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Maple Family Centers hosted its BVL Tournament of Champions at Maple Lanes RVC in Rockville Centre on June 7. The annual event benefitted Bowlers to Veterans Link (BVL), a national charity that supports local recreational therapy programs for America’s veteran and active-duty service men and women. During the tournament’s opening ceremonies, Maple Family Centers presented a total of $75,000 to three Long Island-based veterans’ organizations.

Maple presented $50,000 to Long Island State Veterans Home, a 350-bed skilled nursing facility that also provides adult day healthcare and rehabilitation services for veterans and their families. Maple is a long-time supporter of the organization, who will apply this most recent donation to its Courtyard Project, a major outdoor renovation.

Maple also donated $20,000 to Long Beach Waterfront Warriors, a volunteer-driven charity that brings veterans – including Walter Reed National Military Medical Center residents – and their families to Long Beach for an all-expenses-paid week-long vacation. Finally, Hooks for Heroes, an Island Park-based charity that brings veterans on charter fishing trips, was awarded $5,000.

All adult league bowlers at Maple’s three New York area bowling centers – in Rockville Centre, Coram and Flushing – were invited to compete for the tournament by making a $5 donation to BVL. Many bowlers made weekly donations, incentivized by Maple Family Centers, which gave them a free practice game and entered them into weekly prize drawings for each $5 contribution. In total, there were more than 5,000 individual donations, and the 150 top scorers earned a spot in the three-game tournament (with handicap).

The grand champion was Sal Lauretta, who bowls out of Maple’s Coram Country Lanes. He received a cash prize and a free year of bowling. Overall, the top 10 scorers won cash prizes. There were also additional contests and prizes, including donated bowling equipment and apparel, and raffles, ensuring many bowlers went home with something.

“Congratulations to Sal and all the winners and participants. It was a great day at the lanes, and we were very proud to present $75,000 to support the work of three Long Island organizations whose therapeutic recreation programs improve the lives of our nation’s heroes,” said John LaSpina, President of Maple Family Centers. “These donations would not be possible without the generous support of Maple bowlers, who understand our company’s mission to brighten the lives of veterans every day and who enthusiastically contribute to this cause.”

Over the years, Maple Family Centers has raised more than $850,000 for veterans’ charities through BVL, including more than $250,000 for Long Island State Veterans Home.

“We extend our deepest gratitude to the LaSpina family and Maple Family Centers for their generous donation to the Long Island State Veterans Home,” said Fred S. Sganga, FACHE, Executive Director of the Long Island State Veterans Home. “Their unwavering support significantly enhances both the quality of life and the quality of care for our nation’s veterans. The LaSpina family’s commitment to our veterans is truly commendable, and we are immensely grateful for their dedication to ensuring our heroes receive the respect and care they deserve.”

About Maple Family Centers

Providing fun for friends and families since 1960, Maple Family Centers consists of five family-owned bowling centers including Coram Country Lanes in Coram, N.Y.; Maple Lanes RVC in Rockville Centre, N.Y.; Jib Lanes in Flushing, N.Y.; Maple Lanes Countryside in Clearwater, Fla.; and Maple Lanes Lakeland in Lakeland, Fla. A third-generation family business owned and operated by the LaSpina family, Maple Family Centers is all about entertaining the community and building relationships. The LaSpina family share their joy of bowling with families and sports enthusiasts and lead MFC in supporting the needs of the community by creating fundraising opportunities for nonprofit agencies.

By William Stieglitz

“We won’t be erased,” shouted attendees on June 8 at the 35th Annual Long Island Pride Parade, led in the chant by parade co-founder David Kilmnick. The parade’s theme of Defiant Joy, explained LGBT Network CEO Robert Vitelli, was aimed at being “defiant in the face of being told we don’t exist.”

Rainbow-clad cars and marchers made their way down Huntington’s Main Street with flags, balloon arches and floats, all to the cheers of attendees stretching from Clinton Avenue to Spring Road. Local organizations, including activist groups, businesses, synagogues and churches, marched with banners of support, while others performed live music or danced on roller skates. The march flowed directly into the pride festival at Heckscher Park, where attendees were met with many activities.

