The Village Highway Department will begin picking up leaves on November 1st.   Leaves must be on the shoulder of the street by December 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 November 15 through December 31.  For more information, go to www.southamptontownny.gov.

In addition to the foregoing, property owners and landscapers who take leaves (only) from a Quogue property may make arrangements 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.

Due to roadwork, residents on Bay Road and Heatherwood Lane are requested to have their landscapers take their leaves to the Highway Department’s yard rather than piling them on the shoulder of Montauk Highway.

October 25, 2023

Dear Quogue Residents,

The weeks are flying by and the leaves are turning their beautiful fall colors.  The days are getting shorter and there is a nip in the air.  Welcome to another busy fall season.

This past Friday, the Village Trustees held a public hearing to consider reducing the speed limit to 25 mph throughout all of our residential streets. After considering the comments expressed at the hearing and at prior meetings, and taking into account the recommendations of Dunn Engineering, the Trustees voted unanimously in favor of the proposal. The exceptions to the 25 mph speed limit will be Montauk Highway and Route 104, which are maintained by Suffolk County and will remain at the existing 40 mph speed limit.  You will see new speed signs posted in the coming days, and I would ask you please to respect the new lower speed limits.

One more note on traffic safety – we have added a few new stop signs in the Village over the past year.  As a fellow resident remarked to me the other day, stop signs are not intended as suggestions or recommendations.  They mean what they not so subtly say – please STOP when you see a STOP sign.

And a note to cyclists in the Village – we have posted two new signs on Jessup Avenue on either end of our “shopping district” – requesting cyclists to dismount and walk their bicycles.  We have had some close calls with cyclists riding into pedestrians on the sidewalks in front of the market, as well as cars nearly hitting cyclists when backing out of the diagonal parking spaces.  Please exercise caution at all times.

Over the past several weeks, there has been a pattern of thefts of items from unlocked vehicles parked in residential driveways in East Quogue, Hampton Bays, and Westhampton Beach.  Unfortunately, this pattern has now made its way to Quogue.  The Quogue Police recently handled two complaints of trespass where vehicles had been rummaged through and items taken. The crimes tend to occur during darkness and predominantly between 5:00 am and 7:00 am.  The police have increased their patrols during these hours and are coordinating with the neighboring police departments.  Stating the obvious, please remember to lock all car doors and close the windows.  Please report any suspicious persons or vehicles by calling 911 immediately, and not the non-emergency police department phone number.

The Village Highway Department will begin picking up leaves on November 1st.   Leaves must be on the shoulder of the street by December 15th in order to be picked up.  Do not pile leaves in the street blocking traffic or around fire hydrants or utility equipment.  DO NOT USE PLASTIC BAGS, which 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 November 15 through December 31.  For more information, go to https://www.southamptontownny.gov/.  In addition to the foregoing, property owners and landscapers who take leaves (only) from a Quogue property may make arrangements 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.  Due to roadwork, residents on Bay Road and Heatherwood Lane are requested to have their landscapers take their leaves to the Highway Department’s yard rather than piling them on the shoulder of Montauk Highway.

A reminder that Election Day is only two weeks away on Tuesday, November 7th from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm. You can consult the Southampton Press and https://www.27east.com/ for information on the races and the candidates.  The local polling place will be at the Quogue Firehouse.  Early voting starts on Saturday, October 28th and runs through Sunday, November 5th.  The closest early voting sites to Quogue are St. Mark’s Episcopal Church located at 40 Main Street in Westhampton Beach and the Stony Brook Southampton Campus in the Student Activity Center located at 39 Tuckahoe Road in Southampton.  The hours are 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on weekends and vary during the week.

As you will have certainly noticed, Quogue has a growing deer population (as well as geese and wild turkeys). The Village has sponsored a deer culling program for approximately twenty years working in compliance with the New York State Bow Hunting Laws.  The hunting season has begun so you may notice hunters in the Village.  State law imposes strict safety rules requiring hunters to stay well away from any occupied residences and no guns are allowed.  The Village requires any interested hunter to register with the Village’s Code Enforcement Officer, Chris Osborne. Hunters must provide copies of the consent forms obtained from any property owners where they propose to hunt.  If you are interested in learning more about the program, please reach out to Chris Osborne through the Village Office.

