Long Islanders Create New Memories at The Savoy Night Club on New Years Eve in The Hilton Hotel

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Huntington, NY – Long Islanders made the Hilton Hotel their choice for celebrating the New Year. There was a multiple parties to pick from, including The New Year’s Eve bash at the Grand Ballroom–which featured a 5-course gourmet dinner, open bar, live band, and an overnight stay in a Deluxe Guest Room–and The Savory Club New Year’s Eve bash–which included dancing to a live DJ performance, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres served by white gloves on elegant silver platters, and an open bar with premium liquors.

I enjoyed the evening and was happy to chat with the staff including Director of Sales and Marketing Dorothy Roberts and Sales Manager Gino Veneroso who invited me to the elegant gala.

Before the evening got underway I sat down with the Director of Sales and Marketing, Dorothy Roberts, who explained the details of the evening’s agenda.

Cognac: Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and we are here at the Savoy night Club; it’s New Year’s Eve and I am here with Dorothy Roberts, Director of Sales and Marketing. This is a fabulous evening tonight. It’s a very special evening. Tell my audience what we can expect tonight here at the Savoy.

Dorothy: Well we are very excited because it is a special night for us. We decided to bring back the Savoy Night Club for one night only–New Years Eve–so for us this is kind of like a once in a lifetime thing for everybody that works here and everybody that lives in this area that can come here tonight. We are also thinking about doing something in the future if this goes well tonight. We would like to bring it back from time to time.

I would love that.

Dorothy: Well when I just started working here I heard so many people talk about the Long Island Exchange that used to be the nightclub. I heard so many stories from people that really had great memories.

This is so weird because that’s the name of the online newspaper, LongIslandExchange.com, that I write for. That is so uncanny and so surreal that I would be doing this interview with you about a nightclub with the same name as the online newspaper that I write for.

Dorothy: Well, tonight we have a lot of different things planned. We have an open bar for five hours, we have white glove service for hors d’oeuvres, we are doing a balloon drop at 12:00 midnight, we have a big screen behind the DJ for the live telecast from Times Square. So tonight we really are all about the vibe and the feel of New Year’s Eve, and celebrating all together here. The Huntington Hilton has been around for a long time and there are so many people that came back tonight that haven’t been here for a while. They wanted to come back just because we opened the Savoy here tonight.

When was the hotel built?

Dorothy: I believe it was built back in the 80’s.

That’s what Meredith said, the Director of Human Resources.

Dorothy: It was built back in the 80’s and this used to be the club called the Long Island Exchange and I just read something yesterday that back in 1989 The New York Times wrote a lot of articles that it was the in place to be in the New York Metro area.

In all of the metropolitan area?

Dorothy: They said there used to be a thousand people here in one night and there used to be a line at the door that used to go all the way out to the parking lot.

This was in the 1980’s?

Dorothy: Yes around 1989.

Oh my God.

Dorothy: Yes and a lot of people remember this place from that time.

Well Let’s hope that we can bring back old memories and maybe create some new memories here on New Year’s Eve.

Dorothy: By popular demand we had so many people that called us today and said “We want to come down today and pay at the door.” We weren’t going to do that but we got so many calls so we said “Absolutely come on down we are open until 1:00 AM in the morning if you want to come down tonight you can pay at the door.”

What’s the website?

Dorothy: It’s HiltonLongIsland.com.

Cognac with Gino Veneroso and Dorothy Roberts.

The Hilton Long Island Huntington is the ideal hotel centrally located on Long Island, New York for business, groups, weekend getaways, family and leisure travel. This newly renovated Hilton hotel offers 305 deluxe guest rooms with all the amenities of a full service hotel. Spacious guest rooms feature plush bedding, coffee makers, refrigerators, in-room safes, and flat screen TV’s.

Some of the amenities include:

  • 305 Deluxe Guest Rooms
  • Digital Check In
  • Hilton Honors
  • Outdoor Seating with Fire Pit
  • Basil’s Cafe & Lobby Bar
  • Complimentary Parking
  • Materson’s Steak House
  • Starbucks
  • Avis Rental Car
  • Fitness Center
  • Indoor Heated Pool with Hot Tub
  • Outdoor Pool
  • Tennis Courts
  • Volleyball Court
  • Walking Path
  • Concierge Lounge
  • 24 Hour Room Service

The Hilton Long Island Huntington is an upscale hotel and is perfect for hosting events or meetings with their 26,000 sq. ft. of banquet space. The hotel can accommodate up to 1,200 guests in their Grand Ballroom, and has over 20 rooms to use for banquets, meetings, events, conventions, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, sweet sixteens and political events.

Their expert planning professionals and 26,000 square feet of flexible function space ensures your occasion is simply unforgettable. The Hilton Long Island Huntington is truly the ideal destination among hotels on Long Island, whether it be for a family vacation, business meeting, or simply a weekend getaway, enjoy superior service and amenities at this Long Island hotel!

Cognac with Gino Veneroso.

The 12th Annual Christmas in Italy at the Skirball Performing Arts Center, Starring Cristina Fomtanelli

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New York, NY – It was a Merry Christmas Italian-style at the 12th Annual “Christmas In Italy” showcasing at the Skirball Center for Performing Arts in Greenwich Village in New York City on December 19, 2015.

Audiences started new traditions and created lovely family memories as they were transported to La Bella Italia! All that attended enjoyed the strains of the mandolins, the beautiful Children singing (the Little Language Studio of Brooklyn) and dancing (Dance Electra of Staten Island), plus the Richmond Choral Society of Staten Island with the Arcadian Chorale of NJ performing during this special concert. Opera Star Cristina Fonantelli and her wonderful PBS-TV co-hosts, Denise Richardson and Jim Masters, were happily joined together on this Vocal Journey through Italy’s best-loved songs and the World’s best-loved Christmas classics.

After the concert I sat down with Cristina as she explained the history of “Christmas in Italy.”

Cognac: Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and we are here at the Skirball Center. It’s “Christmas In Italy” and I am here with Opera Star Cristina Fomtanelli. Cristina this was such a spectacular event.

Cristina: Thank you Cognac, should I say Gracia.

Graci…

Cristina: It’s “Christmas In Italy.”

Yes.

Cristina: It’s twelve years.

Twelve years. I was just about to ask you. This was established twelve years ago. Can you tell my audience a little about the story–how it happened?

Cristina: Sure, I would be happy to. I had a vision for “Christmas In Italy” because I sang at an event where there was a New York Times reporter and I thought I was famous. I sang “Torna a Surriento.” (serenading) So I thought it was a famous song until the Times reporter came up to me and said “What is that? It’s beautiful… what is that?” I had to explain to him that it is a Neapolitan Folk song and he wrote about it in the New York Times the next day and I had this idea. I said “We can’t lose these beautiful songs…”

Christmas in Italy: Cognac and Cristina

That’s a pretty old song. How old is that song? Do you know the origin of that song? Do you know how old that song is?

