September 15, 2023
Dear Quogue Residents,
Fall is around the corner and hurricane season is upon us. With fingers crossed, it looks like Hurricane Lee will be moving north well east of Quogue. However, it is moving slowly and we will certainly have a couple of windy days with rough surf and some beach erosion. I announced last month that the Village would be performing the annual “beach scraping” in the coming weeks. We have now learned that we did not satisfy the DEC’s standards for a sufficiently wide beach and, consequently, will not be able to scrape this year.
The oil and stone roadwork is ongoing and, weather permitting, should be completed next week. The Village has now completed additional drainage work on Beach Lane. Some additional road and drainage improvements on Ogden Lane will be done next month. There are numerous other drainage projects in the works. A shout out to the ongoing hard work of our Highway Department.
On the subject of roads and traffic safety, the Village has now received a traffic engineering report from Dunn Engineering Associates. They have recommended that we adopt an area wide reduction in our speed limit to 25 mph throughout all Village residential streets. The Trustees are studying this report and will be holding a public hearing next month to consider amending our traffic regulations to reflect this recommendation.
We continue to look for measures to enhance the safety of everyone in our village – pedestrians, runners, cyclists and drivers. In that vein, the Village recently installed new stop signs at the intersection of Jessup Avenue and Scrub Oak Road and at the intersection of Niamogue and Ogden Lanes. Happily, the County has finally completed the corrective work at the intersection of Quogue Street and Montauk Highway.
A reminder that this is the final weekend at the Village Beach and all lockers must be emptied out this Sunday, September 17th. In the light of Lee, the lifeguard stand has already been pulled and there will be no swimming allowed.
And now for a few upcoming events:
The Quogue Wildlife Refuge is hosting a presentation tomorrow, September 16th, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, on the intimate link between the use, culture and ecology of the Pine Barrens, and the uniquely important role that the Pine Barrens has played in the east end of Long Island’s natural and human history.
The following Saturday, September 23rd, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, the Refuge will be hosting a sale of native plants grown by the Long Island Native Plant Initiative. What better way to support Long Island’s natural beauty and wildlife than by planting native plants!
On Wednesday, September 20th, from 7:00 pm to 8:15 pm, the Refuge has organized an introductory presentation to learn about the “meditative art” of East Asian calligraphy.
And finally, their next full moon night hike is slated for September 27th, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. You can learn more about these events and register at www.quoguewildliferefuge.org.
Now through November 1st, the Quogue Library will be collecting donations as part of The Great Give Back, an annual day of service where public libraries help out a foundation or charity. This year the Library will be assisting the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation. They will be collecting dry pet food, pet supplies, blankets, and pet toy donations through the end of October. The actual Great Give Back Day will be on Saturday, October 14th, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
The Art Gallery at the Library is continuing the exhibition of Katama Eastman Photography’s black and white photographs on display through October 4th. Their next exhibit will be of works by Melissa Hackett, a New York- and Southampton-based painter and printmaker, on display from October 7th through November 15th, with an Artist’s Talk and Reception on Saturday, October 7th, from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm.
The Library continues its impressive series of Author Talks with the next one slated for Saturday, September 23rd, with a virtual presentation from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, by Jeffrey Sussman, author of Sin City Gangsters: The Rise and Decline of the Mob in Las Vegas. On Saturday, September 30th from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Jim Gover will read from his debut book Feel My Heart, A Poetry Collection. On Tuesday, October 2nd from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Peter Bond will discuss his book The Leak: Politics, Activists, and Loss of Trust at Brookhaven National Laboratory. And on Saturday, October 7th from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Jocelyn Simonson will discuss her book Radical Acts of Justice.
The next Foreign Policy Association Great Decisions discussion program is scheduled at the Library for Saturday, October 14th, from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm, on the topic of Iran at a Crossroads. 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 Hampton Theatre Company’s 2023-2024 season kicks off next month with Neil Simon’s Rose and Walsh, directed by George Loizides, with a run beginning October 19th through November 5th. Tickets can be purchased at www.hamptontheatre.org.
Stay safe with the upcoming storm(s) and enjoy the last days of summer and first days of fall.
Robert Treuhold
Mayor