“Sagamore Hill Days” Fall Family Festival, October 24

Celebrate TR’s 151st Birthday




On Saturday, October 24th Sagamore Hill NHS hosts a traditional Fall Family Festival from 11am to 5pm at the site, rain or shine. The festival will celebrate Sagamore Hill’s agricultural history as well as Theodore Roosevelt’s 151st birthday! Activities will include entertainment for children, old fashioned games and crafts, demonstrations and exhibits, music, pony rides, farm animal petting area, food vendors and more.

The day’s events will include music and entertainment: Local folk favorites Jessica Semmins and Johnny Cuomo will play traditional Irish music. Johnny Cuomo will also perform a solo set of children’s storytelling and songs. Traditional American Band Music from Theodore Roosevelt’s era will be performed.

Demonstrations will include a blacksmith, ropesmiths, and local partners with a variety of conservation themed exhibits; the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center will present their very popular Birds of Prey demonstration. The site will host pony rides and a farm animal petting area will be set up featuring the farm animals housed on the site while the Roosevelt family lived here. James Foote, portraying Theodore Roosevelt, will be present all day.

The visitor center gift shop will be open all day with a variety of gift items and books for sale. Local historian John Hammond will be on hand to sign his new book Images of America: Oyster Bay.

Food service of traditional American fare: hamburgers, hot dogs and popcorn will be available on the site or you may bring your own picnic. Visitors will be provided an opportunity to tour the Roosevelt home and to view the exhibits at the Theodore Roosevelt Museum at Old Orchard as well as walk the grounds and Nature Trail. All of the events, admission to the Roosevelt home are FREE (with the exception of the pony rides and petting area).



On Tuesday, October 27th, the actual birthdate of Theodore Roosevelt, the annual wreath laying ceremony will take place at 10AM at Young’s Memorial Cemetery, followed by ceremonies at Sagamore Hill. A Brass Quintet will perform during a special ceremony to retire the historic thirty-two star US flag to mark the end of a year-long observance celebrating the life and accomplishments of our 26th President. (This flag was first raised on TR’s 150th Birthday last year and recognizes the fact that TR was born on October 27, 1858 when there were only 32 states in the Union.) Visitors will be given the opportunity to tour the Roosevelt Home and Old Orchard Museum. Birthday cake will be served.

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend these exciting events. Check the Sagamore Hill website at www.nps.gov/sahi for updates, or call 516-922-4788 for more information.

Saturday October 24, 2009 Family Fesitval Schedule

Sagamore Hill is open from 10 to 4. Visitors may tour the President’s home, view the exhibits at Old Orchard, hike the Nature Trail, walk the grounds, picnic, etc.

Main attractions for the day:

11AM-4PM Theodore Roosevelt, portrayed by James Foote

12PM Birds of Prey Demonstration, present by the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center

1PM Traditional Irish Music, with Jessica Semmins and Johnny Cuomo

2PM Children’s Stories and Songs, with Johnny Cuomo

3PM Traditional American Band Music


Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, located at 12 Sagamore Hill Road, Oyster Bay, New York, is a unit of the National Park Service. The site was established by Congress in 1962 to preserve and interpret the structures, landscape, collections and other cultural resources associated with Theodore Roosevelt’s home in Oyster Bay, New York, to ensure that future generations understand and appreciate the life and legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, his family and the significant events associated with him. Please check our website at www.nps.gov/sahi or call 516-922-4788 for more information.

Main Street Annual Meeting Podcast

Our Annual Meeting on Tuesday, September 15, was a great success. Public officials in attendance gave addresses including NYS Senator Carl Marcellino, Nassau County Legislator Judy Jaccobs, Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto, and Town of Oyster Bay Clerk Steve Labriola. A presentation on the past 10 years of work of the program was made, and founding members of Main Street were honored and recognized.

A podcast of the first half of the meeting may be viewed here.


The podcast may also be viewed directly by going to http://blip.tv/file/2616918

The second part of the meeting with an address by Sagamore Hill National Historic Site Superintendent Tom Ross will be posted shortly.

Oyster Bay Made Eligible for $200,000 in New York Main Street Funds

Oyster Bay, New York – The Oyster Bay Main Street Association is pleased announce that their organization will receive $200,000 from the New York State Main Street program for building renovation and streetscape improvements in downtown Oyster Bay.

