They’re the prize of Long Island, the sandy beaches that line the South Shore or the rocky seaside that calls the calm waters of the Long Island Sound home.

Places such as Jones Beach, Robert Moses State Park and any one of the dozens of Hamptons beaches attract visitors by the thousands. With all that splendor, how’s a person to choose where to pitch their umbrellas in the sand?

Patch’s Long Island Beach Guide is here to help. We’ve got a detailed breakdown of every major beach, from the nitty-gritty details of fees, hours and parking to the reasons why locals love these seaside attractions so much.

In addition, if you have great photos of any of these beaches, then click through to the beach listings and add them to our galleries.

Enjoy the guide, and, above all, have an amazing and safe time at the beach.

SOUTH SHORE

Nassau County

Long Beach – The city has “beach” in its name, so you know the surf has to be good. One of Long Island’s only cities, Long Beach is driven by the beach. Its best-known stretch, Ocean Beach Park, is a haven for quasi-urban surfers and local beachgoers who want a great beach experience and is lined by a 2.2-mile boardwalk that offers a host of eateries and shops. Both locals and visitors must buy a seasonal beach pass to enter the beach regularly, otherwise the daily rate is $12 for entry.

Long Beach isn’t the only beach on this barrier island. To the west sits the resident-only East Atlantic Beach and the members-only Silver Point Beach Club and The Sands at Atlantic Beach, while county and town beaches to the east include Lido Beach, Sands Picnic Beach and the Eugene Nickerson Beach in the hamlet of Lido Beach and Point Lookout at the far end of the island.

Jones Beach State Park – Perhaps the first beach that jumps to mind when mentioning Long Island beaches, Jones Beach attracts thousands to its sandy stretches each year. Close proximity to New York City makes it an easy day trip for urban beachgoers, but locals are also in love with the state-run beach that features boardwalks, food, several pools, a pitch and putt golf course and a museum. Another major selling point: The Nikon Theater at Jones Beach brings world-class concerts to this storied seaside.

Tobay Beach – Located just east of Jones Beach, Tobay Beach offers visitors a more toned-down experience while still offering great features including a marina, restaurants, concession stands, mini golf and a spray park. Tobay Beach is managed by the Town of Oyster Bay (which is how it gets its name) and is only open to non-residents Monday-Friday for a $40 daily fee.

Western Suffolk County

Robert Moses State Park – Perhaps the most pristine and peaceful of the state-run beaches, Robert Moses State Park offers seaside serenity like no other. Visitors can explore five miles of sandy shores on the Fire Island beach as well as several nature trails to the east giving walkers a chance to gawk at the seabirds and famed Fire Island deer that call the park home. But as well as the beach, Robert Moses features a historic lighthouse, a pitch and putt golf course, concession stands at the five fields and a new playground to entertain the kids.

Cedar Beach – A quiet Atlantic beach managed by the Town of Babylon, Cedar Beach offers a concession stand, basketball and handball courts and a pitch and putt golf course. It’s also next to Gilgo State Park, a wildlife preserve that’s only accessible by foot or four-wheel vehicle. Non-resident fees for Cedar Beach are $15 weekdays and $25 on weekends and holidays.

Gilgo Beach – A longer stretch of beach than Cedar to the west, Gilgo has fewer amenities than its neighbor but makes up for it in serenity. While a small community of beach houses abuts the beach, non-locals can park and visit for $30 a weekend and $40 on weekends and holidays. Recently, Gilgo has picked up some notoriety due to a string of bodies found nearby that officials think may have been left by a serial killer.

Captree State Park – This state-run park is at the end of Jones Beach Island, tucked just behind where Fire Island and Robert Moses State Park begin. As a result, the beach there features calmer waters that make it a perfect spot for fishing off the piers or hiring a charter boat to take you out for the day. Sandy trails, picnic areas and restaurant make it a great spot when you’re not in the mood for a busy beach.

Heckscher State Park – While not technically an “ocean” beach, Heckscher’s sandy shores on the Great South Bay are nothing to scoff at. While, the calm bay waters make for great swimming, fishing and boating, Heckscher’s sheer size as a park means there are many other things to do, including hiking or biking through the nearly 1,500 acres, playgrounds and athletic fields perfect for getting large groups together for a friendly summer game. A concession area and a swimming pool also abut the beach, though the pool is closed for 2012.

Fire Island National Seashore – Some of Fire Island’s largest stretches of beach are part of the National Park Service’s domain, including the Fire Island wilderness, nearly 1,400 acres of untouched beachfront that attracts die-hard hikers, campers and nature enthusiasts. Meanwhile, Sailors Haven/Sunken Forest has one of the park’s main attractions, a below-sea-level holly forest that’s a haven for coastal wildlife. The secluded Barret Beach/Talisman area features a marina and a quiet beach for visitors looking for a serene seaside experience. The Fire Island Lighthouse to the west is part of the national park, but consider yourself warned (or tipped off), the nearby Lighthouse Beach is, ahem, clothing optional.

Fire Island Beaches – The storied secluded communities of Fire Island are legendary on the East Coast for their no-cars policy, gay-friendly attractions, diverse clubs and eateries, and pristine beaches where a bathing suit is not always required. Communities such as Kismet, Cherry Grove, Fire Island Pines, Atlantique, Seaview and Fair Harbor each has a specific charm and a stretch of white sand all their own. Ferry service from Bay Shore, Sayville and Patchogue can get you on the Island at different parts, but if you are an adventurous, and well-conditioned hiker, the walk from Robert Moses Field 5 to Kismet is a doable, but grueling.

Smith Point County Park – The last of the large Long Island Beaches before you hit the Hamptons, Smith Point is usually the beach of choice for residents in the goliath Brookhaven Town in the mood for a lazy day at the beach. The Suffolk County-run beach, in addition to offering great surf, concessions, fishing and campsites for those who want to spend a night sleeping on the beach, abuts the Fire Island Wilderness, 1,380 acres of trails and campgrounds that are part of the Fire Island National Seashore.