Hecksher Museum of Art Director Heather Arnet with a piece by Amy Adler. Photo by William Stieglitz

Attendees could enjoy food trucks and vendor booths, congregate at the beer garden or take photos against pride-themed backgrounds. A kids’ zone featured a bounce house, inflatable slide and balloon arches to run through in every color of the rainbow. And The Hecksher Museum of Art, located inside the park, offered free admission to their new “All of Me with All of You” exhibit, featuring work from over 90 LGBTQ+ artists. The collection, explained museum Director Heather Arnet, features art ranging from the mid-19th century to modern day, with the oldest piece being sculptor Emma Stebbin’s marble bust of her romantic partner Charlotte Cushman.

The festival’s biggest feature, however, was the performances on the Chapin Rainbow Stage. Co-hosted by the “mermaid of New York” drag queen Bella Noche and “CBS News New York” John Dias, the show featured the Long Island Gay Men’s Chorus, performances from the musicals “Fowl Play” and “Anything Goes” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race“ queens Tina Burner and Kori King, the latter of whom went into the audience and wooed the crowd with death drops. The audience was also treated to songs from the parade’s grand marshals, “The Voice” finalist Shye Roberts and singer-songwriter Ryan Cassata, who both have local roots. “The LGBT Network really saved my life,” said Cassata, “and it’s a big part of my success.”

Other guests included local poet and Stonewall Uprising veteran Rita Rusty Rose. “I’ve been here since the very beginning, when Steven [Heneghan] and them formed Long Island Pride,” said Rose. “It’s more important to be out and about right now with the political pressure and the hate that we have.”

Kilmnick echoed this sentiment, urging resistance against political efforts of erasure. He spoke on how he and others fought in court to establish the first parade in 1991 and how he now works to oppose actions such as the removal of Long Island native Harvey Milk’s name from a navy ship, who was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California and was later assassinated. “[It’s] not a time to be nice,” Kilmnick said. “But it’s a time to love.”

By William Stieglitz

On Monday, June 9, the Brookhaven Landfill Action and Remediation Group (BLARG) rallied outside the Brookhaven Town Hall in Farmingville to call for the closure of the Brookhaven landfill and the development of “zero -waste” solutions. Pollution from the landfill, activists argued, has endangered the health and safety of those in North Bellport, where the landfill is located, and that its closure would provide both environmental and economic benefits.

“This landfill has been with our community for fifty plus years,” said BLARG co-founder Monique Fitzgerald. She introduced herself as a proud descendant of the Setalcott Nation, which originally occupied Brookhaven’s land, and described the landfill in the minority community as “a monument to environmental racism.” The closure of the landfill, she said, had been repeatedly promised since the 1980s, but each time the landfill had been expanded instead. “It is 270 feet tall. It’s one of the tallest structures in Suffolk County.” According to Fitzgerald, Brookhaven Town Councilman Michael Loguercio (R, Ridge) had previously said the landfill would close in 2024.

Loguercio said, “The landfill is forecasted to close sometime in 2028, consistent with our plan” and argued activists were spreading the false impression it could be closed sooner. He also said that as a Gold Star Family member, he objected to the setting of the rally, a memorial for fallen soldiers outside the town hall, being used for what he considered a “fanciful charade.”

William Kokell, however, who spoke at the rally as a veteran and as a member of the South Country Peace Group, said the landfill had become too large, and swift action needed to be taken to protect children’s lives. “I’ve been all over the Pacific Ocean, all over a lot of Southeast Asia. I have never ever, ever seen anything even close to that.” He said his son went to school with three young men from North Bellport who developed cancer, attributing the disease to air and water pollution in the area. 

John McNamara, who spoke as a coordinator from Christians Against Racism in the Apostolic Spirit (CARITAS), said solutions could be reached through a four-step plan toward zero waste. 