This grant was among more than $30 million for community development and Main Street revitalization announced by Governor David A. Paterson. “Revitalizing traditional downtown business districts, and rehabilitating and renovating housing for working families will provide much-needed investment and make New York a better place to live, work and raise a family”, according to Governor Paterson.

More details about this exciting grant program and how business owners and building owners might apply for these funds will be announced at the Oyster Bay Main Street Annual Meeting on September 15, 2009, at 7pm, in Christ Church Parish Hall, 55 East Main Street.

Projects eligible for funding are located in a three block “target area” including the main intersection of Audrey Ave, East Main Street, and South Street, and bounded by Spring Street and Audrey Avenue to the West, Hamilton Avenue to the North, White Street to the East, and East Main Street & West Main Street to the south.

Building or business owners in the target area are eligible to apply for up to $40,000 per building, with an additional $20,000 per assisted residential unit available up to a maximum total of $100,000 per project. The grant will require at least a 25% cash match on the part of the owner.

Oyster Bay Main Street Association will be responsible for selecting projects from applications received. Main Street President Ellen Roché said, “At the direction of the state we are especially looking for projects in the target area that have historic value, are visually prominent on Main Street, or that will, with the assistance of grant funds, realize a stabilization or expansion of a Main Street business.”

The application that made Oyster Bay eligible for these funds was submitted in April, and received supporting letters from Raynham Hall Museum, Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, Save the Jewel By the Bay, and the Oyster Bay Historical Society. Sagamore Hill Superintendent Thomas E. Ross in their letter of support wrote, "The grant you are seeking is a critical piece in preserving and presenting the hamlet to thousands of visitors seeking to learn more about Theodore Roosevelt and the area's rich history."

Business and building owners considering applying for a grant are requested to attend a public workshop on Thursday, September 24, at 8:30am in the Christ Church Parish Hall, at 55 East Main Street. This will give people an opportunity to hear more about the program and to ask questions.

Completed applications are due by 4pm on Thursday, October 8, 2009, and may be delivered to the Main Street program office at 55 East Main Street, Oyster Bay. The grant application may be downloaded at the link that follows or by contacting Main Street at the information below: http://www.oysterbaymainstreet.org/OBMSA_Building_Renovation_Grant_Application.pdf

Contact: Isaac D. Kremer
P.O. Box 116, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Phone: (516) 922-6982
Email: oysterbaymsa@gmail.com

New Art Studio/School Aims to Energize Local Arts Community; Art Equinox 2009

On Thursday, August 27 Town Clerk Steven L. Labriola participated in a ribbon cutting
ceremony to commemorate the opening of Oyster Bay’s latest addition to its community, the Teaching Studios of Art. For their next community event, Rob Zeller, Director of the Teaching Studios of Arts and his faculty are hosting Art Equinox 2009, an art and music reception at the Studio, located at 115 Audrey Avenue on Friday, September 25 from 7 pm to 10 pm. Light refreshments will be served. The aim of this event is to highlight the art work of students and faculty, and to raise the profile of the school in the North Shore community.

The Teaching Studios of Arts joins L’Industrie Skateboards and the Railroad Museum on Audrey Avenue which may soon become known as the "artsy" end of town. Bill Burke, Organization Committee Chair of the Oyster Bay Main Street Association said, "SOHO has come to Oyster Bay. Teaching Studios is a powerful affirmation of Main Street's decade-long commitment to revitalize the historic Hamlet of Oyster Bay, relying on its unique assets and strengths including history, arts, and culture."

Rob Zeller, Director of the Teaching Studios of Art, is no stranger to the arts community in Oyster Bay having previously taught at the Stevenson Academy of Fine Art, which was once also located in Oyster Bay. “Oyster Bay has a great deal of charm that is very attractive to artists like myself. From the pristine waterfront to the beautiful architecture, a human-scale downtown, access to the LIRR, and, of course, the rich history that is so much a part of this community. This town has all the elements to make it an ideal hub for an arts community and I hope the school will be instrumental in making that happen,” said, Zeller has also taught at the New York Academy of Art and the Long Island Academy of Fine Art and has exhibited his works in
galleries in New York City and across the country. Zeller received a BFA from the Boston Museum School and Tufts University, and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art. He studied with Jacob Collins at the Water Street Atelier and is the recipient of two Posey Fellowships and a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant.


