Port Washington, Long Island, New York

A Piece of Port

2010-02-24T09:24:00.002-05:00

Check out my column, "A Piece of Port", on Port Washington Patch.

http://patch.com/NLTd

http://portwashington.patch.com

New Port Washington Site

2010-01-04T12:09:00.002-05:00

A new website has launched covering the Port Washington peninsula. Backed by AOL, patch.com provides "hyper-local" coverage of communities around the United States.

Here is the link to our "Patch".

http://portwashington.patch.com/

Suozzi Defeated

2009-12-01T12:12:00.005-05:00

At the conclusion of the election recount, two term Nassau County Supervisor Tom Suozzi appears to have been defeated by challenger Ed Mangano.

Click here for LI Press coverage.

UPDATE on Wednesday, December 2, 2009: Suozzi has conceded. Come January, Republicans will control the Nassau County Supervisor's office and the legislature.

Click here for New York Times coverage.

Guys and Dolls at Schreiber High School

2009-11-17T14:00:00.002-05:00

The Schreiber High School Department of Performing Arts Proudly Presents

Thursday, November 19^th at 7:30 PM

Friday, November 20^th at 7:30 PM

Saturday, November 21^st at 7:30 PM

Sunday, November 22^nd at 2:00 PM

in the Schreiber High School Auditorium

Tickets:

General Admission ~ $5

Schreiber Students ~ $3 (with valid I.D.)

Senior Citizens ~ Complimentary

For more information, please call the Creative Arts Department at (516)767-5480

Cell Towers

2009-11-16T11:50:00.004-05:00

The construction of the cell tower on Manhasset Isle has prompted a backlash against the proposed installation on the top of the building at the corner of Main Street and Shore Road in the Village of Baxter Estates. It has been suggested, both in an email from the Daly School PTA and in a Letter to the Editor in the Port Washington News, that Jolani Jewelers owns of the building. I'm told that they are just a tenant and not the landlord. They have nothing to do with the application to place the antennae on the roof. I believe that the Port News will be printing a correction in next week's issue.

2009 Port Summer Show

2009-08-06T17:04:00.005-04:00

Tonight, Thursday, August 6th, at 8:00 PM, is Opening Night of the Port Summer Show's "The Pajama Game". The performance will be held in the air conditioned auditorium of Schreiber High School.

Here is the show schedule:

August 6th, 7th, and 8th at 8:00 PM
August 9th at 2:00 PM

Tickets are $8 at the Door. Senior Citizens, 65 and over, and Children under 12 in Pajamas, Free Opening Night!

"Since 1972, the Port Summer Show, a non-profit teen theater program, has been producing top-quality musicals. The Port Summer show, a member of the Port Youth Council, gives Port Washington’s 7th through 12th graders a unique opportunity to be involved in all phases of the production. It also provides four nights of entertainment for the community."

One of the talented performers is my son Kevin. Break a leg Kev!

A Man at "Menopause the Musical"

2009-07-18T20:04:00.005-04:00

I have to admit that after finding my seat in the Jeanne Rimsky Theater on Thursday night, to watch a performance of “Menopause the Musical”, I did sneak a peek at the audience to see if I was the only guy in the place. (I wasn't, but it was close.)

The show, a comedy about four women who meet over the lingerie counter at Bloomingdale's, describes their lives after, “The Change of Life”. More cabaret than musical theater, there really isn't much of a plot, it consists of familiar songs from the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's with cleverly re-written lyrics interspersed with hilarious set pieces. It's campy and over the top but with that title what else would you expect. Menopause, by the way, is not some sort of theatrical device or metaphor. You get songs about hot flashes, night sweats, sleeplessness, and food cravings. The ladies let it all hang out. The show is, at times, mildly risque so if you're on the prudish side, be forewarned.

The very talented cast of Stacie Greenwell as “Professional Woman”, Shorey Walker as “Soap Star”, Dee Etta Rowe as “Earth Mother”, and Lydia Gladstone as “Iowa Housewife”, sing, dance, laugh, and comfort one another through a high energy 90 minutes. While Ms. Greenwell's vocals stand out, all four are very, very funny. Highlights for me were, “The Great Pretender”, about memory lapses and “Puff, My God I'm Draggin'”.

The book and lyrics are by Jeanie Linders who says, “The show has become a point of relating, a celebration of a life passage”. Its strength is in the shared experience of the characters and the audience. As a much as I can sympathize, I'm not able to fully, “get it.” But that's OK. If you're a woman over, say 39, you will. My advice? Leave your husband at home in front of the tube, grab your girlfriends, and go see “Menopause the Musical”. You'll have a blast.

“Menopause the Musical” is playing at the Jeanne Rimsky Theater at the Landmark on Main Street in Port Washington, New York, through September 4. Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM. For tickets, $45 each, visit www.MenopauseLongIsland.com or call (516)717-3990. Group discounts are available.

Good Merchants

2009-05-15T12:06:00.003-04:00

I'd like to compliment two local merchants for consistently providing good service. They both happen to be located across the street from the train station.

My family has used the Verizon store on Main Street for years and have always been impressed with their service. Recently I had to swap my phone, the keypad was shot due to too much texting, and Chad and Edward were extremely helpful.

On the other side of Herbert Ave. is Steve's Barber Shop. My sons and I started going there soon after he opened, it's almost a decade now, and it's a pleasant place to get a haircut.

Knickerbocker Yacht Club

2009-02-12T12:18:00.000-05:00

Here is a sad story on the planned closing of the Knickerbocker Yacht Club.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/nassau/ny-liclub0213,0,2662851.story

Three Intel Semi-Finalists from Schreiber

2009-01-15T13:58:00.003-05:00

Schreiber High School has produced three 2009 Intel Science Semi-Finalists.

Congratulations to David Becker, Stephen Nash, and Adam Vojdany.

Here is the article from Newsday.

Schreiber Girls Tennis Repeats as LI Champs!

2008-11-05T11:14:00.001-05:00

Click here for coverage from Newsday.

Schreiber Boys X-Country Wins Nassau Class AA

2008-11-02T10:52:00.002-05:00

The Schreiber boys cross country team captured the Nassau County Class AA championship and are off to states!
Click here for coverage from Newsday.

Schreiber Girls Tennis Nassau Champs Again!

2008-10-23T09:42:00.002-04:00

The Schreiber High School girls tennis team successfully defended their Nassau County title. They defeated Jericho 6-1 to repeat as champions. Here is an article from Newsday.

They will soon play the Suffolk County champion for the Long Island title.

Great Service!

2008-10-05T12:19:00.003-04:00

After complaining bitterly about bad service I received from a couple of local merchants, Bobbie Polay, from the Chamber of Commerce, challenged me to post when I was wowed. So, here are two businesses that go above and beyond.

The first is Mama's Delight on Main Street. The food is very good and the service is great. The owner is unfailingly friendly and makes a meal there very enjoyable.

The second is Country Cleaners on Old Shore Road in the Stop & Shop shopping center. Don generously volunteered to dry clean the costumes from the Port Summer Show and, when there were more pieces than expected, refused to be paid for the difference. What a wonderful gesture!

Port Summer Show "The Boy Friend"

2008-07-20T20:33:00.004-04:00

This year's Port Summer Show production is "The Boy Friend". It will run from Thursday, August 7th, to Sunday, August 10th, 2008, in the air conditioned Schreiber High School Auditorium. Tickets are only $8 and senior citizen get in free on opening night!

They're also running a car wash to raise funds to support this wonderful Port Washington tradition. The car wash will be held on Saturday, July 26th, 2008, from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM at St. Stephen's Church (located on Main Street opposite the public library).

(Full disclosure: My son is one of the actors! This is his third year performing in the Port Summer Show and it's always a treat to see the kids' hard work pay off.)

Manorhaven Election

2008-06-20T18:25:00.001-04:00

All of the incumbents lost in the Manorhaven village election held on June 17th, 2008.
Here is an article about the results in Newsday.

Schreiber Boys Volleyball

2008-05-31T09:25:00.003-04:00

Boys Volleyball Falls in County Championship

The Vikings boys volleyball team lost in the Class AA finals.
Despite the loss this is a tremendous accomplishment! Congratulations.

Here is an article from Newsday.

Port Washington HarborFest 2008

2008-05-28T17:35:00.003-04:00

HarborFest 2008 is on Sunday, June 1st. It's a fun time and a great location (The Town Dock and lower Main Street). There will be food, music, a crafts fair, and an art show with free lessons sponsored by the Art Guild of Port Washington!

You can either take the LIRR to the end of the Port Washington branch (HarborFest is about a mile west of the station down Main Street) or take the Long Island Expressway to exit 36, travel north approx. 5 miles to Main Street and take a left.

Schreiber Has Two Intel Finalists

2008-01-31T12:09:00.001-05:00

Stefan Muller and Alexis Mychajliw have been named Intel Science Talent Search finalists. Here is coverage from Newsday.

UPDATE: Alexis Mychajliw placed 9th in the country!

Paul D. Schreiber Intel Science Semifinalists

2008-01-17T09:17:00.000-05:00

Newsday is reporting that Schreiber has produced six Intel semifinalists this year. Congratulations to Stefan Muller, Alexis Mychajliw, Eric Glasser, Madeleine Bernstein, Katherine McCulloh, and Taryn Siegel.

Here is a link to the Newsday article.

I think Eric Glasser deserves a special mention. According to the article, he won despite being denied entry into the school's research program. So for all of you who were left off the starting team, or didn't get a good part in the school play, because of a teacher's decision, you now have proof of what you've always suspected. They just don't get it right all the time.

Girls Tennis LI Champs!

2007-11-08T09:23:00.001-05:00

The Schreiber High School girls tennis team captured the Long Island Championship!

Here is an article in Newsday

Sports Heartbreak

2007-11-02T23:47:00.001-04:00

The undefeated Schreiber High School boys soccer team lost a heart breaker in the Nassau County semi-finals at Mitchell Field on Friday night. Leading Syosset 2-0, with approx. 6 minutes left in the game, they gave up a goal on a long range blast from outside the 18 yard box. Within a minute of that goal, Syosset was awarded an penalty kick, possibly on a foul by Port's goalie while coming out on a cross, and the score was tied 2-2.

Neither team could score during the rest of regulation or in the two 10 minute overtimes or in the two 5 minute, "golden goal" periods. So, it all came down to the best out of 5 PK's to decide the match. Unfortunately, Port did not score on its first 3 attempts (one hit the upright, one was saved, and one missed). Syosset converted on 3 of their four attempts to win the game and advance to the county finals.

Thanks for Nothing LIRR

2007-09-08T17:29:00.001-04:00

Am I the only one who thinks the LIRR must hate Port Washington? First, years ago, they overshadow our cute station with a monstrous, space age, UGLY roof. Then, recently, they install industrial grade green fencing fit for a prison. What the heck do they have against us? Why are they trying to despoil our Main Street area? (If they provided decent train service, and covering over the platforms that actually kept the rain out, maybe it wouldn't seem so bad. Nah. It's seriously ugly any way you look at it.)

Big Fire

2007-08-26T13:05:00.000-04:00

The fire last night, Saturday, August 25th, covered the Main Street area around the train station with dark smoke that smelled of burning chemicals. According to Newsday, Body Magic, an auto body shop on South Bayles, went up in flames.

UPDATE: I passed by the site this afternoon and the building is completely destroyed. Amazingly, there does not seem to be much damage to the office building right next door.

Port Summer Show

2007-07-30T23:29:00.000-04:00

Another great tradition in town is the Port Summer Show. It features students who are entering the 7th grade through those who have just graduated from high school.

This year's play is "Smile", a Broadway musical from the mid 80's about a beauty pageant coming to a small California town. The music is by Marvin Hamlisch and the book and lyrics are by Howard Ashman.

Come out and see the talented Port kids sing and dance their hearts out! (One of them is my younger son so instead of watching, this year I'm probably working the props. :-)

The Port Summer Show Presents
"Smile" The Musical
Thursday, August 2nd, Friday, August 3rd, and Saturday, August 4th
at 8:00 PM
Sunday, August 5th
at 2:00 PM
Weber Middle School Auditorium

Cinema on the Bay

2007-07-28T23:23:00.000-04:00

Cinema on the Bay is quickly becoming a must-do event in Port Washington. Tonight's show, "Night at the Museum", really brought out the crowds. The lawn at the Sousa Band Shell was packed with families, seniors, and couples on blankets and beach chairs. I have great memories of going to the Drive-In and this is the next best thing. It was a wonderful way to spend the evening (despite the fact that I really do not like Ben Stiller and I'd heard the movie was a clunker. :-)

A big thank you goes out to the sponsors, Residents For A More Beautiful Port Washington.

The next movie is "Field of Dreams" on Saturday, August 25th, 2007 at 9:00 PM.

Merchant Hall of Shame

2007-07-04T15:23:00.000-04:00

The Chamber of Commerce urges us to, "Shop Port First". Instead of us all driving off to the big box retailers or the mall, we're supposed to support out local merchants. Hey, I run PortWashington.com so I get it.

However, some of the stores around town treat their customers like dirt. Most do a fine job but a few have made me pretty angry recently. So angry in fact, that I'm breaking a self imposed rule to avoid using the site (and this blog) to dump on the businesses that get me ticked off. So, here goes.

The first inductees into the Merchant Hall of Shame are the BP gas station on Port Blvd. and King Kullen.

The guy behind the counter at the BP station was on the phone with tech support trying to fix his cash register or lotto machine when I walked in. Did he acknowledge my presence? No. Did he tell me how long he was going to be working on his problem? No. Did he apologize for making me wait? Nope. Did he totally ignore me for minutes while I stood there? Yep. So, I walked out. All it would have taken was one quick sentence to let me know if I should wait but apparently that's a little too much effort. No more gas at BP for me.

My wife and I usually go to Stop and Shop. However, we happened to be at Payless Shoes, and needed some milk, so we bought a gallon at King Kullen. The milk was sour when I opened it; way beyond drinkable despite not being past its Sell By Date. To my mind that means it was not refrigerated properly. My wife took it back the next day for a refund. We've returned things to Stop and Shop occasionally and have never had the slightest problem. The surly woman behind the "Courtesy" counter at King Kullen decided somewhere along the line that customers are to be treated as criminals. First she said the milk look like water (accusing us of drinking the milk and refilling the container). Then she said that they didn't sell that brand (but my wife had the receipt). She then dropped a big ledger book on the counter, without explanation, and turned around to continue her conversation with a co-worker. My wife had to ask what she was supposed to do. After filling out some information, my wife was finally given her refund (all of $3.80). Of course there was no apology for inconveniencing us. No more shopping at King Kullen for us.

Port is a small town. People talk. I run a nice web site that gets lots of hits and is the number one Google listing when you search for "Port Washington". I'm angry and I don't care who knows it.

So congratulations to BP and King Kullen for providing terrible customer service and making it in to the Merchant Hall of Shame.

Paul D. Schreiber Class of 2007

2007-07-04T15:16:00.000-04:00

Well, my older son has just graduated from Schreiber and I'm feeling rather old. :-) It was REALLY strange talking at the ceremony with some of the people I graduated with back in 1976 who also had children graduating. In many ways Port is such a small town.

Port Washington, Long Island, New York

2005-05-11T11:30:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Blog home of www.PortWashington.com.
I'm Mike Roberts, the webmaster for the site.

We're located on a peninsula (surrounded by Manhasset Bay, Long Island Sound, and Hempstead Harbor) just east of New York City, on Long Island's north shore. It's a beautiful town of around 30,000 people. We're the East Egg in the Great Gatsby, the departure point of the first commercial trans-Atlantic flights, and produced much of the sand for the cement of the Manhattan skyline. John Philip Sousa lived here and John Cassavetes grew up here.

I've lived here almost all of my life. (If I had been born here, I would be called a "clam digger". However, I was born on the upper east side, so I'm just a, "real New Yorker".) I went to Port public schools from kindergarten (Guggenheim Elementary School) to high school (Paul D. Schreiber High School class of 1976). I'm, "Married with Children" and live in the part of town called, "South Salem".

Although I'm sure that the other towns named Port Washington, in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Maryland, are terrific places too, that's not us. Sorry! :-)