May 17, 2024
Dear Quogue Residents,
Memorial Day is around the corner and summer preparations are in full swing. Notwithstanding the continuing cool weather, we are busy getting the Village Beach ready for opening day on Saturday, May 25th. More on the beach below.
Today’s safety message comes from the Quogue Police Department who have asked me to alert our residents that there is a national “Click it or Ticket” high-visibility seat belt enforcement effort running from May 20th to June 2nd, coinciding with the Memorial Day holiday. A few statistics: the national seat belt use rate in 2023 was 91.9%. While that sounds pretty good, keep in mind that approximately 50% of traffic fatalities are of “unrestrained” passengers. Since 2020, the obligation to wear a seat belt extends to all passengers, including those in the back seat. Seat belts save lives.
Our Police Department recently completed the renewal process to qualify for another five years as an accredited police department in the State of New York. Putting this in perspective, less than 30% of the NYS police departments have received this accreditation status. Sergeant Bennett and Officer Trotta managed the accreditation process and they, as well as all of our officers led by Chief Isola, should be congratulated for their hard work and professionalism.
With respect to the FIMP project, I have learned from the Town that progress continues to be made on securing the necessary easements and rights of way to allow for beach restoration construction to occur in the fall of 2025. The Town is in the process of engaging individual appraisers who will conduct the required appraisals, which are anticipated to begin in mid-June. The purpose of the appraisals is to determine the economic impact of the beach nourishment to each individual property. The Town anticipates that this process will continue throughout the summer as there are a total of 99 properties to be appraised, of which 49 are located in the Village. If you have any questions or would like additional information please contact Kelly Doyle, Assistant Town Attorney at KDoyle@SouthamptonTownNY.gov
With the arrival of the summer season, a reminder to enroll in the Town of Southampton’s automated “Notify Me” system to receive email alerts of emergency or hazardous situations. To enroll, please go to the Town of Southampton website (https://www.southamptontownny.gov/) and click on the “Notify Me” icon on the home page. Then follow the instructions to be added to their notification system. You will need to scroll down to the “Alert Center” heading to elect to receive notifications relating to “Village of Quogue Residents” and “Dune Road Closures/Emergencies”. It is also possible to receive text messages through the Suffolk County Alert Portal, which is tied into the “Smart911” system. To sign up, please go to their website: https://www.smart911.com/smart911/ref/reg.action?pa=NotifySuffolk
An unpleasant reminder that the second installment of the Town’s property taxes is payable without penalty by May 31st. The Village’s property tax bills will be mailed on June 1st (and posted on the Village website on that day). They are payable without penalty by July 1st.
And now for some upcoming events:
This Saturday, May 18th, at 2:00 pm, the Quogue Wildlife Refuge is organizing a celebration for the annual World Turtle Day. Participants will learn all about Long Island’s turtles and what you can do to help our local species. The next full moon hike is on Wednesday, May 22nd from 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm. Register for these events at www.quoguewildliferefuge.org.
Both the Quogue School and Quogue Library annual budgets are up for vote on Tuesday, May 21st, 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.
The excitement is mounting for the Hampton Theatre Company’s 2023-2024 season finale: 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 next Thursday, May 23rd and run through June 9th. This promises to be an epic show! Tickets can be purchased at www.hamptontheatre.org.
On Saturday, May 25th, at 10:00 am, I will be giving the State of the Village address. The event will be held in front of the Quogue Fire Department.
Saturday, May 25th, also marks the official opening of the Village Beach’s summer season. The hours are 10:00 am until 6:00 pm. The beach will only be open on weekends until June 27th when it opens seven days a week. The beach concession also opens Memorial Day weekend and will be run again this summer by Beth’s Café. As of May 15th, beach permits are now required – last year’s permits remain valid through May 31st. With the summer season’s arrival, dogs are no longer allowed on the Village Beach.
The Library Gallery’s current exhibit is “The Art of Inspiration: The Design Spirit of an American Fashion Artist” with works by Audrey Schilt, on display through June 11th, with an Artist Reception on Saturday, May 25th from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The Gallery’s next exhibit opens on June 15th with works by longtime Quogue resident Pieter Greeff. The next session of this season’s Foreign Policy Association Great Decisions discussion program will be held on Saturday, June 15th, at 5:00 pm on the topic of Climate Technology & Competition. 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.
The annual Memorial Day Ceremony is scheduled for 10:00 am on Monday, May 27th, in front of the Fire Department. I encourage you to attend as we honor all of our service members for their past and ongoing sacrifices for our security and freedom.
The Quogue Historical Society reminds us that the 1822 Schoolhouse has now reopened for the season during the Library’s regular hours with an exhibition on display: ”An 1868 School Day in Quogue with Schoolmistress Miss Lizabeth Griffing”. The Pond House Museum will be reopening on Saturday, June 1st, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. On June 7th, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, the QHS is organizing an Exhibition Opening and talk by Julie Greene, QHS Curator and Southampton Town Historian, on the theme: “Quogue Flourishes as a Summer Resort, 1880-1910.” Please consult the QHS website to learn more about their calendar of events and the history of Quogue: www.quoguehistory.org. You can also follow them on Instagram: @quoguehistory.
On Saturday, June 15th, at 7:30 pm, Quogue Chamber Music celebrates its 15th season at the Quogue Community Hall with pianist Simone Dinnerstein and Ensemble Baroklyn in an all-Bach program. Tickets can be purchased online: www.quoguechambermusic.org.
A few save the dates for events later this summer: Village elections will take place on Friday, June 21st. Also on that date, the Quogue School is hosting their annual chicken dinner from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm to raise funds for the PTA. The third annual Concert on the Village Green will be held on Friday, June 28th; the annual Duck Race at the Village Dock will be on Friday, July 26th; and the annual Village Beach Party will be on Friday, August 23rd. All of these events are organized by the Quogue Association and more details will follow. The East End Hospice is holding their annual gala on Saturday, June 29th, and the Wildlife Refuge is celebrating their 90th anniversary on Saturday, July 13th with their Wild Night for Wildlife Summer Gala.
Wishing everyone a great Memorial Day Weekend!
Robert Treuhold
Mayor, Village of Quogue