The Human Interest Story

The first annual brewery “Turtle Crawl” will take place this Saturday to benefit the New York Marine Rescue Program

By Amy Nicole Tangel

During the summer season, Long Island’s Atlantic coast is filled with a variety of sea turtle species who make it their home to enjoy warm waters and plentiful food until the fall comes when make their migration south.

While the turtles love LI’s warm waters, New York Marine Rescue Center (NYMRC) Rescue Program Director and New York State (NYS) Sea Turtle Co-Coordinator Maxine Montello, M. SC., said over recent years the ecosystem is losing the gradual transition of seasons.  As a result, more turtles than ever are becoming effected by a “cold stunned” condition, which many cold-blooded turtles face if they don’t leave before temperatures drop.

“Cold-stunned, I would say is our biggest stranding cause for the large amounts of animals at the same amount of time,” she said making it a point NYMRC faces a full and true season in life-or-death rescue beginning in November extending to as far as January.

The term “cold stunned” equivalates to hypothermia, and with most sea turtles in the North Atlantic being cold-blooded animals they don’t have the ability to regulate their internal temperatures.  While they love LI’s warm waters, living here all summer, Maxine said they are noticing the turtles are losing their ability to gradually transition from fall to summer to winter with no cue to decrease.

“Leaving them exposed to quick cold snaps that debilitate and essentially paralyze them,” she explained.

Although the number of turtles per year rescued has increased, so has their survival rate.  Maxine credits this to the organization’s implementation of a cold-stunned patrol team NYMRC calls their “Citizen Scientists.”

“Citizen Scientists” are trained to walk the beach specifically to look for turtles and signs of distress or injury resulting in the rescue center getting their turtles in their care faster than ever before. Before the patrol team, Maxine said the numbers used to be 40 percent survival to 60 percent death rate, but now with a growing volunteer team of approximately 300 patrollers the tables have flipped to approximately a yearly rate of 70 percent survival to 30 percent death.

Volunteers “Citizen Scientists” such as Steve Abbondondelo, a 72-year-old volunteer from Hicksville who has been with the rescue since 2005, said even though Long Island is surrounded by water many of its residents are not aware of the presence, or the dangers and challenges sea turtles face in our local waters.

“Through education we can provide the knowledge and tools needed for the public to respond and recover animals who without our help will not survive. In doing so, we are playing a role in the survival of these endangered animals,” he said.

Although the rescue has many volunteers like Steve dedicated to walking north-facing-beaches where the turtles float in, they have a continued call for help for more people to come on board to continue to keep-up with the increase in rescues and the rapid response time resulting in the growing survival rate.

“These animals are surviving because of the public awareness and these people that are willing to help them,” said Maxine.

Unlike aquariums or zoos Maxine said the emotional challenge for NYMRC and what sets their staff apart from others is having to keep their distance as humanly possible, because these animals need to remain wild.  However, the organization has found meaningful ways to give love from a far through practices such as choosing a yearly theme to name their turtles and seals. 

The current rescue season coming to end was botanical theme of names such as Petunia, Maple, Birch, and Agave.  They will be voting on a new theme next month and Maxine said the front-runners so far for this year is cheeses, fruits and vegetables followed by LI landmarks.

For Maxine, she said for herself and her team getting to send them home and have a second chance makes the long nights, the stress, and emotional roller coaster they feel all worth it.

“We have to keep them wild; that’s our goal here, and because of that we still get attached but from afar,” she said.

NYMRC is a non-profit organization that completely depends on support from every angle with funding at the Federal and State government level to the seemingly most impactful support within the local communities. Not only does NYMRC rescue for NY waters they also work with New England Aquarium in Boston and in peak season take the overflow of their turtle rescues when they are called upon.

NYMRC works with a group through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) called “Turtles Fly Too,” where private pilots donate their planes and time to fly turtles from New England directly to them at Francis S. Gabreski Airport I Westhampton.

“Sharing our space is something we really promote here,” she said.

On average the cost to care for one sea turtle is approximately $10,000 with a rehabilitation process that lasts about 7 to 9 months.  Maxine, who has been NYMRS since 2017, said one of the challenges of rehabilitating cold-stunned turtles is most of the time the waters here on Long Island are still too cold for them to be released once they are healed, adding to the hefty cost for care. 

While NYMRC does work with NOAA to sometimes fly the sea turtles down south to be released, Maxine said most of the time they are released back on LI shores.  On average, the NYMRC is now rescuing approximately 50 turtles per year, an increase Maxine said which has led the organization to be diligent in coming up with new ways to raise funds and support through their local community to be able maintain the high cost for care.

The most prominent turtle species known for gracing Long Island’s coasts are the Kemp’s Ridley; the most critically endangered of the species, the leatherback, loggerhead and green sea turtles.

“Their survival depends upon how quickly we get them from the time they hit the beach to the time they get back here,” Maxine said. “Our little organization is just a small footprint in the bigger conservation for these species.”

This Saturday in Riverhead, where the rescue calls home within Long Island’s Aquarium they will be hosting their first annual “Turtle Crawl” thanks to the generous support from five local breweries. Participants can crawl, walk or run every hour from brewery to brewery. For $40 they will receive a t-shirt, a bracelet for drink discounts and towards the end of the crawl additional discounts for food. One hundred percent of money raised from the day’s fundraiser will be going directly to support the sea turtle program and cold-stunned turtles to help the rescue season right around the corner.

