December 13-14 winter storm December 16, 2025
Posted by Mike C. in Photography, Video, Weather.add a comment
It’s been nearly five years since Long Island had a major winter storm before the winter solstice. That storm began as rain on the night of Saturday, December 13, and ended as several hours of powdery snow on Sunday, December 14. It finally ceased at noon, and contrary to my belief while watching it fall, this was not a wet snow. Wet snow doesn’t sprinkle into fluff when you toss it in the air with a shovel. More on that later.
Rightly expecting the worst, I rearranged items in the garage Friday afternoon (December 12). I moved the snow blower to the front of the garage and placed two shovels and three scrapers on the front porch.
As usual, the end result went against what was initially forecast, and what the winter weather advisory first called for. 1 to 3 inches became 2 to 5 with locally heavier pockets of 6 inches. Even that was low, at least for Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The further north and east you went, more snow accumulated on the ground. I measured 6 3/4 inches on the front yard grass with my 12″ ruler before shoveling at 11:40 AM. Adding whatever fell in my first 20 minutes outside, I estimate 7 inches of snow accumulated in my section of Wantagh. The same amount was officially reported by the National Weather Service in Levittown, East Massapequa, Bethpage, Glen Cove, and Jericho.
So, it was a good thing I planned ahead on Friday, except for bringing out a bag of rock salt.
My current sleep pattern sometimes has me going to bed in the early evening, and that was the case on Saturday. I went to sleep at 5:30 PM and was in and out of sleep until 4:30 AM. After catching up on DVR’d content, I began my photographic timeline.
5:25 AM 
6:40 AM 
8:43 AM 
9:58 AM 
11:13 AM 
11:36 AM, before shoveling
From 8:17 to 8:20 AM, I took a series of videos with one of my camcorders (overcoming two system errors), and pieced them together in Adobe Premiere Pro.
I’d grown impatient by 11:30 AM. Even though the weather radar indicated the clearing line had not yet reached Eastern Nassau, I geared up to start shoveling. Within minutes, my dad Bill prepped the snow blower for use. Once the machine was working, Dad went to work.
These photos were taken between 11:59 AM and 12:07 PM on my iPhone 17 Pro (which is why I didn’t watermark them).
I shoveled by the garage and on the left side of the house. I stopped while Dad used the snow blower before shoveling further at the curb, clearing snow off Dad and Mom’s cars, and shoveling as much of what I’d cleared unless it was too packed in to move.
The after photos:
12:51 PM 
12:59 PM, back inside 
There was a brief period of snow showers after I came inside, thankfully with no accumulation.
Temperatures are below freezing as I type this last paragraph on the afternoon of Monday, December 15, but milder weather and rain are in the forecast starting Wednesday. That will go a long way in melting and washing away Sunday’s snow.
Does this storm mean we’re in for a busy winter? Only time will tell. Until I recap the next one(s), thank you for reading.
My photos from day 1 of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black September 29, 2025
Posted by Mike C. in Aviation, Food, Golf, Internet, Media, News, Personal, Photography, Politics, Sports, Travel, TV, Weather.add a comment
Six years ago, I said this at the end of my 2019 PGA Championship recap:
Bethpage Black’s next big event will be the 2024 Ryder Cup. [All Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups were pushed back a year due to COVID-19.] The last thing I’d like to hear that Sunday, whether in person or on TV, is the “Olé” song, indicating Europe won again.
Not only did I hear that song endlessly in person on Friday, September 26, but it was sung as Europe defeated the U.S. 15 points to 13. The U.S. teams lost too many foursome and four-ball matches Friday and Saturday to make a complete comeback Sunday. (10/2 UPDATE: Europe clinched when Shane Lowry, who you’ll see front and center in a few photos, halved his singles match with Russell Henley with a birdie at the 18th hole. That gave a Europe a 14-11 lead over the U.S., rendering all other matches inconsequential.)
Even though my dad Bill and I were deferential to visiting European fans and respectful of Team Europe golfers, vice captains, and captain Luke Donald, the loss still hurts. So, this won’t be an in-depth recap, at least not verbally, and I won’t link to any media articles. The extensive gallery below will speak a thousand words per photo. That includes photos of players, caddies, vice captains, and captains of both teams. (St. John’s University alumnus Keegan Bradley was Team U.S.A. captain.)
First, the backstory.
The 2025 Ryder Cup was held at Bethpage Black Course within Bethpage State Park. Despite the name, the park is in Old Bethpage, not regular Bethpage, and uses a Farmingdale ZIP Code. Portions of the park cross out of Nassau County and into Suffolk.
Having played the Black many years ago, my dad can attest it is the most difficult of the four color-coded courses – Red, Green, and Blue are the others. That makes it perfect for major golf championships. Bethpage Black previously hosted the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Open and the aforementioned 2019 PGA Championship. It also hosted The Barclays, a now-defunct first leg of the FedExCup playoffs, in 2012 and 2016.
The four men’s golf majors are won by individuals. This Ryder Cup was the first time Bethpage Black hosted a team championship with bragging rights on the line for one country – the United States – or one continent – Europe.
