June 26, 2024

Dear Quogue Residents,

Summer has officially arrived and memories of the cool and wet spring weather are fading into the past with the current heat wave.  Preparations for the July 4^th celebrations are in full swing!

Today’s safety messages come from the Chief of the Quogue Fire Department who asked me to remind our residents that they should yield to vehicles that are displaying flashing green or blue “courtesy” lights. When you see flashing lights, this signifies that an emergency responder is either heading to the fire house or is responding directly to an accident and/or fire alarm.  Similarly, if you come upon Fire Department or police activity, please strictly follow the directions of the officers who are working the scene.  Do not enter the area or otherwise get in the way.

With the arrival of summer, residents are firing up their outdoor grills and kitchens. Every year our Fire Department responds to several grill-related fire calls, some requiring significantly more than a simple fire extinguisher.  Please remember to perform basic grill maintenance and safety checks; for example, grease trays need to be checked regularly. All residents should have a dry-chem extinguisher in their kitchen as well as one handy near the outdoor grill.  While stand alone portable grills are made of non-combustible materials, many outdoor kitchens are not.  Grease fires can create enough heat in an outdoor kitchen to transfer through wood framing spreading into a main house.

I am including an additional reminder to enroll in the Town of Southampton’s automated “Notify Me” system to receive email alerts of emergency or hazardous situations. To enroll, please go to the Town of Southampton website (https://www.southamptontownny.gov/) and click on the “Notify Me” icon on the home page.  Then follow the instructions to be added to their notification system.  You will need to scroll down to the “Alert Center” heading to elect to receive notifications relating to “Village of Quogue Residents” and “Dune Road Closures/Emergencies”.  It is also possible to receive text messages through the Suffolk County Alert Portal, which is tied into the “Smart911” system.  To sign up, please go to their website: https://www.smart911.com/smart911/ref/reg.action?pa=NotifySuffolk

The Village held its election last Friday.  Sally Beatty and Tom Mullen were reelected for a two-year term as Trustees, and I was reelected to an additional two-year term as Mayor.

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 Village Beach opens seven days a week beginning tomorrow, June 27^th. The beach concession run by Beth’s Café will now be open six days a week (weather permitting) from 11:00 am until 3:30 pm, closing on Tuesdays.

The third annual Concert on the Village Green will be held this coming Friday, June 28^th, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Gene Casey and the Lone Sharks return to Quogue. Bring your chairs and a blanket and kick-off your Quogue summer with family and friends. Beer, wine and free ice cream is on offer to members of the Quogue Association.  Never too late to join! https://quogueassociation.org/

The East End Hospice is holding their annual gala on Saturday evening, June 29^th.  Information is available on their website: https://www.eeh.org/

The Library Gallery is currently showing works by longtime Quogue resident Pieter Greeff whose oils and watercolors will be on display through July 10^th.  The Library will be hosting an author talk tomorrow afternoon from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm with Diana McLain Smith, author of Remaking the Space Between Us. She will discuss how citizens can work together to build a better future. The Library’s Second Annual Family Summer Kick-Off is Saturday, July 6^th, from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The Library’s Quogue Authors in Conversation Series begins Sunday, July 14^th at 5:00 pm with a wine and cheese reception. The next session of this season’s Foreign Policy Association Great Decisions discussion program will be held on Saturday, July 13^th, at 5:00 pm on the topic of Mideast Realignment.  Participants can join by zoom or attend in person.   As always, consult the Library’s well-packed calendar to sign up for their rich offering of movies and programs of all types: https://quogue.librarycalendar.com/events/month

The Quogue Historical Society is hosting a series of three “Thursday Talks” at the Pond House Museum with Julie Greene, QHS Curator and Southampton Town Historian.  The talks are scheduled on Thursday, July 11^th, 18^th, and 25^th, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Please save the date for the 58^th Annual Art Show and Sale to benefit the QHS which will be held on the Village Green on Saturday, August 3^rd, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

The Quogue Wildlife Refuge is celebrating their 90^th anniversary on Saturday, July 13^th, with their Wild Night for Wildlife Summer Gala.  www.quoguewildliferefuge.org

Please note that the annual Duck Race at the Village Dock has been rescheduled to Friday, July 19^th

The Quogue Junior Theater Troupe is beginning their summer program celebrating their 46^th year. They will be producing The Addams Family on July 30^th – 31^st and August 1^st – 2^nd  for the Senior Troupe, and Peter Pan Jr. on August 20^th – 23^rd for their Junior Troupe members.

Wishing everyone a Happy Fourth of July!

Robert Treuhold

Mayor, Village of Quogue

May 17, 2024

Dear Quogue Residents,

Memorial Day is around the corner and summer preparations are in full swing.  Notwithstanding the continuing cool weather, we are busy getting the Village Beach ready for opening day on Saturday, May 25^th.  More on the beach below.

Today’s safety message comes from the Quogue Police Department who have asked me to alert our residents that there is a national “Click it or Ticket” high-visibility seat belt enforcement effort running from May 20^th to June 2^nd, coinciding with the Memorial Day holiday.  A few statistics: the national seat belt use rate in 2023 was 91.9%.  While that sounds pretty good, keep in mind that approximately 50% of traffic fatalities are of “unrestrained” passengers. Since 2020, the obligation to wear a seat belt extends to all passengers, including those in the back seat. Seat belts save lives.

Our Police Department recently completed the renewal process to qualify for another five years as an accredited police department in the State of New York.  Putting this in perspective, less than 30% of the NYS police departments have received this accreditation status.  Sergeant Bennett and Officer Trotta  managed the accreditation process and they, as well as all of our officers led by Chief Isola, should be congratulated for their hard work and professionalism.

