Community News for January 28, 2021

On Sunday, members of the American Legion Hand-Aldrich Post 924 in Hampton Bays presented Ann Pampena with the proceeds of a GoFundMe campaign following the death of her husband, Ray, a long-time Legion member. Left to right, Rich Steiber, Ann Pampena, John Lenihan and David Agtsteribbe. DANA SHAW

The Southampton Elks Lodge #1574 has for the third year received a $2,000.00 Gratitude Grant from the Elks National Foundation. The grant was used to purchase coats from Operation Warm, a charitable organization where new, warm coats may be obtained. Under the direction of Past Exalted Ruler Bill Hughes and Secretary Gene Scanlon, over 110 coats were purchased and distributed to the St Rosalie’s Food Pantry, Hampton Bays School District, Maureen’s Haven and the Retreat this past December. These agencies work directly with people in need and will arrange for distribution to the children, teens and adults in need.

Montauk Montauk Library Hat and Mitten Drive The Montauk Library, 871 Montauk Highway in Montauk, is hosting a mitten, scarf and hat drive through February 15. The library is collecting these donations to benefit The Retreat, the East End’s only nonprofit organization that offers support services to domestic violence victims and preventative education services. For more information, call the library at 631-668-3377. East Hampton COVID-19 Testing Site Opens at East Hampton Town Hall In response to recent virus surge, testing will be offered seven days a week at the East Hampton Town Hall campus on Pantigo Road in East Hampton, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily A COVID-19 testing site at East Hampton Town Hall will offer COVID-19 PCR (RNA) nasal swab testing and rapid antigen testing for active viral infection diagnosis, and antibody blood testing to determine if someone has had a previous case of the virus. The cost will be $179 for the PCR nasal swab test; $99 for the rapid antigen test, and; $59 for the antibody test. Insurance will be accepted. A limited number of free tests will be made available to those in financial need. Appointments may be made at Testbeforeyougo.com, although some tests will be offered without appointment as daily capacity permits. The testing will be conducted by Collection Sites, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of QuestCap Inc. Sag Harbor “The Lost World of African-American Cantors: 1915-1953” Temple Adas Israel in Sag Harbor will welcome award-winning record and radio producer, author and ethnomusicologist Henry Sapoznik to explore the “Lost World of African-American Cantors”— in celebration of Black History month — on Wednesday, February 3 at 7 p.m. Often, discussions regarding the history of Black and Jewish cultural interaction in this country focuses on how Jews adopted and adapted Black vernacular music (e.g. Ragtime, jazz, swing, R&B and blues) as performers, promoters, managers, club owners and record labels. However, what is left unexplored are the African-Americans who performed Yiddish and cantorial music in and for the Jewish community, in theaters, on record, radio, in concerts between the World Wars and in their own pulpits in their own black synagogues. Mr. Sapoznik’s talk will honor the memory of now forgotten Black cantors like Mendele der Shvartzer Khazn, Reb Dovid Kalistrita, Abraham Ben Benjamin Franklin, Thomas LaRue Jones and Goldye di Shvartze Khaznte, the first — and only — Black woman cantor. The talk will feature dozens of historic graphics and translations of period Yiddish newspaper previews, ads and reviews and the playing of the one known 1923 Yiddish and Hebrew recording of Thomas Jones LaRue. Mr. Sapoznik is a five-time Grammy-nominated producer and won the 2002 Peabody award for his 13-part NPR series “The Yiddish Radio Project,” the collection of which was acquired by the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress in 2011. He was also the final on-air host (1990-1995) of the long-running Yiddish radio show “The Forward Hour” on radio station WEVD. This event is free and open to all on Zoom, thanks to the generosity of Susan and Larry Wartur. Pre-registration is required and can be accessed through The Temple’s website, templeadasisrael.org. For more information, call 631-725-0904. Southampton Drawdown East End: Local Solutions to Reverse Global Warming Drawdown East End will begin a new series, “Drawdown the Future: A Conversation for our Changing Times,” with Rogers Member Library, in a group of Zoom panel discussions that will take place throughout the month of February. The sessions will take place on Tuesday nights, most nights from 7 to 8 p.m., beginning on February 2 with a discussion about “Eating for the Future” with Dorothy Reilly and Krae Van Sickle. “Lawn and Landscape for the Future” will be held on February 9, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., with Mark Haubner