FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM AUGUST 12, 2021 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 43
Victoria’s
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
vschneps@schnepsmedia.com
This past week I had the
fun of attending events on
both the North Fork and
the South Fork.
Th e week began with a visit
the unique Peconic Landing, a
Continuing Care Retirement
Community for those older than
62 in Greenport on Long Island’s
North Fork.
Since my son Joshua Schneps
and I bought Dan’s Papers, I’ve
been exploring neighborhoods
on the East End, so when my
friend Jon Tibett invited me to
the unveiling of the statue he
donated to the spacious Peconic
Landing, I was delighted to
attend.
As I passed through the brick
stanchions and drove through
the expansive grounds, I was
struck by a feeling of tranquility.
I didn’t realize it was designed
for those older than 62 to off er
them lifetime care.
Th ere are private homes and
small apartment buildings scattered
over its 144 acres. I was
going to the event tent that was
used a few days before for a wedding.
I passed tennis courts and
a beach; the property borders the
Peconic River, with large ponds
and interesting sculptures strategically
placed.
Th e occasion for my visit was
the unveiling of Embrace, to
be added to Peconic Landing’s
award-winning outdoor sculpture
garden. Th e marble piece
came from Southold builder
and philanthropist Jon Tibett’s
granite yards in Westbury, Long
Island.
Th e carefully craft ed marble
tended to give the feeling
of connection, community
and kinship as conceived
by a team at Peconic Landing
and Jon’s staff . It was led by
Peconic Landing’s Cultural Arts
Curator Dominic Antignano,
who helped create the concept
for the marble, turning it over
to Jon’s artists to create a striking,
powerful design.
Th e visit, thanks to Tibett’s
invitation, opened a unique
place for me to know about.
THE U.S. TUSK LION TRAIL
As the media sponsor of the
U.S. Tusk Lion Trail, a project
created by the African
Community and Conservation
Foundation (ACCF), I was
brought back to the Nova’s Ark
Project in Water Mill, where we
just held our Rose Soirée and
will be having the spectacular
Dan’s Taste of Two Forks on
August 20 and GrillHampton on
August 21.
The serene farmland has
become the site of spectacular
sculptures dotting the horizon.
On Friday it had a display
of a dozen life-size lion sculptures,
painted to celebrate the
Hamptons Pride Trail, that will
make their way to locations on
the South Fork.
Aft er being on exhibit they
will be auctioned off to raise
money to preserve lions in
Africa and also encourage
employment of poachers to give
them jobs and end poaching. I
have been to South Africa on
a safari and saw for myself the
horror of what is done to lions,
elephants and other animals by
poachers.
So I was delighted to be a
small part of the solution to an
immense problem facing Africa.
As Brady Forseth, CEO of the
ACCF, said on that sunny day
at Nova’s Ark, “Th ere are many
trails of hope coming from the
Hamptons.”
It was fun to meet some of
the artists who painted the several
hundred-pound, resin lifesize
Amy and Steve Brody and their son, Jacob
lions and to meet the guests
getting a preview. I talked with
the talented and enormously
successful Donna Karan who
painted “her” lion and Deborra-
Lee Furness, who made room in
her home to paint while her husband
Hugh Jackman rehearsed
for his new play.
Th ere was wine entrepreneur
Christie Brinkley taking in the
scene too.
Following that eye-opening
unique lions display I had dinner
at 75 Main, with owner-restauranteur
Zach Erdem celebrating
his birthday. Th Discovery
Chanel was fi lming the celebration.
What a night !
HELPING CHILDREN
Having had a child with special
needs I was grateful to be
invited by Carol and Jerry Levin
to their home for a fundraiser for
Band of Parents. It is a group of
parents who fi ght for a cure for
neuroblastoma, a a once-deadly
disease striking children. But
thanks to the group’s fi nancial
support of research, the death
rate has declined and less toxic
treatments have evolved.
As I listened to speakers
tears fi lled my eyes. Th e parents
journey of banding together
to make a diff erence was mine
50 years ago as I lived through
the “Willowbrook Wars” fi ghting
for help with my friends banding
together for my Lara and
other children with developmental
disabilities.
So I totally understood the
power of what they were doing,
educating us and asking for
support for their cause. I love
their slogan and name: Band of
Parents, Bound by Hope. Th at’s
how we make a diff erence in this
world and how we must band
together!
KITE FLYING CONTEST
Th anks to our founder Dan
Rattiner, the 45th annual
kite-fl ying contest came off .
We made it through the rain
and saw a window of opportunity
as only drizzles remained at 5
p.m. Sunday.
Gathered on Sagg Beach in
Sagaponack on the South Fork
were more than a dozen brave
kids laughing and smiling and
running in the sand as they
made their kites fl y high, with a
little help from their parents.
What a joyous way to end a
wonderful week on the North
and South Forks of the East End
of Long Island.
Tales of Two Forks
Christie
Brinkley
with one of
the lions for
the parade
Zach Erdem celebrates his birthday with Sunny
Ashkey, Jazmin Roper and Steve Cooper at the
Discovery Channel taping
Jon Tibett and Dominic Anignano, left,
at the unveiling of the sculptuir
Dan Rattiner at the
Sagg Beach Kite Flying
Contest with stormy
skies but no rain
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