Island Idol winners with their prizes pictured l-r: Katelyn Costa, runner-up for Best Solo Vocal/Dance Performance; Kathleen Flaccomio, winner for Best Solo Vocal/Dance Performance; Robert Montano, runner-up for Best Musician/Band Performance and Grace Miller, winner for Best Musician/Band Performance.

This year’s 13th annual music festival, Island Idol, sponsored by King Kullen, Friends of the Middle Country Public Library and The Allstate Foundation, was attended by over 350 community residents. Twenty-one talented performers entertained the crowd and were evaluated by event judges Victor LaBozzetta III, Middle Country alumnus, musician/percussionist and student at the Eastman School of Music; Dan Martinez and Steve Normandeau, music teachers from the Middle Country School District; Dominick Ricciardi, former sound engineer for Cove City Sound and Upper Room Ministries; and Camile Arnone, actress and director. During the event, six teen emcees provided enthusiastic commentary between acts, while our Teen Advisory Council staffed game and craft stations and a fundraising concession booth. It was a fun-filled, musical summer night enjoyed by all!

Pictured l-r: King Kullen District Manager Robert Shaw; Michele Martin, Allstate Foundation representative; Kristine Tanzi, teen services coordinator; Tracy LaStella, assistant library director; Michelle Kenney, teen librarian; Rosetta Goddard, teen librarian; Deborah Hempe, outreach coordinator; Kristin Shankles, teen librarian; Sara Fade, teen librarian; Ryan Gessner, assistant library director; Lori Abbatepaolo, grants coordinator.