"Smithtown In The Year 3000" Short Story Winning Entries

“Smithtown In The Year 3000” Smithtown Matters/ Smithtown Youth Bureau’s creative writing contest - Short Story Winning Entry and Honorable Mention Entry.

The Coming Times of Smithtown

By Eric David

I’ve spent my years always trying to figure out how to change the world, how to leave a mark on history, how to die on my death bed with no regrets. I’ve spent my whole life as a scientist to invent the one thing that has never been attempted before in history, many scientists talk about how it’s impossible, or that our technology isn’t advanced enough yet. But if we were to invent this device, the time machine, it could change the world and bring about new possibilities. And I want to be the one to bring that change into this world, and leave my mark on history so that I may never be forgotten, because that is my one and only fear. Not to be scared of death, or pain, or being endanger, but to be forgotten. Which is why I spent my whole life dedicated to building this machine and I assure you that all those years of my life that have been spent on researching did not go to waste because I have finally done it, I have invented the time machine. The only thing left for me to do now, is to test it.

I brought the device to an old ballet school, long deserted, a good radius outside of Smithtown, it was the best location for me to remain from being found. So I carry the time machine over inside the school and into one of the ballet dance rooms. It is surprisingly light for a time machine, it weighs about the same as a car battery and it is able to fit an averaged size human being inside it. As I set the machine down in the middle of the dance room I looked around and saw these pictures of little girls dancing on the wall. I began to ponder the thought of what could change in the future. As I glare at the pictures on the wall, I wondered if there would be a brand new type of dance, or cures for diseases, or even a more successful and advanced society. A society that that focuses on improving, it choses quality over quantity, a society in where we can all grasp each other’s hands and unite as one, our society, our town, Smithtown would be unstoppable, the possibilities are endless with this machine. And the only way I could find out was to step inside the machine, set the year to 1000 years into the future, and press the go switch. So that’s what I did.

I woke up and stepped out of the machine, quickly ran outside and my legs fell like stones. My eyes were in a daze, I was in awe, I saw flying cars, there were these buildings that seemed to levitate off the ground, and robots walking the streets, everything had changed. I got up and began to walk around; I tried to see if the Commack public library was still around, sure enough it was. I wanted to see what has changed in Smithtown throughout the years. I logged onto a computer and typed in the search engine “Changes in Smithtown”. I looked at the results and there were tears running down my face, my town that I was born and raised in, was responsible for these incredible achievements like “research center in Smithtown found cure for tumors”, “Smithtown criminal activity decreased by 80%”, “Mayor increases school education by introducing new curriculums!” As I read these news articles that seemed to go on endlessly. But there’s something I expected to be invented by this time period but doesn’t seem to have been created yet, a time machine. That’s when I then realized that I left my device at the ballet school, so I quickly returned to it to ensure that it was still there. It was, and I stared at my creation and realized that it is the only one of its kind. And it seems that the world is finally ready for it, my creation, my mark on history will be remembered throughout the ages. But not just mine; my home, Smithtown will also be remembered.

Honorable Mention - Morgan Schare

Smithtown in the Year 3000 My feet slam down on the pavement of the cracked sidewalk carrying me farther and farther away from my home, away form my old life. Sirens are sounding all around me and I hear gunshots in the distance. Goosebumps crawl up my skin and my teeth are chattering from the cold. Wrapping my arms around myself I make my way to the edge of town and to the electric gate. The gate is much taller than me; it stretches ten feet high and it surrounds Smithtown on all sides. The government says that the gate is there to protect us from the outside world, but my parents thought otherwise and now they’ve been punished for their thoughts. I shudder as the memory of my parents’ lifeless bodies enter my mind.

My father said that it wasn’t always this way. He used to tell me stories of communities just like Smithtown; people would leave and enter other towns as they pleased. In these communities people actually had a say in the government and they had freedom. Well at least that was how it was before the eighth World War struck our country. This war was like a plague. People began to turn on their families in the middle of the night. The war has been going on for a little over 100 years now; I don’t think it will ever end. I finally reach the edge of the gate and I pick up a stick next to my ratty sneaker and toss it at the gate to check if the electricity is on. The stick bounces back off of the gate and I sigh with relief.

