April 19, 2024

Dear Quogue Residents,

Hard to believe that we are already a month into the spring season given how chilly and windy the weather has been.  The days are finally warming up and beach weather will hopefully arrive soon.

Schmidt’s Country Market recently celebrated its one-year anniversary.  We are all so grateful to Dan and Karen Schmidt for bringing their talent and commitment to the Village.  As I said a year ago, it is hard to imagine how we survived before their arrival.  The Quogue Shop is now open and Homespun will be reopening soon. Please support all our merchants!

This coming Monday, April 22^nd, is Earth Day which has been celebrated every year since 1970.  I thought it would be interesting to share the history of the Earth Day movement as described on their website. The brainchild of a Wisconsin Senator, Gaylord Nelson, it was initially intended as an educational “teach-in” on university campuses to raise awareness about air and water pollution. From their website: “Earth Day inspired 20 million Americans – at the time, approximately 10% of the total population of the United States – to take to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate against the impacts of 150 years of industrial development.” Earth Day 1970 has been credited with achieving a “rare political alignment” of diverse political and social interests. “By the end of 1970, the first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of other first-of-their-kind environmental laws, including the National Environmental Education Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Clean Air Act.  Two years later congress passed the Clean Water Act.”  https://www.earthday.org/

Following my last letter announcing the Village’s new initiative to accelerate the installation of upgraded septic systems, some fifteen residents have reached out to the Village’s consultant to explore the process.  I encourage all residents to look into this possibility.  If every septic system in Quogue were upgraded, especially those homes located along the seventeen miles of the Village’s waterfront, it would have an enormously beneficial effect on water quality. As an additional incentive, the Village will waive the permit application fees in connection with the voluntary upgrade of septic systems.

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the establishment of the Town of Southampton’s Community Preservation Fund.  Since its inception, the CPF has made possible the preservation of over 4,000 acres of vacant land, as well as improved parcels of historic, recreational, and environmental value. To date, the CPF has purchased 14 properties in Quogue totaling 92 acres, with several more potential acquisitions in the works.  Of note, the CPF funded the purchase of the Village’s Wetlands Preserve on Dune Road, the “Snail House” property that serves our Village Beach, and the Pond House on Jessup Avenue where the Quogue Historical Society’s museum is located. In addition, twenty percent of the CPF’s funds can be allocated for water quality improvement projects. In that regard, the CPF recently awarded close to $500,000 for two such projects in the Village.  This is a work in progress, and I will have more to report in my next letter.  There will be a 25^th Anniversary Celebration of the CPF on Saturday, May 11^th, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at Good Ground Park in Hampton Bays. See below for more details.

While there are no major road works planned for this spring, there will be a few smaller projects. You may have noticed that Suffolk County Water Authority is installing a new water main on Dune Road from the Post Bridge heading west approximately 1,000 feet.  Once they have put the new main into service, they will return to repave that section of Dune Road.  The Village will also be repaving the western end of Dune Road. It will also be repaving Midland from Jessup Avenue to the post office parking lot.  We will then restripe the parking area in front of the post office.

I would be remiss if I did not include an admonition about traffic safety.  Apologies if I sound like a broken record, but please exercise caution at all times, especially on Jessup Avenue.  I see reasons to repeat this admonition daily as I look out the window from my office. Remember to pull your cars up to the curb when parking diagonally and do NOT make U-turns.  This includes NOT turning into one of the parking spaces in front of the market when heading south. And for cyclists, please dismount and walk when you are in the “downtown” stretch of the Village.  We have added signs reminding cyclists of this obligation.

Some repeat information – distilled…

BEACH STICKERS:

Applications www.villageofquogueny.gov

Processing time – up to five days

Weekday pick-up Fridays ONLY – starting April 26^th – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Saturday pick-up – May 18^th, May 25^th and June 1^st – 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Stickers can also be mailed to you – contact the Village office

LEAF PICK UP PROTOCOL REMINDER:

Pick up from April 15^th to May 15^th

Place leaves on street shoulders – NOT around hydrants and utilities or in the street

No plastic bags – No brush or cuttings

No leaves on Montauk Highway (Traffic Safety!)

LEAF BLOWER AND SUSTAINABILITY REMINDERS

Restrictions on the use of gas-powered blowers back in effect on May 15^th

Off-hour complaints? Contact Village Police

Complaints during business hours? You can also call the Building Department

Watering ONLY on odd/even days (your street #)

No watering 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Please cut down on the use of lawn chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers

Plant native plants!

And now for a few upcoming events:

Next Saturday, April 27^th, a group of Quogue residents has organized a Food Drive in support of Heart of the Hamptons. They will be hosting a table in front of the post office from 9:00 until 12:00 pm. Please bring non-perishable food for people or animals, and/or checks/money.