THE HAMPTONS

While the western Long Island beaches are great, world-class, even, the beaches on the South Fork stretching from West Hampton Dunes to Montauk are a rare breed, marked by rolling waves and soft sand set in front of some of the most dramatic real estate in the United States. Since the region has dozens of beaches, each unique, please click through to each expanded directory listing for more details. Fees and permits vary depending what village and town or village manages the beach. In many cases, parking permits are only available to locals, but taxi options and walk-ons give visitors the opportunity to enjoy the beaches.

Westhampton - Hampton Bays

Beaches in this stretch are part of the Westhampton Island, a barrier island like Fire Island to the West. In this case, Dune Road runs the length of it, from the quiet of West Hampton Dunes, the party-heavy Westhampton Beach and ending at Ponquogue Beach in Hampton Bays at the gateway to the Hamptons.

Quogue Village Beach – One of the quietest beaches on Dune Road west of the Shinnecock Canal, Quogue Village beach is low-key, with a playground and a concession stand to go with the perfect sand.

Cupsogue Beach – This Suffolk County park is a local paradise, with long sandy beaches, a cabana, hiking trails, four-wheel access, free Wi-Fi and the chance to spot local seals sunning on sandbars.

Lashley Beach – Managed by the Village of Westhampton, Lashley is offers a local hideaway and surfing spot that far less rowdy than the shores at the Dune Deck Beach Resort nearby.

Ponquogue Beach – This beach, run by the Town of Southampton, is another local gem, stretching to the end of the barrier island. Beach, surf, concessions and showers are available, but the family atmosphere is what attracts most. It’s a gorgeous spot.

Tiana Beach – Another county-run beach, but this ones has a few different faces. By day it’s lazy and family oriented, but with the nearby clubs Tiana can become a lot more spirited as the day rolls on.

Meschutt Beach County Park – Being on the interior of the Shinnecock Bay brings still water to this county beach. Camping, boating and bathing are great here, and so is the seafood served at the Meschutt Beach Hut.

Southampton

Southampton’s beaches are pristine, with heavyweights Cooper’s and Main Beach often scoring top ranks in national polls. Permits and fees can depend on which municipality is running the beach and a few offer daily passes, often only on weekdays. Either way, the scenery is like no other, with perfect dunes and picturesque estates stretching for miles.

Shinnecock East County Park – The only county beach in Southampton, Shinnecock East is actually the westernmost beach on The Hamptons coast. A major fishing spot, Shinnecock highlights its undeveloped scenery. Southampton

Southampton Town

Sagg Main Beach – This might be perfect Hamptons beach setting, with few features to get in the way of the scenery. Perhaps that’s why droves of seasonal visitors tend to choose this beach. Every other Monday evening during the summer, Sagg Main Beach is the site of a large drum circle, with other spectacles like the occasional visit from fire dancers.

Mecox Beach – This Bridgehampton beach offers endless sand, and limited amenities. The setting is enough.

Flying Point Beach – If you aren’t local, be sure to make arrangements to get to this Water Mill Beach since no daily passes are available. Incredibly scenic, with the dramatic Channel Pond behind the beach and the Water Mill beach Club nearby.

Long Beach Park (Foster Memorial Town Beach) – Located in the hamlet of Noyac, Long Beach Park brings the expected calm of a bay beach, with still waters that are great for boating and fishing. On a narrow strip of land popular with sunbathers, it is a safe and scenic route for cyclists.

Southampton Village

Coopers Beach – Selected by "Dr. Beach" in 2010 as America’s best beach and, more recently, by National Geographic Traveler as the No. 2 family beach, Coopers is definitely a local champion. The only village beach with lifeguards, Cooper’s also gives visitors the option to rent chairs and umbrellas and has a complete concession stand to keep visitors well fed and hydrated. Grassy dunes, soft sand, and stately mansions dot the horizon at Coopers. And if the parking fee is too steep, the bike ride from Southampton Village isn’t so bad. The newly launched SpotRide will take you there for free.

The rest of Southampton Village beaches each offer their own slice of the coast, and in many cases give locals and returning seasonal guests serene getaways from the often crowded “scenes” at some of the more notable beaches in Southampton. Summer-long permits are required at Fowler Beach, Cryder Beach, Road G Beach, Halsey Neck Beach, Wyandanch Beach, Gin Beach, Little Plains Beach and Old Town Beach while no permit is required at Road D Beach.

Sag Harbor Village

Havens Beach – For fans of North Fork Beaches, Sag Harbor’s Havens Beach is your typical scenic Peconic Bay treasure, with views of sailboats on the smooth bay waters and Shelter Island’s coast in the distance.

East Hampton - Montauk

The riches of Hamptons beaches continues into East Hampton, where the sands, waves and the mansions tend to swell as you move East. But cross into Montauk and the surf clubs and swank scenes start to change until you at last hit Camp Hero with its miles of wilderness, bluffs and the Montauk Lighthouse at The End. For East Hampton and Montauk beaches, fees and accessibility depend on who runs them, but services such as Hamptons Free Ride can help visitors without permits get on the beaches.

Camp Hero State Park – The end of Long Island, Camp Hero is a wilderness like no other, with interior trails frequented by hikers, bikers and horseback riders, a museum, the historic Montauk Point Lighthouse and steep, dramatic bluffs that fall into the rough Atlantic Ocean. State park fees apply on the weekends, but the park is open for free during the week. A very popular spot for surf casting, too.

East Hampton Village

Main Beach – Easily the most visited beach in East Hampton, Main Beach offers a full pavilion with food and drinks, piping plover nests and grassy dunes along a stretch of beach that yearly attracts droves for its perfect vantage point to watch the Labor Day fireworks. It can definitely get crowded, though.

Georgica Beach – Normally a peaceful beach for visitors who want less hub-bub, devastating erosion from Hurricane Irene has left this beach closed while officials work to replenish the sand and fix the damage.

