Arts & Entertainment

By Christopher A. Pape

The holidays are the time to be both grateful for what one has and to be generous of spirit. As an Italian-Catholic, I learned it was better to be meek and poor (for we shall inherit the Earth) rather than rich and powerful. But since we are the most successful nation on the planet, wouldn’t it be a good time to be thankful and try to help others, both within our own community and around the world, be as prosperous as we are?

By Rosanna Scotto
FOX 5 “Good Day New York” Co-anchor

For the Scotto’s, Thanksgiving means family. It’s one of those great holidays where everyone puts the breaks on their busy lives and comes together for a wonderful time. All of the kids get involved in the meal and there is tradition, in the recipes, which has been passed down.

By Elvis Duran

There is nothing Manhattanites dread more than the clogging chaos that explodes during the holidays here in New York City. People travel from all over the world to, basically, get in our way.  Are we missing something? Tourists pay top dollar for high season flights and rooms. Hmm. Maybe we’re taking something for granted here. Let’s review what we already know:

By Eileen Fulton

As I look back I can remember I was always in other people’s weddings.  My father was a Methodist preacher.  Early on, I tired of being that “cute little flower girl,” so at the age of six I tossed my rose petals, dawned my mother›s white satin slip and stuck a lace shower curtain on my head.  I was a bride.  I yelled across the street, “Hey Russell, come on over here.  We›re going to get married!”  Russell was an older man.  He was seven.  My cat, Pudd’n Head, was our preacher.  I grabbed Russell by the hand and gave him a big kiss.  He shoved me away and yelled, “What are you doing? You crazy?”  He turned and bolted down the street wiping his mouth with his shirttail.  Soon after, his family moved away.  That was the end of my first marriage.

By Eric Trump

There’s never a shortage of work at The Trump Organization -- between our global Trump Hotel Collection, award-winning Golf Clubs, Residential/Commercial properties, The Celebrity Apprentice, our new Virginia winery and continuous flurry of acquisitions -- to say we’re all “on-the-go” would be a true understatement. However, on the rare occasion that we do take the day off, I spend it doing the things I love with those I care about the most.

By Doug Hodge

When I was here, in New York, two years ago doing La Cage aux Folles, I was drawn to doodling to pass the time; it’s always been a hobby and I tend to draw people on the subway or doing some other activity. When you do eight shows a week you need to have something to distract you; to keep your mind occupied.

By Neal Shapiro

Like so many New York City residents, I came here to find my inspiration in the big city.

Born and bred in Albany, I knew the city was the place for me to pursue my passion for television and the news business. After a great career in network TV, I was lucky enough to take the helm of WNET – home to public television stations THIRTEEN, WLIW21 and now NJTV – nearly four years ago. Truly among the marquee public television operations in the country, its reputation for quality, commercial-free, agenda-free programming was well established.

By Ernie Anastos
FOX 5 Anchor

As someone who has been an experienced anchor in New York for so many years, I hear from people, “Everything just seems so bad, can you find something positive to tell us about, Ernie?” My new program, Positively Ernie, is designed to focus on the good things that are happening in our world. There are two segments, one is called positive impact, and it has to do with people who are doing good things either in charity or in an organization and finding a way to reach out to people. I also do something on positive lifestyle; I think everyone is concerned with how we live today. It’s about how we can live better physically, emotionally and spiritually. We feature Dr. Oz, who is a medical guru and he is on every show. He talks about goals in health and medicine. It’s about learning, where people can say “I like that,” and use it to empower their lives and also share it with others.

By Antwan Lewis
FOX 5 Reporter

I’ve always loved Brooklyn, even though I grew up in Virginia. During the summers, my whole family would come up to visit relatives in Red Hook (Thomas and Rachel McNair - my aunt and uncle; they were very big in the community). Often, we would drive around the borough and I would stick my head out and listen to all of the sounds; it was so different than the Norfolk area. While staying in Brooklyn, I remember hearing Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder being played at 1am. We were supposed to be asleep, but it was such energy; I loved it. Every day, we’d go to the corner to buy a hot dog. All of these things that were not so common in our Commonwealth, are things that I remember now. It’s what I loved about New York.

By Mercedes Masohn

My favorite thing about New York is the amazing dining scene. Being a self-described foodie, I have to say restaurants are my favorite things to discover and explore. I find myself watching a lot of restaurant shows. Anthony Bourdain is one of my favorites, I love the idea of him traveling; I love him discovering new and different cultural foods and I love that he goes to small villages - not just the big towns where everything is such an obvious restaurant find. He’ll go to the nitty-gritty and to the food markets and the small towns where someone’s grandmother will cook for him; I love, love, love that.