Community News, December 12 - 27 East

Community News, December 12

icon 12 Photos
Gino Magaganoli and Frank Zappone, both presented with the 2024 Hampton Bays Beautification Appreciation Awards, by
Susan vonFreddi Gassman, president of the group. COURTESY HAMPTON BAYS BEAUTIFICATION ASSOCIATION

Gino Magaganoli and Frank Zappone, both presented with the 2024 Hampton Bays Beautification Appreciation Awards, by Susan vonFreddi Gassman, president of the group. COURTESY HAMPTON BAYS BEAUTIFICATION ASSOCIATION

Ellen Zimmerman was presented with the Hampton Bays Beautification Association's  2024 Angel of the Year Award by the association's president, Susan von Freddi Gassman. COURTESY HAMPTON BAYS BEAUTIFICATION ASSOCIATION

Ellen Zimmerman was presented with the Hampton Bays Beautification Association's 2024 Angel of the Year Award by the association's president, Susan von Freddi Gassman. COURTESY HAMPTON BAYS BEAUTIFICATION ASSOCIATION

Representatives of three local service clubs gathered together recently at Immaculate Conception Church in Westhampton Beach to present the proceeds from their 27th annual Food Pantry Dinner, a cooperative effort of the Joseph Slomski Knights of Columbus Council #7423, the Westhampton Rotary Club, and the Kiwanis Club of Greater Westhampton. Presenting a check in the amount of $9,189.94 to Immaculate Conception pastor Fr. Ken Grooms are, left to right: Tom Day (KofC), Beth Flanagan Hard (Rotary), Bob Montpetit (KofC), Fr. Grooms, Matson Hard (Kiwanis), Rori Jones (Kiwanis), Mike Berdinka (KofC), Phil DeBrita (KoC), Joe Sala(KofC), and Mike Doyle (Grand Knight – KofC). COURTESY JOSEPH SLOMSKI KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL

Representatives of three local service clubs gathered together recently at Immaculate Conception Church in Westhampton Beach to present the proceeds from their 27th annual Food Pantry Dinner, a cooperative effort of the Joseph Slomski Knights of Columbus Council #7423, the Westhampton Rotary Club, and the Kiwanis Club of Greater Westhampton. Presenting a check in the amount of $9,189.94 to Immaculate Conception pastor Fr. Ken Grooms are, left to right: Tom Day (KofC), Beth Flanagan Hard (Rotary), Bob Montpetit (KofC), Fr. Grooms, Matson Hard (Kiwanis), Rori Jones (Kiwanis), Mike Berdinka (KofC), Phil DeBrita (KoC), Joe Sala(KofC), and Mike Doyle (Grand Knight – KofC). COURTESY JOSEPH SLOMSKI KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL

The East End Hospice held a Tree of Lights Memorial Service on the village green on Sunday, December 8. Similar services were also held in East Hampton, Cutchogue, and Southampton. The ceremonies honor the memory of friends and family members. Ornaments are also hung in a tree in memory of loved ones who have died. At the Westhampton Beach ceremony, Mayor Ralph Urban read the names of deceased friends and family members. COURTESY EAST END HOSPICE

The East End Hospice held a Tree of Lights Memorial Service on the village green on Sunday, December 8. Similar services were also held in East Hampton, Cutchogue, and Southampton. The ceremonies honor the memory of friends and family members. Ornaments are also hung in a tree in memory of loved ones who have died. At the Westhampton Beach ceremony, Mayor Ralph Urban read the names of deceased friends and family members. COURTESY EAST END HOSPICE

East Hampton Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Susanne Kelly, East Hampton  Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez and Chamber President Barbara Layton at  the Greater East Hampton Chamber of Commerce

East Hampton Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Susanne Kelly, East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez and Chamber President Barbara Layton at the Greater East Hampton Chamber of Commerce "Talk With the Town: Kathee Burke-Gonzalez,", held in the Main Meeting Room of Town Hall on December 4. Chamber directors and town government officials brought everyone up to date on future plans for the town. RICHARD LEWIN

Sarah Alford and Pam Abrahams at the  annual Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons members holiday party on Sunday. Members were asked to bring covered baked goods. As always, wine, apple cider, coffee and tea were provided. HAH President Erik Brockmeyer conducted a free raffle of chestnut tees and more.  RICHARD LEWIN

Sarah Alford and Pam Abrahams at the annual Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons members holiday party on Sunday. Members were asked to bring covered baked goods. As always, wine, apple cider, coffee and tea were provided. HAH President Erik Brockmeyer conducted a free raffle of chestnut tees and more. RICHARD LEWIN

"The Dickens Victorian Carolers;" Kate Keating, Jules Greaves, James Lombardi and Matt Fama at the at Bridgehampton Museum's Nathaniel Rogers House for, "Gifts and Carols," on Saturday evening. RICHARD LEWIN

Bridgehampton Museum Board President Andrea Madaio with Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center Executive Director Bonnie Michelle Cannon at the Bridgehampton Museum's Nathaniel Rogers House for,

Bridgehampton Museum Board President Andrea Madaio with Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center Executive Director Bonnie Michelle Cannon at the Bridgehampton Museum's Nathaniel Rogers House for, "Gifts and Carols," on Saturday evening. RICHARD LEWIN

Linda Bird Francke and Tapp Francke at 15th Annual Lighting of the Vines at Wölffer Estate Vineyard on Saturday evening. All proceeds from the evening benefit The Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center.   LISA TAMBURINI

Linda Bird Francke and Tapp Francke at 15th Annual Lighting of the Vines at Wölffer Estate Vineyard on Saturday evening. All proceeds from the evening benefit The Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center. LISA TAMBURINI

