Dear Quogue Residents,
Summer is upon us and the Village is buzzing with activity from an influx of seasonal residents, extended families, friends, and visitors.
Concern for all who are in the Village at the peak of the summer leads me to reiterate some critical safety reminders. Apologies for the repetitive nature of these comments, but it appears that many of the following admonitions have been falling on deaf ears.
Cyclists – please ride with the traffic, respect all traffic signs, and wear helmets at all times; wear bright clothing and please consider installing lights. Do not ride side by side. Dismount and walk your bikes when visiting the merchants on Jessup Avenue. Please have some courtesy to others and do not block the sidewalks and driveways. There are bicycle racks on the Village Green side of Jessup.
Runners – please run facing the oncoming traffic, wear bright clothing, AND please wear a shirt which is a requirement of our Village Code. Do not run side by side.
Drivers – please respect the speed limit at all times and stop for pedestrians at crosswalks. Do not make U-turns on Jessup Avenue; this includes not making 3-point turns using Village Lane (or backing out of Village Lane into Jessup), and not turning into a diagonal space in front of Schmidt’s when heading south. If there is no spot available, consider parking in the Village lot by the Firehouse or in the spots in front of the office on Village Lane. Exercise extreme caution when backing out of a space into oncoming traffic on Jessup. Finally, our Fire Department has asked me once again to remind you to yield to a vehicle if it is showing a flashing blue light. This means that a first responder is on their way to the firehouse or to an active fire or accident. They are understandably in a hurry!
On the subject of first responders, I note that the Village has been experiencing a large number of false alarms, which increases the workload of our volunteers especially during the summer months. These false alarms are very often triggered when work is being performed on a residence. Please inform your contractors how to manage your alarm systems and consider having your systems serviced annually. Please also remember to renew your alarm permit registration if you have not already done so. This is an annual requirement so that our Fire and Police Departments have up-to-date contact information in the event an alarm is triggered. Alarm permit renewals can now be done easily on-line through the following link: Click to Register Your Alarm
It is also time once again to express the Village’s concerns regarding the growing use of electric bicycles in the Village, especially by our younger residents. There are an increasing number of e-bikes speeding around the Village, many being ridden by teenagers (or younger), and, more often than I would like, helmetless. There are tragedies reported in the press on an almost daily basis. A reminder that e-bikes are regulated by NY State and are not authorized to be used by children under the age of 16. Helmets are required for 16 and 17 year-olds, and frankly should be worn by all riders at all times (for all types of bicycles). E-bikes are only allowed on streets with speed limits no greater than 30 mph, meaning that they should not be used on Montauk Highway or Route 104. I do not believe these resident letters are being read by the teenagers in our Village. Parents, please educate your kids and do not provide underage teens with e-bikes! I have asked our police officers to increase enforcement. When an “under-age” e-bike rider is stopped, the parents are contacted and asked to pick up the child and the bike.
Our Police Department asked me to remind residents about the importance of locking your vehicles and not leaving keys and fobs in your cars. While we have happily not had any reported infractions so far this summer in Quogue, there have been a fair number of car thefts and/or intrusions reported in the Westhampton area.
And now for some upcoming events:
The Quogue Association’s Annual Beach Party takes place this Friday, July 18th, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. There will be a live band, barbecue, beer, wine, ice cream, and a bonfire on the beach. Tickets and more information are available on the website: www.quogueassociation.org.
Please make time to visit the Quogue Historical Society’s Pond House Museum, which is currently exhibiting: HOUSE PROUD! Quogue’s Iconic Summer “Cottages” 1880-1910. QHS Curator and Southampton Town Historian Julie Greene is hosting a series of “Quogue History Talks” at the Pond House Museum. There is one scheduled for this Thursday, July 17th, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Another talk is scheduled for next Thursday, July 24th, at the same time.
