Almost Sprung

As with most things, there is more than one way to look at the current spate of meteorological anomalies. Are we beginning to experience, as Punxsutawney Phil and other prognosticating woodchucks predicted, an early spring? Or is it just that—in this time of climatic confusion—winter wasn’t able to gain enough traction to fully take hold this year? 

Take your pick. At Quaquanantuck, meanwhile, is prepared to make the case for 2024 presenting us with the gift of an early spring. 

Sunsets are beginning to angle to the north. —A. Botsford

Exhibit A: The temperature in Quogue on Sunday, March 3, reached 61 degrees Fahrenheit, just one degree shy of the record high for that date, and 11 degrees warmer than the average high forecast for the official first day of spring 17 days later, on March 20. 

While we have seen plenty of beach-eating storms since the turn of the year, not every storm of the past few weeks has been a nor’easter. There have been at least two big blows out of the southwest, a weather pattern that typically slows the erosion caused by the storm-exacerbated east to west littoral drift and occasionally even pushes some sand back onto our beleaguered beach. 

Here come the croci. —A. Botsford

Exhibit B: Responding to seasonal cues, the spring sentinel snowdrops have burst forth in big numbers, crocuses are already in full bloom and opening up in sunlight everywhere, and many daffodils have already pushed their heads several inches above the soil. 

Exhibit C: Depending on which old timer one talks to, ospreys are supposed to return to our area either by St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) or the first day of spring on March 20. Meanwhile, At Quaquanantuck spotted a nesting pair more than a week ago soaring over the mouth of the Peconic River near Indian Island. And red wing blackbirds (and, unfortunately, one or two advance scout grackles) are already jockeying for space at the feeder. 

Ospreys are getting an early start this year on remodeling their nests. —Florrie Morrisey

And all of this phenomenological evidence has surfaced well in advance of such pre-spring markers as the annual Westhampton Beach St. Patrick’s Day parade (scheduled this year to start at noon on Saturday, March 9) or the start of Daylight Saving time at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 10.    

Out with the winter storms …

So long to snow on the sand …

And in with the serenity of spring. —A. Botsford Photos

Evening Trail Walk at Wildlife Refuge March 15
One thing is clear, from the evidence presented above, and that’s that we tend to look outdoors for signs of spring. Which raises a question: is the Wildlife Light the Night Trail Walk scheduled at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge on Friday, March 15,  a “winter” walk, as it is billed by the QWR, or, given what we’re seeing all around us these days, is it actually a “spring” walk? 

Swans know how to find where fresh water creeks empty into Peconic Bay. —Florrie Morrisey

However it is categorized, this self-guided, peaceful stroll through the gently lit forest trails for adults and families is sure to be a delight. Visitors are encouraged to bring a reusable mug so that they may enjoy a warm beverage courtesy of QWR. Reservations may be made for adults only from 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.; reservations for all ages are from 8 to 8:30 p.m. The cost is $15 per person for adults and $10 for children under 12. 

Trail Walk organizers have noted that flashlights are not recommended during the walk along the beautifully lighted trails. This is a peaceful walk, and parents are asked to accompany and encourage their children to enjoy the trail quietly. After making reservations, visitors may walk the trail as many times as they’d like. 

Visitors do not need a printed or digital ticket to attend; once tickets have been purchased online, the ticket holder’s name will be on a list at the check-in booth. For reservations and more information, visit quoguewildliferefuge.org/ or call 631-653-4771. 

A pair of recently returned oyster catchers. —Florrie Morrisey

Mystery Thriller Opening at Quogue Community Hall
Not all signs of spring are outdoors. For example, “Strictly Murder,” a WW2-era thriller from prolific playwright and screenwriter Brian Clemens, will premiere this spring as the third production of the Hampton Theatre Company’s 2023-2024 season, with performances running from March 7 through March 24 at the Quogue Community Hall. The season, HTC’s 39th, is dedicated to longtime Quogue residents Don and Judy Gruhn, steadfast friends and supporters of the HTC. 

Dayne Rasmussen pours a glass of wine for a skeptical Matthew Conlon in a scene from “Strictly Murder.” —Dane DuPuis

Originally produced in the UK at The Mill at Sonning in February 2006, “Strictly Murder” is set in 1939 in Provence, France, where an English couple, Peter and Suzy, are living in idyllic isolation, far from the rumblings of the coming world war. Their peace is shattered when Suzy discovers she’s been betrayed: Peter is not the man he claims to be, and in fact may be a ruthless killer on the run. 

When a Scotland Yard detective named Ross arrives, events become even more complicated and frightening. Lies, subterfuge and murder make this fast-paced thriller a dark and disturbing roller coaster of bluff … and double bluff. 

The British Theatre Guide called the thriller “Entertaining and intriguing fun …. Almost every one of the characters is not who they first appear to be.” Essential Surrey called it “a play that’s poised on a knife-edge … a tense and dizzying tightrope walk between life and death, war and peace, truth and lies.” And The Stage lauded, “What a play. It’s certainly one of the best murder mysteries I’ve seen and grips you in the throat from start to finish … the plot is full of twists and turns.” 

“Strictly Murder” showcases the formidable talents of Brian Clemens (1931-2015), the English writer and producer whose career in television, film and the theater spanned 60 years. Perhaps best-known for his creative contributions to the long-running British TV series “The Avengers,” Clemens enjoyed international success with U.S. TV series like “Remington Steele,” “Diagnosis: Murder” and “Highlander: The Series.” 

The five-member cast of “Strictly Murder” is led by three actors who have collectively appeared in more than two dozen Hampton Theatre Company productions. Matthew Conlon (“The Lifespan of a Fact,” “Private Lives,” “Man of La Mancha”) portrays Ross, a Scotland Yard detective wandering far afield; Scott Hofer (“The Boys Next Door”) is Josef, the furtive, rough-hewn neighbor and protector to Peter and Suzy; and Catherine Maloney (“Over the River and Through the Woods,” “Sylvia”) plays Miriam, Ross’s intimidating colleague. 

Rounding out the cast are two talented actors making their HTC debuts: Dayne Rasmussen as the cryptic UK exile Peter, and Ashley Underwood as his long-suffering companion Suzy. 

Catherine Maloney, Ashley Underwood and Matthew Conlon in “Strictly Murder.” —Dane DuPuis

Directing “Strictly Murder” after a three-decade hiatus from HTC is Mary Powers. Set design is by Meg Sexton; lighting design by Sebastian Paczynski; sound by Meg Sexton; and costumes by Teresa Lebrun. 

Performances of “Strictly Murder” will run from March 7 through March 24 on Thursdays and Fridays at 7, Saturdays at 8, and Sundays at 2:30. An additional matinee performance will be offered during the final weekend of the production, on Saturday, March 23, at 2:30, prior to the regular 8 p.m. performance that evening. 

Two talkbacks with the cast and director will be offered to ticket holders immediately following the March 15 and March 22 Friday evening performances. Ticket holders for Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening performances (except March 9) may enjoy a pre-theater prix fixe dinner at Joe’s American Bar & Grill. Check hamptontheatre.org or call Joe’s at 631-288-3232 for details. 

Tickets are $36, $31 for seniors, and $20 for students 25 and under, and are available at the Hampton Theatre Company website at hamptontheatre.org or by calling 631-653-8955. For information on group ticket sales, contact HTC General Manager Terry Brennan at 631-653-8955.

Sculpted by tides. —A. Botsford Photos

Library Hosting All Manner of Live and Virtual Programs
As ever, the Quogue Library calendar is crowded with engaging live and virtual programs, from virtual Irish Soda Bread baking instruction to in-person classes in Ballet Balance, Low Impact Cardio, Tech Tuesdays, Yoga and more. 

Check the library website for more information, links to virtual programs, and to register for in-person classes and workshops. www.quoguelibrary.org. 

Surf on stone. —A. Botsford

Emergency Public Notification Advances
An important announcement in Mayor Robert Treuhold’s February Update that bears repeating has to do with the Village Board and Quogue Police working together to improve public notification systems to alert village residents to emergency and/or hazardous situations.

The mayor reported that the Town of Southampton has now added a Quogue Residents alert section to the automated “Notify Me” system, which will send email alerts to all residents who opt into the system.  The town has also added a separate Dune Road section.  To enroll, residents can go to the Town of Southampton website (www.southamptontownny.gov/) and click on the “Notify Me” icon on the home page.  Then follow the instructions to be added to the notification system. 

When signing up, residents will need to scroll down to the “Alert Center” heading to elect to receive notifications relating to “Village of Quogue Residents” and “Dune Road Closures/Emergencies.” 

The mayor noted that it is also possible to receive text messages through the Suffolk County Alert Portal, which is tied into the “Smart911” system.  To sign up, go to their website and follow the instructions: https://www.smart911.com/smart911/ref/reg.action?pa=NotifySuffolk.

Erin go bragh on Saturday; set all clocks that don’t reset themselves automatically ahead one hour before retiring on Saturday night; and enjoy the arrival of spring, whenever and however it shows up.

Almost sprung. —A. Botsford Photos

Fresh Start

So, this is it: the last week of 2023. It’s not likely that At Quaquanantuck would have anything to say about the year just gone by and the year about to start that hasn’t already been served up by several, if not dozens, of other journalists, philosophers, pundits, bloggers, authors, artists, influencers, Instagram enthusiasts, and TikTok creators—to name just a few of the observers and prognosticators who, like At Quaquanantuck, feel obliged, or compelled, or otherwise empowered to share their thoughts. 

