Around the Island

What’s Happening: October 20, 2016

COURTESY PHOTO | Filmmaker Kamala Lopez on location during filming of "Equal Means Equal."
COURTESY PHOTO | Filmmaker Kamala Lopez on location during filming of “Equal Means Equal,” which will be screened at the Shelter Island Library’s Friday Night Dialogues series on October 21.

ON WOMEN’S RIGHTS

“Equal Means Equal” is a new film about how women are discriminated against in the United States today. Exploring how discriminatory attitudes affect women, director Kamala Lopez uses real-life stories and precedent-setting legal cases to uncover how outdated attitudes inform and influence issues such as workplace harassment, domestic violence, rape, and the foster care system. 

“Equal Means Equal” will be screened as part of Friday Night Dialogues at the Shelter Island Library on October 21 at 7 p.m. The screening is co-sponsored with the League of Women Voters of Shelter Island.

Special guest, Liz Lopez, an executive producer of “Equal Means Equal,” will introduce the film and be on hand to answer questions afterwards.

CELEBRATING CHEESE PUMPKIN 

The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin (so named because it resembles a wheel of cheese) will be the star attraction at Slow Food East End’s annual Fall Market Dinner at 18 Bay Restaurant where chefs Elizabeth Ronzetti and Adam Kopels will create a four-course menu spotlighting the culinary virtues of this heirloom variety.

The dinner is Sunday, October 23. Earlier this year, the Long Island Regional Seed Consortium launched the Long Island Cheese Pumpkin Project as an effort to raise awareness of this local variety. It’s currently listed among the 200 foods in Slow Food USA’s “Ark of Taste,” a living catalog of distinctive regional foods facing extinction in this country.

This year’s dinner honors Susan and Myron Levine, founders of the Joshua Levine Memorial Foundation, which supports charitable programs promoting good farming practices, healthy eating, education and a sustainable environment. The Levines will receive the second Carlo Petrini Award. The foundation is named for the couple’s son, Joshua, who was killed in a 2010 tractor accident at Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett.

Slow Food East End’s Fall Market Dinner at 18 Bay Restaurant, 23 North Ferry Road, is Sunday, October 23 from 5 to 8 p.m. A cocktail reception begins at 5 p.m. The cost of is $95 for Slow Food members ($110 non-members). Space is limited. Reserve at www.slowfoodeastend.org.

Next week:

GREAT DECISIONS 

The Shelter Island Library hosts the fifth meeting of “Great Decisions,” its foreign policy discussion group, by exploring the topic of the United Nations since 2015. Moderated by Kirk Ressler and presented by the Foreign Policy Association, the program begins at the library at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 27.
HALLOWEEN NATURE TRAIL

Who will be in the woods this year? On Saturday, October 29 Mashomack Preserve offers “Family Fun: Nature’s Halloween Trail” filled with a band of costumed characters that changes every year. Arrive anytime between 5 and 6:30 p.m., allowing about 30 minutes to complete the trail. All ages are welcome.

Children should be accompanied by an adult. Bring a flashlight. Light refreshments follow the rain or shine walk.

MYSTERIOUS MANOR

The mysteries of Sylvester Manor will be uncovered in a celebration of Halloween to share with the whole family. On Saturday, October 29 from noon to 3 p.m., Sylvester Manor gets in the spirit of the season with kid-friendly haunted hayrides, games, activities and fall fun for everyone. Admission is $5, free for ages 5 and under. Costumes are encouraged and food and beverages will be available for purchase. For more information visit sylvestermanor.org.

RIBBON CUTTING

The Shelter Island Library celebrates the opening of the new library entrance with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, October 29 at 1 p.m. All are welcome and refreshments will be served. For details, call (631) 749-0042.

A NOVEL MONTH

National Novel Writing Month is an annual, creative writing project that takes place during the month of November. NaNoWriMo challenges participants to write 50,000 words (the minimum number of words for a novel) from November 1 until the deadline at 11:59 p.m. on November 30. The goal of NaNoWriMo is to get people writing and keep them motivated throughout the process.

On Monday, October 31 at 7 p.m., the Shelter Island Library hosts a NaNoWriMo Kickoff Party. Author Matthew Quinn Martin will help jump start the process by offering a few words of wisdom, advice and support. All writers are welcome. Reserve to Jocelyn Ozolins @ [email protected].

COAT DRIVE

With colder weather soon to arrive, Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty is currently collecting donations of winter coats for those who are less fortunate. Throughout October, residents are invited to drop off new or gently used coats at the Sotheby’s office, 17 Grand Avenue.

