A Day of Love for Caleb Smith Preserve

By Carole Paquette

A Day of Love for Caleb Smith Preserve

 Hurricane Sandy destroyed approximately 300 trees at Caleb Smith State Park Preserve in Smithtown last fall. Vanessa, Barbara and Alex Tutaj of Smithtown prepare to plant a maple tree at the Preserve.On Saturday, May 4, more than sixty families and students worked to help restore sections of the park to its natural beauty during the state-sponsored I Love My Parks Day. Members of local families planted fifty new sugar maple trees, New York’s official state tree. Twenty-six Hauppauge High School seniors, and  approximately fifteen Boy Scouts from Troop #349 under the direction of Dave Ryder, spent the day mulching the park’s hiking trails. 

Other activities included planting flowers around the preserve’s flagpole. MembersA young gardener plants sunflower seeds. of the Friends of Caleb Smith Preserve organized a custom walking-stick workshop for adults, a family nature walk, and a table where children planted sunflower seeds in peat pots to take home.

This was the Second Annual I Love My Parks Day to be held at the Preserve. The program was initiated by Parks and Trails of New York ( HYPERLINK “http://www.ptny.org” www.ptny.org). “This group has done a lot to revitalize our state parks,” said Joanne D’Agostino, secretary of the Friends of Caleb Smith Preserve.

NRSP Foundation Recognizes The Work Of 2013 Quilt Square Participants

(Photo - L-R,) Karin Vanderveer, Rachel Berkoff, Jacqueline Brandel, Maya Smith and NRSPF Chairperson John McQuaid. 

The Nissequogue River State Park Foundation received more than 65 squares to include in the “2013 What Inspires Me Quilt.”  Every square submitted to the foundation for consideration was added to the quilt and will be on display at the administration building at the park. Congratulations to all the participants for their hard work and for their willingness to share their creativity. Ribbons were awarded to the participants who recieved the most votes. 1st - Rachael Berkoff - 2nd - Jacqueline Brandel- 3rd - Maya Smith.  Special Commendation recipients: Thomas Bruetsch, Santiago Depascale, Olivia Schulman, Phoebe Swartz, Margaret Pickford, Joel Vegerano. 

I Love My Park Day At Nissequogue River State Park

The Nissequogue River State Park Foundation (NRSPF) sponsored activities at the Nissequogue River State Park on Saturday, May 4th. The activities were organized as part of New York State’s “I Love My Park Day”.  In addition to NRSPF members, over seventy volunteers armed with gloves, trash bags and grab tools participated in the clean up of the park. 

According to John McQuaid, chairperson of the NRSPF,  volunteers were an eclectic group.  “We were joined by Scouts from Cub Scout Pack 379 and Boy Scout Troop 539 both from Kings Park. Also providing help, Hauppauge HS students, Kings Park HS students, Kings Park Youth and a group called Meet Up.” Some members of Meet Up traveled from Queens to volunteer in the clean up.

In addition to picking up bottles, cans, caps and other debris volunteers spruced up the park’s playground by adding a fresh layer of wood chips. 

The NRSPF worked with members of the NYS Parks Deptartment to make the clean up at the park successful. McQuaid said, “NYS Parks Department was extremely helpful by providing support as well as trash bags.” 

Other events included a hike and the awarding of certificates to three participants in the 2013 Quilt Square project. Children of all ages used their imagination to create a square with a theme “What Inspires Me.” The individual squares were then tied together to create two quilts which will remain on display througout May. Ribbons were awarded to three participants: 1st - Rachael Berkoff - 2nd - Jacqueline Brandel- 3rd - Maya Smith.  Special Commendation recipients: Thomas Bruetsch, Santiago Depascale, Olivia Schulman, Phoebe Swartz, Margaret Pickford, Joel Vegerano. The quilt project is the brainchild of NRSPF member Karin Vanderveer.

To learn more about the Nissequogue River State Park Foundation click here.

