Spring Has Sprung In The Pines | |
Before sharing lots of exciting news, I want to encourage you to get out, show up, and join us - property owners, renters, visitors, workers, the entire Pines community - for the first of our two seasonal FIPPOA meetings. | |
Community Spring Membership Meeting - on Saturday, May 21st at 10:30AM, we will convene on the deck at Whyte Hall for our Spring Membership and Community Meeting. We have a lot of important information to share about FIPPOA initiatives, some of which are designed to impact the community for years to come. If you are reading this, you are encouraged to attend! | |
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Membership Drive
The membership drive is still underway! For those who have renewed your membership, we thank you. For those who still need to renew or join, please click here.
If you joined before April 8, you should have received your wagon sticker to the address we have on file. If you joined after April 8, you may pick up your wagon sticker at the Spring Membership Meeting on Saturday May 21st beginning at 10 AM at Whyte Hall.
We will begin removing wagons without valid stickers and abandoned locks beginning June 21. Stickers are a benefit of membership for both regular (property owners) and associate (anyone who wishes to join) members.
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Branding Update – “Building Our Community Together”
Over the Winter, we revealed our new brand and received overwhelmingly positive and complimentary feedback. As residents and visitors return to the Pines this season, we hope to illuminate all the organizations and events that fall under the FIPPOA umbrella.
Having already started with our digital touchpoints, including our website, newsletters, membership portal, and digital submission forms, we are now focused on visible landmarks. In the coming weeks and well into the season, you will begin to see our visual identity applied to buildings and services operated by FIPPOA including the harbor, post office, Whyte Hall, boardwalk signage, and even staff and volunteer apparel. You will also begin to see our visual identity applied to events, committees and task forces that are all part of the broader umbrella of FIPPOA and the Pines Foundation.
We are excited for you to experience moments of "surprise and delight” as you perhaps discover FIPPOA programs and services that you never knew we were responsible for proving the community (or took for granted 😊).
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Quality of Life Guidelines & FIOS Internet Service
The Quality-of-Life Task Force, one of four Task Forces formed after the Fall 2020 elections, concluded its work last season by distributing mindful, creative, and effective recommendations to address community concerns arising from noise and sanitation. Input was obtained from the community both at a town hall and through electronic feedback.
I encourage everyone to read or refamiliarize yourself with the finalized guidelines and to share them with renters and guests.
A second Task Force, the Internet Task Force, also completed its mission last year with the roll-out of Verizon FIOS high-speed internet service. For those of you who waited until this year to subscribe or who want to reactive your dormant off-season service, I suggest you follow this process.
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A Thank You And A Call For Volunteers - I want to thank the volunteers who stood in the cold Mother's Day weather and helped residents load our six community clean up dumpsters with household debris.
After personally talking with residents who participated, I realized that many of us are not aware that nearly any large household item or appliance will be removed simply by leaving them in front of your home for bulk pick-up on Wednesdays. The long list of eligible items includes grills, toilets, mattresses, furniture, even refrigerators and stoves. I encourage everyone to click here to (re-)familiarize yourself with collection guidelines. You really don’t have to wait for Community Clean-up Days to rid yourself of many of the items I saw on Sunday.
| Volunteers - Ron Feinstein, Jason Fleetwood, Oscar Franco, Clay Hale, Gary Hopkins, Bob Papa, Nate Pinsley, Randy Wilson, and John Wood. | |
On a more somber note, I must (unfortunately) continue to remind the community that dumping is not allowed on Fire Island Boulevard, anywhere or any time. Landscapers, general contractors, and residents are never allowed to place debris anywhere on the dirt, wooded, or wooden areas of the road/walkway or on Burma Road. Items must be removed either via regular household garbage/bulk service or, if in amounts exceeding allowed limits, by contracting for a private dumpster for removal. If you need a private dumpster, you or your contractor may email ficontainerservice@gmail.com or call 631-831-3565 to arrange this service.
