There are many things folks consider to be very American. Way up there at the top of the list has to be Apple Pie. Everyone has heard the expression, “It’s American as apple pie.” I, for one, love apple pie all year round, but especially around Thanksgiving.

I come from a 100% Italian family that had four boys and one girl. Feeding us all was a chore for my mom. I will note that in our day, we all ate what was served; no private vegan choices were made in my time. We had a custom-made Italian inlaid dining room table that was literally a genuine piece of Rococo art. We only used it for the big holidays, such as Thanksgiving. Our family’s Italian-style Thanksgiving always included home-baked manicotti, roast beef, a huge turkey, veal parmigiana, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, greens and fresh mozzarella and other cheeses, wine, champagne, Vermont apple cider, etc. My mom would start baking at 6:30 am.

Back then, folks like my dad were thankful they not only won World War II but lived to enjoy it. Many of my friends’ families had relatives who were killed in action. My dad was in the 8th Air Force flying thirty-six B-17 missions that sadly lost one-third of their planes on many low-altitude bombing missions over Germany. War is always a horrific enterprise, and my dad knew and experienced the horrors of that war. There is a famous picture of a B-17 on fire crashing. My dad knew that crew. So, his generation went over the top celebrating Thanksgiving and life because they truly knew sacrifice.

Part of our family celebrating life was desserts after our “all afternoon Thanksgiving feast.” This was when the warm chestnuts and an assortment of pies were brought from the kitchen to the dining room. The parade of desserts consisted of Italian cookies, cannoli, sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, coconut custard pie, lemon meringue pie, and my personal favorite, warm apple pie served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

In the Hamptons, many bake apple pies using local apples. Others buy them freshly made from farm stands. If you’re lucky, you get a pie that’s so fresh it’s still warm. I remember an apple farm in Mendon, Vermont, that was always baking pies on weekends, so if you waited, you could get a warm one.

On the east end this time of year, there are no shortages to get freshly baked pies such as apple pie. A favorite location of mine has always been Seven Ponds Orchards, off Seven Ponds Rd and Flying Ponds Road. Now, it’s grown to a super attraction with a huge maze for kids. When I first started going there, it was basically a garage.

My wife, Cindi, bakes me apple pies weekly. No sugar, no preservatives, just one or two natural ingredients like nutmeg and a hint of pure maple syrup. Years back, Cindi was gifted two tiny three-foot-tall apple trees that I planted in our front yard. Now, a decade later, they are mature apple-producing trees. This fall, they produced the most apples they ever have, and when they were ripe, Cindi was baking nice small apple pies every other day.

We only put on the tiniest scoop of vanilla ice cream and eat a slice together after it comes out of our oven. In that moment, we are like kids. To avoid my health issues, her pies only have pie plate crust with no pie crust on the top. Eating apple pie from apples from trees in the yard is the essence of homemade apple pie.

All the apples are gone from our trees now that it’s November, so I am purchasing a bag of apples a week to make pies. We enjoy the aroma coming from the oven while the pies are baking. It makes a house a home. As busy as we may be, we come together to jointly sample that first slice after it cools from coming out of the oven. The saying, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” was never needed in our relationship. However, sharing homemade apple pie at home definitely keeps our hearts lovingly beating.

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Proceeds from South Fork Bakery’s 2nd Annual Cocktails with a Cause, hosted once again by Sag Harbor’s Tutto il Giorno, will help sustain South Fork Bakery’s mission to provide meaningful, paid employment to adults with disabilities on the East End.

SFB’s biggest fundraiser of the year, Cocktails with a Cause will once again feature Tutto il Giorno’s delicious hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction with close to fifty diverse items including artwork, international destinations, exclusive culinary experiences, baskets full of diverse items from our East End villages, a priceless book collection signed by the author, and much, much more.

“The response to our 2nd Annual Cocktails with a Cause has been awesome,” remarked Steve Hamilton, SFB’s Executive Director. ” And the good folks at Tutto il Giorno have been extraordinarily generous again this year!”

SFB Founder and Program Director Shirley Ruch added, “The support from this event is vital to our ability to expand Launch, our new training and employment program.  We will be able to increase the number of employees placed with employer partners in local community jobs next year.”

South Fork Bakery’s Cocktails with a Cause takes place on Saturday, November 11, from 4 to 6 pm. at Tutto il Giorno, 16 Main Street, Sag Harbor.  For more information, go to the South Fork Bakery website at www.southforkbakery.org.