Cristina: Turn of the century around the 1890’s or something like that. I decided… a light bulb went off I said, “You know I am going to have a concert, a show once a year—what better time but Christmas? Because it should be for families so that older generations can pass the music down… can pass the joy down.” So that’s what I did. I started it twelve years ago and as you can see today we have lights and sets…

It was so beautiful. It was just the most beautiful thing. It reminded me of “White Christmas” you know when Bing Crosby sings at the end of the movie. You remember with all the ballerinas and the children and the Christmas Tree…everybody is in red. It was just so gorgeous!

Cristina: Well, thank you. You know it’s really old fashioned. To me “Christmas In Italy” is going back in time. It’s like a time capsule of when families were happy and joyful with each other and felt safe with each other and all the relatives came over that is the thing that I want to keep.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was such a beautiful concert. Can you tell my audience how many songs you sang throughout the evening?

Cristina: Oh I don’t count, but it is a a marathon.

Was it something like twenty songs?

Cristina: Something like that. We also had kids dancing, Weren’t they great?

They were terrific. The kids dancing, singing… it was just a beautiful, absolutely adorable show.

Cristina: And Santa Claus…

Of course Santa Claus at the end. Tell my audience, Cristina you work on so many wonderful things. What is next for you? What can we expect in the new year 2016?

Cristina: Well you know this show twelve years later is really headed for some big things. I have been pointing it towards television and it looks like it is definitely going there—major television—I can’t say where exactly. Also in the Spring I am going to do The Great International Song Book at Baruch College in New York, and I sing in eight languages so that is not only going to be Italian songs so to speak, but the songs of the world. I go down to Florida in January with orchestras—every year brings new and wonderful thing you know. So let’s see what happens in 2016,

I can’t wait darling, I can’t wait. I want you to tell my audience where we can go to find information. What is the website?

Cristina: It’s an Italian name, ladies and gentleman, CristinaFontanelli.com I took the “h” out of “Cristina” and “Fontanelli” means “little fountains” in Italian.

Christmas in Italy PBS Emcee, Jim Masters.

Cristina has become a well-known personality through her recordings, her appearances on TV, radio, in concert, nightclubs, opera and through her acting debut on network television. She has appeared as PBS-TV/NY affiliates host for Andrea Bocelli’s Live From Central Park, also starring Celine Dion and Tony Bennett; for the Il Volo Takes Flight special; Vienna Boys Choir and Qi Gong PBS-TV Specials. In November of 2014 Cristina was chosen by the Italian government as a world-wide representative of the Puglia region to sing in Bari, Italy. She is the “Voice of Domino’s Pizza” on their national radio commercial, the voice of “Nonna” on PBS-TV Chef Lidia Bastianich’s Christmas special (in over 300 PBS outlets across the U.S.) and has appeared on CBS Weekend NY in interview/performance/co-hosting roles for the past 2 years. Cristina’s beautiful soprano voice has taken her to the White House as part of President Clinton’s holiday celebration and Cristina was invited to open the ceremonies at the Stars and Stripes Inaugural Ball for President George W. Bush. This following her “Lifetime Achievement Award in the Arts” from the Order Sons of Italy in America (previous honorees include Luciano Pavarotti).

She has appeared with many famous recording artists and big talents including Tony Bennett and Joel Grey. Ms. Fontanelli is a guest artist with many prestigious orchestras including the Boston Pops and the St. Louis Symphony performing in major concert halls throughout the U.S. and the world, including the Lincoln and Kennedy Centers and major concert halls throughout the Far East and Canada.

 

Beth Stern Hosts Friends for “Bash for the Bulldogs” Charity Event; Benefits Bulldogs in Need of Homes

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New York, NY – Animal advocates, supporters, and press attended a holiday bash with Beth Stern & Friends for “Bash for the Bulldogs!” on December 14, 2015 at Rosenthal Pavilion, New York University Kimmel Center.

It was a fun evening to help raise much-needed funds for LIBR, including drinks, hors d’oeuvres, an Italian dinner buffet, coffee, dessert, and music. Supporters participated in a silent auction and raffle as well as meeting and mingling with friends and to find unique items for holiday gift giving.

Award Winning Journalist and Best-Selling Author Jill Rappaport with Cognac.

More importantly the event was to bring awareness and to save lives of bulldogs in urgent need of finding their forever family! I was happy to chat with the Founder, Laurette Richin.

Cognac Wellerlane interviews Laurette Richin, Founder of LIBR, Beth Stern, Animal Advocate, Actress and Wife of Radio Legend Howard Stern; Award Winning Journalist and Best-Selling Author Jill Rappaport at the Bash for the Bulldogs to benefit the Long Island Bulldog Rescue Foundation.

Cognac: Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here with the founder of the Long Island Bulldog Rescue Foundation, and she is going to introduce herself and tell us what this event is really all about.

Laurette: OK, I am Laurette Richin and I started Long Island Bulldog Rescue sixteen years ago when there were just very few bulldogs available and I did see that there was a need for rescue. At that time we had thirteen bulldogs. Last year we had three hundred and eighty-six bulldogs.

That’s a lot.

Laurette: It is a lot because they have become very popular… too popular, and people buy them and have no idea how to care for them. These dogs cannot be bred casually so you must not buy them from a puppy store or the internet or another place except from a good breeder and you are going to have to wait for a puppy.

You really should always buy a dog from a breeder anyway.

Laurette: If you don’t rescue a bulldog then you should… well if you want to buy a puppy because there is a place in the world where people want puppies but they have to go to a good breeder, or and of course rescue because there is always a need… because even when there are few bulldogs things happen in their lives. They die, they go into nursing homes, they get transferred overseas, they go to war. There is always something, so you come to us for help.

You are very passionate about this. The whole idea of creating this foundation was really based on the fact that there are so few bulldogs around when you first started it?

Laurette: Well that’s true but what happened is I got a bulldog puppy.

I see now we are getting to the real story.

Laurette: The real story is I traded my ex-husband for a bulldog, but anyway that’s a whole other story.

That’s funny.

Laurette: After that I became involved with the Long Island Bulldog Club and I realized I did not have the temperament to breed them, but I wanted to do something for the breed… there were few comparatively but they still need rescuing and that’s how I started. Now it’s Long Island Bulldog Rescue covering nine states.

My God that’s amazing. Not just that but you have Beth Stern on your side.

Laurette: She’s wonderful and she is a board member. She has been with us for quite a while and she is a wonderful person.

She certainly is I know her from the Hamptons. She is lovely.

Laurette: She’s the real deal.

Doesn’t she own bulldogs?

Laurette: Howard and her—that’s how I met her. They got a bulldog from someone I know.

Also I believe Ice-T and Coco have a bulldog too.

Laurette: Yes they do and they usually come to this event but since she gave birth about two weeks ago…

Yes, she gave birth.

Laurette: Next year the three of them will be here and the dogs.

And the dogs… well that’s wonderful. I am so happy to hear that your foundation has become a great success in all these states—not just Long Island where I am from and where you are from—but the reach now has expanded and it’s becoming larger and larger. That is so wonderful that we are bringing awareness. I would love for you to tell me where we can go for more information about the Long Island Bulldog Rescue Foundation. What is the website?

Laurette: The website is LongIslandBulldogRescue.org and you can leave us a message. We also need foster homes. Foster homes are very important, especially in Long Island

Bash for the Bulldogs Laurette Richen.