Perhaps it was foreshadowing when my dad purchased Friday tickets shortly after Rory McIlroy won The Masters on the evening of April 13. Either way, we were going. Good thing, too, because I’d purchased a hat and short-sleeve polo from the Ryder Cup online shop in March. I proudly wore those at Bethpage Black, per these selfies with and without my dad:
We were prepared for enhanced security checkpoints due to President Trump’s presence. However, we were nowhere near him and only passed one checkpoint at the entrance without needing to empty our pockets. I brought along a portable phone battery charger that I’d bought on Amazon in advance of our trip, and it really came in handy. Three charging sessions – two on-site, one on the shuttle bus ride back to Jones Beach State Park – ensured I wouldn’t miss much photographically.
To that end, let’s get two other key photos out of the way before I let the rest of them speak a thousand words each.
Fans cheered and chanted “U.S.A.!” as Air Force One flew by on its approach to nearby Republic Airport. President Trump sat in a designated area in the grandstands by the 1st tee for the start of afternoon four-ball matches. The U.S. only got 1 1/2 points from the four matches, winning one match 6&5 and tying another. The score through Friday: Europe 5 1/2, U.S. 2 1/2.
(This parenthetical was written Sunday at 11:53 AM. The fighter jets just made one last Bethpage Black flyby, whizzing over my house seconds later.)
Food and non-alcoholic drinks were free! Dad and I ate lunch before going to the 2nd fairway and then I had dessert before we waited between the 15th green and 16th tee. I washed down each meal (cheeseburger, two two-packs of Grandma’s chewy chocolate chip cookies) with a can of Bubly cherry seltzer sparkling water, otherwise having two bottles of Aquafina pure water.
I bought one thing from The Ryder Cup Shop on the way back to the Jones Beach general parking shuttle bus: a screenprint pin flag. I’ve gotten one for each major event at Bethpage Black and hung it on my wall. Even in defeat, I’m keeping it up.
I said my dad and I were deferential to any European fans we encountered and were respectful of Team Europe. (My dad’s friend Mike even worked as an attendant in Team Europe’s locker room.) If only every fan was the same. The arrogant harangues by some U.S. fans, not all of them drunk, made me wince. Team member Sepp Straka moved from Vienna, Austria, to Valdosta, Georgia, when he was 14, played for the University of Georgia, and talks like a native southerner. Didn’t matter to those fans. I feel the harangues played a karmic role in Team Europe’s win. I’ll keep what/whom I feel also played a karmic role to myself. Inside the ropes, however, Team Europe was just better. Full stop. (“Period” is a U.S. thing.)
Side note: Other Europeans who are U.S. college golf alumni include Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg (“O-berg”) (Texas Tech University) and Jon Rahm of Spain (Arizona State University). I won’t fault any fans who gave Jon flack for defecting from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf. My mind blocked out any criticism toward fellow LIV defector Bryson DeChambeau of the U.S. (University of Texas), but he probably got it, too. Honestly, I’m detached enough to be a LIV Golf agnostic, even with the matter of who funds it. To date, I’ve only seen parts of two tournaments, including highlights of one in Miami.
Okay, enough digressions. Now, the rest of the photos.
Bethpage Black’s next major is a women’s major: The 2028 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
The men’s PGA Championship returns in 2033.
The next Ryder Cup will the centennial, in 2027, at Adare Manor in Limerick, Ireland. (I’m sure you saw the promotional tent.)
And the next major here on Long Island will be the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. My dad and I already have third round tickets. I should have better stamina than in ’18 and not want to leave after 2 1/2 hours.
It’s been a long 18 days, what with Homecoming Weekend at LIU Post (and WCWP), the Ryder Cup, and all the post-production (no pun intended). Now, I can decompress until the next big event on my social calendar.
Thank you for reading all the way to the end, and thank you to my dad for another great experience together at a New York area golf tournament.
2025 LIU Post & WCWP Homecoming Weekend September 21, 2025
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Audio, Education, Football, History, Internet, Interviews, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Pop, Radio, Rock, Sports, Technology, Travel, Video, Weather.add a comment
NOTE: Two of the alumni hosts, Alana and Tom, do not use their last names on the air. So, I have omitted their last names from this post.
This year, Homecoming Weekend on WCWP (simulcast on WXBA) and at LIU Post was the earliest it’s ever been: September 12 to 14. The date was made public during the WCWP-FM 60th anniversary broadcast on March 16. (Read about that celebratory weekend here.) Homecoming Weekend coordinator Ted David assembled quite the lineup, which began with me at noon (well, noon-ish) on Friday, September 12, and ended at midnight on the 14th/15th as Grandfather Rock Chris MacIntosh closed Rock ‘N’ Soul Gospel with “Red Hot and Cooking” by Garth Hewitt.
The centerpiece of the weekend was the LIU Sharks football team‘s Homecoming game (and home opener) against the Sacred Heart Pioneers. (That was the LIU Post team name before the Post and Brooklyn athletic programs merged and moved from NCAA Division II to Division I.)
Once again, as unofficial station historian, I documented as much as I could of the entire weekend – on campus Friday and Saturday, and from home on Sunday.
I airchecked off the FM web stream on PCs in my bedroom and guest room via Audacity, where I would export as individual files, and then edit in Adobe Audition. Unfortunately, my internet betrayed me on Saturday. I recorded nearly nine hours of silence. I’m grateful to WCWP station manager Dan Cox for filling the gaps with his official airchecks and to Bernie Bernard via her show files.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
I arrived at the Abrams Communications Center at 11:30 AM. While Project Independence and You (one week shy of its 14th anniversary) finished up in studio 3, I prepped for my live Instrumental Invasion. It was the first time I led off Homecoming Weekend since 2017.
