Celebrate the Holidays in Downtown Oyster Bay!

Oyster Bay is about to have the most active and exciting holiday season in recent memory. Community leaders and public officials will be on-hand to mark completion of the $2.5 million rehabilitation of the Octagon Hotel on Thursday, December 2. This 1850's building, where Theodore Roosevelt conducted his campaign for Governor of New York, will house 6 apartments and 3 retail units. Join us for the Ribbon Cutting & Dedication at 4pm, to be followed by building tours and reception with free food and drink. The Octagon Hotel is located at 67 West Main Street in downtown Oyster Bay.

Late Night Shopping Downtown
Stores will be open late on Thursday, December 2, 9, and 16, to help satisfy all of your shopping needs. Find that unique one-of-a-kind gift. Downtown Oyster Bay has art, anqiues, crafts, collectibles, jewelry, toys, and more.

Free Gift Wrapping
Buckingham's Variety Store at 36 Audrey Avenue will provide free gift wrapping for any item purchased at an Oyster Bay or East Norwich store when a receipt is provided. This will be offerred Thursday, Dec. 2, 9, and 16.

Also enjoy the following special events to be held throughout the month of December.

Wednesday, December 1

Menorah Lighting at the Derby-Hall Bandstand in Townsend Park located at Shore and Audrey Avenues, starting at 5:30pm.

Thursday, December 2


Meet the Maker: Jane Cairns Irvine at Think Long Island First, 5pm-7pm
Renowned glass artist Jane Cairns Irvine will present her glass art at Think Long Island First at 36 Audrey Avenue. Jane runs a successful studio in Glen Head where she creates her own work and introduces students of all ages to the magic of fused glass.

1st Annual Holiday Stroll and Artwalk, 7pm-9pm
Enjoy a stroll through town and visit many of our artists and art galleries that will be open late to satisfy your holiday shopping needs.

Rob Zeller of the Teaching Studios of Art at 115 Audrey Avenue will be conducting a portrait demonstration form a live model, 7pm-9pm. The event is free and open to the public. Artwork of faculty artists Kristin Künc, Bennett Vadnais, Lor Shorin and Jane McGraw Teubner will be on display, as well.

Shangri-la Spa at 63 Audrey Avenue will be hosting a "Meet the Artist Reception" from 7-9pm. A collection of original monotypes and hand-pulled prints, all modern interpretations of the figure, will be on display now through Feb. 18.

Artwork from local area artists will be on display in the Oyster Bay Main Street Association storefront office at 17 Audrey Ave, from 7pm-9pm. Free holiday food and refreshments will be provided.

Friday, December 3

HPS Network Benefit Christmas Concert, 7:30pm
Free concert featuring traditional, modern, and Christmas favorites. Admission is free. Donations will be accepted to benefit the Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Network. To be held at the Oyster Bay High School Performing Arts Center, 150 East Main Street, Oyster Bay

Sunday, December 5

HPS Network Benefit Christmas Concert, 2:00pm
Free concert featuring traditional, modern, and Christmas favorites. Admission is free. Donations will be accepted to benefit the Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Network. To be held at the Oyster Bay High School Performing Arts Center, 150 East Main Street, Oyster Bay

Holiday Tree Lighting, 4:15pm
At the Derby-Hall Bandstand in Townsend Park located at Shore and Audrey Avenues

Monday, December 6

Holiday Party at Blue Water Spa, 5pm-9pm
To celebrate the holidays we are offering an evening of Fun Fun Fun! Mingle with your friends, Meet the Staff, learn about new services. We are offering the following FREE services: Candy Cane Facials, Clarisonic Facial Cleansing Station, Mini Lactic Facial Peels, Oxygen Eye and Lip Infusion, Make up Make overs. Discounts on all our products. Champagne and hors d'oeuvres. And we are raffling off a Microdermabrasion Series (6 treatments) worth $1000! Please call us to RSVP. 516-584-6800 We hope to see you there!

Thursday, December 9

Many stores will be open late!

Free Gift Wrapping
Buckingham's Variety Store at 36 Audrey Avenue will offer free gift wrapping for any item purchased at an Oyster Bay or East Norwich store.

Friday, December 10

Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony at Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park, 6pm
Gates will open at 5:30PM and the tree lighting will take place at 6:00PM sharp. This year, 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 see the holiday decorations on the first floor of Coe Hall. In addition, guests will be able to view the spectacular poinsettia display in the Main Greenhouse. Don’t forget to visit our beautiful café in the Visitor Center and enjoy a great snack. Both the grounds and the building will be open until 8:00PM. Admission is free. For more information, please call 516-922-8600.

Saturday, December 11

Free Horse and Carriage Rides, noon-4pm
Rides will depart every 15 minutes on a first come, first served basis from the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum, 102 Audrey Avenue.