I bend down and grab the edge of the gate and pull it upwards creating a small enough hole for me to slide under it and out into the world beyond. As soon as I’m on the other side of the gate I run as fast as I can towards the woods. I know that as soon as the sun rises and the government realizes that I’m gone, they’ll come looking for me and everyone that I’ve left behind will be in danger.

Jet, Kiza, and Leigh, their lives are now in jeopardy because I have escaped. But they know this because their families are also a part of the Beginning, the beginning of a revolution in Smithtown. My breath is labored and my legs are aching by the time I reach a rundown shack at the edge of the woods. All of the windows are broken and a thick coating of moss is hugging the outside walls. I carefully make my way up the raggedy, old steps and into what would now be my safe house. A layer of dust coats the scratched floors and moldy sheets cover what is left of the furniture. This house must not have fit the qualifications of the homes inside the gate.

My eyes travel around the room. The room seems sad, yet full of life at the same time; many memories were made here. The Beginning has one major project to complete. They want to find out as much information as they can about what life was like in Smithtown before the war. Our government did everything in its power to keep us shielded from the past; they say it’s for our own safety. If you ask me or any other member of the Beginning, they’ll say that our government is hiding things from us and it’s our duty to uncover the truth. I strongly believe that this house holds secrets of the past and I am going to tear it apart from top to bottom to find answers. I walk to the back of the house and enter a room off the kitchen.

As soon as I open the door a fouls smell almost knocks me off my feet. My hand holds my nose as the smell registers in my brain: dead bodies. Sure enough there is a pile in the middle of the room with a bloody sheet hiding what horrid thing lay beneath it. A pale, rotting hand sticks out from under the sheet and I shudder. I run back to the front of the house to gather my thoughts. I should’ve expected this, as there were consequences for the people whose homes were not chosen to be included inside of the Smithtown Gate.

I never realized that those consequences included murdering innocent people. Anger and determination pound through my veins. I turn towards the door nearest me and find it to be completely empty, but it doesn’t fool me. These old houses had many different secret openings in walls and floors, which were used to store artifacts that the government tried to collect way before the gate was put up. The government wanted these artifacts so we would not be able to look back on the past; they burned everything they collected. Paintings, poems, textbooks, anything they thought would provoke a memory was turned to ash. I walk to the center of the room and drop to my knees. I feel around the floor for any loose floorboards that could be lifted; there are none.

I then make my way to one of the walls and knock on it to see if it is hollow. I do this to each wall until I finally hear a hollow sound. The fourth wall is definitely hollow and my curiosity soars. In order to break through the wall I need a sharp object so I make my way back to the front of the house in search of a tool. I open what looks to be a closet and I am in luck. Inside the closet is a crowbar, probably put there by the family in case they were ever robbed of the rest of their lives. I shake off these feelings and snatch the crowbar up from the ground. I drag it into the room I was in before and begin to smash it at the hollow wall. I create a large enough hole to stick my arm through and run it across the floor on the other side of the wall searching for something. I am not quite sure what that something is just yet. I am about to give up when my hand hits something hard. My heart stops. Then speeds up like a racecar. I pull the object out and stared at it in disbelief. It is a tiny box with pictures of different works of art scattered across the front. I have never seen anything like it before. I open the box carefully and gasp. What rested inside the box was going to change everything. My name is Enno Amorette and I am a part of the Revolution.

St. Thomas of Canterbury Heralds Easter by Performing Sacred Musical "Witness"

ST. THOMAS OF CANTERBURY HERALDS EASTER BY PERFORMING SACRED MUSICAL “WITNESS”

By Jeb Ladouceur

Photo by Debbie Lange Fifer (click on photo to enlarge)

On Palm Sunday, April 13, Smithtown’s St. Thomas of Canterbury Choir, under the direction of Organist/Choirmaster William Morris, performed the internationally famed Sacred Musical, “Witness,” for parishioners and guests.

Composed and arranged by the acclaimed Lloyd Larson, “Witness” is a skillful blend of original and traditional music that forms a scripture-based narrative. The music thus provides an especially dramatic experience for modern Christian believers. Indeed, Sunday’s cantata included seven different choral offerings and congregational songs appropriate to the Lenten Season.

