This weekend marks Juneteenth, an annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. Juneteenth has been celebrated by African Americans for over two centuries. This year – for the first time, and what I hope will be the case for many years to come – the Pines will proudly celebrate.

The Black and Brown Equity Coalition (BaBEC) in the Grove is presenting a full weekend of activities. FIPPOA’s Committee on Black Equality (CoBE) is honored and proud to be a coalition partner.

In addition to three JuneTEA events at the Blue Whale, the Pines will be hosting a salon-style conversation entitled, “How White Privilege Can Be Used To Advance Diversity Equity And Inclusion” at Whyte Hall on Sunday, June 20^th at 11 AM.

I hope you will enjoy the many options in the Pines and Grove during this important and historically significant weekend.

Wagons parked at the Wagon Rack without 2021 stickers will be moved to Whyte Hall starting on June 21st. Stickers and FIPPOA memberships are available at the FIPPOA Office at Whyte Hall weekdays from 10AM – 3PM.

For all of you bicycling enthusiasts, Pines Party Sponsor – Trek – is holding a demo in the harbor on Saturday, June 19^th. For more information, cycle on to this link.

Sayville Ferry Service will be coming out with a new schedule effective Thursday, June 24^th. Because of the Thursday afternoon turnover time for most shares, the Thursday 3:30PM departure from Sayville has been extremely crowded. In working with Ken Stein, he has agreed to include - for the first time - a new Thursday 4:30PM departure in addition to the usual 3:30PM in the hopes that this will ease congestion by splitting passenger traffic between the two boats. The new 4:30PM boat has an excellent train connection, so if you are accustomed to arriving on Thursday afternoon, I encourage you to consider both the 3:30PM and 4:30PM options to diminish crowding on any one boat. Thank you SFS for helping to solve this problem by adding this new, additional service. Check their website for the new schedule which will be available very soon.

Dumping on the Boulevard is never allowed. If you have household items or yard waste, please do not leave it anywhere on the Boulevard, not in or near a community garbage container or in or near dumpsters on the roadway that have been hired for private use. Here’s a picture of a great example of what not to do!  Bulk items are available for pick-up at your home on Wednesday. Here are the guidelines, contact Brownie 631-750-5325 to alert them, and please do not place them on the Boulevard.

The Pines Care Center is providing free testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. For a complete list of dates and hours, please click here.  

The Fire Island Pines Fire District will hold its election for District Commissioner on Tuesday, July 13^th from 5:45PM - 9PM at the fire house. This position is for a five-year term beginning January 1, 2022, and ending December 31, 2026. Anyone registered to vote in the Pines can run for the position.

Eligible voters interested in running must submit their candidacy in writing either at the Fire District Office – in the Firehouse, at 34 Fire Island Boulevard – or to DistrictSecretary@fipfd.org. Submissions must include your name, registered voting address in the Pines, and a signature, and they must be received by 6PM on June 24^th.

For further information, go to http://www.fipfd.org/comm/ or send an e-mail message to DistrictSecretary@fipfd.org.

Happy Pride Month and hope to see you this weekend celebrating Juneteenth in the Pines and Grove!

Henry