Community News, January 13

EAST HAMPTON TOWN

East Hampton Town has added dates for COVID-19 vaccines at Town Hall on Pantigo Road. Clinics are available on January 19 and 24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Five dates have been added to the schedule for next month: February: 1, 7, 10, 16 and 22.

As the highly transmissible COVID-19 omicron variant continues to surge across the region, town officials said in a press release that it urges residents to get vaccinated and to get a booster shot if they have already received their initial vaccine doses.

The clinics are open to the public and there is no cost for the vaccine. Moderna, Pfizer and J&J are available. A New York State consent form is required, as well as a patient registration form, identification and, if applicable, insurance and vaccinations cards.

To book an appointment, go to COVID19VaccinesTOEH.as.me.

The Classic Book Club with Carolyn will meet via Zoom on Thursday, January 13, at 4 p.m. Under discussion will be “The Leopard” by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. One of the most important novels in Italian literature, “The Leopard (Il Gattopardo”) chronicles the changes that were taking place in Sicily during and after the Risorgimento.

The Armchair Travel Book Club with Carolyn will also meet on Zoom. Log in by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, January 18, for a discussion of “Notes on a Foreign Country: An American Abroad in a Post-American World” by Suzy Hansen.

In the wake of the September 11 attacks and the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Hansen, a journalist, moved to Istanbul to try to understand Muslim culture. Over the course of years in Turkey and traveling through Greece, Egypt, Afghanistan, and Iran, she learned a great deal about these countries and their cultures. But the greatest, most unsettling surprise would be what she learned about her own country. Blending memoir, journalism, and history, and deeply attuned to the voices of those she met on her travels, the book is a moving reflection on America’s place in the world in an era of turmoil.

For links to either of the club Zoom meetings, email cbalducci@montauklibrary.org.

Slow Food East End is kicking off the new year and its virtual chef series on Sunday, January 16, with a program with local bread bakers. David Chaffin, who created a Flour Power bread for the Slow Food movement, and Ana Burcroff, owner, founder and baker at Jamesport Sourdough and Coffee Company, will be featured.

Also from Slow Food East End is its Leader Summit from January 19 through 30. The summit will feature two virtual sessions per day that focus on advancing equity, inclusion and justice across four areas: fundraising, strategy, marketing and communications, and programs. Sessions will vary in structure from workshops to panel discussions.

For details about either program, go to slowfoodeastend.org.

The Jewish Womens Circle at Chabad of the Hamptons is offering a program called Carvings & Charcuterie in honor of Tu B’shvat on Monday, January 17, at 7 p.m. In the program, participants will learn how to personalize a board using a wood-burning technique and then package a charcuterie fruit board. There is a $30 fee.

Also at the Chabad for Tu B’Shvat is Fruit at the Shuk on Sunday, January 16, at 11 a.m. The program will include learning Hebrew letter art. There is a fee.

Reservations are due by January 13 by emailing info@jewishhamptons.com or calling 631-329-5800. The Chabad is located at 13 Woods Lane.

SOUTHAMPTON TOWN

The Southampton Town Police Department is spearheading a winter coat drive. Coats, plus hats, gloves, and scarves will help those in need stay warm. Between now and February 25, items may be dropped off at police headquarters, 110 Old Riverhead Road, Hampton Bays; Quogue Village Police Department, 115 Jessup Avenue, Quogue; or Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, 240 Meeting House Lane, Southampton.

SAG HARBOR

Every Tuesday in January and February, the library will offer a virtual “Breathe Together” program from 10 to 10:20 a.m. It will feature 20 minutes of deep breathing that fosters calm and can improve health and your overall outlook. Email the library, programs@johnjermain.org to receive the Zoom link.

A weekly fiber arts meet-up is planned for Wednesdays, from 1 to 2 p.m. Knitters, felters, weavers, embroiderers, cross-stitchers, spinners, sewers, quilters or anyone working with fabric, fiber or thread is invited.