Cormorant Point.—A. Botsford

What those commentators don’t have, however, is access to the photos that At Quaquanantuck enjoys sharing with readers of this column. We all know that a picture is worth a thousand words, and so, in honor of the turn of the year and the last of the handful of columns posted in 2023, what follows is the equivalent of several thousands of words attempting to capture just a fraction of the beauty and ever changing wonder of the East End of Long Island. 

At Quaquanantuck wishes all readers good health, prosperity, gratitude, compassion for all our fellow humans on the planet and, above all, true appreciation for the blessing of being able to spend time in this exceptionally beautiful place and wonderful community. Happy New Year!

A siege of egrets at Alcotts Pond.—A. Botsford

Wave, light.—A. Botsford

Snowy owl on a snag near Sebonack Creek.—Florrie Morrisey

Shinnecock Bay to the inlet.—A. Botsford

Life finds a way.—A. Botsford

North Fork pond.—A. Botsford

Shorefront mobile phone booth.—Florrie Morrisey

Tree swallow truck stop.—A. Botsford

December sunset.—Paula Prentis

Golden hour snow fence.—Florrie Morrisey

Tiana Beach.—A. Botsford

Return of the Light

We made it! Today—Thursday, December 21—is the literal tipping point: the day when the Earth starts tilting back toward the sun and daylight in the northern hemisphere starts, ever so slowly, to get longer. 

Bright water. —A. Botsford

This bit of astronomical mechanics has been cause for celebration ever since homo sapiens first took notice of the phenomenon and found it, as we do today, a cause for rejoicing. All those local residents interested in taking part in a group celebration of the winter solstice are invited to call the Quogue Wildlife Refuge at 631-653-4771 to find out if there are any spaces left for the Sunset Solstice Hike, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. today. 

Hikers in this program for adults and families with children over 11 will celebrate the first day of winter with a sunset hike through the forest up to North Pond, looking and listening for crepuscular and nocturnal creatures, while enjoying some night vision activities. The fee is $20, or $10 for QWR members. 

A few readers of last week’s column offered the opinion that it was too dark. With that in mind, this week At Quaquanantuck would like to focus on the light, briefly in words, and substantially with photos. And make no mistake: while the world is almost intolerably dark these days, there’s plenty of light to be found hereabouts. 

Setting sun and moon by the Quogue Village Dock, aka Sunset Point. —A. Botsford

Let’s start with Mayor Robert Treuhold’s monthly newsletter for village residents, which (for those who didn’t receive it via email) should be posted today on the village website, www.villageofquogueny.gov. 

Hizzoner reported that the Village Trustees approved two environmentally friendly measures this month, with the first the issuance of a proclamation confirming their commitment to support various initiatives to save the monarch butterfly, which has suffered a precipitous population decline over the past 20 years. 

Wave break. —A. Botsford

Quogue is on the monarch butterfly migratory path, and the village and village residents can make a difference by recreating healthy habitats for these butterflies as well as other critical pollinators. The Mayor also reported that he recently signed the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge to confirm his personal commitment to support these initiatives.

The second measure approved by the Trustees okayed retaining a consultant to work with the Village to promote and accelerate the installation of upgraded sanitary systems. With several studies demonstrating that nitrogen pollution from antiquated cesspools and septic systems is the primary contributor to the decline of the water quality in the surrounding bays and waterways, upgrading sanitary systems as soon as possible is of paramount importance for protecting water quality and the ecosystems that are dependent on it in the waters surrounding our village. 

East Quogue dock; December boat traffic. —A. Botsford

And there was yet more light in the Mayor’s newsletter, in his announcement that the Trustees, recognizing their outstanding contributions to Quogue over the past 20 years, have named Quogue Wildlife Refuge Director and Assistant Director Mike and Marisa Nelson persons of the year for 2023. At Quaquanantuck congratulates these two remarkable village residents, whose scope extends far beyond the Refuge, on receiving this very well deserved honor. 

Details on these actions by the Village Trustees and other news of interest to residents can be found in the Mayor’s December newsletter, under Announcements at www.quoguevillageny.gov as soon as it is posted to the website. 

Before moving on to the photos-only section of this week’s At Quaquanantuck, it seems appropriate to recommend, and quote from, an op-ed piece by Mary Pipher that appeared in the print edition of the New York Times on Sunday, December 17. Ms. Pipher is a clinical psychologist and the author of, most recently, “A Life in Light: Meditations on Impermanence.” 

Peconic Bay clouds. —A. Botsford

The piece, headlined “Finding Brightness in Winter,” was devoted to the same themes that were addressed in last week’s At Quaquanantuck, and its conclusion embraces the kind of community spirit that is so sorely needed to turn back the darkness. 

“Every day I remind myself that all over the world most people want peace. They want a safe place for their families, and they want to be good and do good. The world is filled with helpers. It is only the great darkness of this moment that can make it hard to see them. 

“No matter how dark the days, we can find light in our own hearts, and we can be one another’s light. We can beam light out to everyone we meet. We can let others know we are present for them, that we will try to understand. We cannot stop all the destruction, but we can light candles for one another.”

Happy Solstice to all, and to all much more light!

Lashley shred. —A. Botsford

Decked out for the holidays. —Lucinda Morrisey

Winter light. —Paula Prentis

The bright shining light of Jessup Avenue: Schmidt’s. —Lucinda Morrisey

Slipping under. —A. Botsford

Keeping it green. —A. Botsford

Shinnecock Inlet; December wind raked. —Florrie Morrisey

Firehouse, with holiday trimming. —A. Botsford

Quogue canal. —Paula Prentis

Nature framed at Quogue Wildlife Refuge. —A. Botsford

Tide art. —A. Botsford

Bay scallops, anyone? —A. Botsford

Keeping spirits bright. —A. Botsford

December driving range? —A. Botsford

Bring Back the Light

The winter solstice is just one week away and never before has our species so desperately needed a return of the light. 

December sunset. —A. Botsford

There is so much darkness now; too much and on too large a scale, perhaps, for each fold of this global stygian curtain to be adequately enumerated and assigned its soul shaking significance: The horror and then the horrifying response to it in the Middle East somehow overshadowing almost a decade of unstanchable bloodshed and ongoing destruction in Ukraine, with millions of noncombatants already displaced by the two conflicts. Governing bodies—without a thought of what is right and just or the human cost of their decisions—tying international policy debates to completely unrelated domestic political objectives and agendas. 

No place in the U.S. is safe from the gun violence that continues to destroy and disrupt thousands of lives, with no meaningful solutions being proposed or acted on. Climate scientists struggle to draw attention to (and belief in) the crisis that is already here, while millions around the world are driven from their homes or are otherwise struggling with the devastating effects, economic and otherwise, of the unchecked wildfires, droughts, floods, environmental depredation and superstorms spawned by global warming. 

December dandelion. —A. Botsford

Meanwhile, as we turn away from the deleterious effects of fossil fuels, the international and commercial scramble for the resources needed for renewable energy batteries threatens new conflicts along with wanton exploitation of the ocean floor with little or no understanding of the possible environmental consequences. 

Science, history and education itself are under siege by forces that find the truth an unacceptable threat to the world view they rely on to stay in power. The rise of artificial intelligence sparks more concern about economic leverage and fear than any shared vision of how to harness its power, safely, to help us make a better world. Nationalism, populism and xenophobia in the wreckage of our postcolonial world shout down all opposition, fueled by greedy algorithms whose flames cast only heat, and no light. All this darkness, and more, is made all the more impenetrable by our inability, it seems, to agree on anything, or to yield even an inch in order to allow for any sort of compromise for the greater good. 

Snowy owl on the wing. —Florrie Morrisey

Yet, amazingly, there is some light, typically found far from the halls of government or the boardrooms of the mega corporations that always call the tune to make the geopolitical world spin, in places where people who have never had any say in how things go are trying to live their lives in peace. Sadly, these are too often the people who suffer the worst consequences of decisions that are made, or not made, thousands of miles away, where no one gives a thought to, or cares at all, about their existence. It is here, in places in our country and all around the world, that you will see neighbors helping neighbors, doing business with each other, even celebrating community together, whatever their different race, or nationality, or religion might be.

This tiny light must be nurtured and supported and made to burn brighter to give us any chance to turn back the darkness. As the ghost of Jacob Marley says to Scrooge, answering the assertion that he had always been a good man of business: “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business.” 

December dog walk. —A. Botsford

There’s a reason “A Christmas Carol” is a classic. Its message, and the imprecation to keep the spirit of Christmas alive throughout the year, has resonated down through the years and is perhaps even more important now than it was in the time of Charles Dickens. 

As the solstice in the northern hemisphere marks the planet’s turn away from the darkness and the return, precious minute by minute, of more light, we must commit ourselves in whatever way we can to making the phraseology of Christmas more than just words in a church service, Christmas pageant, or on a holiday card. In celebration of whatever holiday we choose at this time of solstice, let’s pray and work and commit maximum energy to these ideals: Peace everywhere on Earth, and goodwill in all places to all women and all men. 

December sky. —A. Botsford

HTC Brings “A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play” to Community Hall
The Hampton Theatre Company will offer a three-day holiday presentation of “A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play” on the stage of the Quogue Community Hall for one weekend only, December 15-17. Performances will be on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. 

Adapted from the timeless novel by Charles Dickens by playwright Joe Landry, with music by Kevin Connors, this family-friendly version (approximately 60 minutes) will recreate for live audiences the high-wire, high-spirited energy of a ’40s-era radio troupe, complete with music and sound effects generated onstage and in the booth.