Wiborg Beach – Located right near the Maidstone Club, the tucked-away and very scenic Wiborg has long been a favorite of surfers. However, there are no bathrooms or lifeguards here, though approvals for lifeguards are in the works.

Egypt Beach – On the other side of the Maidstone Club, Egypt is a bit more rugged than its neighbor Wiborg, but locals know it as one of the best places to catch the sunset. No lifeguards, though.

Two Mile Hollow Beach – A large parking lot with a daily rate makes this beautiful beach another often visited attraction. Not much by way of amenities, but very relaxing.

East Hampton Town

Indian Wells Beach – While the sand and surf are big draws here, as well as the family friendly atmosphere and volleyball courts, the row of food trucks that park there give this beach a unique draw. Surfers love it, too.

Ditch Plains – Another beach loved by locals and visitors alike, Ditch Plains is a huge favorite of surfers. Only two miles from the heart of Montauk, the beach also has beautiful cliffs that stand out in a region where sand dunes are more common to find on the beach.

Like Ditch Plains and Indian Wells, lifeguards can also be found at ocean beaches such as Atlantic Beach in Amagansett, Kirk Park Beach in Montauk and Edison Beach in Montauk while unprotected and still incredibly scenic beaches include Little Albert’s Landing in Amagansett Lazy Point in Amagansett, South Lake in Montauk, Beach Lane in Wainscott and Townline Road Beach in Wainscott. Kirk Park offers a daily rate on weekdays.

The town also has a few bay beaches that offer calmer waters for young swimmers and spectacular boating and fishing. Those are Albert’s Landing in Amagansett, Gin Beach in Montauk and Maidstone Park in Springs.

NORTH SHORE

Nassau County

North Hempstead Beach Park – At this 60-acre park, you'll find a sandy beach and a promenade for residents who want to walk along the waterfront. There's also a fishing pier, boat ramp, bathhouse and concession area, along with basketball, handball and paddleball courts. This spot is also popular with beach volleyball players and for its Sunday summer concerts.

Sands Point Park and Preserve – This might be the only Long Island beach that has the distinction of having a castle (unless you count some of those Hamptons mansions). Once the home of the Guggenheim family, Sands Point was taken over by Nassau County and these days offers educational programs, a museum and acres of hiking trails through woods, along a pond and a nearly one-mile stretch of shoreline, complete with bluffs and rocky sands. Fees are $5 per car or $2 for walk-ons.

Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park and Beach – A Syossett staple run by the town of Oyster Bay, Theodore Roosevelt offers great North Shore bathing as well as walking trails, picnic areas, and a wide array of sports fields and courts for outdoor gaming in the summer. Daily rate is $15 a day if you don't have a town sticker.

Western Suffolk County

Sunken Meadow State Park – The jewel of the North Shore, Sunken Meadow has just about every dramatic natural feature you want in a Long Island Sound park. Three miles of beach, amazing tidal flats, salt marshes and huge glacial bluffs overlooking the waters are just a few features that draw thousands each year. Hikers and bikers have six miles of trails to navigate, while less adventurous folk would be happy just to stroll the boardwalk. As for boaters, the park offers launches for canoes, kayaks and fishing boats.

Long Beach - Short Beach - Callahan’s Beach – The Town of Smithtown’s three main beaches each offer something unique. Long Beach features a long rocky stretch of beach and dramatic bluffs, with a playground and a nature preserve, while Short Beach is more compact, with a campgrounds and sand flats at low tide. Callahan’s, although, offers the calm waters and rocky coast associated with Long Island Sound beaches, but sits behind dramatic bluffs that tower over the water.

West Meadow Beach – A local treasure for North Brookhaven locals, West Meadow has undergone a transformation in the years since the cottages that used to line it were knocked down. The natural beauty, however, hasn’t changed. Locals come for long walking trails, kayaking in the salt marshes behind the beach, the endless sand flats at low tide and the best sunsets on the Sound given the beach’s western facing. Town of Brookhaven residents must buy a seasonal beach pass, but non-locals will have to pay the $20 daily parking fee.

Cedar Beach – This Port Jefferson/Mount Sinai beach is a haven for locals of these North Shore communities offering sailor’s a quick entry into the rolling waters of the Long Island Sound. The rocky beach also provides a great place to pitch an umbrella and look off into the horizon. Town of Brookhaven residents must buy a seasonal beach pass, but non-locals will have to pay the $20 daily parking fee.

Wildwood State Park – Like other large North Shore park, Wading River’s Wildwood park features rocky beaches, nature trails, dramatic bluffs and scenic spots for a picnic overlooking the Sound. But where Wildwood sets itself apart is in the camping options on the property. Reservations are required, but once booked visitors can spend a few days enjoying the 600 acres and enjoying weekly activities such as an outdoor movie and square dancing.

North Fork

North Fork beaches generally are of two kinds. On one hand you have the rocky shore and bluffs that line its border with the Long Island Sound while the south shores are those of the Peconic and Gardiner’s Bays, which is home to great boating and fishing.

Orient Point County Park – This Suffolk County park marks the end of the North Fork at Orient Point. Nature trails in woods and along the Long Island Sound and the Peconic Bay give visitors the best of both shores. At the same time, the view of the Orient Point Lighthouse from the tip is as close as you can get without taking a boat.

Orient Beach State Park – Meanwhile, Orient Beach State Park is a preserved slice of sandy beach and cedar forest on Gardiner’s Bay. It’s a kayaker’s heaven, though the playground and concession stands make it a great place for a family day on the beach.

Truman's Beach – Maintained by the Orient-East Marion Park district, this stretch of shore along the Sound is flanked by a huge tidal wetlands.

New Suffolk Beach – One of the more popular beaches on the Peconic Bay, New Suffolk is also one of the few with lifeguards. Like many North Fork beaches, it’s a big draw for boaters and fishermen.