WOMEN’S CLUB MEETING

The Shelter Island Women’s Club holds its next meeting at noon on Tuesday, November 1 at the Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall. The guest speaker will be Tom Damiani of Mashomack Preserve who will speak on “Taking care of birds in the winter.” All are welcome and a monetary donation or non-perishable food item for the food pantry would be appreciated.

CELEBRITY CHEF IS BACK

The Celebrity Chef series returns to the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church this fall. Chef Gayle Scarberry from Red Maple at the Chequit will kick off the series on Wednesday, November 2 at 6 p.m. The menu includes kale Caesar salad, chicken and wild rice soup, beer braised beef brisket, mac and cheese, green beans followed by plum cake with vanilla ice cream. The cost is $30 and reservations can be made at (631) 749-0805 extension 5. The next Celebrity Chef dinner will be December 7.

GRANTS AVAILABLE

The Shelter Island Educational Foundation (SIEF) accepts grant requests twice a year from students, teachers and programs that inspire participants and enrich their futures. Projects must provide, or make possible, educational experiences beyond those available in the normal school curriculum and budget.

Applications for fall grants are available at shelterislandedfoundation.org, or at the Shelter Island School or Library. It is preferable to fill out the application online and download for signatures.

The deadline is fast approaching — requests must be postmarked by Monday, October 31 and mailed to SIEF Grants Committee, P.O. Box 1950, Shelter Island, NY 11964.

Coming soon:

CHAMBER MUSIC RETREAT

The Perlman Music Program second annual Chamber Music Retreat concludes with a spirited concert of masterworks, presented by 15 PMP alumni. The free concert will be Sunday, November 6 at 4:30 p.m. at the Clark Arts Center. Virtuoso Society members may reserve seats by email at [email protected].

On Monday, November 7, each quartet will visit an East End school.

ELECTION EVE HAM DINNER

Shelter Island’s annual election eve ham dinner is back. This year, the festive community event, with side-by-side seating at long tables for food and conversation, will take place in the Parish Hall of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church on Monday, November 7. There will be two seatings — 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. and diners are encouraged to wear red, white and blue.

The menu will include baked ham with raisin sauce, sweet potatoes, home made applesauce and coleslaw as well as apple or pumpkin pie, apple cider and coffee or tea. Guests are invited to bring their own wine.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 children. To reserve, call the church office at (631) 749-0770 or Jeannie Brechter at (631) 749-0204. Take out is available between 6 and 6:30 p.m. and taxi service will be made available.

In addition, raffle tickets for the St. Nicholas Day Fair on December 3 will be for sale and items for the Fair’s Chinese Auction bidding will be on display.

TURKEY PLUNGE 

Save the date for the seventh annual Turkey Plunge. Sponsored by the friends of the Shelter Island Library, the plunge is Saturday, November 26 at 11 a.m. at Crescent Beach.

Bring a warm towel! The plunge takes place rain, snow or shine. Registration begins October 1 at the library or register and make a payment online at silibrary.org/plunge.

Across the moat

IT’S A SCREAM

Southampton Arts Center will be the site of the “Spooktacular Haunted House” the last two weeks of October. Produced by Oscar Gonzalez, the attraction boasts seven rooms of horror featuring monsters under the bed, scary clowns, an evil butcher, zombies, a forest of skeletons and more.

The haunted house is open Friday and Saturday, October 21 and 22 from 5 to 10 p.m. and Sunday October 23 from 3 to 7 p.m. It will be open Halloween weekend on Thursday, October 27 from 5 to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, October 28 and 29 from 5 to 10 p.m., Sunday October 30 from 4 to 9 p.m. and Monday, October 31 from 4 to 7 p.m.

Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door. Recommended for ages 8 and up, the lights will be kept on for the first hour each night for families with young children., Southampton Arts Center is at 25 Jobs Lane in Southampton Village.

Also on view at the center is “Chas Addams: Family and Friends,” an exhibit of more than 50 works by famed cartoonist Charles Addams.

TIME TRIPPING

People who miss the 1960s — especially the music — have a chance to relive the past when Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor presents “The Sixties Show” on Saturday, October 29 at 8 p.m.

“The Sixties Show” from New York City features musicians who performed with Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, James Brown, The Kinks and current members of multi-platinum pop superstars the Smithereens.

The band is known for re-creating spot on, note for note re-creations of the hits, B-sides and deep album cuts from the greatest songs of the 1960s.

Tickets are $30 in advance and $40 day of. Contact baystreet.org or (631) 725-9500 to purchase.