Port Jefferson’s Royals fought hard at the at the Bob Armstrong Memorial Cup multi-school wrestling tournament held at Earl L. Vandermeulen High School Dec. 15.
Port Jeff’s Rick D’Elia, at 120 pounds, took top spot on the podium in for the Royals wrestling team
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By Bill Landon
Mount Sinai Mustangs showed off their wrestling chops Dec. 15 during the annual Bob Armstrong Memorial Cup multischool wrestling tournament at Earl L. Vandermeulen High School in Port Jefferson.
In five different weight classes Mount Sinai’s Jack Tyrell, Joe O’Brien, Joe Goodrich, Mike Sabella and Matt Campo each took the top spot on the podium.
More than 400 people crowded onto the Shoreham-Wading River High School soccer field Dec. 15 to race in the first annual Andrew’s Run, but one family especially that crossed the finish line did so to cheers and applause that resounded all across the North Shore community.
John McMorris, the father of 12-year-old Boy Scout Andrew McMorris who died in October, walked and ran with his son’s framed photograph clenched in his hand. As he and Andrew’s mother, Alisa, strolled over the finish line that morning, John stuck up his hands in triumph, knowing it would go to support his son’s memory.
“This is how the community comes together,” he said. “The community is the only way we’ve been able to heal — to continue to heal.”
Andrew, who was a seventh-grader at Albert G. Prodell Middle School in Shoreham, died Oct. 1 after an alleged drunk driver struck him and four of his fellow Scouts in Boy Scout Troop 161 while they were walking along the shoulder of David Terry Road in Manorville during a hike. The McMorris family said
Andrew was going to do his first practice for the middle school cross country team that same day, but his life was ended before he could fulfill that ambition.
The run was brought together through the efforts of 16-year-old Miller Place High School student Danelle Rose, who helped prepare everything from the race’s route across the fields at SWR High School to coordinating with the school and the Strong Island Running Club professional time takers, who donated their services for free to the run.
All the funds are going to support Boy Scout Troop 161 in their effort to build a new 3,200 square foot Adirondack cabin at Baiting Hollow Scout Camp in Wading River, which will be named McMorris Lodge in honor of Andrew. The run raised over $8,000 for the lodge.
Several members of local Boy Scouts, including those from Troop 161 and Troop 204 from Miller Place, ran in the race, some in their full Boy Scout uniforms. While weather forecasts called for rain that Saturday morning, Troop 161 Scoutmaster Matthew Yakaboski said it was a sign that good things may still come from tragedy.
“I think Andrew was shining down on us today,” Yakaboski said.
By Bill Landon
The Patriots girls basketball team got off to a slow start trailing 15-1 early in the first quarter Dec. 17 and even though they rallied back, in the end it was too little too late as Longwood edged Ward Melville 68-65.
Lauren Hansen, above left, had the hot hand for the Patriots at the home game, leading her team with three triples, three field goals and a pair of free throws for 17 points. Bre Cohn, below left, followed with three field goals, a triple netting three from the line tallied 12 points. Jamie Agostino, above right, banked 11. Below right, Ward Melville senior Noelle Richardson drives the lane.
The loss drops Ward Melville to 1-1 in league play 3-1 overall. The Patriots are back in action when they hit the road for another league matchup Dec. 19 against Sachem North. Results were not available at press time.
For more photos from the game, visit www.tbrnewsmedia.com.
By Bill Landon
Smithtown High School West’s varsity wrestling team got off to a shaky start on the mats, but battled their way back Dec. 14.
Northport High School briefly took a 19-18 lead over the West Bulls, but Smithtown dropped the hammer late. The team defeated the Tigers, 41-21, in the League III matchup.
The win puts the West Bulls at 2-0 for the season, while Northport dropped to 1-1. Next, Smithtown will take to the road to compete against Mount Sinai in a nonleague match Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. The Tigers will travel to take on Riverhead Dec. 21 at 4:30 p.m.