During the event I also spoke to animal advocate, actress, and wife of Radio Legend Howard Stern, Beth Stern. Beth revealed her dedication to this very important dog rescue organization.

Cognac: Tell my audience why you are such a big supporter of the bulldogs.

Beth: Oh my gosh when my husband and I had a bulldog for nine years she was the love of our lives… people so often go out and buy a bulldog without really knowing what they are in for, and I mean that in the most beautiful way, but people really have to research the breed and know that they come with a lot of health issues. They are very high maintenance. They are a very specific breed and I just want people to know and understand the breed before they go out and get one. Sadly so many go back to rescue and Laurette and her team work so hard to find families that match perfectly with the right bulldog but they really are a breed that people really need to understand before they bring them into their lives and I hope on some level that I am able to parlay that to people.

Beth Stern and Cognac.

Long Island Bulldog Rescue Foundation’s mission is to provide education, prevention, intervention, and adoption services to ensure that all English Bulldogs enjoy long, healthy lives in loving, safe, appropriate homes where they are provided the life-long care they require. LIBR is committed to each English Bulldog and adopters they serve for the life of the dog. In the event that an adoption is unsuccessful, the dog is to be returned to the LIBR.

LIBR not only spays, neuters and gives vaccines, they give each dog whatever is needed for a great new life in a LIBR 4EvrFamily. They provide expert medical care, behavioral support and guidance to ensure each rescue has every chance to be a happy, healthy member of the best LIBR 4EvrFamily .

LIBR responds 24/7/365, even during Holiday Abandonment Seasons when people abandon their puppies and sick or injured dogs to attend parties, go on vacation, etc. Abandoned as impulsively as they were purchased, or surrendered by heartbroken families in crisis, they face imminent death or a shortened life of inadequate care, chronic illness, injury, conduct problems and loneliness. As long-time members of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, and in Laurette Richin’s role as the Regional Coordinator of Bulldog Club of America Rescue Network, LIBR is the leading resource for bulldog rescue in Northeastern America.

Reality Star Dorinda Medley, Owner John Mahdessian of Madame Paulette Host Special Unveiling of Malan Breton’s Preview Spring 2016 Collection

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New York, NY – Luxury fashion designer Malan Breton proudly unveiled his never before seen couture collection in the windows of Upper East Side Dry Cleaner, Madame Paulette on December 8th, 2015. His display will be shown until February 15, 2016. The collection will range in price from $30,000 to $100,000 and will showcase six different themes: Cinema and Paris, a special partnership with Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Music, Dorinda Medley (star of The Real Housewives of New York City), “Allegiance” the musical (images of the Broadway stars wearing Malan’s collection were recently featured in Vanity Fair), and a Men’s Story. The Real Housewives of New York also filmed the evening which was hosted by Dorinda Medley.

Patented anti-counterfeiting technology, Integrity Systems was featured in all windows. Jimmy Crystal using Swarovski elements was also featured in the Cinema and Paris, a special partnership with Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Dorinda Medley and the Men’s Story windows. Of the unveiling, Malan states, “I’m thrilled to display my new collection in the windows of the legendary Madame Paulette, an establishment which has been the pinnacle of New York City luxury for over 55 years.”

A window display at Madame Paulette.

A special, invite-only cocktail reception was arranged for December 8th and 9th starting at 6pm, where Malan Breton and owner of Madame Paulette, John Mahdessian discussed the inspiration behind the collection and the passion for preserving fashion history, respectively.


During my interview with Owner John Mahdessian, he discussed the reason behind the event and why Madame Paulette is the best cleaners for couture fashions and interior design high end upholstery.

John Mahdessian with Cognac Wellerlane.

Cognac: Welcome back darlings I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here with the Owner John himself who is hosting the event with Dorinda. Tell my audience about this event.

John: As you know we have been in the fashion business preserving, restoring and maintaining fashion collections for many years now—for fixty-six years. Collections from the late 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and we have been supporting designers throughout the course of our years in business and with that said Malan Breton is a very special person. He is not only a dear friend but he is also a very special designer that I am so happy to support on this very special occasion.

Well I am thrilled to be here and as you know I consider him a good friend of mine, I absolutely adore him. I have been covering him and his events since he started from Project Runway.

John: Then it is self explanatory. It’s an honor and a pleasure. He does the most amazing work. I am sure you saw the windows.

How many pieces are being shown from the collection in the windows outside?

John: There are approximately seven or eight couture garments that range anywhere from $35,000 to over $100,000.

And of course you do everything from couture fashions to high end upholstery.

John: Yes, I do drapes, rugs and anything that’s of value whether its intrinsic value or monetary value. I maintain and preserve the integrity of people’s personal possessions.

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

John: MadamePaulette.com

Malan Breton with Cognac.

After the unveiling I spoke to Designer Malan Breton about this special event and what it meant to him.

Cognac: Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here with Malan Breton. Malan, darling tell my audience about the collection. I understand that it’s a preempt to your collection for fashion week.

Malan: It is a preview to fashion week actually. We are getting ready for a couple of really big events in America and in London. We were just featured in British Vogue which actually came out today. We are getting ready to not only for New York Fashion Week but also for London Fashion Week.

That is so exciting.

Malan: Yes, I am so excited

You did study in London didn’t you?

Malan: I worked with Turnbull & Asser in London and had the opportunity to work with amazing people like Paul Cuss. I did all the Bonds—all the James Bonds—when Katherine wanted to have her wedding gown designed she considered me for that as well. There are seven pieces being show today. It’s just a preview to entice people.

Just to entice people for fashion week… I love it. Tell my audience where we can go to find out more information about you and the collection.

Malan: MalanBreton.com

Madame Paulette 2 A window display at Madame Paulette.

Designer Malan Breton is a New York-based womenswear, menswear, bridal, and accessories designer. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Breton has been designing since the age of 11 and is known for his signature detailing and fabrics. Malan Breton is noticed as one of the top three hundred luxury brands in the world and received the Taiwan Tourism Award, an honor given by the President and Government of Taiwan in 2015. The same year, Malan Breton – A Journey to Taiwan won Best Documentary Short at the 2015 NYIFF. Malan also starred in, wrote, sang in and directed the documentary. He is the winner of the 2014 European Fashion Council “Eirene” Fashion Award, the 2014 Fashion Icon of the Year award from UCOF, and was nominated for a 2011 WGSN Global Fashion Award.

He is known for designing the look of NBC’s number one rated game show Minute to Win It. Breton has also lent his expertise in the industry to OK! Magazine, Cosmetic Executive Women, Australia’s Next Top Model, The Today Show, Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt, Princeton University, Dallas Morning News, Bravo TV, MTV’s Music Awards, Project Runway, CBS News and countless other press, media, and educational outlets. Malan Breton has been featured in thousands of media outlets around the world, including being featured on the hit AMC show Breaking Bad. He has also been featured on his own Bravo show The Malan Show.

Left to right: John Mahdessian, Dorinda Medley, & Malan Breton.

