Community News for June 24, 2021

During the months when planning took place, COVID restrictions remained uncertain, causing many organizations to modify or cancel plans for summer events. The good news is that a few opportunities to view fireworks are on the calendar.

In Southampton, the Southampton Fresh Air Home will hold its Grucci fireworks show at dusk on Friday, July 2, over Shinnecock Bay. The launch location offers a great view of the fireworks from both the bay and ocean sides of Dune Road. The public can watch from Coopers Beach. For more information, call 631-283-5847 or visit sfah.org.

The Westhampton Country Club will put on its annual fireworks display on Sunday, July 4, at dusk, weather permitting. Unless you are a member, there is no access to the club, but the display can be seen from all over the surrounding area.

The Great Bonac Fireworks Show, hosted by the Clamshell Foundation, will be held on Saturday, July 17, just after 9 p.m. on Three Mile Harbor Road in East Hampton. Great viewing locations include Maidstone Park, Sammy’s Beach, Gann Road, or any of the beaches off of Hands Creek Road and Springy Banks Road, as well as the head of Three Mile Harbor. Watch via boat and anchor in Three Mile Harbor.

The Sag Harbor Fire Department will set off fireworks on Saturday, August 8, at dusk, as part of its carnival at Havens Beach.

The Montauk Library, 871 Montauk Highway, will host its 2021 Summer Reading Club, Tails and Tales, featuring Page Turners Adventures, Saturday, July 3, through Saturday, August 14. Visit the Montauk Library website, montauklibrary.org, and sign up through READsquared. Students can log all their home reading on their account and earn points. Complete all the levels of the program and students will be entered into a raffle to win one of the library’s grand prizes. The program will also feature weekly virtual missions and adventures.

To register after Thursday, July 1, visit montauklibrary.org.

The South Fork Natural History Museum will host a paddle through Northwest Harbor in search of diamondback terrapins, on Saturday, June 26, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Diamondback terrapins are common in our local estuaries, but it can be difficult to spot them from the shore. Exploring by kayak, guests will try to spot terrapins in the brackish waters of the Northwest Harbor, a habitat that provides abundant food, shelter, and sandy shores for nesting. The group may stop for a brief walk on the shore to see if we can find any evidence of terrapins. Bring your own kayak. Registration is limited. This program is for adults and teens and there is a $10 fee. SOFO members are free.

For more information, or to register, call 631-537-9735 or visit sofo.org

The Town of East Hampton Recreation Department will host a weekly 2021 Sailing Instruction Program, beginning the week of June 28 and running through the week of August 16, at Fresh Pond in Amagansett.

All sessions run Monday through Thursday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and students and adults are asked to bring lunch, water and a hat. The minimum age to participate is 12 and there is a $225 per person fee.

Preregistration is required and class size will be limited to 16 people. To register, visit easthamptonny.gov.

The Town of East Hampton Recreation Department will host a Youth Park Clinic, June 28 through August 19, at the Abraham’s Path Youth Park.

Tennis and basketball clinics are available for children in second grade and up at a cost of $45 per session, or $60 for both tennis and basketball. Registration is required and can be made at ehamptonny.gov.

Temple Adas Israel in Sag Harbor will host a virtual workshop, “Taking Up Space: Being Black and Bisexual in the Jewish Community,” on Thursday, June 24, from 7 to 8 p.m. The talk, being given in celebration of Pride month, will be led by speaker Chris Harrison, a former writer and editor for the Union for Reform Judaism and currently serves on his temple’s Audacious Hospitality group and the Jewish Federation’s NEXTGen LGBTQA Pride Committee.

To register and for more information, call 631-725-0904 or visit templeadasisrael.org.

The Old Whalers’ Church, 44 Union Street,, will host Strawberry Shortcake Saturday, on Saturday, June 26, from 1 to 4 p.m. The cost is $5 for children and $7 for adults.

This summer, the beaches will not be the only thing people will be loving; The Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce has officially released the next phase in its community-centric “LOVE Sag Harbor” campaign.