Step 1, he said, is to adopt a Save Money and Reduce Trash, or SMART, program, where instead of a set fee, “you just pay money for the amount of trash that you dispose of.” Step 2 is to implement both the “Bigger, Better Bottle Bill” and the “Manufacturer’s Responsibility Bill” in the state senate and assembly. The first, he explained, would allow more kinds of bottles to be covered for recycling, while the second would incentivize manufacturers to rely more on recyclable materials and limit the use of toxic chemicals. Step 3 would be a townwide composting program for Brookhaven, and Step 4 would be establishing “reuse and repair” centers for people to bring no longer wanted items where others could come to pick them up.

In terms of economic benefits, McNamara argued zero-waste policies would save taxpayer money he says is currently used to ship a portion of Brookhaven’s waste off the island to landfills in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and upstate New York. Fitzgerald also argued that the landfill, by bringing in industries like warehouses and truck terminals, and that this comes at the expense of funding needed to keep teachers employed at South Country district schools. 

Loguercio, responding to the topic, said, “We would love to reach a point of zero waste, so would everyone else in America, but it doesn’t work because the strength of the markets for recycling just don’t exist.” Fitzgerald, however, reading a statement from Zero Waste USA, argued that “communities across the US” using zero-waste policies have “cut their waste stream in half within a few short years: achieving 60%, 70% and 80% reductions.”

“We are looking for a partnership for zero waste,” said Fitzgerald. “We are looking to create, procreate, co-design, and get our hands dirty right along with the council and the town supervisor Dan Panico [R], so this is on all of us to do.”

By Bill Landon

The Miller Place Panthers softball team made it look easy with a 3-0 shutout win over Nassau champion Mineola at Farmingdale State College to capture their second consecutive Long Island Class A championship on June 5.

Whether it was Breya Kesler’s two-out double to drive in two runs in the top of the third or Sadie Bryant’s RBI in the top of the sixth, the Panthers executed both on the field and behind the plate to hold Mineola scoreless. Pitching ace Ave Zicchinelli allowed just one hit. 

Zicchinelli, a senior, fanned eight batters to propel the Panthers for the second year in a row to the New York State regional final against Marlboro Central (section IX), on Sunday June 8 at the Martha Ave sports complex in Bellport. The win advanced the Panthers to the semi-final round on Tuesday where they made short work of Bayport-Blue Point with a 7-1 victory behind another stellar performance from Zicchinelli, who pitched a no hitter and fanned 13 batters.

The win propels the Panthers to the Suffolk Class A championship game on June 14 where they will face either Kings Park or a Bayport-Blue Point. First pitch is slated for 10:00 a.m.

–Photos by Bill Landon

By Tara Mae

On view from June 12 to September 21 at the Long Island Museum (LIM) in Stony Brook, The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art explores the sense and sensation of an art form that lauds the intricate vibrancy and nuances of nature.

The Triumph of Nature celebrates the florid, languorous curves, natural motifs, and refined elegance of Art Nouveau furniture, glass, and other works that have entranced generations of collectors and museum-goers since the apex of this brief but intense movement around the turn of the twentieth century,” said LIM Co-Executive Director Joshua Ruff.

Large enough to span two of LIM’s galleries, this 120 piece exhibit is visiting from the Art Nouveau collection of the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Virginia. 

It includes glassworks, furniture, paintings, and sculptures from artisans and artists of the late 1800s and early 1900s, including Louis Comfort Tiffany, Tiffany & Co., Gustav Klimt, Louis Majorelle, Alphonse Mucha, Emmanuel Lansyer, and Émile Gallé. 

LIM’s showcase is just one stop on a 13 museum national tour. 

“We heard about this traveling exhibition in 2022 and signed on as soon as we could, excited to share this incredible collection of objects with our audience. We are glad that we booked it when we did, it was fully scheduled almost immediately,” Ruff said. “It is traveling to art museums all around the country, including California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, so we are pleased to be the only museum hosting it in New York.”

Both The Triumph of Nature and the Chrysler Museum have ties to Long Island. Tiffany lived on a 600-acre estate in Laurel Hollow, Laurelton Hall, an 84-room mansion of Art Nouveau design that blended Islamic and nature motifs. Walter P. Chrysler and his family, for whom the Chrysler Museum is named, had a summer home in Kings Point; it is now Wiley Hall at the US Merchant Marine Academy. 

