Amagansett Community Notes, February 1

Leap Year February is finally here, and my daughter Lucy Pearl, who turns 12 this year, will get to have an actual birthday. She usually shares the day with one of her best friends, Lina Bistrian, who was born on February 28. Elizabeth Bistrian also turns 12 this year—on February 13. Happy birthday girls, and thank you to Lina for sharing your birthday.

Other February birthday greetings go to Lynn Czarnecki, Dana Kalbacher, Ryan Shaw, Encie Peters, Steven Howarth, Myron Cohn, Tina Quarty, Douglas Duke, Paul Nichols, Eddie Ryan, Zachary Newman, Will Hantz and Bailey Bennett. And happy anniversary to Dan and Marguerite Gualtieri.

Congratulations to Michael Fitzgerald of Amagansett for being named to the dean’s list at Quinnipiac University for the fall semester of 2011. I am sure will we see his name for the spring semester as well. Nice job.

The Amagansett Fire Department’s 100th Anniversary Committee will host a cocktail party at the firehouse on Saturday, February 4, from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $25 each. There will be beer, wine, food and a DJ. To purchase tickets prior to the event, please contact Allen Bennett at 631-767-9885.

Crossroads Music of Amagansett is sponsoring a night of local music to raise money for the East Hampton High School Jazz Band tomorrow, Thursday, February 2, at 7 p.m., in the East Hampton High School auditorium. The band is headed to Florida to participate in a competition and is in need of funds to offset travel and accommodation costs. The requested donation is $10. The evening will include performances by local teen bands: Assuming Descent, Method 2 Madness, The Feign and a special performance by the EHHS Jazz Band. Refreshments will be available. For more information, go to www.crossroadsmusic.com or call Michael D. Clark at 631- 907-4838.

St. Michaels’ Lutheran Church has a beautiful new parking lot and it holds its Sunday worship at 11 a.m. All members of the community are welcome to attend.

The Super Bowl, Giants versus the Patriots, is Sunday, February 5, at 6:30 p.m. Earlier that day, at 11 a.m., the First Presbyterian Church of Amagansett will take a “Souper Bowl” offering during its worship service. The proceeds will be donated to the Amagansett satellite of the East Hampton Food Pantry that is open at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church on Tuesdays from 4 to 6 p.m. Volunteers and donations are always welcome.

On Sunday, January 29, the Presbyterian Church celebrated its organist of 30 years, Janet Fensterer. They presented Janet with a beautiful plant and gift certificate and had a cake from Gurney’s.

The congregation will meet on February 5 after the worship service. The Deacons will meet that same day at 9:30 a.m.

In school news, today the Amagansett School fifth and sixth grade classes will visit the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County in Glen Cove. This is part of character education studies.

There will be a PTA meeting Monday, February 6, from 9 to 10 a.m., which also happens to be second grade teacher Encie Peters’ birthday.

Congratulations to music teacher Cindy Galvin and her students Samantha Merritt (flute), Helen Baranco (soprano), Michele Baranco (soprano) and Grace Myer (violin) for being selected to represent the school in the annual Suffolk County Music Educators Association All-County Music Festival.

The school science fair projects are being displayed at the Amagansett Library. The fourth grade’s projects will be there through Friday, February 3; the fifth grade projects will be on display from February 6 to 10; and the sixth grade’s from February 13 to 17. This is a great opportunity to see them in case you missed seeing them at the school.

Story and Craft Time will take place on Saturday, February 4, at 3 p.m. The theme is “What’s up, Groundhog?” Learn about groundhogs and the weather.

The library hosts two book clubs for adults. The next meeting of the “First Monday” book group will be February 6 at 1:30 p.m. The book will be “Olive Kitteridge” by Elizabeth Strout. The next meeting of the “Wednesdays at One” book club will be February 8 and the book will be, “Like Water for Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel. Pick up a copy of these books at the circulation desk and enjoy.

The library is hosting a family book club for children in grades two through six and their caregivers. They will meet once a month to discuss new and old books, snacks will be provided. The first meeting will be Friday, February 10, at 3:30 p.m., and the book will be “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis. Stop by the circulation desk to pick up your copy. The family book club will continue to meet monthly on Fridays after school. Future titles will be determined by the club.

Tuesday, January 24, D’Canelas restaurant was home for a party given by the Colombians of the East End (CEE) to honor the new Colombian Consul General, Elsa Gladys Cifuentes. Her visit was a follow up to a visit in 2008 by the former consul that took place at Southampton College with more than 1,500 participants. The Colombian population is growing on the East End and the community is forming outreach centers to help the population keep up with their passports and other important things that are available only at the consulate in New York. The visit was helpful and a celebration. There will be a future event in Hampton Bays at the end of this month.

On Saturday, February 25, the third annual “Mr. Amagansett Pageant” will be held at the Stephen Talkhouse. The event will benefit the Donald T. Sharkey Community Fund, which provides scholarship opportunities for local students and local fire departments and the Wounded Warrior Project. For more information, to make a donation, or send in your entry, call Kristine Gaudy at 516-449-6330. You do not have to be from Amagansett to enter. Just pay the $15 entry fee. Entry forms with donations or admission fee can be mailed to The Don Sharkey Fund, P.O. Box 697, Amagansett, NY 11930.

Have a great week and please send me any Amagansett news you would like to share.