I made a separate recap of that show here, but I’ll at least share Pat Kroll’s photo of me during one of my sets…
…and the aircheck video (with an edited open):
Pat and Jeff Kroll had the next show at 2PM. Since their show and Strictly Jazz at 4PM would be rerun from 2AM to 7AM, Jeff had to be prompt, fading out my last song with 1:40 remaining.
Herb Alpert fans that we are, we both began our shows with Tijuana Brass tracks. My lead was “Spanish Flea” while Jeff used “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” (covered on S.R.O.) as the intro bed.
Jeff ran the board during his show and Strictly Jazz. 
Neil Marks joined in the second hour to preview the LIU Sharks’ Homecoming football game against the Sacred Heart Pioneers. 
Neil Marks 
Neil Marks and Pat Kroll
Out in the lobby, Neil Marks talked to Strictly Jazz hosts John LiBretto and Hank Neimark about his long trip to LIU Post earlier Friday.
Hank had the honor of signing on WCWP-FM on March 16, 1965.
The Krolls with fellow alumni (and fiancés) Sami Jo Negron and Pete Sacoulas:
A partial video of Jeff and Pat’s show:
…and a full scoped aircheck:
John LiBretto and Hank Neimark hosted Strictly Jazz, the third show of the weekend, Friday at 4PM.
John LiBretto 
Hank Neimark 
Despite the title, Strictly Jazz deviated to pop in hour 2 by playing “Wooly Bully” by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. Pat Kroll returned to read the song’s quirky lyrics. 
Jeff Kroll had additional “Wooly Bully” tidbits.
A partial video of Strictly Jazz:
…and the full scoped aircheck:
From jazz to rock, John Zoni was next at 7PM:
We went from rock to dance just after 9PM with Jay Mirabile and a special edition of The DFK Show.
If you’re wondering, I took a rideshare home around 6:30 PM.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
We jump ahead to 7AM and a prerecorded show hosted by John Commins:
David Friedland was live in studio 2 at 9AM, leading into the Sharks’ Homecoming game:
After editing what I’d airchecked so far, my mom drove me up to LIU Post half an hour later than Friday. We had to clear a security checkpoint before reaching the parking lot by WCWP. I unpacked and walked toward Shark Stadium (no naming rights this year) for photos around and above the field.
The bulk of my Shark Stadium photos were taken on the roof where Travis Demers, Neil Marks, and Jeff Kroll called the LIU Sharks Homecoming football game. Pat Kroll was the coordinating producer.
It was the 2nd quarter when I reached the roof. Travis Demers handled play-by-play for the middle quarters with Jeff Kroll leading the first and last. 
Travis Demers’s field view 
Remote equipment 
Pat Kroll’s notes 
You can’t call a sporting event without spotter charts. 
Just for fun, I took a short video on my iPhone that I later synced to the relevant portion of Dan Cox’s game aircheck:
Travis and my fellow alumni were impressed when I posted that video to the WCWP Alumni Association Facebook group.
Before we return to WCWP, let’s look at photos on the field, sidelines, and bleachers.
I made it back to WCWP just before halftime where co-hosts John Zoni and Jeannie Moon narrated highlights and analyzed the first half. At the board was Andrew Scarpaci.
John Zoni 
Jeannie Moon 
Highlights, lowlights, and other elements were run in Zetta by Andrew, as seen at halftime.
The studio portion of the halftime report:
You saw how Zetta looked at halftime. This image after the game tells a different, but predictable story:
For the second year in a row, the Sharks squandered a lead. They gave up 17 unanswered points to the SHU Pioneers, losing 24-21 on a field goal as time expired.
In spite of another down ending, it was another exciting game for Jeff Kroll, Neil Marks, and Travis Demers to call on Long Island’s 88.1 FM.
I kept my camcorders and tripods in studio 3 to cover John Zoni and Jeannie Moon’s portion of the postgame show.
This YouTube video compiles the studio 3 halftime and postgame reports:
I’ll spare you the details of what happened in the Sharks’ next game.
On a happier note, programming moved back to studio 2 after the Sharks postgame show. At 3:30 PM, Homecoming Weekend coordinator Ted David hosted the 2025 WCWP Hall of Fame inductee announcement special.
Ted getting in touch with Bernie Bernard to call in and announce the 2025 WCWP Hall of Fame inductees
The lucky quartet of 2025 inductees was Cande Roth, Ellyn Solis-Maurer, Tony Traguardo, and Chris Maffei.
(Full disclosure: This was my fourth year on the Hall of Fame Committee.)
Below is the announcement, featuring a cameo from me, here:
…and listen here (without the video’s cutaways):
Bernie Bernard’s prerecorded show ran at 4PM:
As Bernie’s show ran in automation, I joined my fellow alumni outside for the Homecoming barbecue. We’ll use this time for a photographic interlude.
First, Ted’s selfie with me:
Bobby Guthenberg (Bobby G.), Neil Marks, Lew Scharfberg 
Neil Marks, Laurie White, Jeannie Moon, Lew Scharfberg 
Ted David, Rich Lacourciere, new HOF inductee Tony Traguardo, John Zoni, John Mullen, Frank Iemitti, WCWP station manager Dan Cox 
Mike Chimeri, Rich Lacourciere, Tony Traguardo, John Zoni, John Mullen, Frank Iemitti, Dan Cox 
Mike Chimeri and Travis Demers 
Mike Chimeri and Alana 
Mike Chimeri and John Zoni 
Alana next to the WCWP-FM 60th anniversary banner
Live programming returned to studio 2 at 6PM with Bobby G. and Mike Riccio. The dynamic duo counted down most of the 50 songs in the “First Annual WCWP Beatle Spectacular Hit-List.” Published in December 1969, the list represented the most popular Beatles songs as voted by WCWP listeners.