Theater Review - "Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels"

THEATER REVIEW

“Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels”

Presented by: Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts thru May 19

Reviewed by: Jeb Ladouceur

There are several reasons why you should hurry to see “Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels,” but the main one is best summed-up in two words—Missy Dowse!

I’ve been attending SCPA productions since founder Ken Washington first brought them to Smithtown’s landmark theater, and I’ve never seen a singer, actor, dancer—and all-around endearing ingénue—as impressive as the statuesque girl with the big voice who’s starring as ‘Christine Colegate’ in this tuneful comedy romp.

Thanks largely (but by no means exclusively) to Dowse, this is the slickest Ken Washington musical to date, and that’s saying something, because the impresario produces more hits in a season than the average producer cranks out in a lifetime. Nor has Washington merely been standing in the boat pointing the way throughout the molding of this rapid-fire show, he’s obviously been cracking the whip during rehearsal. How else could the snappy dialogue in this presentation be delivered with such spot-on timing? It’s incredible!

Of course, it helps when a cast is made up of talented professionals. And this play contains a total of twenty-two such performers—sixteen in the energetic ensemble alone! As for the six named players, they work hand-in-glove with the young men and women of the chorus—and just as harmoniously with a spectrum of soup-to-nuts musicians behind the scenes. The whole thing comes off without a hitch.

It may seem that the more players there are on stage, the easier it is to sneak a miscue past an otherwise distracted audience—not so! The opposite is true. Picture a single member of Radio City’s famed ‘Rockettes’ blowing one of those highly synchronized dance steps; the result would be devastating to the entire troupe. No such error ever happened during Saturday’s showing of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.” Not a fumbled line, not a missed dance step, or a bungled cue! The only thing even approaching a slip-up was an incident when a wayward curtain inadvertently knocked over an ice bucket, and even then the clever Michael Bertolini playing ‘Lawrence Jamieson’ stayed right in character rendering a wisecrack that could easily have been part of the script. That’s stage presence!

Bertolini’s fellow ‘Scoundrel’ Jeremy Hudson is every bit as inventive during this long, single-intermission show, and like his conniving partner, Hudson fires off dozens of risque lines, grimaces, and devilish asides—keeping them just this side of tawdry. Delicious!

I suppose even the most accomplished performers would be hard-pressed to maintain the machine-gun pace of this musical (based on the 1988 film of the same name and introduced to the Broadway stage just eight years ago), were it not for the delightful semi-changes-of-pace provided by Melanie Lipton and Alyson Clancy playing naughty ‘Muriel’ and brassy ‘Jolene’ respectively. They convince us that they’re having great fun throughout the proceedings, and boyoboy do they ever deliver gusto to the proceedings. If it’s possible for anyone to match the vocal range of the marvelous Missy Dowse, they manage to do so.

In short, there’s no saying enough about this film comedy turned musical, except to say, “Do yourself a serious favor—discover Missy Dowse and her retinue on the south side of Main Street in center-Smithtown—and the earlier you do it between now and May 19, the sooner you’ll be able to take in a second helping of this thoroughly satisfying production.”

Jeb LadouceurAward-winning Smithtown author Jeb Ladouceur has published seven novels. His theater reviews appear in dozens of L. I. newspapers. In Ladouceur’s next thriller, “The Dealer” due this summer, Israeli extortionists threaten to destroy Hoover Dam demolishing the Las Vegas Strip - if casino operators don’t pay millions.

Update on Monday, May 6, 2013 at 1:42PM by .

**Added a link at the top of the page.

The Sisterhood of Smithtown Super Moms

What’s Cookin’? – Smithtown

By Nancy Vallarella

The Sisterhood of Smithtown Super Moms

Smithtown is full of talented women. They take care of their families, many have careers, some have their own business and several share their talents for the benefit of the community. What they do best is network to help each other achieve goals.  Here is an example of how this works in our town. Please bear in mind that this example names just a few of the many Super Moms of Smithtown and of course; food is involved too.

