Not since Rudolpho first cried out for his Mimi at the grand opening of “La Boheme” in 1896 has a missing Mimi been so sorely missed as Southampton Village’s Mimi Michel-Guerra.
A personal injury has derailed the current Mimi and taken her from Village Hall for what is hoped is a short absence. This has left us bereft of her efficient, funny, helpful, knowledgeable and always accessible self.
Mimi is the go-to person we all rely on and often the only human voice that emerges in place of the dead round of robot answering machine messages that quickly steer you to frustration, if not oblivion.
I, and I am certain anyone who has ever interacted with her, wish her a speedy recovery and a quick return. When Mimi is up and running, so will the village be.
I am borrowing the words of Puccini’s Mimi to sign off:
Altro di me non le saprei narrare.
Sono la sua vicina che la vien fuori d’ora a importunare.
I know nothing.
I am only your neighbor who comes out to bother you.
Frances Genovese
Southampton
Ferry UsWhy don’t we have “inter”-village ferries, similar to the Amalfi Coast, that run along our bays and can port at each village? Imagine the reduction of summer traffic if you could ride in a great ferry from Southampton or Sag...
A WarningThe June 24 Southampton Village Board of Trustees meeting was brief but telling [“Southampton Village Will Start Two-Week Pilot Program Closing Off Ox Pasture East of Halsey Neck,” 27east.com, June 25]. First, Mayor Bill Manger got caught hiding the payment...
Not So BeautifulPresident Donald Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill” includes provisions to reduce Medicaid recipients and spending. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office was asked to review those provisions, and these are two key findings: • The number of people without health insurance...
No PlanMost Southampton Village business owners have said this June was historically soft. While rain and hot weather played a role, East Hampton and Sag Harbor performed better. Commercial real estate professionals have echoed this, noting that even popular restaurants, typically...
Fight BackAs we approach July Fourth, let’s remember that America has suffered through dark and divisive times before. It appears as if we are there again. While there are always those who capitulate, our history shows that we remember those Americans...
Don't Change ItAs a Sag Harbor native in my late 30s, I’ve seen the East End fully transform into the Hamptons — and it’s not a pretty picture. A village resident, I’m constantly reminded of how I don’t make enough money to...
Time for ChangeRegarding your editorial, “Dangerous Liberty” [June 26]: We are of like minds on some issues — government overreach, the founding fathers’ understanding of the dangers of democratic process and of the dichotomy created by a two-party system. It seems important...
Support ShelterI am a volunteer at Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation, and I see the valuable work they do. The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, open-admission, no-kill shelter that relies on the generosity of donors to care for the...
