Week in Review: Community Remembers Stian Stiansen

The following is a round-up of headlines posted during the week of May 6.

1. Need a Beach Permit? Here's Where to Get One

The summer beach season is nearly here and that means soon enough beach permits will be required to access area beaches in Westhampton Beach, Southampton and Quogue. So if you haven't gotten your permit yet or aren't sure where to, here is a list to check out. 

2. Neighbors Curious About Shuttered Restaurant

A restaurant that opened last summer at 363 Dune Road in Hampton Bays and now sits vacant and shuttered, has neighbors curious.

Oakland's restaurant is one of those neighbors and one employee said she's been watching to see what happens at the locale that has changed names multiple times over the years.

3. New Restaurant to Open in East Quogue

A new restaurant is set to open Memorial Day weekend in the former two-year-old La Lanterna restaurant in East Quogue. 

The new 80-seat restaurant, called the Station, according to owner Rafe Worthington, of Quogue, and his partner, Marina Rutherfurd, is based on a farm-to-table model where most everything served is either grown or landed locally. 

4. Nuzzi Receives GOP Nomination, Will Face Schneiderman

It's official — Southampton Town Councilman Chris Nuzzi is the Republicans' pick to attempt to unseat incumbent Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman.

Nuzzi, a Westhampton Beach resident and member of the Republican Party, received the Suffolk County Republican Committee's nomination Tuesday in an uncontested vote.

5. 10 Summer Reads to Bring to the Beach

With the official start of summer just two weeks away, Patch thought we take a look at the hottest summer books on the market.  To make our list, we reached out to Meg McGill, of Books and Books of Westhampton Beach, who said she is thrilled with the book selection this summer.

6. After Death of Resident, New Traffic Light Will be Installed

The Hampton Bays Beautification Association has won its fight to have a traffic light installed at the intersection of Montauk Highway and Canoe Place Road in Hampton Bays. 

On Tuesday, Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman announced that a safety review of the intersection revealed that the intersection is dangerous and that a light should be installed.

7. Community Remembers Stian Stiansen

On Sunday, East Quogue resident and commercial fisherman Stian Stiansen, 85, lost his life when his 45-foot trawler, the Pauline IV, capsized in the Shinnecock Inlet.  Since that fateful day, community members have expressed heartache for a man that they have known for this courage, his kindness, and his fierce calling as a captain of the seas.

8. Mom Takes Off On Motorcycle, Writes Book

Like most moms, Diana Bletter, of Westhampton, spent many years packing lunch boxes, wiping dripping noses, picking up scattered toys and breaking up sibling fights. But one day, her house fell silent — the last of her four children and two step kids were off to college. She was left not knowing what to do with herself. 

9. Sea Tow Captain Raced To Save Fishermen

Lester Trafford, a Sea Tow captain and a diver who volunteers with the Hampton Bays Fire Department, said he knew what he had to do when he heard the Mayday calls of a capsized boat in the Shinnecock Inlet. Without a second thought, he jumped on his boat Sunday afternoon and headed out into the choppy waters.

10. Get Fit With Zumba on the Beach this Summer

With his party Zumba classes becoming more popular, Zumba instructor Oscar Gonzalez has decided to expand his schedule this summer and offer fitness classes on the beach. 

"It's really taking off," Gonzalez said of his Zumba classes, which he said average about 70 attendees, ranging in age from 15 to 60. 

11. Family Rocked By Loss of Fishing Captain

Kathleen Sutter had just spoken to her uncle, Stian Stiansen, on Saturday — a day before his life was taken after a tragic accident in the Shinnecock Inlet on Sunday in which his fishing boat capsized.

"He was so full of life. He was a young 85," she said. "This is a great loss for our family." 

From her home in Islip on Monday morning, Sutter said that family members were trying to make sense of the accident while reminiscing about a man who she said was loving, caring and was always out to help others.