The Quogue Wildlife Refuge is celebrating Earth Day on Saturday, April 27^th from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm with lots of fun activities and environmental exhibitions.  The event is being co-sponsored by the Eastern Long Island Audubon Society and the Refuge. There will be a recycling collection area for old electronics.

Also on Saturday, April 27^th, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, the Library is hosting a presentation by author Lawrence R. Samuel on the “Making of Long Island: A History of Growth and the American Dream”.  The Library Gallery’s “Spring Forward” group show of works by local artists is continuing through May 8^th. Their next exhibit will be “The Art of Inspiration: The Design Spirit of an American Fashion Artist” with works by Audrey Schilt, on display from May 11^th to June 11^th, with an Artist Reception on Saturday, May 25^th from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The next of the new season’s Foreign Policy Association Great Decisions discussion program is scheduled for Saturday, May 11^th at 5:00 pm on the topic of “Pandemic Preparedness”.  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.

As noted above, the Southampton CPF is celebrating its 25^th Anniversary on Saturday, May 11^th, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.  The event is taking place at Good Ground Park located at 9A Squiretown Road in Hampton Bays.  There will be lots of fun activities “for the whole family” with a DJ, live animals, trail walks, games and crafts. Assemblyman Fred Thiele, the original sponsor of the legislation establishing the CPF, will also be giving a talk.

The vote on the Quogue School and Quogue Library annual budgets will take place on Tuesday, May 21^st, from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Quogue School. There will be a presentation of the proposed budgets on Tuesday, May 14^th, at 7:15 pm, also at the Quogue School.

The Hampton Theatre Company’s 2023-2024 season concludes with the musical comedy 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 on May 23^rd and run through June 9^th.  This promises to be an epic show! Tickets can be purchased at www.hamptontheatre.org.

Robert Treuhold

Mayor, Village of Quogue

March 19, 2024

Dear Quogue Residents,

We made it – today is the first day of spring! Our friendly groundhog correctly predicted an early spring as the season begins a day early this year. The “vernal equinox” arrives at 11:06 pm tonight marking the end of winter and the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The equinox usually arrives on the 20th, but it’s a day early because we are in a leap year.

At our monthly Trustees meeting this past Friday, Kim Payne announced that he was stepping down after serving for more than 17 years as a Village Trustee.  On behalf of the Village, I would like to extend our thanks and appreciation for the many contributions that Kim has made over the years. I am pleased to announce that Thomas Mullen has agreed to accept my appointment to fill the vacancy and serve out the balance of Kim’s term until the next Village election in June.

As noted in my December resident letter, the Village is committed to promoting and accelerating the installation of upgraded sanitary systems. Over the coming weeks and months, we will be reaching out to those of you who are prime candidates to participate in the subsidized County and Town Septic Improvement programs. In the coming days, we will be populating a page on the Village website that provides links to all funding programs currently available as well as some guidance as to how to get started. We realize this process can take several months to complete and requires a considerable amount of effort on the part of each and every property owner. To make this process less daunting, the Village has retained Chris Clapp of Clean Water Advisors to help guide you through the grant, permitting, and planning processes. While you will have to retain your own contractors/experts to do the actual design and installation, Chris will be available to help jump start and explain the process. He can be reached at chris@cleanwateradvisorsllc.com  Please note that you need to apply for the grants before you proceed with the installation. The ultimate goal is to clean up the ground and surface waters around the Village by seeing as many of you successfully through this process as possible.

While it is still a bit brisk out there, warmer days are around the corner and the Village will begin the annual processing of beach stickers and locker applications on April 1^st.  Application forms will be available on the Village website at www.villageofquogueny.gov.  Please follow the instructions carefully and take care to submit all the information that is required.  Please remember that applications may take up to five business days to process. Permit pick-ups will be on Fridays only from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, commencing on April 26^th, and also on Saturday, May 18^th, May 25^th, and June 1^st from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.  You can also elect to have the stickers mailed to you.

