Thursday, December 8, 2011

Celebrate the Holidays at Coe Hall Mansion in Historic Oyster Bay


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Oyster Bay, NY 11771

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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Graduated Pearls Public Art Project Receives Great Press Coverage


Here are just a few of the articles highlighting the Graduated Pearls public art project by acclaimed Oyster Bay artist Jerelyn Hanrahan. The sculpture was installed in Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park in Oyster Bay this past October. Visitors are welcome to come and see this interesting and playful piece where the land and water meet, just north of the main entrance to Theodore Roosevelt Park.

Also, here are just a few of the references to Graduated Pearls in the press:



Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony at Planting Fields, Fri, 12/9, 5:30pm


The New York Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation is pleased to announce the seventh Annual Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony at Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park in Oyster Bay, NY.

The tree lighting will take place on Friday, December 9, 2011. Arboretum gates will open at 5:30PM and the tree lighting will take place at 6:00PM sharp. As in previous years, we will light the magnificent thirty-five foot Japanese Umbrella Pine, which is located on the south side of the Camilla Greenhouse. The event will feature several special guests, including Santa and carolers. Guests will have the opportunity to view the first floor of Coe Hall. In addition, guests will be able to view the spectacular poinsettia display in the Main Greenhouse. The Main Greenhouse display will feature several hundred poinsettia plants comprising forty varieties of poinsettias. Don’t forget to visit our beautiful Periwinkles cafĂ© in the Visitor Center and enjoy a great snack.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see Planting Fields in all its’ winter splendor. Both the grounds and the building will be open until 8:00PM. Admission is free. For more information, please call Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park at 516-922-9200 or visit our website at www.plantingfields.org. For more information about New York State Parks, visit our website at www.nysparks.com.

Directions: Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park is located in Oyster Bay and can be reached via the Long Island Expressway, Exit 41 North (route 106) to Route 25A west, and then follow signs to the park.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Christmas with the Roosevelts’ at Sagamore Hill, 12/3, 11am-4pm


Christmas with the Roosevelts’ at Sagamore Hill

Oyster Bay, NY: On Saturday, December 3, 2011 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sagamore Hill National Historic Site will hostChristmas with the Roosevelts at Sagamore Hill. Activities will include holiday music performed on a harp and flute byMusica Dolce, Christmas carols sung by Close Enough, and original and seasonal poems read by the Nassau County Poet Laureate Society. Finally a very special appearance by “Theodore Roosevelt,” as portrayed by James Foote, will share his reminiscences of how the Roosevelts celebrated Christmas at Sagamore Hill and White House. Ranger-guided tours of the Roosevelt Home will feature information about Christmases past and the festivities that the family enjoyed. Complimentary hot cider and cocoa will be provided by the Friends of Sagamore Hill.


-NPS-

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, and to ensure that future generations understand and appreciate the life and legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, his family and the significant events associated with him. Tours of the home are limited to fourteen persons and are offered on the hour on Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Tour tickets are five dollars each and tickets are sold on a first-come-first-served basis each day beginning at 9 a.m. NOTE: The Roosevelt Home will be closing to the public for a three year period beginning December 5, 2011 due to a major rehabilitation of the home, however the Visitor Center, Theodore Roosevelt Museum at Old Orchard and the grounds will continue to be open and free interpretive programs will be offered.The grounds of Sagamore Hill are open year round from dawn to dusk. For further information, visit our website atwww.nps.gov/sahi, or call 516-922-4788. Be sure to follow us on twitter for updates at http://twitter.com/SagamoreHillNHS.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

English Country Houses and Their Landscape Gardens, Oct 30, 2:30pm



Lecture "English Country Houses and Their Landscape Gardens
Slide Lecture by Henry B. Joyce
Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 2:30pm Coe Hall
Free with $3.50 admission
Mr. Joyce will discuss the development of English Landscape Gardens using photographs from a recent trip to England. He will make a special reference to the history of landscape paintings and the work of Thomas Gainsbourough

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

TR Birthday Celebration with National Parks Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis, This Thursday!