Teens are invited to Hot Chocolate Lookalikes on Thursday, January 20, at 5:30 p.m. when a baking coach will help participants make two chocolate chip cookies and one cupcake and put a new twist on a cup of hot chocolate. The workshop is for kids and teens in grades six through 12. Registration is required.

For a full list of library programs or for more information, go to johnjermain.org.

BRIDGEHAMPTON

While the new ARF Adoption Center is under construction, donations and distribution of pet food will take place at Petco in the Bridgehampton Commons. The next donation/pick up day is Saturday, January 15, from noon to 3 p.m. Of critical need are unopened bags of cat and dog food, both wet and dry, and treats; cat food is especially needed.

For more information, visit arfhamptons.org.

The Bridgehampton School PTO is selling tickets for its 50/50 raffle. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20. All proceeds will benefit programs at the school. The drawing will be at the last varsity basketball home game, February 8. Tickets will be sold at home games and in the main office during the school day, and by members of the PTO. The holder of the winning ticket need not be present to win.

Learn about biodynamic gardening at a workshop on Thursday, January 20, at 7 p.m.

Biodynamics is a holistic, ecological and ethical approach to farming and gardening, food and nutrition. It is rooted in reverence for the land and water, for food, animals and one another.

For a link to the Zoom meeting, email info@hamptonlibrary.org.

WATER MILL

The Parrish Art Museum has opened “Pictures in Pictures,” a new exhibition drawn from the museum’s permanent collection that brings together paintings and sculpture that include secondary images of other works. Whether his or her own earlier works, those of their contemporaries, or works sourced from another place and time, these gestures provide insight into the artist’s creative life, often adding layers of meaning to the narrative. The exhibit features 21 works dating from 1845 to 2006 and spanning a range of art movements.

“Pictures in Pictures” continues the longstanding tradition of artists who include images of other paintings in their work.

On Friday, January 14, at 6 p.m., Jeremy Dennis, artist and member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation, will present a screening of the short documentary “Ma’s House,” named for the artist residency he founded on the Reservation, followed by a conversation and postcard writing workshop. The program, focused on the Shinnecock Hills and its significance to the Shinnecock people, will be in-person in the Lichtenstein Theater. Advance ticket purchase with pre-event registration is recommended. Limited tickets will be available at the door.

In June 2020, Dennis and his family began to renovate his grandmother’s house on the Reservation, and to build the BIPOC Art Studio. His intention was to provide a safe space for free creativity and healing for artists who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and bring together those who uphold equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion through arts and culture. In the documentary “Ma’s House,” presented as part of the ALL ARTS ongoing initiative The First Twenty, Dennis discusses the project and explores the challenges he and his family encountered throughout the process.

Following the screening, the artist will give a brief history of Shinnecock Hills followed by a Q&A. Guests are then invited to participate in a workshop with Dennis to design postcards advocating for a building moratorium in Shinnecock Hills. Materials will be provided.

To attend the indoor event, attendees must wear medical-grade masks at all times and show proof of vaccination; those 18 and older must provide a valid ID.

To help us expedite the check-in process, guests may send their proof in advance by emailing it to healthfirst@parrishart.org. Please put the event title in your subject line.

To reserve a seat, go to parrishart.org.

SOUTHAMPTON

Are you afraid of ghosts? Find out with a little Ghost Hunting at the Rogers Mansion on Saturday, January 15, at 7:30 p.m.

Join the Long Island Paranormal Investigators on an investigation of the Rogers Mansion while they continue their search for evidence of what happens to us after we die. Groups will be given just over an hour inside the 1843 Whaling Captain’s mansion and taken to the various hot spots of paranormal activity within the museum.

Go to southamptonhistory.org for COVID guidelines required for attendance, as well as to register for the program.

