Charity Robey

From the Nanny's Girl to a Celebrated Teacher Jenifer Maxson continues to find her creativity.

[caption] Jenifer Maxson wearing her grandson’s pureed mango, banana and oatmeal with style.

Published in The Shelter Island Reporter, June 26, 2014.

 It was a nanny that brought Jenifer Eklund to Shelter Island in 1948.  Six decades later, her name is Jenifer Eklund Maxson, and she’s got banana and mango in her hair. And a little oatmeal. She’s just returned from hanging out with a messy-eater--her 10 month old grandson Marco, son of her daughter Karena, and she’s ready to tell it like it is. “Full disclosure is my middle name.”

 For 17 years, Jenifer Corwin (as she was then known) taught English and ran the drama program at The Shelter Island School. Many of the seniors graduating this week were her students. And for many of them she is an unforgettable teacher.

 Jenifer grew up on Long Island, with two working parents-a relative rarity at the time.  When the Eklund family’s nanny, “Aunt Jen” announced that she would be spending the summer at her family’s home on Shelter Island, Jenifer’s parents decided quickly that it behooved them to follow suit.  For two decades, the family spent summers on Shelter Island in a big Dutch Colonial house in Silver Beach,  “living beyond our means.”

 Jenifer said, “It meant summer to me.  It was the last place on Earth I envisioned myself living.”

 She spent some time at Hofstra, without getting a degree, did some acting, got married, had two daughters, got divorced, lived in Connecticut and then Montclair, N.J. and went through a series of jobs as she struggled to raise her daughters, Johanna and Karena as a single mother. Jenifer described that time as “a humpy, single parent kind of run.” Her brother James Eklund had settled in Shelter Island and gotten married. In 1981, she found herself at his surprise birthday party at the Ram’s Head Inn, which her brother  James and sister-in-law, Linda had just bought.

 It was a revelation.

 “Shelter Island seemed simple and beautiful. I had my childhood memories that suddenly became washed in a pink light, and I thought, my girls are getting older, and they would be cozy and safe here. ”

 In Montclair, her oldest daughter, Johanna, had been going into 7^th grade, active in drama and theatre and was unhappy at being moved away from her friends and favorite activities. In 1984, Jenifer started a theatre program at the Shelter Island School, “ all because of my daughter Johanna, who was about to leave home.” 

 With her sister-in-law,Linda coerced into being the producer, the first school production was “Our Hearts Were Young and Gay”, because Jenifer had done the play in high school and “it was the only one I knew.”

 The theater program was a success, and within a few years, the town had financed and built a new auditorium for the school. Many memorable productions followed; from works by Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde to musicals such as “Oliver”, “The Sound of Music,” “Guys and Dolls”--about 23 shows in all.  Meanwhile, Jenifer was finishing her college degree, and working toward her teaching certificate because someone told her she should really be an English teacher.

 When Lydia Axelrod, then Shelter Island School District Superintendent hired Jenifer as a full-time English teacher in 1995, Jenifer remembers Axelrod telling her, “You will always be controversial.”

 “Boy was that prescient.”

 For four years, she taught the Gifted and Talented program at The Shelter Island School, finding creative ways to challenge and excite the best students.  For a unit on creativity, her students contacted local artists and interviewed them about their work. Which explains why one morning at 7am Billy Joel, international singing star and Long Island Boy, sat down for a breakfast interview with her students, conducted at the counter in Carol’s Luncheonette.

 As a middle-school English teacher, Jenifer was committed to getting students out of the classroom and into the community, encouraging them to explore and to push themselves into the unfamiliar, and loudly advocating education “outside the box.” Her methods were unorthodox.

 “There is so much juice in these kids…. It’s malpractice the ways the tests are used.  Students need to feel relevant to their own education.  They are told to think out of the box, but then we put them in boxes.”

 But not everyone agreed with her teaching methods, and in 2006 she was suspended from teaching for two years as she fought a series of charges that were later withdrawn. By 2008, she was back in the classroom, teaching high school.

