Montauk Community Notes, January 26

We notice that there are many health programs being offered in Montauk and for very good reason. Between what seems like perpetual blizzards or incessant rain, getting about for many of us is charged with difficulty. Sometimes that difficulty poses a significant threat to life and limb.

On Tuesday afternoon, January 18, we attended a program at the library which was a collaboration between the Suffolk County Department of Health and Lori Newell of Living Well Yoga and Fitness. Some 16 Montaukers braved the driving rain to attend the lunch-and-learn program downstairs in the Suzanne Koch Gosman Room. Tables had been set up with cloths and a lovely buffet of healthy wraps, salad, and cookies had been done up by Eve Shaternik.

The theme of the event was “Staying Independent For Life.” Material presented was by Nelida Zoeller, a community service worker who is a falls preventive coordinator for the Division of Preventive Medicine of the county’s Department of Health. We learned some surprising facts: that the leading cause of injury deaths is from falls; that men have a higher risk of death due to falls; females have a higher risk of hip fractures due to falls; aging increases the risk of falling; those with previous falls increase the risk of falling again; and people with sleep disturbances are also at an increased risk. Moreover, over half of all injury-related hospitalizations occur at home.

The hope and goal lies in prevention strategies, according to Ms. Zoeller. They include a medication review, assessing the home to make it safer, annual vision exams, staying active and exercise! Lori spoke of the significance of exercise and demonstrated tai chi, an activity which is known as an important way to support balance. We owe a debt to Lori for her devotion to the health of the community.

Here’s another health event which will be presented at Gurney’s Inn tonight at 6 p.m. Personal Cure of Montauk will sponsor a program called “Obesity and Disease Solutions.” Issues to be covered include boosting metabolism, detoxifying the body and transforming your life. Considered a well-known nutritional expert, Dr. T. Colin Campbell will speak via video conference and Jonathan Landsman of “NaturalNews Talk Hour,” will be the host. It may not be too late to call Phyllis Lomotila at 668-1717 for the necessary, though last minute, reservation. A $10 fee will be charged and vegetarian cuisine will be available afterward.

We’ve just learned that the Montauk Youth program is also supporting an innovative yoga program for children. It started at Sangha Yoga for kindergarten and first grade students last Wednesday, and second and third grades on Thursday. A waiver from the parents was required as well as a $20 fee. What a grand idea; we hope it will become a useful tool for many of our children.

For a change of theme, the Friends of the Montauk Library will be presenting “The Kids Are All Right” tomorrow at 7 p.m. as part of its Thursday winter film series. You won’t want to miss this first-rate film with Julianne Moore and Annette Bening, who has been mentioned for all kinds of awards.

If you don’t mind wandering a bit farther west, the Classic Movie Matinee, free at Guild Hall (with a BookHampton day pass) on Tuesdays at 2 p.m., will feature the memorable “Laura,” with Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews.

We offer our condolences to Ingrid Lemme, public relations director for Gurney’s Inn, on the passing of her husband Sunshine (Sunny) Lemme.

We’re really impressed by the comprehensive nature of the Montauk Public School’s adult education program which begins on January 31. It offers courses from computers to Zumba with a later add-on featuring Peter Spacek’s cartooning class starting on March 14 and the emergency certification course provided by the American Heart Association in April. Thoughtfully, the evening hours make it possible for working students-to-be, to live and learn.

Looking ahead, one of the first events for next month to note for your calendar is a lecture and slide show given by Mark Courtade on Sunday, February 6, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Called “The Rodgers and Hammerstein Era: Reinventing Musical Theater,” it is proffered by program director Carolyn Balducci for the Montauk Library.

Under the looking ahead theme, we have learned that Joan Lycke has been chosen to be the grand marshal of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. We can’t think of another person who could qualify as well as this woman who has worked so hard in so very many areas, from the library to the playhouse, in supporting the healthy growth of our hamlet.

And looking very far ahead, we’ve learned that the 19th annual Hamptons International Film Festival will be arriving a week after the Columbus Day weekend on October 13-17. Board member Alec Baldwin will kick off the 2011 festival with a screening and program at Guild Hall, which he will host on February 19.

Congratulations go to Craig Tuthill on his 75th birthday last week. Craig has won many honors in our hamlet, including the honorific title of grand marshal in a bygone St. Paddy’s Day celebration.