Past birthday commemoration at TR Gravesite in Oyster Bay
Jonathan B. Jarvis, Director,
National Parks Service
Oyster Bay, NY: National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis will be in Oyster Bay on Thursday October 27 to participate in the annual Presidential Wreath Laying Ceremony at Youngs Memorial Cemetery to celebrate Theodore Roosevelt’s 153rd Birthday.  After the ceremony, the Director will participate in a special program at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site to transfer a new item to the Sagamore Hill archival collection, a 1903 note card written by Theodore Roosevelt to his son Quentin from Yellowstone National Park during a trip to western states.

The annual Presidential Wreath Laying ceremony at Youngs Memorial Cemetery to celebrate Theodore Roosevelt’s birth was first organized by the Quentin Roosevelt American Legion Post #4 in October 1919, making this its 92nd year.  The ceremony will begin at 10:00AM and include a color guard from the Post and representatives from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, as well as elected officials, active duty Navy personnel from the USS Theodore Roosevelt, National Park Service staff, local Boy Scouts and  the second grade class from Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School. The ceremony will include the posting of colors, the presentation of the Presidential Wreath, a song from the school children and the playing of taps by a Boy Scout Bugler to end the ceremony.

Activities will then shift to Sagamore Hill National Historic Site where the Birthday celebration will continue on the porch of the Roosevelt home at approximately 10:45AM.  Director Jarvis will be joined by National Park Foundation President Neil Mulholland, a Theodore Roosevelt Association representative and Sagamore Hill NHS Superintendent Thomas Ross for the presentation of the card to the National Park Service.  The note card was written during Roosevelt’s 8-week train tour of the western United States in 1903.  Roosevelt toured 25 states, two territories and some 14,000 miles and made time to visit National Parks such as Yellowstone and Yosemite with conservation luminaries of the day such as John Muir and John Burroughs during the trip. The note card sends loving wishes to his young son and contains a sketch of one of the mules in the pack train carrying supplies during Roosevelt’s camping trip in Yellowstone Park. The ceremony will include an appearance by Theodore Roosevelt as portrayed by nationally recognized re-enactor James Foote.

The note card will join the park’s 300 items associated with Quentin Roosevelt, one of the largest collections in the country.  Quentin Roosevelt, the youngest son of Theodore and Edith died at the age of 20 on July 14, 1918 in air combat action behind enemy lines in France during World War I.

The note card will go on display at the Theodore Roosevelt Museum at Old Orchard after the transfer ceremony.  The public is welcome to view the card during normal Museum hours, Wednesday through Sunday 10:00AM to 5:00PM daily.

--NPS--

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, and to ensure that future generations understand and appreciate the life and legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, his family and the significant events associated with him. Tours of the home are limited to fourteen persons and are offered on the hour on Wednesdays through Sundays from 10am to 4pm. Tour tickets are five dollars each and tickets are sold on a first-come-first-served basis each day beginning at 9 AM. NOTE: The Roosevelt Home will be closing to the public for a three year period beginning December 5, 2011 due to a major rehabilitation of the home, however the Visitor Center, Theodore Roosevelt Museum at Old Orchard and the grounds will continue to be open and free interpretive programs will be offered. The grounds of Sagamore Hill are open year round from dawn to dusk. For further information, visit our website at www.nps.gov/sahi, or call 516-922-4788. Be sure to follow us on twitter for updates at http://twitter.com/SagamoreHillNHS.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Get Your Halloween Thrills and Chills in Downtown Oyster Bay!


Come visit us in historic downtown Oyster Bay (postcard ca. 1910)


Where better to celebrate Halloween than Oyster Bay, one of the most historic communities on Long Island dating all the way back to 1653?  We've had our fair share of characters pass through from British officers during the Revolutionary War, to the author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - Washington Irving himself - who visited Oyster Bay many times, and modern day figures like Mary Mallon who is better known today as Typhoid Mary. Nothing will prepare you for the fun and exciting events family-friendly events we have in store for you this Halloween! Just a few of these follow.

