Reed Riemer – Master Recreational Fisherman The son of an avid fisherman, Reed got his start fishing with his father at a young age. “He would come home and go on the jetties,” said Reed. “He was a surf fisherman at first, and then he started getting boats. Mostly he would take me on the […]
Peter Sokolow & Kapelye: Klezmer educators By Henry Sapoznik January 3, 2001 Once asked if he thought of himself as the “Youngest of the Old Guys” or the “Oldest of the Young Guys”? Pete Sokolow, klezmer musician, stride pianist, author, teacher and recording artist hesitated not a second and claimed his allegiance to the Old […]
John Remsen, Sr.: Boat builder John Remsen of Freeport was one of the few men on Long Island who built garveys, a traditional flat bottom boat used by baymen and recreational fishermen in the shallow south shore waters of Nassau and Suffolk County. During his lifetime he built over 100 garveys. Like the generations before […]
John Remsen Jr.: Bait fisherman The Remsen family of Freeport goes back to the late 1800s, when Alanson Ellison began fishing on the south shore. A bayman, Alanson taught his grandchildren the skills of building traps, fishing, and maintaining the family bay house at Brandt Point, where he operated a bait station during the 1950s. […]
Denise Silva-Dennis Denise “Weetahmoe” Silva-Dennis (Shinnecock/Hassanamisco-Nipmuc) is a retired Southampton Elementary School art teacher. She is from the Shinnecock Tribe in Southampton. Silva-Dennis graduated from Hamilton College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art. Upon graduation, she received honors in her discipline. Silva-Dennis is also an accomplished bead work crafts woman. The traditional […]
Evelyn Pike Rubin: Jewish Activist, Author, and Lecturer Evelyn Pike Rubin, Jewish activist, author and lecturer, was born in Breslau, Germany, where her ancestors had lived for many generations. Evelyn’s parents were raised as strict orthodox Jews, a tradition they passed on to their child at a young age. Evelyn was a descendant of Yeheskal […]
Howard Pickerell: Boat Builder and Bayman Howard Pickerell is a traditional commercial boat builder and bayman born in Huntington. His father Howard was a full time clammer, while his older relatives were carpenters. Growing up, he learned to harvest clams which were plentiful in Huntington during his youth. From the time he was old enough […]
Jean Ritchie: Appalachian Folksinger When many hear the word “folksinger,” they generally think of revivalists like Pete Seeger, Tom Paxton and other professional performers who have collected and written songs based on the experiences of working class citizens. Here on Long Island we were fortunate to have Jean Ritchie who learned to sing ballads from […]
Jose Santiago – The Bomba Master of Long Island Drum maker Jose Enrique Santiago, known as “Bomba Joe,” always had an affinity for the drums. “When I was in kindergarten in the Bronx there was a little red snare drum in the back of the classroom, and when the teacher said to go get an […]
Ranchos Folclóricos Sonhos e Juventude de Portugal: Portuguese Dance Group The Portuguese Club of Mineola was founded in the late 1920s. Today the club is not only a place for the community to gather but is also where the younger generation learns about Portuguese culture. Nearly fifty children, ages four to thirteen, participate in Sonhos and twenty-four […]