The Three Village Historical Society hosted its annual Candlelight House Tour on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of this annual holiday event, the tour featured six locations, which included five residences, each individually decorated by a talented local interior designer, and a rare look inside the Setauket Grist Mill. Participants also had the option of attending an evening reception at the Old Field Club or breakfast at the Stony Brook Yacht Club,
Decked out in holiday splendor, every location welcomed an unprecedented number of visitors and was staffed by a rotation of dedicated volunteers. Though presented through a fresh vision, tours of yesteryear were acknowledged through the inclusion of certain houses that had been previously featured.
Additionally, Eva Glaser and Liz Tyler Carey, who were inaugural event chairs, returned as decorators for one of the homes, which also featured a pop-up holiday boutique consisting of unique gift items. All proceeds from those sales went to the planned restoration of the Dominic Crawford Barn.
The nearly sold out event raised a significant amount of money for the Three Village Historical Society’s Education Fund. Many people gave of their talents, time and services to create the festive fundraiser.
This beloved seasonal tradition would not exist without the generosity of the event chairs, Patty Cain and Patty Yantz, as well as the food and beverage sponsors, homeowners, Three Village Historical Society administrative staff, house chairs, decorators, volunteers, members, supporters and community at large.
All photos by Pam Botway
The Huntington Arts Council recently unveiled its latest exhibit, Discovering Long Island.The juried show features the works of over 40 artists who were selected after submitting work inspired by Long Island’s history and to create a work that focused on an aspect of Long Island’s cultural and natural heritage. Some suggestions were the seaside industry, farm life, Native Americans, the American Revolution, art colonies, photos and paintings of historic landmarks and sites, portraits of reenactors, sculptures of ancestors and assemblages with local artifacts.
Participating artists include Beth A. Atkinson, Anne Barash Breitstein, Holly Black, Paul Cammarata, Christine Carbone, Dorothy M. Chanin, Philip Costa, Joseph Cutolo, Madeline Daversa, Doris Diamond, Vicki Mies Field, Jim Finlayson, Phyllis Goodfriend, Jan Guarino, Rodee Hansen, Beth Heit, Gerry Hirschstein, Geraldine Hoffman, Sonya Horowitz/SRH Perspectives, Melissa Johnides, Kate Kelly, Theo Lau, Jacques LeBlanc, Edward Lee, Melissa Maiello, Carol A. Marano, Jane McGraw, Kristen Memoli, John Micheals, Drigo Morin, Amanda Prangenberg, Howard Pohl, Denis Ponsot, Alissa Rosenberg, Saul Rosenstreich, Jim Sabiston, Donald Sadowsky, Michelle Sepanski, Roya Shamsdiba, Joan Sicignano, Kate Sydney and Don Wilson.
“The works submitted for the Discovering Long Island exhibition were an excellent representation of the spirit of the local landscape and community. I truly enjoyed seeing how the artists conveyed this spirit through varying mediums, from traditional paintings and photographs to three-dimensional and abstract pieces,” said juror Stephanie Gress, director of curatorial affairs for the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport.
Gress chose Anne Barash Breitstein of Huntington’s “Baymen” as Best in Show. Honorable Mentions included “Starry Night at the Fire Island Lighthouse” by Alissa Rosenberg of Commack, “A Day at the Movies” by Donald Sadowsky of Roslyn Heights, “Eaton’s Neck Arrowhead” by Kate Sydney of Northport, “The Memory” by Christine Carbone of Kings Park and “Heckscher Museum” by Theo Lau of Northport.
“Long Island is rich with history and the submissions for this show truly reflect the uniqueness of this call to artists. It’s wonderful to see how artists presented their interpretations is such diverse ways with featuring everything from Long Island lighthouses to an image of a hat maker to a pastel portrait of Walt Whitman. This is a terrific show,” said Executive Director Marc Courtade.
The Huntington Arts Council’s Main Street Gallery, 213 Main St., Huntington will present Discovering Long Island through Jan. 5. For more information, call 631-271-8423 or visit www.huntingtonarts.org.
To see more images from the exhibit, visit www.tbrnewsmedia.com.
By Bill Landon
Ward Melville squared off against the Newfield Wolverines out on the strip Dec. 8 in a three-way bout with Brentwood. The Patriots had their hands full with a surging Newfield squad but edged the Wolverines 16-11 to remain unbeaten 3-0 in Suffolk League II.