Actors from the HTC family of players—including Matthew Conlon, Rosemary Cline, Andrew Botsford, Catherine Maloney, George Loizides, Amanda Griemsmann, Terrance Fiore and Roger Moley—will each take on multiple roles in period costumes on a set depicting the studio of the fictional “WBFR” radio station in 1940s New York City.

Left to right: Roger Moley, Catherine Maloney, Terrance Fiore, George Loizides, Andrew Botsford, Rosemary Cline, Matthew Conlon (as Scrooge) and Amanda Griemsmann: the cast of HTC’s “A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play” by Joe Landry, on stage this weekend at the Quogue Community Hall. —Lucinda Morrisey

This year’s presentation follows in the footsteps of two earlier holiday live radio play productions presented at the Quogue Community Hall: 2020’s Covid-impacted video of “Miracle on 34^th Street” and 2022’s “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Presented as a Christmas Eve installment of WBFR’s weekly “Playhouse of the Air” series, “A Christmas Carol” serves up the timeless story of Ebenezer Scrooge, the inveterate miser from London who learns the meaning of charity and kindness over the course of one miraculous Christmas Eve, complete with visitations by three Ghosts of Christmas (Past, Present and Future), a heartwarming reconciliation with his nephew Fred and, of course, a surprise gift and visit to the Cratchits, where he’s welcomed by his longtime clerk Bob and his resilient and irrepressible son, the one and only Tiny Tim.

The production is directed by Andrew Botsford and Roger Moley, with a score performed by Dee Laveglia, sound design by Meg Sexton, and costumes by Teresa Lebrun.

“A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play” will be performed at the Quogue Community Hall (125 Jessup Avenue in Quogue) on Friday, December 15, at 7; Saturday, December 16, at 2:30; and Sunday, December 17, also at 2:30. Patrons are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy complimentary hot cider, hot chocolate, and cookies served before the show.

All tickets are $18, available at the Hampton Theatre Company website at hamptontheatre.org, by calling 631-653-8955, or at the theater box office 30 minutes prior to performances. 

December tracks. —A. Botsford

Shop Locally, Check Websites and Enjoy the Holidays
Be sure to do as much shopping as you can right here in Quogue, in a business district on Jessup Avenue and around the corner on Midland that has been reanimated by the wonderful Schmidt’s Market. 

To see what else is going on around our village during the holidays, check websites, including especially quoguelibrary.org, quoguewildliferefuge.org, villageofquogueny.gov, and 27east.com. Intermittent though it may be, At Quaquanantuck is still devoted to this beautiful village and the even more beautiful community that is bound to it, and wishes all readers the best of times, filled with good fellowship, good cheer, peace, joy and love … today, through the holidays, and all the days of the year. 

Snowy owl in a namesake favored setting. —Florrie Morrisey

Giving Thanks, Every Day

Honoring a promise made to the late Quogue Village Historian and keeper of the flame Pat Shuttleworth, At Quaquanantuck is happy to share once again—even if it’s not in newsprint that can be put up on the refrigerator anymore—its annual reflection on just a few of the many things for which all of us who are lucky enough to spend time in this blessed community can be truly grateful.

With so many challenges continuing to dog us as we attempt to navigate our way past seemingly intractable political divides in order to address the burgeoning threats to our democracy and the very future of human life on our planet, it is more important than ever that we understand just how fortunate we are to be living in Quogue, so that we might better show compassion and generosity to those who are not so blessed. 

At (eastern end of) Quaquanantuck at sunrise. —Paula Prentis

With beachfront erosion continuing to claw away at our shoreline as we await, hopefully,  the start of the Fire Island to Montauk Point beach stabilization program, we can all be extremely thankful that 2023 was another off year for hurricanes making a direct hit on the eastern seaboard. Still, we must always honor the lessons of the past by remaining vigilant, heeding evacuation warnings, and following safety protocols when a major storm has the East End even tangentially in its sights. And always bear in mind that it’s not a question of if another major storm will hit Long Island, only when. 

We can be thankful for, and humbled by, the courage and community spirit of the members of the Quogue Volunteer Fire Department and all first responders, ready to make whatever sacrifices are called for to ensure the safety and protect the property of all residents.

And we can be grateful for the fire department continuing to give fire safety lessons to Quogue School students along with all the other activities and programs that help give our village its identity: a full fledged Halloween Ghost Parade, support services for Santa’s visit to our village on the night of the annual tree lighting, and the Easter Egg hunt. 

Surfcaster’s sunset, looking south. —A. Botsford

Of course, this Thanksgiving weekend wouldn’t be complete without the QFD’s traditional pancake breakfast at the firehouse, this year on Sunday, November 26, from 8 a.m. to noon. 

Another example of our Volunteer Fire Department bringing the community together in a beautiful way, Sunday’s breakfast will include a raffle and silent auction as part of this main fundraiser for the Fire Department’s Benevolent Association. Anyone interested in donating prizes or auction items is urged to contact Fire Chief Mike Nelson at mnelson@villageofquogueny.gov. 

All are invited, and encouraged, to stop by and greet friends and neighbors while supporting our faithful volunteers. 

Surfcaster’s sunset, looking east. —A. Botsford

Likewise we can be thankful that we are blessed with the talented teams of people who work for the Village of Quogue and serve in village government, in the Village Office and Building Department, on the Quogue Village Police force, and out on the roads and bays and beaches: their efficient management of affairs of state, their dedication to helping us all keep safe, and their community spirit translate into the exceptional quality of life for all of us that we can all too easily take for granted.

And don’t forget that the fine folks of the Village Highway Department will continue to graciously pick up leaves piled at the roadside through December 15. Check the village website, www.village of quogue ny.gov, for parameters and restrictions. 

Surfcaster’s Sunset, looking west. —A. Botsford

We can be grateful that our beautiful Community Hall has been, and will continue to be, a center for the performing arts on eastern Long Island. Home to the Quogue Junior Theater Troupe and the Hampton Theatre Company as well as the Quogue Chamber Music series and occasional special Westhampton Garden Club programs, the Community Hall is a thriving cultural hub only because of, first, the support of the fine folks in Village Hall, donors, subscribers and volunteers, and, second, the efforts of the creative people dedicated to making live theatre and presentations of the highest quality to honor this support. 

Coming up next at the Community Hall, the Hampton Theatre Company will present a limited run of the family friendly “A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play” on Friday, December 15 at 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, December 16 and 17, at 2:30 p.m. both days. All tickets are $18 and complimentary cider, hot chocolate and cookies will be served prior to the approximately 75-minute production. For tickets or more information, visit hamptontheatre.org. 

Triton Lane cormorants. —Florrie Morrisey

We can give thanks that the Quogue School has been certified as something we in the community already knew it to be: one of the best schools on the East End—and in all of New York State—courtesy of the caring and committed teachers, administrators, support staff and the Parent Teacher Association all working together to create a truly superlative and nurturing educational experience, all while meeting or exceeding the highest standards of elementary school education.

In cataloguing our gratitude, it bears mentioning that the Quogue School District has the lowest tax rate by far when compared to neighboring districts in East Quogue, Hampton Bays, Westhampton Beach, and Remsenburg-Speonk. 

In a classic example of how our community is bound together, Teresa at the Quogue Shop had a number of lovely Quogue School tote bags made up for sale by the Parent-Teacher Association. A limited quantity of the bags is still available; email quoguepta@quogueschool.com to purchase one or more. 

Autumn arch. —Paula Prentis

Our village is blessed, too, with the fantastic Quogue Library, following through beautifully on all the promise of its beautifully renovated, restored and expanded headquarters on Quogue Street. 

Give credit for the vast array of in-person and virtual programs there to an enthusiastic and thoroughly engaged board of directors and an accomplished and helpful staff, all of whom understand the vital role the library has as a nexus of our community, at the intersection of different interests, generations, viewpoints and disciplines.

All in the community have an opportunity on Friday, November 24, to purchase exceptional unsigned artworks at a fraction of their autographed price and support the library at the same time. From 3 to 5 p.m., the Art Gallery at the Quogue Library will be offering for sale more than 100 canvases and 20 photos from some 75 local artists/photographers, with each piece priced at $100. Details on the flier below. 

Another jewel of our village is the Quogue Historical Society, managing and curating the artifacts and accounts of Quogue’s storied history dating back to the 17th century for the benefit of young and old, today and for generations to come. 

Happily, Hizzoner Quogue Village Mayor Robert Treuhold reminded us all in his Thanksgiving newsletter this week that the Quogue Historical Society’s Pond House Museum at 114 Jessup Avenue is open Friday afternoons from 3 to 5 p.m., and on Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon.  The 1822 One-Room Schoolhouse, meanwhile, is open during Library Hours.  

To learn more about Quogue history, a Jessup Avenue walking tour, exhibitions, historic photographs, virtual talks, videos, children’s activities, and much more, visit the Historical Society website, www.quoguehistory.org.

Killdeer on an inland exploration. —Florrie Morrisey

On the northern border of our village sits another reason to be thankful: the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, where—thanks to the Southampton Town Wildfowl Association, the village, the town, and thousands of supporters since 1934—all are welcome to wander and experience and learn about the unspoiled natural beauty of this area, the flora and fauna and hundreds of direct links to the spirit of Quogue’s past. 

Check the QWR website, quoguewildliferefuge.org, regularly to find out more about this year’s annual appeal as well as all the wonderful programs being offered there year-round. Next week, for example, there will be a Full Moon Night Hike at QWR on Tuesday, November 28, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. 