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The East Hampton Historical Society’s House Tour Committee has creatively selected houses that express the unique spirit of living on the East End.  From East Hampton Village to the Devon Colony, the Historical Society’s annual House Tour offers a once in a lifetime glimpse inside some of our town’s most storied residences.  Drenched in history, pedigree, and local lore, this year’s tour is sure to inspire, delight and invite appreciation for the stewardship of some of our most charming properties.

A Village Ramble

 Grey Gardens

East Hampton is full of houses with stories, but none as storied as Grey Gardens, an unassuming 19^th century shingle style house that sits a stone’s throw away from Georgica Beach. The subject of the 1975 documentary, a 2006 Broadway musical, and 2009 HBO television movie – the intrigue, legend and lore only grow. With name dropping, such as Beales (Big Edie & Little Edie), Jackie Kennedy, and Lee Radziwell, the story begs to be unraveled…including the years of dilapidation. Step in current owner, Liz Lange – designer, fashion star and entrepreneur – who has reimagined Grey Gardens with bold and glamourous interiors, exuberant gardens and outdoor rooms – all to be explored and experienced in person at the 2023 East Hampton House & Garden Tour!

Artist Retreat with Hollywood history

Water, water, everywhere! A visual oasis for the eyes, heart, and soul. This Village residence faces the ocean and up 300 yards from a pond – water views from every vantage point – drink it in, along with the history and compelling backstory of the occupants. Completed in 1960, this long low modernist cottage was remodeled and redesigned in 2011. In many ways, this modernist cottage exhibits some of the period’s best loved features. Designed by New York City architect and sportsman Alexander “Sandy” McIlvaine, this house has massive decking, a dramatic swimming pool, and huge plane glass windows.

Wiborg Beach, which the house overlooks, was made famous by Sara Wiborg and Gerald Murphy (“The Fabulous Murphys” of international socialite fame in the 1920’s), who met there and fell in love. Another love story by the current owner, Ted Hartley – a former U.S. Navy fighter pilot, investment banker, actor, film producer, and East End artist, and his wife Dina Merrill (1923 – 2017), actress, heiress, socialite, businesswoman, and philanthropist – also enjoyed the same intoxicating crimson sunsets for which Long Island has become famous – all from their decking. Come see for yourself at the 2023 East Hampton House & Garden tour. Bring a date – romance is in the air!

Stately Main Street Manor

This main street historic 3-story house was built in 1799 and was originally East Hampton’s Postmaster’s house where mail was distributed to residents. It was also the first shingle-style house in East Hampton Village and the second gambrel roof on a Long Island house. Over the centuries the house has been meticulously maintained, restored, and enhanced to bring it up to 21st Century standards.

Here’s an interesting historical chestnut: In the early 20^th century, it was the home of May Groot Manson who was one of East Hampton’s leading suffragettes and who also hosted the East Hampton Garden Club’s first plant sale on the grounds of this home in the 1910’s.

Set up the croquet court, brew a pitcher of sun tea, and imagine a bygone era beautifully maintained in the heart of East Hampton Village.   

Devon Colony

The Devon Colony was formed at the turn of the 20th century by four wealthy businessmen from Cincinnati: Richmond Levering, William Cooper Procter (a grandson of a Procter & Gamble founder, William Procter), Joseph Rawson Jr. and William Stanhope Rowe.

Mr. Levering and Mr. Procter came up with the idea for a residential enclave while on a 1906 hunting trip in the area, known as the Amagansett Highlands because of its lofty location 90 feet above sea level, with Gardiners Bay to the north and the ocean to the south. They bought a huge tract, eventually building grand stucco houses and two smaller ones, founding the Devon Colony. Because their wealth came largely from Procter & Gamble, famous for Ivory soap, the Colony was irreverently nicknamed “Soap Hill.”

Two of the original Devon Colony homes are included in the 2023 East Hampton House & Garden Tour: Windy Dune and The Procter House. Think of badminton on the great lawn, lemonade served by uniformed staff – these historic homes hark back to a time when the founders of Procter & Gamble made Devon Colony their summer enclave away from their home base in Cincinnati.

Windy Dune – Built circa 1910 in Amagansett, an original Devon Colony grand stucco house. Originally called Red Roof, the name of the house was changed to Windy Dune after the 1938 hurricane blew off its red roof tiles.

The Procter House – Built circa 1910 in Amagansett, an original Devon Colony house

A kick-off Cocktail Party on the evening of Friday, November 24, will be held at the historic Maidstone Club, ringing in the East End holiday season in style!

Cocktail Party for the 2023 East Hampton House & Garden Tour will be held at Maidstone Club

Explore five spectacular East Hampton properties while supporting the Historical Society’s vital preservation and educational initiatives.

