Dear Quogue Residents,

In last month’s letter, I commented that our Village had been “blanketed with a foot of snow on Sunday”, and that it looked like the snow was going to stick around for the foreseeable future. Well, here we are again, only this time the Village was blanketed with 26 inches in the recent “Snowmageddon”. Groundhog Sam Champion predicted that we would have another six weeks of winter when he visited Quogue on February 2nd. He was definitely not kidding! Our Highway Department has been working around the clock and has done a remarkable job. The Fire Department and Police Department have also been tireless in responding to service calls and alarms. We are truly blessed to have such amazing teams of individuals working to make our lives safe in the Village of Quogue!

A pleasant reminder that notwithstanding our severe winter, the spring equinox is only three weeks away on Friday, March 20th, at 10:46 am. You may also want to mark your calendars to reset your clocks to Daylight Savings Time on Sunday, March 8th, at 2:00 am.

At our most recent meeting last Friday, the Village Trustees adopted the “Nitrogen Smart Communities Pledge”. The Pledge highlights our Village’s ongoing commitment to reducing, preventing, and ultimately eliminating nitrogen pollution to protect Long Island’s waters. This Pledge is part of a new initiative organized and promoted by the Long Island Watershed Program under the auspices of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Stay tuned for more details as to what the Village is doing, and what each of you can do, to reduce nitrogen from entering our surrounding surface waters as well as our groundwater.

It has been a while since I provided an update on the Fire Island to Montauk Point (FIMP) beach renourishment project. While I remain wary of providing a prediction on when we will actually see sand added to our beach front, I am pleased to report that progress is being made on obtaining the necessary easements. As of this morning, the Southampton Legal Department has sent out 19 offer letters, with another nine being sent this week. They will be continuing to send out offer letters in batches as the appraisals are finalized, with the objective of gathering all of the easements this spring. As a reminder, there are approximately 100 properties on Dune Road in the project area, half of which are located in Quogue. If the easements are all obtained by May/June, the Army Corps of Engineers has indicated that the project will proceed next fall/winter. Please feel free to reach out to me in the Village Office if you have further questions about the easement process.

Another merchant is coming to Quogue in the new building at 164 Jessup Avenue. “ei Headspa” will be opening in the next few weeks. This will be the second location of an established spa located in Port Jefferson that offers head massages and scalp treatments using Japanese techniques. HERE is a link to their website. Apparently, scalp treatment is one of the latest wellness trends, as I learned from this New York Times article: Is Your Scalp the New ‘It’ Body Part?

Many residents have continued to ask about the blue lights on Montauk Highway, which were actually quite beautiful during the recent snow storms. I am pleased to report, however, that the Village was finally able to resolve our longstanding warranty claim against the supplier of the defective LED light assemblies. Our Highway Department received a shipment of 21 replacement lights last week, and we will begin changing out the blue lights in the coming days and weeks, weather permitting.

Another reminder that fire and burglar alarms must be registered with the Village to obtain a permit, which must be renewed on an annual basis. Penalty amounts for false alarms are now doubled if a property does not have a valid, unexpired alarm permit. Alarm permits can be registered or renewed through the Village’s online portal. Printable forms remain available for download at villageofquogueny.gov. If you are unsure if your alarm system is registered for 2026, please contact Village Hall to verify at (631) 653-4498 or by email to contact@villageofquogueny.gov

Finally, we have received a number of requests from residents looking for receipted property tax bills. If you need this in connection with tax preparation, you can obtain copies of your tax bills by accessing the Village’s website HERE. On the homepage click on View Tax Information/Pay Your Taxes and enter your property information.

Here are a few upcoming events:

The Art Gallery at the Quogue Library is hosting a reception this coming Sunday, March 1st, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, with a talk by the Quogue Historical Society, presenting their exhibition: House Proud: Quogue’s Iconic Summer “Cottages”: 1880-1910 Part Two. The reception and talk were originally scheduled for February 1st but were rescheduled due to the last snowstorm. The exhibition opened on January 10th and now runs through March 5th. The Gallery will be presenting the Quogue School Art Show, on display from March 6th through April 23rd, with a reception on Friday, March 13th, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

In the lead up to St. Patrick’s Day, the Library is hosting a Special Corned Beef Dinner with Chef Brian on Wednesday, March 11th, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. On Wednesday, March 18th, from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, the Library is hosting a program on Bees, Pollinators and You. Master beekeeper Christopher Kelly will be discussing how to develop a pollinator garden. Registration is required for these events.