The Patriots are back out on the strip Dec. 13 where they’ll host Centereach starting at 5 p.m. at Ward Melville High School. The Patriots and Wolverines will also compete in a holiday tournament invitational Dec. 15 at Brentwood High School. First bout scheduled for 9 a.m.
By Bill Landon
The Harborfields girls varsity basketball team traveled to Bay Shore for a nonleague match where the Tornadoes squeezed out a 45-41 victory Dec. 7.
Senior Casey Nickerson led her team in scoring with 17 points that included three treys, while senior Celia
Argiriou tacked on 12, and senior guard Colleen Dwyer banked 9 points for her team.
The Lady Tornadoes will be back in action Dec. 13 as they host Eastport/South Manorville at 6 p.m.
A Nesconset school that provides educational opportunities for deaf children is pleading for the public’s help in funding a new playground for its students.
The yard outside Cleary School for the Deaf in Nesconset lies barren, as old split railroad ties square off desolate sections of rock devoid of any slides or swings. Jacqueline Simms, the school’s executive director, said the school was forced to remove its 30-year-old wooden playgrounds in May after an engineer determined they were “inappropriate” and did not meet New York State Department of Education’s safety requirements.
Since then, parents of its deaf students have launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking to raise $100,000 toward a playground.
“These are school-aged children with disabilities who don’t have a playground.”
— Nicole Abbene
“These are school-aged children with disabilities who don’t have a playground,” Nicole Abbene, of Smithtown, said. “They already feel different in regard to their disability, so for them to have a playground would allow them to have the same opportunity as every other child.”
Abbene said her son, Liam, has attended Cleary since he was 3 months old in their Parent Infant Program, designed for children with profound hearing loss from birth through age 3, with their families. Now, at age 4, he’s in a full-day preschool program for children ages 3 to 7 that has approximately 50 enrolled students from 36 school districts across Suffolk County.
“We have a growing enrollment — a huge growing enrollment — that we are meeting with our [state] legislators to see if we can do something about,” Simms said.
The executive director said the state’s funding for the school has not increased proportionally to the influx of students, leaving it tight on funds for capital improvements and the latest technology needed to assist its hearing-impaired children. Simms said she has applied to several grant programs but has yet to be awarded any money.
“I took them outside, and we started to play hide-and-seek. There was no place to hide.”
— Katie Kerzner
“We’ve been trying to do everything to accommodate our population and help with the struggle of not having a playground,” she said.
The school’s staff has set up a small portable jungle gym, a few sand tables and set out tricycles and foot-powered minicars for the children to play on the blacktop. It has created a small play loft in its library, but Principal Katie Kerzner said these don’t fully fill the gap with the opportunities the children would have with an outdoor playground.
“I took them outside, and we started to play hide-and-seek,” she said. “There was no place to hide.”
Kerzner said teaching her preschool children games has been difficult without a playground. In addition, the principal said students’ interaction on playground equipment can provide vital life lessons.
“For children with hearing loss, they need opportunities to practice having those language experiences,” she said. “For our kids it’s all about language. They need more typical, realistic situations to practice their skills.”
“We are all aching to have something for the spring.”
— Katie Kerzner
The GoFundMe campaign launched by Abbene has raised more than $6,000, as of press time, for an age-appropriate playground for children ages 3 to 7. Cleary’s executive director said the school once had three playgrounds divided by age group: birth to age 3, ages 3 to 7, and a third for older school-aged children in its full-time summer programs. The school has received an estimate of $150,000 to replace one playground, according to Simms, and would require significantly more funds to purchase new age-appropriate, handicapped-accessible equipment for all its students.
“We are all aching to have something for the spring,” the principal said. “Our goal is when the kids open that door, after the snow melts, there’s something out there that will facilitate their play.”
In recent weeks, the GoFundMe campaign has captured the attention of some local businesses, who have stepped forward offering aid, and community residents. Simms said one generous individual stepped into the school to donate $150 in person, not sure how to give via the website. While she is “extremely grateful,” Cleary still needs to raise significant funds.
“The playground presents itself as a must,” Kerzner said. “It’s not something on a wish list. It’s a have-to-have.”
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