Officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Sag Harbor’s 7-Eleven on Monday morning. Officials were turning away patrons from the store, which was a part of a 14-store raid across Long Island and Virginia Monday morning. 

By Kathryn G. Menu

“The 7-Eleven is closed today.”

Those are the words customers attempting to enter the West Water Street, Sag Harbor business were told Monday morning by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. Those officers were part of a team which seized a number of 7-Eleven stores across Long Island in an investigation that resulted in the arrest of nine individuals.

The 7-Eleven stores seized in New York were located in Sag Harbor, Greenport, Cutchogue, Islip, Selden, Nesconset, Port Jefferson Station, Smithtown, Huntington and Islip Terrace.

In Virginia, two franchises in Chesapeake and one in Norfolk and Portsmouth were also seized in the raid.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, two indictments were unsealed Monday charging eight men and one woman from Long Island with conspiring to commit wire fraud, stealing identities and concealing and harboring illegal immigrants employed at 7-Eleven franchise stores located throughout Long Island and in Virginia.

Sag Harbor’s 7-Eleven is owned by husband and wife Farrukh and Bushra Baig, who also owned, co-owned and controlled 12 of the 7-Eleven franchise stores in question, including stores in Cutchogue and Greenport. Both are named in the indictment. Calls to Farrukh Baig, 57, were not immediately returned.

According to United States Attorney Loretta E. Lynch, throughout the scheme the defendants allegedly hired dozens of illegal immigrants, equipped them with more than 20 stolen identities, housed them at residences they owned and stole substantial portions of their wages.

In addition to Farrukh and Bushra Baig, 49, who are listed as residents of Head of Harbor, New York, other defendants in this case include Baig’s brothers, Zahid and Shannawaz Baig, 52 and 62, respectively, both from Chesapeake, Virginia. Malik Yousef, 51, of South Setauket, Tariq Rana, 34, of Chesapeake, Virginia, and Ramon Nanas, 49, of Great River, New York are also listed as defendants. Brothers Ahzar Zia, 49, of Great River and Ummar Uppal, 48, of Islip Terrace were indicted separately and controlled two other Suffolk County 7-Eleven franchise stores.

If convicted, the defendants will face 20 years’ imprisonment on wire fraud conspiracy and alien harboring charges, as well as multiple counts of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory, consecutive two-year term of incarceration. In addition, all property used to facilitate the harboring of illegal immigrants, together with all proceeds of the wire fraud conspiracy and alien harboring charges, are subject to forfeiture, according to a press release issued by Lynch on Monday.

The defendants were expected to be presented for arraignment on Wednesday at the United States Courthouses in Central Islip, New York and Norfolk, Virginia.

According to court documents, from 2000 to the present, the defendants collectively and systematically employed more than 50 illegal immigrants at the 14 franchise stores on Long Island and in Virginia.

The defendants were responsible for using 7-Eleven’s automated payroll service, where they would input each employee’s personal identifying information and hours for transmission to corporate headquarters. Working with the data provided by the defendants, 7-Eleven processed the payroll and, after subtracting certain expenses, issued wages in the form of checks, direct deposits or debit cards.

However, rather than transmitting the true identification information of the illegal immigrant employees to 7-Eleven headquarters for processing, the defendants allegedly used more than 20 stolen identities, submitting stolen names and Social Security numbers of United States citizens to conceal the presence of illegal immigrants on the 7-Eleven franchise store payrolls.

As alleged in court documents, the victims of the identity theft hail from seven states, range in age from 8 to 78 years old, and include a child, three dead people and a Coast Guard cadet. In addition, the defendants, together with others, caused the 7-Eleven payroll service to transmit this false information, including the stolen identity information, to United States regulatory agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration.

7-Eleven headquarters processed the payroll and sent the employees’ wages to the defendants for distribution. The defendants then allegedly stole significant portions of the illegal immigrants’ wages, rather than paying the workers in full. The defendants also required the illegal immigrants to live in residences owned by the defendants and to pay rent in cash to the defendants.

During the scheme, the defendants allegedly generated over $182 million in proceeds from the 7-Eleven franchise stores. Profits from those stores were shared by the defendants and 7-Eleven, according to the district attorney’s office.

“Today the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn announced it had filed two indictments related to alleged wrongdoing by independent 7-Eleven franchisees,” said Margaret Chabris, communications director for 7-Eleven, Inc. in a statement. “7-Eleven, Inc. has cooperated with the government’s investigation. All of our franchise owners must operate their stores in accordance with laws and the 7-Eleven franchise agreement. 7-Eleven, Inc. will take aggressive actions to audit the employment status of all its franchisees’ employees. 7-Eleven, Inc. is taking steps to assume corporate operation of the stores involved in this action so we can continue to serve our guests. We continue to cooperate with federal authorities in this matter.”

According to officials, the indictments, arrests and seizures are the result of what is one of the largest criminal immigrant employment investigations ever conducted by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. On Monday, federal agents were sent out across the country to execute multiple search and seizure warrants and inspect approximately 30 7-Eleven franchise stores.

According to court records, the government has moved to forfeit the franchise rights to 10 7-Eleven stores in New York and four 7-Eleven stores in Virginia. It has also moved to forfeit five houses in New York worth over $1.3 million. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the case announced today constitutes the largest criminal immigration forfeiture in its history.

“As set forth in the indictments, the defendants used 7-Eleven as a platform from which to run elaborate criminal enterprises,” said Lynch. “From their 7-Eleven stores, the defendants dispensed wire fraud and identity theft, along with Slurpees and hot dogs. In bedroom communities across Long Island and Virginia, the defendants not only systematically employed illegal immigrants, but concealed their crimes by raiding the cradle and the grave to steal the identities of children and even the dead.”

“Finally, these defendants ruthlessly exploited their immigrant employees,” added Lynch, “stealing their wages and requiring them to live in unregulated boarding houses, in effect creating a modern day plantation system. As this case shows, we are committed to preserving the rule of law and protecting our communities from the abuses of corrupt businessmen seeking to gain illegal advantage. I would like to thank our partners at HSI, New York State Police, Suffolk County Police and SSA-OIG for their hard work on this important investigation.”

“The 7-11 franchises seized today will be better known for their big fraud than their Big Gulp,” said James T. Hayes, special agent in charge with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations New York field office. “As alleged, the franchise owners knowingly and repeatedly employed an illegal workforce and abused and exploited that workforce for more than 13 years. This charged criminal scheme had a vast detrimental effect on both the employees who were overworked and cheated out of wages, as well as the more than 25 American citizens whose lives were upended by the theft of their identities in furtherance of the scheme.”