And on Saturday, December 2, the Refuge is hosting a Nature Crafts and Holiday Shopping event for adults and kids age 7 and older from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Design a nature journal and/or create a holiday nature garland as a gift back to nature. Visitors can enjoy warm beverages as well as fireside holiday shopping. Reservations are required and details are available on the QWR website at www.quoguewildliferefuge.org.

Although the Westhampton Garden Club doesn’t have our village name in its title, Quogue is clearly ever-present in the hearts and minds of its members. The WGC established and maintains all the public gardens in Quogue, including the flowers and greenery at the Village Green; the historic garden and the pollinator garden at the Quogue Library; and the Butterfly Garden at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, calling attention to “The Pollinators” and threats to the monarch butterfly and bee populations, among others.

Find out more about the Garden Club as well as important conservation initiatives at www.westhamptongardenclub.org.

Swept surf. —A. Botsford

Need more? How about the Quogue Association? Nothing inspires gratitude like the efforts of a group of people who get together to inform, educate, do good works, and throw great parties based on a shared love for the place where they live. It is incumbent upon all of us who care about our village—and is there anyone who doesn’t?—to join or donate to the Quogue Association, or if you are already a member, to renew your membership right away at quogueassociation.org.

Chester and Christy Murray have decided to move on from operating the beautiful Quogue Gallery at the end of this year. We can certainly be grateful for the years of fine art exhibitions they have brought to us, including outstanding shows of international as well as local artists. 

We can also be grateful that the Murrays have made the gallery available for a Thanksgiving Holiday Popup through November 26, co-hosted by the Quogue Gallery, Alexia Fernandez and Jen Going Interiors. The exhibition and popup sale features artwork by Margot Carr, Kinga Czerska, Robin Koffler, and Lulie Morrisey, along with Gallard handbags and hand embroidered Vixinuu Dress Wear. 

All are invited to a happy hour celebration at the gallery on Friday, November 24, from 5 to 7 p.m., or just to stop by and peruse the artworks and sale items during the day through Sunday, November 26. 

Margot Carr, “Dune Road,” Oil on canvas, 30″ x 30″. —Courtesy of Quogue Gallery

Continue with the checklist: The Post Office, the stalwart Board of Election volunteers, the Village Dock and boat launching ramps, the expanded Village Beach facility and the drawbridge that provides access to it, the Quogue Cemetery Association: all of these places and institutions and the people who work for them and who make them work so well: all contribute essential and cultural services, texture and color to make Quogue truly beautiful, and unique. 

At Quaquanantuck is aware that these are the most obvious elements of life in our village that prompt our gratitude. As the Reverend Nancy Jennings pointed out to At Quaquanantuck recently, it is the sense of community derived from day to day experiences and encounters that really sets our village apart in many ways and gives it its special character: 

Stopping at the Post Office or any of the downtown shops on Jessup and Midland—the wonderful Schmidt’s Country Market, the Quogue Shop, Homespun, Quogue Liquors, Quogue Flower Shop, Quogue Salon, Jen Going Interiors—on any day and seeing familiar faces and talking to neighbors.

It’s a PTA wreath sale or impromptu food drive outside the Post Office; a fire engine ride at the QFD Open House in August; sharing a sandwich or a salad from Schmidt’s with a friend at one of the tables on the Village Green; running into a neighbor you haven’t seen in a while during a walk on the beach.  

Although the column is no longer being posted on a regularly scheduled basis, it is hoped that readers will consider sending news and social items, comments and observations, and photos (in Large size if taken on a smartphone) to AtQuaq@gmail.com. 

Tree swallows on their way south enjoy a mid-migration rest stop. —Florrie Morrisey

Seeing so much horrific conflict around the globe, in Ukraine and now, again, the Middle East; so many forced to flee their homes and struggle, amid devastating circumstances, to make a new start; the meteorological anomalies, natural disasters, and other mounting threats stemming from global warming; and so many challenges facing so much of the world today: may none of us ever take for granted the security of having comfortable shelter, and may we all be ever mindful of all the natural beauty and all of the many blessings we share in this village as we celebrate this holiday of gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!

Hard Work Holiday

We’ve been through this before: At Quaquanantuck waxing grumpy about the ways in which some of our longstanding national holidays have become divorced from the original intention of setting a day aside to honor or celebrate individuals or groups of people who have reached beyond self-interest to serve the greater good of our nation and all its citizens. 

The sun sets on summer 2023. —A. Botsford Photo

Consider the holiday bookends of the East End’s signature season: Memorial Day and Labor Day. There are, thankfully, still a significant number of, sadly, mostly older people who understand that Memorial Day is a holiday to remember and honor all those in the armed forces who gave their lives in the service of their country. Ask about Labor Day, though, and the typical response would go something like this: “It’s a long weekend to mark the end of the summer and it’s called Labor Day because right after that everyone goes back to work.” 

In point of fact, as anyone with good Google reflexes will tell you, Labor Day, according to Wikipedia, is “a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States.”

It seems that, as the trade union and labor movements grew in the late 19th century, trade unionists proposed that a day be set aside to celebrate labor. “Labor Day” was first promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor in 1882. By the time it became an official federal holiday in 1894, there were 30 states in the U.S. already officially celebrating Labor Day.

The special day to celebrate labor was first observed, unofficially, in New York City on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, with thousands marching from City Hall up to Union Square. At the time, the New York Times considered the event to be unremarkable. But 138 years later, the holiday still stands, at least nominally as a tribute to all American workers and an opportunity to recognize the hard-won accomplishments of New York unions to secure better workplace conditions. 

According to Untapped Cities (“a community of more than 400 contributors uncovering the best of urban life from cities around the globe”) the holiday has its roots in a common 19th-century tradition in which laborers held picnics and parades to draw awareness to worker’s rights. Organized unions emerged from there, and by the time of the Industrial Revolution of the 1880s, New York City had become a hotbed for labor activists. 

Back then, laborers were fighting against low wages, unfair hours, child labor, and unsafe working environments. Most workers at that time worked six days a week, 10 or 12 hours a day, and Sunday was the only day off. There were no paid vacations, no sick days, and very few breaks during the workday. 

The first Labor Day parade in New York City, September 5, 1882.

Today, the long weekend is pretty much universally enjoyed by all Americans, including even those who still have to work that day. But in a nation that now seems to have more issues arrayed to divide it than any commonality of vision holding it together, one would be hard pressed to find unanimous support or even consensus approval of organized labor and union activism. 

Which is too bad, on several counts, starting with the fact that we owe our beloved holiday weekend to their efforts. More importantly—though major improvements have been made—some of the same issues still need to be addressed today in certain sectors of our economy: low wages, unfair hours, child labor, and unsafe working environments, along with discriminatory hiring and advancement and gender-based inequality, to name a few. But that’s a discussion that belongs in the political arena, the snake pit this columnist will ever swerve to avoid. 

Clean break.—A. Botsford Photo

Nonetheless, At Quaquanantuck has an idea for a way we can all use the coming weekend and end of summer holiday to celebrate capital L Labor in our own community, without taking sides in any larger political debate. Why not seize the opportunity to say thank you to all the workers who have toiled since before Memorial Day to ensure that summer was the best that it could be for all of us? 

That’s right, a personal “thank you for your hard work” right out loud to any of them and all of them: the lifeguards and other personnel at whatever beach you’ve been going to, and the personnel at whatever venues you’ve been frequenting to play golf, or tennis, or pickleball, or go sailing or boating; the staff at all the stores on Jessup Avenue and Midland, starting with Schmidt’s Country Market, which has so wonderfully reanimated the downtown mini business district; the Post Office workers; the staff at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge; and all the folks who make the Quogue Library the vibrant beating heart of our community that it is. 

How about thanking all the service people and medical professionals: the ones you have used for years and the ones you found through recommendations from neighbors on the Community of Quogue email platform. Be sure to thank any of the village highway crews you see, and the landscapers: these are the people who toil in the summer heat and swarms of mosquitoes to keep the public and the private spaces in our village so beautiful. 

Know anyone in the Quogue Association? The Concert on the Green, the Duck Race and the Beach Party can’t happen without plenty of hard work by the members of the QA, and they deserve your thanks. The tireless and dedicated crew of the Quogue Junior Theater Troupe has mostly packed up and gone now that the two shows are over, but there are still a few QJTT board members around who can pass along your thanks, and they ought to be thanked, too. 

Stop in at the Village Office on Friday and say thanks. Look in at the Building Department on your way down the street and then visit the firehouse and the police station to offer gratitude in person to anyone who’s there. Then make a donation to the Quogue Village Police Benevolent Association (PO Box 449, Quogue, NY 11959)  and the Quogue Volunteer Fire Department (PO Box 5026, Quogue, NY 11959).

Not to say that none of us has worked hard at our own jobs this summer. But these are the people whose work has a direct impact on the quality of our experience of summer in Quogue, and At Quaquanantuck believes their labor should be recognized and appreciated, in person. That’s what Labor Day is for. 

Sun sinks behind Quogue bridge. —A. Botsford Photo

State of the Town Address on September 9 on Village Green
Courtesy of the Quogue Association, Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman will give the annual State of the Town address on Saturday, September 9, at 10 a.m. on the Village Green, weather permitting. 