Please note that we have moved back the spring leaf pick up this year from April 1^st to April 15^th.  As I have pointed out in the past, delaying the spring clean up until after temperatures have reached 50 degrees for ten consecutive days provides an extended refuge for a multitude of beneficial species of butterflies and other pollinators. Consequently, this year the Village Highway Department will begin picking up leaves on April 15^th. Leaves must be on the shoulder of the street by May 15^th in order to be picked up.  Please do not pile leaves around fire hydrants or utility equipment.  The guidelines remain unchanged. DO NOT USE PLASTIC BAGS.  Bags will not be picked up, and you will have to remove them. No brush, such as twigs and branches, or lawn cuttings will be taken away, and mixing this debris with leaves will result in the leaves not being removed.  Brush with branches up to 3” in diameter may be taken to the Westhampton recycling facility free of charge from April 15^th through May 22^nd.  For more information, go to www.southamptontownny.gov.  Please inform your landscapers that for safety reasons, leaves may not be piled on the shoulder of Montauk Highway. Property owners and landscapers who take leaves from any Quogue property may arrange with the Quogue Highway Department to leave them at the highway yard.  This will avoid having piles in front of your property waiting to be picked up and blowing back onto your lawn.

On the subject of cleaning up, the Town of Southampton recently announced that it is again time for the annual Great East End Clean-Up, a volunteer-based program to remove litter and debris from roadsides, parks, trails, and beaches.  Last year, over 700 volunteers removed tons of garbage, metal, and tires that were sorted for recycling.  While the actual Clean-Up collection is not until the weekend of April 27^th -28^th, you can register beginning April 1^st and pick up garbage bags and disposal passes for the Town recycling centers.  All you need to do to participate is to select an area of public property and complete the registration form on line. More information is available at: https://www.southamptontownny.gov/calendar.aspx?PREVIEW=YES&EID=12114

For those of you who rent out your property, please remember that the entire dwelling (not a floor or a room) must be rented, the minimum rental period is 14 days, and a rental permit is required from the Village irrespective of the time of year.  Please get your applications in early, as you will need to schedule a safety inspection with the Village’s Code Enforcement as a precondition for renting your property. Rental applications and the rules governing rentals are available on the Village website at www.villageofquogueny.gov.

As summer approaches and more residents return to the Village, please remember to support all of our local merchants.  I will not list everyone for fear of overlooking someone, but did want to include a shout out for Mildred Wilkinson, the owner/operator of the Quogue Taxi (tel: 631-653-9347).  It feels like the right thing to do to support a longstanding Quogue resident rather than encouraging the presence of more non-Quogue car services on the roads of our Village.

And now for a few upcoming events:

The Hampton Theatre Company’s 2023-2024 season continues with Strictly Murder, written by Brian Clemens, directed by Mary Powers, and produced by Andrew Botsford and Roger Moley. Performances began on March 7^th, and the final shows are this coming weekend.  It’s a great show, and I encourage you all to attend.  Tickets can be purchased at www.hamptontheatre.org.

This coming Saturday, March 23^rd at 4:00 pm, the Quogue Wildlife Refuge is organizing a “Paint and Sip with a Raptor” event providing an opportunity to watercolor paint with a live raptor as your subject. The ticket price includes all supplies, a glass of wine and light snacks.  Space is limited so do not delay signing up. On March 25^th, the Refuge has organized their next Full Moon Night Hike, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.   You can register for these events on their website at www.quoguewildliferefuge.org.

The Quogue Volunteer Fire Department is organizing an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 30^th, at the Fire House beginning at 10:00 am sharp.

On March 23^rd, from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, the Quogue Library is organizing a presentation on Coyotes on Long Island by Frank Vincenti, founder of the Wild Dog Foundation, who will explain how people can live in harmony with foxes and coyotes.

On April 3^rd, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Chris Paparo, a/k/a the “Fish Guy”, will be making a presentation at the Library on Exploring Long Island’s Underwater World.

The Art Gallery at the Quogue Library is featuring the Quogue Historical Society’s exhibit of 19^th and early 20^th century photographs “Worth a Thousand Words”. The exhibit has been extended through April 3^rd.  From April 6^th through May 8^th, the Art Gallery has organized a new group exhibit on the theme of “Spring Forward”, with an Artist Reception on Saturday, April 6^th, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

The Library will again be hosting the Great Decisions discussion program on world affairs.  On eight select Saturdays beginning in April through November, from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm, moderator David Rowe and facilitator Susan Perkins, in partnership with the Library, invite you to attend in person or participate via zoom.  This year’s kick-off is scheduled for April 13^th on the subject of the recently negotiated High Seas Treaty.

 As always, please 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

Back to the Refuge – on April 11^th at 7:00 pm, they will be organizing a virtual presentation by Alicia Whitaker, Suffolk Alliance of Pollinators Leader, on Getting Started with Native Plants, with advice on how to plan your garden to provide a haven for pollinators.  Please register in advance for the zoom presentation at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqcuitqj0tHNEhq8LFgkmQXqT3JQsJcrAl

And finally, while not Quogue specific, please note that Long Island will be experiencing a Solar Eclipse on the afternoon of Monday, April 8^th.  This is a very rare event, but please exercise caution and wear appropriate glasses.  More information about the eclipse and on local viewing spots can be found at the following links: https://patch.com/new-york/smithtown/solar-eclipse-long-island-how-see-it-pre-eclipse-events; https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/@5125123?iso=20240408

Enjoy the daffodils!

