Editorial: Jack O’Lantern Tour Thrills Long Island Again
Written by Christy Hinko Friday, 19 October 2012 00:00
This weekend, I chaperoned a Girl Scout Troop to see Rise of the Jack O’Lanterns tour at Old Westbury Gardens where more than 5,000 carved pumpkins returned to Long Island for its annual display; the carving talents are unreal. The girls were most impressed with the commercial character carvings such as Angry Birds and the Disney princesses. The fathers who chaperoned were attracted to the sports team carvings, although everyone was in amazement at the “tribute” pumpkins, carved to honor the greats like Neil Armstrong, Lewis Carroll, Albert Einstein, and Whitney Houston. Others adored the scenic carvings like Coney Island, Statue of Liberty, the Montauk Lighthouse, and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Naturally though, we were all amazed to see the historic scenes of Girl Scouting carved in pumpkins set on special pedestals, such as the flag raising, cookie sales, and camping.
Although the tour is not that long in distance, approximately 1/3 of a mile, plan for the transit through to last more than an hour. For the younger kids, we put glowstick lanyards on each of them to identify them in the crowd; each girl brought a little flashlight to identify strange noises in the night gardens because some areas of the walking tour are dimly or not lit. And most important, make everyone stop at the bathroom before entering the tour.
The popularity of this non-scary Halloween treat is growing. Many of the tour slots sold out four weeks ago, and more than 3,000 tickets were sold to Girl Scouts and their families.
Pre-reserved tickets are required and available at www.therise.org/. All visitors need tickets; children ages 4 and under are free, but also need an admission ticket. Tour times are still available through Oct. 28.
— CH
News
Thursday, 16 May 2013 00:00
Island Trees Union Free School District faces a few hurdles in its upcoming 2013-14 budget. The loss of the BOCES Geneva N. Gallow building lease and the increasing mandated retirement system (TRS/ERS) adds up to $2 million in lost revenue. The TRS/ERS contributions increased by almost $1.4 million, and the Gallow lease loss totals approximately $500,000, including the utility costs.
Wednesday, 15 May 2013 00:00
What motivates a collector to dedicate a portion of his or her life to searching for the most rare and beautiful forms of a certain item? Is it their love of stamps from all over the world or is it their desire to find the most complex and unique model of a car? From jewelry and dolls to sports memorabilia and computers, a collector’s interests can range from the most bizarre items to the most common. Michael Katz, longtime collector of vintage radios from the 1920s to ’50s, said that the two kinds of things collectors go for are “stuff that’s really unusual and really decorative or the rare and expensive sets.”
Sports
Friday, 17 May 2013 00:00
Don’t miss out on the chance to partake in an 8-week spring flying trapeze workshop! There is one space left in the Tuesday class for adults from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., and four spaces left in the Thursday class from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., which is open to all ages.
The workshops will take place at the Aquatic Center at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, New York.
Sign up online at iflytrapeze.com or call 516.640.6995 for more information.
Friday, 17 May 2013 00:00
The Lady Generals lacrosse team at MacArthur High School earned the #1 spot and the title of 2013 conference champions, an accomplishment that last occurred in 2006. The team finished with a conference record of 9-1, succumbing in their only game to Oyster Bay by a one-goal deficit.
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