Bobby G. 
Mike Riccio 
With candid photos of Bobby G. and Mike Riccio out of the way, I had them pose for this photo. 
I took this selfie early in the second of two talk breaks.
You can watch those first three talk breaks here:
…and here is the full scoped aircheck:
Incidentally, this is my scan of a copy of the First Annual WCWP Beatle Spectacular Hit-List:
Vincent Randazzo and a host of others were on hand for a special edition of The Alternative Jukebox at 9PM:
Vince’s show was three hours, but half the time was spent chatting with current and recently-graduated staff. It was quite informative. (Shoutout to Post-Party Depression.)
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
The prerecorded Instrumental Invasion ran at midnight. Click here for a full recap, then come back for the rest of this recap.
I will again share the aircheck scope, though:
9/23 UPDATE: And why not include a 65x speed montage of the two Twitch streams that served as recording sessions?
All other info is in the show recap. If you’re returning from that post, welcome back.
Tom was up bright and early at 6AM for the Homecoming Weekend edition of The Dad Rock Show:
Jay LaPrise followed at 8AM with a playlist featuring songs by artists he saw live in concert:
Alana’s The Rockin’ Sunday Show normally airs at noon, but aired in its original 10AM slot on Homecoming Weekend.
Jumping ahead to 1PM, Ted David and Jeff Kroll co-hosted The Joe Show, a remembrance of the late Joseph P. “Joe” Honerkamp.
Joe was a fixture at WCWP for over 50 years, and had a long professional career which included radio stints at WYNY and WHN, and TV production on the weekend Today show.
Among those to reflect on the life and times of Joseph P. were his widow Kathy Honerkamp and their daughters Melanie and Diana. Kathy and Melanie are seen here in studio 2. Diana spoke by phone.
Bruce Leonard and Joel Feltman were also among those to call in.
The scoped aircheck (there were a few songs played) can be heard here:
Ted David shifted to the board at 2PM, playing a wide variety of music over the next hours:
Billy the Kid (Billy Houst) and Joey C. (Joe Conte) had the last two-hour show at 4PM: Masters of Metal.
The penultimate show of Homecoming Weekend began at 6PM: The Ladies of Prison Break Radio, Jamie Mazzo and Sara Dorchak.
And putting a bow on the weekend, my children, was Grandfather Rock Chris MacIntosh and Rock ‘N’ Soul Gospel. Check it out.
Post-production, no pun intended, began as Homecoming Weekend was in progress on September 13 and concluded on the evening of the 21st with publication of this post and the Instrumental Invasion posts.
Thank you very much for reading all the way to the end. It bears repeating: documenting events like this is a labor of love. The next time I step on the campus of LIU Post will be March 25, 2026, for a twice-in-a-lifetime experience thanks to Bobby Guthenberg. My mom and I will get to see Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass and Other Delights again for their Tilles Center set. (Read about their April 1 Jazz at the Lincoln Center show here.)
This post is not only dedicated to the memory of Joe Honerkamp, but also Jett Lightning. Jett (Julio) fell ill in the days leading up to Homecoming Weekend and passed away on the morning of September 13. He will be sorely missed at WCWP. I’ll leave you with a photo of Jett taken last year…
…and a scope of his 2022 Homecoming Weekend show featuring Jay Elzweig, who is also no longer with us.
2025 Long Island Retro Gaming expo recap: touring the expo August 21, 2025
Posted by Mike C. in Aviation, Computer, History, Internet, Personal, Photography, Radio, Sports, Travel, TV, VHS, Video, Video Games, Weather, Wrestling.add a comment
If you haven’t viewed part one yet, click here. Skip ahead to part three here.
Settle in for a comprehensive photographic tour of as much as I could see at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Uniondale during the 10th annual Long Island Retro Gaming Expo.
FIRST FLOOR
Vendor Marketplace:
The marketplace as seen from the second floor:
Sponsors:
Ticket prices:
Hangar Arcade:
NES Indie Game Exhibit:
VGNYsoft Physical Indie Games:
Homebrew/Indie Showcase:
PokéLab:
PCs:
(NOTE: This gallery is a mix of photos from PC Freeplay, PC Museum, and regional exclusive computers that were part of the Retro Gaming Museum exhibit.)
Console Freeplay:
Art Gallery:
Gaming hardware displays:
40 Years of the Nintendo Entertainment System:
“Thank you to this year’s museum donors!”
Vintage ad for the Batman Forever video game:
An episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!:
NES Challenges outside the Main Theatre (at least on the middle two):
SECOND FLOOR
LIU Sharks Game Showcase:
This was another table I was too shy to approach. I really should have, being an alumnus of LIU Post and WCWP. It is fitting, though, that in a year where Benjamin Abrams was inducted into the WCWP Hall of Fame, the LIU Sharks Game Showcase table included a TV/DVD player made by Emerson.
Retroware games:
Time Crisis on a modern TV!
Console History Exhibit:
The Arcade Age Exhibit
Other second floor attractions:
THIRD FLOOR
The Floor of Oddities:
And a bonus from the Cradle of Aviation Museum’s Pan Am exhibit:
The Boeing 707: A Fast Story:
That’s the end of the tour. All that remains is part three of my recap with a conclusion and pickups photos.
