Candy Canes and Lumps of Coal

LUMP OF COAL To the Southampton Village Board, for rushing an important decision and leaving a lot of questions in the air. The hiring on Monday of Anthony Carter as the next chief of police is provisional — he still has to pass the necessary civil service exam — and his tenure won’t begin till March 2023. So why was a hush-hush special meeting required, with no advance word of what was on the agenda? Mayor Jesse Warren, who cast the lone vote against the hire, raised reasonable questions about a contract that he says he saw for the first time less than two hours earlier. After a search that took more than a year, why did the hiring of a deputy police commissioner with the Suffolk County Police Department suddenly demand such urgency? It all feels strangely orchestrated — and the board’s actions should get village residents’ attention, and perhaps their suspicion.

CANDY CANE To Suzanne Hurteau, now a captain for the Southampton Village Police Department, and still the acting chief until spring of next year. She quietly stepped in to guide the department during the search period and has, by all accounts, done a masterful job. She hasn’t passed the chief’s exam yet — something she has in common with the new chief. It’s curious that the village wasn’t more intrigued by Hurteau as a candidate for the job, given how she’s risen to her current post after starting as a patrol officer with the department in 1995. For now, she becomes the first female police captain on the East End, a promotion she richly deserves.

LUMP OF COAL To the operators of the Maidstone Gun Club, for such lax oversight of a shooting range where bullets that can travel long distances are fired. Whether the bullets that have struck homes nearby came from the gun club or from illegal shooting in the woods, as the club’s members have claimed, remains to be seen; investigators have made a pretty good case for the club being the source of at least one. Still, for the club to allow the firing of such powerful weapons without any responsible, in-person oversight of how the shooting range is being used is irresponsible beyond belief. They’ve already been given a lump of coal from a judge, who ordered the club closed indefinitely, and may get an even bigger one down the road if they cannot show that the club can be operated safely and responsibly.

CANDY CANE To firefighters across the region, who suit up and show up, every time that alarm goes off. They endure harrowing conditions of fire, smoke, summer’s heat and frigid winter weather, to save our homes, and our residents. They are volunteers, and they are the embodiment of the generosity that can be found in healthy communities. These men and women deserve piles of presents, and all of our appreciation.

LUMP OF COAL To people who, despite all the warnings and pleadings, are still leaving their cars unlocked and the keyfobs inside. The thieves should get a lump of coal? Sure. But as the late Southampton Town Police Chief Steve Skrynecki used to say, steeped in frustration, “It’s like leaving a sign on the car that says ‘take me.’” It’s hard to blame thieves who accept the invitation. Stop doing it — it’s a distraction for police officers, and an invitation for criminal elements to come east for illicit purposes.

CANDY CANE To Habitat for Humanity of Long Island and all of the volunteers and businesses that donated their time and/or money to build a new home in East Hampton for local U.S. Marines veteran Matt Charron and his son, Jackson. And more candy canes to Matt and Jackson themselves, who put 300 hours of sweat equity into their new home and other Habitat projects. It’s a misconception that Habitat for Humanity gives away homes for free. The keys to Habitat homes do, in fact, come with a mortgage — and only after the recipients put in their hours and complete homebuyer education courses. What the nonprofit really does is make homeownership attainable to those who otherwise could not afford to buy a house in the community they call home. They are a big part of the solution.

CANDY CANE To the immense fundraising effort and renovation that has restored “Stargazer” to its former glory. Whether passersby particularly enjoy the sculpture or not, it’s an icon that was worth saving, and doing so was no small feat. Credit to David Morris, who led the effort on behalf of his late partner, artist Linda Scott, who died in 2015, and to all the people and organizations who contributed to rescuing the quirky, enigmatic roadside statement.

LUMP OF COAL To the Southampton Town Board, for the obtuse refusal to understand a measure spearheaded by Councilwoman Cyndi McNamara that would have streamlined the town’s zone change process for both applicants and town staff. The town receives myriad requests for zone changes and has the power to “decline to consider” proposals that could never work — be they contradictory to the town’s Comprehensive Plan, de facto illegal spot zoning, or not viable for other reasons. McNamara suggested that town planning staff, which review every proposal, write up recommendations, which the entire board could adopt to demonstrate why members might decline to consider some requests. Supervisor Jay Schneiderman chose to see the time-saving move instead as an effort to decrease his power. Or maybe he’d rather singlehandedly tell a developer the project wouldn’t fly? That’s the job of a team, not just the supervisor.