A program titled “Tiana Coastguard Men of Color 1942 - 1944” will be presented at the Southampton History Museum on Thursday, January 20, at 11 a.m. Historian Sandi Brewster-Walker will discuss the crew of color who lived and worked at East Quogue’s Tiana Lookout Barracks Station during World War II. Originally built in 1871 as Tiana Life-Saving Station, the building was used as a Coast Guard barracks from 1942-1944. Brewster-Walker’s talk questions the true purpose of the segregated Tiana Lookout Barracks Station and encompasses the contributions of local men of color on merchant, whaling and U.S. cutter ships throughout Long Island’s maritime history.

Go to southamptonhistory.org for COVID guidelines required for attendance, as well as to register for the program.

An online program titled “The Civil Rights Movement on Long Island” with Christopher Verga will be offered on Thursday, January 13, at 6 p.m. In the illustrated lecture, history professor Verga will discuss events on Long Island in the 1960s that happened during those in the American South at the same time, including employer boycotts and other measures aimed to end local discriminatory practices.

Life Coach Eva Centeno will lead a Vision Board Workshop on Saturday, January 22, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A vision board is a fun and powerful visualization tool, a collage of words and pictures intended to serve as inspiration or motivation. By representing your dreams and goals with pictures and images, you will increase clarity and focus. Basic materials will be provided. However, you are welcome to bring your own additional materials to add to your collage (i.e. stickers, glitter, ribbon, stencil lettering, craft paper). There is a $10 fee and advance registration and payment is required. For information about library programs or to register, go to myrml.org.

Registration for kindergarten in the Hampton Bays School District is being conducted by appointment only, beginning February 7 at the district office.

Call Pilar Corredor at 631-723-2100, ext. 5107, to schedule an appointment.

The Ecological Culture Initiative will hold an organic farm-to-table winter solstice dinner — for pick up only — on Tuesday, January 18. Pick up will be from 3 to 5 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Villa in Hampton Bays. The cost is $40 per member.

Chefs Robyn Henderson and Ellen Greaves will prepare a meal with all herbs and vegetables sourced from local farms. Proceeds help support the Good Ground Heritage Garden at St. Joseph Villa. Food grown at the Good Ground Heritage Garden is donated to St. Rosalie’s Community Food Pantry in Hampton Bays, with more than 700 lbs. donated in 2021.

To purchase a ticket, email info@eciny.org.

East End Libraries Present: Spark Joy with Shannon Huneycutt, via Zoom, on Tuesday, January 18, starting at 7 p.m. The program will cover the philosophy behind the KonMari Method and discover what it means to live a life that sparks joy. Join certified KonMari Consultant Shannon Huneycutt and dive into the guiding principles needed to tidy once and for all. Attendees will be asked to have a t-shirt and a pair of pants with them during the presentation. Email dvalle@hamptonbayslibrary.org with Spark Joy in the subject line to obtain the Zoom link.

EAST QUOGUE

Edith Jadira Castaneda, a resident of East Quogue, won a $300 scholarship from Peconic Bay Zonta, a nonprofit group that works to improve the status of women and girls. The local Zonta group awards the scholarship biannually to a female student who successfully completed level 3 of the English as a Second Language (ESL) program at the Riverhead campus of Suffolk County Community College and is studying to achieve an educational goal.

Castaneda works at bussing tables at a local golf course, but she said her “frustrated dream” is to become a nurse to help people in a hospital setting. She would like to pursue her studies to achieve that goal.

The scholarship will allow Castaneda to improve her English and her career skills so that she can “provide a better life for my kids and parents,” she said. Castaneda and her husband, a carpenter, have twins, age 15. Her parents live in Ecuador, Castaneda’s native country.

The nonprofit East Quogue Cemetery Association will hold its annual meeting on Monday, January 24, at 7 p.m. at the East Quogue United Methodist Church’s parish hall. Call 631-653-6571 for more information. All lot holders are welcome.

The Hampton Theature Company is holding auditions for its next production, “Ripcord” by David Lindsay-Abaire, set to open on March 17.

Auditions are Sunday, January 16, from 5 to 8 p.m. and Monday, January 17, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Quogue Community Hall, 125 Jessup Avenue, Quogue, NY 11959.