“We’re really trying to make it a fun day for twenty-one plus,” she said.

The “Turtle Crawl,” a title Maxine said just naturally lent itself as it is a term for turtles as they leave tracks or “crawls” on the beach with their front flippers, is one of many events throughout the year.

Limited tickets are still available for Saturday’s “Turtle Crawl” and can be purchased through NYMRC’s website, nymarierescue.org.  For more information on becoming a volunteer, how you can donate or to learn more about all the marine life they rescue please visit their website or call 631-369-9840.

SIDE BAR:

What to do if you find a distressed turtle:

If you come upon a turtle during the fall cold-stunned season months, please call their stranding hotline at 631-369-9829 and provide as many details as possible. Turtles will usually be found on north-facing beaches after a high tide within the “rack line,” which is the highest tide mark on beach where the seaweed is, said Maxine. 

Another important step the public can take if they come across a turtle upside down seen floating in or on the beach is to carefully flip them over, move them above the rack line so they don’t become swept back out and if possible, Maxine said to dig a small hole in the sand and gently cover them to keep the turtle warm and protected from predators until the rescue team arrives.

A portion of photos courtesy NYMRC

Video: Amy Nicole Tangel

Country music singer films new video in Patchogue with more to come

By Amy Nicole Tangel

Self-described “born rocker” and musician Tom Petrone has a passion for music.

With skills as a singer, instrumentalist and songwriter he eventually and naturally gravitated toward country music. Reflecting back on process that led to today’s release of his new music video, “Bartender,” he’s happy he did.

“I was a jazz artist before this; I was trying something new, because I have the ability to change it up, so I became a character,” he said.

The lifelong Massapequa resident has been rapidly building a local audience in the Long Island Village of Patchogue performing under the stage name: Atticus Jones. The creation of his stage name is an extension of the recent partnership with music label MP Music House and Daisy’s combined goal to bring great country music to Long Island. Currently, he plays live performances exclusively at Daisy’s Nashville Lounge.

Tom, who is co-founder of the label along with business partner and fellow musician, Dan Marshall have been writing country music together for years and overtime started thinking about how they could combine their songwriting, the label and getting their songs out there through live music in the best country establishment possible. Eventually, they came to the conclusion to pave their own way and create their own country music artist to fully bring their songs to life.

Songs recently released such as “Smoke in a Bar” were written by Tom, Dan and Nashville singer/songwriter, John Kennedy. Atticus Jones’ first single as a country artist “Still Above the Ground” was also written by Tom and Dan along with award-winning author, songwriter and lifelong Long Island resident, Frank Nappi. But there are plenty more songs to come, Tom promised, as they are finally being heard after years of waiting for the right performer now found in Atticus Jones.

“What makes Tom unique to work with and what draws audiences to his music as Atticus Jones is his ability to work seamlessly with other writers such as Frank Nappi and myself,” explained Dan of the draw of the new performer.

The essence of the song “Bartender” and the new Atticus Jones video is a story of your bartender being your friend, Tom said.  The song is a classic country song about a disgruntled husband complaining to his bartender about his wife.

Mike Mattiolo, a friend of Tom’s from Massapequa provides a comical performance as the stereotypical bargoer letting out his grievances in the video alongside Atticus Jones behind the bar. Together, Tom said, they brought the song to life.

“He’s (the bartender) got your back and he’s there to give you some tips and if the tips are good, you can ‘tip’ him back,” he said talking the lyrics out loud.

Additionally, owners of Daisy’s, Brian Adams and Tim McCarthy both have been key factors in providing a new platform for country music on Long Island and said their partnership with Atticus Jones has been great. With the strong relationships Tom and Dan have within MP Music House, Brian said they provide fun and upbeat performances from Atticus Jones; mixing their own songs with traditional country songs.

“Because the venue is so photogenic, we have had multiple people ask about filming at Daisy’s,” Brian said. “Atticus Jones just produced a video here which people will love. It looks great on film, but people should really experience Daisy’s and his performances for themselves in person.”

In only two years having survived the pandemic, Daisy’s has been dedicated to helping bring live music back and have had notable bands that play in Nashville like C.C. & the Boys and rising stars like David J and Jacob Rice grace their venue. Most recently, country artist Jackson Dean stopped in and sang after hours following the 96.1 My Country Birthday Party sponsored in part by Daisy’s at the Patchogue Theatre.

“We are dedicated to country music and legitimate country musicians are harder to find on Long Island,” said Brian. 

At this stage in the game, Tom said the label is being very selective where Atticus Jones performs live to break out as his own artist.  It’s not just performing music for Tom, but a theatrical experience bringing his audiences the whole package.

“Right now, nobody really knows who I am, but the younger people are watching me and when they give me a chance, they really like it,” said Tom.

At the age of 3-years-old, Tom started singing in his family with his older brothers. He said they would harmonize while they washed dishes and did chores around the house. By the age of eleven Tom got his first guitar and from there on—it all came naturally.

The Beatles were of his first influences because of the harmony and eventually he said he grew to be influenced by bands like, Yes and the Eagles. Also, Jeff Beck has always been his favorite guitar player; he even named his cat after him.

“Atticus/Tom is excellent at melody lines and honestly is one of the best singers that I’ve ever worked with,” added Dan. “He just has the ability to sing almost anything and make it sound great.”