Malan Breton has dressed celebrities like Ariana Grande, Keith Carradine, Scarlett Johansson, Kerry Washington, George Takei, Michael Buble, Martha Plimpton, Frankie Grande, Minnie Driver, Kylie Minogue, Lea Salonga, Ricki Lake, Daniel Craig, Katrina Bowden, Desmond Child, Sam Witwer, Omar Sharif, Telly Leung, Paul Wesley, and Nolan Gerard-Funk, to name a few. Malan Breton has noted mentions on the Oscar, Grammy, Cannes, Golden Horse, Met Gala 2015, and numerous other A-list red carpets around the world, also dressing 2013 TONY award winner Jerry Mitchell on his winning night, and 2014 TONY Award winner for “Best Musical” Bryce Pinkham. He was also considered to dress HRH Katherine Middleton for the Royal Wedding.

Quogue Residents Participate In Special Holiday House Tour, Cocktail Reception, December 12, 2015

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Quogue, NY – It was a happy holiday event as guests and Quogue residents participated in a special Holiday House Tour which included Quogue houses festively decorated for the holidays. The tour was followed in the evening by a cocktail reception from 6 to 8pm, at one of the residences on December 12, 2015.

I was happy to speak to Benefit Co-chairs Melissa Cook and Maureen Leness about the Holiday House Tour Event and the history of Quogue.

Cognac Wellerlane interviews Melissa Cook, Maureen Leness and Quogue Historical Society President, Chester Murray at the Quogue Historical House Tour Cocktail Reception on December 12, 2015.

Cognac: Welcome back darlings I am Cognac Wellerlane and we are here at the fabulous event tonight. It’s all about the Holiday House Tours that were presented by the Quogue Historical Society, and I am talking to the two co-chairs that coordinated this event for the Quogue Historical Society, Melissa and Maureen. They are going to talk about how spectacular this event really is and this beautiful cocktail party at this wonderful home. Introduce yourselves ladies.

Melissa: I am Melissa Cook.

Maureen: And I am Maureen Leness.

Melissa: We are both board members as well as co-chairs of the house tour.

Cognac Wellerlane chatting with Melissa Cook and Maureen Leness.

Explain to my audience what this event is about, the Holiday House Tours, how many houses were involved and how you picked each house to be in the house tour?

Melissa: We have five houses and one of the houses is the venue for the cocktail party.

Which I might add I think is my favorite house. Right now I think Bing Crosby is going to be singing right at that piano.

Maureen: It is an early 1900’s….It was a farmhouse. I am sure Jeff told you about everything. They have restored it and it’s absolutely fabulous. This is the fourth house tour that Melissa and I have co-chaired, if you can believe it. She reminded me this week that it is our fourth and we have five houses and a cocktail party and everybody really loves it.

Melissa: It has been great. In fact the first two were back to back. We did it one year and then we skipped a year and people asked us why we weren’t doing the house tour. So we do it every other year now. It just takes a lot of time and effort.

I can imagine. What determines to have a house on a tour like this? How do you pick a house? Because there are so many beautiful houses here in Quogue.

Maureen: They have to be a unique property and look beautifully decorated.

Melissa: Also, It has to be available. This is somewhat of a seasonal community so some of the houses may not be available for the holiday season. The owners go away or they don’t open up their houses in the winter time. Some of it is just luck. Some of it is just a board member talking to somebody and somebody talking to them. We already have three houses lined up for two years from now.

Oh my goodness.

Melissa: Once people start realizing how wonderful it is they want to be involved.

There is a house that my Husband and I saw, I forget what road it was on I think it was Quogue Road…

Maureen: Quogue Street

Melissa: Quogue Street

There is a big spectacular Victorian home. That house looks amazing.

Maureen: There are a lot of those houses and interestingly enough we are just about ready to create a historical district in Quogue. A lot of those houses will be part of the historic district. We are spread out a little bit. Quogue goes back to 1659.

About four hundred years old.

Melissa: Almost four hundred years old. People that owned cattle use to bring their cattle over from Southampton and bring it to Quogue because we have these great salt marshes here and that is why we have such a wide avenue of Quogue Street, because it had to take care of these huge herds of animals… so it has an interesting history.

What made you decide to live in this community? Were you born here? When did you take residency here?

Melissa: 2002, We are newcomers. We are very much newcomers here. There are people in the community who go back generations.

Maureen: My husband’s family goes back generations. His family came in the early 1940’s and so that’s the reason why we are in Quogue. Getting back to the house tour what I find so fabulous is how involved the homeowners get, how enthusiastic and cooperative they are. I mean when you see what these people did here it’s amazing.

This by far is probably…between this and the Tudor house this is like my favorite house. It’s just so beautiful.

Maureen: Did you take pictures?

Yes, I did. I took many pictures and I will continue when the party gets underway. I will take some more pictures of people celebrating the holiday season. I am very happy to be here at this event for the Quogue Historical Society and to promote it. I want people in Long Island to know how special each village is and each history of each village….that is so important. Don’t you agree?

Melissa: Yes I do and another thing that is interesting about our house tour is it was instantaneously a new tradition. People look forward to it and it is going to continue on. We have lots of houses. Some of the houses are not necessarily historic but they are as Maureen said “Interesting in their own way.” I think a lot of that is what the homeowners have done to their houses. They start out one way…there is an addition…then there is another addition and they just keep growing in this organic way until you have a very unique building.

And we want to preserve that. It is so important

Melissa: We absolutely want to preserve that. One of the things the Society likes to talk about is instead of tearing down an old house work with that house. You can bring the inside up to the 21st century in terms of your kitchens…

You are right but make sure you keep the integrity of the house.

Melissa: We are very committed to trying to educate the community about doing that.

You are doing a marvelous job ladies and I am really happy to be here and I think this house is just spectacular.

Maureen: We are happy for you to have the opportunity to see it too.

Cognac with Quogue Historical Society President, Chester Murray.

During the end of the interview Co-chair Melissa Cook stated, “This historic district has taken a lot of time and effort and it is one of our biggest accomplishments. It is not exactly signed on the dotted line but the state has. We are giving it a couple more months. I think there is about a hundred houses in it. That I think is something that is a real achievement for the Historical Society. About five years ago we were able to open up what is called the Pond House that you visited today. It is an old building where we have a place to put our collections and we opened up the lower level last summer. We have a lot of artifacts and we want to keep rotating them so people can see them. This building has been fantastic for us. The Quogue Historical Society was founded back in 1947 as part of the Quogue Library. We have started to do a lot more charity events then we use to do. We are making a lot more efforts to expand our reach in the community.”

The Society believes that the preservation and enhancement of Quogue’s historic resources are central to maintaining the unique character and gracious charm of the Village.

The Society is committed to furthering this preservation ethic through such efforts as educational outreach; documentation of Quogue’s 18th, 19th, and early 20th century buildings and sites; and the recognition of historic structures that reflect Quogue’s rare and precious architectural past.

The majority of the Society’s total annual operating budget comes from Member donations.

Your contribution directly supports educational programs, collections care and research, and our work to further historic preservation. It’s really true, they couldn’t do it without you.

To learn more about how you can support, participate, and contribute please visit the Quogue Historical Society.