All who attend are urged to bring beach chairs. In case of rain, the event will be held inside the nearby Quogue Community Hall. quogueassociation.org

Quogue Chamber Music Welcomes Balourdet String Quartet
Wrapping up its 2023 season, Quogue Chamber Music will present the “prize-winning, young and vivacious” Balourdet Quartet in concert on Saturday, September 9, at 7:30 p.m. in the Quogue Community Hall. 

The September 9 program will include works by Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Hugo Wolf. Tickets are $50 for adults or $5 for students (for the concert only). Tickets at $110 per person include a post-concert celebration at a private home in Quogue. 

The Balourdet String Quartet will perform in Quogue on Saturday, September 9. —Kevin W. Condon Photo

Based in Boston, the Balourdet Quartet is currently in residence at the New England Conservatory Professional String Quartet Program. The quartet received the Grand Prize at the 2021 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, as well as prizes in international competitions including the Banff, Paolo Borciani, and Carl Nielsen competitions. They were also awarded the Gold Medal at the 2020 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the 2021 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition. 

The Balourdet Quartet was formed in 2018 at Rice University in Houston, Texas under the tutelage of James Dunham, Norman Fischer, and Cho-Liang Lin. It currently works primarily with Paul Katz at the New England Conservatory, as well as Miriam Fried and members of the Cleveland and Borromeo Quartets. The quartet takes its name from Antoine Balourdet, chef extraordinaire at the Hotel St. Bernard and beloved member of the Taos School of Music community.

To purchase tickets, make checks payable to Quogue Chamber Music and mail to PO Box 1984, Quogue, NY 11959. No tickets will be mailed, but ticketholders’ names will be on a guest list at the entrance to the theater. To purchase online and for more information, visit www.quoguechambermusic.org. 

Tickets will also be sold at the door on the night of the concert. The wearing of masks will be optional.

Quogue Historical Society Sets Cemetery Tour on October 8
Sunday, October 8, at 3 p.m. is the new date set by the Quogue Historical Society for Part Two of the QHS Cemetery Tour, “Preserving Quogue’s History in Headstones,” led by architectural historian Zach Studenroth. 

Part Two of the QHS walking tour of the Quogue Cemetery will be held on Sunday, October 8, at 3 p.m.

Part Two, according to a release from the QHS, will focus on the monuments of some of Quogue’s mid-19th century and early 20th century residents. Visitors will see the stones on this tour have changed from the slate and brownstone of earlier times to marble and granite, and each has unique restoration challenges. 

Mr. Studenroth will discuss the changes in stone types and methods of memorialization to help visitors understand the differences between Colonial “burying grounds” and Victorian era “cemeteries.” 

The October 8 tour is limited to 25 participants. For reservations, call 631-996-2404 or email info@quoguehistory.org. 

Lest We Forget

As regular readers of this now exceedingly intermittent column know, At Quaquanantuck delights in examining the fuzzy interface between specific dates and the seasons they are meant to divide, as well as the events and issues that are pinned to these squares on the calendar. 

So, yes, as has been pointed out many times before, even though the calendar and the physics of astronomy tell us that the season following spring officially begins on the solstice (June 21)—and students will tell you that it doesn’t really begin until school lets out—Memorial Day weekend, especially in the summer resort mecca of eastern Long Island, is almost universally accepted as the starting line for summer. 

The beach awaits. —A. Botsford Photo

But way back when, Memorial Day was principally about the day itself, originating as the national holiday known as Decoration Day in 1868 to honor Union and Confederate war dead. Observances were held every year on May 30 until it became a federal holiday in 1971, to be celebrated yearly on the last Monday in May, after expanding in its scope to include all those who had fallen while in the service of the United States Armed Forces. By the 1970s, the weekend had also become accepted as the unofficial start of summer, bookending with Labor Day on the first Monday of September as the last day of summer, with the Fourth of July holiday sandwiched near the middle. 

At Quaquanantuck is old enough to remember working at a newspaper when obituaries were coming in for the last surviving veterans of the First World War. Today we read about the last few men and women who served in World War II passing on, and it reminds us of the many who did not survive but who fell in that global conflict. Sadly, we do not need these now long ago wars to be reminded of those who laid down their lives. Korea, Vietnam, Iraq in 1990, Iraq again from 2003 to 2011, Afghanistan 1999-2021. 

As long as there are armed forces in the U.S., there will be women and men who give their lives for their country, in both war and peace time. In the giddy celebration of the start of summer, may we always reflect, somberly and soberly, on the ultimate sacrifice made by these truest of patriots.   

This year’s Memorial Day Ceremony, sponsored and organized as always by the Quogue Volunteer Fire Department, is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. (rain or shine) on Monday, May 29, in front of the Firehouse. Chief Mike Nelson will welcome everyone with some brief remarks, followed by the invocation by the QFD pastor.  

These We Honor. —A. Botsford Photo

Mayor Bob Treuhold will offer a few words before organizer Steve Alpert introduces this year’s guest speaker, Colonel Kamal Kalsi MD, US Army Reserves. Dr. Kalsi is an emergency medicine physician from New Jersey who has served in the Army for 20 years and was awarded a Bronze Star for his work taking care of hundreds of combat casualties on the front lines in Afghanistan. Now transitioned into the Army reserves, he now serves as a senior advisor for Policy Vets and is a Fellow of the Truman National Security Project’s Defense Council. He founded the Sikh American Veterans Alliance (SAVA) in order to promote diversity, religious freedom, and service.

Members of the Quogue Fire Department will lay a wreath and flowers at the memorial in front of the Firehouse and all those who attend will be offered the opportunity to lay a flower as well. The ceremony will conclude with QFD volunteer Patrick “Skip” Heaney bugling Taps. 

Treegret. —A. Botsford Photo

Incorporated Quogue Turns 95
Speaking of significant dates, Quogue Mayor Bob Treuhold sent out a birthday greeting to the village on May 12, noting that 2023 marks the 95th anniversary of the village’s incorporation in 1928, “when some of our very astute residents had the good sense to incorporate our village,” the mayor wrote, “thereby giving us much more control over our destiny.”

May 12, as local history buffs know, was the day 364 years ago when the Village of Quogue was established upon the purchase by John Ogden of a vast parcel of land stretching from Canoe Place to the east (now the Shinnecock Canal) to Beaverdam Stream to the west (now Westhampton) and extending three miles north from the high water mark. 

All those interested in knowing more about village history will have ample opportunity to explore further this summer, thanks to the unstinting efforts of the Quogue Historical Society; exhibitions and archives at its Pond House headquarters; and at the 1822 Schoolhouse Museum on the grounds of the Quogue Library. www.quoguehistory.org. 

Mayor Offers State of the Village Address May 27
Quogue Village Mayor Bob Treuhold’s very first State of the Village address is scheduled for this weekend on Saturday morning, May 27, at 10 a.m. in front of the Fire Department. In the event of rain, the mayor’s talk will be moved into the courtroom on the north side of the Community Hall.

Topics for Hizzoner’s address, will include—but not be limited to, by any means—the Village elections scheduled on Friday, June 16; an update on the 2023/2024 Village budget and tax comparisons; an update on the Fire Island to Montauk Point (FIMP) coastal erosion/beach nourishment project; and an update on some upcoming road projects (which the Mayor assures At Quaquanantuck will be nothing as significant, or disruptive, as the recent Scrub Oak/Jessup reconstruction).

Mayor Treuhold will also discuss some green initiatives and Suffolk County Water Authority guidelines for water conservation, while leaving time for questions from the assembled citizenry. 

Quogue Association Annual Meeting; Summer Events Update
The Quogue Association has scheduled its 2023 Annual Meeting on Saturday, May 27, at 8:30 a.m. the Quogue Village Courtroom, with a pledge to conclude the session in plenty of time for QA members to get over to the State of the Village address next door at the Firehouse at 10 a.m.

As part of the Annual Meeting, a new board member nominee, Claudia Step, will be presented by the membership committee for member vote approval. QA members can cast a vote to approve the new board member before the meeting by emailing “Yes” to quogueassociation@gmail.com. 

The Quogue Association has rolled out the calendar for this summer’s three big events: The second annual Concert on the Quogue Village Green will be held on Friday, June 23; the Duck Race from the Quogue bridge to the Village Dock will be held on Friday, July 28; and the annual QA Beach Party at the Village Beach will be Friday, August 18, with a rain date of Friday, August 25. Watch for updates and details from the Quogue Association. 

Sign of summer: rosa rugosa. —A. Botsford Photo

Schmidt’s Country Market Lighting Up Jessup Avenue
For those seasonal residents and visitors just now arriving on the scene, you will have surely noticed the transformation of Jessup Avenue with the opening in late March of Schmidt’s Market, late of Southampton Village. 

Southampton’s loss is truly Quogue’s gain, as attested not only by the array of fresh produce, a bustling (and thankfully hustling) deli counter, extensive salad bar and homemade soups, full service butcher, and super friendly and helpful staff, but also by the effect of the increased traffic on the nearby Quogue Shop and the newly expanded Homespun. 

Meanwhile, there is a gratitude contest going on. Village residents and shoppers from nearby hamlets and villages believe they are the most thankful that this wonderful store has opened in Quogue; while Dan Schmidt and his family are convinced that they are even more grateful for the wonderful response and warm embrace they have received from the community. It’s a good contest to have: everybody wins. If you haven’t already, which is hard to imagine, stop in at the store, and also check out the website, schmidtscountrymarket.com. Summer hours are Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

HTC’s “The Portuguese Kid” On Stage Through June 11
Thanks to a splendid press release from Hampton Theatre Company President Roger Moley, At Quaquanantuck can report that “The Portuguese Kid,” a dizzyingly funny adult comedy from Oscar, Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner John Patrick Shanley, will conclude the Hampton Theatre Company’s 2022-2023 season, with performances running from tonight, May 25, through Sunday, June 11, at the Quogue Community Hall. 