Meet St. Nicholas, 12:30pm-2:30pm
St. Nicholas will make a special trip from the North Pole to greet guests at Raynham Hall Museum, located at 20 West Main Street. Children who come with their families will receive stocking stuffer gifts and holiday refreshments. Admission is $12 per family.

Oyster Bay Historical Society Holiday Open House, 4pm-7pm
A program of gospel and seasonal music will be held at the Hood A.M.E. Zion Church located at 137 South Street. This will be followed by a Holiday Reception at the Oyster Bay Historical Society building, located at 20 Summit Street in Oyster Bay.

The Artist Club Gallery Opening, doors open at 2pm, reception 7pm-9pm
The newly opened Artist Club Gallery at 27 Berry Hill Road will have an exhibition featuring work by artists Michael Cavayero, Kathryn Gardner, Odile Montel, and Peter Weeks. This is a "silent auction" gallery where club memebrs can bid for work in person, by phone, or online.

Sunday, December 12

Free Horse and Carriage Rides, noon-4pm
Rides will depart every 15 minutes on a first come, first served basis from the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum, 102 Audrey Avenue.

Sunday Barn Brunch, 11am-3pm
Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park will hold a Sunday Barn Brunch in the Hay Barn. Live music by Mike Mattia & Friends will be provided. Food will be served buffet style with champagne cocktail. Price is $29.95 for adults and $15 for children under 10. Call Periwinkles Catering for more info 516-922-6700.

Thursday, December 16

Stores will be open late!

Free Gift Wrapping
Buckingham's Variety Store at 36 Audrey Avenue will offer free gift wrapping for any item purchased at an Oyster Bay or East Norwich store.

Saturday, December 18

Christmas with the Roosevelts at Sagamore Hill, noon-4pm
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site will host Christmas with the Roosevelts. Activities will include holiday music performed on a harp and flute by Musica Dolce at the park’s Old Orchard Museum and Christmas carols sung by Close Enough around Roosevelt Home. “Theodore Roosevelt,” as portrayed by James Foote, will share his reminiscences of how the Roosevelts celebrated Christmas, both at Sagamore Hill and in the White House. Ranger-guided tours of the Roosevelt Home will feature information about Christmases past and the festivities that the family enjoyed. Behind the Visitor Center, children will have an opportunity to work with a park ranger to make holiday crafts, and everyone is welcome to partake of complimentary hot cider and hot chocolate will be provided by the Friends of Sagamore Hill. 12 Sagamore Hill Road, Oyster Bay, New York. 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.

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For those who would like to add an event to this list, please contact the Oyster Bay Main Street Association at (516) 922-6982 or visit http://www.oysterbaymainstreet.org/.

Think Long Island Store Opens in Oyster Bay, Oct 7

September 26, 2010, Oyster Bay, NY – Two local Long Islanders will be launching Think Long Island First, a company dedicated to promoting goods made on Long Island, October 7 at the Grand Opening of its first storefront. Born from a deeply-felt desire to support local artisans, Think Long Island First will carry various products such as wood-turned objects, pottery, photography, stationary, metal sculpture, cosmetics, jewelry, knits, honey, jam and jellies – all crafted within the area. The store will be located inside Buckingham Variety Store at 36 Audrey Avenue in historic Oyster Bay.

The launch also follows part of a larger national trend to support local economies for reasons of local sustainability, transparency and greater social responsibility. The long-term goal of the company is to become a catalyst in the development of cottage industries on Long Island.

“We are thrilled to open our doors to the public next week. Think Long Island First will give residents and visitors to the area a great opportunity to enjoy and support the talented artists and craftsmen here on Long Island who just happen to be their neighbors,” said Ewa Rumprecht, who along with her partner Jolanta Zamecka, will both be at the event and available for interviews.

Artist wood turner Harry Wicks from Cutchogue, NY, will be at the Grand Opening of the store to represent the many artists whose wares will be sold there. He executes decorative and utilitarian wood objects - bowls, plates, vases, etc., mostly from Long Island wood.

The company founders started Think Long Island First with clear goals in mind:

• Address green, environmental concerns
  Transportation of goods takes an enormous toll on the environment. Think Long Island First removes the long distance delivery of goods from the product life cycle. Ewa and Jolanta believe that Long Islanders should not only enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables grown on the fertile soil of the East End, but should also be able to dress in clothes made by their neighbors or decorate their homes with wares made within a short driving distance.
  
• Enable guilt-free shopping
  Considering that slave and child labor still exist in many parts of the world, there is a need for a greater transparency in the production of goods. This can only be assured by maintaining close contacts with the manufacturers in one's own backyard. Think Long Island First removes the barrier of anonymity and non-accountability and presents makers to the consumers together with their products by publishing information about the makers on its website, by holding “Meet the Maker” events at the store and by organizing tours of workshops.
  
• Promote sustainable Long Island
  Goods made locally and sold locally contribute to the economy of Long Island. Artists and craftsmen who are able to support themselves within their community can continue to develop their skills and create a wider range of products. Purchasing local goods
  promotes the sustainability of arts and crafts on Long Island.

