Ron Campsey Honored as Renovations Dedicated at Bay Avenue Marina in East Quogue

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the Bay Avenue marina in East Quogue on Wednesday morning to celebrate renovations completed at the marina, and to dedicate a new pavilion built there to local resident and business owner Ron Campsey.

Local lawmakers, Southampton Town officials and residents of East Quogue gathered to celebrate the renovations, which include a steel-covered pavilion, two new handicapped parking spots, a handicapped access ramp and a repainted bathroom building.

The idea to name the pavilion after Campsey, a Vietnam War veteran who owns the New Moon Cafe on Main Street in East Quogue, came from Peter D. Shay. Shay, who served with Campsey in Vietnam, initially reached out to U.S. Representative Nick LaLota about renaming the hamlet’s post office after Campsey, but that honor is only bestowed after someone dies.

Town Councilwoman Cyndi McNamara floated the idea to dedicate the pavilion to Campsey, as he and his wife, Shana, were among the first people she met when she moved to East Quogue.

“We did not want to wait until Ronnie was deceased to honor his memory,” McNamara said. “We wanted him to be able to enjoy something while he was alive.”

In a short speech, Shay talked about his experience serving in Vietnam with Campsey and the respect that he has for his service and as a member of the community.

“We’re both American patriots,” he said. “And here we are today in the small, patriotic town of East Quogue bestowing this honor on one of its proud American patriots.”

The project’s origins can be traced back over a decade, when the Community Preservation Fund was used to purchase the marina property. The town additionally purchased the property next door, with the goal of building a community center.

After Superstorm Sandy in 2012, the house on the adjacent property was damaged and soon torn down. In the ensuing years, the area was left in a state of disarray.

McNamara, a resident of East Quogue, then became inspired to take the lead on the project after something she witnessed while at the marina.

“This came about because I was at the building one day and was talking with John Erwin, who also works for the Parks Department, and I saw these two other ladies come, and they were trying to get to that picnic bench under the tree, and they were struggling with it a little bit,” said McNamara. “And I said, ‘We have this beautiful vista over here, too — what if we had another place in the shade where you can easily pull up and access it?’”

The project was a collaboration between the Southampton Town Council, which organized the renovations; the Southampton Town Trustees, and the Southampton Parks and Recreation Department, which renovated the bulkhead and dredged the marina; and the Southampton Town CPF, which worked with the Parks Department to secure funding for concrete sidewalks and handicapped access.

The renovations at the marina are also part of the town’s overall conservation goals. Town Councilman Michael Iasili said that the marina project has helped “solidify a long-term effort that the previous town boards have been trying to finish up.”

The renovations also reflect the feedback that the town received from East Quogue residents, as community members expressed that they wanted a space where they could take in the natural environment, according to Iasili.

“They really wanted a place where they could enjoy nature and enjoy the serenity of the natural environment,” he said. “And it’s a really nice collection of land that we’re able to preserve for the people.”