“As alleged in the indictment, these nine individuals took full advantage of illegal immigrants through a multi-state scheme that generated millions in profits for themselves while ignoring the common decency in the employer/employee relationship,” said New York State Police Superintendent Joseph A. D’Amico. “The defendants allegedly provided the illegal immigrants with false documentation, stole significant portions of their wages and set them up in living arrangements that left the individuals completely beholden to them. I commend the unwavering dedication of the State Police Investigators who worked with our partners from federal, state and local law enforcement to make these defendants accountable for their actions.”

“As charged in the indictments, the defendants have been exploiting vulnerable individuals who, due to their immigration status, may have been afraid to come forward and report possible wrongdoing by their employers,” said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Edward Webber. “This multi-agency investigation illustrates our commitment to fighting against employers who abuse immigrant employees for their own financial gain.”

“The Social Security Number System within the Social Security Administration (SSA) tracks individuals’ earnings throughout their work history to later determine the SSA retirement benefit they have earned,” said Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General Special Agent-in-Charge Edward Ryan. “The type of alleged actions of the individuals named in this indictment not only violates federal law, but also threatens the integrity of the Social Security Number System by causing wages to be erroneously posted to SSA’s system of records. We appreciate the cooperation of the represented law enforcement agencies here today in our ongoing initiatives to prevent fraud, waste and abuse of SSA programs.”

The government’s case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher A. Ott, Brian Morris and Elliot M. Schachner.

By Kathryn G. Menu; photography by Michael Heller

With issues like stormwater runoff, the ongoing contract dispute with the Sag Harbor Police Benevolent Association (PBA), flooding and the future of Long Wharf at stake, on Tuesday Sag Harbor Village residents will turn out to vote in one of the most hotly contested mayoral races in recent memory.

Four candidates are seeking to lead the village for the next two years, including incumbent Mayor Brian Gilbride, 65, who is seeking a third consecutive term as mayor after serving on the village board since 1994. Gilbride is running as a member of the Sag Harbor Party with incumbent trustee Ed Gregory, one of four candidates seeking two, two-year terms as a member of the Sag Harbor Village Board of Trustees.

Gilbride is facing a longtime political foe in former village mayor Pierce Hance, 68, who served at the helm of the village board from 1993 to 1999. Hance is running independently as a member of The Economy Party.

Gilbride, a 44 year member of the Sag Harbor Fire Department and former chief, formerly worked as a sanitation supervisor for Southampton Town before becoming a manager for Emil Norsic & Sons.

The incumbent is seeking another term, in part, to see through negotiations with the Sag Harbor PBA, as well as to see other projects to fruition like remediation of Havens Beach.

Hance has been an almost constant presence at village board meetings over the last two years. Hance is a self-employed financial analyst and business consultant. He is also a member of the Sag Harbor Historical Society and the Breakwater Yacht Club Community Sailing Center

One of the primary reasons Hance has cited for seeking re-election as mayor is his belief that the Sag Harbor Village Board has lost its transparency. He would also like to see better communication between village departments and the administration.

Also running is Sandra Schroeder, 56, who was the village clerk from 2002 to 2008 and the village administrator from 2008 to 2010 until her retirement. Running as a member of The Residents Party, this is Schroeder’s first foray into politics.

Schroeder is a lifelong resident of Sag Harbor and began working for Sag Harbor Village in 1989. Schroeder has volunteered for the Sag Harbor Cub Scouts and is an honorary member of the Sag Harbor Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary. Schroeder has called for comprehensive planning for village boards like the Harbor Committee, and would like to see drainage issues addressed.

Harbor Committee Chairman Bruce Tait, 61, is also a first time candidate for elected office and is seeking the mayor’s seat on The Preservation Party line.

Tait, who owns the yacht brokerage firm Bruce Tait and Associates on Bay Street, first served as a member of the Harbor Committee in the early 1980s and was reappointed to that board 12 years ago, named chairman in 2005.

Tait is on the board of directors of the Breakwater Yacht Club Community Sailing Center and helped start the junior sailing program at Pierson Middle-High School.

Waterfront issues facing Sag Harbor, such as drainage, water quality and planning for the future of Long Wharf are chief reasons Tait has decided to seek the mayoral seat.

The race for village board is also contested, Four candidates are vying for two seats, including Gregory, 67, who is seeking his 13th term on the board on the Sag Harbor Party line. In addition to Gregory’s seat on the village board, candidates are also seeking to fill the seat vacated by Tim Culver last summer after he moved outside of Sag Harbor Village.

Gregory has been a member of the village board since 1978 and has lived in Sag Harbor for 44 years. A graduate of Bridgehampton School, he runs his family business, Gregory Electric in Bridgehampton. He is a member of the Sag Harbor Volunteer Ambulance Corps and is a former member of the Sag Harbor Fire Department.

He has cited his desire to see certain projects, like the remediation of Havens Beach and planning for the future use of Long Wharf as reasons for seeking another term.

Also running for trustee is Ed Deyermond, 60, who served as the village’s mayor from 2003 to 2006 and as trustee from 2007 to 2009. Deyermond was also a member of the village board in the 1990s, and served as East Hampton Town’s tax assessor for close to two decades before becoming Southampton Town’s assessor from 1990 to 2001, and again in 2006 through 2010. Deyermond has also served as North Haven Village Clerk. Deyermond is running on The Progressive Party line.

Deyermond, a 35-year member of the fire department, said he hopes to bring his years of government experience to issues like the ongoing police contract negotiations as well as village finances.

Also seeking re-election is Bruce Stafford, 55, a two-year member of the village board who was ousted last year by political newcomer Kevin Duchemin.  Stafford is running on the Conservative Party line. For Stafford, a self-employed landscaper and 36 year member of the Sag Harbor Fire Department, currently on that department’s board of wardens, seeking another term was an opportunity to give back to his community.

Stafford is president of the Sag Harbor Fire Department Benevolent Association and is chairman of the board at the Sag Harbor United Methodist Church. He also serves as a fire department liaison to the Sag Harbor Boy Scout Troop 455.

New to the political arena is trustee candidate Ken O’Donnell, 45, the owner of La Superica Mexican restaurant in Sag Harbor. He will be running on the Citizens for Common Sense line.

O’Donnell said he has decided to seek office as a way of giving back to his community, but also in an effort to bring a new perspective to the Sag Harbor Village Board — that of a business owner who has over 19 years of management experience. Water quality and contract negotiations are two issues he would like to focus on if elected.

