson is the beating heart of our hometown. Mayor Margot Garant has called it a “hidden gem.” Right now, this incredible staple of our village is in need of our help. 

For 25 years, a dynamic trio who has brought music, laughter, tears, and every imaginable expression of the arts to a small but magical theatre in Port Jefferson. They are a gift to this community. Deborah and Michael Livering  and Terri Morrissey were some of the first people to ever believe in me. They are true professionals. Class acts who have impeccable talent and have chosen to dedicate their lives to helping young performers find themselves and immerse themselves in all the wonder and adventure theatre has to offer. 

This small studio is unique. Its black box stage is cozy but limitless. Countless children have spent their days after school and summer breaks discovering themselves and the magic of the arts. This is a place where lifelong friends are made. I would know; even two decades later and my old cast members still feel like family. 

Times Beacon Record News Media has been the beneficiary of PAS’ great talent as well; our paper’s first original film One Life to Give and its sequel, Traitor, featured several veteran actors trained at PAS including Dave Morrissey, Jr. and Max Golub.

A veteran of Broadway, Deborah Livering has taken her remarkable voice and talent and used it to uplift a new generation of performers. Her husband Michael is a master of the keyboard and Miss Terri is the most beautiful and pure soul you’ll ever meet — the lessons she’s taught me and countless other children have guided us through life and endure long after curtain call.

PAS has been closed due to COVID-19 since March of 2020 and forced to downsize. The show must go on and our friends at PAS need our help. They’ve launched a GoFundMe with plans to reopen in September and the community has already been pouring in with words of encouragement and much needed donations. 

Theatre isn’t just great entertainment. It is the embodiment of community — countless individuals coming together to make something truly magical. Let’s help make sure live theatre makes a roaring comeback in Port Jefferson. You can support PAS by donating at https://gofund.me/89cc325e.

I’d also strongly encourage you to visit my dear friend Jeffrey Sanzel and the amazing folks at Theatre Three as they return to live shows. How blessed we are as a community to have stages filled with so much love and endless talent. Tickets are on sale now! 

Michael Tessler is a film and television producer living in Los Angeles. He previously served as Director of Media Productions for TBR News Media and is a proud PAS alum.

Ira Dunne, president of The Social Brain in Port Jefferson Station, at last month’s Bike and Helmet Safety Day event. Photo from the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce

By Joan Nickeson

Selfless and supportive. There are many 501c3 nonprofits in our communities, which hold a special recognition by the state and local governments. In the old days we referred to them as “charities.” 

Being charitable has never been more important, so I’m shining the light on one exceptional organization, The Social Brain, founded by Ira Dunne. 

A behavioral specialist with a master’s in therapeutic recreation, Dunne has transformed the lives of traumatic brain injury survivors on Long Island and their office center is right here in Port Jefferson Station.

“Traumatic brain injury survivors may be getting support during the week, but come the weekend, there is a void,” Dunne said. “Building social activities that accommodate their physical challenges has lacked organized support. That’s why we created the Social Brain.”

They just completed their first music therapy event, where clients interacted with a certified therapist and 15 different instruments. Dunne explained how singing of familiar songs builds cognitive skills, sparking memories. Manipulating instruments motivates and engages the individuals in a fun group setting. 

The Social Brain, a member of the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce, recently held a hugely successful Bike and Helmet Safety Day at the chamber train car. 

TBR News Media covered the event where new helmets were given away to children and adults, and the importance of head protection was discussed. All helmets had been donated via the Social Brain website; thesocialbrain.org. 

One hundred percent of their services are provided through donations. For more information contact Ira Dunne at 631-793-4311 or [email protected].

Joan Nickeson is an active member of the PJS/Terryville community and community liaison to the PJS/T Chamber of Commerce.

Irene Lechner

We asked our readers to share some memories of their mothers, just in time for Mother’s Day! Here are some of the responses:

The Recipe for the Perfect Mom

Robin Lemkin

Around the kitchen table is where we feel most at home. When we think of our mom Robin Lemkin, we think about all the love and time she pours into making a delicious home-cooked meal and making time for family. Our mom has always valued the importance of a family dinner and making sure we all sat together as one happy unit. Our mom always feels a sense of calm when she crafts a new recipe and is always eager to share it with us. So much so, that she has enabled that knack for love of the kitchen in the two of us. And for that, we say thank you and compliments to the chef! We love you, Mom! Happy Mother’s Day. 

      — Love, Hayley Lemkin and Meredith Lemkin, East Setauket

Diane Werner

My mother Diane Werner was a warrior who loved unconditionally, taught her students with undeniable passion, and told it like she saw it. She was the best role model a girl could have, and her presence is felt in everything I teach my daughter. We miss her every day.

Stefanie Werner, East Setauket

 

 

 

 

Irene Lechner

My mother Irene Lechner is the most special person in my life. I greatly admire her strength, integrity and work ethic. She is my rock, my protector, my compass in life, my best friend, and my personal life coach and daily therapist. She isn’t afraid to speak her mind. She loves animals, especially cats and supports many no kill shelters. My mom also has a great love for adventure, specifically roller coasters; the scarier the better! I’m forever thankful she is my mother.

Kathleen Gobos, Holbrook

 

 

 

Me and my mom Geraldine and I were both hard working scholars. She rode horses with my dad and went out on sailing trips with the family. She supported my sports play for a more balanced education. She was from Brooklyn and met my dad in Miller Place. They were married for 52 years raising 4 kids in Stony Brook. When we talked about the issues we always looked for a positive outcome. She passed on in 2002 with my dad, but her legacy will live forever.