and Ellen Bialo, with “Seafood for the Future” scheduled for February 16, featuring Diane Shapiro and Mary Morgan. On February 23, the series will end with a talk on “Fashion and Fabrics for the Future” with Inga Eirksdotti and Mary Morgan. “What are your ideas about a thriving, regenerative future?” asks Drawdown East End co-founder Darr Reilly. “Join us in this exciting, informative four-panel series. We designed these events to start a community conversation about ways we can create the future we want, and how we can start now to take actions that transition us into a regenerative, circular economy for all.” To register, visit rogersmemorial.librarycalendar.com. Town Accepting Lottery Applications for Marina Slips Southampton Town will accept lottery applications through February 1, 2021 for marina slips at the Bay Avenue Marina in East Quogue, the Beaver Dam Marina in Westhampton, the Conscience Point Marina in Southampton and the Pine Neck Marina in East Quogue. If enough applications are filed to necessitate a lottery, it will be held at the end of February. Selected applicants will be required to make a deposit payment by March 15 with the full balance due April 15. All applications must include a copy of the boat’s registration and proof of Town of Southampton full-time resident/taxpayer status. All applications must also include a copy of insurance. A minimum liability insurance policy for no less than $300,000 per occurrence must remain in effect for all times the vessel is docked or stored on the town’s property. The Town of Southampton must be listed as a certificate holder and should be notified by the insurance company if for any reason the policy is cancelled. For more information, or to obtain a lottery fact sheet, email egeorge@southamptontownny.gov. Hampton Bays “Virtual” Blood Drive The Hampton Bays Public Library on Ponquogue Avenue in Hampton Bays has partnered with the New York Blood Center to support a Virtual Blood Drive through Sunday, January 31. Eligible donors can make appointments to donate blood at an NYBC blood center or at local blood drives and use the group number 60576 to be a part of this event. COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the process of donating blood and caused the number of blood drives to drop by two-thirds. As a result, “The pandemic is forcing us to rethink the entire landscape, which means encouraging donors to take the extra step of making an appointment and traveling to a donor center. . . ” said Andrea H. Cefarelli, Senior Executive Director of Recruitment & Marketing for New York Blood Center. To schedule your appointment visit, nybc.org/donate. For help, or for more information, contact Yadira Navarro at (516) 478-5026 or via email at ynavarro@nybc.org. Quogue ‘Quigley’ the Groundhog To Pay A Virtual Visit The Quogue Library has invited Quigley, the groundhog, to meet with library staff and patrons virtually for his prediction for the start of this year’s spring in the Hamptons. ‘Quigley,’ resident groundhog of the S.T.A.R. Foundation of Middle Island, New York, will visit Quogue Library for the Library’s Fourth Annual Groundhog Day Celebration which will be Facebook Live Streamed on Monday, February 2, 10a.m. As legend goes, ‘Quigley,’ the prognosticating groundhog will predict the spring we can expect by whether he is scared by his shadow and hides for six more weeks of wintery weather, or whether he emerges and welcomes an early spring. Either way, all are invited to join our live stream to see what will be. Quogue Code Enforcement officer, Chris Osborne, will represent the local chapter of the Punxsutawney Phil Club, don his official (stovepipe) hat, and lead us as the Master of Ceremonies and official whistle-pig translator. Quigley lives at the Save the Animals Rescue Foundation whose mission is “to mitigate the damage done to the wild population through the progress of humans.” Offering advice on managing animals found in homes and areas animals do not belong, STAR maintains a network of wildlife veterinarians and rehabilitation experts to assist in transport and rehabilitation of rescued animals, as well as permanent placement and adoption programs. The public is invited to fulfill the wish list for Quigley and friends by donating products listed on their website. “We are very happy to welcome Quigley and the STAR rescue team back to Quogue, continuing our Groundhog Day traditions,” said Susan McKenna, Director of Operations, in a press release. “This year, due to Covid-19 concerns, the event will be live streamed to encourage safe, socially distanced celebrations consistent with all of Quogue Library’s virtual programs for the foreseeable future. Regardless of Quigley's call, Quogue Library will welcome spring with the opening of our newly renovated library whose construction is expected to be finished in March or April. For more information, visit quoguelibrary.org