Enjoy celebrating the new waves of summer with the chamber’s limited-edition tote by picking one up at one of the participating Sag Harbor Chamber members this season. Each member will have an exclusive deal paired with this tote. Here are a few places where you can find them: Ed's Lobster Bar, Fishers Home Furnishings, Frances Valentine, In Home, K Pasa, Kites of The Harbor, Land Shark Unlimited, Long Wharf Wines, Matriark, Made, Relax, Sag Harbor Variety Store, Sen Restaurant, Sunny, Sunswell and The Wharf Shop.

What better way to show your love for Sag Harbor than social media? The chamber will be posting where to find these limited-edition totes on its social media channels and hosting a series of contests. For more information, visit sagharborchamber.com.

Southampton Town Councilwoman Julie Lofstad was joined by town staff, Lee Silberman of Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk, and local residents to launch the start of the Partnership to Reuse Program at the North Sea Transfer Station last week. The program, led by Ms. Lofstad in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk, will collect new or slightly used furniture, appliances, kitchen cabinets and building materials from town residents. The materials will then be resold at the Suffolk ReStore in Ronkonkoma, with proceeds supporting affordable housing projects.

“I’m very excited about this partnership,” said Ms. Lofstad in a press release issued last week. “It will keep functional and usable items out of landfills, while helping Habitat for Humanity build affordable housing, which is consistent with the town’s goals to reduce waste and increase our affordable housing inventory.”

“Southampton residents can now pass-on unwanted items, clear clutter while making a difference, helping Habitat build affordable housing for low-mid-income families in Suffolk County. Items donated to Suffolk ReStore are sold to the public to support Habitat's vision — a world where everyone has a decent place to live. This is a win-win for everyone,” Mr. Silberman said.

Southampton Town residents can drop off items at the North Sea Transfer Station on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Commercial entities and contractors can participate by contacting Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk directly to arrange for off-site pickups.

For more information on the Residential Reuse Program, contact Ms. Lofstad at 631-287-5745 or Courtney Collins at 631-459-3964 or courtney@habitatsuffolk.org.

The inaugural Southampton Rose Day was held on Saturday, June 12, recognizing the rose as the official flower of Southampton Village with nearly a dozen storefronts on Main Street and Jobs Lane decorated with rose arrangements to celebrate the occasion and compete for two tickets to the annual Southampton Rose Society cocktail party. Displays included traditional rose arrangements in vases, rose petal garlands hanging from the ceiling, and even a cart filled with roses and free rose bouquets for customers.

A Best in Show award was given to A is for Art, with Alice & Olivia earning first place, followed by Sea Green Designs in second place and Coldwell Banker in third place. Honorable mentions were awarded to Le Chef, Main Street Optics, Topiare and Laviano.

The society also announced its Rose Show 2021 winners, from an event held earlier this spring at the Rogers Memorial Library. The Best in Show award went to Alixandra Baker. Jack and Salvadore Pearson, and Michael Strauss tied for the most blue ribbons in the show. They will share the honors of being recognized as the Sweepstakes Winners and their names will be engraved on the trophy for that special accomplishment.

For a full list of winners, and to learn more about the nonprofit organization, visit southamptonrose.org.

The Southampton Arts Center, 25 Jobs Lane, will host a summer cocktail party, “Whimsy in the Garden,” on Friday, June 25, at 6:30 p.m. The party will benefit the arts center and will feature cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and a sculpture garden curated by artist Eric Fischl, featuring works of world-renowned artists.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit southamptonartscener.org

Southampton Town Police Department announced this week it will host its first-ever weeklong Youth Academy in July. The Youth Academy is a program that will introduce community youth to the rigorous training that police officers go through. The program will focus on laws that govern police, investigations, physical training, defensive tactics, and more. Youth will experience specialized units within policing.

The program is being held for two separate weeks in July. The first academy will be held at Hampton Bays High School from July 12 through 16 and the second academy will be held at Remsenburg Elementary School from July 19 through 23. The classes will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday, with Friday’s class beginning at 9 a.m. and culminating in a 5 p.m. graduation ceremony.