Winter storms from February 8 through 13 February 14, 2025
Posted by Mike C. in Personal, Photography, Weather.add a comment
From the night of February 8 through the morning of February 13, Long Island dealt with three winter storms. Each storm left less wet snow on the ground. As I type on the morning of February 14 (Valentine’s Day), less than an inch of snow is expected on the front and back end of weekend rain.
As has been the case lately, I went to sleep early on the night of February 8, around 8PM, and didn’t take any photos until I woke up early the next morning, February 9. Using the same purple plastic 12-inch ruler I always do, I measured 4 inches of wet snow on the front lawn and 3/4 inch on the driveway pavement.
With the help of my father, it took me 54 minutes and 21 seconds to shovel snowfall from the driveway, left side of the house, curb, and sidewalk. Since this was wet snow, it was weighty. The instant I felt resistance, I would pick up the shovel, placing what I’d gathered off the pavement and onto the grass or in front of the bushes.
You know the drill: time for the photographic timeline.
February 9, 5:51 AM, after waking up 
8:04 AM 
9:38 AM, after shoveling and Dad left for the firehouse 
12:47 PM 
4:15 PM 
4:54 PM, after touch-up shoveling
Round 2 showed up on the night of February 11. The National Weather Service initially predicted 1 to 3 inches of snow and did not issue a winter weather advisory. However, as I pessimistically expected, they bumped that up to 2 to 4 inches with said advisory. I did take a couple of photos before bedtime and all the rest on February 12.
The NWS should have stuck with their original forecast because 2 inches of wet snow was all I measured on top of Sunday’s snowfall, and only 1/4 inch on the driveway.
Less snow meant a shorter shoveling time: 34 minutes and 3 seconds.
This photographic timeline begins with the pre-bedtime photos on Tuesday night (February 11).
February 11, 8:24 PM 
9:54 PM 
February 12, 5:55 AM 
7:13 AM 
7:16 AM 
7:19 AM: For a change, I took photos of snow-covered trees in neighboring backyards from my east-facing window. 
7:45 AM, before shoveling 
8:27 AM, after shoveling 
9:34 AM, before leaving for work 
4:04 PM, after getting home from work (and the supermarket)
Round 3 had the least snow of all: less than an inch is presumed to have fallen on the night of February 12 before changing to rain overnight. I was happy to see rain falling and snow melting when I looked out my window on the morning of February 13.
February 12, 9:30 PM, as snow began to fall 
February 13, 7:10 AM, with rain falling and snow melting
We have another month until spring and I’m in no rush to put away the shovels. If there are anymore storms, I’ll take the usual photos and post them here. Until then, thank you for reading.
3/12 UPDATE: There was an inch of snow on the front end of the February 15-16 storm, but the temperatures warmed up on the night of the 15th, changing the snow to rain and allowing for plenty of melting. Cold and windy conditions followed on the 17th, followed by a gradual warming trend. By now, low temps are no lower than the upper 30s. Spring weather is settling in and snow seems unlikely for the rest of winter. The shovels and rock salt back are going back in the garage. We didn’t even need to use the snow blower.
January 19 snow, January 20 aftermath January 23, 2025
Posted by Mike C. in Internet, Jazz Fusion, Music, Personal, Photography, smooth jazz, Weather.add a comment
After glancing blows from snowstorms in the first four weeks of winter, Long Island finally got a storm that left more than two inches of snow on the ground.
As day turned to night on Sunday, January 19, air temperatures fell from the upper 30s Fahrenheit to below freezing, turning rain to snow. The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for Long Island, calling for 3 to 5 inches of snow with the potential for up to 6 inches in stronger bands. (Points north and west were under a winter storm warning.) Thankfully, according to my 12-inch ruler , only 3.4 inches of snow accumulated on my front lawn, and only about an inch on the pavement. Official totals can be found here. The NWS practice of reporting by whole number and tenth decimal point is why converted from fractions (3 7/16″) to decimals (3.4375″) and rounded off to the nearest tenth (3.4″).
Below is a photographic timeline from start to finish on January 19, or at least up to the point where I went to bed.
1:58 PM 
3:13 PM 
5:03 PM 
7:15 PM 
9:10 PM 
10:13 PM 
10:56 PM
At 9:04 AM on Monday, January 20, with the sun shining and no clouds in the sky, I took photos of the snow-covered driveway, front yard, and backyard.
At 10AM, I bundled up, put on my snow boots, and went out the front door to begin shoveling. I also had in earbuds to listen to Tom Schuman’s I Am Schuman album on my phone, which I stored in my coat’s inner breast pocket. Within 57 minutes and 28 seconds, according to my watch, I had cleared my mom’s car (with a brush), the left side of the house up to the oil tank cap, the front porch steps, the entire driveway, the curb, and the sidewalk up to the property lines. I had prepped to listen to Kirk Whalum’s Epic Cool album (a Christmas present), but barely finished the first track – “Bah-De-Yah!” – by the time I put the shovel against the wall and went back in the house.
While it has remained quite cold in the aftermath of Sunday’s snowstorm, no snow is in the 7-day forecast as of publication on Thursday, January 23. However, I am mentally prepared for more snowstorms this winter, and with more snow than we’ve seen in four years.
Until the next storm, I’ll leave you with a post-shoveling photographic timeline:
11:04 AM 
1:56 PM (It may have been cold, but the sun still did its job.)