Ghost Rides, Sunday, October 30, 3-7pm
Hop on the horse drawn carriage at Sweet Tomato (91 Audrey Ave.), and just stay on on for a free half-hour circuit ride, OR, for a fee of $10 for adults, $5 for kids (free if they're under 48 inches) you can hop on and off for ghost tours at the following stops: Oyster Bay Historical Society (20 Summit Street), the famously haunted Raynham Hall (20 West Main Street) and the old Railroad Station, (a VERY spooky place at the end of Audrey Avenue) for ghost stories, paranormal investigations, and other spine tingling fun. For more information, call 516-922-6808 or visit www.oysterbayhistorical.org.                                                        


Raynham Hall Museum with spooky Victorian Gothic tower as it appeared around 1880.



What's Cooking Halloween Spooktacular

Thursday, October 27th & Friday, October 28th, 5-7:00pm
There are no tricks to these treats! What's Cooking (30 East Main Street, Oyster Bay) has brewed a Halloween special for our chefs. From tasty treats to decorative ghoulish cookies and desserts, these recipes are as delicious as they are spooky. Create a craft, a take-home treat, There are no tricks to these treats! What's Cooking? has brewed a Halloween enjoy a main course while they are here, and a yummy treat. Menu to include: 
Haunted Chocolate House, 
Mummy Dogs w/ Homemade Fries, Halloween Sugar Cookies, Ghostly Pumpkin Pudding, and Slime Juice. Please visit the What's Cooking website to register!




Last Oyster Bay Farmers' Market of the Year!
Friday, October 28th, 10am-4pm
Come out and get the finest fall produce, as well as special treats that all of our vendors have to provide from pickles, to baked goods, eggs, nuts, dog treats, soaps, mums, and, yes, we have PUMPKINS!  The market is located in Townsend Park by the Derby-Hall Bandstand. Free cider and donuts will be available at the Oyster Bay Main Street table for ghosts and ghouls who stop by and say hi (or boo!).



Halloween Spooktacular! at Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center
Sunday, October 30th (various times) - Please Note Day Change from Saturday due to expected inclement weather
Toddlers Only: 11:00am-12:00pm (spooky)Kids 2-10 years: 1:00-2:30pm (spookier)Kids 8+ years: 6:00-7:30pm (spookiest)Held at the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center (134 Cove Road)
Have an up-close encounter with some spooky animals, find and decorate your perfect pumpkin from the patch, and go on a Halloween adventure walk. We'll end each session with Halloween stories around the campfire and prizes for the best costumes. The spookiness increases as the day progresses. Registration Required! $5 members / $8 non-members per child, $2 per adult. For more information, please call (516) 922-3200. Please visit the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center website for more info!


Fit Fusion Interactive 1st Annual Halloween Costume Party
Sunday, October 30th- 12:00 Noon - 2:00pm
Enjoy free munchies, games, and prizes at Fit Fusion Interactive (67 West Main St.) an interactive fitness studio located in the spooky and historic Octagon Hotel that was built in 1851.




Christ Church in the 19th century, before this building was encased in stone.
Celebration of "All Hallows' Eve" at Christ Church
Sunday, October 30th- 5:00-6:00pm
The Episcopalian congregation in Oyster Bay, dating back to 1705, invites you to Christ Church (61 East Main St.) to hear spooky organ music starting at 5pm, with the sanctuary lit only by candles from Jack-o-lanterns. A ghost and witch straight out of the Bible will make a special appearance. The fun will then continue next door with a festive supper party for the entire community in the Parish Hall with costumes, games and more Jack-o-lanterns, of course! The event will benefit the Episcopal Relief and Development fund. for more information, please call 516-922-6377.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Knitting Circle - Potluck Lunch, Nov. 5, 11am-2pm


Knitting Circle - Potluck Lunch
Saturday, November 5th, 11 am - 2 pm
A group of novice and expert knitters, fiber artists, weavers, and spinners will meet at the store for a few hours of pattern swapping, exchanging ideas, and just pure fun. The event is open to public so join us with your hooks and needles.
We held a similar event last year to a great success. In addition to knitting and crocheting we got a chance to try our hands at spinning and weaving - Donna Lee Trunk brought a portable loom, Carrie Wood set up a spinning wheel.
It's a potluck event so please bring a small dish (really small) to share with other guests. We will have limited storage and heating abilities so make is something uncomplicated.
SmilesCarrie Wood at her spinning wheelDonna Lee Trunk with a portable loop
Some participants
of a prior event
Carrie Wood
at her spinning wheel
Donna Lee Trunk
with a portable loop

Think Long Island First logoThink Long Island First is dedicated to promoting goods made on Long Island by local artists and craftsmen. By selling things made locally, Think Long Island First lowers the environmental footprint by removing the long distance delivery of products. The company also lifts the barrier of anonymity and non-accountability by introducing to the general public not only the local products but also their makers.