The Gallery at the Quogue Library is currently exhibiting works by Iodine Duke, an East Hampton based artist who produces immersive and vibrant watercolors of observations both real and imagined. The exhibit will be on display through July 31st. The Gallery’s next exhibit opens on August 1st, with a presentation of recent paintings by East Quogue artist Garrett Chingery on the theme of “Wings from Within”. The exhibit will be on display through September 4th, with an Artist Talk and Reception on Saturday, August 2nd, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
This Saturday, July 19th, at 3:00 pm, join Quogue resident Hillary Huber (Wilson), award-winning narrator of over 800 titles, who will be interviewed by author Annabel Monaghan and will discuss the art and process of audiobook creation.
The Library’s Summer Series of Authors in Conversation begins this Sunday, July 20th at 5:00 pm with Quogue resident Gerry Byrne in conversation with debut author Charlie Stanton, discussing his book How the Jester Became King: Dave Portnoy & the Unauthorized Real Story of Barstool Sports.
This coming Monday, July 21st, at 5:30 pm, the Quogue Wildlife Refuge is hosting an Author Talk on “How We Choose to Show Up”. Join bestselling-award winning local author Marcy Axelrod in the Nature Center to discuss her groundbreaking book. Axelrod offers a practical framework for how to “Truly Show Up” with greater ease. Please note that this event was originally scheduled for July 30th. You can register for this event and learn more about other Refuge activities at www.quoguewildliferefuge.org.
On Thursday, July 24th, at 4:00 pm, Giuliana Castellani Koch, noted speaker on Italian culture and history (and Quogue summer resident), will give a presentation at the Library on “The World of the Etruscans: In their Time and In Our Time”. The Etruscans were Italy’s first great civilization, and they shaped Rome’s rise and have had a significant influence on Western culture.
On Friday, July 25th, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, the Quogue Library and Quogue Chamber Music join together to present a concert under the tent of Brahms and Dvorak string quintets by members of the Manhattan Chamber Players. Wine and cheese will be served. To purchase tickets, please visit www.QuogueChamberMusic.org.
On Sunday, July 27th, at 5:00 pm, the Library’s Summer Series continues with a conversation between Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Confessore and Whiting Award-winning author Genevieve Crane to discuss the power and the perils of Artificial Intelligence for journalists and writers.
On Sunday, August 3rd, at 5:00 pm, Fanny Lakouby, digital art advisor, curator and collector, and Charlotte Kent, art critic, theorist and professor, will discuss “How it Works: AI and The Digital Art Market“.
On Sunday, August 10th, at 5:00 pm, the Summer Series continues with a conversation between best-selling author Christina Alger and Ken Miller, author of the critically acclaimed debut novel “High Finance”.
The next session of this season’s Foreign Policy Association Great Decisions discussion program will be held on Saturday, August 16th at 5:00 pm on the topic of American Policy in the Middle East.
As always, consult the Library’s well-packed calendar to sign up for the foregoing events and to learn more about their rich offering of programs of all types: quogue.librarycalendar.com
The Quogue Volunteer Fire Department is holding their Annual Open House on Sunday, August 3rd, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Please come and bring your families in support of our wonderful volunteers, while having fun, eating treats, and learning about fire safety.
Please save the date for the 59th Annual Art Show and Sale to benefit the QHS which will be held on the Village Green on Saturday, August 9th, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. QHS is also hosting an Art Celebration with cocktails and an Art Talk that Friday evening, August 8th, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, on the Village Green. More information and tickets are available on the QHS website: quoguehistory.org
Please also mark your calendars for this year’s Duck Race, scheduled for Friday, August 8th, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Further details about the Duck Race and how to buy ducks can be found through this link: quogueassociation.org
The Quogue Junior Theater Troupe is gearing up for their summer program celebrating their 47th year. They will be producing SHREK – The Musical on July 29th – 31st and August 1st for the Senior Troupe, and The Wizard of Oz, Youth Edition on August 20th – 22rd for their Junior Troupe members. Please also note that the QJTT Annual Benefit is slated for Friday, July 25th, with a performance and reception beginning at 7:00 pm. Details and tickets can be obtained at QJTT.org.
Have fun!
Robert Treuhold
Mayor, Village of Quogue