Stars from Around Globe Attend 43rd International Emmy Awards Gala at Hilton Hotel, Manhattan

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NEW YORK, NY – Over one thousand international television professionals and TV Stars from around the globe attended the 43rd International Emmy Awards Gala on Monday November 23, 2015 at the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan. The star studded event was hosted by Egyptian Comedian Bassem Youssef who came all the way from Dubai in the Middle East.

Two Special Awards and 10 Emmy statues were presented by the International Academy during the evening. French programs led the night with 3 Emmys in the Arts Programming, Drama Series and TV Movie/Mini-Series categories followed by Brazilian programs with 2 Emmys in the Comedy and Telenovela categories.

Performances from Norway (Best Performance by an Actress), the Netherlands (Best Performance by an Actor) and programs from South Africa (Documentary), the United Kingdom (Non-Scripted Entertainment) and the United States (Non-English US Primetime Program) received an Emmy.

Academy Award winning Actor and Producer Michael Douglas presented the International Emmy Directorate Award to Richard Plepler, Chairman & CEO of HBO.

AMC-Walking-Dead-Star-Micha AMC Walking Dead Star Michael Cudlitz and Entertainment Journalist Cognac Wellerlane pose for a photo-op at the International Emmy Awards.

Richard Plepler is Chairman and CEO of HBO Inc. and is responsible for the overall management of the world’s most successful pay TV service, which provides the two television networks – HBO and Cinemax – to over 122 million subscribers worldwide. He was named to this position in January 2013. Renowned worldwide, the HBO and Cinemax services offer the most popular subscription video-on-demand products, HBO On Demand and Cinemax On Demand as well as HBO GO and MAX GO, HD feeds and multiplex channels. In April 2015, HBO NOWSM, the network’s highly anticipated standalone premium streaming service began providing audiences with instant access to HBO’s acclaimed programming in the U.S. Internationally, HBO branded television networks, along with the subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand and HBO GO, bring HBO services to over 60 countries.

HBO programming is sold into over 150 countries globally. Under his leadership, HBO’s original productions continue to raise the bar with some of the most innovative, honored and critically respected programming on television including two of HBO’s newest shows, the comedy Silicon Valley and the topical talk show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. True Detective, which debuted in early 2014, became the most-watched freshman series in HBO’s history. Now In its fourth season, Game of Thrones is a global juggernaut, watched by nearly 18 million viewers per episode in the U.S. alone. As co-president from 2007 to 2012, Plepler, in partnership with Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming, greenlit some of HBO’s most acclaimed and successful series including True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, The Newsroom and Game of Thrones, which rank among the top programs in the network’s history, as well as first season Emmy Awards for Girls and Veep. Additional award-winning programs included the miniseries Mildred Pierce, starring Kate Winslet, and The Pacific; HBO Films’ Behind the Candelabra, Too Big to Fail, and Game Change. Plepler and Lombardo also shepherded Cinemax’s first foray into primetime originals with the popular action series Strike Back. Plepler is a member of both the Council on Foreign Relations, where he serves on the President’s Advisory Board, and The Trilateral Commission. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Asia Society and the New York Public Library, and is on the National Advisory Board of the W.E.B. DuBois.

Richard-Plepler-Chairman-an Richard Plepler Chairman and CEO of HBO Receives the Directorate Award.

After Mr. Plepler received the International Emmy Directorate Award he spoke to me about it’s significance.

My Long Island viewers would like to know what this award means to you.

Richard Pleper: This is a proud award for HBO so this company has done such extraordinary work over the last couple of decades,,,really I think in the last seven and eight years. we are just beginning to hit our stride doing some of our best creative work across so many jhanras so this is an award that I accepted from the stage for our team. Our team is the NVP. It’s not about me it’s about our team and I am just privileged to be the CEO of auch an extraordinary company.

Well congratulations you well deserve this award.

Richard Pleper: Thank you very much

Academy Award and Emmy nominated actress Elizabeth McGovern who currently stars as Lady Cora in Downton Abbey and the show’s Emmy and BAFTA Award winning Executive Producer Gareth Neame presented the International Emmy Founders Award to Academy Award & Emmy Award Winner Julian Fellowes, Creator, Writer and Executive Producer of Downton Abbey.

TV stars and Actors Michael Cudlitz and Tovah Feldshuh from the AMC Network Show “Walking Dead” presented the Best in the Drama Category.

Walking-Dead-Star-Tovah-FelWalking Dead Star Tovah Feldshuh and Cognac Wellerlane at the 43rd International Emmy Awards Gala on Monday November 23, 2015.

The 10 International Emmy Award Winning programs and performances are: Illustre & Inconnu: Comment Jacques Jaujard a Sauvé le Louvre (The Man Who Saved the Louvre) (Arts Programming), Maarten Heijmans (Best Performance by an Actor), Anneke von der Lippe (Best Performance by an Actress), Doce de Māe (Sweet Mother (Comedy), Miners Shot Down (Documentary), Spiral Season 5 (Engrenages) (Drama Series), Arrepentidos-El Infierno de Montoya (Non-English Language US Primetime Program), 50 Ways to Kill Your Mammy (Non-Scripted Entertainment), Império (Empire) (Telenovela), and Soldat Blanc (White Soldier) (TV Movie/Mini-Series).Complete winners information follows this release.

Bruce-Paisner,-Honoree-CEO- Bruce Paisner, Honoree CEO of HBO Richard Plepler and Michael Douglas pose for a photo-op at the 43rd International Emmy Awards.

“Television is a universal art form that transcends cultures, languages and borders,” said International Academy President Bruce L. Paisner. “In light of recent terrible events, the International Academy is particularly proud to congratulate all of the winners- among which 3 from France- for shining a global spotlight on their cultural heritage with the Emmy.”

For a list of this years winners please visit www.iemmys.tv

Third Annual Creative Empowerment Scholarship and Fundraising Gala at The Club House at Merrick Golf Club

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LONG ISLAND, NY – Honorees, members and supported joined together at The Club House at Merrick Golf Club for the Third Annual Creative Empowerment, Inc. Scholarship and Fundraising Gala to benefit Creative Empowerment. Inc.

Your Time For Creative Empowerment, Inc. is your contribution towards a much needed solution to the challenges of life and pitfalls of the 21st century. Creative Empowerment Inc. believes that the task at hand calls for solutions that are not ordinarily thought of as viable and effective by others outside the area of the arts.

Honoree-Gail-KingHonoree-Gail-King with Cognac Wellerlane at the The Club House at Merrick Golf Club for the Third Annual Creative Empowerment, Inc. Scholarship and Fundraising Gala to benefit Creative Empowerment. Inc.

As artists, they are forever taking on challenges as they create something out of nothing, as they seize upon opportunities to create the tangible and aesthetic which even though not, preconceived, takes its rightful place in this world. Creative Empowerment neither entertains nor tolerates the term ‘obstacle’ in their lexicon of life.

Creative Empowerment believes in and values the idea of working collaboratively with teaching artists and other professionals and experts to provide arts-centered solutions to life’s problems. They believe that assisting youth and parents in practicing creative ways of identifying, developing, and creating self-help solutions to relevant issues that affect them will result in improvement in the areas of personal development, multicultural and social acceptance/tolerance.