CANDY CANE To the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce, for choosing to honor longtime business leaders Nada Barry and Jack Tagliasacchi, who, along with the late David Lee, founded the Merchants Association of Sag Harbor more than 50 years ago, just as the village was experiencing great change from its declining industrial economy. Barry, in particular, broke barriers through what, at the time, was all-male leadership in the business community. Within a year, MASH, as it was called, was 50 members strong, and the group eventually morphed into the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce, an organization that today is looked upon as a supporter of the economy in one of the most thriving tourist villages in America. It’s never too late to acknowledge pioneers for their efforts.

CANDY CANE To the East Hampton Village Board of Trustees and Mayor Jerry Larsen, for hosting nearly 300 people, children and their families, for a free screening of “The Polar Express” at the East Hampton movie theater on Saturday. The village was forced to cancel its annual Santa Parade due to poor weather a week earlier, and it was generous to offer something in its place to warm the community’s heart during the holidays.

CANDY CANE To all the brave souls who took the Polar Bear Plunge on Saturday, as they do every year to help raise funds for Heart of the Hamptons, a local organization that helps families in need all through the year. The Plunge is the group’s biggest fundraiser, and the community always turns out in force to brave the chill, some courageous men, women and kids who are willing to jump into the icy ocean waters, and others who are willing to support them financially and cheer them on. It’s a festive event with a huge heart that is truly one of the year’s most anticipated Saturday mornings.

CANDY CANE To the East Hampton students who take part in the district’s Life Skills Program, working and playing with fellow students with intellectual disabilities. The program’s unified sports teams bring together the two groups for a variety of athletic activities, which are great fun for all involved, and rewarding as well. Participation helps some students develop interpersonal skills, and confidence. The entire program, which also includes academic and job-related training, is of immeasurable value, and it’s all the better for the involvement of so many classmates, all of whom take something valuable away.

CANDY CANE To Edwina von Gal, Carl Johnson and Bonnie Cannon, for a coordinated effort to restore the grass recreational field at the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreation Center. The field was in need of an upgrade, and von Gal, a veteran landscaper and founder of the Perfect Earth Project, enlisted the help of local business owners and landscape contractors to restore the field using organic and sustainable practices. The center’s kids will get to enjoy the results of the team effort.

CANDY CANE To U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, for securing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s formal determination that Suffolk County’s septic improvement grants should not be taxable because they are for the purpose of environmental protection. Once Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack weighed in, at Schumer’s behest, the IRS had no choice but to declare that the county and town grants should no longer be treated as income and subject to federal income tax. It’s unfortunate that it took this long to reach the obvious conclusion, but it should still be celebrated. Replacing failing cesspools and outdated septic tanks with innovative/alternative nitrogen-reducing septic systems is essential to protect the East End’s waters and thus our fisheries and recreational opportunities.

CANDY CANE To the Flanders Riverside Northampton Community Association, for their beautification work along Flanders Road and at the traffic circle in Riverside. They haven’t been able to host fundraisers for the last three years due to COVID and still found ways to keep those gateways to the South Fork pretty and tidy. No small feat — and just in time for the busy holiday traffic.

CANDY CANE To the U.S. House of Representatives, which last week voted to pass legislation to protect same-sex and interracial marriage. The vote was 258-169, with 39 Republicans joining all Democrats voting in favor. In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court striking down Roe V. Wade in June, it would seem that courts and many individual states are now looking at rolling back other rights that were once thought to be secure. While the bill doesn’t set a national requirement that all states must legalize same-sex marriage and issue licenses for them, it does require all states to recognize another state’s legal marriage. It’s a necessary step in these uncertain times.

CANDY CANE To Dr. George Dempsey, a pilot who joined a team that flew to New Mexico and transported nine puppies and their mother back to the East End and the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, which is placing them up for adoption. Local pilots are regularly generous with their flight time and energy, and in this case it will result in much joy for a gang of furry creatures — and the families that will adopt them.

CANDY CANE To Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming, and her staff, for staying attentive to the East End’s public transportation needs. That effort is paying dividends: The county’s bus system will continue to be revamped, as an on-demand service that has been successful in Southampton Town soon will expand to East Hampton. The on-demand shuttle buses are a much better system in a community with plenty of need but fewer numbers than the urban areas that typically support traditional bus routes. Not long ago — as recently as 2016 — the county was cutting bus routes and leaving swaths of the South Fork without any service at all. Now, this new, innovative service is expanding. With affordable rates — $2.25, or $1.25 for students and children, and an amazing 75 cents for veterans and senior citizens — the on-demand service fills a need that might otherwise be ignored.