Walter P. Chrysler Junior grew up visiting the house and with his wife, Jean, established the Chrysler Museum’s extensive Art Nouveau holdings. 

This is LIM’s first exhibit solely dedicated to the genre. A style generally inspired by natural imagery, defined by foliate forms and sinuous lines, its influence is found in many mediums. Popularized during the Belle Époque period, which started in France and swept Europe, Art Nouveau celebrates the whimsy, wit, and wonder of the movement, as well its ongoing impact on art. 

“I think people are much more familiar with Art Deco, and this exhibition indicates the inheritance that Art Deco had from Art Nouveau. But I think that the curves and beautiful forms influenced much modern design, and you can see the continuing influence of Nouveau in contemporary graphic design, textile design, furniture, and fashion,” Ruff said. 

Its narrative thread also weaves through two exhibits LIM will be installing later this season: Gatsby at 100, which looks at the centennial of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, and Giants and Gems, which examines scale in art and design. 

“I think that there is a lot of synergy between these three exhibitions, and I’m looking forward to seeing it all through our visitors eyes and see what they take away and enjoy and learn from,” Ruff said. 

Located at 1200 Route 25A in Stony Brook, the Long Island Museum is open Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Fridays through Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults; $10 for seniors, age 62 and older; $10 for students, ages 6-17 and college students with ID; $5 for persons with disabilities, personal care assistants are free. Admission for children under age six, active and retired military, and LIM members are also free.

For more information about The Triumph of Nature and other upcoming shows and events, visit www.longislandmuseum.org. 

By Steven Zaitz

Gallery North held its 21st annual Wet Paint Festival June 7 and 8 at the Merritt Hawkins Homestead and Nassakeag Elementary School grounds in Setauket. Area artists painted in the genre known as “plein air” — a French term that translates to “open air” and refers to the practice of painting outdoors, capturing scenes directly from nature.

While artists young, old and in-between were scattered across the wooded grounds, other visitors took part in guided tours and listened to The Fox Hill Chamber Music Consortium and blues artist Kane Daily, while enjoying food and children’s activities. 

History and nature tours were given throughout the weekend.

Loretta Oberheim, originally from Ronkonkoma and known for her three-dimensional art and rug design, was one of the tour guides at the Wet Paint Festival.

“I think the nice thing about these types of events is the true human connection,” Oberheim said. “You’re able to see what other artists are actually up to in person and not just from a social media feed. It’s very communal and all the artists will stop, walk around and check out each other’s pieces and talk about art. That’s why festivals like this are so important.”

For more information visit the gallery’s website: www.gallerynorth.org.

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Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Financial Crimes Unit
detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who stole money
from a Melville man’s bank account.

A Melville resident was contacted by a man who identified himself as a bank representative
and told the victim his bank account had been compromised and convinced him to turn
over his card for destruction and reissuance. An unknown male went to the victim’s home
on May 21 to retrieve the card and PIN. A man used the card at ATMs in Garden City and
Valley Stream to withdraw $4,000 later that day.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest.
Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers
to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app which can
be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at
www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.

By Luciana Hayes

On Sunday, June 1, members of Vajiradhammapadip Temple in Centereach held their 48th annual Thai fair. Their goal was not only to raise money for the temple but also to continue a tradition of community and faithfulness through culture.

The event lasted from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and included several engaging forms of entertainment such as food, music and dance that encapsulated Thai culture.

Vajiradhammapadip Temple is a Theravāda Buddhist temple. The temple was founded in 1965 when the Buddhist Study Center was founded by a group of Thai and American Buddhists in New York. In 1975, the temple was officially registered as a not-for-profit organization under the Religious Corporation Law of the State of New York. Since then, the temple has grown to be a major part of both the Thai and Long Island communities. One member of the temple claims, “It is a wonderful, fantastic temple with very good monks and a Thai community.”

At the fair, there was an abundance of vendors selling different Thai dishes ranging from sweet desserts to spicy noodles. The large variety of flavors and foods allowed for some to embrace their cultures and others to understand and appreciate it. The fair was not only beneficial toward the Thai community but the whole of Long Island as well through this display. 

