Happy 95th birthday to Joan McCrave, with love from your family. Joan celebrated her special day last Sunday, December 11.The Hampton Bays Beautification (HBBA) recently celebrated its 31st anniversary with a holiday luncheon and awards ceremony on December 7. Thanks are going out to Grace Daly and Madeline O’Keefe for planning the event.
HBBA Secretary Madeline O’Keefe received the “Angel of the Year” award for her service as an officer, director and chairperson of many events and programs.
Appreciation awards were given to membership chairman Peg Campbell, Treasurer Marianne Murphy, and, in November, to Maud Kramer for her 20 years of service.
A special award was presented to Postmaster Buddy Klein for his efforts in maintaining our post office grounds. And a Certificate of Beautification was awarded to Mr. and Mrs. Tony Nurel of Nurel’s Farmers Market. Congratulations to all!
The Great West Bay Lighthouse, aka the Ponquogue Lighthouse, was first lit on January 1, 1858. About $35,000 was appropriated for the lighthouse on Ponquogue Point in Good Ground, facing Shinnecock Bay. The light was 168 feet tall and constructed of red brick. It housed a first order Fresnel lens that was almost 12 feet tall!
Sadly, this great light was destroyed in 1948. If it were still standing today, it would be one of the 10 tallest lighthouses in the United States. The original oil house still sits on the Coast Guard property.
You can pick up a Christmas ornament commemorating the old lighthouse for $10 apiece at Quogue Sinclair Fuel, Shinnecock Hardware, or by visiting www.hamptonbayshistoricalsociety.com. It would make a great gift!
While I’m on the subject of gifts, St. Rosalie’s Catholic Church has an Advent Giving Tree Christmas Help program to help those less fortunate in our community. Please take a star off the tree that is inside the church and help by donating new, unwrapped, children’s winter boots, coats, hats and gloves, socks or food gift cards. Your donations may be dropped off Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. (closed between noon and 1 p.m.), in the Parish Center. Thank you!
Local author Denise Gray Meehan’s new book, “Bridge Walker,” would make a great gift for someone on your list. The memoir, which spans Denise’s life from age 7 to 70, was inspired by her daily walks on the Ponquogue Bridge. If you are interested in purchasing a copy for $15, please send an email to dgmhb@netscape.net.
Rose Nigro’s book, “A Duck’s Tail,” is on sale and specially priced at $20 for residents of Flanders, Riverside and Northampton (FRNCA). The book tells the story and a bit of history about the Big Duck, and how the community rallied to have it returned to its “nest” on Flanders Road.
Currently, the book is sold at the Big Duck, but it is also available for purchase at any of the FRNCA civic meetings, or by emailing Ron Fisher at ronaldfisher@aol.com. For each copy of the book that is sold, $5 is donated back to FRNCA.
Recently, we stopped in at the Big Duck and shopkeeper “Mr. T” and I were talking about the importance of reading aloud to children. Mine never went to bed without a story and a song. Nice chatting with you, Mr. T!
You can win a chance to shop for $1,000 in groceries at the supermarket of your choice by purchasing a raffle ticket to benefit our Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center, 228 West Montauk Highway in Hampton Bays.
Tickets are $5 apiece, or 10 for $45. Log on at wildliferescuecenter.org, or call 631-728-9453. The drawing is on Saturday, December 31. Incidentally, the Center has a number of nice options for memberships/sponsorships/gifts for the animal-lover in your life.
On The Calendar
Thursday, December 15: Lioness Club of the Hamptons Bingo Night, American Legion Hall, 55 Ponquogue Avenue. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and drawing begins at 7 p.m. Admission includes refreshments and one Bingo packet. Call 631-375-7182.
Friday, December 16: Ken Ellis will perform at 6:30 p.m., at Villa Paul Restaurant, 162 West Montauk Highway. He and his band, Under the Influence, will play at 8 p.m.
Saturday, December 17: United Methodist Church Thrift Shop is open from 9 a.m. until noon. The shop will be closing until January, so stop in for some thrifty buys.
Sunday, December 18: Darren Ottati will perform a “Best of Broadway” show, at 2 p.m., at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, 76 Main Street, in Westhampton Beach. Call 631-288-1500 or log on at whbpac.org.
Sunday, December 18: Sons of Italy Michelangelo Lodge Christmas Party, at 1 p.m., at Edgewater Restaurant, 295 Montauk Highway. Admission is $40 per person. For reservations, please call 631-728-6779, or 631-728-3379.
Sunday, December 18: “Winter Holiday Sing Along” with pianist and entertainer Stan Wiest, 2-3:30 p.m., at the Hampton Bays Public Library, 52 Ponquogue Avenue. Copies of the lyrics will be provided and refreshments served. Call 631-728-6241 to reserve a seat.
January 19: Ecological Culture Initiative screening of “SEED: The Untold Story,” at the United Artists Movie Theatre. In order for this to happen, 60 tickets need to be reserved by December 29. If not, the screening will be cancelled. To purchase tickets, log on at https://gathr.us/screening/18759.
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