As always, the Quogue Library has daily programs for all ages. Please consult their website to check out the packed calendar of exercise, tech and other types of classes, arts and crafts activities, book clubs, games, movies and more. https://quogue.librarycalendar.com.

The Wildlife Refuge is organizing a History on the Trail guided history walking tour on Saturday, March 7th, from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm. The tour will highlight stories and remaining features from the Quogue Ice Company and provide a history of the creation of the Refuge over 92 years ago. The Refuge is also organizing a Spring Equinox Lantern Tour at the Fairy Dell Boardwalk on March 20th, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. You can learn about the Refuge’s other programs by consulting their website at https://quoguewildliferefuge.org/

The Hampton Theatre Company’s 2025-2026 season continues next month with I Do! I Do! – A Musical about Marriage, book and lyrics by Tom Jones, music by Harvey Schmidt, and directed by Rosemary Cline. The run is from March 12th through March 29th.  HTC is offering a complimentary vow renewal ceremony following most performances! Reservations are required and tickets can be purchased at www.hamptontheatre.org.

Be careful while shoveling!

Robert Treuhold
Mayor, Village of Quogue

Dear Quogue Residents,

Happy Snowy New Year! Our Village was blanketed with a foot of snow on Sunday. Given the freezing temperature, it looks like the snow is going to stay around for the foreseeable future. We owe our highway department a huge debt of gratitude for working around the clock to clear up our roads and sidewalks. A request to all residents – as you are plowing (or having plowed) your driveways, please do not pile the snow in the Village right-of-ways. This creates dangerous traffic conditions and imposes a greater burden on our overworked village employees.

To help us determine how much more winter is in store, you are invited to come by the Library for the annual Groundhog Day Celebration next Monday, February 2nd, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.  The STAR Foundation groundhog will make its 2026 prediction. There will be guest speakers from the Quogue Wildlife Refuge and lots of activities for children, as well as hot chocolate and groundhog-themed treats.

Next Monday also marks the tenth anniversary of the listing of the Quogue Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Listing in the National Register provides an “official” recognition that Quogue possesses (as stated on the National Register website): “a remarkable collection of architecture that reflects Quogue’s history as an early agricultural community transformed into a predominantly seasonal community during the nineteenth century.” The Quogue Historic District was established with over 250 “contributing” structures, and resulted from the collective efforts of the Quogue Historical Society supported by the Village and several residents, who engaged expert historical consultants to document the history of the Village, and to inventory and catalog historic structures and properties.

In light of the tenth anniversary, the Village Trustees adopted a resolution this past Friday congratulating the Quogue Historical Society and the residents of the Village on their continuing efforts to encourage the preservation of the historic character of the Village. The Village will be posting the map of the Historic District on the Village website. All Village departments, boards and committees will be updating their respective application forms to require that applicants identify whether the project under review is located in the Quogue Historic District and whether the project site contains a contributing historic structure. This measure reflects the desire of the Trustees to promote the benefits of the Quogue Historic District and further encourage the preservation of the historic character of our Village. To learn more about Quogue’s history, please consult the Historical Society’s website HERE.

An exciting development on Quogue Street – Hampton Coffee Company will be opening a Quogue Café in the space formerly occupied by Beth’s. They are aiming to open by late April and will be serving breakfast and lunch daily. The new café will be similar to their original location in Water Mill, and they are planning on staying open year-round.

Here are a few upcoming events:

The Art Gallery at the Quogue Library is hosting a reception this coming Sunday, February 1st, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, with a talk by the Quogue Historical Society, presenting their exhibition: House Proud: Quogue’s Iconic Summer “Cottages”. The exhibition opened on January 10th and runs through February 20th.

As noted above, the annual Groundhog Day Celebration will take place at the Library on Monday, February 2nd, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

As always, the Quogue Library has daily programs for all ages. Please consult their website to check out the packed calendar of exercise, tech and other types of classes, arts and crafts activities, book clubs, games, movies and more. https://quogue.librarycalendar.com.

While unfortunately now sold out, this Saturday, January 31st, the Wildlife Refuge is organizing a Winter Bird & Seal Watching Cruise aboard Stony Brook University’s marine research vessel, the R/V Peconic. Sorry to miss this opportunity and hoping the Refuge will organize other exciting expeditions in the future. The Refuge is also hosting a virtual program on February 12th, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Whales, Dolphins, and Seals – a 37 Year Journey! Dr. Artie Kopelman, the president and senior scientist at the Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island (CRESLI) will take you on an information based photographic tour of the marine mammals of Long Island. You can register on their website HERE.