Ewa Rumprecht, a musicologist by education, has years of experience as a programmer and an IT and localization manager in technology industry. Her latest, very rewarding involvement was with Smile Train, the charity helping children in poor countries obtain free cleft lip and palate surgery. She lives in Oyster Bay with three cats.

Jolanta Zamecka is a trained psychologist. Her career has followed many paths – psychology, stock brokerage, museum consulting, preservation advocacy and retail. She currently serves on the boards of Chamber Players International and the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County. She also manages her husband Edward's busy medical practice, Z Medical Care. Jolanta is a long-time Oyster Bay resident.

For more information, please visit http://www.thinklongislandfirst.com/ .

ABOUT THINK LONG ISLAND FIRST
Think 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.

Media Contact:
Ewa Rumprecht, President
Think Long Island First
516.584.3155
ewa@thinklongislandfirst.com

Downtown Oyster Bay to Receive a Makeover on June 12-13

Oyster Bay, New York – Downtown Oyster Bay has been selected as the site for a 48-hour make-over. DoTank:Brooklyn is a well-regarded national consortium of planners, designers, and architects based in New York City. They will be providing their services for free over a two-day period to help transform a portion of Audrey Avenue Extension in downtown Oyster Bay.

Local leaders and community members will join them to participate in a short-term planning exercise on June 12-13, 2010. Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto has been very accommodating of the event, providing full support of the Town for these efforts. Improvements being made during these 48 hours will build support for plans and actions over the next 48 months, that will ultimately help to promote sustainable design and lasting change over the next 48 years.



Oyster Bay Main Street Association President Ellen Roché, speaking of the event, said “This highly visible high-impact event will provide the Oyster Bay community an opportunity to actively get involved in revitalization efforts. We hope this event will serve as a catalyst attracting interest and attention that will in turn help to attract resources for future improvements.”

Michele Browner, President of the Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce which is helping to lead the event, said “This is about economic revitalization of the Hamlet, and the whole community coming together to make Oyster Bay an attractive place to live, work, do business, and play.”

A growing list of participants and groups are represented in the event, including:

• The Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce is involved in planning and many Chamber members will be represented each of the two days.
• The Oyster Bay Railroad Museum Preview Center at 100 Audrey Ave and the historic Long Island Rail Road Station will be open both Saturday and Sunday.
• A Railroad Museum Café will be just south of the station, with food and drinks offered by V’s Hot and Sweet each of the two days.
• Bliss Studios will offer a yoga class at 9:30am on Saturday, a ballroom dancing class at 6:30pm on Saturday, and a Zumba class 9:30am on Sunday, at 101 Audrey Ave.
• A Healthy U will have ice cream and drinks on sale, with seating outside their store at 98 Audrey Ave.
• Children’s art work from Not Just Art will be on display in a pop-up café also located at 101 Audrey Ave.
• The Oyster Bay pop-up store at 91 Audrey Ave will feature gifts and merchandise from area historic sites and Oyster Bay organizations including Buckingham Variety Store, Raynham Hall Museum, Friends of the Bay, the Theodore Roosevelt Association, the Hispanic Cultural Center and numerous others.
• Teaching Studios of Art will be offering a free art class at 115 Audrey Ave on Saturday from 3-5pm.
• Renaissance Property Associates has graciously made several of their buildings in the area available for pop-up stores, workshop space, and a café.
• For a complete and up-to-date listing of events, please visit www.oysterbaymainstreet.org.

Members of the public are invited to participate in activities to be held throughout the weekend.

• A Farmer’s Market with produce, prepared food, and numerous other vendors, will be open Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 2pm, in the parking lot north of Town Hall West.
• Pinata making workshops will be held at 11am and 1pm on Saturday and Sunday at the Bandstand between Town Hall and the U.S. Post Office.
• A Community Planning Workshop will be held on June 12, from 1-3pm at 101 Audrey Ave, where community members and planners will talk about future changes in the next 48 months to 48 years.
• An Outdoor Movie will take place Saturday, June 12, at 8pm in the pop-up park beside the historic Oyster Bay Long Island Rail Road Station at the end of Audrey Ave.
• A Theodore Roosevelt in Oyster Bay Tour will start at 91 Audrey Ave on Sunday at 2pm.
• A Guided Bike Ride will take place Sunday, at 3pm, and leave from the Railroad Museum Plaza.
• Live music, sidewalk chalk drawings, board games, a water feature, sandboxes, and other activities will provide fun and excitement for families and people of all ages.

The Oyster Bay Main Street Association, which is helping to organize the event, is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to enhancing and promoting an attractive and thriving downtown, while maintaining its historic integrity.

For more information, or if you or your business or organization want to participate in the Oyster Bay 48x48x48 event, please call (516) 922-6982 or send an e-mail to http://www.oysterbaymainstreet.org/contact.php.