Sagamore Hill Announces $6.2 Million Dollar Rehabilitation Beginning Spring 2012



Sagamore Hill Announces $6.2 Million Dollar Rehabilitation Beginning Spring 2012

Oyster Bay, NY –  Theodore Roosevelt’s Sagamore Hill home will undergo a $6.2 million rehabilitation beginning in spring 2012. The three year project will give the home a comprehensive interior and exterior rehabilitation of its architectural and structural elements, from its roof to the foundation.

“This project represents a significant investment by the American people ensuring that the Roosevelt home and its irreplaceable collection are protected for future generations to appreciate, gain inspiration, and learn from” said Sagamore Hill National Historic Site Superintendent Tom Ross.

Guided tours of the home will be given through December 4th, when the home will close to visitors. “While the home is closed to visitors,” said Ross, “we will continue to serve visitors with special programs and activities at the Visitor Center, Theodore Roosevelt Museum at Old Orchard, historic farms buildings and throughout the grounds.”   

According to Ross, areas that remain open to the public during construction include the visitor center and museum store; the Theodore Roosevelt Museum at Old Orchard; site outbuildings and grounds, along with the nature trail which leads to the national wildlife refuge on Cold Spring Harbor. Public programs and special events will continue at the site including nature and grounds walks as well as the popular Junior Ranger programs for children. 

Several new programs include talks on the site as a working farm, illustrated programs, self-guided cellular phone tours, and an 18 minute narrated video tour of the Roosevelt home which takes visitors room by room through the house.

The rehabilitation includes work to interior elements such as woodwork, flooring, and lighting, as well as to mechanical systems including electrical, heating and ventilation, fire suppression and security. Exterior work includes installation of a new roof, gutter and drainage system, waterproofing of the foundation, and rehabilitation of historic windows, doors, siding, and porches to historic preservation standards.

The home’s original rear porch and its sky lit central light well, both of which were altered or removed in past work on the home, will be restored. In addition, an accessible ramp along with a walkway from the site’s visitor center will be installed.

Other aspects of this project include rehabilitation of the adjacent ice house, upgrade of the site’s fire hydrants, electrical service, and the installation of stand-by generators and upgrades to the site’s outdoor security lighting. 

For more information on the project and room or floor closures of the home, please visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov.  For information on the rehabilitation project visit:http://parkplanning.nps.gov.

-NPS-

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, located at 20 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, and to ensure that future generations understand and appreciate the life and legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, his family and the significant events associated with him. Tours of the home are limited to fourteen persons and are offered on the hour on Wednesdays through Sundays from 10am to 4pm. Tour tickets are five dollars each and tickets are sold on a first-come-first-served basis each day beginning at 9 AM. The grounds of Sagamore Hill are open year round from sunrise to sunset. For further information, visit our website atwww.nps.gov/sahi, or call             516-922-4788      . Be sure to follow us on Twitter for updates at http://twitter.com/SagamoreHillNHS and on Facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Sagamore-Hill-National-Historic-Site/127271867334480

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

'Fireboats of 9/11' Screening and Discussion, 10/13, 7pm

Be sure to check out this event brought to Oyster Bay by the Long Island North Shore Heritage Area. Then actually see one of those fireboats at the Oyster Festival this weekend!