Atticus Jones & Friends will be performing next at Daisy’s Nashville Lounge August 13 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will be back September 24 and October 28 for his monthly residency. Check out “Bartender” below and to keep up with Atticus Jones follow MP Music House on Instagram. For more information about everything happening at Daisy’s visit daisysli.com or Daisy’s LI on Instagram.

Photos courtesy MP Music House, Daisy’s LI, and The Human Interest Story

Singer, songwriter and producer to release new album

By Amy Nicole Tangel

Musician Quinn Mills has built a career as a singer, songwriter and producer and most recently released his new single with a full album on the way.

The 22-year-old musician from Ajax, Ontario made a mark as an emerging rock-indie artist throughout his hometown and beyond ever since Quinn began playing as a young teen. Signed at only 17 to music label MP Music House, founded by Dan Marshall and Tom Petrone in the most matter-of-fact manner Quinn’s relationship with the label began quite simply: through a family connection. Coincidentally, Dan also hails from Ontario. His mother and Quinn’s grandmother are long-time friends. Since then, Quinn and Dan have been writing and producing music together with countless songs.

Dan describes Quinn’s style of music as, “the Police meets the Foo Fighters meets Bowie.” 

One of Quinn’s biggest passions for creating music, he said, is smashing-up genres that generally wouldn’t go together and somehow creating new songs that just work. Mixing his music in an unconventional way and doing everything unorthodox is Quinn’s way of bringing something new to the table.

“I love bringing things together that shouldn’t go together,” he explained of his style.

Last month, he released a new single, “Hey.” He also plans to release a full album, including the new single, by the end of 2022. The new album is yet-to-be titled, but Quinn said he wants to surprise his listeners without giving away the theme.

Though, he hinted that the album is yet another collaboration of his exploration in pairing different genres. It will hold a space-cowboy feel with a western-rock-instrumentation mixed with hip-hop percussion and psychedelic rock guitars with layered vocals.

“It’s very futuristic sounding, but also has a lot of old-horn-western sounds,” he said explaining the mix of elements.

Under the MP Music House label, he has released: Quinn Mills and the Common Era in 2018, Strangers in the Dark in 2020, and his most recent album, In Retrospect in 2021. Quinn reflected on how he recorded the 2020 album in the basement of his house and recalled a turning point in his career in 2017 when his song “Colours” received approximately 260,000 streams.

The success of “Colours” opened up the world of pop and production for Quinn as his first song also serving as producer. Living in New York City at the time, he said, provided another level of learning how hard the industry can be.

“This was that moment where I needed to know how to do it or I was going to lose it,” he said of becoming a producer.

To add to the whole package, Quinn has also had a working relationship with director Sylvia Caminer who has mentored him in acting roles for videos and most recently featured his song, “Strangers in the Dark” in her new film “Follow Her,” currently in festival previews.

Last month, Quinn also hit the stage in his biggest live performance post-pandemic opening for the Canadian group, Elevator at The Biltmore Theatre in Oshawa, Ontario.  In an ironic-twist-of-fate, Quinn said it was not only thrilling to play a set in a venue that can hold about 400 people for a band he admired, but an even more poignant moment in reflecting back to 2018 when he saw them live for the first time.  It all started with a simple message to the band after the show to say he liked their set; in-turn opening a door for more than he could have imagined at the time.

“Four years later, I got to open for them, so it was pretty cool,” he said.

Adding to his originality, Quinn said he always tries to embody what he wears on stage to capture the essence of his musical performance with the audience in his costume choices as well.  For his set opening for Elevator, he said he grew a mustache, which was something he had been wanting to do for a long time. He also rocked a velvet blazer to set his tone.

“I wanted to look like a 70’s Las Vegas kind-of-weekender,” he said.

Over the years, Quinn said he was really drawn to writing love songs, but is now writing more songs about things he is facing as a man in his early twenties confronting all the confusion in the world as an adult through his songs. 

Helping him grow and evolve as a writer has been largely influenced by the writing mentorship from Dan, a seasoned songwriter who Quinn said has taught him to “cast a wider net” as a songwriter and to use the poetry in his words to make the song more relatable to a broader audience. In art and life, Quinn said he is thankful for just the good overall life mentorship he has received from Dan to help build his career.

“He’s taught me to be more of a storyteller,” he said.

BOX:

Currently, Quinn is working on the new album and is working on confirming dates for more upcoming live performances.  To keep up-to-date with Quinn and show dates you can follow him on Instagram @quinnymills and www.quinnmillsmusic.com.

Feature photo: Brianna Bodoe

Photos at The Biltmore: J Atlas

Owners of Nashville-style lounge turn the dial up for live music

By Amy Nicole Tangel

Emerging from the pandemic has been a time of moving forward for people everywhere. That sentiment is no different for the owners of Daisy’s Nashville Lounge, a Long Island restaurant who opened their doors during the most challenging times, they have not only survived but are also quickly becoming a go-to-place for live performers and new talent.

From day one, co-owners Brian Adams and Tim McCarthy have held the vision and commitment for their establishment dedicated to bringing live country music to Patchogue. Being able to host talent straight from Nashville is what they have always wanted and due to a new label partnership with MP Music House the dream is becoming reality.

“A lot of people do country nights, but we’re country all the time,” said Brian.

The original meeting with the label has turned to seemingly become mutually beneficial. Dan Marshall, a Patchogue resident, joined with Tom Petrone in 2010 and founded MP Music House then planted roots in Nashville. There, they began working with producer and former member of 80’s rock group TOTO, Buddy Hyatt alongside the guidance of a leader in legal representation for music out of Nashville, Derek Crownover of Loeb & Loeb LLP.