The sixty-year-old Larson is recognized as a particularly active and creative force by major publishing companies that specialize in church music. Among Lloyd Larson’s one thousand published works are choral anthems, Christmas and Easter compositions, keyboard collections, and instrumentals for both solo and ensemble presentation. The widely recognized music scholar has earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from major universities in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Illinois. Accordingly, he is in considerable demand as a teaching professional and lecturer throughout North America.

Members of the St. Thomas choir, led by sopranos and frequent soloists Jane Hubbard and Nancy Darman, were quick to express their delight in performing the Larson version of “Witness” which was sung in the acoustically rich church itself. Their enthusiasm was echoed by basses Ben Mastrocola, David Hubbard, and Vincent Reynolds, as well as soprano Lillian Coulton.

Intimately familiar with church music, both choral and organ, conducting organist Morris flawlessly led the choir, along with the congregation, to a professional instrumental accompaniment track. Diane Dunkhase and oboist Virginia Cardiello (sopranos) agreed with bass Diane Strobodzan and altos Valerie Billi and Alexandra Todaro, that the half-hour performance was a more-than-satisfying experience.

Said alto Angie Morris, “This is such a powerful piece.” And Sheila Yarosh, also an alto, agreed stating, “It’s just wonderful to be a part of it.” Bass Conrad Cardiello added, “The lyrical accounts of believers, deniers, and skeptics, all combined in one concise composition, make ‘Witness’ something truly special.“

Husband and wife narrators Herb and Margo Stead were excellent in their dramatic spoken roles and apparently St. Thomas’s Rector, The Very Reverend Lawrence R. DeLion, spoke for the large audience on Palm Sunday when he expressed agreement that all the choir members, as well as the speakers, were superb. He congratulated each participant by name.

Smithtown Dish – small bites of foodie news

Smithtown Dish – small bites of foodie news

By Nancy Vallarella 

Pancake Breakfast with the Easter Bunny – Sunday, April 13, Saint James Fire Department, 533 Rt. 25A, from 8:00am to 1:00pm. Adults -$7.00, Kids under 12 - $3.00, Fifth family member is free. Don’t forget to bring your camera!

Happy 30th Anniversay to Chef Guy Reuge of Mirabelle Restaurant.  Through April 30^th join in on the celebration with  spirit specials:  Mirabelle Cocktail (sparkling Blanc de Blanc, plum brandy and a Mirabelle plum), complimentary wine or beer (when ordering from Chef’s farm-to-table menu) and a specially $19.84 priced Tini and a Bite.

Nesconset Farmer’s Market – this coming season get ready for major growth with additional vendors and community activities.  Keep checking for details. 

Theater Review - "Godspell"

Theater Review

“Godspell”

Produced by: The CM Performing Arts Center - Oakdale

Reviewed by Jeb Ladouceur

After discovering the old Oakdale Theatre (a movie house that had been vacant for nine years), and negotiating lease and renovation terms with the landlord, the burgeoning Creative Ministries Performing Arts Center began the arduous task of turning an admitted eyesore into a remarkable facility capable of producing live theatre. This necessitated raising over $150,000 and recruiting dozens of CMPAC members to help with the actual renovations.

More than a hundred volunteers spent untold hours painting, sanding, re-covering seats, hanging electrical wires and laying carpet. Fleet Bank pitched in with continuous support and sent a crew of volunteer employees to assist with the renovation. What’s more, Fleet donated much of the CMPAC’s office furniture and a number of essential computers. Finally, the CM Performing Arts Center opened on an eventful evening in May, 1997—almost seventeen years ago. Appropriately, the play the group mounted was Man of La Mancha, and for Creative Ministries, ‘The Impossible Dream’ had become a reality.

As if to put his own stamp on what many have come to call this ‘miracle’ of theatrical achievement, Director Terry Brennan has brought area theatergoers a raucous, sometimes rowdy, but usually fun-fueled version of Matthew’s Gospel that runs through April 19.

Admittedly, this musical by Stephen Schwartz is not exactly your grandmother’s Bible story, but for rock enthusiasts, it seems to fill the bill, at least if last Wednesday’s audience reaction was any indication.