LINSHA LECTURE SERIES

Thursday, October 13, 2011, 7 pm
FREE Screening and Discussion 


Oyster Bay Community Center
Church Street, Oyster Bay

John J. harvey

Friday, October 7, 2011

Downtown Oyster Bay Celebrates 'Fall Harvest Days' Every Friday in October



Oyster Bay, New York – Every Friday in October from 10am-4pm, we will be celebrating the culmination of another year of the highly successful Oyster Bay Farmers’ Market with ‘Fall Harvest Days.’ We welcome you to drop by and see the vendors you’ve come to know and love one last time. Come early to enjoy cider and donuts. All throughout the day family-friendly activities and events will give another reason to visit the market.

Award-winning farmer Beagan Gouth will have his fresh fruits and vegetables grown right here in Nassau County. Also on display will be the over 20 ribbons and prizes he won at the recent Long Island Fair. Joining him will be Armstrong Farm of Lattingtown with their very popular organic eggs. Scarola Farms will continue to bring their choicest wines from the North Fork of Long Island. Need some mums or flowers to give your home a splash of fall color? WPW Growers is here to help you with that too.

Maybe you are looking for baked goods, tea, or pickles? We have Meredith’s Bread offering the most delicious breads, pies, cookies, and other treats. The Tea Plant will offer loose tea and accessories. And, the always popular Horman’s Pickles brings their full line of products for the true pickle connoisseur in your household.

Rounding out the market are several vendors making fresh and handmade products. Bambino’s Ravioli has homemade pastas and sauces. DelPozzo brings the finest of oils that complement the many other food products available at the market. Naturally handmade Soaps by Susan are perfect for your home or as gifts this coming holiday season.  Bring along your fine furry friend for natural dog treats and pet items by Little Lexi’s Barkery. Rounding out the excellent vendors we have is Bang’N BBQ with their smoked BBQ items, and prepared ready-to-eat sandwiches.

The Oyster Bay Farmers’ Market is located in Townsend Park between Town Hall and the U.S. Post Office. Parking is easily accessible throughout the downtown. For questions please call (516) 922-6982 or visit www.oysterbaymainstreet.org

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Sagamore Hill offers tour of Theodore Roosevelt's Oyster Bay, 10/9, 2pm



Join Park Ranger Howard Ehrlich on Sunday, October 9th on a history stroll through Theodore Roosevelt’s Oyster Bay. The free one hour program begins at 2:00 PM in the Long Island Rail Road parking lot at the Oyster Bay station where Roosevelt traveled to and from New York City. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and dress appropriately for the weather.

Roosevelt’s have lived in Oyster Bay since the 1860s. In 1885, Theodore Roosevelt built Sagamore Hill two and a half miles east of the hamlet center. Oyster Bay came to national prominence when Theodore Roosevelt became the 26th President of the United States. Roosevelt frequented the hamlet for goods, services, transportation, conducting speeches and participating in local civic activities. The ranger stroll will highlight the major sites in the hamlet connected to Theodore Roosevelt and his family.

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, and to ensure that future generations understand and appreciate the life and legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, his family and the significant events associated with him. Tours of the home are limited to fourteen persons and are offered on the hour on Wednesdays through Sundays from 10am to 4pm. Tour tickets are five dollars each and tickets are sold on a first-come-first-served basis each day beginning at 9 AM. The grounds of Sagamore Hill are open year round from sunrise to sunset. For further information, visit our website at www.nps.gov/sahi, or call 516-922-4788. Be sure to follow us on Twitter for updates at http://twitter.com/SagamoreHillNHS and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sagamore-Hill-National-Historic-Site/127271867334480

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Harvest Regatta Celebration Returns on October 7



Oyster Bay, New York— The Oyster Bay Main Street Association and Oakcliff Sailing Center are joining forces again to host the Harvest Regatta Celebration on Friday, October 7, 2011. Last year's smashingly successful event will be duplicated. At 6:30pm a strolling dinner will be held in the quaint clubhouse and grounds of the Oakcliff Sailing Center at 2 South Street in Oyster Bay. Festivities will continue next door with live music and dancing, a unique silent auction, and showing of the work of the talented local artist Kirk Larsen that will be available for purchase.

The next day the signature Harvest Regatta will again take place in conjunction with the final Fall Classics Race. Costumes are strongly recommended. Regatta goers will have a chance to retrieve pumpkins from the water while sailing to win special prizes.