Not only is Dan a producer and scout for new talent such as Quinn Mills, a 22-year-old musician who has risen to popularity in Canada and beyond after signing him at 17, but he is also a musician and writer himself.  In the late 80’s Dan had success with The Dan Marshall Band, touring all over and backing for bands such as Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers Band.  In 1994, the band headlined for the Katie Beers Benefit Concert with Rage Against the Machine and released their self-titled album in 1998. Eventually his career evolved into a passion for finding new talent and creating platforms for musicians to build audiences.

“I want to bring the Nashville vibe to Long Island,” said Dan of his recent endeavor.

Trying to find the right budget to bring acts in from Nashville and making good business decisions has been the biggest challenge Brian said.

“You just have to make those connections,” he said referencing the help of MP Music House they are ready to take Daisy’s live entertainment to the next level.

With the Daisy’s collaboration performances from the label’s own have included Atticus Jones & Friends with regular stops including the upcoming April 23 live show celebrating the release of their new single, “I Ain’t Looking Back.” The event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at Daisy’s located 22 West Main Street.

Ever since, the repertoire of country and southern rock artists who have graced the stage at Daisy’s is steadily growing with performances from other popular acts in country such as, Jacob Rice, CC & The Boys, and Long Island’s own award-winning Joe Bayer Band, who locally can be seen this July at the Great South Bay Music Festival in Patchogue.

In addition to bringing acts to Daisy’s stage, Brian said MP Music House sponsors Saturday night’s live events and were the co-sponsor along with Deep Eddy Vodka for “Songbird Tuesdays” showcasing songwriters in the round for monthly performances.  Also, the label and Daisy’s joined forces as co-sponsors this past March for the My Country 96.1 Birthday Bash featuring country artist, Jackson Dean at the Patchogue Theatre.

Speaking of the future, Brian said there have been discussions for Dan to possibly begin hosting a new podcast in their custom-designed-velvet VIP lounge interviewing the musicians who pass through and this summer Daisy’s is also setting-up to build on their bus trip package series to concerts locally and at Jones Beach for a one-of-a-kind country tailgate experience.

Ultimately the goal for Dan and MP Music House, he said is to bring the acts in Nashville they sign to Long Island and send new talent to Nashville likewise; the intention being to expose the local talents from both proximities to broaden the range across the board. It takes years he said, but Daisy’s being in it’s infancy is an opportunity that has the possibility of one day to be able to say, “that band played at Daisy’s.”

In addition to the music, Daisy’s menu is true to fashion with a wide variety of top-shelf whiskeys paired with appetizers such as their Tennessee Chicken Dip.  Bachelorette, bridal and birthday parties have also become popular, because Brian describes Daisy’s as “a party.”

“We’re just a little honky tonk, but we’re doing pretty good,” he added.

In a working relationship that only began this past fall, Dan said he is looking forward to what’s to come working with Daisy’s and said it couldn’t have happened in a more matter-of-fact way when asked how they met.

“I walked across the street and had a beer one day,” he explained.

To keep up with everything happening at Daisy’s, you can follow them for the most up-to-date happenings on Instagram @daisys.li and on Facebook.  You can also check them out at daisysli.com.

For more about MP Music House, their artists and the services they offer their talent, visit mpmusichouse.com.

Photos courtesy Daisy’s and MP Music House

Ivy Supersonic is Victorious in New ‘Ice Age Film’ Trademark Fight

By Amy Nicole Tangel

The newest Ice Age film premiered on Disney+ missing a signature character. After a two-decade battle in court over a character Ivy “Supersonic,” the artist and famed feathered-hat-fashion designer, claims to have created, “Scrat” was scrapped from the film after she was awarded principal trademark in a 2020 settlement.

Seen only once in the official trailer for, ‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild’ in true “Ice Age” fashion was of course the clumsy and comical combination squirrel/rat character in the opening.  Movie clips that followed abruptly became absent of the character, and it began to become clear to Ivy, who claims her ‘Sqrat’ was initially stolen by Blue Sky Studios, Inc., and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation film executives in 1999 that Disney was beginning to make right.

“I created Sqrat first, before Fox, Blue Sky Studios, and Disney on May 19, 1999,” said Ivy.

Reaching the almost two-year anniversary of principal trademark ownership, Ivy has moved forward and putting her fight for justice in the hands of Intellectual Property & Entertainment Lawyer Neil A. Burstein. Burstein has represented small and large companies along with high-profile celebrities such as the late fashion designer, Kate Spade and has legally represented film projects for streaming companies HBO and Netflix.

With no pending litigation between Ivy and Disney, who acquired the franchise in March 20, 2019, she said she believes it would be a “win-win for everyone.” According to Fandom.com, in the five ‘Ice Age’ films prior to today’s release, the franchise has grossed approximately $3.2 billion worldwide making it one of the top-earning animated franchises in the world. Ivy said she is pursuing merchandising and licensing deals all the while hoping Disney will reach out to her attorney with an offer first.

“You just have to admire Ivy Silberstein d/b/a Ivy Supersonic for fighting the good fight against powerful entertainment companies over so many years. Ivy prevailed in securing the valuable trademark rights to Sqrat® as well as certain copyrights.  Ivy’s saga is a compelling story in its own right,” said Burstein.

