March 19, 2024
Dear Quogue Residents,
We made it – today is the first day of spring! Our friendly groundhog correctly predicted an early spring as the season begins a day early this year. The “vernal equinox” arrives at 11:06 pm tonight marking the end of winter and the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The equinox usually arrives on the 20th, but it’s a day early because we are in a leap year.
At our monthly Trustees meeting this past Friday, Kim Payne announced that he was stepping down after serving for more than 17 years as a Village Trustee. On behalf of the Village, I would like to extend our thanks and appreciation for the many contributions that Kim has made over the years. I am pleased to announce that Thomas Mullen has agreed to accept my appointment to fill the vacancy and serve out the balance of Kim’s term until the next Village election in June.
As noted in my December resident letter, the Village is committed to promoting and accelerating the installation of upgraded sanitary systems. Over the coming weeks and months, we will be reaching out to those of you who are prime candidates to participate in the subsidized County and Town Septic Improvement programs. In the coming days, we will be populating a page on the Village website that provides links to all funding programs currently available as well as some guidance as to how to get started. We realize this process can take several months to complete and requires a considerable amount of effort on the part of each and every property owner. To make this process less daunting, the Village has retained Chris Clapp of Clean Water Advisors to help guide you through the grant, permitting, and planning processes. While you will have to retain your own contractors/experts to do the actual design and installation, Chris will be available to help jump start and explain the process. He can be reached at chris@cleanwateradvisorsllc.com Please note that you need to apply for the grants before you proceed with the installation. The ultimate goal is to clean up the ground and surface waters around the Village by seeing as many of you successfully through this process as possible.
While it is still a bit brisk out there, warmer days are around the corner and the Village will begin the annual processing of beach stickers and locker applications on April 1st. Application forms will be available on the Village website at www.villageofquogueny.gov. Please follow the instructions carefully and take care to submit all the information that is required. Please remember that applications may take up to five business days to process. Permit pick-ups will be on Fridays only from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, commencing on April 26th, and also on Saturday, May 18th, May 25th, and June 1st from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. You can also elect to have the stickers mailed to you.
Please note that we have moved back the spring leaf pick up this year from April 1st to April 15th. As I have pointed out in the past, delaying the spring clean up until after temperatures have reached 50 degrees for ten consecutive days provides an extended refuge for a multitude of beneficial species of butterflies and other pollinators. Consequently, this year the Village Highway Department will begin picking up leaves on April 15th. Leaves must be on the shoulder of the street by May 15th in order to be picked up. Please do not pile leaves around fire hydrants or utility equipment. The guidelines remain unchanged. DO NOT USE PLASTIC BAGS. Bags will not be picked up, and you will have to remove them. No brush, such as twigs and branches, or lawn cuttings will be taken away, and mixing this debris with leaves will result in the leaves not being removed. Brush with branches up to 3” in diameter may be taken to the Westhampton recycling facility free of charge from April 15th through May 22nd. For more information, go to www.southamptontownny.gov. Please inform your landscapers that for safety reasons, leaves may not be piled on the shoulder of Montauk Highway. Property owners and landscapers who take leaves from any Quogue property may arrange with the Quogue Highway Department to leave them at the highway yard. This will avoid having piles in front of your property waiting to be picked up and blowing back onto your lawn.
On the subject of cleaning up, the Town of Southampton recently announced that it is again time for the annual Great East End Clean-Up, a volunteer-based program to remove litter and debris from roadsides, parks, trails, and beaches. Last year, over 700 volunteers removed tons of garbage, metal, and tires that were sorted for recycling. While the actual Clean-Up collection is not until the weekend of April 27th -28th, you can register beginning April 1st and pick up garbage bags and disposal passes for the Town recycling centers. All you need to do to participate is to select an area of public property and complete the registration form on line. More information is available at: https://www.southamptontownny.gov/calendar.aspx?PREVIEW=YES&EID=12114
For those of you who rent out your property, please remember that the entire dwelling (not a floor or a room) must be rented, the minimum rental period is 14 days, and a rental permit is required from the Village irrespective of the time of year. Please get your applications in early, as you will need to schedule a safety inspection with the Village’s Code Enforcement as a precondition for renting your property. Rental applications and the rules governing rentals are available on the Village website at www.villageofquogueny.gov.
As summer approaches and more residents return to the Village, please remember to support all of our local merchants. I will not list everyone for fear of overlooking someone, but did want to include a shout out for Mildred Wilkinson, the owner/operator of the Quogue Taxi (tel: 631-653-9347). It feels like the right thing to do to support a longstanding Quogue resident rather than encouraging the presence of more non-Quogue car services on the roads of our Village.
And now for a few upcoming events:
The Hampton Theatre Company’s 2023-2024 season continues with Strictly Murder, written by Brian Clemens, directed by Mary Powers, and produced by Andrew Botsford and Roger Moley. Performances began on March 7th, and the final shows are this coming weekend. It’s a great show, and I encourage you all to attend. Tickets can be purchased at www.hamptontheatre.org.
This coming Saturday, March 23rd at 4:00 pm, the Quogue Wildlife Refuge is organizing a “Paint and Sip with a Raptor” event providing an opportunity to watercolor paint with a live raptor as your subject. The ticket price includes all supplies, a glass of wine and light snacks. Space is limited so do not delay signing up. On March 25th, the Refuge has organized their next Full Moon Night Hike, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. You can register for these events on their website at www.quoguewildliferefuge.org.
The Quogue Volunteer Fire Department is organizing an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 30th, at the Fire House beginning at 10:00 am sharp.
On March 23rd, from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, the Quogue Library is organizing a presentation on Coyotes on Long Island by Frank Vincenti, founder of the Wild Dog Foundation, who will explain how people can live in harmony with foxes and coyotes.
On April 3rd, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Chris Paparo, a/k/a the “Fish Guy”, will be making a presentation at the Library on Exploring Long Island’s Underwater World.
The Art Gallery at the Quogue Library is featuring the Quogue Historical Society’s exhibit of 19th and early 20th century photographs “Worth a Thousand Words”. The exhibit has been extended through April 3rd. From April 6th through May 8th, the Art Gallery has organized a new group exhibit on the theme of “Spring Forward”, with an Artist Reception on Saturday, April 6th, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
The Library will again be hosting the Great Decisions discussion program on world affairs. On eight select Saturdays beginning in April through November, from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm, moderator David Rowe and facilitator Susan Perkins, in partnership with the Library, invite you to attend in person or participate via zoom. This year’s kick-off is scheduled for April 13th on the subject of the recently negotiated High Seas Treaty.
As always, please 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
Back to the Refuge – on April 11th at 7:00 pm, they will be organizing a virtual presentation by Alicia Whitaker, Suffolk Alliance of Pollinators Leader, on Getting Started with Native Plants, with advice on how to plan your garden to provide a haven for pollinators. Please register in advance for the zoom presentation at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqcuitqj0tHNEhq8LFgkmQXqT3JQsJcrAl
And finally, while not Quogue specific, please note that Long Island will be experiencing a Solar Eclipse on the afternoon of Monday, April 8th. This is a very rare event, but please exercise caution and wear appropriate glasses. More information about the eclipse and on local viewing spots can be found at the following links: https://patch.com/new-york/smithtown/solar-eclipse-long-island-how-see-it-pre-eclipse-events; https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/@5125123?iso=20240408
Enjoy the daffodils!
Robert Treuhold
Mayor, Village of Quogue