Rehearsals will begin on or about February 14. All performers must be fully vaccinated. All those auditioning must show proof of vaccination and identification. Only non AEA performers are being auditioned. Email info@hamptontheatre.org to schedule an appointment; auditions will be scheduled in half-hour windows. Masks are required while in the building.

“Ripcord” revolves around the cantankerous Abby who is forced to share her quarters with new-arrival Marilyn. She is determined to get rid of the infuriatingly chipper woman by any means necessary.

Go to hamptontheater.org for information about the available roles.

WESTHAMPTON BEACH

The Westhampton Free Library is one of several Suffolk County libraries to be awarded an American Star designation from the Library Journal, one of the oldest and most respected publications covering the library field. This is the 11th year that the Westhampton Free Library has received the distinction.

The Library Journal’s star ratings are based on a library’s annual patron visits, circulation, program attendance and public internet computer use. The data is compiled annually by public libraries, reported to their states’ library agencies, and compiled nationally by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the library has worked very hard to ensure that we still provided the community with stellar programming and services that are both helpful and educational,” said Westhampton Free Library Director Danielle Waskiewicz. “This award demonstrates that out-of-the-box thinking and determination allowed us to continue to offer the community much-needed services within the constraints of COVID guidelines.”

Families are invited to participate in a winter reading challenge thanks to the Hampton Bays Public Library. Upon registration, families will receive a log sheet to color in as they read and then share a photo of the completed sheet to earn a prize. The challenge runs through February 28.

Tweens and teens can create a dream catcher in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Friday, January 14, at 5 p.m.

As part of its Link and Learn series, the library will host a discussion on the philosophy behind the KonMari Method via Zoom on Tuesday, January 18, at 7 p.m. During the event, certified KonMari consultant Shannon Huneycutt will dive into the guiding principles needed to tidy up your home once and for all.

In the next of its Link and Learn series, the Diane Schwindt, resident historic cook at the Ketcham Inn, will host a discussion on Friday, January 21, at 12 p.m. During the event, Schwindt will take you on a culinary expedition with authentic historic cooking equipment and food samples.

Tweens and teens are invited to play mini golf in the library on Friday, January 21, at 5 p.m.

Will it float? Children in kindergarten through grade three are invited to participate in a density and buoyancy lesson on Wednesday, January 26, at 4 p.m. Participants will experiment with different solids and liquids to gain a concrete understanding of density.

To register or get more information on library programs, call 631-288-3335 or visit westhamptonlibrary.net.

The Great Outdoors

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos recently announced the release of the latest New York State Trail Supporter Patches. The 2022 patches consist of five designs that resemble the international symbols for some of New York State’s most popular outdoor recreation activities – cross-country skiing, hiking, horseback riding, camping, and biking. Each patch will be available individually for a limited time; however, the entire series can be purchased at any time.

“New York State residents and visitors can show their love for New York’s premier recreational trails by purchasing this year’s trail supporter patches, starting with the seasonally appropriate cross-country skiing patch,” Commissioner Seggos said. “All funds received will support projects to increase public access to outdoor recreation opportunities.”

The public can purchase a Trail Supporter Patch for $5 (or the full series for $25) at any sporting license sales outlet, or online at the DECALS website. The proceeds from patch sales go into the Conservation Fund’s Outdoor Recreation, Trail Maintenance, and Development account to help maintain and enhance DEC’s non-motorized recreation trails throughout the state.

On Saturday, January 15, hike Tuckahoe Woods. Meet at 10 a.m. on Sebonac Road for the moderately paced 4-mile hike with amazing views of Cow Neck and Robins Island. Reservations are required. Walk leader is Tim Corwin.

To reserve, call the Peconic Land Trust at 631-283-3195, ext. 117 or email to events@PeconicLandTrust.org.