Breakwater Beach and Park – A large Long Island Sound beach in Mattituck, Breakwater is perhaps known best for its beach volleyball and several protected piping plover nests.

Southold Town Beach – What’s great about this beach is if you can just pull up and take in the amazing Long Island Sound view without leaving your car since the lot is so close to the water, which also makes it a frequent victim of erosion. But if you do choose to visit longer, the quiet beach and distant bluffs won’t disappoint.

Goldsmith Inlet Park – Rock jetties and sunsets, that’s why people come to Goldsmith in Peconic. The scenic wetlands around Goldsmith Pond also make a great backdrop for birdwatchers and photographers. But if you see one sunset on Long Island, make it here.

Though they're not as famous as the beaches on Long Island and New Jersey, Connecticut's state beaches are beautiful for a day trip or weekend. 

Click on these links for information and directions.

• Hammonasset Beach State Park, Madison
• Rocky Neck State Park, Niantic
• Sherwood Island State Park, Westport
• Silver Sands State Park, Milford

For the most up-to-date information on the status of beaches, please call the Water Quality Report Information Line at 1-866-CTPARKS (option #5).

Over the course of eight years, Peekskill gallery owner and artist Wilfredo Morel collected pieces of deteriorated former manufacturing plants from the banks of the Hudson River in Peekskill. While he collected he researched the history and learned how manufacturing allowed the area to prosper but affected the river's health.  

Years later and Morel’s collection of centuries-old metal has found the perfect home. He was chosen by ArtsWestchester to turn his collection into a sculpture to be used in its Fish Tales Around Westchester exhibit, which explores the ecological history of the Hudson River and calls the public to take action on its health.

Morel created a two ton steel tree sculpture that utilizes the metal pieces he collected and represents the “human physical interaction with the river,” he said.

"My purpose is in letting the public know that by taking on anything given to us by nature…it is extremely important to respect it, and that rather than compromising the livelihood, it is best for us to improve and make it better, rather than what happened to the Hudson river,” Morel said.

Morel has incorporated potbelly stoves, tools used for ice harvesting in the 1700s, remnants of former manufacturing plants on the river and symbols that represent the industries that once thrived in the area, into his sculpture.

"While these products were beneficial to man, their creation was often harmful to rivers," Morel said.

The tree sculpture took about five months to create and is made of steel, cast iron, bronze, copper and aluminum.

Morel also incorporated a piece that represents a human limb holding a rivet from the World Trade Center. The 911 memento symbolizes "mankind embracing structure, it’s the appreciation and respect we need to pay to our planet. After all, we can only create from what it gives," Morel writes in his artist statement. 

Morel’s impressive tree is installed amongst 20 other artists’ work that creates a fantasy sea environment where guests will be encouraged to participate in art-making and role-playing workshops. ArtsWestchester hopes Fish Tales Around Westchester  will engage and educated children and families about the environmental science of the area’s waterways. The opening is June 7 at 6 p.m. and the exhibit is open until Aug. 11.

All of the involved artists made their work entirely from from recycled and repurposed materials harvested from the Lower New York’s waterways. The works create an artistic narrative that will help guests to explore the Hudson River’s abundant past and better understand mankind’s impact on our ecosystem.  The exhibition is created in collaboration with nonprofit R.A.R.E. (Rare Animals Really Endangered).

 Many of the participating Westchester-based teaching artists will contribute to ArtsWestchester Exhibition Workshops series on Saturdays throughout June and July, which includes a series of seven family workshops, discussion forums, and lecture series. Visit _ArtsWestchester_ for more. 
 
Fish Tales Around Westchester Artists: 

Jay Albrecht
Haifa Bint-Kadi
Beth DeWit
Ann Ladd
Jude Ferencz
Audrey Hawkins
David Licata
Bill Martin
Wilfredo Morel and Steel Imaginations
Joe Mullins
Eddie Peña
Todd and Laura Rawson
Dominick Santise
Tova Snyder
Eileen Stodut
Julia Sverchuk
Celeste Ting
Evan Turk

Here's the major stories on Patch sites around the Hudson Valley:

• Rockland Gymnastics Team Win State Championship
• The Greenacres Association of Scarsdale Celebrates 100th Anniversary
• Centuries of Hudson River History Featured in ArtsWestchester Fish Tales

A 21-year-old White Plains man faces a misdemeanor drug charge after police say they found two prescription pills in his vehicle during a traffic stop.

Police stopped the driver at about 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of N. Lexington Ave. and Main St. Inside the vehicle, police say they found two 20-milligram pills of Dexroamphetamine, a prescription stimulant.

The driver was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a misdemeanor. He was released on $500 bail and is due in court June 14.

A celebration of the connection between physical health and mental health and wellness, Get on Your Mat for Mental Health will bring yoga practitioners from all over the region to White Plains after work on the day of the summer solstice.

The event will be held under the open sky on Court Street, said Constance Moustakas of The Mental Health Association of Westchester, which is sponsoring the event.

A giant master class for everyone from beginner to experienced practitioner will be led by celebrity yoga teacher Gwen Lawrence. All ages are welcome.

In addition to the master class, the event will also feature live music, healthy food and displays.

The action starts at 5:30 p.m. Pre-registration is encouraged, and the first 500 registrants will receive a free yoga mat and gift bag.

Registration is $10. Pre-registration is encouraged, and it's easy to do online at www.mhawestchester.org. 

Just in case, there's a rain date: June 27.

For more information, or to volunteer, please contact Constance Moustakas at 914-345-5900 ext. 7511 or development@mhawestchester.org

Two White Plains men face misdemeanor charges after police say each was caught carrying a prescription pill on Valley Road.

The two 20-year-old men were near 20 Valley Road at about 10:15 p.m. Friday. Police say one of the men was carrying a two-milligram Alprazolam pill, the other a 50-milligram pill of Sildenafil. Neither had a valid prescription to be carrying the drugs, police say.

