Culper Spy Ring Tri-Spy Tours by Strong Pointe Productions

No matter how you spell it, Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights, the holiday that commemorates the rededication of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BCE. Though Hanukkah has become especially popular because it falls close to Christmas-time every year, it is actually considered to be a minor holiday on the Jewish calendar. It is also one of the later Jewish holidays to have been instituted, and does not appear in the Torah because the events occurred after th...e Torah was written. Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days, in honor of the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days in the Holy Temple. Unlike some other Jewish holidays where work is forbidden, there are no restrictions on doing work during Hanukkah. On each day, Jews light candles on a hanukkiah (a nine-branched candelabrum), starting with one candle and adding one more each day. The candle used to light the other candles is known as the shamash. Blessings over the candles are chanted and festive songs are sung, commemorating the Maccabean Revolt. See more

We had a chance to chat with TVHS Historian Bev Tyler about his new book "Setauket and Brookhaven History: Through the Murals of Vance Locke". Read on to learn... more about the book and his inspiration for writing it. What is this book about? It’s about celebrating the people and events of Setauket and Brookhaven Town history. It is the stories of the indigenous people called Setalcotts and the farmers, shipbuilders, blacksmiths and millers whose lives created our communities in Setauket and Stony Brook and in Brookhaven. What is the inspiration for the book? It is the murals in the Setauket School Auditorium, painted in 1951 by artist Vance Locke. They were the gift of philanthropist Ward Melville who wanted this new school, opened in the spring of 1951, to provide a place which would celebrate the history of Setauket and the Town of Brookhaven. He also wanted the school building, and especially the auditorium, to be a place to celebrate community to bring all the local residents together and give them a jumping-off place to explore the area’s history and culture. This happened 13 years before the establishment of the Three Village Historical Society. Why did I write this book? I wrote this book to tell the story of the Vance Locke murals and to complement the Founders Day Program designed for 4th grade students in the Three Village Central School District. I also wanted the community and Long Island residents to understand more about our heritage and about the diverse cultures and events, both good and not-so-good that define our history. What is the Founders Day Program? With a focus on bringing history alive to young students, the historical sources used to develop this program provided both the historical evidence and educational methodology needed for an effective artistic presentation and interpretation of historical murals and guided walking tour, and addressed New York State Social Studies Standards for grade 4. The program, which included a chronological overview of the community as well as various themes including Native American history. Colonial Life. the Revolutionary War, prominent local families, diverse populations, education, religion, commerce and the economy, and transportation, utilized strong academic sources. Primary sources included archeological evidence and research, census records, diaries and letters. memoirs, maps. photographs. portraits and paintings, cemetery records, gravestones and epitaphs. (Founders Day program Critical Review by Ann M. Becker, PhD - Associate Professor, SUNY Empire State College) How does the book complement the Founders Day Program? It provides a context for both the murals and the walking tour by expanding the storytelling aspect of the program and making additional local history connections for the readers. Who is the book designed to reach? I hope it will be read by both elementary and secondary students, as well as by parents and members of the wider community. What am I most proud of with the publication of the book? This is not just a book by one person. It is a joint effort by a number of people including members of the Founders Day Committee, the Three Village Historical Society Education Committee and the Three Village Historical Society staff. In addition, I also need to acknowledge the contributions of historian William B. Minuse who interviewed artist Vance Locke and wrote the initial story of the murals. What has been said or written about your book? I am especially pleased and honored by the November 19th review of my book in TBR Newspaper’s Art & Lifestyle section by Jeffrey Sanzel. He wrote in part, Setauket and Brookhaven History is a slender book that is rich in detail and will hold the interest of reader of all ages. The ease of Tyler’s writing belies the hundreds of research hours that undoubtedly went into its creation. This edifying work is ideal to be read aloud and discussed. It will certainly stimulate thought and conversation both in the family and the classroom. ‘Murals tell a story, sometimes more than one. Could there be more than one story in this mural?’ Tyler gives us a good deal to observe, a great deal to read, and even more to think about it. Visit https://three-village-historical-society.square.site/ to purchase your copy today.

The Attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, just before 08:00, on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941. @ Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

The Reboli Center for Art and History is organized to preserve, promote, support and advance the legacy of the artist and painter, Joseph Reboli; promote the Three Village area as a center for art and history on Long Island; promote the study of classical painting and drawing on Long Island; and preserve the landmark building at 64 Main Street, Stony Brook, New York, which is its headquarters. Located in the center of the village of Stony Brook on the banks of the Stony Brook... Creek overlooking beautiful Stony Brook harbor, a historic brick structure built in 1911 for the Bank of Suffolk County will become the Reboli Center for Art and History. The building, the only commercial building still standing in its original location in the village of Stony Brook, has many historical ties to the Reboli family and will offer to the community a beautiful setting for a new cultural organization. @ The Reboli Center for Art and History See more

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The Setauket Presbyterian Church. This is the first church built in 1674 in the township of Brookhaven. It is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. The TURN TV series features this church where the British made a fort out of it led by the the commander Richard Hewlett. The Patriots attacked it in 1777 but withdrew without any killed. The original church burned down as the result of a lightning strike and this rebuilt church replaced it in 1812. The graveyard contains the remains of a number of famous patriots and other historic figures including William Sidney Mount, Abraham Woodhull, Mary Woodhull, and Richard Woodhull. (Trip Adviser) #culperspyring #culper #setauket #setauketpresbyterianchurch @ Setauket Presbyterian Church, est 1660