Dear Quogue Residents,
I am looking out my office window and Schmidt’s is already fully decorated for the holidays, including a life-size Santa Claus seated on a bench in front of the Market. Just in time to welcome the influx of family and friends for the Thanksgiving Holiday!
As we enter the festive holiday season, please mark your calendars for the Quogue Association’s Holiday Celebration on the Village Green slated for Saturday, December 6th, at 5:00 pm. I understand that Santa is expected, and there will be a Christmas Tree and Menorah Lighting serenaded by the Quogue School Chamber Choir. There will also be treats and raffles and the participation of many of our Village merchants and organizations.
The holiday season is the time for gift giving. Please remember to support all of our local merchants, who will remain open right up until the holidays. For those of you who shop online, please be aware of the risks of “Porch Piracy”, to which we are unfortunately not immune in Quogue. For those who missed the headline, fourteen people were recently indicted by what prosecutors described as an “intricate, well-coordinated porch-piracy ring responsible for stealing hundreds of smartphones and other electronic devices from homes across Suffolk County.” According to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, the crew targeted FedEx deliveries in 31 communities stretching from Huntington to Montauk. Watch news clip HERE. If you are going to be absent from your home, please arrange to have deliveries put inside or at least moved out of view from the street. If you have not already done so, you may wish to consider installing a surveillance camera on your front door. There are now numerous low-cost options available.
A reminder that the Village Highway Department began picking up leaves last week. Leaves must be on the shoulder of the street by December 15th in order to be picked up. The detailed instructions of the “dos and don’ts” are posted on the Village website. Please consider delaying or even foregoing your fall clean-up, as doing so provides many benefits for the environment. The Wildlife Refuge’s winter newsletter contained the following statistics: “When we remove leaves from our yards it reduces moth and butterfly emergence by 45% and fireflies by 24%, according to a recent study out of University of Maryland.” Please check out this link which details the many positives of “Leaving the Leaves”.
This month’s environmental reminder comes from the Quogue Wildlife Refuge. As you are aware, the Refuge has been significantly challenged by the Southern Pine Beetle invasion, as has the Village at large, which has killed thousands of trees and forced the closure of several trails in the Refuge. Unfortunately, the Refuge has now started to spot the dreaded Spotted Lanternfly. If you see one, please do not hesitate to smush it! The Refuge also reminds us that winter is a good time to look for Spotted Lanternfly egg masses, which can and should be removed and destroyed. Each egg mass can contain up to 50 eggs. They are white when fresh, and dry to a gray-brown mud-like consistency. If you find one, use a credit card or putty knife to scrape the mass into a bag or other disposable container; then add rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. For more information about how to combat this new invasive pest please click on the following link: Spotted LanternFly Management
An unpleasant reminder that the Town of Southampton will be mailing out this year’s property tax bills in the second week of December. For those who do not want to wait, I understand that the bills should be available on the Town’s website the prior week. Here is a link: Southampton Town Tax Receiver
And now for a few upcoming events:
The Fire Department’s annual Pancake Breakfast will be held this coming Sunday, November 30th, from 8:00 am until 12:00 pm. This is always a fun event, and it raises important funds for the Fire Department’s Benevolent Association.
The Art Gallery at the Library opened a Quogue Photography Exhibition on November 14th, running through January 8th, with an Artist’s Reception this coming Friday, November 28th, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The exhibit features works by local photographers Jennifer Garry, Meghan Goparaju, Veronique Louis, Sara Cedar Miller, Victoria Sartorius, and Melissa Wanamaker.
On Wednesday, December 10th, at 2:00 pm, the Library is organizing a Festive Holiday Tea. Join author Margaret M. Johnson for a formal tea – sandwiches and savories, scones and fruitcakes, and traditional sweets will be served, along with exciting new recipes to welcome the season. Ms. Johnson’s cookbooks will be available for sale and signing. Pre-registration is required.
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 Library Calendar
The Wildlife Refuge is organizing a series of virtual educational programs exploring Long Island wildlife. The first is scheduled for Tuesday, December 2nd, at 7:00 pm, when biologist Mike Bottini will discuss the fascinating natural history and behavior of Long Island’s “newest mammal” – the coyote. On Wednesday, December 10th, at 6:00 pm, the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society will “dive” into the world of New York’s seals. Then on Tuesday, December 16th, at 6:30 pm, the Refuge will take you on a journey into the world of woodpeckers and nuthatches that call Long Island home.
On Saturday, December 20th, from 3:30 pm to 4:45 pm, the Refuge will celebrate the upcoming winter solstice with a guided hike to North Pond. For more information and to sign up for these events, please go to the Refuge’s website: Quogue Wildlife Refuge
The Hampton Theatre Company will be presenting their third annual production of A Christmas Carol — A Live Radio Play. Performances are scheduled on Friday, December 12th, at 7:00 pm, and on Saturday and Sunday, December 13th-14th, at 2:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased here: Hampton Theater Company
Please note on your calendars that a number of Quogue residents are organizing a Food Drive in support of Heart of the Hamptons on Saturday, December 13th, from 8:00 am until 12:00 pm. They will be collecting non-perishables (and money) in front of the Post Office.
Also on Saturday, December 13th, Heart of the Hamptons is organizing their annual Polar Bear Plunge at Coopers Beach in Southampton to raise funds to fight hunger. Check-in will begin that morning at 9:00 am and the plunge itself is at 10:00 am. “Get freezin’ for a great reason!” Plungers, teams and sponsors can preregister here: Polar Bear Plunge
Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Robert Treuhold
Mayor