76 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Enjoying the last licks of summer
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With the last days of summer
fast approaching,
it was a treat to be with
people from different worlds this
past weekend -- from attending
the Hampton Classic horse
show, to enjoying a dinner party
with friends out east, to walking
through the grassy knoll at the
Westhampton Art Showand finding
artists both from Queens and
around the country.
All the while, I made my way
through the raindrops only to
see the sun shine again for a
glorious end to the Labor Day
weekend.
I had the pleasure of being a
guest of Bridgehampton National
Bank, one of the sponsors of the
Hampton Classic, in their “ringside
tent” in Bridgehampton.
Meeting old and new friends is
part of the fun of being up close
to the remarkably talented riders
and horses as they jumped fences
around the course. It truly was
a sight to behold.
On the grounds of the Hampton
Classic is a “shopping arcade” featuring
vendors from around the
world. I found a designer, Carina
Hildebrandt, from London whose
organic baby alpaca knitwear and
organic cotton dresses in my
favorite colors are made in Peru!
Other vendors were offering jewelry,
horse-themed clothes and
accessories, and gift wares. This
was a scene by itself.
The next day, I was a guest
at the home of Vinny Riso and
Georgiana Reese-Benatti on the
beach of Quoque. Even though
the weather was uncharacteristically
cool for early September, we
had a warm day inside their beautiful
home sharing good company
with many friends and meeting
a new friend: Fox Business
News star Maria Bartiromo. Her
parents live next to Vinny. I was
happy to hear that her father is
a big fan of our Home Reporter
newspaper, located in his hometown
of Bay Ridge.
I had the fun of visiting the
Westhampton Art Show. After
all, my kids run the LIC Flea
and Food Market, and I’ve been
addicted to markets forever.
Labor Day weekend marked the
annual Art Show, and there were
plenty of vendors to be found
while walking the grassy knoll of
the exhibit tents.
To my delight, I stopped at
Simon Zeng’s booth to relish his
beautiful scenes of nature. It turns
out that his studio is in Flushing,
so I plan to visit and see more of
his unique work. Up the aisle was
an photographer of ocean scenes
from Sarasota, FL. We chatted
and I found out his company runs
these shows around the country
so we compared notes on events.
Of course I also had to tell him to
look up my son, Dr. Jon Yunis of
Sarasota, if he ever needed hernia
operation.
Then I was delighted to
meet a gifted artist from
South Carolina, John Daso
and his wife. He likes to say
his paintings “are beyond
what the eyes can see.”
After viewing his work, I
could certainly agree.
He shared his powerful yet sad
life story, noting that his father
regularly beat him because of
his drawings. His father apparently
believed it would lead him
nowhere, and chose to continuously
discourage his artistry
through his fists and angry
voice. John’s father, as it turned
out, would only recognize his
son’s achievements and talents
on his deathbed. John not only paints but teaches
youngsters in his studio space.
He is my hero!
Then I found a sculptor, also
from Sarasota, who made me
smile just looking at his work.
His boat-building business was
destroyed by the economy in
2008 and he passed the time
making things from his leftover
materials. When a stranger
passed his home and saw it
and purchased it, a new business
was born. I’m thinking of
buying the mailbox he created
that made me smile. I’ll keep
you posted!
The warm sun finally appeared
on Labor Day, and spending
some time on the beach with the
warm, velvety winds made for a
perfect end to a wonderful holiday
weekend.
Happy surprise
birthday to Seth
Kupferberg
On a happy note, congratulations
to Tracey Kupferberg for
pulling off a wonderful surprise
birthday party for her husband
Seth at the rooftop of the NoMad
hotel in Manhattan. The Kupferberg family
supports many important groups in Queens and
I’m proud to serve with Seth on the Queens Museum board.
Condolences
Sadly, I’m keeping in mind three very special friends who’ve
suffered tremendous losses. Congressman Tom Suozzi has lost
his mom nearly a year after his dad’s passing. Hy Hochberg lost
his wife, Polly; Hy, for decades owned Queens Wine & Liquor
in Ridgewood and serves on the board of Wyckoff Hospital.
We also lost Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz, who was a
true public servant. He leaves four children and beloved wife,
Jennifer. My prayers are with them.
d a herto
om
aso
nd
e.”Georgianna Reese, Vinny Riso and Maria Bartiromo with her
sister Theresa
Flushing artist Simon Zeng had a
booth at the Westhampton Art Show.
Bridgehampton National Bank
President Kevin O’Connor with Vice
President Claudia Pilato at the
Hampton Classic.