David Benoit at My Father’s Place: A Tribute to A Charlie Brown Christmas December 7, 2024
Posted by Mike C. in Animation, Broadway, Christmas, Comedy, DVD, Education, Football, History, Jazz, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Radio, smooth jazz, Theatre, Travel, TV, VHS, Weather.2 comments
3/25/25 NOTE: Scroll down for an update to this post via an email from Steve Stoliar.
Wednesday evening, thanks to the generosity of my fellow WCWP/LIU Post alumnus Bobby Guthenberg, I was at My Father’s Place at the Roslyn Hotel to see David Benoit‘s annual tribute to A Charlie Brown Christmas.
It was the first time I’d seen a live show outside of Smooth Jazz for Scholars since before COVID. That last pre-COVID show was Mike Stern and Jeff Lorber Fusion at The Iridium in December 2019. Wednesday also marked the first time I’d seen David and his trio since June 2019, also at My Father’s Place, three months after I saw The Rippingtons there.
Bobby G., longtime friend of My Father’s Place promoter Michael “Eppy” Epstein, first invited me to David’s show one morning in late August. I didn’t hesitate in accepting the invitation. We would meet at WCWP’s Abrams Communications Center by 5:45 PM and drive to Roslyn from there.
Since it was Christmastime, I anticipated David’s set would be similar to the one from his 2008 concert at IMAC (Inter-Media Art Center) in Huntington. (Little did I know that would be the last show I’d ever see there as the venue closed in June 2009, eventually replaced by The Paramount.)
My parents drove me up to LIU Post at 5:00 and we arrived in the parking lot adjacent to WCWP (and Hillwood Commons) within 20 minutes. In contrast to the flurry of activity during Homecoming Weekend, the Abrams Communications Center was as dark as the night sky, with most of the light coming from studio 1 and 3 where live shows were in progress. Thomas, the Wednesday host of The Rock Show, invited me in before retreating to Hillwood for dinner. I paced quietly in the lobby until Bobby G. arrived shortly after 5:45.
Bobby and I conversed on the entire drive to My Father’s Place, listening to David Benoit’s Fuzzy Logic (2002) CD along the way.
It was about 6PM when parked in the Roslyn Hotel lot. We walked up the stairs to the hotel lobby and down the stairs to the My Father’s Place section. (MFP was originally its own venue before relocating to the hotel.) Eppy Epstein was seated outside the entrance and Bobby introduced us. Then, we confirmed our ticketed reservation with the attendant in the entryway and were ushered to a front row center table.
My conversation with Bobby continued as 8PM approached. (He and Billy Joel were classmates at Hicksville High School!) We both ordered separate dinners, each choosing a seltzer with lime as our soft drink, drinking water in the meantime. None of the entrees interested me, so I ordered fried calamari and a “side” of mac and cheese. Our waitress told me the side dish, with shell pasta, was as big as an entree, meaning I only needed to order one bowl. It was all quite good.
I checked the stage for a set list so I’d know what I was in for. I found one on the stage floor by the drum kit. I didn’t think to write the list to my stenographer pad until the show had begun and the waitress took our dessert orders. I chose chocolate lava cake, which was a bit rich for me, even with the vanilla ice cream mixed in, but still good.
Okay, the preamble is over. Let’s talk about the show itself!
As you see, there was a fourth member of the band: vocalist Courtney Fortune.
David Benoit was on a Yamaha piano:
New York City native Roberto Vally played bass:
Merrick native Dan Schnelle was on drums:
And the aforementioned Courtney Fortune on vocals:
The front stage featured replicas of Schroeder‘s toy piano and the sapling Charlie Brown chose over fully-grown trees in A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Before more photos, let’s look at…
THE SET LIST
- It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
- Believe
- Medley: My Favorite Things/The Christmas Waltz
- Santa Claus is Coming to Town
- Originals medley: Drive Time/Café Rio/Kei’s Song
- Schroeder/The Doctor is In
- Vince Guaraldi medley: Great Pumpkin Waltz/Thanksgiving Theme/You’re in Love, Charlie Brown/Christmas is Coming/Skating/What Child is This?/O Tannenbaum
- Christmas Time is Here
- Just Like Me
- Linus and Lucy
- (encore) Cabin Fever
Set List Background Info
Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas compositions (except where noted) in the set were “Christmas is Coming,” “Skating,” “What Child is This?” (only on the soundtrack album; arrangement of traditional song), “O Tannenbaum” (arrangement of traditional song), “Linus and Lucy,” and “Christmas Time is Here.” That last song was heard instrumentally throughout A Charlie Brown Christmas, but a separate version added lyrics by Lee Mendelson, the special’s producer and co-writer (with Peanuts creator Charles M. “Sparky” Schulz). David first covered “Linus and Lucy” on This Side Up (1985), which led to an updated arrangement for “The Great Inventors” episode of This is America, Charlie Brown. David scored that entire episode, and many Peanuts TV specials (plus some Garfield specials) through 2006. The specials that stand out in my mind are:
- It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown – Features hilarious scenes where Peppermint Patty and Sally Brown botch their lines in the Christmas play – Similar scenes were played out in the series finale of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show, where a young Stacy Ferguson (Fergie) voiced Sally
- You’re in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown – Relegated to VHS, as of this writing – Features
improvisedplay-by-play by Steve Stoliar, a comedy writer, film historian, assistant to Groucho Marx, and impressionist (naturally, his Groucho impression is immaculate [no, he didn’t do it in the special]) *See 3/25/25 UPDATE below this list* - I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown – Focuses heavily on Rerun, Linus and Lucy‘s younger brother, and his desire for a dog, be it Snoopy or Snoopy’s brother Spike (partially recycled from episode 15 of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show) – This special marked the debut of David’s original composition, “Rerun’s Theme,” later recorded for David’s Jazz for Peanuts (2008)
3/25/25 UPDATE: Steve Stoliar emailed me this evening to clear things up about his involvement in You’re in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown.