If you see anyone dumping on the Boulevard or elsewhere in the community, please email us at 311@fippoa.org or call our office at 631-597-6060.
The Pines is a naturally beautiful place, and it will remain as such if we all work together to maintain its pristine natural look. Towards that end, please help us: If you see something say something, and if you wish to volunteer for future Community Clean-ups or other opportunities, please click here to be added to our list.
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Missed Garbage Pick-ups
In the event your garbage is not picked up on the designated day, please contact Brownie directly at (631) 750-5325 or send an email to Carting@BrownieNY.com with a copy to 311@fippoa.org. You may also click here to send a message directly to the Town of Brookhaven Department of Recycling and Sustainable Materials Management to report any missed pick-ups or call the town directly at 631-451-Town.
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The Pines Care Center (PCC) is now open - click here for more information including hours of operation.
PCC will be having their annual Opening Party on Saturday, May 21st at Whyte Hall starting at 5PM. Please come and celebrate the start of the season and consider a financial contribution to keep medical services in the Pines.
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All the News That’s Fit to Print: The Pines and the New York Times
If you read the Sunday, May 1st, New York Times Real Estate section you would have thought you just entered a travelogue for the Pines. In case you missed any of these articles you can find the links here (for subscribers or, if qualified, for complementary viewing):
A Black Man Ran to Gay Enclaves to Feel Safe. But Was He Welcome? - an article by a Black journalist, Zack Stafford, and his experiences in "gay enclaves," specifically the Pines and Cherry Grove. An unvarnished look at his (and others) experience in our community along with several mentions of initiatives started in the Pines over the last two years including by FIPPOA’s Committee on Black Equality (CoBE) and some of its individual members.
Hidden in a Fire Island House, the Soundtrack of Love and Loss - a heartwarming story about two new Pines homeowners, Peter Kriss and Nate Pinsley, also a fabulous, new FIPPOA board member! After buying their house, they discovered boxes of cassette tapes (yes, cassettes) that the previous owner kept of music played in the Pines and Cherry Grove from 1979 to 1999. These tapes, as the article details, tell the story of love, loss, and friendship through the height of the AIDS epidemic.
Saving The History of the Pines on Fire Island - an excellent tribute to Bobby Bonanno, who created and heads the Fire Island Pines Historical Preservation Society (FIPHPS). If you have not already purchased your tickets for the Saturday June 4 tour, “A Walk Through History,” you may do so here.
And if all three of these articles motivate you to contribute to the FIPHPS archives, Bobby encourages sharing photos, cassette tapes, art and artifacts by either donating the items or lending them for digitization and return. Please contact fipineshps@gmail.com or DM @fipines on Instagram and Facebook.
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With a spring that has sprung in my step, I look forward to seeing you skipping on the walkways!
Henry
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Anthony Varvaro (81)
Anthony, together with his surviving husband and partner of 53-years, Andrew Ambrosio, were long-time residents and active community members until they sold their home ~10 years ago and relocated Ft. Lauderdale.
Anthony arrived at the Pines Harbor on Andrew’s boat for a day visit with friends, a visit that lasted over 30 years.
Anthony and Andrew will always be remembered for hosting wonderful dinners and parties. They maintained an open-door policy and became known as a place to gather for fun, food and friendship.
Anthony spent the last several years dealing with health issues, but always with a smile on his face and his perennial question, “Is there a party today?”
Anthony will be remembered by so many loving family members and friends, but at every future party we all know he will be watching us with a smile from above.
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Henry Robin, President
Allan Baum, Vice President
Gary Clinton, Secretary
Eric Sawyer, Treasurer
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Alan Brodherson, Greg Henniger, Chris Mai, Charles Montorio-Archer, Jay Pagano, Nate Pinsley, Leland Rechis, Russell Saray, Ed Schulhafer, Matt Tague
and Jim Vandernoth
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