Flash back to August, 2012 – Yogurtini opens on Middle Country Road in the heart of Smithtown. The town embraces a new business opening its doors but naysayers are doubtful that yet another self-serve yogurt store will succeed.

Enter super mom owner of Yogurtini and Town of Smithtown resident Ellen Bedziner. Her plan from the beginning has always been to bring a high quality product with a variety of unique flavors to the marketplace. Right from the start, Ellen introduced Yogurtini to Smithtown with a grand opening that raised money to benefit breast cancer research. Over the following eight months Yogurtini has served 16 yogurt flavors per month (that always include one no sugar added and one gluten free) accompanied by over 70 delicious toppings. Throughout those months, in addition to breast cancer research Ellen helped raise funds for Smithown High School West DECA, Hope for Youth, The Smithtown/St. James Little League and most recently, Mike’s Hike Scholarship Fund overseen by The Smithown Children’s Foundation in memory of science teacher Mike Denaro of Accompsett Elementary. 

 Ellen has become so rooted in her business and the community she has become known in town as thee “Yogurt Lady” of Smithtown. Fully aware that a business cannot run by hosting fundraisers alone, Ellen has recently launched a line of Yogurtini frozen yogurt pies. Now the Yogurtini experience can conveniently be brought home and shared with family, friends and neighbors. This cool and delectable melt-in-your-mouth treat is a perfect complement to warm weather dining - a BBQ homerun!

Currently, Yogurtini Smithtown self-serve has six yogurt pie flavor combinations ready to grab and go:

Oreo Crunch, Birthday Cake Surprise, Sea Salt Caramel Treasure, M&M Crunch, Cookie Dough Decadence and New York Cheese Cake are made with a graham cracker crust and serve six to eight for $20. Custom pies with your choice of Yogurtini yogurt filling and two premium toppings are available for $24 with orders placed at least 1 day in advance. In addition, grab and go mini cones are also available -perfect for outdoor entertaining events.

Lending a hand to the Yogurt Lady of Smithtown is Maureen’s Kitchen. Maureen’s Kitchen is one of the Grand Super Mom businesses of Smithtown. For those of you that have been living under the Smithtown Bull – yes there is a Maureen.  Maureen Durnbach and her daughters have been serving breakfast to the Smithtown community for over 27 years.  It was Maureen’s Kitchen manager/daughter Christine who opened the door there for Ellen Bedziner’s other new creation, the Yorgurtini tart. Flavor combinations are the same as the yogurt pies but this individual serving item has a shortbread crust. Yogurtini tarts are currently making special appearances on Maureen’s Kitchen Lunch Special Menu but are also available upon request there and at the Yogurtini store on 44 East Main Street in Smithtown.

Another offering on the horizon at Yogurtini - Birthday Parties! 

As a special thank you to all of Smithtown and Smithtown moms, Ellen is giving away one Yogurtini pie per week for the next four weeks throughout May.  “Like” Yogurtini Smithtown Self-Serve’s facebook page and you will be entered to win a voucher for a Yogurtini yogurt pie to be used anytime between May 1^st, 2013 and September 30^th 2013. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Yogurtini-Smithtown-Self-Serve/533155033367545 

What’s Cookin’? -  Smithtown would like to give a shout out to the Angel Super Moms of the Smithtown Children’s Foundation. On June 6^th they will be awarding a scholarship to a Smithtown High School senior attending culinary school in honor of the support, hard work and generosity Maureen’s Kitchen has given to the foundation over the past several years. 

Go have some Yogurtini yogurt and say, “hi” to Ellen the Yogurt Lady of Smithtown.

Take mom out for a nice breakfast or lunch at Maureen’s Kitchen.

Walk it off by joining the Smithtown Children’s Foundation for the 3^rd annual Mike’s Hike 4K at Smithtown High School West on Sunday, June 2, 2013 

Registration and details can be found at www.smithtownchildrensfoundation.com

Happy Mother’s Day!