 The next April she took twenty sophomores to the Manor House at The Mashomack Preserve for an overnight writing workshop she developed called the “Writes of Spring.”  “I wanted to use Mashomack as a catalyst for writing.” The students kept journals, played trust games, wrote poetry and prepared meals together. It was a memorable experience for all, and the “Writes of Spring” became an annual school event.

 She retired from teaching in 2012.

 Truthfully, retiring is not a word you would ever use to describe Jenifer. Her recent projects include writing “Coming of Age” a one-woman show that she has performed twice on Shelter Island. In 2012, she performed in a staged reading of “Love, Loss & What I Wore” by Nora and Delia Ephron to a standing ovation. On August 29th, she’ll perform, “Red Hot Patriot” a one-woman-show based on the life of Molly Ivins as part of the Shelter Island Library’s Friday Night Dialogues.

 After finding each other ten years ago on Match.com, Jenifer and Tom Maxson recently celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary.  She wasn’t so sure about computer dating, but once they met she says, “it was like a Petri dish.”

 Why this burst of activity and creativity at a time when some would kick back and spend more time spooning mango and banana into the mouth of their adorable grandson? Because says Jenifer, Shelter Island won’t let her. “This island is a crucible. The beauty of it is relentless…. if you don’t find an outlet it could crush you. You’ve got to tap into it. You’ve got to be productive.”

Shelter Island 10K Timeline

First run in 1980, the Shelter Island 10K has been a summer tradition on Shelter Island for 34 years. Here are some highlights in 10K history.

• August 9, 1980. The first “10.2 Kilometer Road Run” with 725 runners, started at 5:30 pm.  Just over 31 minutes later, Justin Gubbins, 27, of Bellport was the first runner to complete the course.
• June 18, 1981-With 1200 runners slated to participate in the 2^nd running of the Shelter Island 10K, the race was almost a victim of it’s own success when race organizers clashed with the Town Supervisor over the costs of providing police for the event. The race went on, and the Supervisor did not seek reelection.
• June 28, 1981-The second running of the “Great Foot Race” drew the largest crowd in Island history to date—over 14,000 visitors, spectators and runners.

 [Caption] Aerial view of the start of the 1981 race taken by Robert Allen.

 1983- Fred Lebow, founder of the New York City Marathon, listed the Shelter Island 10K as one of the country’s top five for the beauty of the course and the professional management, saying “as far as quality goes, the run is number one.”

• 1983- Fred Lebow, founder of the New York City Marathon, listed the Shelter Island 10K as one of the country’s top five for the beauty of the course and the professional management, saying “as far as quality goes, the run is number one.”
• 1986 -The SI10K raised $57,000 for the Suffolk County Special Olympics.
• 1989- Four inches of rain left much of the Dering Harbor section of the route under several feet of water. Richie Surozenski, caretaker of Dering Harbor and nine men from the Center and Heights Fire departments, removed over 90,000 gallons of water from the course using pumper trucks, brooms and squeegees in time for the runners to pass through.
• 1992-Grete Waitz, Olympian and nine-time winner of the New York City Marathon ran the course with a time of 38:43, finishing fourth overall.

 

 

 

[caption] Grete Waitz inspired many runners and spectators in the 1992 10K.

 

• 1996- Andre Williams, 24 was the top men's finisher at 31:07 in spite of having his car, with running shoes inside, stolen on the morning of the race.

 

[caption] Andre Williams wins the 1996 Shelter Island 10K in borrowed shoes.

 

• 1997-María Luisa Servín, set the women’s course record with a time of 33:12.
• 2001-Janelle Kraus, three-time Wake Forest All-American and Shelter Island High School graduate finished second overall among women with a time of 35:33.
• 2004-Twenty-three-year-old Alexis Hamblet, a standout runner during her high school career on Shelter Island, was the top local woman finisher with a time of 38:27-- 29th overall.
• 2009- The 10k passed the $500,000 fundraising mark for Special Olympics and local charities
• 2011- Joan Benoit Samuelson, the first Olympic Women’s Marathon Champion ran, inspiring Island runners of all ages.

 

[caption] Joan Benoit Samuelson runs with Kal Lewis in the 2011 race.

