The Barn Blog

Joe Pregiato is a mortgage broker, photographer, musician, and a consummate joke teller. He’ll discuss the art of telling jokes and perform some of his best material. Joe will break down the elements of a well delivered joke and give tips on becoming a better joke teller.

John Fix 3rd is the 3rd generation owner of Cornell’s Hardware in Eastchester. He discussed the founding of Cornell’s and its history over the last 100 years and showed us historic photos and film footage. John spoke about his family’s decision to sell their business to the Aubuchon Company so it can continue as a bedrock of the community for the next 100 years.

Don Capria is a producer, director, and an author of the book, “Colombo: The Unsolved Murder”. He discussed the life of Joe Columbo, the boss of one of the most notorious crime families in New York’s history. Don also talked about the new TV Series, “The Offer” about the making of “The Godfather”. He sold copies of his book to those who were interested and personally signed them.

Harmeet Goindi is a Chartered Financial Analyst and FinTech entrepreneur. He founded whatistrading.com which was acquired by Cboe Global Markets in 2020. Harmeet explained the history of cryptography and the history of currency which forms the basis of cryptocurrency. His knowledge and passion for the subject helped to demystify it. Harmeet talked about the various forms of cryptocurrency as well as NFTs.

Matthew Lohmeier is a former U.S. Space Force Commander who led the 11th Space Warning Squadron. He has two master’s degrees and served in the U.S. Air Force as a pilot and instructor pilot. Matthew is a consultant, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book, “Irresistible Revolution: Marxisms’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military.” He discussed his experience with the Space Force, his perspective on the military, and his concerns about our country’s future.

Rich Handel is a Test Project Leader at Consumer Reports who oversees the ratings of laundry products among other areas for the magazine and website. He’ll discussed the products he’s tested over the last two decades and described the extensive testing procedures that are performed in CR’s labs.

Edward Jiménez is the Director of Gynecologic Oncology at NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island. He uses the latest advances in surgery and treatments to help women with gynecological cancers live long, productive lives. Eddie discussed his work and how advances in DNA based treatments and robotic assisted surgeries are improving outcomes for cancer patients. He also talked about how the pandemic has impacted the medical profession.

Jim Maisano is the Director of the Westchester County Consumer Protection Department. He is also an attorney in New Rochelle and has served as a Westchester Country Legislator for over 20 years. Jim also served in the U.S. Marine Corp. Jim discussed his work with Consumer Protection and how it affects all of us.

David McKay Wilson is a freelance journalist who has written for newspapers and magazines since 1977. He was a staff writer for The Journal News, a regular contributor to The New York Times and the Boston Globe, and has written for 130 university and college magazines. David is currently the Tax Watchdog for the Journal News, writing the weekly Tax Watch column. He discussed his work as an investigative journalist and shared stories of his research and the many interesting discoveries he’s reported on.

Matt Young is an ornithologist and educator who founded the Finch Research Network. He’s currently working on the Stokes Field Guide: A Complete Guide to North America’s Finches. Watching nature and birds are incredibly therapeutic hobbies as we navigate COVID and life. Matt discussed the science of birding and gave tips on setting up a feeder garden in our backyards.