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

Tomorrow evening, October 26th from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm, the Quogue Wildlife Refuge will celebrate the full moon with a guided hike through the forest and up to North Pond. On Saturday, October 28th from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm, the Refuge is organizing an Enchanted Forest Trail walk. Come wearing Halloween costumes and have fun while learning about animals with lots of concessions and games. Finally, on Saturday, November 4th from 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm, the Refuge is hosting the Rites of Spring Music Concert with a performance by THISTLE, a Chamber Folk Trio. Reservations are required and details are available on their website at https://quoguewildliferefuge.org/

The Hampton Theatre Company’s 2023-2024 season kicked off last week with Neil Simon’s Rose and Walsh. The play has received rave reviews, and the run continues through November 5th.   Tickets can be purchased at https://www.hamptontheatre.org/

This Friday, October 27th from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, the Quogue School is organizing a Safe Halloween event, featuring their famous Spooky Walk with tons of trick or treating, selfie stations, free raffles, and crafts. This event takes place at the school located at 10 Edgewood Road.

On Halloween, October 31st at 4:00 pm, the Quogue Fire Department in coordination with the Quogue School is sponsoring a Halloween Ghost Parade and party.  Folks will gather at the south end of Jessup at Quogue Street.  The parade will follow the fire truck up Jessup Avenue to the Firehouse where there will be food and festivities for the children, as well as a costume contest.  The police department will also be participating with a “Trunk or Treat” police car handing out candy and treats. Everyone is encouraged to participate in costume.

The Quogue Library has also fully joined the Halloween Holiday spirit with a series of fun events beginning with Grab N’ Go: Halloween Fun, all day this coming Friday, October 27th, continuing with Boo Bags all day Saturday, Witch Prints on Monday afternoon, and Costume Fun all day on Halloween.

The Library continues its impressive series of Author Talks with the next one slated for this afternoon October 25th, from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, with a reading by Kelly Bennett, author of The House that Ruth Built.

Now through November 1st, the Quogue Library is continuing to collect donations as part of The Great Give Back, an annual day of service where public libraries help out a foundation or charity.  This year the Library will be assisting the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation.  They will be collecting dry pet food, pet supplies, blankets, and pet toy donations through the end of October.

The Art Gallery at the Library is continuing the exhibition of works by Melissa Hackett, a New York- and Southampton-based painter and printmaker, on display through November 15th.  Please note that the Gallery will be hosting a Holiday Fundraiser on Friday, November 24th, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, with the sale of paintings and photos from over 75 local artists and photographers.

The next Foreign Policy Association Great Decisions discussion program is scheduled at the Library for Saturday, November 4th, from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm, on the topic of Climate Migration.

On November 8th, Chef Brian Collins will be serving up a Colonial Turkey Dinner at the Library from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.  Advanced registration required.

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

And a reminder that the Quogue Historical Society’s Pond House Museum located at 114 Jessup Avenue is open Friday afternoons from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, and on Saturday mornings from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.  The 1822 One-Room Schoolhouse is open during Library Hours.  Please consult the QHS website to learn more about Quogue history, a Jessup Avenue walking tour, exhibitions, historic photographs, virtual talks, videos, children’s activities, and much more: https://quoguehistory.org/

And here are a few early save the dates:

The Fire Department’s annual Pancake Breakfast will be held the Sunday after Thanksgiving, November 26th. It will be great fun for all, and raises funds for the Fire Department’s Benevolent Association.

On Saturday, December 2nd at 9:00 am, the Quogue School is organizing the annual Hudsy 5K run/walk honoring Joan Hudson and raising funds for the school.  You can register at https://events.elitefeats.com/23hudsy

Apologies if I have overlooked an event; please let me know!

Happy Halloween!

Robert Treuhold
Mayor, Village of Quogue
631-653-4498

September 15, 2023

Dear Quogue Residents,

Fall is around the corner and hurricane season is upon us. With fingers crossed, it looks like Hurricane Lee will be moving north well east of Quogue.  However, it is moving slowly and we will certainly have a couple of windy days with rough surf and some beach erosion.  I announced last month that the Village would be performing the annual “beach scraping” in the coming weeks.  We have now learned that we did not satisfy the DEC’s standards for a sufficiently wide beach and, consequently, will not be able to scrape this year.

The oil and stone roadwork is ongoing and, weather permitting, should be completed next week.  The Village has now completed additional drainage work on Beach Lane. Some additional road and drainage improvements on Ogden Lane will be done next month.  There are numerous other drainage projects in the works.  A shout out to the ongoing hard work of our Highway Department.

On the subject of roads and traffic safety, the Village has now received a traffic engineering report from Dunn Engineering Associates.  They have recommended that we adopt an area wide reduction in our speed limit to 25 mph throughout all Village residential streets.  The Trustees are studying this report and will be holding a public hearing next month to consider amending our traffic regulations to reflect this recommendation.