Both men were charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, misdemeanors. They were released on $100 bail and are due in court June 14.

There are notorious bad days in teaching that those of us in the biz come to expect, like the sugar crash after Halloween, and the day before Christmas vacation.

These are days when we know not to plan anything we really want our students to learn, as it will fall upon people who are quite distracted at that moment in time. 

But nothing brings a classroom down like Spring. Which is a problem since it lasts for two months, not one day.

My seventh graders checked out sometime after the state tests which coincided with the rise of outside temperatures. Children who used to listen to my wisdom, contribute interesting and relevant comments to class discussions are now, well, downright silly. And I recently learned that this is not a phenomenon unique to Middle School, as I listened to reports from my preschooler's teacher.

So is it the warm touch of the sun shining down on students after months of winter that make it hard to concentrate in school?

No.

The smell of the blooming flowers and trees?

No.

But nature is fully responsible for this educational debacle. It's the birds and the bees. Romance is in the air.  Young love explodes along with the cherry blossoms and forsythias in April and May, making our world colorful and our boys and girls drawn to one another with a force stronger than teachers threats of lunch detention or final exams.  

As the classrooms heat up and make it almost unbearable to teach, pre-teen romances are heating up as well, also making it unbearable to teach. Words escape my mouth that sound nothing like the lesson I had planned, and my days are spent repeating any or all of the following phrases:

"Eve, stop playing footsie with Joey."

"Ryan please don't pat Katie on the head; she's not a dog."

"Brett, its not appropriate to give Rachel a back rub in class."

"You know, you do have a final in this class, it might be wise to pay attention."

"No you may not sit with Josh."

"Why not?" (voice rising with incredulity).

"Because last time you sat together I had to send you out of the room for excessive giggling."

Even words relevant to History and not at all funny will bring the class down. We recently began a unit on the causes of the Civil War. I spent an entire lesson on sectionalism (the differences between the south and the north) and every time I uttered the word sectionalism I was met with snickers and giggles. (Say it aloud if you are wondering).

One of my female students even came up in the middle of class to ask me if I knew why the boys were laughing.

"Of course I know!" I was exasperated. "I am trying to be the adult and ignore them. Perhaps you should do the same."

It's not much better on the other side of the educational continuum from what I understand. The rumor in my son's preschool class was that Zoe kissed Daniel on the lips! Now all the girls are trying to kiss and marry the boys.

My son's teachers corroborated the five-year-old reports. Apparently there has been a lot of kissing on the lips going on, so the teachers passed a "no kissing on the lips rule," which was shortly followed by a "no marriage law," as more and more of the kids were trying to seal the deal. I guess they thought if they were married they could bypass the kissing law.

One of his teachers told me they are still trying to circumvent the rules. At indoor recess she noticed a group of them standing suspiciously in the corner of the social hall. When she approached to see what was going on, the lot of them ducked under a table to continue their business, which was presumably kissing.

I think they have it right in the southern states. Start school in August and end in May. We may swelter in those last dog days of summer, but the kids will be too hot to flirt, and possibly too warm to move. Therefore, teachers will have a captive audience. Things will be sizzling in the classroom for sure, but in a very different way.

After already signing a notice that she was banned from the Wal Mart on Main Street in White Plains earlier this year, police say a White Plains woman returned to the store and tried to steal several items including a 22" television.

Store security called police at about 10 p.m. Friday night after they say a 33-year-old woman pocketed several items from a display case and then placed the television under her arm. Security said the woman was stopped as she tried to leave the store at 275 Main St. without paying for the merchandise.

Police arrested the woman and charged her with petit larceny, a misdemeanor. 

Since the woman had already been banned from the store in January, she was also charged with trespassing, a violation.

The woman was held for court.

Facebook has tapped into almost every demographic over the past few years—college students eager to tag photographs, Gen Xers seeking to reconnect with old classmates, and high schoolers all-too-happy to converse through the small chat box in the lower right corner.

Almost every demographic. But what about youngsters?

The social networking site currently bans users under the age of 13—but that may change in the near future.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Facebook may be planning technology that would allow children under 13 to register for the site and give parents more control over how their kids use it. A child's account would link to their parents', who would then have control over apps, friend requests and other features.

The Journal says some 7.5 million pre-teens are on the site already, by lying about their age.

"Facebook, concerned that it faces reputation and regulatory risks from children already using the service despite its rules, believes it has little choice but to look into ways of establishing controls that could formalize their presence on the site," the Journal reports.

So, Patch wants to know: are you all for the change? Vehemently opposed? Or something else entirely? Vote in our poll below, and be sure to sound off in the comments.

• The following announcement was released by state Sen. Jeff Klein's office on June 5.

Pelham, NY— Emmy and Sundance Film Festival award-winning director Lee Hirsch will be on hand for the Pelham Picture House’s premiere of his widely acclaimed documentary, "Bully," on Friday, June 8, at 7:30 pm. Hirsch is attending the premiere as a guest of state Sen. Jeff Klein, D-Bronx/Westchester, who has made anti-bullying initiatives one of his signature policy issues for 2012. Following the film, Klein and The Picture House will host a panel to address the crisis of bullying both inside and outside of the classroom. Hirsch will be the panel’s featured speaker.

 Said Klein: “I am thrilled that director Lee Hirsch will be visiting Pelham to discuss bullying in our community. For the past several months, I have done my best to bring bullying and cyber bullying into the spot light by introducing legislation that will finally address the toll that cyber bullying takes on our young people each and every day. By way of the first-of-its-kind NY Cyber Bully Census, thousands of students have shared their stories and allowed my office to get a better idea of how bullying is affecting our young people. I hope that parents, students, teachers and administrators will make the time to attend this special evening so that we can continue to identify and resolve these important issues. I look forward to seeing everyone there.”

Klein has also invited several dozen students from Pelham High School to attend the screening as his guests.