In addition to the beneficial elements adults enjoyed at the fair, children also were entertained. There was a playground where many children socialized and several engaging activities for children such as singing, dancing and music highlighting the family-friendly principles that Vajiradhammapadip Temple values.

Vajiradhammapadip Temple offers a wide range of programs that focus on Thai culture and Buddhist teachings including Buddhist Sunday School classes, lessons in the Thai language and morals and general social studies. Younger students have several options to further explore the Thai culture at the temple by participating in painting, Thai dance and Thai swordplay. These classes are taught by both resident monks at the temple and volunteers. For English speaking students, there are numerous classes in the Pali and Thai languages, Southeast Asian and Thai studies and Thai literature. Meditation training is also held at the temple, however, it depends on the availability of qualified trainers in the area at the time.

Another member of the temple notes that the main takeaway from the fair is that it “has both a commercial and a spiritual side, that is the most valuable part of this event.” The cultural connection that the Thai Fair allows for both the Thai and local community to thrive. Without this connection neither of the two are able to truly be successful. Through cultural connection beauty can be seen through different lenses; the Thai Fair is significant in amplifying  this concept. The truth is, sometimes all the world needs is a connection, appreciation and really great food.

Eight years of water testing

By George Hoffman

Almost a decade ago, Laurie Vetere and George Hoffman had a conversation about water quality concerns in Setauket Harbor and decided to form a group of like minded residents to work on improving water quality and the marine environment in the harbor. Out of that decision the Setauket Harbor Task Force was formed.

Since then a hardy group of local residents wake up twice a month at sunrise, from May through October and head out into the harbor with sophisticated equipment funded by the US EPA and take water quality readings in a dozen locations in Port Jefferson and Setauket harbors.

Setauket Harbor Task Force is part of a 50 harbor water quality monitoring program on both sides of the LI Sound in partnership with Save the Sound.  The water quality data collected under the Unified Water Study, is compiled and categorized in an biannual water quality report card for the Long Island Sound.  This data is used by municipalities, marine scientists and others to monitor the water quality health of Long Island Sound harbors.

Port Jefferson and Setauket Harbors continually rank in the top five harbors for water quality in the Long Island Sound.

This year marks the eighth year that Setauket Harbor Task Force has participated in the water quality monitoring program and is always looking for volunteers that like to get up early and be on a boat as the sun comes up.  If interested contact www.savesetauketharbor.org.

On Friday, May 30, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Daniel J. Panico joined Brookhaven Town Councilman Neil Manzella, representatives from The Crest Group, the Middle Island Civic Association, and local residents for the groundbreaking of The Villas at Oak Run, a new $35.1 million 55-and-over rental community located at 599 Middle Country Road in Middle Island.

The project, developed by The Crest Group, will consist of 37 duplex buildings totaling 93,138 square feet on a 23.5 acre site. Each two-bedroom, two-bath unit will include a one-car garage. Planned amenities include an indoor fitness center, a half-mile walking path, and an outdoor recreation area featuring pickleball courts. 

Notably, twenty percent of the townhomes will be designated as affordable and workforce housing, providing reduced monthly rents to qualifying residents at $2,280 per month while the remaing 80 percent market-rate rent is $3,650 per month.

“This project reflects continued progress in the revitalization of Middle Island,” said Supervisor Panico. “It brings much-needed housing options for our senior population, while also ensuring affordability for a portion of our workforce. I thank The Crest Group for their investment in this community and their efforts to deliver a well-balanced development.”

The Middle Island development is expected to take from 18 to 22 months to complete, but its first phase is expected to be delivered in the spring of 2026.

“Welcome Villas at Oak Run to Middle Island, and congratulations on your groundbreaking today!” said Brookhaven Town Councilman Michael Loguercio, who represents the area. “This will be a beautiful addition to the community once completed, and I look forward to their ribbon cutting in the near future.”

For more information about development projects in the Town of Brookhaven, visit www.brookhavenny.gov.