A Community Loss

Dear Bryan,

In a small community, such as ours, the loss of any member is felt by all. When someone is taken at such a young age and so unexpectedly it just seems to amplify the loss. So our family, along with all the folks we work with, felt so deeply at Myron and Susan Levine’s loss of their son, Josh. Our hearts also go out to Josh’s wife and their two children.

The Levine family’s generous offer to set up a chess area near the farmers’ market is a moving tribute to Josh and would be an asset to our entire village. Chess is a gift that can be played and enjoyed by people of all ages and the outdoor table and benches are both handsome and extremely well made. I hope our board accepts the generosity of this remembrance to their son.

Sincerely,
Bob & Susan Fisher
Sag Harbor

Watching the Oscars Alone

Dear Bryan,

In 1947 my husband won an Oscar for the editing of a film called “Body and Soul.” At the time we were living in the top floor of a duplex on Fair Avenue in the San Fernando Valley. Bob and a fellow vet had managed a G.I. loan, so it was modest; but the war was over and we were young and it was home.

On “The Night,” Bob put on a rented tuxedo, I wore whatever one wore in 1947 and we drove to the Shrine auditorium.

“And the Oscar goes to Robert Parrish.” He got up, didn’t kiss me or hug others on the walk to the stage where he took the mike in his hand and said, “Thank you,” and walked off. We found our second-hand Jeep in the parking lot and drove home.
Bob was nominated the next year for the editing of “All the King’s Men,” but he didn’t win, so it didn’t matter what I wore and there was no TV or red carpet.

We lived in England during the sixties and seventies where the Oscar night didn’t have the same razzle dazzle, but our contact was a yearly invitation to the ne plus ultra party with Irving “Swifty” Lazar. His guest list grew, all the beautiful people, and we figured that he knew we wouldn’t come all the way from London. One year we fooled him. In Hollywood on family business we accepted.

Swifty had taken over a room at Romanoff’s. It was impeccably arranged, television sets hanging from the ceiling and tables of eight. My dinner partner was Larry Gelbart, who rates among the most desirable dinner partners in the world. I don’t know what dress I wore, but I did wear a Frederick’s of Hollywood bra which did magical things for your cleavage. The party ended when the broadcast ended.

Back home in America, in Sag Harbor, Bob and I took to watching the show by having an early dinner, opening a bottle of wine, going to bed and nudging each other awake if anything interesting was happening.

Last night I watched the TV extravaganza alone while eating dinner. The red carpet preview! Bedazzled by the crowds outside and inside, the beautiful girls in to-die-for gowns, with Valentino looking pleased because he had dressed a girl who would have looked gorgeous in a burlap sack. I put the dishes in the dishwasher during the commercial.

During the next commercial I made myself a cup of chocolate, brushed my teeth, washed my face and got into bed. I was wearing a Lanz nightgown, $69.95 from the Vermont Country Store catalogue.

Kathie Parrish
North Haven

Successful HarborFrost

Dear Bryan:
On behalf of the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce, I wanted to thank everyone that sponsored, supported, participated and helped with our first annual HarborFrost.
We want to express our sincere thanks to many people, organizations, businesses, residents and all those who helped make this idea a reality.

Firstly, the Village of Sag Harbor including the Mayor, Trustees, the Police Department and the TCO’s, the Fire Department, the Superintendent of Highways and crew and the Building Inspector who all helped make this event happen. From submitting applications to the Village for this event, from setting up fireworks on the Wharf, to clearing snow on the beach, there were many behind-the-scene individuals who all pitched in to get this event off the ground. Special thanks to the Sag Harbor Volunteer Ambulance Corps, its members who organized the Polar Bear Plunge and the Sag Harbor Dive Team who were in the water and on stand-by for the Frosty Plunge. Not to mention the Fire and Police Departments who were also on stand-by for the fireworks.