It was much more of a challenge than mere improvisation. Here – whether you want it or not – is the complete story: I had a friend who worked at Bill Melendez Prods. in a variety of capacities. She called me up one day and said, “Can you help us? We produced this Super Bowl show that Sparky wrote and there are football games with no dialogue that just go on and on and they’re repetitious and confusing.”
She gave me a VHS of the rough-cut and I sat on my living room floor starting, pausing, rewinding my VHS player and trying to time (without a stopwatch) how long each football sequence ran. Then I scribbled down some suggested narration, making use of a lot of alliterations and metaphors, such as you get from color commentators on sporting events. After that, I read it and tried to edit the copy so it fit snugly in the blank spaces. Then I went to Melendez Prods. in Hollywood and we recorded it – with Bill M. directing me – and me doing a sort of Vin Scully-inspired classic sportscaster voice.
It’s fairly miraculous that it worked out. “Variety” actually reviewed it and pointed out the sports narration as a high spot. Unfortunately, my pleasure in having met the challenge was greatly impacted by my late wife and me having been literally thrown out of our apartment by the Northridge Earthquake, which hit between the time I recorded the narration and when the show aired.
I was later rewarded with a lovely production cel (and original background) from one of the birdie football games, inscribed, “For Steve – In friendship – Bill Melendez” in black Sharpie. Sadly, even though it wasn’t in direct sunlight, the inscription faded. But – like Big Julie in “Guys ‘n’ Dolls” talking about the blank dice – “I remembers where da spots previously were.”
It remains the only Charlie Brown special that has any sort of shared writing credit.
End of story – except to thank you for the compliment on my Groucho impression!
Thank you, Steve, for correcting the record, and allowing me to post what you wrote. I don’t know where I got in my head that he improvised the dialogue. I must have misinterpreted the Facebook comment he left a few years ago when I said that I’d watched my digitizing of the VHS tape. On that note, Steve wrote in a follow-up reply…
Oh – also – that particular show was produced as a tie-in with Shell Oil and the VHS tape was either a giveaway or for sale at a low, low price at Shell Stations when you filled up your tank. So even though it aired on TV, I suspect it’s missing from DVD release because of the initial deal with Shell. Not sure. I also did voices for Melendez (what a great guy) on “Snoopy’s Reunion” and “It’s The Girl In The Red Truck, Charlie Brown.”
I’m inclined to agree with Steve about the Shell tie-in keeping You’re in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown off DVD and other modern home media releases. It’s the Girl in the Red Truck, Charlie Brown is another special that has yet to go beyond VHS, but Snoopy’s Reunion has a dedicated DVD.
Thanks again to Steve Stoliar. Now, back to what I wrote in December.
Speaking of David’s originals, “Kei’s Song” is from Freedom at Midnight (1987), “Cabin Fever” (the encore) was on Waiting for Spring (1989), “Drive Time” originated on The Best of David Benoit: 1987-1995 (one of two new tracks), and “Café Rio” is from Full Circle (2006). “Drive Time” and “Café Rio” get the big band treatment on David’s latest album, Timeless, recorded in the UK with Spice Fusion Big Band.
David composed “Just Like Me” for 40 Years: A Charlie Brown Christmas (2005), with Lee Mendelson lyrics that honor the feel of “Christmas Time is Here.” Vanessa Williams sang on the original, and David recorded a solo piano version at Steinway Hall in 2017, one of 17 tracks from his The Steinway Sessions…session that were saved for It’s a David Benoit Christmas! (2020).
“Great Pumpkin Waltz,” “You’re in Love, Charlie Brown,” and “Thanksgiving Theme” were Vince Guaraldi compositions for It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, You’re in Love, Charlie Brown (yes, more redundancy), and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.
“Believe” was a Josh Groban song for the film The Polar Express, which served as the title track to David’s 2015 trio album that featured Jane Monheit and The All-American Boys Chorus.
“Schroeder” (set to Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”) and “The Doctor is In” were from the Broadway musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
That brings us back to the photos. For that You’re a Good Man medley, David portrayed Schroeder and Courtney channeled Lucy.
I’m not ashamed to admit “Just Like Me” drove me to happy tears. It’s such a pretty song.
When Courtney wasn’t on stage, the trio of David, Roberto, and Dan played instrumentally.
The finale: “Linus and Lucy”:
For the encore, a man at a front row table held up his LP copy of Waiting for Spring (I have it on CD) and requested a track from there. David chose “Cabin Fever,” one of my favorites.
I only got to meet and greet half the band. Roberto and Dan were deep in separate conversations and I didn’t want to rudely interrupt.
However, I did get to catch up with David, who signed my copy of Timeless:
I then introduced David to Bobby Guthenberg (who took the above photo). Bobby bought a copy of Timeless, and David signed that.
