Did you attend the NY African Film Festival at the Craft House Outdoor Patio, take advantage of FREE ADMISSION on Saturday for National Museum Day, attend the 2019 Raritan Bay Festival at Conference House Park Great Lawn or the 9th Annual Anthony D’Andrea Festa and Motori D’Italia at Casa Belvedere, or honor our military at the 5th Annual Global War on Terror Military Appreciation Day hosted by the Marine Corps League 246th detachment in partnership with Rolling Thunder Chapter 2 NY?

A few weeks ago, I took the long way home from the South Shore and arrived at one of the most beautifully-kept parks on Staten Island--Corporal Allan F. Kivlehan Park. I parked the car on New Dorp Ln. and walked to the end. I climbed the dunes, spotted fishermen at the…

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The 9/11 Memorial Ceremony held at the Postcards Memorial at the St. George Esplanade was touching and heartfelt. The speeches, especially those of our esteemed Borough President James Oddo, brought us back to that fateful day, how we came together as one as a Nation, State, City, Island. We remembered all those who died, and those who are still suffering from diseases post 9/11. During the ceremony, two people were overcome by the heat and the EMT’s responded immediately. We were reminded at that moment how valuable our first responders are—empathy, heroism, saviors. WE WILL NEVER FORGET!  Below are photos from that evening.

The 12th Westerleigh Folk Music and Art Festival took place on Saturday in the beautiful Westerleigh…

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Did you attend and/or participate in Wil Wynn’s Curiously Refreshing OPEN MIC Experience at Everything Goes Cafe, Bat Hike at Clove Lakes Park, ride in the Nature Bike Tour through Brookfield Park, or play in the Staten Island Bocce Tournament at South Beach?

I attended the live reenactment of the September 11, 1776 Peace Conference Celebration at Conference House Park.  The crowd enjoyed colonial dancing, 18th century craftsmen and women demonstrating various trades and crafts, colonial era vendors, homemade refreshments and historic house tours. The actors in the reenactment were spot on!  I felt as if I was a part of the Conference as Ben Franklin, Edward Rutledge, John Adams met with British Navy Admiral Howe.

 

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Did you attend some of the last outdoor musical performances before Fall--the Summer Sunset Concert Series with Joan Caddell and the Midnight Choir and The Black Ties at Snug Harbor and the British Invasion with the Staten Island Philharmonic at Alice Austen Park?  I hope you took advantage of these FREE events and enjoyed your summer.  Below are some photos from Snug Harbor. 

Thank you to all who visited the Gillani Homes booth and took photos with us at the 40th Annual Richmond County Fair.  It was great meeting you all.

 

 


 


 

OK--time to move on. . .Back to school, back to work after a long holiday weekend, time to look through your winter clothes and store the summer wardrobe and adjust…

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Check out my listing in Westerleigh—248 Willowbrook Road!  ASKING PRICE:  $629,000!

This immaculate one-family detached 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch on a 51' x 109' corner lot in the heart of Westerleigh, features a completely renovated eat-in kitchen and renovated bath with bench and self-cleaning doors including a washer/dryer unit, original hardwood floors throughout under carpeting, recessed lighting, Triple-pane Andersen windows, custom made blinds, new central air conditioning unit, automatic sprinkler system, a custom-made garage, 15 years to go on a 30 year roof.

                             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The First level is a Living Room/Dining Room combination, Eat-In Kitchen, three bedrooms and…

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Have you made memories this summer? Did I inspire you to take risks, try new things, embrace your special days, live life to the fullest? Do you keep a photo journal of special events you shared with friends and family? Do you keep a diary or a journal of your fascinating life?!! I sometimes meet people who share stories about different events in their life. I will comment to them about what a great short story it would make or how exciting it must have been. They will sometimes nod and say, “Hmmm” or look at me like I have two heads. I attended a Journal writing event. We were each told to pull out a coin, note the date and write about something that happened that year. It was pretty interesting what the participants wrote about. It might have been a…

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Did you treat the family to Langan’s Patties and Deputy Dogs at the Tavern Terrace Outdoor Concert Series, or attend any of the outdoor concerts?  Did Vito Picone and the Elegants, the Expressions, and, of course, the fabulous opening warm-up act, Vinnie Medugno, singing the oldies,  thrill you as they always do at the Midland Beach Splash Plaza?  Thank you my gentle reader, Rose, for sharing photos from the concert.

 

 

Did you try a Taste of Tango on Thursday at the Greenbelt Recreation Center, Shape Up NYC: Zumba at Midland Beach, attend the AfricanFest NYC at Mount Carmel or experience Basic Canoeing at Willowbrook Park.

Fifty (yes 50!) years ago, I graduated St. Peter’s High School for Girls and 50 years ago I fell “in like”…

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Did you participate in the 'Touch and Feel' Tour of the Colonial Herb Garden at the Historic Conference House and learn about the many fragrant, culinary and health beneficial plants that are easy to grow and use, volunteer to help clean and beautify Westerleigh Park or make a rag doll at the Crafting Cloth Dolls workshop at the Mont Sec House? Did you take the family to one of the Movies Under the Stars? We are so lucky on Staten Island to have so many free events!

The Opening Reception of the exhibit: DOLLS, hosted by the Staten Island Creative Community at Art On The Terrace Gallery, took place on Saturday.  Read about "The Doll Says Project" below. For more info about SICC and/or future events, visit https://sicreative.org/ or their Facebook page,…

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Did you cool off at High Rock listening to the sweet sounds of Viva Voce Brass--Old, New, Borrowed, Blue, try Freshwater Fishing at Clove Lakes Park or attend the talk by Pat Salmon “Institutionalized on Staten Island” at Alice Austen Park? Did you participate in the Taste of Tango at Greenbelt Recreation. You will get another chance to do so on 8/15.

Did you join Staten Island OutLOUD on a stroll up St. Paul’s Ave. to celebrate the life and work of The Poetry of Audre Lorde? Congratulations to Beth Gorrie and Staten Island OutLOUD for receiving the National Endowment for the Arts Endowment award for the 10th straight year! Staten Island OutLOUD has been chosen to present The Big Read in our community this autumn. For more info and upcoming events,…

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Broadway in the Boros returned to Staten Island at the Empire Outlets in St. George presenting performances by the current cast and musicians from “Beetlejuice” and “Chicago”.  I grabbed the first available seat near the photo booth so was able to see all the actors before they went on. The Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment organizes this event each year. We participated in trivia contests, and a number of tickets to the shows were awarded to those winners. Below are some photos.

Members of Staten Island OutLOUD 2019 read parts of Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick” on Saturday at the historic H.H. Biddle House with maritime music played by the Brass Ensemble of the Staten Island Philharmonic Orchestra. This wonderful…

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