The Oysterponds Historical Society will present an exhibit throughout the summer called Fun & Games, featuring toys, dolls & games from the Society’s extensive collection. The exhibit reflects childhood in East Marion and Orient for over 200 years. The exhibit will be on display from June 28 to September 28, 2008 on Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays, 2pm– 5pm.

There will be an opening reception on Friday, June 27, 5pm – 7pm, at the Janet T. Swanson Gallery, Old Point School House, 1555 Village Lane, Orient.

In addition, three summer family events have been added to the Calendar of Events at Oysterponds Historical Society, including a portrait workshop, a fun & games day, and a dolls workshop.

The Society invites family membership. For further information about preserving the heritage of East Marion and Orient for future generations, see the Memberships page.

Tags: art & culture, events, excursions & activities, learning, membership, society by Nancy
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Fourth of July fireworks and parades, as well as summer firemen’s carnivals, have been added to the Calendar of Events, including:

Southold Independence Day Parade

Greenport Firemen’s Carnival & Fireworks

Riverhead Grucci Fireworks, Live Music & Street Fair

Jamesport Carnival, Parade & Fireworks

Shelter Island Fireworks

More added continually!

Tags: Jamesport, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southold, events, excursions & activities, greenport, holidays by Nancy
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The U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory will again open its doors to the public this summer, every Sunday from July 20 through August 17. The Laboratory will feature a different tour on each of five Sundays. Both adults and children can enjoy a variety of entertaining activities, including the Whiz Bang Science Show and the Brain Teasers exhibit each week.

Summer Sundays are offered free of charge, and no reservations are needed. Visitors may arrive any time between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The Whiz Bang Science Show will be staged at 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. each Sunday. All visitors age 16 and over must bring a photo ID.

The full Summer Sundays schedule follows (these events have been added to the NorthForkParents Calendar of Events):

July 20 — National Synchrotron Light Source
See the brightest light on Long Island and one of the most intense sources of light in the world. Find out how synchrotron light is used to look into all kinds of materials, from moon rocks to computer chips.

July 27 — Science Learning Center
Play with science, no matter what your age. Have fun testing your hands-on science skills. Enjoy a science magician’s tricks.

August 3 — National Weather Service
Come to the weather forecasting center for the entire New York metropolitan area. Track storms, big or small. Learn about hurricane preparedness. Witness a 3:30 p.m. weather-balloon launch.

August 10 — Center for Functional Nanomaterials
Visit a new center where studies of the ultra-small may lead to ultra-big discoveries in many areas, from energy to electronics. See the high-tech tools used to explore the nanoscale. This tour is appropriate for adults and children over 10 years old.

August 17 — Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider
Enter the underground tunnel that holds twin accelerators. Learn how gold ions are smashed together to recreate the temperature and energy density of the early universe. This tour is appropriate for adults and children over 10 years old.

The Laboratory is located 1.5 miles north of Long Island Expressway Exit 68. For more information, call 631 344-2651, or visit the Brookhaven Lab website: www.bnl.gov.

Tags: events, excursions & activities, math & science by Nancy
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In our recent poll, you nominated and voted for your favorite local family eatery and revealed what you look for in a restaurant when you take the family out to eat.

Based on comments received as part of the restaurant poll, it’s clear that restaurants that serve families well deserve special recognition. Dining out with the family presents parents with the usual challenges–all of the different tastes, the personalities, and attention to table protocols–but with the extra challenge of presenting the family in public. Restaurants that help make family meals a success are as good as gold.

To find out which restaurant was our winner among all those nominated–plus what parents look for when dining out with the family and how to make your dining experience a good one–click here!

Tags: North Fork family cuisine by Nancy
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Hallockville Museum Farm announced two upcoming events, which have also been added to the NorthForkParents Calendar of Events:

Garden Tour to Welcome Summer
Saturday, June 21, 10:00am – 4:00pm (raindate June 22)
Sponsored by Hallockville Museum Farm
“Hallockville Museum Farm will sponsor its first tour of North Fork gardens. In addition to the historic gardens at the museum farm, the tour will feature six private and commercial gardens and farms in the area surrounding Hallockville. A diversity of plants will be on display in a variety of settings including water, organic, and tree gardens. Tours of the gardens will be complemented by talks on organic farming, teas and herbs, and community supported agriculture. Plants, cookbooks, raffle baskets, and hand-crafted items will be available at the museum farm.”
Tickets: $25 ($30 on day of tour) which includes a generous box lunch.
The tour is self-paced and key talks will be repeated during the day.
For tickets and information contact Hallockville at 298-5292 or visit Hallockville.com.