Members of the Pelham education community who will participate in the panel discussion include: Sharon Charles (Margaret’s Place Coordinator, Pelham Middle School, WJCS/ Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation), Colonial Elementary School Principal Tonya Wilson, Siwanoy School Principal Susan Gilbert and Roseanne Martinez of the Pelham Guidance Council.

 In February, Klein was joined by Miss New York as they visited Pelham middle and high schools to talk about bullying and what students can do to prevent cyber bullying in their schools. Students also participated in a survey that will be used to further stakeholder’s understanding of bullying in schools throughout New York State.

“I am excited that Sen. Jeff Klein was able to secure Director Lee Hirsch’s attendance for our premiere—the entire event promises to be a thrilling and thought provoking evening," said Ilya Tovbis, Director of Film Programming at The Picture House. "In addition to being a terrific film in its own terms, "Bully" is also a great catalyst for meaningful and impactful conversation. Having Lee Hirsch on hand presents a unique and special opportunity for movie goers to hear straight from the source. I couldn’t be more pleased about the wonderful group that will be joining us on June 8.” 

The conversation will continue throughout the weeklong run, as The Picture House has scheduled a closing night, wrap-up community discussion to be led by Cheryl Bobe of the Pelham Guidance Council, which will be free for anyone who purchased tickets throughout the week.

When it comes to drug and alcohol use in Westchester and Rockland counties, many parents and people who deal with teens on a regular basis may think the issues involved are the same ones they dealt with in their youth.

Jack Claypoole, associate deputy director & drug free community administrator at the White House office of National Drug Control Policy, believes this a mistake.

“Who would’ve thought we’d be dealing prescription drug abuse or synthetic drugs today,” Claypoole said Tuesday during Westchester Coalition for Drug and Alcohol Free Youth's forum on marijuana use and prescription drug abuse. Think how fast that technology has changed and if we’re waiting for federal data, our data systems are slow. That’s the reason we formed drug free communities, because you guys are going to see problems long before they hit the National Institute on Drug Abuse, or Monitoring the Future or any of the other surveys.”

Representative from more than 30 youth drug and alcohol prevention agencies in Westchester and Rockland counties attended the event, which was held at the Westchester County Center in White Plains.

The forum was sponsored by the Westchester Coalition for Drug and Alcohol Free Youth and the Rockland Preventing Youthful Drug Abuse Coalition.

Other officials scheduled to attend  included  U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey, D-Scarsdale; and Robert Kelly, executive director of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office  Intelligence Center;  and John Coppola, executive director of the New York Association of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Providers.

“Today is about letting each other know, from the two counties, the message we heard from Jack Claypoole,”  said Vito Pinto, chairperson of the Westchester Coalition for Drug and Alcohol Free Youth and director of the county Office of Drug Prevention and STOP-DWI. “We are not going to always be able to meet the challenge by think the way we do. We have to change the way we think and get more involved with the young people.”

According to a survey presented by Bonnie Fenster, evaluator and data coordinator for the Westchester County Coalition for Drug and Alcohol Free Youth, showed alcohol and drug abuse in Westchester youth has decreased from 2008 to 2011.

The data also showed that high school sophomore in Westchester County are using marijuane less than other sophomore nationally in 2011. However, high school seniors in Westchester County are using marijuana more than their counterparts across the nation.

Both Westchester County sophomore and seniors engaged in binge drinking at higher rate than the nationally averages in 2011, according to Fenster.

Ruthie Bowles, executive director of the Rockland Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, said similar surveys of fifth, eighth and tenth graders showed that alcohol use had decreased from 2007 to 2010. But there was a slight increase in eighth grade marijuana use and a major increase in marijuana use by high school sophomores in 2010.

Although the  survey numbers showed that drug and alcohol use by Rockland youth were below or near the national numbers average for most part, they also showed a slight increase in the amount of Rockland youth who believe drugs and alcohol are readily available to them.

The survey also showed that female students are drinking faster and harder than their male counterparts and that there is an increase in the abuse of opiates and benzodiazepines. Inhalants are also becoming more of a problem among Rockland middle schoolers.

During his speech, Claypoole said substance abuse agencies needed to relay the dangers of drug use to youth in a way that they can relate to.

Claypoole said the many of the items that interest teens are sold to them in a way that they can relate to emotionally. But when public health officials talk about the dangers of substance abuse to teens, it’s done in a way that involves statistics and doesn’t grab their attention, according to Claypoole.

“If Budweiser has figured that out, why are we trying to recreate the wheel—no one shows them with their heads in the toilet,” Claypoole said. “No one shows them in handcuffs. No one shows them in a morgue.”

Regina Davenport, a board member of the Drug Abuse Prevention Council for Bedford, Pound Ridge and Lewisboro, said Claypoole’s talk was informative and gave insights into ways of approaching adolescents on a different level incorporating social media and other techniques.

“It was really inspiring,” Davenport said. “It gave everyone new ideas about how to approach the issue of drug abuse in our communities. He gave me and many of colleagues ideas about different ways of approaching the issues in ways that we’ve never thought of before.”

Editor's Note: To learn how to post your news on White Plains Patch, click here. 

 White Plains, NY (June 2012)  Archbishop Stepinac High School Drama Club’s production of Broadway’s longest running hit musical, “The Phantom of the Opera,” captured the top prize (best overall production) at the recent 14th Annual Metropolitan High School Theater (Metro) Awards.

Albert Stanaj of New Rochelle won best leading actor in the title role and Chris Guzman of White Plains captured best supporting actor for his portrayal of Raoul. Stepinac also won the best scenic design award with Joe Lore and June Ricciardi sharing the honor. The school had led the field with 15 Metro nominations when the nominees were announced last month.

Commenting on the achievement of Stepinac’s Drama Club, Frank Portanova, Director, said:  “The Archbishop Stepinac High School community is so proud of all of our students and staff members who produced The Phantom of the Opera. We humbly accept the award as a token of Stepinac’s rich theatre legacy and will use this accolade as a mandate - to not rest on our laurels - but to continue to challenge our students and staff to set the bar higher and higher for future productions.”