My Own Shelter Island 10K

A distance run is a personal experience, and for many who have run it, the Shelter Island 10K is a memorable one. For some it was the beginning of a career, for some a change in lifestyle, and for some a way of honoring and continuing a family tradition.

 In the spring of 1992 I was pregnant with my second child. One day, as I admired the round belly of my three-year old son, I realized that we were not the only ones in the family with expanding midsections. That evening, I turned to my husband and brightly said, “Why not train for the Shelter Island 10K?  I hear it’s a beautiful course.”  He took the hint, trained for, and ran the 1992 10K and has been a runner ever since.

 My family’s experience moved me to talk to other people who have been affected by this event over its 34 year history, to find out what motivated them to take part in the race, and whether it made their lives better.

 John Strode, along with Cliff Clark and Jack Faith founded the Shelter Island 10K in 1981. Mr. Strode described the three men as “college athletes and twenty-somethings during the huge running boom of the early 80s.”

 They decided to organize a footrace on Shelter Island, but soon found themselves facing “anxiety and stress.” For Mr. Strode, the moment at the start of the first 10K was the most special. “When the gun went off, the fact that it was actually going off…thinking ‘Oh my God, it’s really happening.’  I didn’t expect so many people to show up.”

 When the race was over, Mr. Strode remembers stretching out on a bench next to the pool table in the bar at The Chequit and falling asleep. “It felt so good to know it was over, and we’d done it up to our expectations.”

 In the late 70’s Toby Green was the first member of what later became a legendary cross-country team at the Shelter Island School, coached by Cliff Clark.  When the first Shelter Island 10K took place in 1981, he was there.  Mr. Green recalled,  “The 10K came around when I was young. It became a goal to try and achieve that distance. My father was running it, so I wanted to run it.”

 Mr. Green still had a little awe in his voice when he described meeting the international athletes who came to Shelter Island for the 10K, such as 10,000 meter world-record-holder, Yobes Ondieki and Gold-medal marathoner, Joan Benoit Samuelson.  Mr. Green described watching Samuelson on TV as a kid, “There she was--winning the first gold medal ever in the women’s marathon at the LA Olympics-- and there was real competition--huge international competition. So that was very inspirational, and then I had a chance to meet her.”

 Mr. Green sees running as a way for anyone to set goals and work toward them. “The last guy can set a goal to not be the last guy next time. Other people have a goal to set a personal record--right up the number-one guy who has a goal of winning and taking home a little money. It’s something that just keeps coming back no matter where you are in life, or what shape you are in.”

 

[caption] Jason and Toby Green after a training run for the 1982 10K.

 Janelle Kraus-Nadeau, Wake Forest Athletic Hall of Fame runner and Shelter Island High School graduate said her most cherished memories of the Shelter Island 10K were as a very young spectator. 

 Then as now, the course goes by Sleepy Hollow Road, where she grew up. “Every year I would sit at the end of my road and cheer on my dad and other family and friends. At the time I didn't know that much about running…but I knew that one day I wanted to run in the 10K too.”

 When Ms. Kraus-Nadeau went from spectator to competitive runner, it was still all about community.  “Past teachers, my family, and friends were always scattered all over the course. Often they were in the same places every year, so I looked forward to those places on the course.”

 Cliff Clark was a co-founder of the 10K and race-organizer from 1980-1991. He told me about the year the course went by a Dering Harbor home where a large wedding had been scheduled for the same day and time as the 10K. Just ahead of the race, a bicycle-built-for-two rolled up to the lawn where the wedding was taking place, and one of the riders handed the bride a large bouquet of red roses. Moments later, the lead runners in the 10K passed by the house as the bride, groom and wedding guests waved.

 Cliff Clark also told me the story of a young woman who ran the course with her father, in spite of a physical challenge. Volunteers at the Cobbett’s Lane water station on the course brought water to the woman and her father as they ran, and learned that although she had undergone a kidney transplant, she had challenged herself to finish the race, no matter the time.  The race had started at 5:30 pm.

 Hours later, the awards ceremony was underway, when word came to Mr. Clark that there was another runner on the course, “and you might want to get out here.” As she was nearing Fiske Field her father at her side, the finish line was quickly put back up, she passed beneath it at around 7:30, and was escorted to the trailer provided for elite athletes to celebrate her victory.