Multiple people originally involved with the top-selling franchise stemming from the now-defunct Blue Sky Studios, Inc., and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation have over the years taken additional claims to also be creators of the film’s character of ‘Scrat.’  While creative projects often include teams of people to bring visions to life, it often appeared in statements over the years that somethings didn’t add up.

In an article published by Soo Theatre News in November of 2009, screenwriter and creator of “Ice Age,” Michael J. Wilson claimed his daughter gave him the idea for the character when she was a 3-year-old little girl. But in a November 2002 court declaration, professional freelance sculptor and model maker, John Dodelson who worked on the first film in 1999 stated his opposition to Ivy’s motion and claimed he came up with the name “Sqrat” to identify the character he was sculpting because it looked like a “squirrel and a rat” to him.

Although courts were never able to rule completely in Ivy’s favor, quite simply, due to a lack of legal copyright documentation held at the time of initial claim, eventually Ivy said she prevailed when trademarks were dropped in March of 2020 by all parties and by July 2020 principal trademark for ‘Sqrat’ was in her hands.  

“Fox applied for 26 ‘Scrat’ trademarks through the years and have been unsuccessful with all 26.  Any new trademarks would now be barred by my registrations,” said Ivy.

Since Ivy began her campaign in 1999, she has had countless high-profile and long-time friends such as entrepreneur Jesse Itzler, Howard Stern, actor, and businessman Nick Loeb and the late renowned photographer Steve Azzara, who voluntarily supported her entire ‘Sqrat’ campaign, spoken out and validated her creation.  

However, the force was too strong to be reckoned with for many years.  Even long-time friend Tommy Lee of Motley Crue spoke under oath in a testament of support of Ivy’s ‘Sqrat’ stating how he believed in her idea when she created it in the late ’90s and even agreed to be the voice of ‘Sqrat’ to help her gain some traction.

“My dream for Sqrat to be a star has already been manifested, I’m with hope and faith that one day Disney will credit me as Sqrat’s creator,” said Ivy.

Over the past two years, Ivy has continued to live a life exuding constant creativity moving beyond the courtroom and even collaborated with Big Apple Comic Con founder, Michael Carbonaro. In February 2021 she opened her first-ever ‘Sqrat’ pop-up store selling trademarked merchandise such as t-shirts, notebooks, and paintings alongside Carbonaro’s collections of comic books in Middle Village, Queens.

Ivy’s determination to never give up has carried her through. She said she is finally at a place where at 54-years-old she is done fighting and just wants peace. From the age of 34, Ivy said battling in court dominated her life and now that she has won she just wants to bring ‘Sqrat’ to fruition with his own adventures as she envisioned when she created the character long ago.

Most well-known for designing the pink feathered hat Pamela Anderson wore to the 1999 MTV VMA’s, Ivy has been designing her one-of-a-kind creations for celebrities and fashion lovers alike for years.  She currently has about two dozen handmade couture feathered hats in her collection. 

On top of it all, her true passion to create carries through in her paintings and she is currently working on a new collection she calls, “Supersonic Land.”  The series of paintings are created with watercolors and a sparkling mixture of Ivy’s mystical touch which she said is magical to her with their splashes of fairy dust, angel perfume and healing water.

“The paintings have letters and thoughts to God in them for luck, prosperity and good fortune,” said Ivy.

At the forefront of Ivy’s mission through whatever path she may take, ‘Sqrat’ has her heart and she said she is ready for what good is to come next.

Ivy will be in attendance with ‘Sqrat’ merchandise and a showcase of her feathered hat collection this Saturday, January 29, 2022 at The New Yorker Hotel as she partners with Michael Carbonaro once again for the first-ever, Big Apple Trading Card Show from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

To read more about everything Sqrat and Ivy Supersonic, visit her sites, http://www.ivysupersonic.com, http://www.sqrat.com and www.scrat.com.  You can also keep up with Ivy on Facebook and Instagram for the most up-to-date events and happenings.

Gallery photos courtesy of Ivy Supersonic and Dream in Color Photography by Eileen Higgins

Additional photos by Amy Nicole Tangel

Life is a luxury with ‘This is Good Water’

By Amy Nicole Tangel

When the pandemic hit and grocery store shelves became bare, Philadelphia based fashion entrepreneurs, Dave Miller and Mel Nazlume, felt a calling to provide something people truly needed in their community.

 “Everyday I was going to the market and the cupboards were so bare,” Dave said.

One day when he was shopping, he began feeling distressed about the lack of essential products and empty shelves.  While on the phone with Mel in the middle of the grocery store, a light bulb went off.  They decided right then and there they wanted to manufacture water.

“[Water] seemed like the essential product, pre-covid, post-covid; no matter what,” he said.

Mel, who has been an educator for over 30 years and owner of online clothing boutique, Emmy Elle Clothing said it was at the height of the shutdown when her and Dave decided to combine their forces and began brainstorming ideas.  They did not originally set out with the goal of manufacturing water, she said, but they just wanted to do something to help others.

“I am not new to entrepreneurship, just new to the beverage industry,” she explained.

In 2006, Dave who is a U.S. Army military veteran and a healthcare worker came home from the service and in that time in 2007 he started a clothing line, Peace and Love Attire, while continuing to live a life of service in the medical field. Dave said he tried to be as cautious as he could during the height of the health crisis and wanted to avoid the supermarket as much as possible, but he loves to cook.

A true birth child of the pandemic, Mel said the entire company was essentially built in the middle of a park.

“We were having meetings [water tastings] in the middle of the park in the middle of the day for the sake of social distancing,” she said.