On Sunday, January 16, hike Barcelona Neck. Meet at 10 a.m. at Sag Harbor Golf Club parking lot on Barcelona Neck Road off of Route 114, Sag Harbor for the moderately brisk 4-mile hike with views of Sag Harbor Bay, Northwest Creek and Harbor, Cedar Point Park, and Mashomack Preserve. Walk leader is Chip Dineen, 646-221-8225.

On Monday, January 17, go for a Full Wolf Moon Hike, starting at 5:30 p.m. Co-sponsored by Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt and the South Fork Natural History Museum (SOFO). Meet at the SOFO Museum parking lot, 377 Bridgehampton Turnpike, 200 yards north of the RR tracks. Walk leader is Jean Mc Dermott, 631-599-2391.

The New York State Ornithological Association is conducting its annual winter waterfowl count and could use your help. Organized locally by the South Fork Nature History Museum, the count records the number of overwintering waterfowl throughout the state to assess the level to which the waterfowl population has diminished over the years due to habitat loss, food scarcity and the introduction of nonnative species. Open to experienced and intermediate birders.

To register, email info@sofo.org or call 631-537-9735.

Your chance to see seals wintering off the coast might be this Sunday, January 16, at 12:30 p.m. at Cupsogue Beach County Park during an event offered by the South Fork Natural History Museum. At low tide, seals should be sunning themselves on a sandbar. Be prepared for the cold. Members may attend for free, others pay a fee.

For details, email info@sofo.org or call 631-9735.

The South Fork Natural History Museum will hold another art/science workshop on Saturday, January 15, at 10:30 a.m., this one on trees in winter. Children will observe the structure and proportion of various types of trees and then learn how to draw trees using charcoal. There is a $5 materials fee.

To register or for more information, call 631-537-9735.

SOFO Young Birders

Birding is a great way to make new friends, learn about the environment, and get outdoors, so why not join the South Fork Natural History Museum’s Young Birders Club? The club meets at 10 a.m. on the third Sunday of every month, January 18 this month, and is open to anyone age 8 to 18 who is interested in learning about birds. Bring binoculars if you have them and a field guide to birds of the eastern United States; a guide will be provided if you don’t have one. Free.

To register for this program, which has limited enrollment, email info@sofo.org or call 631.237.0394. Spots will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Town of Southampton Youth Bureau will be offering several programs and activities at the Flanders Youth Center, 655 Flanders Road. Space is limited and preregistration is required. Each program meets weekly.

On Monday, F.A.S.T. (Fun Activities with Snacks and Time to do Homework), for children in kindergarten to grade 4, is from 4 to 6 p.m. On Tuesday, chess club is from 5 to 6:30 p.m. It is free and open to students in kindergarten through eighth grades. On Wednesday, the Center hosts Discovery Club: Space Exploration, a STEAM session to learn about the planets in our Solar System, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. On Thursday, karate is from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Classes are taught by international coach and instructor Falah Kanani and is open to those age 5 to 12. For information regarding payment, call 631-875-8968. On Friday, its “TGIF It’s Fri-YAY!,” two sessions of games and activities, arts and crafts, sports, movie nights, video game tournaments and more. Kindergarten to grade four meet from 3 to 5 p.m. and grades five to eight meet from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The program is free.

The Southampton Youth Bureau is currently accepting new member registrations for its “Teen Views on the News (TV-ON)” program. Participants will learn how to conduct interviews and create stories for local TV. Program is held on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Hampton Bays Community Center, 25 Ponquogue Avenue. TV-ON is open to those in grades seven to 12 and community service credits are available. Pre-registration is required.

For more information, call 631-702-2425 or visit southamptontownny.gov/youthbureau.

As always, Project Most, based at the Community Learning Center at Neighborhood House, has a full lineup of programs for children. Among them, this Saturday, January 15, is a morning of team building games for those age 6 to 12; jump rope and double Dutch games for those in kindergarten through grade three; and Sewing 101 for those age 6 and up.

For a full list of the many programs offered by Project Most, as well as details about program times and fees, go to projectmost.org.