Letters

As a result of ongoing state regulations, we have unfortunately decided to cancel the balance of our Summer Concert Series on the Westhampton Beach Village Green this year.

We were hopeful that the ongoing relaxation of state guidance would allow us to restart the concerts later this summer and into the fall, but this does not appear possible.

While we, our performers and supporters are disappointed, our overriding concern is for the safety of our attendees and our compliance with the current rules and regulations.

We want to thank the Village of Westhampton Beach for its great efforts in helping us try to put on these concerts. We greatly appreciated that the mayor and the trustees recognized the important role that live music performances of any kind play in our community. They certainly went the extra mile in hope of getting us to a place where we could safely present these concerts.

We also want to thank this year’s sponsors — the Westhampton Free Library, the John & Elaine Kanas Family Foundation, Raynor Country Day School, the Town of Southampton, the County of Suffolk, the Law Offices of Ari Goodman, the Greater Westhampton Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club of Greater Westhampton, the Rotary Club of Westhampton, First Coastal Corporation, and many other generous community members and businesses — who, in the face of this pandemic, nonetheless saw the need for this form of entertainment. We are still hopeful to put their generous donations to good use next season.

As to next year, I have decided, after 31 years of helping to run these concerts, to step aside. However, my very capable co-chair, Judith Bacher, is working hard to prepare for carrying on with these concerts next year and beyond.

Thanks to our entire community for their support of these summer concerts.

James N. Hulme

Judith Bacher

Co-Chairs

Westhampton Cultural Consortium Summer Concert Series