Press

WHO:  The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) and Burner Law Group, P.C.

WHAT: First of its kind on Long Island:  groundbreaking programming focused on the life experiences shared by the 50 plus generation, “The Third Age,” created by Nancy Burner Esq., elder law trust and estate attorney.  First in the series – “Virtual Travel to the Royal Botanical Gardens, Canada – Chocolate, from Treasure to Treat.”

Gloria Rocchio, President, WMHO, says, “There are Baby Boomers, there’s Generation X and now there’s The Third Age.  We are most excited about our collaboration with Burner Law Group as we discover the wealth of knowledge this special segment of the population has to offer.”

WHEN:  Wednesday, April 25, 1 pm to 2:30 pm

WHERE: WMHO’s Educational & Cultural Center, 97P Main Street, Stony Brook Village, Stony Brook, NY  11790

Stony Brook, NY – A unique and informative series on the preservation of the world’s great cultures, habitats and people will be introduced at The Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s (WMHO) Educational & Cultural Center in Stony Brook Village.

Wednesday, May 2 • 6:30 pm, PLANTS AND THEIR PRESERVATION FROM
LONG ISLAND TO MADAGASCAR:   Stony Brook University Professor Patricia Wright will discuss efforts from Madagascar to Long Island to preserve the world’s endangered forests and the species and animals they harbor.

Thursday, May 10 • 6:30 pm, UNDERGROUND AT THE THOMPSON HOUSE:Archaeologist Brad Phillipi will discuss his findings from the 2014 archaeological dig at The Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s historic Thompson House.

Thursday, May 17 • 6:30 pm, PRESERVING THE ALGONQUIN LANGUAGE: Chief Harry Wallace of Unkechaug Nation will speak about his efforts to preserve and protect the endangered language of Long Island’s Algonquin people.

Thursday, May 24 • 6:45 pm, THE PARANORMAL, PART ONE:   Historian and Author Kerriann Flanagan Brosky, along with Paranormal Investigator and Medium Joe Giaquinto, will discuss investigations at WMHO’s historic Brewster and Thompson Houses.

General Admission is $15 pp and WMHO Charter Society Members is $10 pp. For full information on the Charter Society visit wmho.org or call 631-751-2244. Reservations are required and refreshments will be served. Call 631-689-5888 to reserve your spot.

Photo Credit:  WMHO

AND THE WINNERS ARE…                                                                                     

WMHO Announces Long Island’s Got Talent 2018 Finalists

L-R:  Max Tuomey (Vocals, Old Bethpage), Caitlin Beirne (Vocals, St. James), Michael Lomando (Vocals/ Guitar, Centereach), Sara Caligiuri (Vocals, St. James), Lydia Korneffel (Vocals, St. James), Ben Fogarty, Mint Band (Trumpet, East Setauket),
Varun Jindal, Mint Band (Drums, East Setauket), Jay Sangwan, Mint Band (Trumpet, Setauket), Matt Broadbent, Mint Band (Guitar, Setauket) ,  Tom Manuel, President, The Jazz Loft (Judge), Aidan Hopkins, Mint Band (Bass, Setauket) ,
Naomi Pierro, Music Instructor, Grace Music School. (Judge), Jordan Amato (Vocals, South Setauket), Edward Decorsia, New York’s Most Dangerous Big Band (Judge)

Stony Brook, NY – Created by the Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s Youth Corps, the Long Island’s Got Talent annual competition gives students from across Long Island the opportunity to showcase amazing talents!  Seven finalists were recently chosen and the final competition will take place on September 7th.  A $500 scholarship will be awarded to 1^st through 7^th place winners by Stony Brook University’s Pre-College Music Program, Five Towns College will once again offer a total of $25,000 in scholarships and Green Towers Group will present a $1,000 cash prize to the 1^st Place winner.

For more information on all WMHO events, call 631-751-2244 or visit www.stonybrookvillage.com.

Photo Credit:  WMHO

Stony Brook, NY – With winter hanging on a little longer this year we all deserve some outdoor fun celebrating spring, and one is planned in Stony Brook Village!  Spring Appreciation Day festivities will take place Saturday, April 21 throughout the Center.