Schwartz, of course, is the same originator who wrote the music for the long-running ‘Pippin’ (a lot of naughty nonsense saved only by the great Bob Fosse’s direction and choreography) along with the wildly successful ‘Wicked’ (an insignificant takeoff on happenings post-‘Wizard of Oz’) and the composer brought those equally noisy productions to Broadway as well. Accordingly, the beatnik wunderkind from Carnegie Mellon University comes armed with show business credentials galore…whether deserved or not.

One’s first impression is that the cast for this local adaptation of ‘Godspell’ takes to the CMPAC stage in Oakdale like a confused troupe that’s still in early rehearsal for a show they know virtually nothing about. For that theatrical no-no, Director Brennan must accept the brickbats. After all, Brennan can hardly take credit for the considerable inborn talents of her star, Danny Amy, a magnetic Jesus who grabs our attention, steps out front, and stays there. Nor does the Director deserve kudos for the one memorable song (Day by Day) from this sometimes ear-splitting musical’s largely forgettable score.

Ironically, one of the truly memorable results of this play takes place not on stage, but in the film ‘Meet the Parents’ when Ben Stiller, playing the visiting Greg Focker, is asked by Robert De Niro to say Grace before his first meal with the Byrnes family. Nonplussed, Stiller recites what appears to be the only prayer he knows—the lyrics from ‘Day by Day.’

Plaudits for having given this production their best effort go to Meagan Materazo, Corey Martin, Brianne Boyd, Marielle Greguski, and Alyssa Caracciolo. They are better than the material assigned to them. Also, Tommy Castelli, Bobby Montaniz, and Sean Burbage are precise singers who show considerable promise, and likely will be heard from favorably. Conductor Matthew Surico is sure to be heard from as well. His feel for contemporary music is obvious.

Award-winning Smithtown writer Jeb Ladouceur is the author of eight novels, and his theater reviews appear in several major L.I. publications. In Ladouceur’s next thriller, “Harvest” due in late summer, an American doctor is forced to perform illegal surgeries for a gang of vital organ traffickers in The Balkans.

Democrat Zove Announces Run For NYS Assembly

Jason Zove

“We must set the bar high to ensure that our state is a leader in economic growth, environmental sustainability and a place where our children have the resources to excel inside and outside of the classroom.” Jason Zove

My name is Jason Zove and I am a Democrat who is looking to become Assemblyperson in NY’s eighth assembly district(AD).  Oh, by the way I’m only 26 years old and I am looking to unseat Michael Fitzpatrick.  Groan, yawn, laugh may be your first reaction to the news. After all most people think Mike Fitzpatrick is popular, that his district is a bastion of Republican/Conservative voters, many of whom would not vote for a Democrat if their life depended on it. Okay, says Jason, your life may not depend on your vote but how about your wallet.  This campaign is about economics and bringing resources into the district.

In a statement released to the press Zove states, “The voters of this district deserve a representative who will fight for Long Island families and put their best interests first, and I plan to do just that.” In a phone conversation with Mr. Zove, he explained how Fitzpatrick has failed the people in his assembly district. According to Zove, Mike Fitzpatrick has failed to do his job which is to bring resources home. Jason stated that Fitzpatrick’s reputation as the guy who says NO has been detrimental to constituents. “There are plenty of Republicans and Conservatives in New York State Government who do not support the Democratic agenda and still get funding for their districts.” Taxpayers in the eighth AD are hurt financially by Fitzpatrick’s  inability to find a way to help his constituents.  

Zove said he is not interested in making his campaign an attack on Fitzpatrick. What he is interested in doing is showing people how they will benefit from having an Assemblyperson whose interest is in making a difference in the community rather than creating a reputation as the guy who says NO.

Before Jason Zove gets to challenge the Assemblyman, he needs to become the official candidate of the Democrats who will begin to screen interested candidates this month. He is well versed in politics having served as a community liaison and a legislative aide in Suffolk County since 2010.

Jason Zove is a graduate of Commack High School, was a dual major in Secondary Education and History at Hofstra University, and earned his Mater’s Degree from SUNY Stony Brook.