April 19, 2024
Dear Quogue Residents,
Hard to believe that we are already a month into the spring season given how chilly and windy the weather has been. The days are finally warming up and beach weather will hopefully arrive soon.
Schmidt’s Country Market recently celebrated its one-year anniversary. We are all so grateful to Dan and Karen Schmidt for bringing their talent and commitment to the Village. As I said a year ago, it is hard to imagine how we survived before their arrival. The Quogue Shop is now open and Homespun will be reopening soon. Please support all our merchants!
This coming Monday, April 22nd, is Earth Day which has been celebrated every year since 1970. I thought it would be interesting to share the history of the Earth Day movement as described on their website. The brainchild of a Wisconsin Senator, Gaylord Nelson, it was initially intended as an educational “teach-in” on university campuses to raise awareness about air and water pollution. From their website: “Earth Day inspired 20 million Americans – at the time, approximately 10% of the total population of the United States – to take to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate against the impacts of 150 years of industrial development.” Earth Day 1970 has been credited with achieving a “rare political alignment” of diverse political and social interests. “By the end of 1970, the first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of other first-of-their-kind environmental laws, including the National Environmental Education Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Clean Air Act. Two years later congress passed the Clean Water Act.” https://www.earthday.org/
Following my last letter announcing the Village’s new initiative to accelerate the installation of upgraded septic systems, some fifteen residents have reached out to the Village’s consultant to explore the process. I encourage all residents to look into this possibility. If every septic system in Quogue were upgraded, especially those homes located along the seventeen miles of the Village’s waterfront, it would have an enormously beneficial effect on water quality. As an additional incentive, the Village will waive the permit application fees in connection with the voluntary upgrade of septic systems.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Town of Southampton’s Community Preservation Fund. Since its inception, the CPF has made possible the preservation of over 4,000 acres of vacant land, as well as improved parcels of historic, recreational, and environmental value. To date, the CPF has purchased 14 properties in Quogue totaling 92 acres, with several more potential acquisitions in the works. Of note, the CPF funded the purchase of the Village’s Wetlands Preserve on Dune Road, the “Snail House” property that serves our Village Beach, and the Pond House on Jessup Avenue where the Quogue Historical Society’s museum is located. In addition, twenty percent of the CPF’s funds can be allocated for water quality improvement projects. In that regard, the CPF recently awarded close to $500,000 for two such projects in the Village. This is a work in progress, and I will have more to report in my next letter. There will be a 25th Anniversary Celebration of the CPF on Saturday, May 11th, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at Good Ground Park in Hampton Bays. See below for more details.
While there are no major road works planned for this spring, there will be a few smaller projects. You may have noticed that Suffolk County Water Authority is installing a new water main on Dune Road from the Post Bridge heading west approximately 1,000 feet. Once they have put the new main into service, they will return to repave that section of Dune Road. The Village will also be repaving the western end of Dune Road. It will also be repaving Midland from Jessup Avenue to the post office parking lot. We will then restripe the parking area in front of the post office.
I would be remiss if I did not include an admonition about traffic safety. Apologies if I sound like a broken record, but please exercise caution at all times, especially on Jessup Avenue. I see reasons to repeat this admonition daily as I look out the window from my office. Remember to pull your cars up to the curb when parking diagonally and do NOT make U-turns. This includes NOT turning into one of the parking spaces in front of the market when heading south. And for cyclists, please dismount and walk when you are in the “downtown” stretch of the Village. We have added signs reminding cyclists of this obligation.
Some repeat information – distilled…
BEACH STICKERS:
Applications www.villageofquogueny.gov
Processing time – up to five days
Weekday pick-up Fridays ONLY – starting April 26th – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Saturday pick-up – May 18th, May 25th and June 1st – 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Stickers can also be mailed to you – contact the Village office
LEAF PICK UP PROTOCOL REMINDER:
Pick up from April 15th to May 15th
Place leaves on street shoulders – NOT around hydrants and utilities or in the street
No plastic bags – No brush or cuttings
No leaves on Montauk Highway (Traffic Safety!)
LEAF BLOWER AND SUSTAINABILITY REMINDERS
Restrictions on the use of gas-powered blowers back in effect on May 15th
Off-hour complaints? Contact Village Police
Complaints during business hours? You can also call the Building Department
Watering ONLY on odd/even days (your street #)
No watering 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Please cut down on the use of lawn chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers
Plant native plants!
And now for a few upcoming events:
Next Saturday, April 27th, a group of Quogue residents has organized a Food Drive in support of Heart of the Hamptons. They will be hosting a table in front of the post office from 9:00 until 12:00 pm. Please bring non-perishable food for people or animals, and/or checks/money.
The Quogue Wildlife Refuge is celebrating Earth Day on Saturday, April 27th from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm with lots of fun activities and environmental exhibitions. The event is being co-sponsored by the Eastern Long Island Audubon Society and the Refuge. There will be a recycling collection area for old electronics.
Also on Saturday, April 27th, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, the Library is hosting a presentation by author Lawrence R. Samuel on the “Making of Long Island: A History of Growth and the American Dream”. The Library Gallery’s “Spring Forward” group show of works by local artists is continuing through May 8th. Their next exhibit will be “The Art of Inspiration: The Design Spirit of an American Fashion Artist” with works by Audrey Schilt, on display from May 11th to June 11th, with an Artist Reception on Saturday, May 25th from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The next of the new season’s Foreign Policy Association Great Decisions discussion program is scheduled for Saturday, May 11th at 5:00 pm on the topic of “Pandemic Preparedness”. Participants can join by zoom or attend in person. 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.
As noted above, the Southampton CPF is celebrating its 25th Anniversary on Saturday, May 11th, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. The event is taking place at Good Ground Park located at 9A Squiretown Road in Hampton Bays. There will be lots of fun activities “for the whole family” with a DJ, live animals, trail walks, games and crafts. Assemblyman Fred Thiele, the original sponsor of the legislation establishing the CPF, will also be giving a talk.
The vote on the Quogue School and Quogue Library annual budgets will take place on Tuesday, May 21st, from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Quogue School. There will be a presentation of the proposed budgets on Tuesday, May 14th, at 7:15 pm, also at the Quogue School.
The Hampton Theatre Company’s 2023-2024 season concludes with the musical comedy A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, music and lyrics by Steven Sondheim. Performances begin on May 23rd and run through June 9th. This promises to be an epic show! Tickets can be purchased at www.hamptontheatre.org.
Robert Treuhold
Mayor, Village of Quogue