Two carbo-loading recipes for the Shelter Island 10K | North Fork wine, food, lodging, leisure—life on Long Island's top fork: Northforker.com

10K penne with roasted tomatoes, olives and pancetta.

via northforker.com

Long-distance running brings many joys.  Among them are the chance to get outside and enjoy nature, the surge of endorphins known as runner’s high, and the excuse to eat a lot of pasta. I speak from experience, as a person who ran over six miles, several times back in the 80’s. Since it was a long time ago, I can’t really remember the endorphins, but I do recall that mythical binge known as carbo-loading.

Carbo-loading refers to the practice of eating glycogen-rich foods like pasta the day before an endurance event.  Glycogen, which is stored glucose, improves performance by providing reserves for the liver and muscles to draw on during an endurance event like a long run or a daylong hike.

This pasta recipe has all the satisfying flavor of a meat sauce, but uses only a few ounces of pancetta. It only takes about 45 minutes to make it, leaving you plenty of time to digest and get a good night’s sleep before the big event. 

For day-of-race nutrition, this smoothie, made with fresh strawberries, peaches and that milder relative of mint--basil makes a great breakfast, or after-race recovery drink.

 

10K Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Olives and Pancetta

Makes four 6 ounce servings

 

1.5 pounds plum tomatoes

¼-1/2 cup tomato juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

5 oz (1 cup) diced pancetta

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

½ cup green olives crushed, pits removed and coarsely chopped

¼ cup red wine

1 tablespoon salt

½ pound penne

¼ cup grated pecorino Romano cheese

1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Split the tomatoes and place them cut-side down in an oiled baking dish large enough to hold them in one layer.  Add enough tomato juice to the natural juices so the tomatoes sit in about 1/4 inch of liquid and drizzle 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil over the tomatoes.  Roast for 40 minutes until the tomatoes are browned, and the juices are bubbling.  Let the tomatoes cool slightly and, using a pastry cutter or two knives, coarsely chop the cooked tomatoes.  Set aside.

While the tomatoes are cooking, cook the pancetta in a 14-inch skillet, over low heat for about 15 minutes, until browned. Add a teaspoon of the olive oil to the pan, add the garlic, and cook slowly until the garlic is soft and fragrant.  Add the olives to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes over low heat.

Add the chopped tomatoes and the wine to the skillet.  Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon of salt.  Cook the penne according to the time on package and drain, setting aside about ½ cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta, cheese and parsley to sauce in the skillet.  Stir the pasta until the cheese is blended and the sauce coats the penne. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a tablespoon or two of the hot pasta water. Taste and add salt as necessary.

 

Strawberry, Peach and Basil Smoothie

Makes four 6 ounce servings

 

1/2 lb strawberries, (about 12 medium) with stems trimmed off

2 small fresh peaches, sliced off the pit, with skin

1/3 cup plain, unsweetened non-fat yogurt

¼ cup orange juice

10 basil leaves washed and torn

2-4 tablespoons honey (amount depends on the sweetness of the fruit)

 

3 cups ice cubes

 

Combine the strawberries, peaches, yogurt, orange juice, basil leaves and 2 tablespoons of the honey in a blender and puree until smooth.  Taste for sweetness and add additional honey if needed.  Add the ice cubes and puree to a milkshake consistency.  Serve with a straw or long spoon

Fighting Memories of Cold Weather With Spears of Asparagus

 

[caption] The asparagus spears on the bottom are ready to deploy.  On the top, spears after their turn on the grill.

 We may not all agree on 4-posters or irrigation systems or where to get the best scones, but here on Shelter Island there is consensus on the subject of the weather from January until a few weeks ago. Brutal.

 If you were in any doubt about how that weather has affected local agriculture, check out what is on offer at the farmstands- mainly asparagus, rhubarb and greenhouse veggies at a time of year when we are used to fields full of peas, beans, radishes, and berries.