We continue to look for measures to enhance the safety of everyone in our village – pedestrians, runners, cyclists and drivers.  In that vein, the Village recently installed new stop signs at the intersection of Jessup Avenue and Scrub Oak Road and at the intersection of Niamogue and Ogden Lanes.  Happily, the County has finally completed the corrective work at the intersection of Quogue Street and Montauk Highway.

A reminder that this is the final weekend at the Village Beach and all lockers must be emptied out this Sunday, September 17^th. In the light of Lee, the lifeguard stand has already been pulled and there will be no swimming allowed.

And now for a few upcoming events:

The Quogue Wildlife Refuge is hosting a presentation tomorrow, September 16^th, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, on the intimate link between the use, culture and ecology of the Pine Barrens, and the uniquely important role that the Pine Barrens has played in the east end of Long Island’s natural and human history.

The following Saturday, September 23^rd, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, the Refuge will be hosting a sale of native plants grown by the Long Island Native Plant Initiative.  What better way to support Long Island’s natural beauty and wildlife than by planting native plants!

On Wednesday, September 20^th, from 7:00 pm to 8:15 pm, the Refuge has organized an introductory presentation to learn about the “meditative art” of East Asian calligraphy.

And finally, their next full moon night hike is slated for September 27th, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. You can learn more about these events and register at www.quoguewildliferefuge.org.

Now through November 1^st, the Quogue Library will be collecting donations as part of The Great Give Back, an annual day of service where public libraries help out a foundation or charity.  This year the Library will be assisting the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation.  They will be collecting dry pet food, pet supplies, blankets, and pet toy donations through the end of October.  The actual Great Give Back Day will be on Saturday, October 14^th, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

The Art Gallery at the Library is continuing the exhibition of Katama Eastman Photography’s black and white photographs on display through October 4^th. Their next exhibit will be of works by Melissa Hackett, a New York- and Southampton-based painter and printmaker, on display from October 7^th through November 15^th, with an Artist’s Talk and Reception on Saturday, October 7^th, from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm.

The Library continues its impressive series of Author Talks with the next one slated for Saturday, September 23^rd, with a virtual presentation from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, by Jeffrey Sussman, author of Sin City Gangsters: The Rise and Decline of the Mob in Las Vegas. On Saturday, September 30^th from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Jim Gover will read from his debut book Feel My Heart, A Poetry Collection.  On Tuesday, October 2^nd from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Peter Bond will discuss his book The Leak: Politics, Activists, and Loss of Trust at Brookhaven National Laboratory.  And on Saturday, October 7^th from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Jocelyn Simonson will discuss her book Radical Acts of Justice.

The next Foreign Policy Association Great Decisions discussion program is scheduled at the Library for Saturday, October 14^th, from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm, on the topic of Iran at a Crossroads.  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 Hampton Theatre Company’s 2023-2024 season kicks off next month with Neil Simon’s Rose and Walsh, directed by George Loizides, with a run beginning October 19^th through November 5^th.  Tickets can be purchased at www.hamptontheatre.org.

Stay safe with the upcoming storm(s) and enjoy the last days of summer and first days of fall.

Robert Treuhold

Mayor

 

 

August 18, 2023

Dear Quogue Residents,

We have certainly been blessed with a lot of rain the past couple of weeks.  Looking at the bright side, I have received fewer dire warnings from the SCWA about drought conditions in Suffolk County.  On a less positive note, many of our residents have had to deal with flooded streets.  While this is not exactly a new problem, we are always looking for ways to accelerate the dissipation of flood waters through improving drainage and, where appropriate, raising roadways.  Given the high water table in many areas of the Village, certain roads are extremely challenging, especially at high tide.

The Town of Southampton organized an informational meeting last weekend with an update on the FIMP beach renourishment project.  As I have previously reported, the Town is currently undertaking surveys of all of the beachfront properties in the project area.  For Quogue, this represents 47 properties running from just east of the Post Lane bridge (now reopened in case you missed the news) to the border with East Quogue.  The Town expects to have completed the survey work by the end of September, at which point the appraisers will do their calculations to prepare offers to the homeowners in order to obtain the required easements.  This work is expected to be completed by January.  If all the easements can be obtained by May, there is still a reasonable chance for the project to take place in the fall/winter of 2024/2025.  If the paperwork is not in place by then, it looks like the project will be delayed another year until the winter of 2025/2026.  Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions.