Stay warm!

Robert Treuhold
Mayor, Village of Quogue

State of Emergency 1-2026 Heavy Snowfall Proclamation

Dear Quogue Residents,

Winter has officially arrived following yesterday’s solstice. “May you find peace in the promise of the solstice night, that each day forward is blessed with more light!”

The holidays are here and our Village looks beautiful.  We had a fabulous holiday celebration on the Village Green earlier this month with a huge turnout for the tree and Menorah lighting with a concert provided by the Quogue School Chamber Choir.

A reminder that our local merchants are open and ready to fulfill your last-minute shopping needs. The Quogue Shop, the Quogue Flower Shop, Jen Going Interiors, Quogue Liquors, the Quogue Salon, the SFA East Spa, and Studio 7 Pilates will all be open most days, as will Schmidt’s Country Market.

I am pleased to announce that the Trustees designated Ted Necarsulmer as the Village’s 2025 Person of the Year.  Ted has served as a Village Trustee since 2009. He has also served in our Fire Department for over two decades, where he continues to serve as President of the QFD Benevolent Association. He recently stepped down from the Board of the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, having served for over ten years and acting as the Refuge’s Treasurer.  Please join me and the Trustees in expressing our deep appreciation to Ted for his tireless and ongoing efforts to improve the Village throughout the years.

It is time for another reminder to register and/or renew your alarm permit. The registration and renewal form can be completed on-line and is accessible HERE. You may also download a printable form from the Village website HERE.

While it seems premature already to be thinking ahead to next summer, as many of you are aware, the US Open golf tournament is returning to Shinnecock Hills next June 18-21. In light of the high demand for short-term rentals, the Village Trustees agreed to waive the usual 15-day minimum rental requirement during the pendency of the tournament.  A reminder that homeowners must obtain a Rental License from the Village. Details are available on the Village website or you can call Village Office should you have any questions.

Last week, the Suffolk County Legislature tightened the regulations applicable to e-bikes and scooters. All operators must now wear a helmet, regardless of age.  This requirement is more strict than the current NY State law, which only mandates helmets for 16 and 17 year-olds. The new regulation also bans the use of e-bikes and scooter on highways, sidewalks, or streets with a speed limit over 30 miles per hour. The Quogue police force will be enforcing the new law as a matter of public safety. Here is a link to a News 12 report on the new regulation:

https://longisland.news12.com/suffolk-officials-crack-down-on-e-bikes-and-e-scooters-with-new-law

The Town of Southampton property tax bills were mailed last week.  If you have not yet received your bill, you can download a copy from the Town’s website: https://etax.southamptontownny.gov/(S(gbmkqlzqo4nhpepzqcljakla))/WebPortal/WEB_PT_MAIN.aspx?command=EPAYMENT&style=&group=eTaxAR

This past weekend, the Westhampton Ambulance Volunteer Water Rescue Squad organized a Polar Plunge at Rogers Beach in Westhampton Beach to raise funds in support of their mission to “Waterproof Inlet to Inlet”. Please consider contributing by visiting their website at https://www.westhamptonwaterrescue.org/.

And now for a few announcements of some of the events and activities happening in Quogue in the coming days and weeks:

The Art Gallery at the Library is currently presenting a Quogue Photography Exhibition on display through January 8th. The Gallery’s next show is Part Two of the Quogue Historical Society’s House Proud: Quogue’s Iconic Summer “Cottages”: 1880-1910, with a Reception and Talk with Julie Greene, Southampton Town Curator and QHS Curator, on Sunday, February 1st, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

On Wednesday, January 7th, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm, the Quogue Library is organizing a cooking class and Mediterranean Dinner with Chef Naela.

On Saturday, January 17th, from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm, the Quogue Library is organizing a Defensive Driving program taught by MaryAnne Yutes, a certified instructor from the Empire Safety Council and accredited by the DMV. You should be able to obtain a discount on your auto insurance premium if you complete the course.

As always, the Library has daily programs for all ages.  Please consult their website to check out the packed calendar of exercise, tech and other classes; art and crafts activities; book clubs; games; movies and more. https://quogue.librarycalendar.com/events/month

Hold the date of Monday, February 2nd from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm for the Annual Groundhog Day Celebration at the Quogue Library.

On behalf of the Trustees and the Village Staff, I extend our best wishes for the holidays and for a Happy and Healthy New Year!

 

Robert Treuhold

Mayor, Village of Quogue