John Whitton

Pixabay photo

By Aida von Oiste

In 2018 the Swedes coined the phrase plogging “plock a upp” to encourage picking up roadside garbage. In 2019 Colorado added “plalking while walking” to persuade walkers to do the same.

I live two blocks south of Setauket Harbor. The joy of each morning is walking around the harbor to breathe in the beauty of nature and feast in its seemingly tranquil existence. 

As Spring arrives, I look and listen for the mating call of the red-winged blackbird as they return in mid February, along with the geese who fly in formation above me. Up until the red-winged blackbirds arrival, I often hear the call of the red cardinal and watch its brilliant red flash, along with the blue jays squawking year round and robins and sparrows who have been here throughout the winter.

Summer brings out the mockingbirds singing their varied songs. Wrens and crows surface and an occasional little yellow warbler flies by teasing me with its bright yellow. Summer is filled with nature exploding and reproducing. The swans and geese nest, the hawks and owls terrorize the small birds and chipmunks. You see many a bird fighting to protect its territory and keep its mate. Deer families cross the road, a turkey followed by her babies. Not to be outdone are the geese crossing the road with their babies following stopping traffic. The seagulls are here year round.

Fall brings the departure of the red-winged blackbirds, but the harbor is filled with a swan “convention.” Beautifully colored male ducks and their drab mates, and an occasional crane or heron graze nearby as the boats leave their summer lodgings for winter storage. The gun shot of hunters ring out through late fall and winter. A dreaded sound!

The last few months I’ve taken to walking with a plastic bag to pick up the debris strewn by passing cars who throw their garbage out their windows. Empty cigarettes and cigar packages are the most numerous offenders followed by cans and glass bottles of soda, sparkling water, beer cans, and vodka bottles. Discarded tissues and napkins, McDonald’s meal debris, paper bags filled with leftover wrappings from a local deli and lots of plastic bags. Some are filled with dog waste and dumped on the side of the road.

My bag fills up quickly. Cardboard boxes blown by the wind don’t fit so I put them under my arm. But, I leave the dead fish for the seagulls. 

Once it was an occasional can I could pick up on the side of the road. Now a bag is quickly filled up each way. We can’t stop the “jerks” from throwing out their trash when they drive through, but we can carry a trash bag and go “plalking while walking.” So, please join me in keeping our home pristine!

Photo by Barbara Anne Kirshner

By Barbara Anne Kirshner

Hair … It is our crown.

We spend billions of dollars coiffing it. 

We have it shaped, colored, highlighted, blown out, straightened, curled, and conditioned.

But what happens when our crowning jewel is threatened?

Too many hear a doctor sympathetically announce, “I’m sorry, but you have cancer.”

After that frightening diagnosis is flung into the air, what is the treatment? Many are forced to undergo the next Big-C Word-Chemotherapy.

Chemo’s harsh attack is the common choice for killing cancer and keeping it from spreading, but in so doing, it ravages the body and those once-prized locks fall out in clumps.

This shocking side effect of chemo compounds the tragedy of the cancer diagnosis.

What recourse does one have when that cherished mane disappears? Some resort to simple scarves wrapped around the now bare head or big picture hats, but there is another solution; a solution that will build the morale as it resurrects that once bounteous coif. 

That’s where technicians, like my sister Judy, come into play. She works in hair replacement. Many of the people she sees each day are facing the greatest battle of their lives against the Big-C. These people are starved for a sense of normalcy. They long to look in a mirror and see their former selves before cancer took control of their lives. These valiant warriors reject disappearing until treatment is over. This is a motivating factor in seeking out someone like my sister.

I never thought about my sister’s profession. I knew what she did and figured that we both chose people-oriented careers (I am a teacher). But I never really considered what my sister did for the morale of people until I saw how she helped a dear friend of mine who was diagnosed with cancer.

The treatment for my friend was aggressive chemo. She was admitted to the hospital for a week each month and hooked up to constant chemo. This left her depleted of all energy and feeling terribly nauseous. Her hair that she had always been meticulous about started falling out. 

Prior to cancer, she had it regularly colored with highlights added. She wore it straight, shoulder-length and for summers added a Brazilian treatment. She lamented the effects of chemo, particularly the loss of her hair. She told me that she might get a wig, because she wanted to return to work. That’s when I suggested she see my sister.

With hope in her heart, she made an appointment at the hair replacement shop where my sister works, The Riviera in Syosset. She was greeted by Jack, the owner of the shop. His understanding immediately comforted her. He asked her for a photo so he had some idea of her preferred hairstyle.

When the wig was delivered, my sister went to work on her. The moment my sister replaced the bald head with luscious tresses the emotion set in. My friend dissolved in tears of joy, the first happiness that she had experienced since that dire diagnosis. She was immediately impressed by my sister’s gentle nature and care.

My friend’s confidence returned with the return of her hair. She went back to work with her upbeat nature intact.

Her emotional transformation made me realize the very special and delicate work my sister does every day with people like my friend who long for life before cancer. My sister rebuilds self-esteem; such a priceless gift.

I am thrilled to report that my friend is now cancer free and her natural hair has grown back. She has developed a bond with my sister, thankful for the return of her confidence that came at such a crucial time.

This close-up look has given me a better insight and appreciation for what Judy does every day for countless cancer patients and I’m bursting with pride that she is my sister.

Miller Place resident Barbara Anne Kirshner is a freelance journalist, playwright and author of “Madison Weatherbee —The Different Dachshund.”