Hampton Bays Leaf Clean-Up Tops Beautification Association's Agenda

Even though the Highway Department’s "failed" leaf clean-up program graced Monday night’s Hampton Bays Beatification Association’s agenda, members managed to keep the monthly meeting upbeat by focusing on good news happening in the Bays.

Below, are notes from the meeting.

TREES TO GET TLC

Kicking off the night’s agenda, President Susan von Freddi reported that a Hampton Bays tree service company has generously agreed to prune nearly one hundred of the association’s Memorial Trees at a discounted price. According to von Freddi, the board approved a proposal from Tom Treetola to trim and prune the trees over the next three years.

“Starting this spring Mr. Treetola will trim the first 44 trees-the ones most in need,” said von Freddi. “In the fall, we will start with the second part of the program.”

Since 1989 the association has planted hundreds of Chanticlear Trees throughout the community as part of their Memorial Tree Planting program.

GRANTS FOR GREENERY

Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman has provided the association with a $3,000 grant to help the organization purchase hanging flowerpots that adorn Main Street every spring. And the Town of Southampton Park District gave the association a 5,900 grant to maintain the planted medians in town, the flowes around the hamlet's flapole and the flower beds that surround the welcome to Hampton Bays signs.

According to von Freddi, the association spends between $35,000 to $40,000 each year to maintain the hamlet’s plants, gardens and grounds.

LEAVES A BAD TASTE IN YOUR MOUTH

With so many residents riled up about the fall leaf clean-up program, the von Freddi said she personally reached out to Southampton Highway Superintendent Alex Gregor last week to get an update on the Town’s fall foliage fiasco.

“We have been getting a lot of complaints from people,” said von Freddi as she broached the leaf clean-up topic. It is now April and the leaves from last fall are still on our streets. Everyone is upset about it.”

Von Freddi said that during their telephone conversation, Superintendent Gregor promised that all of Hampton Bays’ leaves would be cleaned-up in the next two weeks.

However, Gregor said that if some residents’ leaf piles were overlooked in the next two weeks, then their leaves would be picked up after April 25 during the town’s Spring Clean-up Program.

, von Freddi said that the town is exploring the possibility of only collecting leaves from residents who are 77-years-old or older. 

Upon learning the news, one association member shouted, “I’ll have to take in a 77-year-old boarder, so the town will pick-up my leaves next year.”

THINK SUMMER

Also during the meeting, guest speaker Chris Bean, superintendent of the Town of Southampton’s Parks and Recreation Department, reminded everyone that summer is just around the corner and that means that pre-season sales of town beach parking permits have begun via mail. Applications can also be downloaded off the town’s website. As in previous years, all veterans will receive beach parking permits for free.

Bean said that helping to maintain the town’s beaches is part of his job description, but after a winter of severe storms, the spring clean up along the barrier beaches will certainly pose a challenge.

“This year on Tiana Beach we lost a lot of sand,” said Bean, who has worked for the Parks and Recreation Department for eight years, but was recently promoted to superintendent.

“Until last week,” Bean said the beach “looked like a mess.”

In an effort restore Tiana Beach after significant winter erosion, the Parks and Recreation Department deposited 6,600 cubic yards of new sand last week and repairs to the dune’s fence are underway.

In addition to supervising the beaches, Bean said he is also in charge of the town’s recreational programs, which he said he is quite proud of.

“We are offering a lot of exercise programs this year with some of the best instructors,” said Bean.  He continued,  “And one thing people don’t realize is that all of our programs just break-even. The fees just pay for instructor-we do not subsidize anything.  No taxpayer pays for an exercise class or any other class.”

GARDENS ON SHOW

Do you have a garden you’d like to show off to your friends and neighbors? The association is now accepting applications for its Annual Garden Tour on July 9. For information on the Garden Tour, contact Jean at 631-728-1672 or Valerie 631-728-5938.