 

Robert Treuhold

Mayor, Village of Quogue

The Village Highway Department will begin picking up leaves beginning April 15th. Leaves must be on the shoulder of the street by May 15th in order to be picked up. Do not pile leaves around fire hydrants or utility equipment.

DO NOT USE PLASTIC BAGS. They will not be picked up, and you will have to remove them.

No brush, such as twigs and branches, or lawn cuttings will be taken away, and mixing this debris with leaves will result in the leaves not being removed. Brush with branches up to 3” in diameter may be taken to the Westhampton recycling facility free of charge from April 15th through May 22nd. For more information, go to www.southamptontownny.gov.

Leaves cannot be piled on the shoulder of Montauk Highway. Property owners and landscapers who take leaves (only) from a Quogue property may arrange with the Quogue Highway Department to dump them at the highway yard. That will avoid having piles in front of your property waiting to be picked up and blowing back onto your lawn.

February 22, 2024 Dear Quogue Residents, Happy news!  Sam Champion visited Quogue earlier this month on Groundhog Day and predicted an early Spring.  While it may have been pure coincidence, his visit also coincided with our first meaningful snowstorms in the past two years.  As the proverb goes – No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. As an indicator that spring really is around the corner, please remember that Daylight Savings Time begins only a couple of weeks from now on March 10th. As indicated last month, we have been working with the Police Department to improve our public notification system to alert our residents to emergency or hazardous situations. I am pleased to report that the Town of Southampton has now added a Quogue Residents alert section to their automated “Notify Me” system, that would send email alerts to all residents who opt into the system.  They have also added a separate Dune Road section.   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 and follow the instructions: https://www.smart911.com/smart911/ref/reg.action?pa=NotifySuffolk I appreciate that this may be a bit daunting for some, so please feel free to contact the Village Office or the Police Department if you need help enrolling in the notification systems. Exactly one year ago to the day, I wrote about the FIMP project and said: “While the project appears to be moving somewhat glacially, Town officials believe that they remain on track to commence Phase Three, which includes the eastern section of the Quogue beachfront, in the winter of 2023/2024.” At least I was correct about the glacial part.  The latest news from the Town is that the project is now slated for the Fall of 2025.  The appraisal process has begun, and Dune Road homeowners in the affected area should have already been contacted by the Town’s representatives in connection with this phase of the project.  If you have not yet been contacted or have questions, please get in touch with the Town of Southampton’s Legal Department. https://www.southamptontownny.gov/faq.aspx?qid=604 Here are a few upcoming events: The next full moon hike at the Wildlife Refuge takes place this evening, February 22nd, from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. On March 2nd, at 2:00 pm, the Refuge is hosting a presentation by biologists from the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society providing an inside look at their “stranding investigation program”. Participants will learn the proper steps to take if they should ever come across a stranded marine mammal or sea turtle. On March 6th, at 7:00 pm, the Refuge is hosting a presentation on “Ticks and Tick-Borne Disease – What You Need to Know”.  Jerry Simons, a member of the Medical Advisory Panel of Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s Regional Tick-Borne Disease Center will speak about the types of diseases that are carried by the different species of ticks on the eastern end of Long Island. Each attendee will receive a free tick removal kit and tick-disease handbook. You can register for all of these events on the Refuge’s website at https://quoguewildliferefuge.org/ The Hampton Theatre Company’s 2023-2024 season continues with Strictly Murder, written by the English playwright Brian Clemens, and directed by Mary Powers.  Performances begin on March 7th and run through March 24th.  Tickets can be purchased at https://www.hamptontheatre.org/ The Art Gallery at the Quogue Library is opening the “Quogue School Kids ART” display commencing this Saturday, February 24th.  All are welcome to the Artist Reception on Thursday, February 29th, from 3:15 pm to 5:00 pm. The Library is hosting a “Winter Reading Luncheon” on March 9th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Stop by and pick up a Winter Reading Challenge Kit, including a reading challenge information sheet, raffle ticket bookmarks, and suggested reading lists.  The more you read, the better your chances of winning! On Wednesday, March 20th at 1:00 pm, the Library is hosting a “Delicious Ireland” Irish Tea Luncheon. Join cookbook author Margaret M. Johnson to celebrate the publication of her book and enjoy a three course Irish luncheon.  Space is limited so register soon if interested. 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. Robert Treuhold Mayor, Village of Quogue