On Sunday, all eight candidates gathered in front of a crowd of some 30 residents in the Pierson Middle-High School auditorium to debate issues facing Sag Harbor Village. The forum was sponsored by The Sag Harbor Express and issues ranged from ongoing police contract negotiations, management styles, flooding and drainage and the future of Long Wharf.

Gregory believes over the next two years the Sag Harbor Village budget — constrained by a two-percent property tax levy cap imposed two years ago by the state — should be focused on addressing waterfront issues. Long Wharf, acquired by the village from Suffolk County last year, was estimated to need over $600,000 in repairs as of 2010, according to a report completed that year by the county. None of that work has been completed.

“We will be doing our own study to see what it will cost us to maintain Long Wharf,” said Gregory, who believes spending priorities should also include looking at improving drainage in the Garden Street neighborhood.

“I believe we have to concentrate on the waterfront as well,” agreed O’Donnell, who said his concern was water quality in the coves and flooding in low lying neighborhoods. “I believe we need to be more proactive in preparing for flooding.”

Deyermond agreed water quality in Sag Harbor Cove was something the village needed to take a close look at.  He applauded the remediation of Havens Beach, but said more work was still necessary, noting a problematic sump on Rysam Street — thought to be remediated — struggled during the last big storm.

“Water quality is a big issue here and I know we have a new street sweeper with a vacuum and I think we should put that to use to clean some of our catch basins,” he added.

“I am very concerned our village needs a comprehensive plan,” said Schroeder, adding a plan could give the village boards stronger laws to protect the village. “It would be a tool different boards would be able to use. “

“I think one of the things we have to pay attention to is the stormwater runoff problem,” said Tait. “Environmentally it is degrading the bays and it is also causing a hardship for people living in low lying areas.”

Tait believes the village should be seeking funding for waterfront projects like addressing water quality issues through the Peconic Estuary Program. Drainage off Long Island Avenue, said Tait is a particular concern — not just for residents but in terms of the impact on water quality when stormwater water is streaming past catch basins and straight into the bays.

“I think the overriding issue for me is the quality of life in the village,” said Hance of his spending priorities which include waterfront issues, improving parks and streets and using resources like the Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan (LWRP) as tools to help chart a course for the village.

“As a planner, I feel it is important for the village to do the research, and prioritize from there,” he said. “The first thing is identifying the problems and then prioritizing the finances.”

“The question is as far as I am concerned spending in the village. Every year we boil it down to where we are arguing about $50,000,” said Gilbride.

However, the village is also operating in a time where buying a fire truck costs about $500,000.

“The bottom line is we continue to service the village,” he said. “That’s fire department, ambulance, public works, police, village boards. We have an $8 million budget and that money is carved out fairly evenly. We haven’t cut any services in the village.”

Stafford said he agreed the waterfront was a critical resource to protect. Financial planning, added Stafford, will enable the village to do more with less.

“Recently Mayor Gilbride purchased the last two fire trucks through the reserve where in previous years we have bonded for those trucks — with some trucks being traded in before they are even paid off.”

Keeping taxes low at the same time, said Stafford, was important to keep the year round community in Sag Harbor.

Regarding the future of Long Wharf, O’Donnell noted that while it cost $1 to purchase from the county, it comes with liabilities. In addition to making the wharf safer, O’Donnell said he would also like the village to explore bringing water and electricity onto the wharf to attract larger yachts. Ultimately, O’Donnell said he would like residents and the Harbor Committee to formulate a plan for the facility.

“But we are going to have to figure out a way to bring revenue to Long Wharf to make it pay for itself,” he said.

“I don’t have any idea of any additional uses we could have outside of what is already there — boating and parking,” said Deyermond, other uses would reduce parking — a critical issue in Sag Harbor. The wharf, he agreed, should be made safer from a liability standpoint.

Schroeder agreed electricity and water should be brought to the wharf and also encouraged its use for special events. While she would like to see more greenery added to the wharf, Schroeder said she was not sure other uses would fit appropriately on the wharf.

Tait said he believes the wharf is underutilized and would ultimately like to see parking pulled back to accommodate open space parkland at the end of the wharf. Looking into whether the Community Preservation Fund (CPF) could help fund this would be another idea to explore, said Tait.

“Because of how expensive it is going to be to keep it and maintain it, I would personally open it up to the village for a village wide discussion on what we should do,” he added.

“I think what we need to do is look at the balance and the focus of Long Wharf,” said Hance adding amenities on Long Wharf, like green space, power and water is investing in the community.

“Can we have water and power poles and still have public access,” asked Hance. “It is about taking what we have there, refining it and improving it.”

While Sag Harbor officially owns Long Wharf, Gilbride noted the village has managed it for over 20 years. Gilbride said the village has always maintained liability insurance on the wharf and would like to see it remain an important parking and boating asset, also providing venues for organizations like Bay Street Theatre for fundraisers.

Stafford agreed that in terms of parking in Sag Harbor, it was too precious to lose any on Long Wharf.

“I would suggest taxpayer input — they are the ones who ultimately pay for it and are using it,” he said.

“I think what we should do is set up a committee,” said Gregory, noting that was something originally suggested by Tait. “I would like to see it greened up a little. It provides a lot of parking, but let’s face it — it’s not the most attractive place out there.”

Easily the most contested issue as of late in Sag Harbor has been the ongoing contract negotiations with the Sag Harbor PBA. That contract is now in arbitration more than two years since the force last worked with a contract. During the course of the last year, one position was eliminated from the police force through attrition and another through a lay-off in the adopted 2013-2014 budget.

Deyermond said he believed the rhetoric needed to be toned down to move negotiations in a positive direction.

“People are talking so loud no one is listening,” he said.

“It is really tough,” said Schroeder who would like to see more diversity in terms of pay grades within the department. She added she believed positions should be eliminated through attrition not lay offs.

“We are in a difficult spot because of the failure to negotiate with the PBA prior to arbitration,” said Tait, who added Albany needed to be lobbied to help the village deal with the pension system.

Hance, who became mayor in 1993 during a similar situation, said the key is looking at the coverage needs of the village, what kind of activity is happening and what kind of budget that justifies.

“What do people want? What does the activity warrant and then what does that cost,” asked Hance. “If people want to pay it, fine. Otherwise we have to go another way.”

“The bottom line is it was the police who chose to go to arbitration,” said Gilbride, who has negotiated with the PBA as the village police commissioner and been the target of attacks as a result — at public meetings, in print and even in negative campaign signs found throughout the village last week.

Gilbride said he believes he has placed the village in a good position as it enters arbitration.