Esmeralda Cabrera, David Cardali, Vay David, Andrew Botsford and Rosemary Cline in a scene from “The Portuguese Kid,” running through June 11 at the Quogue Community Hall. —Dane DuPuis Photo

Returning to the romantic-comedy orbit of “Moonstruck,” the hit movie which won Shanley a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award, “The Portuguese Kid” spins a marvelous comedic web involving two mismatched couples and one overbearing matron. 

In Providence, RI, a habitually widowed Greek temptress named Atalanta Lagana pays a visit to frazzled lawyer and childhood friend Barry Dragonetti, ostensibly intending to clear up her latest late husband’s affairs. Instead of establishing legal clarity, the larger-than-life Atalanta badgers her insecure, self-aggrandizing attorney into imagining a hysterical alternate universe of what-ifs and what-might-have-beens. Add Barry’s impossibly obstreperous Croatian mother Fausta, his beautiful young Puerto Rican wife Patty, and Atalanta’s new boy toy Freddie, who just happens to be Patty’s ex, and you have in hand a perfect recipe for comic combustion. 

“The Portuguese Kid” was originally produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club in New York City in September 2017, and featured a cast including Sherie Rene Scott, Jason Alexander, Mary Testa, Aimee Carrero and Pico Alexander. The play was lauded by The Wall Street Journal’s Terry Teachout as “the funniest new comedy I’ve reviewed since … well, maybe ever,” adding, “I don’t know when I last saw another stage comedy that was funny right from the top, or one that whose last scene was so unmanipulatively touching. To laugh this hard for that long is downright therapeutic.” 

Entertainment Weekly called the play “uproariously entertaining” and “deliciously funny … ‘The Portuguese Kid’ makes for a wildly entertaining 90 minutes of whip-smart banter.” And NY1 promised, “You will laugh – of that I have no doubt!” 

“The Portuguese Kid” features a spirited cast of five, including three HTC veterans. Andrew Botsford (last seen on stage in “A Doll’s House, Part 2”) is Barry; Rosemary Cline (“A Doll’s House, Part 2”) is Atalanta; and Vay David (HTC’s “Other Desert Cities”) plays Fausta Dragonetti. Making their HTC stage debuts are David Cardali as Atalanta’s young boyfriend Freddie Imbrossi and Esmeralda Cabrera as Patty Dragonetti. 

Bob Kaplan (HTC’s “Mauritius,” “Glengarry Glenn Ross”) directs; Laurie Atlas (recently on stage in HTC’s “The Lifespan of a Fact”) is the producer. Set design is by Mr. Kaplan and Ricky Bottenus and Meg Sexton; lighting design by Sebastian Paczynski; sound by Seamus Naughton; and costumes by Teresa Lebrun. 

Performances of “The Portuguese Kid” will run from May 25 through June 11 on Thursdays and Fridays at 7, Saturdays at 8, and Sundays at 2:30. An additional matinee performance will be offered during the final weekend of the production, on Saturday, June 10 at 2:30, prior to the regular 8 p.m. performance that evening. Note: This adult comedy contains strong language; viewer discretion is advised. 

Two “talkbacks” with the cast will be offered to ticketholders immediately following the June 2 and June 9 Friday-evening performances. Tickets are $36, $31 for seniors, and $20 for students 25 and under, and are available at the Hampton Theatre Company website at hamptontheatre.org or by calling 631-653-8955. Patrons can also purchase season subscriptions and individual tickets for the theatre’s 2023-2024 season; details will be available on the HTC website.

Esmerald Cabrera, David Cardali, Andrew Botsford and Rosemary Cline. —Dane DuPuis Photo

Mark the Calendar for More Events You Won’t Want to Miss
The Quogue School Parent Teacher Association will host the 31st annual Chicken Dinner next week, on Friday, June 2, from 5 to 7 p.m. This evening of fun and games, great food and fellowship in support of the school—rated among the best in all of New York State—is one of the best community events of the year. Don’t miss it. 

The Galvin Cello Quartet will perform in a Quogue Chamber Music concert on June 17 at the Community Hall.

On Saturday, June 17, at 7:30 p.m., Quogue Chamber Music will present the Galvin Cello Quartet, winner of the Concert Artists Guild Competition, at the Quogue Community Hall, with a program including works by Mozart, Bach, Rossini, Piazzolla, Gardel, Gershwin, Fitzenhagen and Popper. The program will be followed by a post-concert celebration. Tickets can be purchased online at www.quoguechambermusic.org.

East End Hospice (www.eeh.org) is holding its annual gala on June 24,  and the Quogue Wildlife Refuge (quoguewildliferefuge.org) will host the 15th annual Wild Night for Wildlife Summer Gala at the Refuge on July 15.

Rebirth Everywhere

At Quaquanantuck was heartened last week by readers’ warm response to the first column that’s been posted since November. Gratified, too, to note that visitors to last week’s post included four from Mexico, two from Finland, and one each from Austria, Germany, the United Kingdom, Antigua & Barbuda, Italy, France, and Vietnam. 

On the chance that not all of them are residents of our village who are off globe trotting, it’s so intriguing to speculate on what these international visitors’ interest in Quogue might be.

Surf sentinels. —A. Botsford Photo

Meanwhile, the season continues to spring forward, with early grackle scouts joining red-winged blackbirds at the feeder and tom turkeys rakishly fanning out their proud displays to woo prospective mates. It is indeed the season of rebirth, and while it’s not clear at this time when the next column might be posted, At Quaquanantuck would like to once again ask readers to contribute their own observations on the different signs and signals that spring is picking up momentum.

Please send your thoughts (and photographs, in Large size) to AtQuaq@gmail.com so they can be shared in this space with other village residents as well as devoted readers from Finland to Antugua & Barbuda, and beyond.  

Matched pair. —A. Botsford Photo

As road work continues on Jessup Avenue so that there can be a rebirth of that storied thoroughfare, there is another significant resurrection underway in the business district, one that has mouths watering and chefs of every stripe already contemplating the many ways they will soon be able to enhance and bring new life to all their recipes. I refer, of course, to the upcoming opening of the new Schmidt’s Country Market in the very same complex that—many, many years ago—housed side by side both Pat & Howard’s and the Quogue Market.  

Similar on the outside but very different inside. —A. Botsford Photo

Schmidt’s Country Market Poised to Open March 31
Interviewed this week, Dan Schmidt, who could best be described as ebullient, told At Quaquanantuck that after undergoing one final inspection tomorrow, Friday, March 24, his staff will be stocking the shelves and preparing food starting on Monday in order to be ready to open doors to the public on Friday, March 31.  

Hours at the start will be 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., Dan said, possibly shifting to 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. depending on the community’s needs. In order to emulate the well oiled efficiency of his family’s Southampton operation, the store will be manned by a staff of 12, plus Dan and members of his family. 

Dan Schmidt in front of bins awaiting fresh produce. —A. Botsford Photo

Anyone familiar with the legendary Southampton operation might be excused for a sense of deja vu in the new store when it opens. As Dan said, Quogue will have everything that Schmidt’s in Southampton had, plus a little more. There will be lots of every kind of the freshest produce, a complete selection of fine cheeses, salad bar, a full selection of beverages and market items, homemade soups, and a comprehensive deli section serving breakfast and lunch, including hot food, along with prepared foods and salads. 

In line with the family feel of the operation, Dan uses first names only when speaking about employees. Staffers coming from Southampton—who will be familiar to patrons of that establishment—include Schmidt’s longtime chief cashier, the smiling and charming Fareen; maestro Anthony will be heading up the kitchen team; the sure hand of Sylvia will at the tiller of the deli operation; and the magical Martina will once again be demonstrating how to put together the East End’s best salad bar. 

New to the staff will be Chef Mike, who will oversee an expansion of the catering operation. Whereas in the past catering was limited to making up trays of food and delivering same to parties, the Quogue Schmidt’s will offer full service catering, including staff, setup, food preparation and service.

There is a new counter inside the front window, where diners can sit and look out at goings on on Jessup Avenue and the Village Green. And there will once again be a few tables outside as the weather warms.  

As has been reported elsewhere, so far Dan has been “knocked out” by the support and encouragement of the Quogue community as well as longtime customers of Schmidt’s in Southampton, many of whom have pledged to make the trip to Quogue. Time will tell if his happiness in being here can possibly match the immeasurable happiness of many village residents to have him and his wonderful market here.  

At Quaquanantuck salutes both Dan and Mayor Bob Treuhold, whose foresight and timely outreach are responsible for the new Schmidt’s coming to our village. Bravo!  

“The Lifespan of a Fact” Earning Rave Reviews
The Hampton Theatre Company production of “The Lifespan of a Fact,” the riveting three-character play that combines biting humor with timely arguments about the collision of print journalism with poetic license, earned rave reviews, standing ovations, and, on Sunday, thunderous applause demanding the actors return to the stage for another set of bows. 

As theatergoer Debora Jacques commented this week: “Just saw ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ at HTC. Had seen this play on Broadway with Daniel Radcliffe and I thought the HTC actors did a better job. They were amazing. They got a standing ovation and deserved it!”

The second show of the HTC’s 2022-2023 season continues this week, with performances running through April 2 at the Quogue Community Hall. A talkback with the cast will be offered to ticketholders immediately following the Friday, March 24, evening performance.