Bobby G. and I weren’t the only WCWP alumni at My Father’s Place that night. Voice actor David Kaplan was there, too. It was great to see him. He was talking to vocalist Courtney Fortune, who I then spoke to. I complimented Courtney’s performance and told her how moving her rendition of “Just Like Me” was. Then, Bobby took a photo of us:
My one regret is not getting a photo with My Father’s Place promoter Eppy Epstein before Bobby and I exited The Roslyn. Upon exiting, I noticed it was snowing!
Before meeting and greeting, Bobby offered to drive me back to Wantagh so my parents wouldn’t have to drive back up to WCWP for me. I accepted and called my mom to let her know. Bobby cautiously drove home in the rain/snow mix, once again conversing the entire way while finishing up his Fuzzy Logic CD. He switched to Timeless while waiting at a red light on Jerusalem Avenue.
Bobby dropped me off at the curb at about 10:30. I wished him good night and thanked him yet again for treating me to a memorable night at My Father’s Place. (He messaged me on Facebook upon his safe return home to Bayside.) I may return to MFP some time in 2025 if Eppy can book drummer Billy Cobham. Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Thank you again to David Benoit, Roberto Vally, Dan Schnelle, and Courtney Fortune. You were all wonderful.
2024 Long Island Retro Gaming expo recap: touring the expo August 21, 2024
Posted by Mike C. in Aviation, Computer, History, Personal, Photography, Technology, Travel, TV, Video, Video Games, Weather.add a comment
If you haven’t viewed the first recap post yet, click here. Skip ahead to the third recap here.
The vendor marketplace photos were taken both days while the exhibits were all taken Sunday.
Let the tour begin.
FIRST FLOOR
Walking in:
Vendor Marketplace:
First floor artwork:
First floor signs:
Hangar Arcade:
PC Freeplay:
Console Freeplay:
Dreamcast Indie Section:
PokéLab:
The Hall of Oddities:
Vintage ads:
Returning to civilization after nearly getting lost on the first floor:
SECOND FLOOR
I briefly caught up with LI Retro staff member George Portugal while walking this floor.
High Score Challenge
Indie/Homebrew Showcase
Gaming Console Timeline
The Arcade Age Exhibit
Other things on the second floor:
A view from the stairs to the third floor:
THIRD FLOOR
25 Years of the Sega Dreamcast
That’s the end of the tour. All that remains is the third recap post with a conclusion and pickups photos, including what I picked up after LI Retro.
February 17 wet snow February 19, 2024
Posted by Mike C. in Photography, Weather.add a comment
Saturday’s all snow event was bigger than I expected. Unlike Tuesday’s storm, I wasn’t blindsided until after the snow began to accumulate. I woke up around 6AM not just to lots of wet snow on the ground, but my dad’s Ford Explorer out of the driveway. He and Mom left earlier to drive my sister to the airport. I don’t know where, but I overheard a phone conversation Mom had in the afternoon. That indicated it was to a Central Time Zone location. (3/3 UPDATE: She went to Costa Rica for a week.)
Based on nearby snowfall reports, I again assume 6 inches fell in the Wantagh Woods section of Wantagh, though it could have been less.
With Dad at his office, the only option was to shovel, which I did after the snow had ended late in the morning. It took 38:34 to shovel it all. A purely photographic timeline follows below.
6:40 AM:
7:40 AM:
8:46 AM:
10:51 AM:
11:37 AM, before clearing Mom’s car and shoveling:
12:58 PM, after clearing and shoveling:
Thankfully, only rain is in the forecast in the next seven days, with that chance coming Thursday night into Friday.
3/15 UPDATE: We haven’t had any snow since. I finally put the shovels away one day last week.
February 13 wet snowstorm February 15, 2024
Posted by Mike C. in Jazz, Personal, Photography, Video, Weather.add a comment
The next snow event came nearly a month after the last one, on Tuesday, February 13. I didn’t even know about it until the day before when my mom said a storm was expected. I had not checked the weather forecast in days and was blindsided by what I saw on the National Weather Service website. 3 to 7 inches were expected! That meant I’d have to shovel. Yes, my dad got a snow blower in 2018, but I still need to shovel what he can’t get.
Despite reassurances from Facebook friends that the forecast was media hype and little to no snow would fall, it fell nonstop from about 6AM to about 1PM. I didn’t measure afterward, but going by the NWS snow report for neighboring Levittown, I figure my neighborhood in Wantagh got 6 inches.
Needing to get to his office, my dad used the snow blower at around 11AM. Thankfully, any snow that fell afterward did not accumulate, an upside to above freezing temperatures. Just before 2:30 PM, I went outside to shovel what was left. I shoveled the left side of the house up to the oil burner pipe, the corners of the driveway, the center of the driveway where snow had been cleared off my parents’ cars, the curb, and the sidewalk up to the property line. Aided by the first six tracks of McCoy Tyner’s Double Trios album on my iPhone and Beats Fit Pro earbuds, it took me 43:03 (timed on my watch) to do the job.
Skies cleared within an hour of returning inside.
The next chance of snow comes via a mix with rain tonight and then all snow early Saturday morning.
For now, a photographic timeline of Tuesday’s wet snow follows below. (There’s even a video.)
6:30 AM:
7:30 AM:
8:32 AM:
9:30 AM:
10:57 AM:
11:08 AM, as my Dad clears snow:
11:36 AM, starting with a brief video:
1:02 PM:
1:39 PM, before shoveling, as Mom drives out:
3:11 PM, after shoveling:
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