Sands Point Preserve
The Sands Point Preserve Conservancy continued to hold the bar high with this year’s
theme for its annual Halloween Ball–Vampyres’ Lair. The immersive and interactive theatrical experience entertained and engaged the sell-out crowd with special “guests” that included Dracula and Marie Antoinette.
The evening began with a “Nightmare Hour for VIP Victims” featuring a menagerie of
“terrifying” live creatures courtesy of conservancy regular Ranger Eric Powers and the Locust Valley-based Volunteers for Wildlife. During the VIP hour, conservancy managing director Beth Horn welcomed the guests, including Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and Assemblyman Anthony D’Urso before introducing the evening’s “extraordinarily creative and talented” honorees, Port Washington residents Amanda Khalil and Flora and Adam Hanft, who were being recognized not only for all of the work that they do on behalf of the larger community but for their “commitment, support, and the many innovative ideas that they so generously bring to the Sands Point Preserve.”
The VIP hour was followed by a cocktail hour (signature cocktail being Vampyre’s Kiss)
and buffet dinner of “atrocities” suitable for both meat-eaters and vegetarians. Dinner
entertainment was an aerial/silks performance courtesy of the NYC-based Cirque du Nuit. DJ Sal provided music throughout the evening.
The Halloween Ball, part of a series of themed events that include the spring Butterfly
Ball and summer White Party, is the conservancy’s most important fundraising event of the year.
The proceeds support the overall mission of the preserve as well as ongoing maintenance and operation of the preserve. The preserve continues to offer an ever-widening and expanding selection of educational, cultural, horticultural, and wellness programming as it continues to serve a growing community.
“The Halloween Ball grows every year–in the number of attendees, the funds raised to support the Conservancy’s mission, and the geographic distribution of our supporters,” said Horn. “We are very grateful that our base of support continues to expand as we develop new ways to use this great historic estate for the benefit of the community–we work to maintain and improve this property so that we can create meaningful programs and useful services for the public.”
Conservation and restoration initiatives of the Sands Point Preserve Conservancy along
with STEAM-based (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) programming are a large part of its mission as it continues to foster a love and knowledge of wildlife and the environment for children and adults in the surrounding communities and beyond.
Upcoming conservancy events include Agatha Christie’s murder mystery “Towards
Zero” and the Winter Solstice Preservers’ Dinner. For information about these conservancy
events and others, visit the web-site at www.sandspointpreserveconservancy.org.
Submitted by Lorraine Mesagna
Senior Center
A beloved annual tradition the Port Washington Senior Citizens Center conducts
each year is a Halloween party with a costume parade and contest. All members in
costume parade past the judges and the top three best costumes are traditionally
selected and given small prizes. This year, however, the judges felt that all of the
costumes were so fabulous that everyone deserved a prize.
The Senior Citizens Center thanks its panel of esteemed judges, Town Supervisor
Judi Bosworth, County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, Manorhaven Mayor Jim
Avena and Town Clerk Wayne Wink, along with Sarah Gilroy with The Amsterdam
for serving as a judge as well as providing goodies and special raffle prizes for the
seniors.
If you or someone you know might be interested in learning about the programming
offered at the Center, call 883-6656 weekdays.
Submitted by the Senior Center
Poppy’s Special Friends