Along with the simple beauty of the area and a multitude of shopping and dining choices just steps from each other, it won’t be hard to spend the entire day enjoying a host of special events planned.

Festivities begin at 10 am with the Three Village School District-Wide “Spring into Art” K-12 Art Show at the Educational & Cultural Center. Beginning at noon and running throughout the day there will also be live music with WALK-FM and “Walkie Bear,” Burke & Brenda performing blues, country and Americana, the Cross Island Brass Quintet, a petting zoo, balloon artists  and a Roseland School of Dance special performance at 1 pm..  Admission is free.

The historic Stony Brook Grist Mill officially opens for the season that day as well. It is located within walking distance of the Village on Harbor Road off Main Street and visitors will enjoy its charming country store as well as a “miller” dressed in period clothing offering a demonstration of grain being ground into corn just as it was in 1751.  Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children under 12 and the Mill is open noon to 4:30 pm weekends.

For full information visit stonybrookvillage.com or call 631-751-2244.

Photo Credit:  WMHO

Grand Opening Village Barber

WHO:   Ciro Marino, Owner, Village Barber;                                                                                                                            Joe Vitale, Manager, Village Barber

WHAT:  Grand Opening/Under New Ownership Festivities – Village Barber (formerly MensRoom Barber)                                                                                                                                                                                                          Old fashioned, neighborhood barbershop specializing in beard trimming and hot towel shaves; children’s haircut chair, free birthday haircuts (with ID), special coupons, refreshments

WHEN:            Friday, April 6 – 9 am to 5 pm

WHERE:           97C Main Street, Stony Brook Village (Inner Court section)

Spring Break Programming in Stony Brook Village

Stony Brook, NY – Your 3 to 5 year olds will have a blast with professional musician/songwriter and NYS certified teacher, Johnny Mr. “C” Cuomo at Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s Cultural Center in Stony Brook Village.

His innovative classes of singing, dancing, movement, rhythm, musical storytelling, games, as well as original folk and Americana songs are always a hit.  The interactive sessions include the use of various instruments, including guitar, mandolin, banjo, flute and penny-whistle!  Mr. “C” has been presenting his programs for over a decade in schools, libraries and museums all over Long Island.

The program takes place on April 3, 4 and 5 from 10 AM – 11:30 AM at the Educational and Cultural Center, 97P Main Street, in the rear of the Stony Brook Village Center.  Children must be accompanied by an adult throughout the entirety of the program.

Cost is $35 per child per class or $100 for all 3 days.  Call 631-751-2244 for reservations.

Photo Credit:  Johnny Cuomo

Stony Brook, NY – The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) and Burner Law Group, P.C. will launch unique, groundbreaking programming focused on the vitality, wisdom and life experiences shared by the 50 plus generation – “The Third Age.”

Through various events such as virtual travel experiences, cyber security workshops or master classes with special guests, participants are invited to come, listen and share their own inspirational stories.  The focus is to motivate others to live their best lives by identifying, owning and cultivating their life purpose, with the understanding that their purpose may change over time.

This first of its kind program on Long Island and the first in the series, Live a Vibrant Life, Discover The Third Age, will take place March 21 from 1 pm to 2:30 pm at WMHO’s Educational & Cultural Center, 97P Main Street, Stony Brook Village featuring a Da Ponte/Mozart Opera Workshop.  Cara Vertucci, lyric soprano, will perform a variety of arias and Jeff Norwood, a music history teacher at the Aaron Copland School of Music/Queens College and the owner of Camera Concepts & Telescope Solutions, will facilitate.

The event will be launched by Nancy Burner Esq., elder law trust and estate attorney (pictured), who will share her vision and creation of The Third Age concept. “We have childhood, adolescence, adulthood, middle age, and then what …? The oldest baby boomers turned 70 this year. This critical mass could live another 20 years or more. They have the opportunity to re-define aging by using their unique wisdom and stories of success and failure rather than hiding behind the triumphs of their youth,” she says.

