May 12, 2023
Dear Quogue Residents,
On this day some 364 years ago, the Village of Quogue was established upon the purchase by John Ogden of a vast parcel of land stretching from Canoe Place to the east (now the Shinnecock Canal) to Beaverdam Stream to the west (now Westhampton) and extending three miles north from the high water mark. Fast forward to 1928, when some of our very astute residents had the good sense to incorporate our village thereby giving us much more control over our destiny. Happy 95th anniversary!!
Activity levels in our Village are definitely picking up. Beth’s Café is now open for business, and Jessup Avenue is seeing an increasing amount of pedestrian and vehicular traffic. A reminder to exercise caution at all times when driving and parking on Jessup.
I finally received an update from the Town of Southampton on the FIMP beach nourishment program. The second phase of the project at the Shinnecock and Moriches Inlets is substantially complete. The third phase which applies to the stretch of beach from Quogue to Hampton Bays is now under way. As previously explained, the primary focus at the present time is to facilitate the acquisition of the necessary easements from the property owners. This is a requirement of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) before they can begin to place sand along the approximately three miles of beach. Surveyors have now been engaged by the Town with the objective of completing the survey work by the end of July. Homeowners in the target zone should by now have been notified that their property will be surveyed as part of the FIMP project. Please contact the Village office if you have not received a notification and we can put you in touch with the coordinator in Southampton.
Once the surveys are completed and approved by the USACE and the NYS DEC, appraisers will begin the process to determine the monetary impacts that the project may have on the respective properties. Offers will then be prepared and extended to the property owners for the easements. This exercise will take several months and the Town currently anticipates that no offers will be made to property owners until the end of this calendar year or the first quarter of 2024. In summary, the good news is that the project is moving forward. The less good news is that it is looking increasingly likely that the actual beach nourishment is going to be delayed until the winter of 2024/2025.
Please note that beginning next Monday, May 15th, you must have a valid beach sticker on your vehicle in order to park at the Village Beach. 2022 beach stickers remain valid until May 31, 2023. Processed beach stickers can be picked up on Fridays from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm and on Saturdays May 20th, May 27th and June 3rd from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm. No dogs or other domestic animals shall be allowed upon any part of the Quogue Village Beach from May 15th through September 15th.
As pointed out in last month’s letter, the restrictions on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers go into effect this coming Monday, May 15th. After that date and through October 15th, the operation of those machines will be prohibited on weekends and holidays. On weekdays from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, the only gas-powered leaf blowers that may be used in Quogue must be rated to operate at a level not exceeding 65 db(A).
With the uptick in our seasonal population comes a corresponding uptick in the number of dogwalkers frequenting our roadways. This leads to the recurring refrain that dog owners are responsible for cleaning up after their pets. It is truly inconsiderate to leave dog poop on the side of the road, even if it has been bagged.
I attended a meeting yesterday at which representatives of the Suffolk County Water Authority presented the many conservation efforts they are encouraging homeowners to implement, the most prominent being their mandate ordering lawn watering on alternating odd/even days depending on your house number. There are numerous incentives being offered by SCWA for homeowners that deploy other water saving measures. Please consult their website to learn more. https://www.scwa.com/water-quality/water-education/conservation/
Both the Quogue School and Quogue Library annual budgets are up for vote on Tuesday, May 16th, from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Quogue School at 10 Edgewood Road. More information can be obtained by consulting the school and library websites.
And now for a few upcoming events:
This Saturday, May 13th, at 5:00 pm, the Library is hosting the second of this season’s Foreign Policy Association Great Decisions discussion program on the topic of War Crimes. Participants can join by zoom or attend in person. The 1822 Schoolhouse also reopens this Saturday with an exhibition on view: ”An 1822 School Day in Quogue with Schoolmistress Miss Lizabeth Griffing”. The Library Gallery’s next exhibit is “The Flower Art Show – a celebration of FLOWERS in art, photography, and real life with arrangements prepared by the Westhampton Garden Club members” opening Saturday, May 20th, with an artist reception on Saturday, May 27th from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm. The next Author Talk is on Thursday, June 8th, at 4:00 pm with Mac Griswold, an acclaimed cultural landscape historian. As always, consult the Library’s well-packed calendar to sign up for their rich offering of movies and programs of all types: https://quogue.librarycalendar.com/events/month
The Quogue Wildlife Refuge is hosting a water quality update on Saturday, May 20th, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am. Robert J. Mozer – a certified professional geologist and hydrologist – will make a presentation on an environmental investigation of seven freshwater ponds in the town of Southampton. That afternoon, there will be a celebration at the QWR for the annual World Turtle Day. Please register for these events at https://quoguewildliferefuge.org.
The Hampton Theatre Company’s 2022-2023 season concludes with The Portuguese Kid, written by John Patrick Shanley. Performances begin on May 25th and run through June 11th. Tickets can be purchased at www.hamptontheatre.org.
On Saturday, May 27th, at 10:00 am, I will be giving my first State of the Village address. The event will be held in front of the Quogue Fire Department.
The Quogue School’s PTA is hosting its 31st Annual Chicken Dinner on June 2nd, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Please attend for an evening of fun and games in support of our school.
On Saturday, June 17th, at 7:30 pm, Quogue Chamber Music presents the Galvin Cello Quartet at the Quogue Community Hall, with a program including works by Mozart, Bach, Rossini, and Gershwin. Tickets can be purchased on-line: www.quoguechambermusic.org.
A few save the dates for events later this summer: The second annual Concert on the Village Green will be held on Friday, June 23rd; the annual Duck Race at the Village Dock will be on Friday, July 28th; and the annual Village Beach Party will be on Friday, August 18th. All of these events are organized by the Quogue Association and more details will follow. The East End Hospice is holding its annual gala on June 24th, and the 15th Annual Wild Night for Wildlife Summer Gala will be held at the Wildlife Refuge on July 15th.
Robert Treuhold
Mayor