About 50 students (cast and members of the ballet troupe and ensemble) appeared in five performances of “Phantom” that were staged at Stepinac’s Major Bowes Auditorium earlier this spring. Also contributing to the production was a stage crew of 25 students.

Keith Sunderland is the Drama Club’s Producer and Chloe Sasson is Director of Stepinac’s music programs.

Founded in 1948, Archbishop Stepinac High School’s mission is to offer young men a highly competitive academic and extracurricular program that will prepare them for college and leadership roles. The faculty and staff accomplish these objectives by pursuing excellence and creating a supportive, disciplined atmosphere with a strong sense of camaraderie and Christian values that are unique to the Stepinac experience. For more information on Stepinac High School, please visit www.stepinac.org.

Garden Street Principal Eileen McGuire will begin a new job in White Plains a little more than a week after the last round of students bound for summer break leave the building.

McGuire, who officials appointed tenure in 2011, will serve as principal of Mamaroneck Avenue Elementary School starting next month.

Brewster Central School District's Board of Education approved the elimination of an elementary administrative position during a meeting Tuesday night, in accordance with plans to close the elementary school after this academic year.

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Superintendent Dr. Jane Sandbank said that White Plains school officials visited Garden Street during the hiring process, and they noted the close-knit feel of the school.

"There was a lot of talk around the table about Garden Street being a family," Sandbank said with a smile. "And they said, 'So, we'll take good care of her as she joins our family,' and I think that said it all."

Sandbank told McGuire she would be missed, and commended her on the "remarkable" contributions she's made during her time at Brewster.

The superintendent wasn't the only one praising McGuire, who was in attendance. Board Trustee A. Gerald Schramek called the outgoing administrator a "superstar."

"She's a professional, outstanding human being," he said at the meeting. "The kids love her, we love her, and I'm so happy that you're going to be down in White Plains, but at the same token, so sad that you're not going to be at Brewster. I wish you nothing but the best."

Whether monitoring dismissal, leading field day activities or rapping during the holiday concert at the Walter Brewster House, McGuire is a very familiar face to the youngsters at Garden Street.

"I have been very fortunate ... these past four years," she told Patch. "It has been an incredible experience. Brewster has been a great place to work and is a community that supports education."

Thanks for reading! You can "like" us on Facebook here and follow our Tweets here.

This is from Indian Point Energy Center – Indian Point’s unit 2 nuclear power plant automatically shut down Wednesday morning around 6:00 a.m. Workers are investigating the main electrical generator as a probable cause of the shutdown.

The electrical generator is located on the non-nuclear side of the plant. There was no release of radioactivity and equipment performed normally during the shutdown.

Unit 2 was online for sixty-seven days following completion of its twentieth refueling shutdown in April.

Unit 3 is currently operating at full power.

Indian Point Energy Center, in Buchanan, N.Y., is home to two operating nuclear power plants, unit 2 and unit 3, which generate approximately 2000 megawatts of electricity for homes, business and public facilities in New York City and Westchester County.

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• No Return in 2012 for West Harrison Farmers Market

If your garage or basement is home to a budding rock group, hear this.

Rye Playland is searching for groups to play its Battle of the Bands at the Music Tower Theater this summer.

Contestants will take the stage Friday, July 20 (rain date is Friday, July 27), and the winners will take home a grand prize.

How does a group qualify? All members must be amateur musicians between the ages of 15 and 20. Interested groups must submit sample recordings by Wednesday, June 27 for a panel of judges to review. See details below.

To apply

• To upload recordings and band info online, visit RyePlayland.org. (Mp3, Mp4 and Wav formats accepted; stay under the 5 Mb maximum.)

• To sumbit recordings and band info hard-copies, inlcude a CD along with the band's name, members' names, addresses and ages, song information and an evening telephone number. Mail or drop off music samples to Westchester County Parks, 450 Saw Mill River Road, Ardsley, NY 10502, attention Battle of the Bands. Allow sufficient time for mailing.

Questions? Call (914) 231-4564, or email kdc2@westchestergov.com.

How Patch can help

Help get the word out about your band by posting an announcement on the appropriate Patch—if you're rocking out in Harrison, let residents know you're aiming for the Playland stage, and share your tunes. Here's how:

• Go to your local Patch, and create an account by clicking 'sign up' at the top-right corner.

• Once you've done that, scoll to the bottom-right of the page to see contribution options. You can post band events, put together an announcement or even blog about your new tunes and quest for the stage.

• Questions? Email kevin@patch.com

Welcome to Patch's daily snapshot of sports in White Plains.

Football

Archbishop Stepinac's Danny Hoffer placed 15th in the MSG Varsity's inaugural Tri-State Quarterback Showdown at New Rochelle High School on Sunday afternoon.

In case you missed it, see Stu Bayer's great pix of the showdown here.

Olympic Gold Medal Winner Visits White Plains

The below is a press release courtesy of the wonderful Beyond The Game television show, hosted by John Vorperian. Sounds like a great watch, so get the DVR ready and check it out:

BEYOND THE GAME (White Plains Cable Television/www.wpcommunitymedia.org) will tape a special sports edition with DOMINQUE MOCEANU. 

You may recall DOMINQUE MOCEANU as the 14 year old Olympic gymnast who was the youngest member of the 1996 US Women’s Olympic Gymnastics team known as the Magnificent Seven.

The Magnificent Seven was the first and only American women’s team to take gold at the Olympics. 

This Summer 2012 Olympic & Women Gymnastic themed episode will initially cablecast Friday June 15, 2012, 9:00PM White Plains Cablevision Channel 76 & Verizon Fios Channel 45.

Sports Digest Weekly Poll

Should wealthy students receive athletic scholarships?

Let your voice be heard by clicking on here to cast your vote.

On tap today:

White Plains H.S.:

No games scheduled.