Eventually, they connected with a bottling facility, Far Away Springs in Brandonville, PA. The water from the Pennsylvania springs, Dave said, stands out from other waters. Not only does the water taste delicious, he explained, but also the spring company makes their bottles and distributes directly on site.

“The water goes straight from the spring into their bottling facility,” Mel added.

And just like that, This is Good Water was born. Working with what they had, Dave and Mel decided to use a logo that was already in existence from his clothing line. Mel said it was a just “for now” decision and what they thought would be temporary, but the symbol representing peace and love stuck.

The first delivery of water came in June 2020 to Dave’s mother’s doorstep after delays in production and shipments with everything being shutdown, so when the time finally came he matter-of-factly told his mom to just throw the first 10 bottles in the fridge and would be by to get them in the morning.

What ties this duo together and the marketing behind the bottle is the Vice President of Visual Media Production, Ty Brown.  Ty joined Mel and Dave in July of 2020 after trying the water for himself and eventually changing his own health for the better because of it.

Three years ago, Ty was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and said he had never drank water in his life up until that point.  Although Ty was proactive in his health, it wasn’t until he tasted This is Good Water that a water tasted good to him for the first time ever.  For Ty, he said the water has changed his life forever and the reason he knew he had to be a part of Mel and Dave’s team.

“Never drank water.  I thought drinking iced tea was better than soda before I would drink water,” he said.

Today, Ty not only drinks This is Good Water every day, but his mother, who was also never a water drinker, it is now all she drinks.  While Ty is humble in his sentiment with the work he has done to create a successful “direct-to consumer” business model, Dave said the distribution plans Ty has implemented for This is Good Water and the expertise he offered as a believer in the mission from the beginning has been integral in the company taking off.

“Ty is a really, really key part to what we do,” said Dave.

As a result of Ty’s role in getting This is Good Water out into the world, in less than two years, it is available nationwide online with shipping for six and 12 packs.  Local delivery is available in 24 bottle cases in Philadelphia, and parts of New Jersey and Delaware.  Most recently, This is Good Water has made it’s way to New York and has been sponsor to fashion events and art receptions throughout Manhattan.

What sets This is Good Water apart from the rest is the mission in itself and the message to their clients in their slogan, “Life is a Luxury.”  The company is not competing with other water companies, because their focus is on the individual health side.

“Self-care, self-love first,” Ty said, explaining that it’s all about loving yourself and treating your body the way it deserves to be treated.

Going hand-in-hand with self-care is the passion held by the company to bring the water to the inner city and to literally put This is Good Water in the hands of the young generation.  For Dave, he said working with the kids and the schools is where his heart lies, having grown up in the inner city himself.

“It’s a lack of certain things.  It’s a lack of positive influences, so we try to do our piece with that,” he continued.

Most recently, This is Good Water adopted West Philly Cornerstone Charter School and for the past three months they have hosted a monthly honors breakfast. The honors breakfast has just been the jumping off point for the company and the work Dave said he wants to do in the future with kids everywhere. 

Of course, Dave said they love giving the kids waters and t-shirts, but it’s the new programs they are implementing, such as “Effort Paired with Excellence” to recognize the efforts from the small to the biggest accomplishments of all kids so no child feels left out that really inspires him to keep doing more.  Not everyone can get straight A’s, Dave said, it is important to help those kids.

“It’s not even just about the water piece with that.  It’s about showing these kids people that look like them are doing these cool things,” he said noting that they deserve to be praised.

For Mel, Ty and Dave the story is the same when it comes to their passion for being a positive influence on the kids in their community.  They don’t just want to help inner-city kids in their own backyard, but they have goals of reaching kids across the country.

“Inner-city kids picking up bottles of water instead of bottles of soda […] that makes me happy,” said Ty.

Looking forward to, 2022, Mel said securing investors is one of her biggest goals on the business end, but the community service aspect will always be number one.  Before the water even landed, it was all about how the water could bring positive changes in the community through jobs and opportunities to give back.

In the past two years since the launch of This is Good Water, a certain amount of water is donated every month to various causes and has even been sent to Africa, Flint, Michigan and has sponsored local community events such as outdoor movie nights in parks for kids.

Although the trio is focused primarily on helping others and not the numbers, they do have a goal and a campaign to “Race to the Millionth Case” in 2022.  A celebration is currently in the works and the millionth case of water will have a special surprise for the lucky winner.

To place orders and to learn more about This is Good Water, visit www.thisisgoodwater.com.  For the most up-to-date events and happenings, follow them on Instagram @thisisgoodwater and Facebook @Good Water.

Feature Photo: Amy Nicole Tangel

Gallery Photos courtesy This is Good Water

By Amy Nicole Tangel

Lung cancer survivor, Heidi Nafman Onda said she has a goal to put a white ribbon in every lung cancer patient’s hands so they know they are never alone, and what started as a simple gesture to have a voice has taken life into a growing movement bringing new hope.

In October of 2018, Heidi was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).  Initially, she received a phone call and was told with chemo and radiation she would have 4 to 6 months.  In a miraculous turn of events, when she met with her oncologist for the first time, he had a totally different story and she was told of a new trial immunotherapy specifically for her stage with, “curative intent.”  Three cycles of chemotherapy and thirty radiation treatments later, followed by immunotherapy infusions for one year, in January of 2020 Heidi received the report there was no evidence of disease. 