Tickets to the Maidstone Cocktail Party are $250 each, which includes entry to the House & Garden Tour the following day.  Tickets to the self-guided 2023 East Hampton House & Garden Tour are $85 in advance and $100 on the day of the tour. For tickets, visit easthamptonhistory.org

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With so many unpleasant, if not horribly evil, events happening on various continents, there is a dignified calm that hovers over the Hamptons. The beautiful landscapes of this foliage season near the Atlantic Ocean provide a sanctuary.

As we age and gain wisdom from our life experiences, aiming towards a peaceful existence is only natural. The East End is a genuine nesting place to seek solace and a high quality of life. People come out East for a myriad of reasons. Perhaps this has been true since the first settlers arrived at Conscience Point in 1640.

Actually, in the 1630s, the whole East End was a Native American war zone. It was Lion Gardiner who helped make peace between many warring tribes, earning his family Gardiner’s Island in 1639, a year before the settlers arrived, and created the first “Hamptons,” starting with Southampton.

I suppose all it takes is one Atlantic Ocean sunrise or one Gardiner’s Bay sunset to be drawn in and feel the solace and special powers of being on the East End. As a refugee from Westchester and Manhattan, I was drawn here immediately after 9-11. Initially, I was a guest because I never dreamed I’d be around for twenty years. I actually went to the wonderful East Hampton Library and read Henry Hedges’ history of the East End via speeches and writings. It gave me a window into the thinking and habits of those who have lived in the Hamptons for hundreds of years. I was a year-round guest in locations in East Hampton, including Montauk, for almost a decade before moving 17 miles west of the Southampton Town Line to live with the incredible woman who has now become my wife.

Yet, I still keep my sailboat in Gardiner’s Bay on a Three-Mile-Harbor in East Hampton. I have traveled to that boat to sail an amazing 110 days a year for the last 20 years. So, I truly experience lots of sunsets over Gardiner’s Bay every year. I believe sailing in Gardiner’s Bay is my personal form of yoga that is still healing me from the traumas I experienced in both 2000-2001. It was the kindness and genuine soulfulness of the East End folks that helped keep me from going elsewhere all these years. I still say I am a guest and behave accordingly.

The spectacular topography of the East End of Long Island has become my roadmap to a peaceful, easy lifestyle that has taught me to love who I am, where I am, and whom I am with. As another Thanksgiving approaches, we all have so much to be thankful for. Yes, there are moments of tragedy and sorrow, along with various levels of disappointment. One has to believe there are so many more things to be thankful for.

Being in our sixties and beyond, we are entering the long-life phase of existence. In many cases, we have watched our children grow and have children of their own. We have had wonderful, loyal pets who we pampered and loved. Most of all, we have the opportunity to live near one of the world’s great oceans and, I believe, one of the most awesome bays and beaches. The sunrises, the wonderful breezes, and the arresting sunsets are here around us forever. The Native Americans, the settlers, and now guests like me have had the opportunity to know and experience the full moons, the stars, the sunrises, and the sunsets. We can all instantly recall a particular moonlit sky, sunrise, or sunset that still stands out in our minds. I know I can. For example, a moonrise at Atlantic Beach with the moon being very orange and as wide and big as I have ever seen it in all my years. It looked as large as Jupiter as it slowly crept over the ocean horizon. No one said anything; we all just stared until it was completely over the horizon.

Not only this Thanksgiving but every day, please stop to look around and feel the gift of being alive in the moment on the East End and feel thankful. We are all here because it is special.

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HamptonsFilm, the home of the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF), is now accepting submissions for the 24th Screenwriters Lab, taking place April 5-7, 2024. 

Held annually each spring, the HamptonsFilm Screenwriters Lab champions the artistic visions of up-and-coming filmmakers from around the world. An intimate gathering in East Hampton, NY, the Lab fosters emerging talent by pairing selected fellows with established writers and creative producers for a weekend of one-on-one mentorship. Over the course of the weekend, these film industry veterans advise the participating fellows on their feature length projects in a series of individual and group development sessions. Additional events include nightly salons, roundtables, master class, and happy hours with industry guests, board members, alumni of the Lab, and members of the local artistic community. 

One of the participating screenplays at this year’s Lab will also be selected as the recipient of the 2024 Melissa Mathison Fund. The fund was established in 2016 and named for the late, beloved Oscar®-nominated screenwriter, and strives to foster the continued development of female writers in the industry. Previous recipients include Shehrezad Maher’s “Theory of Colors,” Farida Zahran’s “The Leftover Ladies,” Lana Wilson’s “Back Seat,” Kelly O’Sullivan’s “Mouse,” Kirsten Tan’s “Higher,” Aemilia Scott’s “The Birthday Suit,” Annabelle Attanasio’s “Mickey And The Bear,” and Cathy Yan’s “Dead Pigs.” 