Several area restaurants will be providing food for the strolling dinner portion of the event. These include Coach Grill and Tavern, Christina’s Epicure, Jack Halyards American Bar & Grill, Luce Restaurant, Saggio’s, and Sweet Tomato. Bringing the “harvest” to the Harvest Regatta Celebration will be DelPozzo Foods from East Norwich. DelPozzo Foods participates in the Oyster Bay Farmers’ Market that is held downtown every Friday from 10am-4pm through October 28. They will bring their pastas, olive oils, balsamic vinegars, marinades, and pasta sauces to offer partygoers a taste of the farmers' market.

There are many businesses to thank for their role adding to the festivities. A wonderful selection of wine, beer, and specialty drinks will be provided. Wine has been donated by Testa Wines of Oyster Bay and Massican vineyard of Napa Valley. Mt. Gay cocktails will flow from the Boat Shed once again. Dodds & Eder has generously donated decorative plants for the night of the event. ENGEL & VĂ–LKERS of Locust Valley has sponsored printing of the event program.

Special silent auction prizes will include a sunset sail for four with Oakcliff Sailing Center and dinner at Jack Halyards American Bar & Grill; a house membership to Sagamore Yacht Club; an overnight stay at Oheka Castle; and various other fitness, health, spa visits, and dining auction items that people may bid on.

New this year is a ‘pick a prize’ raffle with a brunch for two at Rothmann’s, dinner for two at Wild Honey, and gift certificates to a number of area restaurants including Coach, Luce, Cafe al Dente, Canterbury's Oyster Bar and Grill, Serata, and Angelina's. If health and wellness is what you are looking for, maybe you can win a facial at Blue Water Spa or Shangri-La Spa, or treatments at Healthy Living Therapeutic. Promote your personal fitness with gift certificates from Bliss Studios and Evolution. Finally, fill your shopping needs with a gift certificate to Dodds & Eder, a gift basket from Chrison & Bellina, gift basket from Bon Vie, and a Utrecht gift bag and three complementary lessons at The Teaching Studios of Art.



The Oyster Bay Main Street Association is dedicated to enhancing and promoting an attractive and thriving downtown, while maintaining its historic integrity. We are a 501(c)3 Non-Profit using the national Main Street Approach® to downtown revitalization. Since 2001, we have been responsible for helping to attract over $30 million of investment to downtown Oyster Bay. This has led to the renovation of over 60 buildings, and the start of 57 new businesses in the downtown area. We manage a series of events throughout the year meant to promote the downtown and improve the quality of life including the Oyster Bay Farmers’ Market, the Oyster Bay Sundown Concert Series, and, new this year, Dancing in the Street.

Oakcliff Sailing Center was formed in 2010, to raise the levels of sailors and competitive sailing in the U.S. The Center is physically comprised of an America’s Cup-like campus in downtown Oyster Bay. The clubhouse, boat yard, and climate-controlled buildings house boat and sail storage, as well as rigging, composites, winch and hardware workshops. All of this is in close proximity to the commuter train station and a hundred yards from the Center’s deep-water docks and moorings.


Tickets are $75 in advance and $100 at the door. Tickets may be purchased securely online by visiting www.oakcliffsailing.org. Tickets may also be purchased by check, making this payable to OBMSA and sending this to PO Box 116, Oyster Bay, NY 11771. All proceeds are tax deductible and will jointly benefit the Oyster Bay Main Street Association and the Oakcliff Sailing Center.

Volunteers are needed to help the night of the event. For more information about sponsorship, tickets, or to volunteer please call (516) 922-6982 (516) 922-6982 or write oysterbaymsa@gmail.com.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Oyster Bay Groups Plan Shadow Ball to Aid with Preservation of Historic House


Oyster Bay, NY – The Oyster Bay Historic Preservation Roundtable has launched a community-wide campaign to raise $60,000 to address the pressing stabilization needs of the Adelia and Cornelius McCoon House, the 1844 summer cottage that served most recently as the home of Dr. James Trousdell and family. The house and two-acre property at 198 East Main Street and the corner of Sandy Hill Road was purchased this spring by the North Shore Land Alliance. They are in the process of placing a conservation easement on the property, and making the property available to purchase by a private buyer. The campaign will culminate in a final community thank-you reception held at the house on September 18 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., where all supporters will gather to celebrate the success of their mission.