With respect to the FIMP project, I have learned from the Town that progress continues to be made on securing the necessary easements and rights of way to allow for beach restoration construction to occur in the fall of 2025. The Town is in the process of engaging individual appraisers who will conduct the required appraisals, which are anticipated to begin in mid-June. The purpose of the appraisals is to determine the economic impact of the beach nourishment to each individual property. The Town anticipates that this process will continue throughout the summer as there are a total of 99 properties to be appraised, of which 49 are located in the Village. If you have any questions or would like additional information please contact Kelly Doyle, Assistant Town Attorney at KDoyle@SouthamptonTownNY.gov

With the arrival of the summer season, a reminder to enroll in the Town of Southampton’s automated “Notify Me” system to receive email alerts of emergency or hazardous situations. To enroll, please go to the Town of Southampton website (https://www.southamptontownny.gov/) and click on the “Notify Me” icon on the home page.  Then follow the instructions to be added to their notification system.  You will need to scroll down to the “Alert Center” heading to elect to receive notifications relating to “Village of Quogue Residents” and “Dune Road Closures/Emergencies”.  It is also possible to receive text messages through the Suffolk County Alert Portal, which is tied into the “Smart911” system.  To sign up, please go to their website: https://www.smart911.com/smart911/ref/reg.action?pa=NotifySuffolk

An unpleasant reminder that the second installment of the Town’s property taxes is payable without penalty by May 31^st.  The Village’s property tax bills will be mailed on June 1^st (and posted on the Village website on that day).  They are payable without penalty by July 1^st.

And now for some upcoming events:

This Saturday, May 18^th, at 2:00 pm, the Quogue Wildlife Refuge is organizing a celebration for the annual World Turtle Day. Participants will learn all about Long Island’s turtles and what you can do to help our local species.  The next full moon hike is on Wednesday, May 22^nd from 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm. Register for these events at www.quoguewildliferefuge.org.
Both the Quogue School and Quogue Library annual budgets are up for vote on Tuesday, May 21^st, from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm, at the Quogue School at 10 Edgewood Road.  More information can be obtained by consulting the school and library websites.

The excitement is mounting for the Hampton Theatre Company’s 2023-2024 season finale: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, music and lyrics by Steven Sondheim.  Performances begin next Thursday, May 23^rd and run through June 9^th.  This promises to be an epic show! Tickets can be purchased at www.hamptontheatre.org.

On Saturday, May 25^th, at 10:00 am, I will be giving the State of the Village address.  The event will be held in front of the Quogue Fire Department.

Saturday, May 25^th, also marks the official opening of the Village Beach’s summer season.  The hours are 10:00 am until 6:00 pm.  The beach will only be open on weekends until June 27^th when it opens seven days a week. The beach concession also opens Memorial Day weekend and will be run again this summer by Beth’s Café. As of May 15^th, beach permits are now required – last year’s permits remain valid through May 31^st.  With the summer season’s arrival, dogs are no longer allowed on the Village Beach.

The Library Gallery’s current exhibit is “The Art of Inspiration: The Design Spirit of an American Fashion Artist” with works by Audrey Schilt, on display through June 11^th, with an Artist Reception on Saturday, May 25^th from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The Gallery’s next exhibit opens on June 15^th with works by longtime Quogue resident Pieter Greeff. The next session of this season’s Foreign Policy Association Great Decisions discussion program will be held on Saturday, June 15^th, at 5:00 pm on the topic of Climate Technology & Competition.  Participants can join by zoom or attend in person.   As always, consult the Library’s well-packed calendar to sign up for their rich offering of movies and programs of all types: https://quogue.librarycalendar.com.

The annual Memorial Day Ceremony is scheduled for 10:00 am on Monday, May 27^th, in front of the Fire Department. I encourage you to attend as we honor all of our service members for their past and ongoing sacrifices for our security and freedom.

The Quogue Historical Society reminds us that the 1822 Schoolhouse has now reopened for the season during the Library’s regular hours with an exhibition on display: ”An 1868 School Day in Quogue with Schoolmistress Miss Lizabeth Griffing”. The Pond House Museum will be reopening on Saturday, June 1^st, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. On June 7^th, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, the QHS is organizing an Exhibition Opening and talk by Julie Greene, QHS Curator and Southampton Town Historian, on the theme: “Quogue Flourishes as a Summer Resort, 1880-1910.” Please consult the QHS website to learn more about their calendar of events and the history of Quogue: www.quoguehistory.org. You can also follow them on Instagram: @quoguehistory.

On Saturday, June 15^th, at 7:30 pm, Quogue Chamber Music celebrates its 15^th season at the Quogue Community Hall with pianist Simone Dinnerstein and Ensemble Baroklyn in an all-Bach program.  Tickets can be purchased online:  www.quoguechambermusic.org.

A few save the dates for events later this summer:  Village elections will take place on Friday, June 21^st. Also on that date, the Quogue School is hosting their annual chicken dinner from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm to raise funds for the PTA. The third annual Concert on the Village Green will be held on Friday, June 28^th; the annual Duck Race at the Village Dock will be on Friday, July 26^th; and the annual Village Beach Party will be on Friday, August 23^rd.  All of these events are organized by the Quogue Association and more details will follow.  The East End Hospice is holding their annual gala on Saturday, June 29^th, and the Wildlife Refuge is celebrating their 90^th anniversary on Saturday, July 13^th with their Wild Night for Wildlife Summer Gala.

 

Wishing everyone a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Robert Treuhold
Mayor, Village of Quogue

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