To apply, contact Lt. Susan Ralph at sralph@southamptontownny.gov. An application will be emailed or mailed upon request. Completed applications will be accepted up until June 25.

During the entire month of June, Elaine Faith Thompson will have a solo exhibition, “Local Scenes, the Big Duck, Lighthouses, Golf, Cars, Horses, Presidents, Elvis and Pet Paintings in Realism and VanGogh Style” in the lower level of The Rogers Memorial Library at 91 Coopers Farm Road. A reception with the artist will take place on Saturday, June 26, from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

Ms. Thompson started her professional art career in 1957 when she was only 14 years old. Pen and ink was her specialty then. To this day, one of her most popular prints is the little kitten that she inked in 1957 at Sayville High School. She paints in Bohemia, Shelter Island and Naples, Florida. From a “Little Kitten” to U.S. Open official golf paintings, Ms. Thompson has also created paintings of presidents.

Thompson is a member of the Southampton Artist Association, South Bay Artists, Smithtown Township Arts Council, and Wet Paints Studio Group.

For more information, visit thompsonart.us.

The Commission on Veterans Patriotic Events will host its Fourth of July Parade on Monday, July 5, starting at the Railroad Plaza at 10 a.m. Those interested in participating in the parade must submit an application and comply with a patriotic theme. Applications are available at southamptonvillage.org.

All veterans are invited to ride in cars provided for at Railroad Plaza and should arrive by 8 a.m. This year’s grand marshals are Stony Brook Southampton Hospital's health care workers and local first responders. The judges this year are Erin and Jim Frankenbach, Chris Epley and John Cause.

Donations are needed and greatly appreciated. Checks can be made out to the July 4th Parade, 23 Main Street, Southampton, NY 11968. For more information, call 631-283-0247, ext. 231.

Summer is here and so is the traffic. The Hampton Bays Public Library, 52 Ponquogue Avenue, will host a virtual pedestrian and bike safety workshop with the executive director of the New York Coalition for Transportation Safety on Thursday, June 24, from 7 to 8 p.m. Do you know why you should walk facing traffic? Learn more about this, other laws, and new technologies being put in place to keep you safe in this “Staying Safe on Our Streets” virtual workshop. This program is brought to you by the New York Coalition for Transportation Safety in partnership with the Long Island Health Collaborative and Walk Safe LI education campaign.

To register, call 631-728-6241 or visit hamptonbayslibrary.org.

The Hampton Bays Civic Association will host its monthly virtual meeting on Monday, June 28, at 7 p.m. The meeting will feature a discussion with Edwina von Gal of The Perfect Earth Project. Founded in 2013, Perfect Earth Project is a nonprofit organization operating from offices in East Hampton. From that base, Ms. von Gal works to raise public consciousness about the dangers of synthetic lawn and garden chemicals to humans, animals, and the environment. In the process, she educates homeowners and professionals about natural, toxin-free techniques that provide beautiful, safe results at no extra cost.

Guests can submit questions for Ms. von Gal through Sunday, May 27. To register for the event, visit hbcivic.org.

The Reverend Dr. Richard D. McCall returns for his 22nd season at the Church of the Atonement and will officiate for three weeks starting Sunday, June 27. He and his wife, the Reverend Dr. Terry McCall, lives in Bloomington, Indiana.

Masks will be required. Services are at 8 and 10 a.m. in the Episcopal Church, 17 Quogue Street. All children in the community, ages 7 to 14, are invited to sing in the junior choir which is led by Patricia Osborne Feiler, organist and choir director. Rehearsals are at 9 a.m. on Sunday mornings. For additional information regarding the junior choir please contact Mary Vogel via email at mtvogel@icloud.com.

The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, 76 Main Street, will host a blood drive for the New York Blood Center, on Thursday, June 24. Appointments are encouraged and donors should bring photo identification, must wear a mask and must be symptom free for 14 days if recovering from COVID-19.

To make an appointment, visit donate.nybc.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/292860.