 Sang Lee Farms in Peconic, (25180 Sound Ave.) has great-looking asparagus, and plenty of their signature Asian veggies, sugar snaps and greenhouse cucumbers. Dale reports that they should have strawberries by the middle of June. KK The Farm, (59945 Main Road, Southold and the Shelter Island Farmers’ Market, Saturdays, 9-12:30) also has asparagus, as well as strawberries, lettuce and greenhouse tomatoes.

 Fortunately, while we wait for the rest of the vegetable world to grow up, the asparagus is plentiful and glorious.  And if anyone in your household asks, tell them that grassy-scented pee is nature’s way of letting you know that the asparagus is working.

 Eat asparagus within a day or two of buying it.  Don’t buy spears with any ridges, puckering or shrinkage. The bottoms should not show any fibers or dryness.  Some folks trim and even peel asparagus, but for green or purple American asparagus (as opposed to white varieties) it’s not necessary.  Snap off the bottoms. The fatter stalks are just as tender as the thin ones, and are juicier and less fibrous. Save the snapped-off bottoms to add an herbal note to your next batch of stock.

 So that no one gets bored eating all that asparagus, here are several ways to cook it. The traditional protocol for cooking asparagus is to use a tall pot (often a coffee percolator back in the day.)  The lower part of the stems sits in the boiling water as the tips cook in the steam above. Asparagus also grills beautifully, once you’ve solved the problem of how to turn 40 spears of asparagus using barbeque tongs.  See my recipe below for this marvel of culinary engineering.

 My favorite method is also the easiest--in a microwave, with no water added and finished with a syrupy balsamic reduction, such as the Fig and elderberry balsamic “Blaak Drizzle” available at Table of Content (Route 114.)

 Grilled, Skewered Asparagus Serves 4

2 pounds thick, green or purple asparagus spears

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sea salt or fleur de sel

 Rinse the asparagus and snap the bottoms off each spear.  Align the spears on a cutting board in groups of five to seven and thread each group onto two parallel bamboo skewers.  Season each group of spears on both sides with the olive oil. Grill, using the ends of the skewers as handles to turn each group of spears, about 4 minutes on each side. The spears should be starting to soften, shriveled and a bit charred. Season with salt to taste.

 

Asparagus in Balsamic Vinaigrette Serves 4

2 pounds asparagus spears

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Saba, or a fruity balsamic reduction such as Blaak Drizzle

Coarse sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

 Rinse the asparagus and snap the bottoms off each spear.  Lay the spears in a microwave-safe dish—a glass bread pan or casserole will work. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and don’t allow the wrap to touch the asparagus. Do not add water to the pan.  Microwave for two minutes and carefully unwrap a corner (lean back--steam will escape) and check the spears. If they are still stiff, cover again and microwave for another minute until the spears bend a bit are starting to soften. Set the covered asparagus aside to continue cooking in its own steam for another two minutes.

Add the olive oil and stir to coat the spears, and then roll them with the balsamic vinegar. Splash on the Saba or balsamic reduction.

Profile: Garrett & Wolosoff, artists in residence | Shelter Island Reporter

Margaret Garrett and Bruce Wolosoff are artists, their lives on Shelter Island anchored by their love of the physical place as well as the community where their daughters, Juliet and Katya, grew up.

The couple first landed here in 1995 on an excursion from New York City to visit friends who described the place as paradise.

Bruce was a composer and Margaret was a painter. Bruce remembered the first visit: “It was great to establish a relationship with the sky again.”

For a couple of years they came for the summer, but when they realized their work would allow them to live here full time, they made the move.

“You can tell a lot about a community from its post office,” Bruce said. Margaret told of the day Bruce came home from the Heights Post Office in a state of excitement. Accustomed to the sort of post office experiences that gave rise to the phrase “going postal,” Bruce was astonished by the difference on Shelter Island.

“They are so nice,” he said. “They asked me what I was mailing, they helped me package my mail.” That visit turned out to be an early indicator that Shelter Island was the right place for their family.

Bruce has been making music all his life. From a three-year-old at the piano to a rock band as a teenager — “We made a lot of noise” — to an accomplished young pianist playing New York’s classical venues, he had enormous success. Still, he felt unfulfilled playing other peoples’ music and, as he approached his 30th birthday, made the shift from performer to composer.