Before the event got underway I was happy to talk to the organizations founder, Ms. Madona Cole-Lacy.

Hello darlings, welcome back I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here at the Creative Empowerment, Inc. Scholarship and Fundraising Gala and I am here with the coordinator of tonight’s event Ms. Madona Cole Lacy. Madona tell my audience about this event tonight. What is it really all about?

Madona: Actually this event is being held for Creative Empowerment which is an organization that caters to Long Island youth and family. We use arts, fashion and culture as a way to empower our youth. That is what we are all about. Tonight we have our yearly and only one fundraising event which is to embrace all those who have been helping us over the years. Everyone of our honorees have had something to do with creating Creative Empowerment.

How many honorees are here tonight?

Madona: We have fourteen honorees here tonight.

My Goodness

Madona: It seems like a whole lot of people but it was very easy thing to do because every now and then we need to say “Thank you,” to those who do what they can for youth. I feel so happy tonight because I look at the list of honorees and I have a story to tell about each of them and they all serve their own way and like I say again we need to say “Thank you,” in a grand way

How long has this organization been established?

Madona: This is the third year

The third year…so this organization has been around for three years.

Madona: Three years and the concept has been around for much longer because I use to divide services to my non profit organization called “My Time Has Come.” I would do all kinds of programs and get the community involved. It was a natural thing for me to go on and do a dedicated organization to serve the youth.

You work very hard a this. Why did you start this?

Madona: Well I tell you the truth is when My son was entering his Junior year at Hofstra University at the time his sister was entering Wellesley College and I said that I have done all that I could for this child to give her a foundation so that when she leaves her home and goes to college she will be able to adapt and I am here for her if she needs any help so I decided there other parents who may not have the know how, who may not have the means, who are just not connected in that way with their children….why don’t I just do something.

You made it easy for them.

Madona: Yes, I made it easy for them and my husband happens to be a psycho therapist.

He is very handsome.

Madona: Thank you so much. I consulted with him to see how viable this could be. So we decided to use mental health strategies and a lot of different strategies to work with our youth and we put creative arts into it too. Everybody has something that empowers them. Some tool that they can use to empower themselves and all we really do is awaken that.

MadonaMadona Cole-Lacy with Cognac Wellerlane at the The Club House at Merrick Golf Club for the Third Annual Creative Empowerment, Inc. Scholarship and Fundraising Gala to benefit Creative Empowerment. Inc.

Visual Artist, Mrs. Cole-Lacy is passionate about creating custom art that particularly addresses the needs of others. With over 30 years of experience as a designer of wearable art and custom home accessories, Madona Cole-Lacy focuses on creating one-of-a kind garments and accessories. She is also passionate about creating wearable art for people who are not able to easily find solutions to meet their aesthetic, special and medical needs. Madona Cole Originals, functional and fashionable, Dignity Headwear for women and girls experiencing hair loss is the vehicle through which she does this. More information can be found at www.madonacoleoriginals.com

As an Educator and a Long Island Teaching Artist, Mrs. Cole-Lacy is passionate about the teaching and learning process. This speaks to her desire to maximize the potential of all children, adolescents and youth for success within the social, educational and cultural sphere. Her professional experience as a New York City Public School teacher and facilitator of art-related workshops for students and teachers; which combine art, fashion, the awareness of cultural diversity and personal development; illustrates this well www.mytimehascome.org

Madona Cole-Lacy is a motivator whose engagement in community service initiatives; such as workshops for college-bound students, workshop for seniors citizens, community-wide creative conversation and artistic expressions; triggered what she refers to as a ‘Eureka Moment’. This led her to create a tool that would encompass her professional skills and the lessons learned from her experience as a mother, an adult care-giver to parents in their nineties, and a one-time divorcee and single mother.

For more information please visit http://www.yourtime4liny.org

Art Exhibit and Documentary Screening of Artist George Schulman at Beth Sholom in Roslyn, New York

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LONG ISLAND, NY – Art experts and special guests came to a very special screening of a film documentary about Artist George Schulman on November 17, 2015. Presently over 80 paintings of Mr. George Schulman’s work are being exhibited at the Judaica Museum in the Temple Beth Sholom complex.

The exhibit is curated by Bat-Shiva Slavin at 401 Roslyn Road in Roslyn Heights, NY and will run until November 27, 2015 and represents what Schulman calls “Mapping,” the style that took him decades to achieve.


Before the event I sat down with Curator Bat Shaba Slavin.

Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here at Beth Sholom. This wonderful art museum….It’s a gallery…it’s a temple and I am here with the art curator and she is going to introduce herself to the camera.

Bat-Shaba: Good evening everyone I am Bat-Shaba Slavin and I have been curating the museum for over twenty-five years.

That long. Wow…and it has been a museum for how many years?

Bat-Shaba: For some forty years.

Tell my audience why you love art so much.

Bat-Shaba: Art is the expression of beautifying what we have. When you have a story to tell you can put it on a canvas. When you have something to leave, you leave your history and I love all of it.

You love every single thing about it….from the artist’s vision to his expression to the canvas and also to the sculptures that you see everyday in this museum. Tell my audience about this particular event this evening that we are all viewing. Explain it to my audience.

Bat-Shaba: This is an expression of art on canvas by Mr. George Schulman. He layers and maps his art on large canvases mostly. We have sculptures as well by Larry Schloss. He is a fine sculptor who uses wood and stone and together it really breaks you heart to see how much work goes into it.

I know I took pictures and video of everything. I was really compelled and inspired and overwhelmed by everything that I did see right here at the museum. It’s really quite spectacular what these two gentlemen have done, what they have created. I am sure that is the reason why you chose them to be part this exhibit. Tell my audience how you found George Shulman?

Bat-Shaba: Through other artists in the community. When I search for a fine artist I go through the community. We exhibit for times a year. We use objects from our collections. We use artists from Israel, from Europe and from the rest of the country.

So all over the world really…not just in the United Sates, all over the world?

Bat-Shaba: Yes, not just from Long Island.

How many pieces are we viewing today?

Bat-Shaba: More than eight paintings…

By George Schulman.

Bat-Shaba: By George Schulman and twenty sculptures by Larry Schloss.

Interesting, fascinating and we are also going to get to see a film, am I right about that?

Bat-Shaba: Yes, the film tells the story about George Schulman’s work. How he came to be…who he is today.

That’s terrific. I am so excited to be here and to interview you and to learn more about this wonderful museum. We should all come and view and I understand that these painting are also for sale.

Bat-Shaba: The are paintings are for sale. The sculptures are also for sale. They will be here until after Thanksgiving. Time is running short on this particular exhibit. Everyone is welcome

Tell my audiences the hours you are opened.

Bat-Shaba: The facility is opened Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. It is opened on Friday until 2:00 PM. It’s opened on Sundays from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

If we want to learn more information where can we go? What is the website?

