Montauk Pioneer - May 1, 2009 - 11 Shows, 11 People

Ingrid Lemme was taping her hit TV show "American Dream," which is produced and directed by the talented brothers, Ernest and Gregory Schimizzi. The show zeros in on heritage, family, and the dreams of the successful and how those dreams became a reality. The show is shown on WVVH Hamptons TV (channel 78). Last Saturday at Gurney's Inn and Health Spa Ingrid was all smiles during the eleven shows she was taping, yes that's eleven, only stopping to have a quick lunch. I believe the show is the best of its kind out on the east end of Long Island, and is telecasted into over 5 million homes in the tri-state area.

This award winning show showcases the interviewing talents of Ingrid Lemme, and watching Ingrid tape these shows is itself a story as she proves that although taping the show is work, she truly loves meeting people and hearing their business, personal stories and of course their dreams. Her first show started at 9:30 a.m. with Lou Hammond, a public relations industry legend. Then she was off to the races.

I was fascinated to learn from guest Michael White, the Executive Director of the Long Island Planning Council, that Suffolk County is the largest and leading agricultural county in New York State.

His ideas about fishing quotas, development in the county and environmental issues had me totally captivated. Publisher Joseph Louchheim was also dynamic as he explained his views on publishing. Mr. Louchheim's seamless, style is very suitable for television.

Edward Breem is the co-author of Lucky Eddy a book about his dad Congressman Edward Breen. He brought amazing photos his dad had accumulated of people from President Kennedy in an Ohio Hotel to a striking Amelia Earhart. This is a show you should watch.

If you love late night Hamptons or music, Nancy Atlas is your person. In taping her show the very upbeat, energetic Montauk resident was totally entertaining, whether she was talking about her music career, being a mother, or the advertising on air spokesperson for Winn Dixie in Florida for the last three years. Nancy, who took her stage name from the novel Atlas Shrugged, went to college in England where she studied art and didn't actually pick up a guitar until she was 21, although she played other instruments like the viola.

Nancy is fun to watch and is always interesting as she has a way of being cool with an authentic Long Island flair. I admit I enjoy her work. Editor-in-chief Donna Halperin told us about the world of cosmetic surgery, maintaining your looks, liposuction, and other things done today besides dieting.

Jill Nicolini a news and anchor at WB11/PIX was dazzling in a yellow dress that showed off why she is also a model. She was charming and disarming with a beauty that was not only skin deep. The camera seemed to love Jill and you will to if you watch this episode. Later in the afternoon Ingrid was scheduled to interview Paul Sladkus, the Good News Broadcast President, Cate Dolan, B.E.S.T. President, Tom Clavin, author of Last Stand Fox Company, as well as being a local Hamptons writer of distinction, one I admire and look up to. Her last show was Dan Fryda, Spa Technologies CEO. But the real star of the show is Ingrid Lemme, the charismatic woman who is the Gurney's Inn Director of Marketing and Public Relations.

She makes guests laugh and feel at ease so that they unwind and tell great stories that makes great television. Ingrid also takes amazing photographs, many that end up on the covers of local magazines, pens a local column and produces a publication in North Carolina, all the time being a loving mother and Sunshine Lemme's wife.

The show appears on different channels in the tri-state area and plays many times a week.

In Montauk it's on channel 78. Often overlooked on stories about this show is the work of Ernest and Greg Schimizzi, who also own the station.

They are hard working dedicated modest brothers who exemplify what class, citizenship and integrity is all about.

If you get the chance, you should check out some of the good and hard working people that appear on the show. You aren't going to want to miss seeing people of interest tell their story.