As in prior years, the Village is about to perform the annual “beach scraping” exercise to reinforce the dunes on the eastern stretch of Quogue. In the fall, beachfront homeowners will be contacted about installing new beach fencing where necessary.

An area of increasing concern is the growing use of electric bicycles in the Village.  While I applaud the use of bicycles as a general matter, e-bikes can be quite dangerous given their speed.  They 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 at all times.  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.  On the subject of helmets, they are meant to be worn – not carried in a basket or strapped to the handlebars.  Parents, please educate your kids!

The Village is about to embark on our annual oil and stone maintenance.  For many years, the Village has had an annual budget to maintain a certain number of roads each year on a rotating basis.  The first phase should begin right after Labor Day, with a smooth layer of asphalt being spread to fill in holes and cracks, and to level the streets. The second phase will take place the following week (weather permitting), when blue stone gravel will be laid down with a liquid oil emulsion (hence the name “oil and stone”).  This needs to be done in the early fall when the weather is still warm enough for the gravel to bind properly.  After a few days, our Highway Department will then sweep up the remaining loose stones.

On an environmental note, last week Nancy and I attended a fundraiser at the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Marine Environmental Learning Center in Southold.  The event highlighted two important local initiatives: “Choose Local F.I.S.H.” (Fresh, Indigenous, Sustainable, Healthy) to encourage all to discover the variety of local fish choices Long Island has to offer.  The event was also sponsored by Slow Food East End, the local chapter of Slow Food USA and part of a global, grassroots organization founded in 1989 in Italy to prevent the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions, counteract the rise of “fast life”, and to combat people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, and how our food choices affect the world around us.  I encourage you to visit their websites to learn more about these great organizations:  www.slowfoodeastend.org and www.localfish.org.  The Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Suffolk County is a non-profit community educational agency with the overriding mission of making Suffolk County a desirable place to live and work by preserving the county’s vast heritage, protecting our eco-systems, supporting families, and providing youth with opportunities for community service and research-based education in science, technology, engineering and math.  You can learn more by visiting www.ccesuffolk.org.

And now for a few upcoming events:

The Quogue Association has two upcoming events: its Annual Village Beach Party takes place this evening at the Village Beach from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.  And on September 9^th, at 10:00 am, Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman will be delivering his annual State of the Town Address on the Village Green.  In the event of inclement weather, the event will be moved inside the Village Hall. https://quogueassociation.org

The Quogue Junior Theater Troupe is concluding its 45^th season, presenting Annie Jr. from August 22^nd – 25^th.  You can purchase tickets at www.qjtt.org.

The Quogue Wildlife Refuge is hosting their end of summer party next Friday, August 25^th, from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm.  While the party is primarily for the kids who attended the Summer Ecology Program and their families, all are welcome to join the fun. Their next full moon night hike is slated for August 29^th, from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Please register at www.quoguewildliferefuge.org.

The final installment of the Library’s Quogue Authors in Conversation series will be on Sunday, August 27^th, from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm, with Genevieve Crane in conversation with Paul Harding, who is the author of This Other Eden, followed by a Q&A, book sale and signing, and wine and cheese ($10 per person). The Art Gallery at the Library is continuing the exhibition of Bess Ratliff’s series of pastel works through August 29^th.  Katama Eastman Photography follows with black and white photographs on display from August 31^st to October 4^th, with an Artist’s Reception on Thursday, August 31^st, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. On Wednesday, September 6^th, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Lee McAllister, author of Hiking Long island: A Comprehensive Guide to Parks and Trails, will be leading a visual presentation and discussion on Long Island’s natural beauty. The next Foreign Policy Association Great Decisions discussion program is scheduled for Saturday, September 9^th, from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm, on the topic of Global Famine.  As always, consult the Library’s well-packed calendar to sign up for their rich offering of movies and programs of all types: https://www.quoguelibrary.org/

On Saturday, September 9^th, at 7:30 pm, Quogue Chamber Music presents the Balourdet String Quartet at the Quogue Community Hall, with a program including works by Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Hugo Wolf.  Tickets can be purchased at www.quoguechambermusic.org.

The second of the Quogue Historical Society’s Walking Tours: Preserving Quogue’s History in Headstones at the Quogue Cemetery is scheduled for Sunday, September 10^th.  Space is limited so please reserve in advance: www.quoguehistory.org

Labor Day is around the corner so enjoy these last days of the summer season, especially now that you can get to the beach without a detour!

Robert Treuhold

Mayor