Sixth Annual Barn Dance at Hallockville
Saturday, July 12, 6:30pm
Hallockville Museum Farm, 1038 Sound Avenue, Riverhead
“Hallockville Museum Farm will hold its annual barn dance on Saturday, July 12, beginning at 6:30pm. The 70 year-old Naugles Barn surrounded by preserved farmland will provide an authentic and scenic venue for this family-oriented event. Chart Guthrie will call the dance with music provided by the Dance All Night fiddle band. Food, soda, wine, and beer will be available for purchase.”
Tickets: $20 for the general public; $15 for Hallockville members; $5 for children under 12; available at the door or by calling Hallockville 298-5292.
Proceeds support programming at Hallockville Museum Farm.
Casual attire is recommended.
For more info, visit visit Hallockville.com.

Tags: Hallockville, art & culture, events, excursions & activities, farming, home & garden, seasons & weather by Nancy
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The Southold Mothers Club has announced its July 2008 events and activities, many of which have been added to the NorthForkParents Calendar of Events, including:

Tuesday, 7/1,Picnic at Horton’s Lighthouse

Tuesday, 7/8, Catapano Goat Farm, Peconic

Monday, 7/14, North Fork Helicopters, Cutchogue

Tuesday, 7/15, Indian Island Playground, Beach and Camping

Wednesday, 7/23, Mat-a-Mar Marina Tour

Wednesday, 7/30, Beach Day at Iron Pier in Jamesport

Other group activities include a moms night out, new moms playgroup, a book club, club meetings, and more.

Tags: Southold Mothers' Club, babies & pregnancy, events, excursions & activities, toddler & preschool by Nancy
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Please read the new Parenting 631 article, “Pool Safety Tips” from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. The statistics on drowning and permanent damage are unbelievable, and with so many of us in pools now, it’s worth a couple of minutes of any parent’s time to review a few tips and important pool rules.

Go to Parenting 631 page.

Tags: Cornell Cooperative Extension, babies & pregnancy, community bulletin, elementary, parenting, sports & recreation by Nancy
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Congratulations to the 2008 Teeny Awards winners, which were announced on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center at the sixth annual gala Teeny Awards ceremony!

The Teeny Awards is the ground-breaking student theatre arts recognition program of the East End Arts Council (EEAC) in collaboration with the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center.

For a list of the 2008 nominees and winners, click here.

Tags: East End Arts Council, art & culture, schools by Nancy
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In the most recent installment of Healthy North Fork Lifestyles by holistic health counselor Erin Dunscomb, we’re encouraged to take our vitamins!

She says that while a healthy diet of whole foods and good nutrition is vitally important, vitamins act as an insurance policy for optimum health and wellness. Included in this month’s column are tips on how to select and take vitamins, what substances to avoid, and what we can do to accentuate the positive.

Go to the Family Health page.

Tags: health by Nancy
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The Long Island Science Center’s Summer Science Programs will begin on Wednesday, JULY 9, 2008. The Science Center will be open Wednesday through Sunday from 11:00am to 4:00pm. All hands-on science exhibits for the whole family. All activities ongoing. Admission $5 children, $2 adults Long Island Science Center, 11 West Main St, Riverhead, 208-8000 www.lisciencecenter.org.

The following weekly science programs have been added to the NorthForkParents Calendar of Events:

July 9th – 13th, EGYPT WEEK, Walk like an Egyptian! Dress up, make jewelry, solve a puzzle, write in hieroglyphs and make a mummy.

July 16th – 20th, GAMES WEEK, See what make great games! Play some
familiar oldies like Skelly, jacks or dominos. Learn new games and make
your own board game.

July 23rd – 27th, PIRATE WEEK, Make a treasure map, a pirate hat and
patch. Build a pirate ship to sail your treasure home.

July 30th – August 3, ANIMATION, Learn to cartoon, make a flip book, draw
your characters and see them come alive.

August 6th – 10th, FETCH! Week, Take the FETCH! Challenge. See if you can
follow the clues, learn a skill and earn points. Watch episodes of FETCH!
All day.

August 13th – 17th, ALTERNATIVE ENERGY, Build a windmill, Maglev train
car, wind powered vehicle, or balloon car. Test them on our track.

August 20th – 24th, AIRPLANES, Learn what make planes fly. Create a jet, a
paper plane or engineer a plane from foam. Test fly your ideas on our
“runway.”

Tags: Long Island Science Center, events, excursions & activities, learning, math & science by Nancy
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