Anton Media Group’s collection of feature stories from 2017 encompassed both large-scale events and smaller moments of local pride.
Early in April, Anton Media Group Publisher Angela Susan Anton was the keynote speaker at the Best of High School Journalism Awards at LIU Post. The event honored the future of journalism—embodied by dozens of ambitious high school students from across the island—with awards for their hard work, determination and passion for all that is media.
Later that month, and after months of renovations costing $165 million, the Nassau Coliseum re-emerged as NYCB Live at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Reinvented from the grand facade to the smallest interior detail, the arena was transformed and now stands as one of the most highly celebrated venues on the East Coast. The inaugural concert featured Billy Joel and subsequent shows saw Stevie Nicks, Idina Menzel and Paul McCartney take the stage in front of thousands of fans. Now if only the New York Islanders could find their way back to the Coliseum ice.
When June rolled around, two important organizations on Long Island were thrust into the news, as Planned Parenthood hosted hundreds of supporters outside of its Hempstead location and the Mineola chapter of the American Red Cross celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Held in response to President Donald Trump’s plan to defund Planned Parenthood through his new health plan—which subsequently failed—the rally highlighted the organization’s crucial role in women’s health, particularly on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Mineola Red Cross was hailed as the first chapter on Long Island, claiming a prime location on Willis Avenue while World War I was just underway.
Across the rainbow connection into August, the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens, officially opened its permanent exhibition celebrating the whimsical legacy of Jim Henson. The multimedia display, made possible by a collaboration with the Henson family, The Jim Henson Legacy and The Jim Henson Company, and in cooperation with Sesame Workshop and The Muppets Studio, features more than 300 objects on view including 47 puppets—Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Rowlf, The Swedish Chef, Statler, Waldorf, Big Bird, Elmo, even a Skeksis from The Dark Crystal—and more. But more than merely rows of puppets staring back at visitors, the exhibition tells Henson’s story—from experimental film producer, to restless creative performer, to filmmaker to technical innovator.
And finally, with the return of autumn came Seward Johnson’s marvelous sculptures on display at Old Westbury Gardens. Cast in bronze, the figures were scattered across the 200 acres of the Gardens, fitting perfectly into the landscape of the English country-style estate.