Source: http://sportspakdb.lhric.org

The Daily Sports Digest is designed for you to add your best photo and/or video to share . If you'd like to send in an update or see anything that requires updating, please email HVsportsdigest@gmail.com. Thanks! 

Parents, coaches and boosters are invited to share scores, standings and other news to this column, as well as upload photos and videos directly to this article. Here are complete step-by-step instructions.

About this column: Your daily stop for the latest on sports in your town, from Little League, to recreational soccer to varsity football.

The following is from the Color Camera Club of Westchester. Share your news on Patch here.

The Color Camera Club of Westchester met in Briarcliff on Sunday to dine and issue awards at their final meeting for the season. The club, formed in 1951, had a wonderful dinner at The Briar's Restaurant and brought in special judges to choose the images that will be dubbed the "Best of the Year." The judges, Jim Duggan and Steve Morton of White Plains and Elenore Steckler-Orel of Croton-on-Hudson, reviewed all the images of members that have been awarded ribbons during the past year. From these images were chosen the best of the best and were given the title of Best Images of the Year. All in all, 18 awards were won by club members who produced outstanding images, based on originality, composition, color and technical correctness. The first, second and third place winners were:

John Kramer, Pleasantville

Helen Spinali, Valhalla

Ashok Soni, Hawthorne

Jessica Stelling, White Plains

Tom O'Connell, Larchmont

Joe Cardella, Pleasant Valley

Linda Austrian, Harrison

Robert Piro, Scarsdale

Sherm Shiao, Yorktown Heights

Peter Nagy, White Plains

Jennifer Dooley, Port Chester

Don Klein, White Plains

Chuck Morrissey, Croton-on-Hudson

The members also thanked their outgoing president Eileen Whitney of Putnam Valley for her wonderful leadership over the past three years as they welcomed their new president Bernice Solomon of Ossining. The Color Camera Club is open to all photographers who wish to improve their camera skills, inspire their creative visions or to expand their love of photographic imaging.

The club meets in Valhalla most Mondays from September through May and visitors are always welcome. Visit its website for additional information.

“In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation…”

-Inspired by the Great Law of the Iroquois

The world is full of adults. But once upon a time, all of those adults were teenagers. We have all lived in that crazy space between childhood and adulthood, where you are expected to be independent enough to make your own decisions but are still limited by the rules of society, parents, and social norms.

Do you remember what it was like to be a teenager? I have memories of wanting to learn everything about what life had to offer. I felt like I could do anything, and that the possibilities were endless for my future. I also remember feeling like I was being held back by my parents, by society, and by my peers. I couldn’t wait to become an adult and have my freedom.  

As I have grown older, I have learned that the freedom of adulthood can come with a price. I have been disappointed, rejected, and surprised, and all of those things have affected my cumulative outlook on life. Like many adults, I have taken on more of the weight of the world and lost some of the starry-eyed wonder of my youth.  

As disconnected as we become from our teenage years, we are even more disconnected from the life that will be experienced on this planet in seven generations.

Over the last few decades, the earth has been inundated with more and more environmental crises. Habitat destruction, global climate change, water pollution, oil spills, species loss…it doesn’t seem to end. And what’s more interesting is that the environmental degradation on our planet has exponentially grown since the industrial revolution less than 300 years ago. That's much shorter than seven generations ago.

Learning about all of these environmental issues can be very discouraging. I often wonder how teens these days are coping with this information and what they think about the earth that they will soon inherit.

I separately asked 16 teenagers, between the ages of 14 and 19, this question:

“What is the most important thing that people can do to help the earth?”

Here are their unprompted answers. Some were expected, some surprising, and all were inspirational.

Danny, Age 14: “People just need to care…”

Walker, Age 17: “Reduce usage of essential resources.”     

Sara, Age 14: “The most important thing is for people to learn about what they can do to help, and try their best to appreciate nature and help.”

Poet Julian, Age 17: “To be open-minded is the cure, the disease is ignorance. People may say that ignorance is bliss, but alas, ‘tis not, ‘tis a spreading cancer.”

Chantal, 19: “I think the most important thing people can do to help the earth is to spread awareness. I think one of the biggest issues is that no one really knows about many of the environmental issues and therefore people aren't able to act upon them. People tend to step up and react when things get personal.”

Eli, Age 15: “Find alternative energy sources to use instead of burning fossil fuels.”

Sarah, Age 14: “Carpool to save gas and walk or bike places to prevent pollution.”

Alexia, Age 18: “Keep the oceans clean by disposing of waste properly and stop building over the woods to protect wildlife.”

Jake, Age 15: “Learn and educate others about the problems. Once we understand and talk about the problems more people will want to do something about it and won’t need to be told how.”

Jeremy, Age 16:  “Educate people and alert them to the seriousness of the problem.”

Justin, Age 17: “People have to educate others about the problem.”

Ethan, Age 15: “Support carpooling!”

Eamon, Age 15: “People should focus on living in a more individual society instead of being part of a massive, consuming, corporate environmental destroyer.”

Shaun, Age 15: “More use of wind energy.”

Alex, Age 16: “I think the most important thing is to recognize that the earth isn’t our toy to mess around with, it’s our home, and we need to utilize it correctly. Humans need to see that the earth is very rapidly becoming in a bad way because of us.”

Max, Age 19: “I think that the most important thing that people can do for
the environment is think about our actions. Our earth is fragile, not because it wants to be, but because we made it that way over time. We need to really take into consideration what is really best for the earth at this moment in time.”

I learned from this group of teens that even they, who will soon inherit all of the earth’s problems, believe that there are solutions. And the solutions seem to lie largely in people’s connections with each other. This type of optimism is refreshing and so vital in this time in history where social, political, economic, and cultural divides still separate us. I have great hope for the future, but am reminded that our responsibility still lies in our choices today. Today is the only day we can control, and the only moment is now.

___

How would you answer the question: 

“What is the most important thing that people can do to help the earth?”

Tell us in the comments.