“I believe 10 officers and a chief gets us 365 days, seven days a week with two people on and 190 extra shifts left over,” he said, adding the village has saved $375,000 in this budget year by reducing the size of the police department.

Stafford said he liked the men in the department, but many village employs draw far smaller salaries and it was his hope the PBA would have waited a year or two through the end of a shaky economy before seeking a raise. Ten officers, he added, should be able to provide enough coverage to the village. Part time staff can fill in, he said.

Gregory agreed.

“Brian, as police commissioner, has come back to us and shown us the department will work this way,” he said, noting he would like to explore legislation to cut down on the amount of retirement costs incurred by the village.

“First regarding negotiations, if you are going to negotiate anything in order for it to be successful you have to remove emotions and I think that has been lacking on both sides,” said O’Donnell.

He added he would not want to see single officer shifts and if there is a study showing 10 officers would provide sufficient coverage he would like to see it publicly vetted.

Deyermond agreed.

“If it works with one [chief] and 10 [officers], fine,” said Deyermond. However no one has seen that report, he noted. Deyermond added the economy is picking up and the waterfront expanding.

“I agree with Pierce that we need to look at what we need to have,” said Tait.

In closing, Tait said he considered himself in good company among the mayoral candidates — all who come with a lot of experience.

“I may not have the most experience, but experience alone is not a guarantee for success,” he said. “Sometimes I think it puts you in a rut and you start going to the same things over and over again.”

Flooding issues, Long Wharf and traffic calming will be his top priorities if elected mayor, he said.

Hance said ultimately he would like to see more open, transparent discussions about village issues.

“That would be my objective — address all these issues but do so in the public eye and with public input,” he said.

“We have gotten a fair amount of projects done in the last four years,” noted Gilbride who said he was running on his record.

“I would like to see the village and all its boards have all the tools they need to do their reviews,” said Schroeder. “I want to see personnel issues worked out.”

Bridgehampton School students Aries Cooks and Tyler Stephens worked with teachers Jessica Rodgers and Joyce Raimondo to complete a mural in the school’s cafeteria on Tuesday. michael heller photo

By Tessa Raebeck

A once bare wall in the cafeteria at Bridgehampton School is being filled with vibrant images of positive self-expression and creativity.

Celebrated artist and children’s book author Joyce Raimondo, a resident of East Hampton, is working with students to create an anti-bullying mural as part of the district’s Dignity Act for All Students (DASA) and Positive Behavioral Intervention Support System (PBIS) efforts.

“I wanted to create a project that would give young people a positive and creative forum for teamwork, rather than focus on all the negative aspects of bullying,” said Raimondo.

Raimondo is author of the popular “Art Explorer” series and “The Museum of Modern Art’s Art Safari” book. Her inspiration for the anti-bullying project came out of touring schools across the country.

“I do programs all over the United States based on my books about how to spark creativity,” said Raimondo. “So, I visit a lot of schools and I noticed when I was visiting the schools that there are a lot of signs in the schools — posters and different words — telling the children how to behave. They’re commercial posters and often there are no pictures, just a word or a message.”

Raimondo decided to create a forum for students “to get involved in illustrating the opposite of bullying.” She decided to focus on positive behavior and constructive messages, centering on the positive efforts that counteract bullying rather than the negative implications of bullying.

The notion behind the mural centers around two key components.

“One was let’s not focus on anti-bullying, on what you’re not supposed to do,” explained Raimondo. “Let’s give the kids a focal point of: This is how you are supposed to be towards each other. This is the kind of world you want to create.”

The second element is “taking these positive messages and making it art by kids for kids, because it’s all created by the students themselves,” said Raimondo.

The first step in the process of creating the mural is looking at the artwork of famous artists, such as Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock, and having group discussions.

“Through these discussions, they’re learning about how artists express themselves creatively,” said Raimondo. “They’re also learning about the idea of expression.”

Discussing the artists’ individuality facilitates students’ understanding of the harms of bullying.

“When you express yourself, you’re entitled to have your own ideas,” said Raimondo. “You’re entitled to have your own individuality. That’s encouraged. You also need to appreciate other people’s ideas and other people’s creativity.”

Following the discussion, students are divided up into teams. Each team gets a word or phrase to illustrate with paper cutouts. Raimondo incorporates the school’s slogans into the mural. At Bridgehampton School, slogans such as “Respect,” “Be Kind” and “Ready to Learn” are included. Instead of bare posters dictating directions, the messages are now imbued in the vibrant mural.

By working together in teams, students learn how to resolve conflicts and reach cooperative decisions.

Raimondo guides the process, but the ideas come from the students. “A lot of the emphasis in school is about following direction,” she said. “I’m giving them an opportunity to express themselves creatively within a group.”

After the teams submit their posters, Raimondo brings them to her professional art studio and designs the mural based on the students’ ideas.

“The children’s ideas are so whimsical, fun and lively,” she said. “In my opinion, they’re far better than any adult could ever think of.”

Bridgehampton students Tyler Stephens and Aries Cook have been selected to paint the mural alongside Raimondo. Stephens is in the eighth grade and Cook is a ninth grader.

The once blank wall is now filled with colorful images and positive messages. One image is of a boy with a light bulb above his head, “to illustrate the idea of learning and ideas,” explained Raimondo. The boy is riding a skateboard.

“That’s what came from the kids,” she said. “The adults wouldn’t put him on a skateboard.”

Sag Harbor resident Chris Hegedus at the Sag Harbor Village Board meeting Tuesday night. Hegedus continued to call on the Sag Harbor Village Board to develop a comprehensive drainage plan for the low lying areas of Sag Harbor. 

By Kathryn G. Menu

Residents of Garden, Howard and Spring streets in Sag Harbor continued a call this week for a comprehensive drainage plan to combat the ravages of weather events like Superstorm Sandy on their historic homes.

And local businesses appear to be on their side.

A comprehensive drainage strategy is the root of a petition to the village which has been signed by more than 150 residents and business owners. The petition calls for improvements to the municipal drainage system, a commitment to assess future building projects in terms of drainage impact and calls for a moratorium on all development that requires the installation of an above ground septic system and changes in topography until a village-wide plan is adopted.

But there is one imminent proposal already slated to go forward which neighbors still hope to stall.

In April, the Sag Harbor Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) granted a variance that will ultimately allow William Egan to expand his Garden Street home. FEMA and county regulations require the house on the property be elevated, but it is the raising of the topography on the property — necessary to accommodate a four bedroom expansion and accompanying above ground septic system — that neighbors fear will send even more flood waters into their homes when the next big storm comes a calling.

