Supporters Attend “All Against Abuse” Summer Party at the Ross School Lower Campus in Bridgehampton

by

LONG ISLAND, NY – It was a roaring good time as supporters attended the The Roaring 20’s Summer Party for the Retreat in the Ross School Lower Campus Field House located at 739 Butter Lane, Bridgehampton, NY on Saturday June 20th, 2015. This year marks the 20th anniversary of “All Against Abuse” (previously Artists Against Abuse) annual summer party to benefit The Retreat Domestic Violence Services.

The Retreat’s mission is to provide safety, shelter and support for victims of domestic abuse and to break the cycle of family violence. A community-based, not-for-profit serving the North and South Forks of Long Island since 1987. Before the event got underway I spoke to Executive Director Loretta K. Davis.

Loretta K. Davis, Executive Director and Maggie Goldfarb, Director of Development speaks about their 20th anniversary of All Against Abuse Summer Party annual summer party to benefit The Retreat Domestic Violence Services.

Hello darlings, welcome back. I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here at the 20th Anniversary for “All Against Abuse” I am here with the Executive Director of the Retreat and she is going to introduce herself to the camera.

Loretta: Yes, Loretta Davis.

Now Loretta this has been going on for twenty years you have been having this wonderful fundraiser….this charily gala. Tell my audience what is “All Against Abuse”….it use to be known as “Artist Against Abuse.” Inform my audience what it really is all about.

Loretta: First of all it is a fabulous celebration. It started twenty years ago with “Artist Against Abuse” and at that time it was artist who were supporting the Retreat and they were making plates and platters..and it was only the plates and platters that were actually being sold raising money for the Retreat…that of course does services for domestic violence families. So now we still have three platters that we are offering tonight for sale by artist but look what it has blossomed into.

Well it looks like a spectacular event. It’s just beautiful…the way it is decorated! Tell my audience who did the decorations?

Loretta: It’s incredible. Now that you have to talk to Maggie about.

OK. I am going to talk to her about that. You have some pretty important sponsors. Tell my audience who those sponsors are?

Loretta: Well first of all we have an honorary committee and that is an amazing group of people that have been very supportive including Liev Schreiber is one of them. We have many, many more. I will let Maggie give you all the names on that.

If we want to find out more information about this charity, this fundraiser and everything regarding the Retreat…and against domestic violence, where can we go to support contribute and participate?

Loretta: We have a website it’s www.theretreatinc.org and if you go on there you can see all the services that we provide not just to women and children…it’s also men and it’s not just Suffolk County. We provide services to people that are in Nassau County…even out of state if they need shelter and it’s safer for them to be at our shelter then in other states. If you go on our website that’s the best place to get information.

Loretta K. Davis joined The Retreat in early 2015 as Executive Director.

Prior to joining The Retreat, Ms. Davis was the Town Justice in Tuxedo, New York for almost 20 years where she presided over civil and criminal matters. She worked as Moderator for the Roundtable which is the court of last resort for families recovering from Hurricane Sandy. The Roundtable is administered by the Health & Welfare Council of Long Island, a not-for-profit organization in Melville, New York.

Ms. Davis holds a law degree from New York Law School and completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Vermont. She clerked for a federal district court judge in Manhattan and worked at the law firm Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. She has extensive fundraising and managerial experience with the non-profit world through work with Business Council for Peace and Habitat for Humanity as well as other organizations.

I also spoke to Director of Development Maggie Goldfarb.

All Against Abuse MaggieDirector of Development Maggie Goldfarb with Cognac at the All Against Abuse Summer Party at the Ross School Lower Campus Field House located at 739 Butter Lane in Bridgehampton on Saturday June 20th, 2015.

Maggie explain to my audience what we can expect tonight.

Maggie: It’s the 20th Anniversary of “All Against Abuse” which supports the Retreat’s domestic violence services and tonight we have a wonderful cocktail hour with about 40 silent auction items ranging in everything from art to beauty to travel experience….a bunch of different things and then guests will going in for dinner and dancing of course and we have a live auction as well with a bunch of local and non-local artists a trip to Ireland, a trip to Jamaica and other special experiences.

Now I understand you are having a very special family…the Clemente’s…tell my audience why they are receiving this award and why they are tonight’s honorees.

Maggie: Well tonight it is Ann and Constantine Clemente and they have been supportive for a number of years to the Retreat. Their daughter Stephanie was a tireless volunteer in our shelter a few years ago and they have been incredibly supportive to us and we wanted to recognize them for that support.

I understand they are not attending the event. I heard their son is going to accept the award. Who is that?

Maggie: Dr. Arthur Clemente and his wife Estrella will be accepting the award on their behalf.

Maggie Goldfarb is Director of Development at The Retreat. She joined the team in June 2014 as a highly enthusiastic and motivated member. Her principal role is to support the mission, goals and objectives of the Retreat by developing and implementing short and long-term fundraising goals. Her heart has always been in the not-for-profit world and she believes strongly in helping others.

Prior to The Retreat, Ms.Goldfarb served as the Capital Campaign Coordinator at East End Hospice, organizing an $8 million campaign to construct an inpatient facility, and as Development Coordinator at Southampton Hospital, where she planned two major fundraising events raising over $1.6 million annually. Ms.Goldfarb holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Public Relations from James Madison University. She grew up in Southampton and currently resides there.

Radio Host and Realtor Amy Cerullo served as guest speaker for the event.

Honorary Committee included Lorraine Bracco, Bobbie Brown, Ina Garlen, Susan Lucci, Ann Liquori, Debra Messing, Liev Schreiber, Martha Stewart and Renee Zellweger.

The Retreat provides a local residential shelter for women and children, a 24-hour crisis hotline, counseling, legal advocacy, programs to engage troubled fathers who may be at risk of committing family violence and an in-school violence prevention education program. All services are provided free of charge.

For more information please visit www.theretreatinc.org.

1st Annual SoFo Climate Change Forum and Benefit at South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton

by

LONG ISLAND, NY – Nature enthusiasts, politicians, environmental activists and assemblymen gathered together at the 1st Annual SoFo Climate Change Forum and Benefit – Climate Change: What It Means for the East End at the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton, New York on June 6, 2015.

Before the panel discussion I interviewed Executive Director Frank Quevedo who stressed the emphasis on adapting to our climate change on a local scale.

Tell my audience a little bit more about this event and why it is so important that we all get involved.

Frank QuevedoExecutive Director Frank Quevedo of South Fork Natural History Museum with Cognac Wellerlane at the 1st Annual SoFo Climate Change Forum and Benefit in Bridgehampton on June 6, 2015

Frank: Our mission as an organization is to educate the public about environmental issues; about the natural history and how to preserve it. We try to reach out to children and adults in many different ways through our programs and tonight our event is specifically focused on climate change. A few years ago climate change was just a word and term that people used loosely. Now we are seeing after Super Storm Sandy a couple of years ago the impacts of high sea levels. The rising sea levels increase temperatures in our waters and glaciers melting which can create storm water issues here. Our salt water can be contaminated. Our fresh water can get flooded with salt water that can be an issue.

It’s also killing our fish too!

Frank: Well that is not related to climate change specifically that is more of an issue of people not being educated to know what stuff to put on their lawns or put on the ground so that they can get released into the water bodies of our local community and that creates an influx of nitrogen to our water system which creates low oxygen which can kill fish and other marine life.

This climate change is not just effecting the East End here in the Hamptons it is also effecting the world!

Frank: Yes, the world….you know we focus on a local scale but on a global scale there is all these climate change issues that need to be addressed. An event like this here in our community really brings awareness to the community.

That’s why I am here. I want to bring awareness.

Frank: Awareness is the key word here for this event. The premise of this event is to make people aware that climate change is for real and we are going to need to address the impacts of climate change because something drastic is going to happen someday and we need to be prepared for the future.

What should we do? How can we be prepared?

Frank: That is the discussion that the professionals and the people that we have on the panel tonight are going to address. My background and my strong points as an executive director here at the museum is to create educational programs. This event will initiate us to come up with new ideas and new programs specific to climate change.

Tell my audience who will be speaking tonight….some important people including assemblymen an politicians. Tell my audience who will be speaking.

Frank: Today our moderator for our event is Assemblyman Steven Englebright who is also a Board of Director of the South Fork History Museum. We have Dr. Carl Safina who is also an author, a conservationist and president and founder of the Safina Center. We have Peter Boyd who is a leader in climate change issues an regulations in the community. We have Robbie Stein who is running for Sag Harbor Village Mayor who has a lot of input on a local scale. Jack Rivkin who is an expert in creating solar energy and energy efficient guidelines to help alleviate the pressures of climate change. Environmental Activists Michael Gerrard who is a lawyer at Columbia Law School of Climate Change as well. He has been a tremendous influence on a global scale and a local scale in discussing and coming up with regulations and guidelines to deal with these climate change impacts.

This is a fascinating subject and I think that all people should be more aware of what is going on in the world. This is a major problem and I am so glad that you invited me to come to this event.

Frank: This is just part of our mission to create educational awareness about what is happening to our environment and we need to continue this for our children.

Exactly, we are not going to here forever but our children will be and we want them to be in a safe environment.

Frank: We want them to be in a safe environment but we also want them to be stewards and caretakers of our natural world

The history of the South Fork Natural History Museum began in 1988 with a group of South Fork naturalists who were concerned about the future of the area’s fragile ecosystems formed a membership organization called the South Fork Natural History Society, familiarly known as SoFo.

DSCN6060Peter Boyd Leader in Climate Change with Cognac Wellerlane at the 1st Annual SoFo Climate Change Forum and Benefit in Bridgehampton on June 6, 2015

Their objective was twofold — to increase public awareness about the past, present, and future of eastern Long Island’s natural history and to share with others the joy they found when they went out “in the field,” exploring and learning.

Today SoFo is to stimulate interest in advance knowledge of and foster appreciation for the natural environment. The museum’s special emphasis is on the unique natural history of Long Island’s South Fork.

For more information regarding climate change and different programs that the museum is involved in please visit www.sofo.org

Renowned Car Collector, Racer and Builder James Glickenhaus at the 2015 Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance

by

CONNECTICUT – Over two hundred fifty of the world’s finest, rarest and most exciting classic automobiles were on display for the Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance on May 30 and 31st at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park on a verdant peninsula in Greenwich Harbor. The only Ferrari P3/4 race car ever built was driven to the event by its owner, this year’s Grand Marshal, Jim Glickenhaus.

Glickenhaus is a long time supporter of the event and renowned among automotive connoisseurs — especially Ferrari collectors — for restoring, preserving, driving and now building some of the world’s rarest sports and racing cars. He drove, not trailered, the 1967 Ferrari P3/4 – surely one of the world’s most valuable Ferrari race-cars from his home in nearby Rye, NY to the Concourse grounds. His very special Ferrari, chassis No. 0846, won the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona and raced at that year’s Targa Florio and Le Mans.

During the event I had a chance to chat with Renowned Car Collector, Racer and Builder Jim Glickenhaus.

JimGlickenhaus Renowned Car Collector, Racer and Builder Jim Glickenhaus with Cognac Wellerlane at the Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance on May 31st at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich Harbor.

Welcome back darlings. I am here at the 2015 Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance and I am here with Renowned Car Collector, Racer and Builder Mr. Jim Glickenhaus. What a pleasure and an honor to meet you darling.

Jim: Oh thank you so much. It’s great to be here.

Now you are a big supporter of the Concours d’ Elegance and of course you have collected cars for so many years but you did something unusual today. Tell my audience what you did that other car collectors don’t do. They usually trailer their car but you did something unique today.

Jim: Yeah, we got up early and started up our Ferrari P3/4 that won the Twenty-four hours of Daytona 1967 and it is registered in New York and I drove it over here from my house so it was a great morning, nice drive….I always drive my cars.

Not many collectors do that because they are so afraid of something happening to their car but you were brave enough to do that.

Jim: Well I think there are several things to it. I think if you worry about it for sure you are going to have a bad day. I think Murphy wants to …until you see someone worrying but the thing that I don’t understand is a lot of guys buy cars and forty years later, you know they have 200 miles on them. I mean, it’s almost like you know if you said I am not going to have sex with my girlfriend because I want her to be more desirable for her next boyfriend…I never sought of understood that.

I agree with you. I think that you should….when you buy something you should wear it, you should enjoy it, you should embrace it. I am delighted to hear that you like to drive your cars. Tell my audience how many cars do you own that you have collected throughout the years?

Jim: You know I think if you are a real collector you are not hundred percent sure…hahaha. I think I own twenty cars and my wife and I also have a racing Scuderia and we design, engineer, build and race our own sports-cars in Europe. We just raced at the Twenty Four Hours of Nurburgring where we did very well. We finished first in class and then we drove the car from a factory in Torino to the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Lake Cuomo. That is a spectacular event.

I would love to attend that!

Jim: Yeah that’s a beautiful thing and then we actually have been selling a few examples of our cars to customers throughout the world.

Do you have a favorite car that you built that you love to drive?

Jim: I love to drive them all. It’s a little bit….should someone ask you which of your kids, grand kids you love the most.

I often hear that.

Jim: Yeah, and they are different. I think that’s the thing. It’s much like saying “What’s your favorite food.” I mean some days you want to go to the best French restaurant in the world, best Italian restaurant and then some days you want a bacon cheeseburger. I like the diversity of the cars and that is what I love.

It’s like me some days I want to wear pink and some days I want to wear blue or some days I want to wear red. It’s the same thing.

Jim: Yeah, exactly so and as you do it you feel good about it and that’s what makes it work.

Tell my audience where did this love of cars and collecting come from? How did that all happen for you?

Jim: For me it was the stories and history….I mean I think the thing about driving an old car is a time machine. My son got married in Newport Rhode Island and I drove up there in a Duesenberg and that was just an adventure driving a Duesenberg….

I can imagine!

Jim: ….You know up to Rhode Island and then he and his bride got in the back and I drove them around and you know you go back in time and when you drive a famous race-car like my P3/4 that Loreno Bandini and Chris Amon won the 24 hours of Daytona….I will never be them but for a moment you are riding with them.

greenwichconcourse2 The Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance on May 31st at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich Harbor.

greenwichconcourse3 The Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance on May 31st at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich Harbor.

Celebrating its 20th year, the Greenwich Concours also honors its tradition of gathering the most discerning automobile collectors and enthusiasts. One of those, Wayne Carini served as Chief Judge for the 2015 event. A leading car restorer, Carini is of course known by many as the host of Velocity “Chasing Classic Cars” TV show and a master at locating rare “barn finds.”

greenwichconcourse4 The Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance on May 31st at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich Harbor.

greenwichconcourse1 The Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance on May 31st at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich Harbor.

Unique among classic automobile events, the Greenwich Concours has always presented two separate concours fields over a weekend: On Saturday, the Greenwich Concours Americana featured American cars, and Sunday’s Greenwich Concours International is exclusively for imported sports, competition and touring cars. Each day features some 125 cars and awards trophies for Best-of-Show, Peoples’ Choice and various classes.

Two new sponsors joined the Greenwich Concours this year, financial powerhouse Charles Schwab and GH Mumm, the official champagne of F1 racing. Spectators might want to “ask Chuck” to advise on the best way to allocate finances for a collector car they dream of. The presence of GH Mumm speaks to the elegance of the Concours. Fittingly, Jean De Castelnau, the GH Mumm Champagne Ambassador presented the trophy each day for “Most Elegant Car.”

Entertainment Journalist Cognac Wellerlane interviews Renowned Car Collector, Racer and Builder Jim Glickenhaus who drove World’s Only Ferrari P3/4 to 2015 Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance 20th Year of Greenwich Concours to Display Stunning and Diverse Array of Classic American and International Automobiles

To learn more about James Glickenhaus and his projects please visit http://p45c.com and to learn more about the Concours d’ Elegance please visit http://www.greenwichconcours.com

Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic (PPHP) Hosts 27th Annual East End Benefit at Sender Estate in Sag Harbor

by

LONG ISLAND, NY – Supporters gathered to kickoff the Hampton Season on Sunday, May 24th 2015 for The Planned Parenthood Benefit hosted by Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic (PPHP) at the Sender Estate in Sag Harbor from 5 to 7 p.m.. Hamptonites mingled while enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. PPHP guests had the opportunity to bid on unique silent auction items, like exquisite art work, tickets to the New York City Ballet or a New York Yankees versus Boston Red Sox game, a vacation in the Dominican Republic, paddleboard lessons, fine dining certificates, a sailing adventure, a vintage carousel horse and so much more.

The Annual East End Benefit featured a special guest. This year, Cecile Richards, the President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America joined in to make the event even more spectacular. Bonnie Buckner, Michael Halsband, and Jill Scheuer served as co-chairs of the Benefit Committee, with Dorothy Lichtenstein as chair of the Honorary Committee.

Planned Parenthood Party Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic (PPHP) Hosts 27th Annual East End Benefit at Sender Estate in Sag Harbor on Sunday, May 24th 2015. Guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while having the opportunity to bid on unique silent auction items.

All proceeds from the East End Benefit support reproductive health care services and educational programs. Planned Parenthood of Hudson Peconic provides essential health care to women, men and young people regardless of their financial status.

I was able to interview both Reina Schiffrin, President/CEO of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic and Cecile Richards, the President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Planned Parenthood Reina Schif President CEO Reina Schiffrin of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic and Cognac Wellerlane at the 27th Annual East End Benefit hosted by Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic (PPHP) at the Sender Estate in Sag Harbor on Sunday, May 24th 2015.

Hello darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and we are here at Planned Parenthood for once more in the Hamptons right here in Sag Harbor at this beautiful estate [Sender Estate] and I am here with Reina and she is going to introduce herself, she is going to introduce her full name and title right here at Planned Parenthood Benefit.

Reina: Absolutely. I am Reina Schiffrin, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic.

Tell my audience, you have been doing this event for so many years. How many years have you been doing it in the Hamptons?

Reina: Twenty-seven years we have been doing this.

Last year you achieved your goals. Tell my audience what your goal is this year. What would you like to see happen this year for Planned Parenthood?

Reina: We are happy to see over two hundred people will attend. We would love to raise about two hundred thousand dollars that goes toward our Health Centers here in Suffolk County.

You have something new that some of these young ladies were telling me about and that is The Emerging Leaders Council. What is that all about?

Reina: The next generation has to take over so we have board of directors and this is really a mini board of young women and men in their twenty’s and thirty’s who want to take a leadership role. They want to do advocacy, they want to fund raise, they want to help us with our medical services so they are the board of the future.

 They certainly are. I am sure there are many programs that are being developed under the Emerging Leaders Council. Can you tell my audience and explain a little more what is involved with that?

Reina: This group right now are very involved with a sexual assault on campuses issue. They are working specifically with Stoneybrook University to see what can be done to prevent the sex and assault that we know is going on in many colleges, so that is one project. They also would like to see us expand our services to more of the lesbian, gay, bisexual questioning transgender….

That’s very big right now of course with Bruce Jenner.

Reina: It’s great that he is willing and coming out and they like us to provide sexual reproductive care to those men and women who need it.

Yes, there are young people that are confused and they should not be confused or afraid to tell people about their situation because we have help for everyone. That is why we are here to bring awareness for everyone, men, women, transgender, gay, lesbian….it doesn’t matter. We are here to bring reproductive safe sex and to also help anyone who needs your services.

Reina: Planned Parenthood is the ideal organization because we are confidential, we are caring, we are passionate and I think they know that we are a great place to come so we are happy to train my clinicians, my doctors and to expand that service to really provide quality care. We plan to do that.

You are doing a fabulous job. I want you to tell my audience what the website is to find out more information.

Reina: www.plannedparenthood.org; Please go online to see our services, get involved…

or participate, support or contribute.

Reina: Absolutely. We need volunteers. We would love you to get involved. Thank you so much.

PlannedParenthoodDansPapers Dans Papers Founder Dan Rattiner and Cognac Wellerlane at the 27th Annual East End Benefit hosted by Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic (PPHP) at the Sender Estate in Sag Harbor on Sunday, May 24th 2015.

Cecile Richards, the President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America reached out to supporters in her speech at the event and revealed, “This Planned Parenthood is nested in a big family of Planned Parenthoods. We see 2.7 million patients every single year. This is the largest reproductive health care providers in the country and I think it is easy to get discouraged right now given the political state of events in some of the states but I am here to tell you that as of this year we have now seen a forty year low in teen pregnancy in this country and that is largely because of the support of work of Planned Parenthood across the country.”

Cognac Wellerlane interviews Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund and President/CEO Reina Schiffrin of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, Inc. at the Planned Parenthood Fundraiser in Sag Harbor New York during the Memorial Day Weekend.

Planned Parenthood believes in the fundamental right of each individual, throughout the world, to manage his or her fertility, regardless of the individual’s income, marital status, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or residence. We believe that respect and value for diversity in all aspects of our organization are essential to our well-being. Planned Parenthood believes that reproductive self-determination must be voluntary and preserve the individual’s right to privacy. They further believe that such self-determination will contribute to an enhancement of the quality of life and strong family relationships.

For more information please visit http://www.plannedparenthood.org

Supporters Attended the 52nd Annual Long Island Heart Ball At the Museum of American Armor in Bethpage

by

LONG ISLAND,  NY – Supporters attended the 52nd Annual Long Island Heart Ball at the Museum of American Armor in Bethpage, New York on Friday May 8, 2015. Life is Why is the brand of the American Heart Association.

The American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. Founded by six cardiologists in 1924, the organization now includes more than 22.5 million volunteers and supporters. they fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies and provide critical tools and information to save and improve lives. Their nationwide organization includes 156 local offices and more than 3,000 employees. The American Heart Associated moved their national headquarters from New York to Dallas in 1975 to be more centrally located. The American Stroke Association was created as a division in 1997 to bring together the organization’s stroke-related activities.

Dr. Scott Schubach, Chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery at Winthrop University Hospital and Cognac Wellerlane at the 52nd Annual Long Island Heart Ball on Friday May 8, 2015.

This year the American Heart Association was pleased to honor Dr. Scott Schubach, Chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery at Winthrop University Hospital, as recipient of this year’s Cardiovascular Science Award and Joseph Ficalora, President and CEO of New York Community Ban Corp., Inc., as recipient of this year’s Corporate Leadership award.

During the evening I sat down with Dr. Scott Schuback and discussed the event and the goals of the American Heart Association.

Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and we are here at the American Heart Association in Long Island. It’s the 52nd Annual Heart Ball Gala. Tell my audience your story. Why are you being honored and what does this means to you. first of all introduce yourself to the camera.

Scott: It’s a pleasure to be here. My name is Scorr Schubach and I am actually the Chairman of Cardiac Surgery at Winthrop Hospital. So I am intimately involved with heart disease and I have been with Winthrop for the past twenty-five years since 1991, twenty-four years. I am a heart surgeon and I have been a member of the Heart Association on the board for the last four years and now I am Vice-President of the board. I guess I am being honored for the work that I have put in all these years and my association with heart disease. I know your LongIslandExchange.com would like to know that I am a Long Island boy. I grew up in Long Beach, Long Island.

That’s where I am from.

Scott: Long Beach High School and then I really went all over the country to the finest places to do my training and surgery, education… but I couldn’t think of a better place to come back to then Long Island and I stumbled upon Winthrop which use to be Nassau Hospital…not thinking it would be a long lasting association and here we are twenty-four years later.

Isn’t it remarkable.

Scott: Remarkable! First of all American Heart is a wonderful institution providing education, support, science to not only physicians and scientist but for the community and it is something that I am very proud to be part of, very proud!

I am very proud to be here tonight. Ir’s a wonderful organization and I have been coming for the past few years and you guys have done so much and have accomplished so much. What do you think will be the next thing on the horizon for the American Heart Association? What is the next goal that you guys are trying to achieve?

Scott: I don’t think there is a goal. I think the message is the depth and breath of the impact of American Heart. We have great new technologies for heart valves. We can take care of people in their ninety’s that we could never think about taking care of even five ten years ago. That’s the dramatic things but it really also is getting into the community and you know here in the United States smoking, obesity, lifestyle, it’s about education and you think that it is an amount that cannot be crossed but that is not true. The American Heart Association is first putting all their efforts…it’s not just about the items that create the press which is the technology. It’s getting out to the communities and preventing the problems so they don’t need this technology and I think that is the next tier. It’s not the new gadget, it’s getting out, teaching people what is right and wrong about their health.

Absolutely. I totally agree. I want you to tell my audience where we can go to find out more information what is the website?

Scott: The American Heart Association. If you just google American Heart or AHA.org…..

I think its heart.org

Scott: Heart.org too and it will take you everywhere you need to be and for where I am is Winthrop.org. We provide the latest in cardiovascular care and I think between Winthrop which is a major sponsor tonight and me and American Heart it is an unbelievable relationship that we have.

Board Certified in Surgery and Thoracic Surgery with added qualifications in critical care, Dr. Schubach is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, American College of Cardiology and American College of Chest Physicians. He trained in cardiac surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was involved in active cardiac transplant and the artificial heart program. His post-graduate training also includes a residency in general surgery at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, the teaching hospital of Dartmouth University School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Dr. Schubach has published widely in professional journals and is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery at the SUNY School of Medicine at Stony Brook.

photo1Heart Survivor Meryl Kravietz and her daughter Samantha who also suffers from heart disease with Cognac Wellerlane at the 52nd Annual Long Island Heart Ball on Friday May 8, 2015.

I also spoke to Heart Survivor Meryl Kravietz and her daughter Samantha who also suffers from heart disease. During my interview with Meryl, I inquired “What are the symptons of a heart attack for women,” Meryl answered “The symptoms are very different. It’s really not typical chest pains. You know the first think you think of is typical chest pain. Is it indigestion? For a women it’s… you can get pain in your jaw, your neck, you can get nauseated and feel like you are going to vomit. You feel dizzy as if you are going to faint and all of that.”

The more risk factors you have, the greater your chance of suffering a heart attack. By understanding your risks, you can identify ways to improve your chances for living a healthy life—free of cardiovascular disease.

For more information please visit http://www.heart.org

National Meningitis Association GIVE KIDS A SHOT! Gala at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan on April 27, 2015

by

LONG ISLAND, NY – Supporters attended the National Meningitis Association GIVE KIDS A SHOT! Gala at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan on April 27, 2015. I had the opportunity to interview Chair Gary Springer from Springer Associates PR. Mr. Springer’s son was stricken with meningococcal disease at the age of fourteen. Luckily he did survive but all his limbs were amputated. His public relation firm Springer Associates PR has and continues to manage a wide and diverse clientele ranging from theatre and film to personalities and events.

Under John Springer, SPRINGER ASSOCIATES represented many theatre, film and television personalities including Al Pacino, Mia Farrow, Ed Harris, Myrna Loy, Shelley Winters, Sally Kirkland, Dustin Hoffman, Lauren Bacall, Jamie Sheridan, Maureen Stapleton, Harry Belafonte, Carrie Fisher, Robert Merrill, Janet Leigh, Maureen O’Sullivan, Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Henry Fonda, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, Marlene Dietrich, Robert Preston, Bette Davis, Warren Beatty, Julie Christy, Joan Crawford and many, many others. I was fortunate to talk to Gary and to learn more about meningococcal disease. Below is our interview:

Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and we are here at the Pierre Hotel for the National Meningitis Gala, “Give the Kids a Shot,” and I am here with Chair Gary Springer. He has many stories that he can tell us right now, right here at this gala. Tell my audience how many galas have we gone through so for now?

Gary: This is our seventh and we just have been growing every year. I mean its just a wonderful organization, This is an annual linch-pin that propels us for the following year. It’s always been successful. It’s always been successful. It’s always been fun and its always been poignant.

Tell my audience for those that are unaware what is this event really all about.

Gary: Well Meningitis is a heinous disease. It attacks the bloodstream and chokes the organs while at the same time the bacteria is choking the organs, its dying and it’s causing the blood vessels to clot inside out. Many people who get this are dead within twenty-four to forty-eight hours. My son got it when he was fourteen years old when he was at camp.

I know.

Gary: He happens to be one of the lucky ones because he survived but he also had amputations of all four limbs.

Oh my God, I know I interviewed your son a couple of years ago and he is such a brave soul.

Gary: You know it’s also attitude. You have to believe life is good and that you are going to go on. There are also so many who don’t. There was a young girl seventeen years old last week that got it in Virginia, beautiful, blond, vivacious, she was dead within twenty-four hours.

Oh my God!

Gary: The disease can hit anyone but what we try to do at NMA is try to educate doctors, parents, schools, camps that there is a vaccine that potentially can prevent this. I am not going to say it is going to definitely prevent it but it very well potentially can prevent this and now there is a new vaccine.

Tell my audience about that.

Gary: Well, you know if you recall last year at Princeton University there were I think ten people that came down with Meningitis but it was the B strain which didn’t have a vaccine legalized in the U.S. Now there is a legalized B vaccine. There are five strains of Meningitis and we cover four of them now I believe.

So it is so important to get that vaccination!

Gary: It’s very important and its very important to get it when you are young because this is a disease that happens when you’re with people at camps, at boarding schools because people come from….

Germs..

Gary: Yeah, but people come from different areas and they all have different bacterias. I mean you and I are friends we have the same bacteria but she and I don’t and you know you can get it drinking a glass of water by sharing a water bottle which is how we think my son got it.

And students do that all the time.

Gary: All the time, they share cigarettes, drinks…

What about makeup? Can they get from makeup? I know girls like to share mascara, eye shadow…

Gary: I don’t know about that. I honestly don’t know but yeah if they share lipstick for instance.

Oh my God!

Gary: And they are putting on their lips and they are sharing with somebody else, because a large percentage of the other population has this bacteria in their sinus cavities which is kind of your posterior for bacteria. When it becomes active that particular persons body starts fighting it off but there are a lot of other people who don’t have this bacteria and if they get that before their bodies starts fighting it off which is what happened to my son they are going to come down with this disease. It’s awful.

Well that is why I am here to bring awareness. To let people know out there that there is other options that they need to know about. Vaccination and other literature that they need to know.

Gary: Let me also say that there is a big hoopla about vaccination. This vaccination is synthetic. It isn’t like your getting a little bit of dead tissue or a live tissue of a particular disease which people get very crazy about. There are minimal side effects. I am not sure if there are any because of the vaccination is synthetic but the preventive possibilities are so important because how would you like to look at your fourteen year old son with no arms or legs.

It must break you heart everyday! Does it break your heart?

Gary: My son is alive; there are so many other sons and daughters that aren’t!

Will there be any celebrities and notable individuals coming to give their support tonight?

Gary: Richard Thomas will be here tonight. He has been our MC in past years. Ambassador John L. Loeb Jr. is one of our honorary chair people. There are a lot of good people that support and come every year. I spoke to Liv Ullmann, Norwegian actress. She is also one of our honorary chair people and she couldn’t come; she is in Florida but she called me this morning to wish us well and that she is thinking of us tonight.

Tell my audience where we can go to find out information, what is the website?

Gary: The best site is NMAUS.org National Meningitis Association U.S. and they can give you information about the vaccine, all the various vaccines, the laws in each state because there are different laws when you must get vaccinated.

I also spoke to Co-chair Sara Herbert Galloway who expressed, “This will be my seventh year co-chairing with Gary Springer and Gary is a dear friend and I learned about this organization from Gary and Errol Rappaport. Once I met Gary’s wife Nancy who has sadly passed away now and I met Nick I just wanted to be involved. I took this under my wing and my heart because the people I have met at this organization have so much courage, so much strength.”

NMA began in 2002 as a handful of parents whose families experienced the devastating impact of meningococcal disease. It was only after their experiences that they learned the disease is vaccine-preventable. Over the years, this small group grew into a national organization that advocates for meningococcal disease awareness and prevention. When NMA was founded, there was little public knowledge about meningococcal disease. Also, at that time, vaccination was not recommended, and an organized support structure for affected families did not exist.

Much has changed since NMA was founded:

Vaccination is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for all preteens and teens as well as those of other ages with risk factors for the disease. Many states now require vaccination for adolescents; others require that families and college students be educated about prevention. Vaccination rates have climbed steadily in recent years while disease incidence has declined. Research and development are in progress to improve prevention options. NMA is proud to have played a role in increasing meningococcal disease awareness and vaccination rates.

The National Meningitis Association is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. To learn more information please visit http://www.nmaus.org

Patchogue Theatre 2015 Annual Gala Featured Celebrated Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan, Saturday, April 25

by

LONG ISLAND, NY – A full night was planned for a group of ticket holders at the Gala level, which included sound check in the balcony, a cocktail party backstage and a dessert reception in the lobby with a chance to mingle with Celebrity Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan at the Annual Fundraiser Gala for the Patchogue Theatre in Patchogue NY on Saturday April 25, 2015.

Irish tenor, recording artist, physician and champion disabled athlete Ronan Tynan moves audiences like few others can. His stirring performances and personal story of triumph have brought him international fame. The New York Times called him “the closest thing this country has to an official Meistersinger.”

Patchogue Theatre Gala Orlando Pena, Cognac and Bernie Fabig at the Patchogue Theatre Gala, Saturday April 25, 2015.

Celebrity Irish Tenor Dr. Ronan Tynan and Singer Rebecca Farley at the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts Gala in Patchogue, Long Island.

Tynan has performed at historic events including Ronald Reagan’s funeral and the Inaugural Prayer Service at the National Cathedral. His memorable renditions of “God Bless America” have been heard at the World Series, The Belmont Stakes and other momentous events. Dr. Ronan Tynan returned to Patchogue Theatre for the performing arts venue’s annual gala fundraiser event. All proceeds directly benefit programming at Patchogue Theatre.

I had the special opportunity before his performance to interview Dr. Tynan. Below is our interview:

Welcome back darlings. I am here at the Patchogue Theatre Gala with Celebrity Irish Tenor Dr. Ronan Tynan.

Ronan: How are you?

What a pleasure to be here with you!

Ronan: Yes and with you. You look tremendous!

Yes. Tell my audience darling about his event tonight. This evening what can we expect and what is it really all about?

Ronan: Well this is the gala that Patchogue Theatre puts on every year and Clara this year asked me would I do the gala and I normally sing in February for them which for me I have a great troupe of fans that come out every February and she asked me if I would do the gala and I said “Sure.” So she said “Can we put in different types of music,” and I said “Yea, we can do that.” and in the process of thinking about it, I decided maybe we should do something a little different. We should put in some Broadway, some stuff I would kind of encourage that is different. Naturally I would want to sing some Irish but it’s not all Irish by any matter of means. We will sing the big Irish numbers but I want to do some Broadway, some opera and contemporary.

 You sing so beautifully. Really!! How many years have you been singing?

Ronan: Since I was thirty-three. I started my life as a medical doctor.

Really? I noticed that. I read you were a doctor but I wasn’t sure you were a doctor because you studied.

Ronan: Music? No, no

So, you really are a medical doctor. What kind of medicine do you practice?

Ronan: I specialize in orthopedic sports injuries.

Oh my goodness, which brings me to my next question. You were born with a disability?

Ronan: That’s right.

Tell my audience what that disability is.

Ronan: Well I was born with a disability called phocomelia which basically means failure of the lower limbs to develop properly and both feet were split but I was very blessed. I had two amazing parents who kind of directed me in the sense of not self pity and striving for what I could achieve. I had a mother that was forfeit, so driven that I sometimes think there are no adjectives that could describe her. I had a father that adored mo to death!

She didn’t want you to feel sorry for yourself.

Ronan: Absolutely not, but I mean she loved the idea, the fact that I became a doctor. She wasn’t so sure about the singing. She believed singing was a no vocation not a vocation.

I came from a very strict old fashion Italian family and they didn’t believe in show business. It was like get married, have babies and forget about this.

Ronan: You know I think parents invest in their children. They want the fruit of the work or the education to show and their son decides “OK, I am going singing,” that is a bit of a shock but my father loved the idea. Mom , I am not so sure.

Tell my audience out of all your performances, did you have a specific performance that you found was the most challenging?

Ronan: I think one of the biggest challenges I have ever had was to sing at the Reagan Funeral.

Really?

Ronan: I was the only soloist there. We had been in the cathedral from 5:30 in the morning and I didn’t sing until 11:00 so I didn’t even have a chance to warm up. It was fairly challenging.

Really, but you toured all over the world….

Ronan: I have but I mean, I don’t think your ready for something as big as that with an audience of forty-nine million.

Forty-nine million! Oh my God!

Ronan: Thirty-nine presidents and top people from all over the world attended this man’s funeral so it was a big deal.

I am sure it was. You are going on to do more things. Can you tell my audience where your next tour is going to be.

Ronan: Well I kind of are in the middle of a lot of stuff. I also teach in the University in Kentucky at two semesters every year. I am getting ready to do two more albums. I am kind of in the middle of tour at the moment in the sense of eight dates in the next three weeks and I suppose that’s really a tour in itself.

Tell my audience where we can go to find out more information about you. What is your website?

Ronan: My website is http://ronantynan.net It’s filled up with every old performances plus extra stuff. So anyone that want to contact me can contact me through the website, there is no problem.

Dr. Tynan also treated the audience to a surprise performance of one of his students singing, Rebecca Farley. The talented Ms. Farley really stole the show and captivated the audience with many songs including her rendition of “The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Music.”

During my interview with Ms. Farley, she revealed “About five years ago I had my first lesson with him and he really encouraged me to let me realize my own potential and we stayed connected through the years. I am very happy to share this performance with him tonight.”

PatchogueTheatreGala12 Robert Loscalzo and Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ponteri at the Patchogue Theatre Gala, Saturday April 25, 2015.

PatchogueTheatreGala123 Patchogue Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce David Kennedy and Cognac at the Patchogue Theatre Gala, Saturday April 25, 2015.

PatchogueTheatreGala1234 Mayor Paul Ponteri of the Village of Patchogue and Cognac at the Patchogue Theatre Gala, Saturday April 25, 2015.

The Patchogue Theatre Gala is an annual fundraiser event to benefit future programming at Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts (PTPA). Also known as The Patchogue Village Center for the Performing Arts, Inc., Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts has been organized under and by virtue of the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law of the State of New York as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in order to manage Patchogue Theatre in the public interest. Patchogue Theatre is the largest theatre in Suffolk County, N.Y. with 1,162 seats.

Sponsor for the event included: TRITEC Real Estate Company, JVC Broadcasting, Clare Rose / Stella Artois, BBS Architects & Engineers and Tires Inc.

For more information please visit http://www.patchoguetheatre.org

New Yorkers Gather for Mitzi Perdue Book Signing; Late Husband, Frank Perdue “Tough Man, Tender Chicken”

by

NEW YORK, NY – Lorraine Cancro Silvetz, Sara Herbert-Galloway and Daniela Zahradnikova hosted a special evening of cocktails and hors d’ oeuvres to celebrate the book signing of Mitzi Perdue’s “Tough Man, Tender Chicken.”

All proceeds went to ICAMI’s Global Stress Initiative and the J. Luce Foundation. Guests gathered at SPACE SIXTEEN SOHO, 311 West Broadway between 6pm and 8pm on Monday April 20th for the event.

Mitzi Perdue, wife of the late Frank Perdue, earned degrees from Harvard University and George Washington University. As a former rice grower, and syndicated columnist, television and radio host, she frequently gives inspirational talks, encouraging people (particularly young people) to be all they can be.

Mitzi Perdue  Mitzi Perdue, wife of the late Frank Perdue, and Cognac at SPACE SIXTEEN SOHO, 311 West Broadway on Monday April 20th.

During the event we sat down and talked about her amazing life with her late husband Frank, Perdue.

Welcome back darlings, I am here with the fabulous author, Mitzi Perdue and she wrote a fascinating book about her husband Frank Perdue “Tough Man, Tender Chicken.” Tell my audience what inspired you to write this very provocative book?

Mitzi: Thank you so much. What really got me to write it was it occurred to me looking back on Frank’s life that what he really was, was a teacher. He built a company when it started with him and 2,000 people. By the time of his passing nineteen thousand people worked for Perdue Farms and how do you get that many people to work together and that well. I think that he was a teacher and I decided to write the book because I thought there was so much wisdom in how he went about growing that company.

He was a tough man wasn’t he, not with you though I bet he treated you like a princess, I am sure!

Mitzi: Well you know the funny thing is people would always tell me, “You must be a tough cookie to stand up to Frank Perdue.” But in fact he just treated me like with kid gloves. He was always kind to me. I think he had a great ability to adjust how he treated people according to who they are. I don’t have any backbone at all so we worked just great.

I grew up with your husband. I use to watch television. I was glued to the TV set. I would always watch all my major prime time programs on TV and I would always see your husband’s commercial about Perdue Chicken. How it was the best chicken. Of course we ate Perdue. Your chicken is the best chicken for the world to eat.

Mitzi: Your my kind of woman! I love you dearly!

The company is still under your name. Are you on the top of all this?

Mitzi: The family is. It’s a family owned business. Yes the family runs it.

That’s wonderful. That’s truly truly wonderful that you kept it in the family. Are you running it or do you have a son or daughter running it?

Mitzi: Jim Perdue is the one who runs it now. I think it’s five members of the fourth generation working in the company. Jim is third generation.

Third generation. I see.

Mitzi: The third generation Jim Perdue and there is four of the fourth generation running it and that’s kind of exciting because how many companies go four generations.

Not that many. People somehow mess it all up. The children and the siblings they’re always fighting, no one can agree but I am happy to hear that the company still is going on in the fourth generation and it’s prosperous. It still is the best chicken out there.

Mitzi: You wouldn’t believe how hard we work to make it the best. In fact allow me to boast. We are all friends right?

Absolutely!

Mitzi: One of the advantages of being a family owned company is that we don’t have to worry about each quarter and what the stockholders are going to say. So we were able to invest for twelve years in something that wasn’t a payoff deal until it was a payoff. We have learned how to produce chickens without antibiotics. Our chickens are antibiotic free.

That’s wonderful!

Mitzi: But it took twelve years to get it there.

I can imagine.

Mitzi: Well because the fact is anybody can grow chicken without antibiotics the only trouble is they die. So it took a lot of learning how to produce really healthy chickens without antibiotic and we did it. Yay!!!

So you are the pioneers of organic really. You are the pioneers of organic food. Organic chicken, fresh healthy without chemicals, without any kid of antibiotic and that is probably why people from that generation lived so long. My grandmother lived to be in the ninety’s because she at Perdue Chicken.

Mitzi: Yay!!!!

Tell my audience what your life was like with Frank Perdue. Was it a glamorous life? I probably have to read the book to find out.

Mitzi: I am going to agree with you. It was amazingly glamorous.

I am sure. You must have got into every restaurant, every night club, was able to see every celebrity you could imagine. Am I right about that?

Mitzi: Well A your right. There is a PS to it. Frank really, really enjoyed living in his community being close to the charities he cared about. So he was a mixed person. He was very good with celebrities. He was also good with his close friends and he was a very unassuming man. It surprises people to know that a company that large, Frank Perdue would travel economy class. we would use the subways regularly.

How funny!

Mitzi: So there was plenty of glamor, I loved it! But there was plenty of being down to earth.

Mitzi went on to say how much she still misses her late husband, Frank Perdue and that Johnny Carson was a good friend of his. Mitzi also revealed, “There was nobody like him, he had it all. He was a successful businessman, he had a loving family and he was close to his community so how many people have it all like that.”

MitziPerdue1 Sara Herbert Galloway, Cognac Wellerlane and Co-Creater of Space Sixteen Daniela Zahradnikova at SPACE SIXTEEN SOHO, 311 West Broadway on Monday April 20th.

MitziPerdue2 Jim Luce, Cognac Wellerlane and Actress Kelly Le Brock at SPACE SIXTEEN SOHO, 311 West Broadway on Monday April 20th.

MitziPerdue3 Co-Creater of Space Sixteen Daniela Zahradnikova, author Mitzi Perdue, Sara Herbert Galloway and Lorraine Cancro-Silvetz at SPACE SIXTEEN SOHO, 311 West Broadway on Monday April 20th.

Frank Perdue was the quintessential entrepreneur, marketer, and businessman, a man whose life lessons are applicable to anyone searching for inspiration and encouragement. To write this book, Perdue’s wife Mitzi interviewed nearly 140 people, seeking to understand every aspect of the man behind the tremendously successful corporation.

For more information how you can obtain “Touch Man, Tender Chicken” please visit http://frankperduebook.com

Celebrity Chef Chris Coleman Puts The Passion Into His Dishes at Lovecraft Restaurant in the East Village

by

NEW YORK, NY – The city has plenty of restaurants that offer exceptional dining, however, there is something captivating and special about the Lovecraft Bar that has patrons coming back for more. Created in honor of legendary American Author, H.P. Lovecraft, this horror-themed bar has been inspired and modeled after his literary works. The restaurant serves a variety of drinks that include infused cocktails, a large selection of beers, and scrumptious eats. Lovecraft Bar NYC has a laid-back atmosphere that New Yorkers can’t seem to get enough of.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Celebrity Chef Chris Coleman over cocktails and dinner as he explained his passion for cooking and all things related to food.

Lovecraft NYC Celebrity Chef Chris Coleman Lovecraft NYC Celebrity Chef Chris Coleman with Cognac Wellerlane. Coleman sits with Cognac over cocktails and dinner as he explains his passion for cooking and all things ‘yummy’.

Welcome back darlings! I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here at this fabulous eatery located in lower Manhattan right here on Avenue B, Lovecraft, and I am here with Celebrity Chef Chris Coleman. He has prepared wonderful appetizers for us and I am very, very interested in what he has to say about these gorgeous appetizers and what went into creating these innovative dishes. It is a pleasure to see you again. The last time we met was/

Chris: At the Carlyle Hotel.

Tell my audience how you became the Executive Celebrity Chef here at Lovecraft.

Chris: First of all my name is Chris and the way I became the celebrity chef down here at Lovecraft; Anthony the owner and I go way, way back. Anthony is one of the owners. We met a few years ago in the Hamptons.

The Hamptons, my favorite spot in the whole wide world. Where did you meet Anthony in the Hamptons?

Chris: Me and Anthony actually met in Montauk at the Point Bar. We have built a camaraderie and friendship for a long time and he was intending to open up a restaurant in the Hamptons a few times and it didn’t happen for whatever reasons. He kept my number but we lost contact for a while. Then one day, I would say six, seven months ago he text me, “Chris are you there? Is this still your number?” I said “Sure” and I said “Who is this?” And he said “Anthony, do you remember we met in the Hamptons.” So I said “Sure” so he went on to say “I am in the process of opening a new restaurant and I am looking for a chef and I know you are very talented. I think I am interested in having you come to the restaurant, let’s meet and we will talk about it.”

And bingo! You are here.

Chris: Yes, I am here and I actually have another great chef behind me (Dine Tidjani), a good friend of mine who has been with me for at least five years. He was the head chef at Gurneys with me.

At Gurneys, Really? I love those people. They sold the business.

Chris: Yes, I was the head chef there last year. I decided to leave because I am in love with the city. This the place where it could make you or break you, New York City.

That’s right. It will either make you or break you! But you look like you haven’t broken yet. Look at these dishes that you created for us. Tell my audience what we are seeing here.

Chris: We have Chesapeake Bake Maryland Crab Cakes. A little bit of onion down here, celery, red tomatoes, part of the food is a vision, visual. All of this is marinated. I love flavor. I like the execution. I treat my food very respectively. I like the people to see the passion and the tasting style that I bring to my food and what I do. I love food!

And you want your patrons to love what you have prepared. Tell my audience about this dish. It looks amazing!

Chris: What we have down here is Prince Edwards Island Mussels. I try to do this different then way a lot of people do it around here. I do this with coconut curry sauce.

Coconut curry sauce, wow!

Chris: So we go down to the West Indies over here. It has a slight kick to it!

Sounds sexy!

Chris: I don’t know what that means!

Yes, it looks delicious! I can’t wait to eat this. The way you prepare food it is just unbelievable. So tell me more about the ingredients.

Chris: We have clam juice. When I clean my fish I reduce the salmon carcass. I use all the goodness that comes out of the carcass of the fish.

Tremendous! What is this, is it lobster?

Chris: Just mussels but the way it has been prepared the flavor, the passion that I put into it. You have to remember if you don’t cook with love and passion your food will never taste good, bottom line you have to have passion!

Tell my audience about the signature dishes here. What do people from all over, tourist and the people that live here, what are the signature entrees?

Chris: I like to give my customers top quality produce. We have down here nice grilled skirt steak.

My husband is going to try the steak.

Chris: The steak is like you are eating butter! It basically melts in your mouth. A lot of people out there want to save a dollar. They don’t use top quality; me, I rather use top quality. I want every customer that comes here, I want them to say “Wow, this is amazing!” There are over 20,000 restaurants in New York so why would they want to come to this place. I want to give that to my customers.

What is the signature seafood here at the restaurant?

Chris: Crab cakes is one of them as you can see over here. I also have nice tuna tar tare. There is only one other place that makes it the way I make it.

What about the salmon. I see you make Grilled Salmon.

Chris: It’s Wild Salmon, off the hook! The way I do it is I put it on a saute pan very, very hot. I make sure the skin gets very, very crispy. Then I put it on the grill and then I finish it in the oven. Three ways of cooking, sauteing, grilling and baking.

Celebrity Chef Chris Coleman has prepared excellent meals for many A-listers including Leonardo Di Caprio, 50 Cent, Mel B the Spice Girl, Kate Hudson and Russell Simmons. For more information about Chris please visit http://www.colemancooking.com and to find mind out more information about Lovecraft restaurant please visit http://lovecraftnyc.com

TV Host Cognac Wellerlane interviews Celebrity Chef Chris Coleman at LOVECRAFT NYC Restaurant located at 50 Avenue B, New York, NY in Lower Manhattan

TV Host Cognac Wellerlane interviews Chef Dine Tidjani at LOVECRAFT NYC Restaurant located at 50 Avenue B, New York, NY in Lower Manhattan

Bailey Houses Gala Auction at Chelsea Piers; Helping Transform Lives of People with HIV/AIDS, Other Illnesses

by

LONG ISLAND, NY – On Thursday March 26, 2015 Bailey Houses Gala and Auction was held at Pier 60 of Chelsea Piers. The Gala honored the heroism of individuals and organizations that assists the Bailey House’s mission of transforming the lives of people with or at risk of HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses through housing, health services and community.

During the event I was happy to interview the cast of B.O.R.N. To Style. Cast members Brandon Hood and Devin Stokes spoke to me about their meaningful contribution towards the Bailey House.

BaileyHouseCognacposes Bailey House, Cognac poses with the cast of B.O.R.N. To Style, Thursday March 26, 2015 at Pier 60 of Chelsea Piers.

BaileyHouseBornStye

Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and we are here at the Bailey House Auction and this is a fabulous event with so many items being auctioned off and all for a very good cause. I am here with two big supporters who are auctioning off something very important and they are celebs and they are going to talk about who they are and what they are auctioning off. Introduce yourselves to the camera.

Devin: Well my name is Devin Stokes of B.O.R.N. To Style.

Brandon: And I am Brandon Hood from B.O.R.N. to Style

B.O.R.N. to Style, Tell my audience what that is all about.

Devin: B.O.R.N. to Style is a makeover show

A makeover TV show

Devin: Yes. It’s a TV show on FYI. B.O.R.N. stands for Borrowed, Old, Refurbished and New. We are just giving women the drama of the past into today. We give them a whole lifestyle makeover.

Brandon: It’s about Jonathan and his fabulous store in Harlem. He has a vintage boutique. He specializes in vintage. We makeover women. We uplift them. It’s retail therapy. It’s a dysfunctional family fashion wise.

Devin: It’s more than just a makeover series. I feel it is a lifestyle makeover series. A lot of the women we deal with are going through changes in their life and we are trying to incorporate that change into their everyday life.

Both Devin and Brandon spoke about their store’s contribution to the Bailey House Auction and Gala.

I understand that you have a very significant item that you are auctioning off tonight right here at the Bailey House. Tell my audience what that is all about.

Brandon: We are auctioning off a $250 gift certificate for the B.O.R.N. Boutique at 57 East 125 Street between Madison and Park. Also what comes with that is a style makeover by yours truly, Jonathan, Kristen, Jay, Devin and myself so that is going to be like bananas within itself.

Why do you love the Bailey House so much? Tell my audience what is so spectacular about this organization.

Devin: Well as a young gay man, Bailey House really caters to those who are effected by HIV and being part of that stereotype, it’s very helpful to know that people are helping those as opposed to criticizing them and that is a cause that I can stand up to.

Brandon: Absolutely, this is something that is in the community and what stops us is the un-education of what is going on with HIV and AIDS. So I appreciate the Bailey House to support and donate the items to be auctioned.

To find out more about B.O.R.N To Style TV show please visit http://www.fyi.tv/shows.

BaileyHouseTedAllen

The gala was hosted by Ted Allen host of Food Network’s “Chopped” and spokesperson for Dining Out For Life

I am here with Ted Allen who is a big supporter of the Bailey House. We are standing right here in the dining room after this wonderful event. Tell my audience why our are a big supporter of the Bailey House.

Ted: Well, I think Bailey House has been doing an amazing job for people with HIV and AIDS. All the way back to 1983 by the way which was the first year the New York Times published the acriment “GRID” Gay Related Immunization Deficiency before we ever had the word AIDS and today thirty something years later Bailey House is still here evolving changing with the different population that are now more impacted by HIV then the original group. So HIV is even more of an issue now for women of color but there is also a whole new generation of young gay men that don’t realize, that weren’t around the first time this epidemic hit us.

And it still is dangerous. It still is. They need to get checked out.

Ted: You are absolutely right. That it is still totally dangerous. There are treatments. It is no longer the death sentence, automatic death sentence that it was.

I know in the 1980’s I lived through it. Thank God!

Ted: Thank God!

But people have to remember it is still deadly if you don’t treat it and that is why we are here today and you are here to tell my audience to bring awareness that this is such a very valuable organization that provides information about HIV.

Ted: Information, housing, art programs, to get children involved, helping people get off the streets living productive lives and people who just got out of prison for example. There are so many layers. I think Bailey House is doing an incredible job and I am thrilled to have the chance to join.

I also spoke to Jane Pauley, a respected television anchor and journalist who is a longtime supporter of Bailey House and a powerful advocate in the field of mental health.

BaileyHouseJanePauley

I am here with the star herself, Ms. Jane Pauley and she is a tremendous supporter of the Bailey House. Why is this organization so important? Tell my audience why you are a big supporter.

Jane: Well, I think its terribly important that we see the whole community we live in and sometimes there are important people who are on the margins of the community who don’t get included. The Bailey House, this is a fun party, but the point is that we see the people who are neighbors who we don’t always see and that is what the Bailey House has done. I am honored to be here. I am honored to be a small part of it.

Tell my audience where we can go to support, contribute and donate, what is the website.

Jane: http://baileyhouse.org

BaileyHouseJanePauleysuppor

Today Bailey House serves hundreds of men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS in neighborhoods throughout New York City. They provide housing and services that help clients address homelessness, poverty, hunger, substance use, mental illness and other critical issues that make survival hard, if not impossible. They look forward to expanding their services and providing home, hope and community to thousands more men, women and children living with poverty and HIV/AIDS here and around the country.

To advertise your business on Long Island Exchange ® please call 631-592-4425