The Teaching Studios of Art began soon after Zeller started teaching landscape lessons in Central Park. When it became too cold to paint outside in winter, Zeller moved the classes indoors to an art studio in Brooklyn and thus was the birth of the first Teaching Studio of Art. The new studio in Oyster Bay is the second campus for the school.

The mission of The Teaching Studios of Art is to train artists in traditional techniques practiced for centuries before the advent of Modernism. Zeller and his fellow teachers equip students of all ages with the strengths of time-tested techniques and believe that creating a vibrant artistic environment enriches the aesthetic and cultural life of the surrounding community. "By focusing our efforts on training artists in traditional techniques that are sometimes difficult to master, we feel we are offering a chance for personal improvement as well as artistic growth. Our faculty is comprised of highly trained and skilled artists who have exhibited their work in New York and around the US. Our classes are small, and students receive much personal attention. Our clients are our community, and we take their needs seriously," said Zeller.

To fulfill this mission and to begin building a community of local artists, Zeller has aligned the Studio with highly acclaimed artists to serve as faculty. Instructor Kristin Künc’s latest painting, Owl was featured on the most recent invitation of the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center Gala Ball and was purchased by Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, at the Gala’s auction. Künc graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, studied portraiture with Joanette and Cedric Egeli and impressionistic landscape painting at the Cape Cod School of Art. After teaching at the John Waldron Arts Center in Indiana, Künc moved to New York to study with Jacob Collins at the Water Street Atelier. She was awarded a full fellowship to the Vermont Studio Center and the National Society of Arts and Letters' Career Award.

Instructor Bennett Vadnais studied classical drawing and painting at the Bougie Studio, MN, the Water Street Atelier in NY and the Art Students League of New York. He won the highest honors that the League awards, He also taught at the Long Island Academy of Fine Art and has done various landscape workshops around Long Island. Vadnais’ work has exhibited in galleries in New York City and across the country.

Instructor Nan Carey has a BFA in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design. She has been an art instructor at Wave Hill in the Bronx and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Her work is exhibited and collected in the metropolitan area and beyond.

The immensely talented North Shore pastel artist Jane McGraw Teubner has won numerous
awards for her pastel paintings in the last few years, most notably from the Salmagundi Club in New York City and the Pastel Society of America.

Internationally renowned artist John Morra, a leading figure in the world of contemporary American realism, will be teaching a Still-Life class. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Graduate study brought Morra to New York, where he received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the New York Academy of Art in 1991. Morra has taught workshops on a regular basis at the Gage Academy in Seattle, Washington, and also the Grand Central Academy in New York City. Morra taught in Provence, France this summer.

To learn more about the Teaching Studio of Art, the faculty and the classes, visit
www.teachingstudios.com or call 917.597.2404.

Only 3 Oyster Bay Sundown Concerts Remaining

Historic Oyster Bay will be your musical destination this coming Thursday, August 6, from 6pm to 8pm, and Il Piatto Restaurant will be your stage for the Judy Garland Revue as part of the ongoing Oyster Bay Sundown series held every Thursday night


The trio of Jen Kane, Lisa Berman, and Dawn Klein will present the life of Judy Garland through song.

Jen Kane describes herself as a lifelong fan of Judy Garland, even as a young child. Past credits include Meet me In St. Louis, Pippin, Swing and Anything Goes.

Dawn Klein teaches fourth grade at the American Sign Language and English Lower School in Manhattan and dance at Dance Dimensions in Hicksville. She too has performed in productions of Anything Goes, Hello Dolly, and Gypsy.

Finally, Lisa Berman performs in everything from children’s shows to plays to big musicals. She too is delighted to perform the Garland repertoire.

Il Piatto Restaurant is located at 107 South Street in historic downtown Oyster Bay. For more information please visit www.oysterbaymainstreet.org or call 516-922-6982.