On Tuesday night, resident Angela Scott presented the board with a new report from Schneider Engineering reviewing drainage plans associated with the Egan proposal, comparing it with the original plans filed in 2005 and 2006.

According to the report, ground elevation is different on a revised drawing as opposed to the original drawing.

“On the newer drawing, the soil boring shows that the groundwater elevation is 1.8 feet,” reads the report, drafted by Steven Schneider. “The existing ground elevation is at 3.5 feet. Suffolk County Department of Health Services requires a 2.0 foot separation from the bottom of the drainage system to the ground water elevation. The separation on the drawing is negative 0.3 feet. Therefore there is insufficient separation between the groundwater and the drainage system that is proposed.”

“The parcel is in a flood zone,” continues Schneider’s analysis. “The water table fluctuates with the tide, thus changing every day. The reliance on a test hole dug years ago is suspect at best and if the water table is higher, then the designed storm water retention system and the septic system will not comply with requirements regarding distance to water table, typically 24 inches.”

“The existing property is the lowest point in the area,” adds Schneider. “Changing the natural flows in the area could result in negative impacts on neighboring residential properties, the local road network and municipal drainage system.”

After Scott read that letter, Mayor Brian Gilbride said that while he has empowered village planning consultant Richard Warren to explore drainage in the village, the Egan application is not before the village board and therefore they cannot intervene.

Scott argued the ZBA was only able to look at one aspect of Egan’s plan — to raise steps to the renovated residence — and was in fact counseled not to consider the project as a whole. Scott said what neighbors want is some village board to address the environmental impact they believe this project could have on a neighborhood plagued with flooding issues.

“No one has looked at this drainage plan with any concern about what the impact could be on the neighbors,” she said. “We are not saying they cannot build, but we would like you to review what their drainage plan is.”

Mayor Gilbride said he would turn the documents over to building inspector Tim Platt for review.

D.A. Pennebaker, another neighbor, passed out petitions to the board, noting there were a number of letters from local businesses supporting the proposal. He suggested the board could also look at extending the village’s wastewater treatment plant services into the neighborhood as a means of alleviating the need for septic systems, improving water quality and drainage. Funding, he added, could be found through state and federal grants.

Trustee Robby Stein agreed this was something that should be explored, but added it is a costly process for each homeowner — having to abandon a septic system and pay to hook up to the village system, which could run in the thousands of dollars.

Even in the last big rain storms, countered Pennebaker, the neighborhood has contended with septic systems that simply refuse to work.

“You can’t flush your toilet,” he said.

Stein said he would like to see the village develop a comprehensive plan.

“When I look at the village budget issues, this is a big area we have to look at,” said Stein.

Apparently, some local businesses agree.

Save Sag Harbor board member and Howard Street resident Mia Grosjean read a letter from veterinarian Dr. Barry Browning , one of 19 local business owners who have signed the petition.

Browning recounted the harrowing events during Superstorm Sandy, which brought little rain but a tidal surge that overwhelmed the bulkhead on West Water Street and for an hour and a half poured about eight million gallons of flood waters into the Long Island Avenue, Bridge Street neighborhood and below into Garden, Howard and Spring streets.

Browning asked the village to develop a plan to reduce rainwater runoff, maintain a better pumping system with frequently cleaned drains and back-up electricity in the event of a power outage like what occurred during Superstorm Sandy. He also asked the village to have a sandbag program in place to increase the height of the West Water Street bulkheads and develop an emergency hotline able to reach village officials during such an event.

Dottie Simons, the president of retail operations for Dodds & Eder on Bridge Street also called for a review of the village drainage system in a letter submitted to the board.

“Operating from Bridge Street, we are in the front row, in the middle of the whole problem,” she wrote. “There is clear indication that it is time to address these issues, and resolve them.”

“We suffered losses in the flooding totaling $80,000,” she continued. “We are a new business in this village that had invested a great deal of effort, money and time in renovating this building to become part of the community and cannot afford to suffer such a loss like that at anytime.”

Mayor Gilbride praised police, fire and ambulance personnel for their response during Sandy and said the tidal surge would not have been aided through the pump system.

“Quite honestly, I am 65 years old and I don’t ever remember water coming over West Water Street to that extent,” he said, adding Superintendent of Public Works Dee Yardley has fixed or replaced much of pump systems regardless. He reiterated that Warren is looking into the village’s drainage system in advance of hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an “extremely active” 2013 hurricane season.

At Scott’s pressing, Mayor Gilbride noted the Egan application in particular will come before the village’s Harbor Committee for review before it can move forward.

Under the Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan’s policy number four, the committee is charged with minimizing loss of life, structures and natural resources from flooding and erosion.

Included under that chapter is a mandate the committee “manage development in flood plains so as to avoid adverse environmental effects, to minimize the need for structural flood protection measures, and to meet federal flood insurance program standards.”

By Kathryn G. Menu

Each summer there are at least a few stories on the East End about the dog left too long in an unvented car on a hot summer’s day, panting to survive in the face of oven-like conditions. But despite pamphlets in the Sag Harbor Village Police Department, each summer these stories persist, which is why Dorothy Frankel has begun a crusade on behalf of man’s best friend to prevent what can be a deadly mistake.

At Tuesday night’s Sag Harbor Village Board of Trustees meeting, Frankel urged the village board to pass a resolution to purchase a handful of signs “Warning: Heat Kills Pets in Parked Vehicles.” The signs are already being produced by the Town of Southampton and will be posted at bays and oceans, as well as municipal lots in that jurisdiction.

Frankel asked the board to purchase less than 10 signs at $30 apiece to be posted in key locations around Sag Harbor — on Main Street, in the parking lot behind Main Street and by the post office, for example. Frankel said the signs would serve simply as reminders to pet owners that the decision to dash into a store for an extended period of time while their car is parked in the heat without significant ventilation is putting their animals in serious danger.

Because apparently the law simply isn’t good enough.

While Sag Harbor Village does not have a specific line item in its code prohibiting leaving animals in unventilated cars, both the state and Suffolk County do.

According to a statute from the laws of New York State’s Department of Agriculture and Markets, it is illegal in the state to “confine a companion animal in a motor vehicle in extreme heat or cold without proper ventilation or other protection from such extreme temperatures where such confinement places the companion animal in imminent danger of death or serious physical injury due to exposure of extreme heat or cold.”

Under that law, police or peace officers are instructed to remove the animal by whatever necessary steps are required. Anyone found guilty of this violation faces a $50 to $100 fine as a first offense and a $100 to $250 fine under subsequent offenses.