Jamie Baio and Matthew Conlon. —Dane DuPuis Photo

Based on a nonfiction 2012 book of the same name by John D’Agata and Jim Fingal—which in turn was inspired by an essay written by D’Agata about a teenager’s 2002 suicide in Las Vegas—“The Lifespan of a Fact” was adapted for the stage in 2018 by Jeremy Kareken & David Murrell and Gordon Ferrell. The play tells the story of how Fingal, an idealistic, fresh-out-of-Harvard intern, was tasked by the editor of a prestigious yet troubled New York magazine to fact-check a groundbreaking piece written by celebrated author D’Agata—with a strict deadline only a weekend away.

Excited by the opportunity to prove himself on such a prestigious piece, Jim’s mood quickly changes to alarm when he discovers a disturbing pattern of unsubstantiated claims and creative liberties taken by D’Agata throughout the otherwise brilliant 15-page essay. The play climaxes with an 11th-hour faceoff between author, editor and fact-checker—with none willing to give ground as the hours grind by and a deadline decision looms.

The HTC production of “The Lifespan of a Fact” features Laurie Atlas (“Ripcord”) as Emily, Jamie Baio (“Lost in Yonkers”) as Jim, and Matt Conlon (“Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery,” “Man of La Mancha”) as John.

George Loizides (“Over the River and Through the Woods,” “A Doll’s House, Part 2”) directs. Set design is by Mr. Loizides; lighting design by Sebastian Paczynski; sound by Seamus Naughton; and costumes by Teresa Lebrun.

Performances of “The Lifespan of a Fact” through April 2 are on Thursdays and Fridays at 7, Saturdays at 8, and Sundays at 2:30. An additional matinee performance will be offered during the final weekend of the production, on Saturday, April 1, prior to the regular 8 p.m. performance that evening.

Tickets are $36, $31 for seniors, and $20 for students 25 and under, and are available at the Hampton Theatre Company website at hamptontheatre.org or by calling 631-653-8955. 

Shoreline physics: the lowest tide, the most beach. —A. Botsford Photo

Mayor Treuhold Carries the Torch
Quogue Village Mayor Bob Treuhold released another of his reasonably regular newsletters this week, and At Quaquanantuck joins many village residents in their gratitude not only for announcements and updates related to village government and public works but also his mentions of cultural and educational opportunities and highlights. 

Readers are encouraged to check out the most recent, and all of Hizzoner’s missives, at villageofquogueny.gov. A few highlights below: 

Special School Vote March 29
The Quogue School District has scheduled a “Special Proposition Vote” on March 29 from 2 to 8 p.m. at the Quogue School.  Voter approval is sought to authorize the use of funds from the school’s “Facility Preservation and Upgrade Capital Reserve,” established in 2017, for the purpose of performing a complete renovation of the existing, deteriorating, and outdated playground structures.

Lest anyone become overwrought, it’s important to note that this vote is only related to renovating the playground structures at the school, a project that is sorely needed for both the students at the school and children in the Quogue community who do not attend the Quogue School but who are free to use the playground.   

Seals on Long Island Shores
A lecture at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 25, will provide an introduction to the different species of seals found in New York waters. Visitors will have an opportunity to learn about the New York Marine Rescue Center and its programs aimed at helping these animals when needed. This is especially timely, the mayor noted, given the sighting of a very large gray seal this week on the beach in Quogue. https://longisland.news12.com/amp/ny-marine-rescue-center-to-monitor-grey-seal-on-quogue-beach

Easter Egg Hunts
On Saturday, April 8, the Wildlife Refuge will host two sessions of an egg hunt for toddlers age 2 to 4; one at 9 a.m. and the second at 10. Register at www.quoguewildliferefuge.org. 

Meanwhile, the Quogue Volunteer Fire Department will host its traditional Egg Hunt on the lawn in front of the firehouse at 11 a.m. sharp on Saturday, April 8. 

Spring Leaf Pickup
The Village Highway Department will begin picking up leaves on April 1, with the usual rules in effect. Leaves must be on the shoulder of the street by April 30 in order to be picked up. Leaves must not be piled around fire hydrants or utility equipment, and cannot be placed in plastic bags or they will not be picked up.

For complete details, visit villageofquogueny.gov. 

The marsh is still brown; the great egret still pure white. —A. Botsford Photo

Signs of Spring

Okay, so everybody knows what the calendar tells us: that the first day of spring in 2023 will be Monday, March 20, the date of the vernal equinox, with hours of light and darkness in perfect balance. 

But everybody also knows that the start of spring is as much a feeling as it is an astronomical fact, a feeling fueled by the myriad signs, large and small, that restore color and depth to senses flattened by monochromatic winter, no matter how atypically warm January might have been, or how bone chilling and blustery as this March has turned out to be. 

Spring light. —A. Botsford Photo

What signs? Start with the gains in daylight. After, achingly, only inching ahead every day since the winter solstice, the sun’s light has now been doused in the accelerant of Daylight Saving Time, and the resulting bright postponement of dusk changes our perspective on everything that happens, or delightfully doesn’t, between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. 

There is the crescendo in the chorus of birdsong celebrating the sunrise, as if to herald not only the increased quantity of light, but the very real change in its quality. Yes, there are more cars on the roads, but the oppressive crush of summer traffic is still a ways off and now it just seems like life returning to our East End arteries, just as it is in the soil and in the bays and ocean. 

The egrets have started to show up in the creeks and on the marshes, and now the ospreys are returning. And many stores, closed up tight for the winter months, are starting to open their doors again, just like the blossoms of crocuses and daffodils. 

In our village, of course, anticipation continues to mount for a particular mercantile blossoming: the opening of the new Schmidt’s Country Market on Jessup Avenue, in the building that formerly housed the Quogue Country Market. Southampton’s loss is most certainly Quogue’s gain, and At Quaquanantuck is eager to share more details about the store next week. Stay tuned. 

Opening hours. —A. Botsford Photo

Another traditional sign of spring—first restored post-Covid last March—is the Hampton Theatre Company’s spring production, which it is hoped will not be too severely impacted by another spring tradition, i.e. roadwork, in this case phase two of the Jessup Avenue overhaul. 

“The Lifespan of a Fact” Opens March 16 at Quogue Community Hall
“The Lifespan of a Fact,” a riveting three-character play that combines biting humor with timely arguments about the collision of print journalism with poetic license, continues the Hampton Theatre Company’s 2022-2023 season with performances running from March 16 through April 2 at the Quogue Community Hall.

Based on a nonfiction 2012 book of the same name by John D’Agata and Jim Fingal—which in turn was inspired by an essay written by D’Agata about a teenager’s 2002 suicide in Las Vegas—“The Lifespan of a Fact” was adapted for the stage in 2018 by Jeremy Kareken & David Murrell and Gordon Ferrell. The play tells the story of how Fingal, an idealistic, fresh-out-of-Harvard intern, was tasked by the editor of a prestigious yet troubled New York magazine to fact-check a groundbreaking piece written by celebrated author D’Agata—with a strict deadline only a weekend away.

Jamie Baio, left, and Matthew Conlon in a scene from “The Lifespan of a Fact.” —A. Botsford Photo

Excited by the opportunity to prove himself on such a prestigious piece, Jim’s mood quickly changes to alarm when he discovers a disturbing pattern of unsubstantiated claims and creative liberties taken by D’Agata throughout the otherwise brilliant 15-page essay. The play climaxes with an 11th-hour faceoff between author, editor and fact-checker—with none willing to give ground as the hours grind by and a deadline decision looms.

“The Lifespan of a Fact” premiered at New York’s Studio 54 in October 2018, with Daniel Radcliffe as Jim and Bobby Cannavale as John; Cherry Jones rounded out the cast as Emily Penrose, the editor who sees in D’Agata’s essay the kind of buzzworthy piece that could save the magazine from irrelevancy and possible ruin.

A New York Times “Critics’ Pick,” the play was lauded as “buoyantly literate” by The Washington Post, with Variety praising its “terrifically funny dialogue … the debate at the heart of this play transcends comedy and demands serious attention.” The Hollywood Reporter called it an “ingenious adaptation of the sui generis book of the same name … moves with the ticking-clock urgency the situation demands, yet finds appropriate moments to breathe and let us ruminate on the personal, professional and moral issues at stake.” 

The HTC production of “The Lifespan of a Fact” features a trio of accomplished actors, each of whom has performed on the HTC stage before: Laurie Atlas (“Ripcord”) as Emily, Jamie Baio (“Lost in Yonkers”) as Jim, and Matthew Conlon (“Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery,” “Man of La Mancha”) as John.

George Loizides (“Over the River and Through the Woods,” “A Doll’s House, Part 2”) directs; HTC veteran Andrew Botsford is the producer. Set design is by Mr. Loizides; lighting design by Sebastian Paczynski; sound by Seamus Naughton; and costumes by Teresa Lebrun.

Performances of “The Lifespan of a Fact” will run from March 16 through April 2 on Thursdays and Fridays at 7, Saturdays at 8, and Sundays at 2:30. An additional matinee performance will be offered during the final weekend of the production, on Saturday, April 1, prior to the regular 8 p.m. performance that evening.

A talkback with the cast will be offered to ticketholders immediately following the Friday, March 24, evening performance.

Tickets are $36, $31 for seniors, and $20 for students 25 and under, and are available at the Hampton Theatre Company website at hamptontheatre.org or by calling 631-653-8955.