“I met the right teacher who unlocked it for me. Instead of approaching it with a lot of theoretical materials, he asked me the question, ‘What are you hearing?’ and taught me to trust that inner sound.”

Since then, Bruce has composed for the Columbus Symphony, the 21st Century Consort, the Minnesota Ballet, the Carpe Diem String Quartet, the Eroica Trio and many others.

In 2010, he returned to performing. His latest release, “Darkling I Listen,” is a solo piano performance of 15 short compositions, inspired by the poetry of John Keats. “I would read some of Keats’ poems and a line would jump out at me,” Bruce said. “I would quickly write music to go with it, and then develop the sketches over time.”

He related how a nighttime ride on the South Ferry inspired him to compose a piece for piano and violin called “The Night Ferry.” “I got out of the car. It was a warm night, there was a beautiful moon and a little bit of fog, and I heard this music. It was so clear. I try to respond to my life with sound, and ‘The Night Ferry’ was one example.”

Part of the work was presented at the Music Festival of the Hamptons and at the 2011 Composers of the East End chamber music series in Southampton.

Bruce is now at work on a concerto for cellist Sara Sant’Ambrogio of the Eroica Trio. His process involves visualizing the performer and imagining what she would play. “She’s one of the best cellists I’ve ever heard,” Bruce said. “I picture her … I hear her playing.”

Margaret’s artistic life began with ballet. She began dancing professionally at 16, first with the Pennsylvania Ballet and later with the Cleveland Ballet. She attributed her professional ballet career to growing up in a Pennsylvania town where one of the top ballet teachers in the country happened to live. She finished high school by enrolling in a correspondence course, or as she put it, “an original home-schooler … they mailed you books.”

As she was leaving the Cleveland Ballet to move to New York, a friend told her, “I think you should meet my friend Bruce.”

Eventually, they met for a blind date, in Greenwich Village.

Margaret said, “It was meandery and fun.”

Bruce, “I was sad when it ended.”

They are now approaching their 25th wedding anniversary.

Not long after meeting Bruce, Margaret began to paint. “A friend of Bruce’s was a wonderful painter and he became my teacher,” she said. “He said ’just paint, and I’ll talk to you about them.’ So much is about doing it and figuring it out.”

The paintings in Margaret’s series called “Tuning Fields” are layers of movement and complex patterns, with a calligraphic feel.

Her work is abstract, but influenced by the natural world that she observes. From her Shelter Island studio, she can see the moving sea grass and horizon lines — elements that find expression in her canvases. “Lately, I’ve been watching dance, and then making drawings, finding the form from movement. So I have a group called ‘Lamentations’ based on the Martha Graham dance.”

In 1997, after living on Shelter Island for several years, Margaret and Bruce bought the oldest house in Silver Beach, perched on the margin of sea and sand. Although they were comforted that the house had made it through the 1938 hurricane, Margaret said that the wind “can be very intense.” The seller, who had lived in the house since the 1950s, told them, “you’re going to like it here because sometimes it’s just paradise and other times — well, you’ll see.”

Daughters Katya and Juliet are already both accomplished artists. Still in high school, Katya is a cellist and a visual artist with a summer job on the Island. Juliet is finishing her junior year in college, majoring in philosophy and playing in a band called “Psychobaby.” Margaret said, “We’re hoping they can get a gig on Shelter Island this summer.”

For this family of artists, Shelter Island has been an idyllic home. Bruce said, “People aren’t really here to show off. They are here to live their lives.” To make room to live their lives, after over 20 years raising two girls in the same house where they both work, this past Memorial Day weekend was the time for a big yard sale. Said Margaret, “We needed to clear away a lot of stuff.”

“I feel so lucky, the luckiest person in the world,” Bruce said. “To be able to raise a family here on Shelter Island, and to do music … we are all aware that it’s a special place.”

Margaret’s and Bruce’s websites, with examples of their work and a link to Bruce’s composition, “The Night Ferry,” can be found at margaretgarrett.com and brucewolosoff.com.

via shelterislandreporter.timesreview.com