While Heidi did not have an active history of tobacco use and was educated about health, because of the lack of preventative screening for lung cancer she was not diagnosed until late stage.

“That’s our story here.  Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer,” she said.

Before The White Ribbon Project came to life, Heidi said she was working with all her might to advocate for better screening and for the public to become aware that anyone who has lungs can get lung cancer.  For a cancer that is the deadliest among all cancers, she said the stigma of smoking has taken a detrimental toll on the truth of lung cancer and what is being done for prevention.

When she and other advocates started asking care centers across the country what they were going to do for lung cancer awareness month in years past, Heidi said they were not only unsupported, they were dismissed.

“We were either getting ignored, or dismissed or down-right humiliated,” Heidi said.

One day, the hurtful responses and comments brought Heidi to a point where she said she felt she had to do something, somehow, even if it was just putting a white ribbon on her door.  She said nobody could tell her she couldn’t do that, so she asked her husband Pierre if he could make her a ribbon for the front door; Heidi said she was ready to scream to the world she had lung cancer.

“I didn’t have to ask permission from anybody to do this, and it gave me some control back in the process,” she said.

Heidi didn’t start with only putting a ribbon on the door though. She decorated the whole front of their house with tied white ribbons on trees and even the mailbox.  She said she took a picture of the scene and put it on a private Facebook page for advocates in Colorado.

From the picture, people started asking about the ribbon on the door and how they could get one.  What started out as one became dozens a week Heidi said, but because of the time of the pandemic they were just leaving the ribbons on the doorstep, and she never really got to meet many of the people who would share their pictures and stories on social media taking the ribbons out in the public, to landmarks and to their doctor appointments.

Pierre said it didn’t start out with the vision of a grass roots organization, but it just became more, and they kept getting signs from survivors and caretakers who also felt neglected and alone in some way on their own journeys.

“I think it was more responding to the needs of a community,” he said.

As Heidi and Pierre continued to network it became clear to them they needed to think more broadly and began connecting to other advocates all over the country like Liz Dagrossa from Bohemia, NY.  Liz was diagnosed with NSCLC at the age of 53 and 9 years later at the age of 62, Liz said she wakes up every day not thinking she is a patient with cancer.

For years, Liz said she has not only fought lung cancer, but the stigma that it is something she deserves.  The reality is that many people who are diagnosed with lung cancer have never actively used tobacco and even if they had; nobody should be treated like they deserve to be sick.

“Nobody deserves this.  I don’t care if you were a smoker or not,” she said.

Liz has been actively using her voice to bring awareness to lung cancer through social media and in her local community on Long Island for years.  Through her determination and persistence she joined the mission of The White Ribbon Project after seeing a Facebook post and reaching out to Heidi to see how she could get involved.  Most recently, Liz and her family started doing their own ribbon building distributing to others locally and she even brought her own treatment team at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) on board in support.

“People don’t even know that the white ribbon stands for lung cancer,” she said.

Before living in Colorado, Heidi and Pierre lived in Los Angeles where she was a health educator with the HIV and Aids community and said the exact same stigma that happened to their community is what is happening to the lung cancer community.  Heidi said the fact that the mention of lung cancer automatically leads people to the question of smoking needs to end.

“We are going global now,” Heidi said.

“Ribbon Builds” are now taking place and people are gathering together to make the ribbons including patients, survivors, advocates, families and industry leaders, as well.  The feedback that Heidi and Pierre said they have received from countless clinicians who have begun to have discussions with them is that they have felt stigmatized as well not only for their patients, but by lack of funding to treat the disease.

“When you just focus on prevention then I think it ignores the fact that the public, doctors, we as a society have a responsibility for a better early detection, better treatment and for better outcomes,” Pierre said.

One of the biggest things Heidi said she would like to see stopped are the prevention commercials that show such horrible images.  She said chances are people who are eligible for screening who see those images are not being scared into screening, they are being scared away from ever wanting to know.

“They need to start showing images of hope, like Liz of 9 years. I’m 3 years and it was very tolerable treatment.  I never got sick.  I don’t know why, but that didn’t happen to me,” she said.

Impactful people like former NFL linebacker Chris Draft have made The White Ribbon Project a mission in their lives and Draft has become a national spokesperson for the organization having lost his wife to lung cancer. Industry leaders have also taken notice and met with Heidi in Colorado last month; building their own white ribbons to take with them to start their own missions.  Heidi said from that meeting alone, 20 countries have already been identified to begin using The White Ribbon Project as a template to educate and unite.

In addition to the support of industry leaders, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) has also shown a sign of forward movement and solidarity releasing a language guide to use a first-person language with specific focuses to “Eliminate Blame Language” and “End Stigma.”

When asked what her goal was for Lung Cancer Awareness Month and beyond, Heidi said it is to simply give a lot of love to those that support and continue to distribute as many ribbons as possible with the hopes of continued forward discussions and positive steps towards a cure.

“We are fighting for our lives and we are worth it.  We are worth demanding treatment like any other cancer,” she said.

For more information about how you can obtain a white ribbon, become involved or to learn more, visit www.thewhiteribbonproject.org or follow them on social media platforms Facebook and Instagram @thewhiteribbonproject.

Photos courtesy Heidi Nafman Onda & Liz Dagrossa

By Amy Nicole Tangel

In an age where repurposing the old into new has become not just a luxury, but a necessity from shortages in wood supplies, one LI craftsman has flipped the coin with one-of-a-kind restoration in his newly-opened sign shop.