Since its inception, over 100 screenwriters have taken part in the Lab. Recent highlights include Andrew Semans’ Resurrection (IFC Films, Sundance 2022), Annabelle Attanasio’s Mickey and the Bear (Utopia, SXSW 2019), Michael Tyburski and Ben Nabors’ The Sound of Silence (IFC Films, Sundance 2019), Cathy Yan’s Dead Pigs (Film Movement, Sundance 2018), Christina Choe’s Nancy (Samuel Goldwyn Films, Sundance 2018) and Ísold Uggadóttir’s And Breathe Normally (Netflix, Sundance 2018). With projects from participating fellows produced year after year, the Screenwriters Lab continues to be an inspiring and safe space for artists to find and hone their creative vision. 

2023 Screenwriters Lab Mentors included award-winning filmmakers Ekwa Msangi (Farewell Amor), David Hinojosa (Past Lives; Bodies Bodies Bodies), and Samuel D. Hunter (The Whale). Additional mentors from previous editions include Academy Award®-winning and nominated screenwriters Debra Granik (Winter’s Bone), Tamara Jenkins (The Savages), Jim Taylor (Sideways), Michael H. Weber (The Disaster Artist), Oren Moverman (The Messenger), Robin Swicord (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Alex Dinelaris Jr. (Birdman), and Darius Marder (Sound of Metal). Mentors for the 2024 edition will be announced at a later date. 

Submissions are now being accepted via FilmFreeway. To submit a screenplay and for more information on deadlines, please visit https://filmfreeway.com/HamptonsFilmScreenwritersLab. 

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In 2022, their dedicated team successfully raised over $40,000. This extraordinary achievement underscores their unwavering dedication to supporting the local community.

Leading this charitable endeavor, Colleen Saunders, Senior Vice President of Operations, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “Far too many people in the Hamptons experience food insecurity, and our mission is to ensure that no family goes hungry. It’s a great cause, helping families create joyful holiday memories and providing a simple way to support the local community. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone for their generous contributions this year and in the past.”

All donations made to their GoFundMe will go entirely to food pantries in the Hamptons, where the need remains critical.

Steve Glick, Senior VP of Marketing, emphasized the impact of these donations, stating, “We are moved by how much our community has supported the annual Saunders Thanksgiving Drive. Over 10 years, we’ve raised a lot of money for people who really need it. The beauty of cash donations lies in their ability to empower these charitable organizations to serve those in need effectively.”

Bolstered by the overwhelming generosity and support from previous years, the Saunders team anticipates another year of remarkable success. Steve added, “Our GoFundMe page surpassed our original goal in 2020, thanks to the steadfast support of our agents, staff, and the entire Hamptons community. In 2023, our target is to raise more than $20,000 to continue making a difference in the community.”

Food pantries in the Hamptons provide an essential service to the community, especially after the summer season when the local economy undergoes significant changes. We encourage everyone to consider volunteering in addition to their donations, as charitable organizations are always eager for help, especially during the holiday season.

Saunders & Associates extends a warm invitation to the local community to participate in this drive and your generosity will make a significant impact. Donations will be allocated to the following local organizations spanning from Westhampton to Montauk: Bridgehampton Community Food Pantry, Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center, Church of the Immaculate Conception in Westhampton Beach, East Hampton Food Pantry, Springs Food Pantry, Montauk Food Pantry, Heart of the Hamptons Southampton Food Pantry, Hampton Bays Food Pantry, and Shelter Island Food Pantry.

If you would like to donate , visit www.gofundme.com/f/hamptonsdonationdrive2023

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What’s a bar without a bartender? More than just the person who makes your drinks, a bartender is the heart and soul of the whole scene. The quarterback of your night, they call the shots (man, I’m just knocking these alcohol puns back). That’s not an easy job—even harder to do well. For the last decade at Murfs Backroom Tavern in Sag Harbor Village, Nick and Corene have been part of more memories than anyone can remember.

After a combined 22 (!!!) Summers behind the bar, the unmistakable Nick & Corene Dreamteam Duo called last call for the last time at their Retirement Party at Murfs on Halloween. The send-off was bittersweet but in a Billy-Joel-song kind of way. In Sag Harbor’s small fishing village community, they cast a wide net…quick with a joke, or to light up your smoke…

As Nick and Corene move on to their next chapters, we raise a glass to how much they have brought to our community and cheers for everything their futures hold.

After starting as a barback in 2010, