A statement from the Desk of Assemblyman Dean Murray (R,C,I-East Patchogue)

(Long Island, NY) “The decision by the Board of Regents to appoint MaryEllen Elia as the new Education Commissioner is both unsurprising and incredibly disheartening, underscoring the very problems that plague New York’s education system.

“The fact is, although we finally have a new education commissioner, her appointment only raises more questions, and creates more problems than it has solved. Who else was interviewed for this position? How many rounds of interviews were conducted? Should the public not have some kind of say in her selection? Why are we only learning about her qualifications, for better or worse, after her appointment?

“Given the problems with Common Core, high-stakes standardized testing and the ever present need for more school aid, this was probably one of the most important appointments in recent memory. The process by which she was given this central position is one shrouded in secrecy and the parents, teachers, principals and administrators should have had a voice in, or at the very least some kind of ability to observe, this appointment.”

(Long Island, NY) The Major Case Bureau reports the arrests of five Hempstead men which occurred on Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at 9:35 pm in Hempstead.

According to the Major Case Bureau, detectives assigned to Special Investigations Squad and Robbery Squad coordinated efforts led to the arrest of:

• Kevin Ramirez, 18

Kevin Ramirez mug shot. Photo Credit: NCPD.

• Kevin Hernandez, 20

Kevin Hernandez mug shot. Photo Credit: NCPD.

• Mitchell Hernandez, 18 (no relation to above)

Mitchell Hernandez mug shot. Photo Credit: NCPD.

• David Valle, 16
• Luis Calderon, 16

On May 26, 2015, Special Investigations Detectives observed the subjects inside a vehicle at 135 Clinton Street passing a marihuana cigarette and placed them under arrest. A subsequent investigation by Special Investigations Squad and Robbery Squad detectives led to the defendants being charged with an assault and two robberies.

The assault occurred on March 28, 2015 at 2:30 am in front of 77 Main Street, Hempstead.

The robberies occurred on January 30, 2015 in Hempstead at Orchard Street/High Street at 12:01 a.m. and at Jackson Street/Clinton Street at 4:50 a.m.

Ramirez is being charged with two (2) counts of Assault 2nd degree, two (2) counts of Robbery 2nd degree and Criminal Possession of Marihuana 5th degree.

Kevin Hernandez is being charged with two (2) counts of Assault 2nd degree and Criminal Possession of Marihuana 5th degree.

Mitchell Hernandez is being charged with two (2) counts of Robbery 2nd degree and Criminal Possession of Marihuana 5th degree.

Valle is being charged with four (4) counts of Robbery 2nd degree, Criminal Possession of Marihuana 5th degree and a Petit Larceny warrant.

Calderon is being charged with Criminal Possession of Marihuana 5th degree.

All defendants were arraigned in First District Court in Hempstead on May 27, 2015.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the prosecution to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

At Center Moriches High School, Hosted by Walker Vreeland, WBAZ

(Long Island, NY) East End Arts invites press to cover the 13^th Annual Teeny Awards Ceremony, to be held on Sunday, June 7, 2015at Center Moriches High School. At this formal awards ceremony, the public is invited to relive some great performances from this year’s shows from the 16 participating high schools in the region, and celebrate the best of the best in East End high school theatre! The awards are presented by esteemed community members, theatre professionals, and arts supporters, and hosted by radio personality, broadcaster, host and interviewer, Walker Vreeland.

On Sunday, June 7, the Red Carpet will begin at 1:30 PM in the auditorium lobby, doors to the event will open at 2:30 PM, and the Ceremony will commence promptly at 3:00 PM. Press are invited to interview and photograph/video nominees, presenters, and organizers on the red carpet, as well as throughout the ceremony. Center Moriches High School is located at 311 Frowein Rd, Center Moriches NY.

Members of the press are asked to please notify East End Arts if they are able to cover the event by emailing sisrael@eastendarts.org by Thursday, June 4.

For the complete list of this year’s Teeny Award nominees, visit:http://www.eastendarts.org/programs/teeny-2015-nominees.html.

The Teeny Awards Ceremony is open to the public; tickets may be purchased at East End Arts’ website: http://www.eastendarts.org/programs/events/teeny-ceremony.html. Tickets purchased in advance (by3:00 PM on Friday, June 5) are $20 for adults, $10 for students; at the door, tickets are $25 for adults, $12 for students.

The 13th Annual Teeny Awards is made possible by the support of our sponsors. East End Arts extends its thanks to lead sponsor Suffolk County National Bank, with additional support from Macy’s, Empire National Bank, as well as, Mary Ann & Joseph Martorano, Sea Tow, Tanger Outlet Center, and Bridgehampton National Bank, Dr. Joseph Duva, and media sponsors WPPB 88.3 FM, WBAZ 102.5 FM, and myLITV.com.

More About the Teeny Awards

The Teeny Awards, conceived from the idea of the Antoinette Perry Awards – The Tony Awards – for Broadway shows, has been celebrating excellence in high school theater across the East End of Long Island since 2002, and is presented and coordinated by East End Arts. Through the Teeny Awards program, East End Arts strives to raise the bar on theater education by encouraging increased attendance and community pride at school productions, much like school sports programs. Behind-the-scenes coordination takes place throughout the school year, as volunteer judges attend all high school theatrical performances on the East End to determine the best for nomination, and in June, the winners, the best of the best, are announced at the Teeny Awards Ceremony.

For more information about the Teeny Awards, contact Teeny Awards Coordinator Anita Boyer at teenyawards@eastendarts.org or 740-607-6748, or visit http://www.eastendarts.org/programs/events/teeny-ceremony.html.

East End Arts, established in 1972, is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit arts organization, and operates a School of the Arts, an Art Gallery, and presents a variety of events and programs to promote the arts year-round.Proceeds from all events, sales, classes, donations, and memberships benefit the mission of bringing the arts to everyone and inspiring communities through service, advocacy and education.

(Long Island, NY) Assemblyman Michael Montesano (R,C,I-Glen Head) is a co-sponsor of two bills that would provide necessary financial assistance and revitalization for struggling small farms across New York State.

The first of the two measures (A.2417) establishes the Small Farm Modernization Fund, which would dole out grants of up to $25,000 to help small farms modernize infrastructure, equipment and expand practices by adding new animals or crops. The second (A.2457-A) would introduce a small farm disaster recovery grant program to help cover the high costs of replanting crops following an unforeseen natural disaster.

“In many communities across the state and country, the trend of locally grown, specialty produce has prevailed,” said Montesano. “We must support the needs of farms, no matter their size, to ensure they are able to meet the demands of consumers. These bills would give small farms the financial assistance they need to get their foot in the door, as well as rebuild after a natural disaster.”

Montesano hopes to see his bipartisan legislation come to the Assembly floor for a full vote before the end of this year’s Legislative Session.

(Long Island, NY) Senator Espaillat (D-Manhattan/Bronx) today joined members of the Senate Democratic Conference to unveil an affordable housing package to better ensure fair housing practices throughout New York State.

Senator Adriano Espaillat, Ranker of the Senate’s Housing Committee, said, “In the last four years 35,000 rent regulated units have become market rate apartments and thousands of families were displaced as a result. More than 200,000 units have been lost since the early 90’s. We cannot hope to end the housing crisis in New York City if we continue to lose affordable housing at this horrendous rate. I have introduced legislation (S.3364-B/ The Tenant Protection Act of 2015) which would protect tenants from unfair rent increases and ensure regulated units remain affordable. Ending session with no rent laws or the same set of weak rent laws would put hundreds of thousands of families at risk of losing their homes.”

The Senate Democratic Conference proposals include renewing and strengthening rent control legislation for another 2 years through the Tenant Protection Act of 2015, which is Sponsored by Senator Espaillat.

The package of affordable housing legislation includes bills that will:

• Repeal provisions of State and City statutes that remove apartments from rent stabilization when they are vacated and could be rented for monthly rents of $2,500 or more. The bill also re-regulates units deregulated due to vacancy since 1993 to their December 31, 2014 rates.
• Repeal provisions permitting rent increases of 20% or more upon vacancy of a rent stabilized dwelling unit.
• Standardize the rental adjustment a landlord may impose for the total cost of an individual apartment improvement, reduce the increase allowed to 1/84th of the costs and require DHCR to issue a schedule of reasonable costs for repairs so that landlords can’t fraudulently attempt to deregulate an apartment through improvements that may not have been made or for inflated claims of costs incurred.
• Provide that major capital improvements (MCI) be calculated as a rent surcharge and will not become part of the base legal regulated rent by which rent increases are calculated; requires the amount be separately designated and billed as such; prevents landlords from receiving a financial windfall from MCI funded by the New York State Energy and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

August 4-30

(Long Island, NY) Bay Street Theater is pleased to announce that Tony Award winner Betty Buckley and Drama Desk Award winner Rachel York will star as Big Edie and Little Edie Bouvier Beale in GREY GARDENS, the musical,August 4 – 30; with book by Doug Wright, music by Scott Frankel, and lyrics by Michael Korie. Michael Wilson directs. The show is currently only available as part of a 2015 Mainstage Season Subscription, which are available by calling the Box Office at 631-725-9500 or online at www.baystreet.org. Single tickets will go on sale beginning June 1.

GREY GARDENS tells the story of Big Edie and Little Edie Bouvier Beale, the eccentric aunt and cousin of Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis.  It is based on the 1975 documentary by Albert and David Maysles, which is celebrating its 40^th anniversary this year. Set at the Bouvier mansion in East Hampton, this bold musical follows a mother and daughter on their hilarious and heartbreaking journey from glamorous aristocrats to notorious recluses in a crumbling house filled with memories and cats.

The cast stars Betty Buckley as Edith Bouvier Beale and Rachel York as “Little” Edie Beale/Edith Bouvier Beale; other cast members include: Gracie Beardsley as Lee; Matt Doyle as Joe/Jerry; James Harkness as Brooks Sr./Brooks Jr.; Sarah Hunt as Young Edie; Simon Jones as Major/Peale; and Dakota Quackenbush as Jacqueline.

The production team includes Hope Clarke (Choreography), Andy Einhorn (Music Director), Jeff Cowie (Set Design), Robert Wierzel (Lighting Design), Ilona Somogyi (Costume Design), Heather Urgina (Props), Charles Swan (Assistant Director), Robert Bennett (Production Stage Manager), Denice Yaney (Assistant Stage Manager), and Stewart/Whitley (Casting).

“I am very excited to have a dream cast and creative team joining us for GREY GARDENS at Bay Street this summer!” says Scott Schwartz, Artistic Director for Bay Street Theater. “The brilliant Betty Buckley and Rachel York will bring humanity, depth, and humor to Big and Little Edie Beale, women who are part of the shared heart and history of the Hamptons.  They are joined by a cast of dazzling actors and award-winning designers, and we welcome them all.  I am confident that under Michael Wilson’s inspired direction, this production will be a perfect finale for our 2015 season and an event not to be missed.”

A “Pay What You Can” performance will be on August 4 at 7 pm. “PWYC” tickets are limited and will be available at the Box Office beginning at 2 pm on August 4. Previews are sponsored by Peconic Landing.

FREE STUDENT SUNDAY MATINEES return this summer for the Mainstage Season. High School and College students can receive (1) FREE admission for the2 pm performance of GREY GARDENS, THE MUSICAL. Student ID must be shown. Based on availability.

Returning this year is TALKBACK TUESDAY with Bay Street’s Artistic Director, Scott Schwartz, and members of GREY GARDENS, THE MUSICAL cast following each Tuesday performance except for preview week on August 5.

Bios for cast confirmed to date:

BETTY BUCKLEY

Betty Buckley. Photo Credit: Bay Street Theater.

Betty Buckley, who has been called “The Voice of Broadway,” is one of theater’s most respected and legendary leading ladies.  She is an actress/singer whose career spans theater, film, television and concert halls around the world.  She was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame for 2012.

Betty Buckley won a Tony Award for her performance as Grizabella, the Glamour Cat, in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats. She received her second Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a musical for her performance as Hesione inTriumph of Love, and an Olivier Award nomination for her critically acclaimed interpretation of Norma Desmond in the London production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, which she repeated to more rave reviews on Broadway.

Her other Broadway credits include 1776, Pippin, Song and Dance, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and Carrie. Off-Broadway credits include the world premiere of Horton Foote’s The Old Friends for which she received a Drama Desk Nomination in 2014,White’s Lies, Lincoln Center’s Elegies, the original NYSF production of Edwin Drood, The Eros Trilogy, Juno’s Swan and Getting My Act Together and Taking it on, The Road. Regional credits include The Perfectionist, Gypsy, The Threepenny Opera, Camino Real, Buffalo Gal, Arsenic and Old Lace and The Old Friends at Houston’s Alley Theatre.  In London she starred in Promises, Promises for which she was nominated for An Evening Standard Award and in 2013 the British premiere of Dear World.

Her films include her debut in Brian de Palma’s screen version of Stephen King’sCarrie, Bruce Beresford’s Tender Mercies, Roman Polanski’s Frantic, Woody Allen’s Another Woman, Lawrence Kasden’s Wyatt Earp and M. Night Shymalan’sThe Happening.

On television, Buckley appeared in The Pacific for HBO and twice on the Kennedy Center Honors.  She also starred for three seasons in the HBO series Oz and as Abby Bradford in the hit series Eight is Enough. She has appeared as a guest star in numerous television series, miniseries and films for television includingEvergreen, Roses for the Rich the CBS series Without a Trace, Law & Order: SVUfor NBC, ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars and HBO’s Getting On.

Buckley tours in concert worldwide with her ensemble of musicians and recently was featured in the Royal Albert Hall concert of Follies in celebration of Stephen Sondheim’s 85th birthday. She has recorded 16 CD’s, among them Bootleg: Boardmixes from the Road, Quintessence and Betty Buckley 1967 and the Grammy Nominated Stars and the Moon, Betty Buckley Live at the Donmar. Her CD Ah, Men! The Boys of Broadway was released by Palmetto Records in August 2012.  Her most recent recording Ghostlight produced by T Bone Burnett was released in September, 2014 also on Palmetto Records. She received her second Grammy Nomination for the audio book The Diaries of Adam and Eve.

RACHEL YORK

Rachel York. Photo Credit: Bay Street Theater.

Rachel York is a dynamic and versatile actress, singer, dancer and comedienne. She is best known for her critically acclaimed Broadway performances in City of Angels, Les Misérables, Victor/Victoria (Drama Desk Award), with Dame Julie Andrews, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Sly Fox with Richard Dreyfuss, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. She also turned heads on television with her courageous portrayal of Lucille Ball in the CBS movie, Lucy. Most recently, Ms. York starred as Reno Sweeny in the national tour of the Tony-Award winning production of Anything Goes(Helen Hayes Award). She created the role of Cruella de Vil in the national tour ofThe 101 Dalmatians Musical; starred as Guenevere in the national tour of Camelotopposite Michael York; and portrayed Lilli Vanessi/Kate in Kiss Me, Kate (US Tour and London’s West End). Off-Broadway Ms. York has starred in The Best Is Yet to Come: The Music of Cy Coleman; Stephen Sondheim’s Putting It Together (MTC, Drama Desk nomination) also with Julie Andrews, Dessa Rose (Lincoln Center Theater, Drama Desk nomination), and New York City Encores! critically acclaimed productions of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes opposite Megan Hilty and Little Meopposite Christian Borle. Favorite regional productions; The Game (a musical adaptation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses); Turn of the Century opposite Jeff Daniels (Goodman Theatre, Chicago); Hello, Dolly! (Boston, IRNE Award); Into the Woods(Boston, IRNE Award); Spamalot; Ragtime; Evita; Summer and Smoke; and The Odd Couple with Jason Alexander and Martin Short. In concert, Ms. York has performed with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall; the National Symphony and the Pittsburgh Pops under the direction of conductor Marvin Hamlisch; Broadway Showstoppers with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops; The Sound of Music at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic; the San Francisco Symphony; the Detroit Symphony; the Minnesota Orchestra; the Utah Symphony; the St. Louis Symphony; and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra among others. She has also performed her celebrated cabarets For the Love of It and Let’s Fall In Love to rave reviews nationwide. Ms. York has also appeared on several popular TV series including Hannah Montana, Frasier, Reba, Numb3rs, Close to Home, Spin City, andDiagnosis Murder. She is the voice of Bitty in Higglytown Heroes and Circe on The Justice League. Ms. York’s debut solo album, Let’s Fall in Love was named one of the Top Ten Vocal CDs of the year by Talkin’ Broadway. For more information, please visit her on the web at www.rachelyork.com. Twitter: @theRachelYork

MATT DOYLE

Broadway: The Book of Mormon, War Horse, Bye Bye Birdie, Spring Awakening. Off-Broadway: Brooklynite (Vineyard Theatre), Jasper in Deadland (Prospect Theatre Company).  Regional: Jasper in Deadland (5^th Avenue Theatre), Giant(Dallas Theater Center.) National Tour: Spring Awakening (Michael Mayer, dir.) TV: Recurred on the CW’s Gossip Girl. FILM:  Roles in Private Romeo (Alan Brown, dir.) and Once More with Feeling (Jeff Lipsky, dir.)  Doyle is a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

JAMES HARKNESS

James is thrilled to be a part of this production! A Broadway veteran (Aida, The Color Purple, Chicago…) is currently in Beautiful, The Carole King Broadway Musical. Also is an up and coming Director/Choreographer whose next project will be to direct The Color Purple for The Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe.

SARAH HUNT

A graduate of last year’s Juilliard class, Sarah made her Broadway debut last season in Sting’s The Last Ship. Credits include: 1st National Tour of Spring Awakening, Middletown, Romeo and Juliet, and Twelfth Night.

SIMON JONES

Broadway: The Real Thing, Benefactors, School for Scandal, Getting Married, Private Lives, The Real Inspector Hound, Herbal Bed, Ring Round the Moon, Waiting in the Wings, Blithe Spirit, (also in London’s West End and North American National tour – all with Angela Lansbury).  Films include: Privates on Parade, Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, Brazil, Twelve Monkeys, Miracle on 34^th Street andThe Devil’s Own.  Recent TV: OZ (HBO), to Cambridge Spies (BBC), and the portrayal of C.S.Lewis in The Question of God (PBS) – but still best-known as ‘Bridey’ in TV’s Brideshead Revisited and ‘Arthur Dent’ in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (radio, TV & stage versions). Award-winning Narrator of Audio Books and served for 12 years as co-Artistic Director of TACT, Off-Broadway theatre company.  Jones was also in Bay Street Theater’s production of Quartet  in 2006 with Kaye Ballard and Sian Phillips.  Details: www.simonjonesinfo.com.

GRACIE BEARDSLEY

Gracie Beardsley is thrilled to spend her summer in Sag Harbor working at Bay Street Theater!  She was most recently seen in How the Grinch Stole Christmas at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Other regional favorites include The Sound of Music (Paper Mill Playhouse), Mary Poppins (Fireside), and Into the Woods(Kids of the Arts). When not performing, Gracie loves to bake, do voice overs, video blog, travel, and spend time with her family and friends.

DAKOTA RILEY QUAKENBUSH

Dakota Riley Quackenbush is a nine year old resident of East Hampton attending the John Marshal Elementary School. She has appeared in the East Hampton YMCA showcases under the vocal direction Lucy Carracappa-Gordon. She has appeared as Tiny Tim’s sister in a Spectacular Christmas Carol and Tap: An Evening of Rhythm produced by our fabulous variety show at Guild Hall.

The 2015 Mainstage Season is sponsored in part by New York State through the generosity of Assemblyman Fred Thiele and State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle; the New York State Council on The Arts, a State Agency; Town of Southampton; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; The Shubert Foundation; and fully or partially funded by the Suffolk County Executive’s Office. Adrianne and Jerry Cohen are Associate Producers. Additional support comes from the Joseph Stein New Musical Fund and The New Directions Fund. Preview weeks are sponsored by Peconic Landing. GREY GARDENS is also sponsored in part by Baron’s Cove. Beach Magazine is sponsoring the August 23^rd evening performance. For more information about Bay Street Theater log on to www.baystreet.org.

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts is a year-round, not-for-profit professional theater and community cultural center which endeavors to innovate, educate, and entertain a diverse community through the practice of the performing arts. We serve as a social and cultural gathering place, an educational resource, and a home for a community of artists.

Suffolk Community College Students Earn Scholarships to LI Colleges and Universities

(Long Island, NY) Twenty-seven Suffolk County Community College Students were awarded Stay On Long Island Initiative (SOLII) Scholarships that will provide full tuition for at a Long Island College or University.

The SOLII scholarship program conceived by Suffolk County Community College President Dr. Shaun L. McKay in 2010 to staunch Long Island’s “brain drain” by keeping talented, motivated students on Long Island and attending Long Island Colleges and Universities awarded scholarships totaling approximately $640,000 to 27 Suffolk County Community College students. The program has awarded more than $3.7 million in scholarships to 116 Suffolk County Community College students since its inception, McKay said.

(Left to right): First row (bottom): Loic Moussoh, Ivory Coast (St. John’s University), Ana Catalan, Riverhead (LIU Post), Celesse Vazquez, Mastic Beach (Stony Brook University), Suffolk County Community College President Dr. McKay, Veronica Chumbi, East Hampton (Five Towns College), Jessica Gutierrez, East Hampton (Adelphi University). 2nd row: Suffolk County Community College Counselor Tom Law, Sarah Nangeroni, East Northport (LIU Post), Evelyn Diessler, Hampton Bays (LIU Riverhead), Daniel Dellapina, Oakdale (LIU Post), Dr. Christopher Adams. 3rd row: Samuel Zang, East Setauket (Briarcliffe College) , Megan Meyers (Molloy College), Allison Brown, Farmingville (St. Joseph’s College), Thomas Pirrone, Deer Park (Farmingdale State College), Carla Sutherland. 4th row: Brianna DiPaola, Bay Shore (St. Joseph’s College), Courtney Bocchieri, Bay Shore (St. Joseph’s College). 5th row: Sanjib Dey, Deer Park (LIU Brentwood), Victoria Lohwasser, Bay Shore (St. John’s University), Mary Katherine O’Connell (St. Joseph’s College), Carissa Shevlin, Miller Place (St. Joseph’s College), Yvette Adams, Deer Park (Stony Brook University), Tricia Wildman, Huntington (Hofstra University). Last row: Marissa Klassert, West Sayville (SUNY Old Westbury), Cahide Temel, Port Jefferson Station (St. Joseph’s College), Christopher Wallace. Photo Credit: SCCC.

“The SOLII Scholarships help our graduates achieve their academic dreams by continuing their education at quality four-year colleges and universities right here in our region,” President McKay said.

The initiative, McKay explained, provides full and partial-tuition scholarships to current Suffolk County Community College students who graduate and transfer to partnering four-year Long Island colleges that include: Adelphi University, Briarcliffe College, Dowling College, Farmingdale State College, Five Towns College, Hofstra University, LIU Post, LIU Riverhead, LIU Brentwood, Molloy College,New York Institute of Technology, The College at Old Westbury, St. John’s University, St. Joseph’s College and Stony Brook University.

Chef Chris Santos of NYC’s Stanton Social and Beauty and Essex Will Serve Up Specialty Wings and Showcase-Wing his new Rattler BBQ Sauce

(Long Island, NY) May 27, 2015 (Oceanside, NY) – It was announced today that Celebrity Chef, Chris Santos has signed on to be a BestWings Ambassador at the highly anticipated New York Best Wings Festival on Sunday, June 7th at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury. Chef Santos will be on site to celebrate the festival and championship with fellow WingFans and will be showcasing his new Rattler BBQ Sauce while serving up specialty wings for some lucky festivalgoers. A meet and greet will also take place where the celebrity chef will be signing bottles of his new Rattler BBQ Sauce.

Chris Santos. Photo Credit: Rick Eberle Publicity.

“We are so proud to have Chef Chris Santos, a true Celebrity Chef, as a Best Wings Ambassador of the New York Best Wings Festival,” says festival co-founder Matt Kourie.“People are coming from all over to taste championship level wings and we knew we needed a top chef that could greatly add to the spirit of the event and raise the bar on flavor and experience with his love of wings.”

With an expected crowd of 5,000, the inaugural New York Best Wings Festival will take place onSunday, June 7, 2015 from 11:00am – 7:00pmat the NYCB Theater at Westbury. The New York Best Wings Festival, geared for the entire family to enjoy, will feature some of the premier restaurants in the New York Metropolitan Area whose wings have gained acclaim. In addition to wing-eating and other food-oriented competitions, including the College Wing Olympics, there will be amusements, face-painting, craft brewery tastings and more.

All leading up to the main event, the championship bout, where the most notable “Wing Men of NY” will serve as seasoned judges. That includes BestWingsLI’s Matthew Kourie and Robert Wittman, Matt Reynolds, director and star of The Great Chicken Wing Hunt; Ryan Hohman, known as the Ultimate Wingman, FOX News’ Eric Spinato, AAA’s Robert Sinclair, National Wing Hunter Brian Dempsey from BringtheWing.com and Christine Gerani from SpotOn Magazine.

Notable “Wing Men of NY” will serve as seasoned judges. Photo Credit: Rick Eberle Publicity.

Other judges will also include Dave “Rev” Ciancio of “Burger Conquest” and host of the New York CityWing-Off; Adam Poch– who you may know from CBS’ “Big Brother”, the Travel Channel’s “Bacon Paradise”, or also as part of the New York City Wing-Off (that is when he’s not spreading Bacon Love worldwide!); Chef Plum, winner of “Guys Grocery Games”, “Chopped” open your basket and featured on ABC’s, “The Taste”, The Food Network, and Jamie Oliver’s, “Foodtube”. Derrick Prince from Season 2 of the FOX Network’s “MasterChef”, and Chip “The King Of Wings” Hearn– Master Wing and Ice Cream Champion, food guru, and Founder of Peppers.com!

Two top culinary celebrity kid chefs who appeared on Food Network’s Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off, Season 2 will battle it out with their best chicken wing recipes to compete in the Lil’ Wing Challenge. The defending champ is 12-year-old Gibson Borelli from New Jersey who edged out, then, 11-year-old Madison Grant from Chicago. Gibson wowed the judges with his famed Messy Wild and Wacky Chicken Wings while Madison whipped up her masterpiece, Little Italy Wings with Blue Cheese Sauce. With thousands watching and cheering on their favorite wing maker, in the end there will only be one NY Best Wings Festival Lil’ Wing King or Queen!

From the fans of extreme heat to those who prefer mild and sweet, a wing festival wouldn’t be complete without the beer. Coney Island Brewing Company is the official sponsor and will be on-site with a full lineup of beer to satisfy the thirsts of wing-eating masses. Beers available will include the flagship Mermaid Pilsner, old school favorite Coney Island Lager, and brand new styles, 1609 Amber Ale and Overpass IPA.

Some of the Festival’s sponsors will includeConey Island Brewing Company, Wing Zone,Apple & Eve, Croxley’s Ale House & Eatery,SwingBellys BBQ, High River Sauces, Long Island Radio’s WBAB, Naked Chicken Co., The Wander Inn, The Great Chicken Wing Hunt,BringTheWing.com, Bounce House Entertainment, SYM Magazine, Old Westbury Web Radio, 7Rose Productions, Step Out Buffalo, People of Distinction Humanitarian Awards, Chicken Wing Lovers, Buffalo Wing Wear, and Best Wings In America.

Advance tickets and custom packages to The New York Best Wings Festival at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury, NY can be purchased HERE.

For more information visit BestWingsLI.com, NYBestWingsFestival.com.

About BestWingsLI:

Matt Kourie and Rob Wittman. Photo Credit: Rick Eberle Publicity.

Festival founders Matt Kourie and Rob Wittman are best friends who share the love for a spectacular chicken wing. They were on a singular quest to find the very best wings and to tell the world about those discoveries. The two launched their wing review website,BestWingsLI.com, publishing critiques on the best wing joints on Long Island and extended the search into Brooklyn, Queens and New York City. This quest has turned the two pals into full blown bona fide “Wing Hunters” who are turning their vast wealth of knowledge for one of America’s favorite finger foods into a major festival that will feature everything chicken wing and a whole lot more. The pair started small, with their popular seasonal bash, Wings and Beer Fest, which also featured craft breweries, and worked their way up to their forthcoming event the New York Best Wings Festival.

About Chef Chris Santos:

Chris Santos. Photo Credit: Rick Eberle Publicity.

Chef Chris Santos introduced the world to his unique brand of communal dining with his debut restaurant, The Stanton Social known for it’s multi-cultural menu, and experiential dining with cuisine as delicious as it is entertaining. Soon after, he welcomed Beauty & Essex to the Lower East Side, which boasts breathtaking design and a sophisticated menu.

Throughout his career, Santos has appeared as guest chef on NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s Early Show, The Martha Stewart Show, and The Rachael Ray Show. Most famously, he is a resident judge on the Food Network’s most popular hit series Chopped and recently became a City Harvest board member.

Santos’ distinctive career has been synonymous with unparalleled success and he’ll continue by expanding his brand on both coasts, the introduction of his personalized line of new and exciting sauces and a highly anticipated first cookbook due out in the spring of 2016.

(Long Island, NY) Graduates from Suffolk County, NY, were awarded diplomas at the 2015 Berkeley College Commencement ceremony, held on April 24, 2015, at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. This year’s class of 2,300 graduates included more than 200 international students and 120 military and veteran graduates. 

“All of us at Berkeley are proud to celebrate this momentous occasion with you,” said Dario A. Cortes, PhD, President of Berkeley College. “This day represents a culmination of years of hard work and determination, but it is just the beginning. It takes knowledge, passion and persistence to succeed. Believe in yourself and reach higher.”

The following students from Suffolk County received diplomas:

• Kaitlin Courtney of Lindenhurst, Bachelor of Business Administration in Fashion Merchandising and Management
• Fernande Germain of Deer Park, Bachelor of Business Administration in Financial Services
• Johanna Gomez of Huntington Station, Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Administration – Marketing
• Kimberly Leger+* of Central Islip, Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Administration – Management
• Tania Pineda of East Hampton, Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies – Criminal Justice
• Dionne Thomas of Middle Island, Associate in Applied Science in Business Administration – Management

Christopher Rodriguez, PhD, Director, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security, delivered the Commencement address and received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

* Denotes students graduating with honors

+ Denotesgraduates of the Honors Program, a selective, interdisciplinary and seminar-based educational opportunity offered to a limited number of high-achieving students

A leader in providing career-focused education since 1931, Berkeley College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and enrolls approximately 8,000 students – including more than 900 international students – in its Baccalaureate and Associate degree and Certificate programs. Students can study in more than 20 career fields. Berkeley College is comprised of the Larry L. Luing School of Business, the School of Professional Studies, the School of Health Studies, the School of Liberal Arts, and the School of Graduate Studies, which offers a Master of Business Administration degree in Management.

Berkeley College has three New York locations – Midtown Manhattan, Brooklyn and White Plains. In New Jersey there are six locations – Clifton, Dover, Newark, Paramus, Woodbridge and Woodland Park. Berkeley College Online® serves a global population. In January 2015, U.S. News & World Report named Berkeley College one of the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor’s Degrees for the second consecutive year.  The website address is www.BerkeleyCollege.edu.

Opposition is Short-sighted, Ignores Real Pay Off in Healthy Families

(Long Island, NY) Family Planning Advocates of New York State today rejected claims from the Business Council of New York and The Health Plan Association in today’s Capital Pro article “Insurers, business council assail pregnancy insurance bill” which asserted that allowing pregnant women to purchase health insurance outside the Affordable Care Act’s enrollment period would be too costly for insurers and employers.

Legislation introduced by State  Senator Kemp Hannon (S.5548), State Senator Liz Krueger (S.4639) and Assemblymember Aravella Simotas (A.6750), would add pregnancy to the list  of “qualifying events” that allow individuals to purchase insurance on the health exchange outside the regular enrollment period. Currently, the list includes marriage, the birth of a child, divorce and becoming a U.S. citizen.

“It is good public health policy to ensure women have early access to prenatal care. Not allowing pregnant women to purchase health insurance outside of an open enrollment period is short-sighted and has negative implications for families, employers and insurers as it puts women at risk when they need medical care the most,” said Carol Blowers, interim CEO of Family Planning Advocates of New York State. “This is not a difficult equation – purchasing insurance helps connect women to proper medical care resulting in a lifetime of better health for themselves and their families. Pregnancy is not an on-going illness, it is a medical event. Anyone advocating against expanding the ability of pregnant women to obtain health care coverage is willfully ignoring the real risks that lack of coverage means for women, families and our state.”

Infants born to mothers who had little or no prenatal care in the first trimester have a low birth weight rate that is three times higher than that of infants born to mothers who received the recommended prenatal care, and have a rate of infant mortality rate that is five times higher according to a 2015 report by the New York City Comptroller.  These are statistics that must not be ignored – it is vital that pregnant women are able to access the prenatal care they need to keep themselves healthy and to give birth to a healthy child.

In addition to the health benefits of allowing pregnancy to exist as a qualifying event, it is likely that there would be a significant financial benefit as well. One study by the American Board of Family Medicine found that any level of prenatal care for adolescent mothers would save the U.S. up to $3,242 per person in care costs for low-weight newborns.

These gains clearly offset the short-sighted opposition offered today by the Business Council of New York State and the Health Plan Association which objected to the bill based on potential costs to insurers.

“Opposition to allowing pregnant women to purchase needed health insurance coverage based on perceived short-term costs ignores the reality of long-term health care savings for women and their families,” said Blowers, interim CEO of Family Planning Advocates of New York State. “Preventing women from purchasing health care now does not translate into overall cost-savings.”

Family Planning Advocates of New York State is a non-profit, statewide organization dedicated to protecting and expanding access to a full range of reproductive health care services. It represents New York’s Planned Parenthood affiliates and other family planning centers, as well as hundreds of organizations and thousands of individual members.