At the heart of the campaign is the Shadow Ball—a “danceless” fundraiser for which donors purchase tickets to an imaginary ball as their contribution to the McCoon House’s stabilization fund. Such a stay-at-home event is an Oyster Bay fundraising tradition of sorts. Mrs. Chauncey B. Garver, who owned the house with her husband from 1920 to1949, put on shadow balls to raise funds for charity. And, more recently, Angela Koenig arranged stay-at-home Mother’s Day events in support of the Doubleday-Babcock Senior Center (now the Life Enrichment Center).

Lisa Ott, President of the North Shore Alliance said about the event and also the fundraising effort, “I could not imagine a better way to protect this notable house and the land it rests on, then by taking a page from Mrs. Chauncey B. Garver’s fundraising playbook. The Shadow Ball will give us the resources needed to stabilize this important house, so it may be passed on to a buyer with an interest in conservation of the land and preservation of this important building.”

The Cornelius & Adelia McCoon House was originally a Greek revival home with Colonial Revival details added later around 1913. This is one of Oyster Bay’s last remaining examples of a summer colony destination for nineteenth-century visitors that included members of the Roosevelt and Irvin families. The Oyster Bay Historic Preservation Roundtable’s campaign to raise funds for immediate repair and stabilization work represents the first crucial step in preserving such a vital symbol of Oyster Bay history.

The Oyster Bay Preservation Roundtable represents the collaborative efforts of many community organizations, including the North Shore Land Alliance, Oyster Bay Historical Society, Oyster Bay Main Street Association, Oyster Bay Railroad Museum, Raynham Hall, Save the Jewel, and the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities.

The Host Committee for the Shadow Ball fundraiser at this time includes: Phillip Blocklyn, John Bonifacio, Harriet Gerard Clark, Ben Jankowski, Isaac Kremer, Lisa Ott, Rita Pecora, and Alexandra Wolfe.

For more information please contact the North Shore Land Alliance at (516) 484-4419 or visit www.northshorelandalliance.org.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

'DANCING IN THE STREET' FREE EVENTS IN OYSTER BAY, Every Friday Evening in August


MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION, LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND DANCE STUDIOS ANNOUNCE 'DANCING IN THE STREET' FREE EVENTS IN OYSTER BAY


July 12, 2011, Oyster Bay, NY – Picture people literally dancing in the street this summer. Downtown Oyster Bay will be your place to be for music, outdoors, in a beautiful historic setting every Friday in August from 7pm to 9pm.

Live music, dancing lessons, and demonstrations will be provided by the bandstand on Audrey Avenue between Town Hall and the U.S. Post Office.

Ewa Rumprecht, one of the organizers of the event and co-owner of the Think Long Island First store in Oyster Bay said “This is an event that will help to put Oyster Bay on the map. We have so many cultural and artistic activities happening here already, that dancing is the next step in the evolution.”

The DJ’s and groups leading dance instruction follow:

  • August 5th, DJ Louis del Prete with a Latin and Ballroom Mix, plus dance instruction, and featuring a demo by Lisa Sparkles Studio

  • August 12th, music by Scofflaws, a Huntington ska band, “so hip it’s ridiculous”

  • August 19th, DJ Louis del Prete with a Latin and Ballroom Mix plus dance instruction

  • August 26th, DJ Louis del Prete, dance instructions and demo by Bliss Studio



This Dancing in the Street event is generously sponsored by local businesses and organizations: New York Islanders, State Bank of Long Island, Think Long Island First, Bliss Studio, English Country Flowers, State Farm Insurance – John Specce Agency, Lisa Sparkles Dance, and the Oyster Bay Main Street Association.


####

ABOUT OYSTER BAY MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION

Oyster Bay Main Street Association (OBMSA) is dedicated to enhancing and promoting an attractive and thriving downtown, while maintaining its historic integrity. We are a 501 (c) 3 Non-Profit using the national Main Street Approach® to downtown revitalization.