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 18^th, 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 17^th, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Another talk is scheduled for next Thursday, July 24^th, 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 31^st. The Gallery’s next exhibit opens on August 1^st, 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 4^th, with an Artist Talk and Reception on Saturday, August 2^nd, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

This Saturday, July 19^th, 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 20^th 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 21^st, 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 30^th.  You can register for this event and learn more about other Refuge activities at www.quoguewildliferefuge.org.

On Thursday, July 24^th, 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 25^th, 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 27^th, 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 3^rd, 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 10^th, 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 16^th 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 3^rd, 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 59^th Annual Art Show and Sale to benefit the QHS which will be held on the Village Green on Saturday, August 9^th, 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 8^th, 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 8^th, 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 47^th year. They will be producing SHREK – The Musical on July 29^th – 31^st and August 1^st for the Senior Troupe, and The Wizard of Oz, Youth Edition on August 20^th – 22^rd for their Junior Troupe members. Please also note that the QJTT Annual Benefit is slated for Friday, July 25^th, 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

Dear Quogue Residents,

With the summer solstice behind us, summer has officially arrived! The weather is tracking last year almost to the day as we experienced a heat wave in late June following a rather miserable spring. Fire up the grills as July 4^th is around the corner!

On the subject of grills, at the request of our Fire Department, I would like to remind you to perform basic grill maintenance and safety checks. All residents should have a dry-chem extinguisher in their kitchen as well as one handy near the outdoor grill. Every year our Fire Department responds to numerous outdoor fires caused by grills. As demonstrated by the massive brush fires this past March, we cannot exercise too much caution when grilling or otherwise “playing” with fire outdoors.

I was at Schmidt’s yesterday (where you can find me almost every day) and am happy to report that the Local Provisions “pop-up” summer location in Quogue is set to open this coming weekend. Please check out their offering of healthy and sweet treats: https://www.localprovisionswhb.com/

It has been a while since I last reported on the long-awaited (overdue?) FIMP beach nourishment project. This is because I have had nothing new to report. That being said, the long-delayed appraisal process is finally moving forward. I have asked for a target date to complete this step by summer’s end. This would enable the Town to send the easement “Offer Packages” to the 99 oceanfront homeowners in the project area, of which approximately half are located in Quogue. Once the easements have been recorded with the Suffolk County Clerk’s Office, the Army Corps of Engineers then puts the project out to bid; their current schedule is aiming to take this step next spring/summer, which would lead to “sand on the beach” beginning in the fall/winter of 2026-2027. I will continue to provide updates when/if I have news to report.

The Village held its elections last Friday. Randy Cardo and Ted Necarsulmer were reelected for a two-year term as Trustees. In addition, I am pleased to report that the referendum approving an increase to the long-term incentive reward program for our volunteer firefighters was adopted. On a negative front, the voter turnout was truly disappointing with only 47 residents making their way to the polls to exercise their civic duty – this out of approximately 1,350 registered voters in the Village. We can do better!

The Village Beach opens seven days a week beginning this Saturday, June 28^th. The beach concession run by Zach Schmidt will now be open seven days a week from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. Zach asked me to highlight that he will now be offering breakfast every day with fresh coffee from Hampton Coffee. He has also set up an ice cream stand. Here is a link to the current menu: Schmidt’s Beach Café Menu

I add a public safety reminder brought to you from Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services (FRES). Last year in Suffolk County, there were 27 patients treated by Suffolk County Emergency Medical Services or brought to emergency rooms who experienced near drowning, and there were 24 deaths attributed to drowning. Many of the patients/deaths were young children. Please teach your children how to swim and never leave a child unattended near a pool or near the water. Here is a link to a FRES memo setting forth a series of common sense and practical water safety recommendations. Let’s all have a safe and enjoyable summer as we enjoy our waterfront community!

A reminder that the Village’s property tax bills which were mailed on June 1^st are payable without penalty by July 1^st.

And now for some upcoming events:

The Gallery at the Quogue Library is opening a new exhibit tomorrow with 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 31^st, with an Artist Reception this Sunday, June 29^th, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

The Library’s Third Annual Family Summer Kick-Off is Saturday, July 5^th, from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The event is a must for all in the Village with live music, crafts, presentations too many to list, and a visit back in time with Schoolmistress Miss Lizabeth Griffing to a 19^th Century School Day in Quogue’s Historic 1822 One-Room Schoolhouse.

On Saturday, July 19^th, at 3:00 pm, join Quogue resident Hillary Huber (Wilson), award-winning narrator of over 800 titles, who will discuss the art and process of audiobook creation. The Library’s Summer Series of Authors in Conversation begins Sunday, July 20^th at 5:00 pm with Quogue resident Andrew Botsford in conversation with Charlie Stanton, author of How the Jester Became King. The next session of this season’s Foreign Policy Association Great Decisions discussion program will be held on Saturday, July 12^th, at 5:00 pm on the topic of AI and American National Security.  As always, consult the Library’s well-packed calendar to learn more about and sign up for their rich offering of programs of all types: quogue.librarycalendar.com/events/month

The Quogue Historical Society’s Pond House Museum is opening this Saturday, June 28^th, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.  The Museum will be opening a new Exhibit on Thursday, July 10^th: HOUSE PROUD! Quogue’s Iconic Summer “Cottages” 1880-1910. Please join the exhibit’s opening reception that evening from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm with a talk by Julie Greene, QHS Curator and Southampton Town Historian. QHS is again hosting a series of “Quogue History Talks” at the Pond House Museum with Julie Greene. The talks are scheduled on Thursday, July 17^th and 24^th, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.

Please save the date for the 59^th Annual Art Show and Sale to benefit the QHS which will be held on the Village Green on Saturday, August 9^th, 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 8^th, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, on the Village Green. More information and tickets are available on the QHS website: Quogue Historical Society

The Quogue Wildlife Refuge is celebrating their 17^th annual Summer Benefit on Saturday, July 12^th, with their Wild Night for Wildlife Summer Gala. It is a great party and important fund raiser to support the Refuge. Tickets for the Gala and details of the Refuge’s many programs can be found at: https://quoguewildliferefuge.org/

Following on the hugely successful Concert on the Village Green this past Friday, the Quogue Association is gearing up for their Annual Beach Party scheduled for Friday, July 18^th, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Please also mark your calendars for this year’s Duck Race, scheduled for Friday, August 8^th, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Details on these events and how to join the Quogue Association can be found through this link: https://quogueassociation.org/

The Quogue Junior Theater Troupe is gearing up for their summer program celebrating their 47^th year. They will be producing SHREK – The Musical on July 29^th – 31^st and August 1^st for the Senior Troupe, and The Wizard of Oz, Youth Edition on August 20^th – 22^rd for their Junior Troupe members. Please also note that the QJTT Annual Benefit is slated for Friday, July 25^th, with a performance and reception beginning at 7:00 pm. Details and tickets can be obtained at QJTT.org.

Please save the date for this summer’s “must attend” Open House at the Quogue Firehouse scheduled for Sunday, August 3^rd, from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

Wishing everyone a Happy Fourth of July!

Robert Treuhold

Mayor, Village of Quogue