Bat Shaba: www.bethsholom.com

Beth Sholom in Rosyln, New York is a warm and dynamic conservative, egalitarian congregation committed to exploring and expressing their Jewish identities through spiritual, educational, and social moments of communal connection. A house of prayer, a house of learning, and a house of community, Temple Beth Sholom nurtures personal development and social responsibility while promoting greater knowledge of their Jewish history and culture. For over sixty years, TBS has been caring for and engaging our congregants and community. Through their services, programs and activities they create sacred communal Jewish moments worthy of the Divine. Their team of clergy, educators and lay leaders are committed to making TBS a place where each and every member of their family can learn, grow, gather and celebrate together.

I also spoke to Artist George Shulman who conveyed his inspirations and enthusiasm in creating his art pieces and paintings.

Artist George Schulman and CognacArtist George Schulman and Cognac at Temple Beth Sholom, 401 Roslyn Road in Roslyn Heights, NY.

How many years did it take you put all this art together? To create all of this art?

George: I have painting since I am a child so in reality it took a lifetime to do what I now do and know. You initially take your life skills and your experiences as a person and they resonate in the studio and all that becomes part of the texture of your creative alphabet. It’s not only about the paintings but it’s about finding materials to use discovering your sense of color. What’s interesting to me is that the paintings are really about nature and about life. What occurs as you develop as an artist, you develop visual acuity and you are constantly working and seeing …using your hands and your body where it becomes a oneness with the process. It’s like a dance and a dancer becoming a performer. The key to the thing is to not only know yourself and be a risk taker but get out of your way and really enjoy the process. When the process is going right the work tells you what to do and you are just the facilitator of the process…and it becomes not only exciting but really exhilarating. What also occurs is that I am constantly trying to do and that is walk in a new direction that is unfamiliar to me.

Well that is your challenge.

Painting since the age of four, classically trained Schulman can paint in any style. Touted with an eye for color and form, yet not satisfied with his early success, Schulman pushed to find his own voice different from all the rest. A spiritual man with Jewish roots. Schulman is also a gifted historian and consummate storyteller. Schulman’s paintings and collages share his, and the Jewish Peoples’, drive to slay dragons. His use of white has been inspired by the light he saw, as well as his grandmother’s voice, telling him it was not his time before being revived from heart failure.

George Schulman WorksSchulman’s Works, being exhibited at the Judaica Museum in the Temple Beth Sholom until November 27, 2015, are colorful, kinetic and at times visually tense.

Using a Classical Grid to format his Works, Schulman looks for the dominant shape found in his favorite Master Artists’ Paintings. Schulman’s Works are colorful, kinetic and at times visually tense. His viewers are drawn in and out of the picture plane. Schulman’s uses special oils and acrylics in his massive paintings. He makes his own stretchers and uses only the finest linen and canvas. Hand sewn paper collages are made out of fast food containers collected over a 2 year period.

To learn more information please visit https://www.facebook.com/georgeschulmanartist

12th Annual Celebration of Life Gala To Support Neuroendrocine Cancer, Bethpage, Long Island

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LONG ISLAND, NY – On November 14, 2015 physicians, caregivers, pharmaceutical company owners and Neuroendocrine Cancer patients attended the 12th Annual Celebration of Life Gala at Sterling Caterers in Bethpage, Long Island for the Neuroendocrine Cancer Awareness Network (NCAN) and research.

During the event I had the chance to chat with founder Maryann Wahmann.

Welcome back darlings. I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here at the 12th Annual Celebration of Life Gala and it’s all for a very wonderful cause. I am here with the founder Ms. Maryann Wahmann and she is going to tell us what this event is really all about. Introduce yourself to the camera darling.

Neuroendocrine Cancer Awareness NetworkNeuroendocrine Cancer Awareness Network (NCAN) Founder Manyann Wahmann with Cognac Wellerlane at the 12th Annual Celebration of Life Gala in Bethpage, Long Island, November 14, 2015 at 6:30pm to 11:30pm.

Maryann: Hi I am Maryann Wahmann and we started this foundation about 2003 incorporated in 2004 for Neuroendocrine Cancer which I was diagnosed in 2009 and there was a real need out there. Unfortunately 90% of the people are are misdiagnosed with this disease for five to seven years.

My God.

Maryann: After seven years searching I was finally diagnosed and I realized that there was not much education out there..there wasn’t money for research so we started this foundation. This is our 12th year having the gala. It is called the Celebration of Life and we do if for patients so that they can come and celebrate another year of life and we raise funds for educational programs also for research.

I would think also to cure this disease.

Maryann: Yes. In hopes someday we will find a cure. A lot of people don’t realize that Steve Jobs actually really died of Neuroendocrine Cancer. Everybody believes that he died from Pancreatic Cancer and yes he did have it in his pancreas but it was not normal Pancreatic Cancer it was actually Neuroendocrine Cancer.

Could you tell my audience exactly what is this disease? What are the symptoms? Explain it to us. A lot of us are totally unaware. Some of us have never even heard of this type of cancer.

Maryann: Actually Neuroendocrine Cancer is an umbrella name for many different types of Pancreatic Cancer, Neuroendocrine….Carcinoid which is the most common. It could be found anywhere in the body. It is found in hormone producing cells. Most common place is the appendix or the ileocecal valve or it can be found in the lungs also in the pancreas, It could be found anywhere else in the body as well. Some of the symptoms are severe diarrhea.

Oh my God.

Maryann: Flushing, abdominal pain, heart palpations, gaining weight, losing weight, blood pressure fluctuation. Sometimes people have a thing called carcinoid crisis where their blood pressure just drops and we lose the patient. so there are medications out there to help control it. There is no cure for this disease. Yes you could have surgery and it can hold you off but a lot of times it comes back. It may not come back right away but maybe ten, fifteen years down the line. So it is kind of treated like a chronic disease kind of like diabetes. You have to make sure that you follow up. You have to have CAT scans every six months. You have to have blood work every six months.

So you can live with it even though there is no cure. If you catch it in time if you know what it is you can actually live with this disease?

NeuroendocrineCancer3Neuroendocrine Cancer Awareness Network (NCAN) Executive Director Bob Wahmann with Cognac Wellerlane at the 12th Annual Celebration of Life Gala in Bethpage, Long Island, November 14, 2015 at 6:30pm to 11:30pm.

Maryann: Correct and if you get the proper diagnosis you can get the proper treatment and if you find a doctor that knows about it. Unfortunately too many doctors’ don’t know enough about it.

I never even heard of it.

Maryann: A lot of oncologists have only treated one or two patients in their lifetime so it’s very difficult for us patients because we have to find someone that knows something about it and we are actually honoring Dr. Hal Gerstein who was my oncologist.

I would like to interview him later when he does get here.

Maryann: Yes he is my oncologist and he had few carcinoid patients before me but he has now become really active in the Long Island community and has taken on a lot of carcinoid patients and Neuroendocrine patients and he consults with a lot of big doctors around the country. When I was diagnosed there was one and a million chances of getting it and now more than twelve thousand are diagnosed each year. We have over one hundred twenty five thousand people diagnosed living in the US right now. We started this Net Cancer Awareness Month back in 2007 in New York State. Since then we have it every year. In 2009 and 2010 we put together a coalition and we started Worldwide Net Cancer Day which was on November 10th. There is a lot more awareness out there but there but there still is a lot more to go.

Thank God you founded this organization. Tell my audience…we are all curious. We want to hear your story about how yuu got this illness. What motivated you to create this organization? I want to hear your story. What actually happened to you?