While the Town of Southampton is erecting orange and red signs, Frankel said less obtrusive white and green signs are also available. The need in Sag Harbor, she added, is critical, to the point where just Tuesday — a day with temperatures in the mid-70s, which can translate to over 100 degrees in an unventilated car over time — she snapped a picture of a dog left in a car with one window cracked about an inch.

“Usually the person loves the animal, but they are not educated to realize they are going into a store and they are not going to be just one minute,” said Frankel.

“I am not saying let’s clutter the village with signs but could we be open to the idea that people leave their animals in their cars and they do it all the time,” she added.

Trustee Robby Stein said he would continue conversations with Frankel and Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce President Kelly Connaughton before the board considered a final decision.

Chief Asks to Hire Laid Off Officer Part Time

Also on Tuesday night, both village board member Kevin Duchemin and Sag Harbor Village Police Chief Tom Fabiano asked the board to pass a resolution hiring former full-time police officer David Driscoll — laid off as the last hire in the 2013-2014 village budget — back in a part time position.

However, while Mayor Brian Gilbride said it was his intention to do just that within the next week or so, the board stalled on the resolution while Mayor Gilbride said he ironed out details about the legality of hiring back a full time employee on a part time basis. The salary was also still a question for Mayor Gilbride, although Duchemin — a sergeant with the East Hampton Village Police Department — said with Driscoll’s 17 years of experience he deserved $30 per hour.

Chief Fabiano added without Driscoll he feels he will have to resort to using overtime, which would ultimately cost the department more than hiring Driscoll part time.

Mayor Gilbride responded he believes with the department’s 10 current officers and the chief it should be able to staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week with two officers on at all times and still have 190 shifts to play with. Chief Fabiano said this time

of year, a lot of vacation time creates open shifts he has to fill.

Hamlet to Hamlet Trail Viewed Favorably

A hamlet to hamlet trail system — created throughout Southampton Town by the Southampton Trails Preservation Society — aims to begin connecting downtowns with a path between Sag Harbor and Bridgehampton. On Tuesday night, Tony Garro, a member of the society’s Hamlet-to-Hamlet Committee, received a favorable review of the project from the Sag Harbor Village Board, which will have to sign off on the green blazers that will mark the trail from the Sag Harbor Historical Society back into the Glover Street neighborhood and over to Mashashimuet Park where it would connect to an existing trail system leading to Bridgehampton.

Garro was asked to provide the village board with a map of the trail and the location for the blazes marking the path, but was told he would have village support.

Eventually, hamlet-to-hamlet trails will connect Sag Harbor to Noyac, Noyac to North Sea, North Sea to Southampton Village and beyond until Southampton Town as a walking path between all of its hubs, much like England.

By Kathryn G. Menu

Each summer there are at least a few stories on the East End about the dog left too long in an unvented car on a hot summer’s day, panting to survive in the face of oven-like conditions. But despite pamphlets in the Sag Harbor Village Police Department, each summer these stories persist, which is why Dorothy Frankel has begun a crusade on behalf of man’s best friend to prevent what can be a deadly mistake.

At Tuesday night’s Sag Harbor Village Board of Trustees meeting, Frankel urged the village board to pass a resolution to purchase a handful of signs “Warning: Heat Kills Pets in Parked Vehicles.” The signs are already being produced by the Town of Southampton and will be posted at bays and oceans, as well as municipal lots in that jurisdiction.

Frankel asked the board to purchase less than 10 signs at $30 apiece to be posted in key locations around Sag Harbor — on Main Street, in the parking lot behind Main Street and by the post office, for example. Frankel said the signs would serve simply as reminders to pet owners that the decision to dash into a store for an extended period of time while their car is parked in the heat without significant ventilation is putting their animals in serious danger.

Because apparently the law simply isn’t good enough.

While Sag Harbor Village does not have a specific line item in its code prohibiting leaving animals in unventilated cars, both the state and Suffolk County do.

According to a statute from the laws of New York State’s Department of Agriculture and Markets, it is illegal in the state to “confine a companion animal in a motor vehicle in extreme heat or cold without proper ventilation or other protection from such extreme temperatures where such confinement places the companion animal in imminent danger of death or serious physical injury due to exposure of extreme heat or cold.”

Under that law, police or peace officers are instructed to remove the animal by whatever necessary steps are required. Anyone found guilty of this violation faces a $50 to $100 fine as a first offense and a $100 to $250 fine under subsequent offenses.

While the Town of Southampton is erecting orange and red signs, Frankel said less obtrusive white and green signs are also available. The need in Sag Harbor, she added, is critical, to the point where just Tuesday — a day with temperatures in the mid-70s, which can translate to over 100 degrees in an unventilated car over time — she snapped a picture of a dog left in a car with one window cracked about an inch.

“Usually the person loves the animal, but they are not educated to realize they are going into a store and they are not going to be just one minute,” said Frankel.

“I am not saying let’s clutter the village with signs but could we be open to the idea that people leave their animals in their cars and they do it all the time,” she added.

Trustee Robby Stein said he would continue conversations with Frankel and Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce President Kelly Connaughton before the board considered a final decision.

Chief Asks to Hire Laid Off Officer Part Time

Also on Tuesday night, both village board member Kevin Duchemin and Sag Harbor Village Police Chief Tom Fabiano asked the board to pass a resolution hiring former full-time police officer David Driscoll — laid off as the last hire in the 2013-2014 village budget — back in a part time position.

However, while Mayor Brian Gilbride said it was his intention to do just that within the next week or so, the board stalled on the resolution while Mayor Gilbride said he ironed out details about the legality of hiring back a full time employee on a part time basis. The salary was also still a question for Mayor Gilbride, although Duchemin — a sergeant with the East Hampton Village Police Department — said with Driscoll’s 17 years of experience he deserved $30 per hour.

Chief Fabiano added without Driscoll he feels he will have to resort to using overtime, which would ultimately cost the department more than hiring Driscoll part time.

Mayor Gilbride responded he believes with the department’s 10 current officers and the chief it should be able to staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week with two officers on at all times and still have 190 shifts to play with. Chief Fabiano said this time

of year, a lot of vacation time creates open shifts he has to fill.

Hamlet to Hamlet Trail Viewed Favorably

A hamlet to hamlet trail system — created throughout Southampton Town by the Southampton Trails Preservation Society — aims to begin connecting downtowns with a path between Sag Harbor and Bridgehampton. On Tuesday night, Tony Garro, a member of the society’s Hamlet-to-Hamlet Committee, received a favorable review of the project from the Sag Harbor Village Board, which will have to sign off on the green blazers that will mark the trail from the Sag Harbor Historical Society back into the Glover Street neighborhood and over to Mashashimuet Park where it would connect to an existing trail system leading to Bridgehampton.

Garro was asked to provide the village board with a map of the trail and the location for the blazes marking the path, but was told he would have village support.

Eventually, hamlet-to-hamlet trails will connect Sag Harbor to Noyac, Noyac to North Sea, North Sea to Southampton Village and beyond until Southampton Town as a walking path between all of its hubs, much like England.

“And of course the quaintest of quaint villages is Sag Harbor and that is where we propose to start,” said Garro.

By Kathryn G. Menu

A head-on collision around 8 a.m. on Monday morning resulted in a truck being propelled down an embankment on Long Beach Road in Noyac with the driver of another vehicle airlifted to Stony Brook Medical Center while traffic was rerouted around what is a heavily used commuter path during the morning hours.

According to Southampton Town Police, a Toyota Corolla was headed northbound towards North Haven Village on Long Beach Road when he allegedly fell asleep in the car, veering into the oncoming lane of traffic and striking a flatbed truck. It was a head-on accident that according to Kate McCarty – whose husband was driving the Kate McCarty Organic Landscapes truck struck by the driver of the Corolla – sent the truck across both lanes of traffic and down an embankment, resting on the shore of Sag Harbor Cove.

“The wheel came off on impact and the truck essentially careened over both lands of travel and down the embankment,” said McCarty, who operates the landscape business with her husband, Douglas. “It happened really fast.”

The male driver of the car, who was alone in the vehicle, was airlifted to Stony Brook University Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, said police. McCarty said one of her company’s employees – one of three in the truck at the time of the accident – was taken to Southampton Hospital by the Sag Harbor Volunteer Ambulance Corps for minor injuries.

No one else was injured as a result of the accident, which closed Long Beach Road for over two hours.

McCarty said the occupants of the truck were all wearing seatbelts at the time of the collision, something she credited with helping protect her husband and employees from further injury.

“It was still a serious accident – they are pretty banged up,” she said. “The truck is totaled. We lost the front wheel, the whole underside of the truck was dragged over the jettie.”

“Honestly, we just feel so fortunate that everyone was able to walk away from this alive,” added McCurty. “Something like this really puts things in perspective.”

She thanked the Sag Harbor Fire Department and Ambulance Corp for their quick response to the scene and help.

By Kathryn G. Menu

The Sag Harbor Village Harbor Committee has been tasked with protecting the waterfront one addition, pool and dock at a time — imposing a wetlands buffer as each new project comes before the committee in an effort to reduce the amount of fertilizers and toxins entering bays and estuaries.

Most applicants have sought to comply minimally with the wetlands buffer legislation, seeking 25 feet of natural vegetation to a wetlands area — allowed under the code for properties that are undersized and therefore permitted to seek a buffer below the standard 75 foot requirement.

According to Sag Harbor Village environmental planning consultant Richard Warren, of Inter-Science Research Associates in Southampton, that exception was created within the wetlands code specifically because of the often small lot sizes in Sag Harbor Village. However, on Monday night during the Harbor Committee’s monthly meeting, Warren suggested the board review the wetlands regulations and what it feels it should require. Should a property owner, for example, be granted a wetlands permit with a 25 foot buffer under the rule for undersized lots when they are proposing a large house, with a pool on the waterfront, Warren wondered.

And the committee largely agreed that as more applications come in on the waterfront, hammering out very specific conditions for exceptions and standards for what kind of native vegetation it would like to see planted as a result of waterfront development was crucial moving forward.

On Monday night, the board heard from one applicant hoping to gain the board’s approval for what would ultimately be a smaller wetlands boundary than minimally required under the village code. Outside of a “lawfully operating marina or recreational marina” any construction requires a 75 foot setback under village code. The installation of wastewater disposal systems requires a 100 foot setback and clearing, fertilizing of vegetation, use of herbicides or the establishment of turf, lawn or landscaping requires a 50 foot setback.

Josh Schwartz, who has proposed reconstructing a rock bulkhead with a new corrugated bulkhead, after he said erosion has threatened his property, came before the board also proposing a 4-by-76-foot dock. For either project a minimum 25 foot buffer would be required under the code.

However, according to Warren, the buffer only stretches along one portion of the bulkhead, leaving a sandy beach — where the family enjoys its outdoor Adirondack chairs — untouched.

Warren said he had no issues with the change in the style of bulkhead but was concerned the vegetative buffer was not significant enough.

“This is not really, in my opinion, consistent with what the code says, which is you have to plant and replant a buffer if necessary,” said Warren.

Schwartz noted the sandy beach has been there since before his family purchased the property, dating back 25 years on the most recent survey.

“When we have a house that has had grassy lawn right up to the bulkhead for 100 years and they come in to improve their property, they lose 25 feet of that lawn,” noted committee chairman Bruce Tait. “The only way we can get these buffers back is through new applications for construction.”

“What we are trying to do, the purpose of this is to protect the waters we have out there,” explained Tait. “The only way we can is apply a 25 foot buffer is on new applications.”

Tait noted if Schwartz wanted to keep his beach, he would need to either not make an application for either the bulkhead or dock or apply to the zoning board of appeals for relief from the wetlands law. Schwartz has proposed 25 feet of wetlands buffer, but just on one side of the bulkhead.

Schwartz said he would talk with his family and return to the board before making a suggestion.

After that business was closed, Warren suggested the board take a second look at the wetlands law — not to reduce it, but rather to strengthen the code as its stands.

“You are starting to see a theme here where people don’t see they are required to have a 50 foot setback and you are automatically giving them 25 feet,” he said.

The board agreed.

Board member Stephen Clarke, following board member Jeff Peters suggestion, noted the committee should also have a strict planting plan, designating which species of native plants and how big they should be for any buffer system.

The board’s next meeting is on July 8.

Sag Harbor has always been a community of differing views and a population that loves hashing disparities out in public and private ways. When it comes to village elections, however, it has been the better part of a decade since we have seen a race this contested.

Eight candidates are fighting for the mayors seat and two trustee positions on the Sag Harbor Village Board of Trustees.

Perhaps it’s a sign of the times.

It is clear our village is in the midst of tremendous transformation. While luxury condominiums rise, our water quality is increasingly questionable and we celebrate the upswing in the economy while bemoaning the very real fact that it is becoming more difficult to live on the South Fork, let along Sag Harbor, if you make below six figures a year.

What is pleasing, and not surprising, is we have eight qualified, passionate candidates volunteering to serve on a board that will have very difficult tasks ahead of it. Police contracts, waterfront development, water quality, flooding and maintenance of village services are just some of the issues we believe the board will face over the course of the next two years.

Incumbent Mayor Brian Gilbride has been criticized and behind the scenes occasionally demonized for holding a firm, if sometimes stubborn, line when it comes to the police budget during what is beyond a contentious contract negotiation between the Sag Harbor Police Benevolent Association (PBA) and the village.

We have found some of that criticism heavy handed, in all honesty. Mayor Gilbride has never made any secret of the fact he is a fiscal conservative. The cost of police services are rising at a rate worthy of note. While we would have preferred to see positions cut through attrition rather than lay-offs and agree negotiations have become largely about personalities — on both sides of the table — to say Mayor Gilbride has been an ineffective mayor is simply not true. He has accomplished a number of initiatives in two terms, including the remediation of Havens Beach, a project 27 years in the making.

Both former mayor Pierce Hance and former village clerk Sandra Schroeder are also candidates residents should be happy to see on a ballot. Hance has sharp, fiscally minded, ideology while also understanding increasing services can sometimes be a financial benefit rather than a downfall. To say Schroeder carries institutional knowledge and understanding of Sag Harbor government would be an understatement. Her command of the Municipal Building was legendary.

But it was Bruce Tait, emerging largely out of the shadows, who we feel not only proved a knowledgeable, well-spoken candidate, but also truly passionate at crafting a long-term vision for Sag Harbor’s future, particularly on its waterfront.

Tait is willing to take a long-view approach to planning in Sag Harbor, a quality we believe is critical in our next mayor, who will have to lead the village through a tremendous amount of development pressure without the benefit of a fully staffed planning department.

That is why he earns our endorsement for mayor.

Selecting two trustees proved just as difficult a choice. Ultimately, Ed Deyermond carries the kind of government experience impossible to ignore and earns our endorsement for that reason alone. Incumbent Ed Gregory, a long-term member of the board, has been a great asset, but ultimately we feel having a Main Street, Sag Harbor business owner would bring diversity to the board that can do nothing but aid it moving forward. That is why Ken O’Donnell earns our second endorsement for trustee.

In North Haven, we endorse incumbent Jeff Sander and his running mate Arthur James Laspesa for election to the North Haven Village Board. Ultimately, we feel Sander’s experience as an incumbent board member and Laspesa’s planning experience is what the board needs moving forward.

That being said, Mary Whelan proved herself passionate about North Haven issues and we would encourage her to consider volunteering for one of the other village boards.

Nile Rodgers announces Avicii will join the All for the East End dance party this August during a press conference last Thursday at the Martha Clara Vineyards in Riverhead. 

By Tessa Raebeck

Swedish sensation Avicii will join legendary producer and musician Nile Rodgers in an event that Rodgers is calling the “greatest dance party the East End of Long Island has ever seen.”

Presented by Bridgehampton National Bank, the Nile Rodgers Dance Party is the inaugural event of All for the East End (AFTEE), an organization formed to raise funds for local not-for-profit organizations. The concert will be held on Monday, August 19 at Martha Clara Vineyards in Riverhead and will benefit a range of East End not-for-profits.

Rodgers has produced such chart-toppers as “Like a Virgin,” “We are Family” and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” which is currently the number one song in 79 countries (and counting). Along with curating the event, Rodgers will also be performing with his band, CHIC (perhaps best known for their 1978 disco hit “Le Freak”).

“Dance music unites,” said Rodgers at a press conference announcing the lineup last Thursday, June 6, at Martha Clara Vineyard. “Dance music is happy and the Nile Rodgers Dance Party will bring all ages to the dance floor.”

One of the world’s premiere acts, Avicii is the name behind such hits as “Fade into Darkness” and “Silhouettes.” Rodgers asked Avicii — with whom he is currently working — to headline because he is “a really hot young superstar that represents the next generation. That represents the continuation of music on the next level,” he said.

Rodgers plans to announce “other stars” who will be joining the festivities over the next few weeks.

The dance party will benefit a number of local not-for-profit organizations. As testament to the event’s commitment to the East End, 25 percent of all tickets sold are reserved for locals at the heavily discounted price of $50. General admission tickets are $149.

“Everybody thinks of the East End as a wealthy community and an affluent place,” said Rodgers. “But not for everybody. So, I thought this is the perfect opportunity to put together an event that’s accessible by all.”

“To have folks grace the Town of Riverhead with the presence of doing something like this is just phenomenal,” added Riverhead Town Supervisor Sean Walter.

AFTEE’s “primary purpose is to raise awareness of the role not-for-profit organizations play in making the East End of Long Island one of the most desirable places to live in the world and to establish a fund of new money that they will have access to through a grant process,” the organization said in a press release.

With over 1,075 registered not-for-profit organizations in the five East End towns — East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton and Southold — AFTEE plans to benefit a wide variety of local groups with proceeds from the show.

“What struck me is how difficult it is right now for not-for-profits to make it,” said Walter. “Many of them have failed. So, to have a group that has come together to create AFTEE is truly — you are truly doing God’s work here.”

“We are very excited about this inaugural concert,” said Myron Levine, AFTEE president and founder, in a press release issued at the event. “And we are very lucky to head out of the gate with such an amazing program produced by Nile Rodgers. We anticipate this will be the first annual AFTEE, Nile Rodgers Dance Party and the funds raised will help the not-for-profits here fulfill their missions.”

Organizers of AFTEE also note that Bridgehampton National Bank (BNB) was quick to commit as the presenting sponsor of the event.

“It’s important to us,” said Kevin O’Connor, the BNB’s president, director and CEO. “We can give back so much for everything that we’ve gotten from this community. I’m excited to be part of it.”

Rodgers has been a visitor to the East End since 1978, when he received his first large paycheck (after producing nine hit singles) and “bought a speedboat.” He now spends time in the area “every single year when I get a little break in my schedule.”

AFTEE plans to sell 5,000 tickets to the Nile Rodgers Dance Party, including the 1,000 that have been set aside for locals.

“All my friends are out here,” said Rodgers. “You know it’s going to turn into a party. We’re going to have a bunch of people up on that stage. We’ll have some of the hottest DJs, some of the hottest acts. It’s going to be crazy.”

Rodgers and Avicii have been working on several new songs that the DJ may unveil at the event.

“Back in the day, we used to write songs and we would perform them live. And based on the response of the public, we would decide what songs we wanted to put on the record,” Rodgers explained. “The fact that Avicii and I are doing things like that now in today’s world — for me, it’s so cool. It’s like, ‘We get to try this out?’ That’s like the coolest thing in the world.”

VIP, general admission, and East Ender tickets are available online at www.AFTEE.org.