The 15th Annual Lighting of the Vines at Wölffer Estate Vineyard on Saturday evening. All proceeds from the evening benefit The Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center.   LISA TAMBURINI

The 15th Annual Lighting of the Vines at Wölffer Estate Vineyard on Saturday evening. All proceeds from the evening benefit The Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center. LISA TAMBURINI

Santa arrives at the First Presbyterian

Santa arrives at the First Presbyterian "Old Whalers" Church in Sag Harbor on December 5 to light the tree. DANA SHAW

The tree is lit at the First Presbyterian

The tree is lit at the First Presbyterian "Old Whalers" Church in Sag Harbor on December 5. DANA SHAW

authorStaff Writer on Dec 9, 2024

You May Also Like:

Tying Cauliflower

For a common vegetable, the cauliflower is high maintenance. It asks a lot — first, a long growing season that resists direct seeding, so it must be transplanted. Cauliflower does not like it hot; it wants plenty of moisture and nutrition. If the farmer can arrange a splash of boron, so much the better. Each cauliflower wants plenty of room and requires dedicated weed control. Finally, when the crop is a field of deep green hues, anchored so firmly in the rich earth, its broad leaves have been satisfied. Down deep within, the desired “fruit” takes shape: The cauliflower forms. ... 4 Nov 2025 by Marilee Foster

The Truth About Kratom

As the Mayo Clinic describes it: “Kratom is a supplement that is sold as an energy booster, mood lifter, pain reliever and remedy for the symptoms of quitting opioids, called withdrawal. But the truth about kratom is not so simple. And there are safety problems linked to its use.” The article continues: “Kratom is an herbal extract that comes from the trees of an evergreen tree called Mitragyna speciosa. The tree grows in Southeast Asia.” However, “some kratom sellers add more of the active ingredient than kratom naturally has. … Depending on the amount of active ingredient in the product ... by Karl Grossman

In the Soup

When I was in the throes of perimenopause, I couldn’t eat hot soup. Any soup, no matter how delicious, precipitated a hot flash. Sweaty heat would radiate from my neck to my scalp and then head south. It was a sad time for me. One of my favorite food groups is soup. I wrote an essay about those hot flashes back then; lucky for you, it didn’t appear in these pages. I didn’t have this gig yet, so you were spared from reading what happened in and to my body while I was in the throes of perimenopause. I did ... by Tracy Grathwohl

Community News, November 6

YOUTH CORNER Toddler & Teeny Tumbling Project Most at the Community Learning Center, 44 Meadow ... 3 Nov 2025 by Staff Writer

Perspective Is Everything

In the parking area, a photographer pulls her gear from the back of her car. A second woman stands nearby. She must be the one who hired the photographer, because she’s holding a perfect little baby in her arms as she explains, “So now we’ve gotten past that.” The photographer nods, shouldering the heavy bag, and they advance toward the beach entrance. A young man has been impatiently pacing, waiting for them. His lanky frame, dressed neat as a pin, forced to be ready for picture day, turns and kicks at the sand. Not with curiosity, not with affection, but ... 28 Oct 2025 by Marilee Foster

The Plastics Battle

It started here in Suffolk County in 1988: the passage of one of the first laws in the United States to ban plastic food packaging. Authored by Suffolk County Legislator Steven Englebright, prohibitions on polystyrene foam food packaging then spread from Suffolk County to cities, counties and other jurisdictions across the nation. The ban was enacted when a Democratic-Republican coalition of especially environmentally committed legislators held a majority on the Suffolk Legislature in the 1980s. The oil and gas industries and trade groups, led by the Society of the Plastics Industry, headquartered in Washington, D.C., fought the passage of the ... by Karl Grossman

VIEWPOINT: Carbon Prayer

By Ella Gatfield Under exceptionally good viewing conditions, if a person has 20/20 vision, they can see the Triangulum Galaxy. At around 3 million light-years away, it is thought to be one of the farthest objects visible from Earth by the human eye. If I look to the horizon from land or water, with an unobstructed view, I can see only a few miles into the distance. Bound by this irregularly shaped ellipsoid, everything past the horizon line curves out of view. Wishful, I look to the night sky, then I sigh — releasing atoms of carbon into the world. ... 27 Oct 2025 by Ella Gatfield

The Whole Self - a Powerful Prescription: Social Connection

The Best Medicine 
You’re Not Taking   What if your doctor offered a prescription that ... 21 Oct 2025 by Jessie Kenny

Driving Around

As Suffolk County residents will say, should we take the ferries between Suffolk and New England, or should we “drive around”? The “drive around” involves navigating the web of roads and bridges to our far west. And that can be quite a trip, as I learned last week, with that ferocious nor’easter hitting us and causing cancellations of service on both the Cross Sound Ferry between Orient Point and New London, and the Port Jefferson-Bridgeport ferry. We were taking a little vacation in southern Vermont — in the lovely town of Landgrove, a kind of Brigadoon in Vermont — and ... 20 Oct 2025 by Karl Grossman

High-Stakes Hotline

Some readers might be old enough to have experienced the Cuban Missile Crisis. It began 63 years ago this week, when President John F. Kennedy announced a blockade of Cuba in response to the Soviet Union building ballistic missile sites on the island. One would think such a close brush with nuclear war would have been the inspiration for the hotline between Washington, D.C., and Moscow. Yes, sort of. Such a system was used for the first time only 10 months after the crisis, on August 30, 1963, a call between Kennedy and the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. With Presidents ... by Tom Clavin