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Happy Thanksgiving!

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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

Happy Fall!

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September 22, 2025

Dear Quogue Residents,

Fall arrives today with the “Autumnal Equinox” officially bringing in the new season as of 2:19 pm (EDT). The word “equinox” comes from the Latin word equinoxium, meaning “equality between day and night”. In other words, at each equinox we have approximately 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness. As we all know, the days will continue to grow shorter until we reach the Spring Equinox in March of next year (March 20th at 10:46 am to be exact).  Putting this in perspective, the days have actually been progressively growing shorter since the Summer Solstice this past June.

So far this month, we have been blessed with fabulous weather.  We opted to extend operations at the Village Beach through the end of the month with lifeguards on duty on the weekends. This coming weekend will be the last hurrah, and we will be closing down the facilities for the off-season. The beach concession will also be open this coming weekend.  A bit of good news – Zach Schmidt has confirmed that he is looking forward to returning to run the concession next season!

Staying with the beach, unfortunately I have nothing much to report on progress on the FIMP project. There continue to be bi-weekly meetings of the working group consisting of the Town of Southampton’s Legal Department, the US Army Corps of Engineers and the NYS DEC. The appraisal process drags on but appears to be making some progress. The Town is still aiming to get offers out to the beachfront home owners in the coming months with the goal of implementing the project in the fall/winter of 2026.  Our beach is in good shape, and we did not experience significant erosion during last month’s Hurricane Erin. The storm did, however, move enough sand that much of the Village’s beaches did not satisfy the DEC’s conditions to permit scraping this fall.

I have received numerous questions regarding the streetlights on Montauk Highway, many of which have turned various shades of blue or purple. Some residents have asked why the Village chose to install blue lights, and a few have actually been complimentary of the new development. The reality is that the LED fixtures that the Village has been installing over the past ten years have started to fail. LED bulbs use phosphor coatings to convert the blue light emitted by the semiconductor component of the bulb to white light. Apparently, the phosphor coatings have corroded as a result of a combination of the heat generated by the fixtures and our salty climate. Somewhat to my surprise, we have successfully made a warranty claim and will be receiving replacement fixtures in the coming weeks.

The Suffolk County Water Authority has now lifted the Stage 1 Water Alert that had been in effect since July 23rd. While we have now navigated the most challenging stretch of the water consumption season, SCWA continues to encourage us to reduce our water use. Please click HERE to learn more.

Speaking of water, last week was “Septic Smart Week 2025” sponsored by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the Long Island Watershed Program. Nitrogen pollution from cesspools and septic systems has been identified as the largest cause of degraded water quality contributing to beach closures, toxic algae blooms, and massive fish kills. A conventional septic system is not designed to remove nitrogen, and the average residential septic system discharges approximately 40 pounds of nitrogen per year! Please consider replacing your system with an “Innovative Alternative Onsite Treatment System”, especially if your home is still relying on an outdated cesspool. As previously noted, there are State, County and Town grants available to subsidize a significant percentage of the costs. Here is a link to the Suffolk County Septic Improvement Program.

 

On a troubling note, we have learned of a new form of property fraud tied to identity theft. The Village Office recently received a call from an attorney at a closing for the sale of a vacant lot in the Village.  The attorney sensed that something did not “smell right” and, indeed, the entire transaction was fraudulent. While I do not have all the details, the “seller” managed to steal the identity of the property owner and obtained the deed from the Suffolk County Clerk. Our Police Department has initiated a criminal investigation in cooperation with other authorities. Here is a link that provides a guide for property owners to register their properties for instant notifications of any land records being offered to the Suffolk County Clerk’s office. By registering for the “Homeowners Watch List” (HOWL), you can receive notice that fraudulent activity may be occurring in regards to your property. Register Here

On a sad note, this past weekend saw the end of the Beth’s Café era. After 15 years, Beth d’Alessio has decided to close shop and retire. We wish her all the best and thank her for her many contributions to our Village. The property is changing hands, and I understand that the new owner is looking for a potential operator for the space. I will report when I receive further news.

No letter would be complete without a public safety reminder. The arrival of fall coincides with the start of the school year. As noted above, the days are getting shorter and driving conditions become more challenging. Please pay special attention to pedestrians, especially at our crosswalks.

And now for a few upcoming events:

This coming Wednesday, September 24th, from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm, the Quogue Wildlife Refuge is hosting an Evening with Chenae Bullock: Connecting with Indigenous Plants. Chenae Bullock is a knowledgeable and passionate Licensed Indigenopathic Practitioner from the Shinnecock Nation. The workshop will immerse participants in the rich traditions of indigenous plant medicine.

On Saturday, September 27th, from 2:00 pm to 2:45 pm, the Refuge is organizing a “Bug Bonanza”.  Jungle Bob will take you on a journey into the wonderful world of invertebrates.

On Saturday, October 4th, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, the Refuge is organizing a Native Plant Sale offering plants that are grown and sold by the Long Island Native Plant Initiative.

 

And finally, on Saturday, October 25th, and Sunday, October 26th, each day starting at 12:00 pm, the Refuge is organizing an Enchanted Forest Trail Walk with a prehistoric twist. Take a whimsical and educational walk and learn about dinosaurs, fossils, and other exciting topics along the way. Everyone is welcome to wear costumes. You can learn more about these events and register at www.quoguewildliferefuge.org.

This coming Saturday, September 27th, at 3:00 pm, the Quogue Library is hosting a presentation by Christopher Kelly, Master Beekeeper, on Honey Bees, Your Neighborhood Pollinator.

On Wednesday, October 1st, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm, the Library is hosting an Oktoberfest Dinner with Chef Brian Collins. Pre-registration is required.

The Art Gallery at the Library is continuing the exhibition of “Fall for Local Artists” featuring art from local artists Steve Alpert, Ellen Ball, Margot Carr, Susan Cushing, Donna Levy, and Lulie Morrisey on display through November 14th, with an Artist’s Reception on Saturday, October 18th, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

The next Foreign Policy Association Great Decisions discussion program is scheduled at the Library for Saturday, October 11th, from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm, on the topic of International Climate Cooperation in an Era of Geopolitical Turmoil.  

Now through October 31st, the Quogue Library will be collecting donations as part of The Great Give Back, a community service initiative where Suffolk County public libraries help out a foundation or charity. This year the Library is collecting donations to benefit Long Island Cares, Maureen’s Haven, the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, and the Southampton Animal Shelter.  The Great Give Back Day Celebration will be held at the Library on Saturday, October 18th, from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm, featuring a day of donation drives, live music, refreshments, and “surprise guests” from the Quogue Wildlife Refuge. Sunday, October 19th, from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm, a “mini adoption event” is being organized at the Library by the Southampton Animal Shelter. A complete wish list of donation items for the Shelter and the Refuge can be found here:

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: www.quoguelibrarycalendar.com.

The Hampton Theatre Company’s 2025-2026 season kicks off next month with The Thanksgiving Play, written by Larissa FastHorse, the first of three season-opening HTC “Women in Theatre” productions. The run begins October 16th through November 2nd. Tickets can be purchased at www.hamptontheatre.org.

Wishing everyone an enjoyable transition to the Fall Season.

Robert Treuhold

Mayor