Also be sure to come out for these remaining Sundown events:
- August 13, Strummin' and Drummin', Planting Fields State Historic Park, 1395 Planting Fields Rd., 6-8pm
- August 20, Sing-a-Long, Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center, 134 Cove Road, 6-8pm

Save the date for Oyster Bay Main Street's 10 year anniversary:
September 15, "Celebrating a Decade of Improvements in Downtown Oyster Bay", Christ Church Parish Hall, 61 East Main Street, 7-9pm

Sundown Brings Activity to Oyster Bay this Spring and Summer

Every Tuesday and Thursday night Oyster Bay will be abuzz during the spring and summer months.

Live performances and events will make up the Oyster Bay Sundown Series. These weekly happenings will be every Thursday night from 6pm to 8pm.

“Programming these live events will entice people to visit downtown, which is our goal,” said Diane Meltzer, the Oyster Bay Main Street Association’s Promotion Chair.


The Acts
Throughout the summer, the series will shift from the downtown to a variety of venues in and around Oyster Bay, highlighting the unique historical and cultural attractions in the area. Concertgoers are welcome to bring a blanket and a picnic to enjoy these live concerts in an enjoyable setting each week.


Concerts in Other Places
* Stout! Folk music. Oyster Bay Historical Society, 20 Summit Street, July 16, 6pm-8pm.
* Oyster Bay Community Band. Traditional band music presented on the grounds of TR’s home. Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, 12 Sagamore Hill Rd. July 23, 6pm-8pm.
* Strike the Bell. Sea shanties. Raynham Hall Museum, 20 West Main St. July 30, 6pm-8pm.
* Judy Garland Revue. Life and music of Judy Garland presented through song and dance. Il Piatto Restaurant (courtyard), August 6, 6pm-8pm.
* Strummin’ and Drummin’. A fun kids music show. Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park, 1395 Planting Fields Rd. August 13, 6pm-8pm.
* Sing-a-Long. Families are welcome for this popular end-of-the-summer event. Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center, 134 Cove Rd, August 20, 6pm-8pm.

About the Presenting Organization
The Oyster Bay Main Street Association was started in 1999 with the mission “to create and promote a healthy economy and an attractive hamlet, while maintaining historic character and integrity.” Projects the organization has completed include sign and façade improvements, public space enhancement, and helping to promote sites and attractions in the historic Hamlet of Oyster Bay.

For more information or to become a member of the Oyster Bay Main Street Association, please visit www.oysterbaymainstreet.org or call (516) 922-6982.

Oyster Bay stands in for the Hamptons in TV show

Oyster Bay stands in for the Hamptons in TV show
BY SUSANA ENRIQUEZ | susana.enriquez@newsday.com
10:33 PM EDT, May 11, 2009

Oyster Bay residents watched in wonder Monday as someone was rushed from an ambulance into the emergency room of "Hamptons Heritage Hospital" - what on any other day is known as Oyster Bay Town Hall.

The scene played out several times during a taping of "Royal Pains," a new USA television series starring Mark Feuerstein as a private on-call doctor for the Hamptons elite. The series is scheduled to debut June 4.

With the addition of a few signs, 75 crew members and about 25 extras as doctors, nurses, patients and security guards, town hall took on the appearance of a hospital.

Oyster Bay resident Donald Altieri had finished taking a stroll through nearby Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park when he stopped to watch the crew and extras milling about.

"I'm amazed how they set things up and make it look real," said Altieri, 71.

Earlier in the day, the crew turned a nearby pedestrian alleyway into a bustling farmers' market - replete with women in summer dresses and their small dogs - and the deli across the street into an upscale coffee shop.

Supervisor John Venditto said the filming - coming on the heels of several Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie sightings around town - has created a buzz in the community.

"People are having a lot of fun with this," Venditto said. "This is good stuff."

The one-day shoot was the first on town property this year; last year, the town clerk's office issued six permits for TV commercial and movie shoots.

The production company paid $500 to use the town's property and agreed to reimburse the town for public safety officers and for shuttling town employees who had to park in a remote lot.

Town Clerk Steven Labriola said he could see why the hamlet, with its tree-lined streets and quaint architecture, was deemed Hampton-esque.

"This could be a street in Bridgehampton," he said.

From:
http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/longisland/ny-lifilm1212755077may11,0,609496.story