There were many community organizations and businesses who came together to volunteer their time and energy to see HarborFrost become an annual event. The founding sponsors, Prudential Douglas Elliman whose efforts to push for the event came to fruition, Brown Harris Stevens in its generosity, the Hampton Gym Corp who offered hot showers to anyone participating in the plunge, the Sag Harbor Express who was always a believer in a winter event and helped make this happen and Save Sag Harbor who, without their financial support, we could not have had the successful turnout we did.

I have to mention the Supporting Sponsors as they played a vital role in HarborFrost. and the success of implementing a new event. The supporting sponsors were Amaden Gay Agencies Insurance, Apple Bank and the Corcoran Group.

Lastly, our organizations who have always been a staple of helping the Chamber and they are our Contributing Sponsors. There is the Sag Harbor Hysterical Society, the Sag Harbor Variety Store, 27 East and the Press News Group, Baron’s Cove, Colette Consignment, Dan’s Papers, Flying Point Surf and Sport, F. Michael Hemmer Land Surveyor, Homework in the Hamptons, the Sag Harbor Inn, Le Lampade, Macaroni Kid, the Southampton Inn, Times/Review Newsgroup, T & S Mott General Contracting, Tulla Booth Gallery and Youngblood. Our thanks go to all of our sponsors!

I have to include all of our businesses who participated in and were a part of the Fire and Ice theme. We had over 47 businesses run special promotions and offerings and we are very proud of them supporting and participating in this first time extravaganza.

Our visitors who came in to see all of the activities were able to really enjoy our merchants and what they were offering. We really rolled out the red carpet for them and the great feedback about our merchants continues to come into the chamber website. In addition, people volunteered to join this event with bringing some extra excitement into the village. Glass blowing by Megna Glass and free cupcakes given out on Main Street by Water Mill Cupcake Company. Then there were the individuals who volunteered on their own behalf to help out. For example, the plungers were offered free hot chocolate by Fran Nill and family, free hot soup by Phao, protected in the water by Ship-Ashore, free commentary by Bryan Boyhan and speaker systems by Charlie Laspesa. We also want to thank Patrick McLaughlin for encouraging us to do the event.

I want to touch upon the activities and thank Fear No Ice for their excellent sculpting and entertainment, the Grucci Family for their extremely wonderful winter fireworks, the Hysterical Society for their Culinary Stroll, the Fiery Sensations poi fire dancers, the Ambulance Corps and their great fundraising efforts with the Polar Bear Plunge. Thanks to Tiffany Scarlato who raised the bar with fundraising for the Ambulance Corps. We hope to see Tiffany and Trustee Stein take the frosty plunge again next year!

HarborFrost was the culmination of efforts by so many people that all came together to showcase Sag Harbor, that we all should be proud of playing a part in this event. Even our Sag Harbor Elementary School kids created snowflakes for all the stores to hang. Talk about community spirit and all coming together, this was a successful event because of the cooperation and eagerness of everyone to participate. If I failed to mention anyone, it is difficult due to so many players but let me say thanks to you also.

Lastly, I want to thank the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, particularly Benito Vila, who single-handedly made this Fire and Ice themed event, an event called HarborFrost, a wildly popular and extremely successful afternoon. I know I look forward already to the next HarborFrost!

Sincerely,
Robert Evjen, President
Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce
President’s Day

Dear Bryan:
Today is President’s Day when we honor Washington and Lincoln. There, at our beginning, was the selfless Washington guiding a diverse and farflung nation without e-mail or the cable news networks. With so many “start up” issues to resolve it is a wonder that we had Presidents two, three, and four.

There is nothing new to say about Lincoln, except that he loved this country so much that even losing a son, having a wife beset by personal challenges, and being hated by so many of his fellow countrymen, would not keep him from saving our nation. Let us not forget on this day that he too was a loving father and husband.

Considering the challenges we have faced over the past 235 years, it is a wonder that we are still here. But I believe that it has been the guiding hand of God that has made America possible. He wanted an oppressed world to have hope. And because of leaders like Washington and Lincoln along with the greatness of the American people, fair reader, that hope is still alive.

Bill Jones
Hampton Bays

Popularity: 1% [?]