Floyd Memorial Library Podcast

On today’s episode, I’m joined by Mimi Fahs, Professor Emeritus at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, a nationally recognized health economist, and a passionate advocate for improving healthcare systems. Mimi shares how her upbringing shaped her lifelong commitment to public service, her groundbreaking work on Medicare’s cancer prevention benefits, and her leadership as founding director of the Health Poli...

In this episode, I speak with Mark Clifford, President of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation. Raised in the U.S., Mark developed a deep interest in global affairs early on, which shaped his path as a journalist and editor. After studying economics and journalism, he moved to Hong Kong in the early 1990s and went on to lead major media outlets, including the South China Morning Post, during some of the city's most piv...

In this episode, we sit down with Kim Tetrault, Community Aquaculture Specialist & Founder of SPAT, Cornell Cooperative Extension. He begins by reflecting on his family background and the influence it had on his values and lifelong connection to the natural world. He shares his journey from studying marine biology to launching the SPAT program Suffolk Project for Aquatic Training through Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Through SPAT, ...

In this episode, we sit down with Richard Panchyk, author of over 35 books on local history and an accomplished translator whose work has brought historical voices like Joseph Roth’s to new audiences. Born and raised in Elmhurst, Queens, Richard shares how his family heritage and upbringing in one of New York City’s most culturally rich neighborhoods shaped his deep connection to the city's past.

We explore his early passion for...

Today’s guest is Laura Klahre, a scientist, sustainable farmer, and passionate advocate for pollinators. Though she began her career as an oceanographer, Laura hasn’t left marine science behind; instead, she’s applied its principles of observation and environmental care to life on land. At Blossom Meadow Farm on the North Fork of Long Island, she focuses on native pollinators like mason bees and promotes awareness of often-overlook...

Today on the podcast, we’re joined by Arlene Klein, longtime Greenport resident, dedicated Rotarian, and one of the founding forces behind the Paul Drum Life Experience Project. Arlene first began visiting Greenport in the 1960s, drawn to its charm and sense of community, eventually making the village her full-time home. Over the years, she’s witnessed Greenport’s many transformations.

Arlene has played an integral role in shaping t...

Today on the Floyd Memorial Library Podcast, we’re joined by Joyce Culver photographer, educator, and lifelong observer of the human experience. Born in Manhattan and raised in Ardsley, New York, Joyce grew up in a creative household that encouraged her curiosity and visual instincts. She studied at SUNY Buffalo, where formative mentors helped shape her early voice, and later returned for a MFA at Rochester Institute of Technology ...

Today’s guest is Richard Vandenburgh, co-founder of Greenport Harbor Brewing Company one of the most iconic and community-driven businesses in the region. A longtime North Fork resident with a background in law, Richard took a leap into the world of craft beer in 2009, helping transform a small village firehouse into a bustling brewery alongside his partner John Liegey.

Since then, Greenport Harbor Brewing has expanded into a second...

Today, we’re joined by Ellen Wiener, a visual artist whose work draws deeply from the worlds of landscape, literature, myth, and the natural sciences. Her paintings and prints have been exhibited widely from The International Medieval Conference to the New York Botanical Gardens and are held in major collections including the Smithsonian, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, and Yale University.

Ellen reflects on her move from New York City to...

Today on the Floyd Memorial Library Podcast, we’re joined by Brent Robertson, designer, storyteller, and founder of North Fork Authentic. Brent’s journey begins in Sag Harbor, winds through the creative crucibles of Brooklyn and the Pratt Institute, into the hallowed halls of NBC and Saturday Night Live, then across the Atlantic to London’s renowned design firm Pentagram. Returning to New York City in the 1980s, Brent carved a care...

My guest today is John Broven, a man whose passion for music has carried him across both oceans and eras. Born and raised in England, John came of age with his ear tuned to a distant signal: the raw, unvarnished sound of American rhythm and blues. Not content merely to listen, he became a chronicler, a preservationist, and, one might say, a cultural translator between continents.

Through his pioneering work with Blues Unlimited and ...

Today’s episode is a deeply personal and inspiring conversation about love, legacy, and the power of unfinished dreams.

My guest is Laura Carney, a writer and magazine copy editor whose life took a remarkable turn after discovering a bucket list her father wrote in 1978, years before he was tragically killed by a distracted driver. He never had the chance to complete the list, so decades later, Laura set out to do it for him. In her...

Today we’re diving into a critical topic that affects countless lives, but especially matters here on the East End, where timely care can mean the difference between life and death. Our guest is Dr. Candace Cummings, a hospitalist at Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital. She’s here to help us understand what it means for SBELIH to become a Primary Stroke Center and why that’s such an important step for our region.

We’ll explore ...

Today I’m joined by Mark A. Torres, author, attorney, historian, and labor advocate. His writing confronts some of the more difficult corners of American history, from the exploitation of migrant workers on Long Island to the chilling legacy of the eugenics movement centered at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Through both nonfiction and fiction, Mark brings a deep sense of justice and narrative clarity to stories that might otherwise...

Today’s guest has worn many hats, Marine, soldier, real estate agent, town assessor, community leader. Lieutenant Colonel Charles Sanders has served his country across multiple theaters of war, including the Gulf, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay. And he’s continued that spirit of service here at home, where for over two decades he’s been a trusted figure in North Fork real estate, a former Southold Town Trustee, and the current Com...

We sit down with Fred Thiele, a lifelong son of Sag Harbor whose public service on the East End has spanned more than four decades. From his early days as a young aide to Assemblyman John Behan to his own nearly 30-year tenure in the New York State Assembly, Thiele has helped shape the region’s political landscape with a style both pragmatic and deeply local.

He’s worn many hats: town attorney, county legislator, supervisor. And he’...

Today on the podcast, we sit down with Tom Foster, a thoughtful voice in our community whose story spans cities and coasts, eventually bringing him to the quiet charm of Peconic and then to Orient. In our conversation, Tom reflects on his journey, his early involvement with the beloved Orient Country Store, and the pride he feels seeing his daughter, Miriam, and her partner, Grayson, as they continue its legacy.

We also talk about T...

Today on the podcast, we sit down with Tony Spiridakis, screenwriter, director, and the founder and executive director of the North Fork Art Center. Tony’s story is one of vision, persistence, and a deep belief in the power of art to shape and uplift a community.

We talk about what first brought him out to the North Fork, how that led to the founding of the Manhattan Film Institute, and how a long-standing dream took shape: to breat...

Today on the podcast, we sit down with Carmen Campos, educator, puppeteer, and lifelong advocate for language learning. Carmen shares her story of growing up on Long Island, how she first found her calling as a teacher, and the journey that led her through decades of classroom experience and leadership roles in language education.

Carmen continues to inspire learners of all ages through her work in puppetry, an art form she discover...