Gloria Rocchio, President of WMHO, says, “There are Baby Boomers, there’s Generation X and now there’s The Third Age.  We are most excited about our collaboration with Burner Law Group as we discover the wealth of knowledge this special segment of the population has to offer.”                   

Cost for the program is $15 pp and refreshments will be served.  Call 631-689-5888 for reservations and visit www.stonybrookvillage.com or www.thirdageunplugged.com for details on upcoming programs.

Entry Deadline:  March 23

Stony Brook, NY – Attention Long Island students!  Can you carry a tune? OR Is a musical instrument your specialty? If so, get your audition DVD or YouTube video submitted now for Long Island’s Got Talent 2018, hosted by the Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO).

Created by WMHO’s Youth Corps, the event gives Long Island students the opportunity to showcase their talents this spring. The competition is open to students 10-17 years of age in Nassau or Suffolk County who must still be in high school at the time final awards are given in October of this year.  Talent must be non-professional vocal or musical instrument performances. The entry deadline is March 23 and there is a $25 entry fee.

Those who are contacted after submitting their audition will be asked to perform at the first round competition on Saturday, April 14 at 2 pm at WMHO’s Educational & Cultural Center, 97P Main Street in the Stony Brook Village Center. Finalists chosen will also be given the opportunity to perform at WMHO’s Sunday Summer Concerts series in July and August.

For full details and Official Entry Form, call 631-751-2244 or visit http://www.stonybrookvillage.com/what-to-do-events/

Photo Credit:  WMHO

L-R:  2017 winner, Thomas Foschino with Scott Sanders, Shea & Sanders Real Estate and Sanders Insurance Agency

Stony Brook, NY – Camera Concepts & Telescope Solutions (CCTS), a recent addition to the Stony Brook Village Center, will be offering a variety of workshops to the general public on subjects ranging from astronomy to astrophotography!

The Basics of Photography :Understanding your Digital SLR, will take place February 23 from 7 pm to 9 pm at WMHO’s Educational & Cultural Center, 97P Main Street, in the Stony Brook Village Center.  It will be hosted by Jeffrey Norwood, lifelong photographer and owner of CCTS who has a wealth of knowledge on this subject and many more. In addition to his training as a photographer and technician, Jeff was an amateur astronomer for many years. That love of astronomy drove him to expand his camera business into that field as well.

This hands-on beginner digital photography course is meant to help students master their digital camera. It will include learning about the basic functions of your camera so you can begin to shoot in manual mode, capturing higher-quality images of the people and places around you. You will learn tips on seeing the world as a photographer does, whether you’re just starting out or have been taking photos for years.

It is not required but attendees are encouraged to bring a digital camera to class. Cost is $30 pp and pre-registration is required. Call CCTS at 631-475-1118 to reserve your spot.

Stony Brook, NY – In commemoration of Earth Month, the Ward Melville Heritage Organization presents Treasure That Trash, a not-to-be-missed exhibit of impressive artistry created from a variety of common items including recycled materials, spray paint, glass and many more. The exhibit will be on display March 10 through April 15 at WMHO’s Educational & Cultural Center.

In this popular cutting-edge genre, artists bring originality and imagination to their works and offer a whole new meaning to the phrase, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Artists from across Long Island will participate with their intricate masterpieces cultivated from a desire to preserve the environment while nurturing their passion for art.

Artists to date include:

Bergés Alvarez – creates seascapes and landscapes from recycled materials such as plastic bags, aluminum foil and frayed packing materials.

Janene Gentile – uses recycled glass, spray paint and reclaimed acrylic paints to create her works on canvas.

Ted Thirlby – will display a selection of his “plywood series” paintings using stain and oils on salvaged plywood pieces.

Michael Cole – aka “Copper Mike,” an artist and metal worker who incorporates those skills into his master motorcycle building.

The exhibit is free of charge and will be open Sundays through Fridays, 10 am to 4 pm (closed Easter Sunday). For further information call 631-689-5888 or visit stonybrookvillage.com.