Tom Cassanello opened LI Garage Art at Barntique Village in Moriches, NY, in the early summer of 2020.  With so much uncertainty for businesses during the height of the pandemic, Tom said he wasn’t even sure he wanted to entertain the idea in the very beginning and had resorted to just working out of his garage but when he looked at the space, the rest was history.

“I always did signs.  I did airbrushing a long time ago,” he said.

What started primarily as specializing in signs,  has now expanded to all types of custom furniture creations and refurbishes through Tom’s craftmanship.  Graphics, wood working, welding and most recently,  Tom has added leather working to his list of skills. 

A native of Huntington, Tom has lived the last 35 years in Rocky Point and is a Navy Veteran who served four years from 1975-1979.  Among fighter squadron Ghostriders and Tomcat, Tom’s service includes multiple deployments on USS America, which now rests on the ocean bottom and USS Eisenhower; one of the oldest still floating in service.

During his years of service Tom worked as an Aviation Metalsmith, but he said his main job was mostly painting F-14’s.

“When I got in the paint shop, we just stayed in the paint shop,” he said.

Following his time in the Navy, Tom worked in commercial diving, machine shop work and then as a cable splicer for 27 years until his retirement.  After Tom retired, he continued to follow his passion for building and painting and went to work for a sign shop but he said he felt it didn’t have the soul he was looking for working with vinyl and knew he wanted to focus on working with wood.

Over the years whenever a friend of his would open a shop, whether it be a tattoo shop, bike shop, junkyard or welding shop, Tom said he would make them a sign for their business as a token of good luck.

Time would go by Tom said, and businesses would evolve or run their course, but the signs would live on in their owners’ garages.  People would always say to him, ‘Hey, I still got your garage art,’ and with that Tom said the name LI Garage Art came to life.

Ever since Tom became part of the Barntique Village community he has been making signs for other vendor shops and said it’s like a little family there.  Over the years through word of mouth and from people who have visited, it is said that stepping into the village itself is like a rare step back in time.

All of Tom’s business likewise has come simply through word-of-mouth over the years and even though Tom said social media is not his forte, he does showcase his work on Facebook and the Marketplace and is working on building an Instagram platform.

LI Garage Art is open Friday through Monday leaving Tom with the days in between for building.  While most of the heavy work is done at his home garage workshop, if you come down to LI Garage Art, chances are you will find Tom in his seemingly ultimate man cave working on anything from painting to leather work or sharing stories with customers.

“It’s like a makers’ kind of place,” he said.

For LI Garage Art and every other shop in Barntique Village, they are only open in the daylight as there are no outdoor lights for evening shopping, but Tom said he is hoping to stay open some evenings during the holiday season.

Plans to decorate the village this year are in store for the holiday season with lights outside throughout, and Tom said he is looking forward to putting his artistic touches to work.  Keeping with the theme of antiques, Tom said he refurbished the village Santa and wants to create an original Christmas piece in the middle of the village with every shop’s name on display.

While other people who work with wood faced shortages and sky-high prices from the pandemic, for Tom he said he eliminated that problem when he decided to begin taking old furniture and repurposing the wood he already had just as was done in the past.

He said he always explains to his customers who want multiple pieces alike they are not all going to be exactly the same; each piece is handmade and one-of-a-kind.  Tom said he loves Long Island and making custom signs with the island engraved; still each island is just a little different.

“I love doing the nautical stuff,” he said.

Taking pictures all while he goes, Tom said, he doesn’t remember the first custom craft he ever made,  but his favorite one is always the one he just made.  Personal works of art are taken to heart with Tom who has made keepsakes for many veterans and in memory of those lost in service such as a custom sign which hangs at the Michael Murphy Museum in West Sayville, NY; honoring Navy SEAL LT Michael P. Murphy.

A craft Tom hasn’t tried his hands at yet and has his sights on learning next is working with stained glass but he said it’s a whole different thing.  Eventually, he said the shop will be set-up where each craft has its own station separated by woodworking, leather and glass.

Carving the wood is done at the home garage because it’s too messy for the village shop Tom said but  plenty of work is done right on-site where visitors of LI Garage Art can witness when they stop in.  Tom said he initially got into leather work from making leather oil cooler covers to replace the standard vinyl ones on motorcycles for himself and for other fellow riders.  He just kept thinking about it until one day he said he bought some old tools on Facebook Marketplace and started practicing different techniques.

“My stuff is a lot more primitive looking, because I want it to be,” he said.

As much as Tom said he loves talking with customers and working while he chats, he tries to avoid letting his customers see the work in progress and prefers to reveal the craft once it’s complete.  Aside from the element of surprise and capturing a moment, he said during the building process the work doesn’t look like what it’s going to be, “so it just makes sense.”

Shipping has been Tom’s biggest challenge for the business with costs and weights of items, but in spite of it all Tom said right how his work is in 17 states, and he most recently shipped his first piece internationally to France.  One piece at a time, Tom’s work is beginning to make its way around the world.

Looking to the future, Tom said he has so many things on deck he is never at a loss for inspiration or stories to tell.  Feeling grateful to just be busy and doing what he is doing, Tom is focused on making more custom creations and the ideal he learned early on of how important a sign is for a business opening.

“They get the rent, the furniture but when they get the sign, it becomes real,” he said.

To find out more about LI Garage Art, visit www.ligarageart.com or on Facebook @ligarageart.  For inquiries by phone, call Tom at 516-650-0500.