Jamie Baio, Laurie Atlas and Matthew Conlon in “The Lifespan of a Fact.” —A. Botsford Photo

Grateful

Honoring a promise made to the late Quogue Village Historian and keeper of the flame Pat Shuttleworth, At Quaquanantuck is happy to share once again—even if it’s not in newsprint that can be put up on the refrigerator anymore—its annual reflection on just a few of the many things for which all of us who are lucky enough to spend time in this blessed community can be truly grateful.

Surfcaster’s sunrise. —A. Botsford Photo

With so many challenges continuing to dog us as we attempt to navigate our way out of the pandemic and get past seemingly intractable political divides in order to address the burgeoning threats to our democracy and the very future of our planet, it is more important than ever that we understand just how fortunate we are to be living in Quogue, so that we might better show compassion and generosity to those who are not so blessed. 

With beachfront erosion a constant threat even under the best of circumstances, we can all be extremely thankful that 2022 was another off year for hurricanes making a direct hit on the eastern seaboard. Still, we must always honor the lessons of the past by remaining vigilant, heeding evacuation warnings, and following safety protocols when a major storm has the East End even tangentially in its sights. And always bear in mind that it’s not a question of if another major storm will hit Long Island, only when. 

We can be thankful for, and humbled by, the courage and community spirit of the members of the Quogue Volunteer Fire Department and all first responders, ready to make whatever sacrifices are called for to ensure the safety and protect the property of all residents.

Impromptu altar. —A. Botsford Photo

And, emerging with some caution from the Covid and variants pandemic, we can be grateful for the fire department continuing to give fire safety lessons to Quogue School students and resuming all the activities and programs that help give our village its identity: a full fledged Halloween Ghost Parade, support services for Santa’s visit to our village (a possible sighting is predicted on Friday, December 9, at the 5:30 p.m. tree lighting on the Village Green), the Easter Egg hunt, and, this weekend, bringing back the traditional pancake breakfast at the firehouse, on Sunday, November 27, from 8 a.m. to noon. 

Another example of our Volunteer Fire Department bringing the community together in a beautiful way, Sunday’s breakfast—replete with raffles and a silent auction to complement the delicious fare—is the principal fundraiser for the Fire Department’s Benevolent Association. All are invited, and encouraged, to stop by and greet friends and neighbors while supporting our faithful volunteers. 

Likewise we can be thankful that we are blessed with the talented teams of people who work for the Village of Quogue and serve in village government, in the Village Office and Building Department, on the police force, and out on the roads and bays: their efficient management of affairs of state, their dedication to helping us all keep safe through the pandemic, and their community spirit translate into the best possible quality of life for all of us.

And don’t forget that the fine folks of the Village Highway Department will continue to graciously pick up leaves piled at the roadside through December 15. Check the village website, www.villageofquogueny.gov, for parameters and restrictions. 

Jailhouse scene from the Quogue Junior Theatre Troupe production of “Chicago.” —Photo courtesy of QJTT

We can be grateful that our beautiful Community Hall has been, and will continue to be, a center for the performing arts on eastern Long Island. Home to the Quogue Junior Theater Troupe and the Hampton Theatre Company as well as the Quogue Chamber Music series and occasional special Westhampton Garden Club programs, the Community Hall is a thriving cultural hub only because of, first, the support of the fine folks in Village Hall, donors, subscribers and volunteers, and, second, the efforts of the creative people dedicated to making live theatre and presentations of the highest quality to honor this support. 

Coming up next at the Community Hall, the Hampton Theatre Company will present a limited run of the family friendly “It’s a Wonderful Life Live Radio Play” December 16, 17 and 18. All tickets are $10 and complimentary cider, hot chocolate and cookies will be served prior to the 45-minute production. For tickets or more information, visit hamptontheatre.org. 

George Loizides, Catherine Maloney, Meg Hrinkevich, Patrick Osborne, Amelia Chiaramonte, and Carl DiModugno in a scene from the Hampton Theatre Company production of “Over the River and Through the Woods.” —Tom Kochie Photo

We can give thanks that the Quogue School has been certified as something we in the community already knew it to be: one of the best schools on the East End—and in all of New York State—courtesy of the caring and committed teachers, administrators, support staff and the Parent Teacher Association all working together to create a truly superlative and nurturing educational experience, all while meeting or exceeding the highest standards of elementary school education.

In cataloguing our gratitude, it bears mentioning that the Quogue School District has the lowest tax rate by far when compared to neighboring districts in East Quogue, Hampton Bays, Westhampton Beach, and Remsenburg-Speonk. 

Our village is blessed, too, with the fantastic Quogue Library, following through beautifully on all the promise of its beautifully renovated, restored and expanded headquarters on Quogue Street. 

Give credit for the vast array of in-person and virtual programs there to an enthusiastic and thoroughly engaged board of directors and an accomplished and helpful staff, all of whom understand the vital role the library has in binding our community together, across generations, different viewpoints and disciplines.

Another jewel of our village is the Quogue Historical Society, managing and curating the artifacts and accounts of Quogue’s storied history dating back to the 17th century for the benefit of young and old, today and for generations to come. At Quaquanantuck is particularly grateful to the Society, board member and newly minted Quogue Village Historian Pi Gardiner, and QHS Curator Julie Greene for frequently sharing fascinating tidbits of village history that have immeasurably improved the texture of this column’s postings.  

The circa 1820 Capt. Henry Gardiner House at 83 Quogue Street is one of five houses featured in the 2022 Quogue Historical Society Holiday House Tour. —Photo courtesy of QHS

This year’s Quogue Historical Society Holiday House Tour—celebrating the 200th anniversary of Quogue’s one-room schoolhouse—is scheduled for Saturday, December 10, from 2 to 6 p.m., followed by a cocktail party from 6 to 8. Tickets are available at the QHS website, quoguehistory.org/calendar/events-and-exhibitions. 

On the northern border of our village sits another reason to be thankful: the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, where—thanks to the Southampton Town Wildfowl Association, the village, the town, and thousands of supporters since 1934—all are welcome to wander and experience and learn about the unspoiled natural beauty of this area, the flora and fauna and hundreds of direct links to the spirit of Quogue’s past. Check the QWR website, quoguewildliferefuge.org, regularly to find out more about this year’s annual appeal as well as all the wonderful programs being offered there year-round. 

Golden hour at Quogue Village Dock. —A. Botsford Photo

Although the Westhampton Garden Club doesn’t have our village name in its title, Quogue is clearly ever-present in the hearts and minds of its members. The WGC established and maintains all the public gardens in Quogue, including the flowers and greenery at the Village Green; the historic garden and the pollinator garden at the Quogue Library; and the Butterfly Garden at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, calling attention to “The Pollinators” and threats to the monarch butterfly and bee populations, among others. The WGC has also brought renowned speakers to the village, offering engaging and compelling programs that have packed the Community Hall. 

Need more? How about the Quogue Association? Nothing inspires gratitude like the efforts of a group of people who get together to inform, educate, do good works, and throw great parties based on a shared love for the place where they live. It is incumbent upon all of us who care about our village—and is there anyone who doesn’t?—to join or donate to the Quogue Association, or if you are already a member, to renew your membership right away, at quogueassociation.org.

Although At Quaquanantuck is saddened by the closing of Double Rainbow and the (hopefully) temporary closing of the Quogue Country Market, still it is important to be grateful for, and to support, small “downtown” businesses like the Little Q Quogue Shop, Quogue Liquors, Blown Away Dry Bar and Salon, Flowers by Rori and Jen Going Interiors, all of which offer a range of goods and services to delight all ages and tastes. 

“Red Trees” by Margot Carr is one of the works on view in the Quogue Gallery’s “Quogue in Common” group show opening this weekend. —Image courtesy of Quogue Gallery

The beautiful private Quogue Gallery is another jewel in the necklace of our business district. Appropriate for a celebration of our community at this time of year, an opening reception for the “Quogue in Common” group exhibition is scheduled this weekend, on Saturday, November 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. (Visitors who are not vaccinated must wear masks.)

Continue with the checklist: The Post Office, the stalwart Board of Election volunteers, the Village Dock and boat launching ramps, the expanded Village Beach facility and the drawbridge that provides access to it, the Quogue Cemetery Association: all of these places and institutions and the people who work for them and who make them work so well: all contribute essential and cultural services, texture and color to make Quogue truly beautiful, and unique. 

Family constitutional. —Anacarolina Schaffauer Photo

At Quaquanantuck is aware that these are the most obvious elements of life in our village that prompt our gratitude. Photos and news items regularly sent in to this column by readers offer a more nuanced picture. Although the column is no longer being posted on a regularly scheduled basis, it is hoped that readers will continue this practice; please send news and social items, comments and observations, and photos (in Large size if taken on a smartphone) to AtQuaq@gmail.com. 

On a personal note, At Quaquanantuck is sincerely grateful to all the people who have voiced their appreciation for this column and support for this scribe’s efforts over the past five years since it ceased to be published in The Southampton Press and moved to this online site. 

Seeing the health crisis and economic havoc wrought by the pandemic and now the war in Ukraine, in our nation and around the world; seeing so much conflict around the globe and so many forced to flee their homes and struggle, amid horrific circumstances, to make a new start; the meteorological anomalies, natural disasters, and other mounting threats stemming from global warming; and so many challenges facing so much of the world today: may none of us ever take for granted the security of having comfortable shelter and food on our tables, and may we all be ever mindful of all the natural beauty and all of the many blessings we share in this village as we celebrate this holiday of gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!

Gentle sunset. —A. Botsford Photo