Maryann: OK. Well back in 1994 I had lupus as well. In 1994 I had started really having severe abdominal pain and diarrhea. I was actually bleeding from the rectum and I needed to have transfusions and all the doctors kept on telling me that it was Crones Disease….it was Ulcerated Colitis maybe due to your Lupus and I kept saying “There has to be something more to this.” I went to seven different doctors. I had seven different doctors do colonoscopies and endoscopies and finally after the seveth year the last doctor I went to I cried hysterical “I have been told I am crazy…I have been told I need a marriage counselor…I was told I need more fiber in the diet…nothing is working..I need to know what this is. Go in there and don’t come out until you find it,” and the doctor looked at me and he said “Has anybody ever looked at you and said let’s try paediatric scope…it’s longer and more flexible.” I looked at the man and said “I am thirty something years old what are you talking about,” and he said “I can get up into the ileum let me take a look.” I said “OK fine,” and sure enough he came out and he said “I found it. It was hiding in the ileum the whole time.”

The ileum. How do you spell that?

Maryann: It’s ILEUM. It’s right between your small and large intestine. There is a little valve there and that is where it was hiding.

You become like a doctor now you learn all their medical terms and phrases.

Maryann: What happens when you have an endoscope and you have a colonoscopy there is that little section where they can’t reach and that is most of the time where the tumor is hiding.

Oh my God!

Maryann: Also one out of every hundred autopsies it is found in the appendix and a lot of times is not functioning so people don’t realize that it is actually happening and they have this cancer in there. They found it and I had surgery in 2001. They took part of my small intestine, my large intestine, they took out my appendix and then six months later I had to have my gall bladder removed. When I was diagnosed with this there was no real treatment there was only symptoms controls.

NeuroendocrineCancer1Neuroendocrine Cancer Awareness Network (NCAN) Honoree Dr. Hal Gerstein with Cognac Wellerlane at the 12th Annual Celebration of Life Gala in Bethpage, Long Island, November 14, 2015 at 6:30pm to 11:30pm

Neuroendocrine tumors are a highly diverse group of tumors formed by neuroendocrine cells. Because these cells are found throughout the body, neuroendocrine tumors can arise in a variety of organs, including those of the gastrointestinal system, lungs, thymus, and skin. Another type of tumor that arises in the adrenal glands — called pheochromocytoma — is sometimes classified as a neuroendocrine tumor. Carcinoid tumors are by far the most common type of neuroendocrine tumor found in the gastrointestinal system. Other, more rare types of gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors include small cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, which arise in the islet cells of the pancreas. Doctors may diagnose and treat neuroendocrine tumors according to the types of cells involved, the appearance of the tumor cells under the microscope, and their location in the body.

NeuroendocrineCancer4Neuroendocrine Cancer Awareness Network (NCAN) Sponsor Elyse Spatz Caplan, Founder Maryann Wahmann and Cognac Wellerlane at the 12th Annual Celebration of Life Gala in Bethpage, Long Island, November 14, 2015 at 6:30pm to 11:30pm

At this years 12th Annual Celebration of Life Gala. Oncologist, Dr. Hal Gerstein was honored. Dr. Hal Gerstein is a medical oncologist in Great Neck, New York and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Long Island Jewish Medical Center and North Shore University Hospital. He received his medical degree from Albany Medical College and has been in practice for 37 years. He is one of 16 doctors at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and one of 13 at North Shore University Hospital who specialize in Medical Oncology.

For more information on how you can learn more information please visit http://netcancerawareness.org

Residents Gather for Grand Opening of Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery in Greenvale, New York

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LONG ISLAND, NY – North Shore residents gathered at the Grand Opening of Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery in Greenvale, New York on November 12, 2015. The glamorous event was hosted by 25A Magazine and affluent guests enjoyed fabulous cocktails and delicious hors d’oeuvres catered by Elegant Affairs.

During the event I Interviewed District and Business Group Manager David Finkel.

Introduce Yourself darling.

David: My name is David Finkel. I am District Manager for Ferguson in the North East and we are opening our showroom in Greenvale, Long Island. We have nine thousand square feet of plumbing appliances and lighting. Ferguson is the largest plumbing distributor here in the United States and relatively new to the New York area but we are here and we are looking forward to a success with Long Island.

Well it looks like it is going to be a spectacular event tonight and I understand that 25A Magazine is hosting the event. How did this all come about?

25AMagazineDavidFinkel David Finkel Business Group Manager of Ferguson in Greenvale, NY and Cognac Wellerlane at the Grand Opening of Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery, November 12, 2015.

David: We have a great relationship with the folks at 25A. They are joining us for the event tonight. We have a great caterer coming. We are looking forward to a wonderful evening just to introduce ourselves to the community.

And you are a very upscale lighting, kitchen…everything….am I correct in saying that?

David: We certainly strive to be. I think that we fit the neighborhood very well. It is a very upscale neighborhood and we are very excited about it. I think folks will really appreciate the products that we offer and we really are looking forward to a lot of success here.

How many Fergusons are there in the Long Island area?

David: Currently we have two showrooms on Long Island. We also have wholesale locations. Ferguson is also in the wholesale and plumbing business but hopefully we will have more time for growth and more locations to come.

That’s fabulous. I am sure you have showrooms located all over the county. Am I right about that?

David: Yes. Ferguson is all over the country. We have showrooms in New York City, Westchester….they are all over New Jersey…for this area we do have many showrooms.

Well I am sure this is going to be a groundbreaking event tonight. Tell my audience where we can go to find out more information. What is the website.

David: Ferguson.com and we are at 9 Northern Blvd. in Greenvale, New York.

25AMagazinePublishe 25A Magazine Publisher Chase Backer and Cognac Wellerlane at the Grand Opening of Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery, November 12, 2015.

Ferguson raises the bar for industry standards as the top-rated wholesale supplier of commercial and residential plumbing supplies. The company’s expertise goes way beyond plumbing. Ferguson is a diverse distributor that spans multiple businesses including HVAC/R, waterworks and industrial. In the past sixty three years they have grown from a local distributor to an $11 billion dollar company with more than 1,400 locations and over 20,000 associates nationwide. Ferguson prides themselves on delivering world-class service and their clients and customers know that “Nobody expects more from us than we do” is more than just a tagline to Ferguson associates. It’s a cultural belief that is demonstrated every day through exceptional customer service, product selection and industry knowledge.

25AMagazineAndreaCorrealeElegant Affairs Caterer Andrea Correale and 25A Magazine Publisher Chase Backer at the Grand Opening of Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery, November 12, 2015.

Ferguson is the largest distributor of commercial and residential plumbing supplies, and pipe, valves, and fittings (PVF) in the United States. It’s more than a slogan about how Ferguson does business. Expecting a lot from themselves is how they make a positive impact to strengthen the communities where they are located throughout the country.. It’s a challenge they share with more than 20,000 associates who help Ferguson fulfill its mission by lending a hand where it’s needed. Supporting communities, families, the military and education is not that different from what they do every day – providing what it takes to keep a wide range of good things going, making everyone’s lives better.

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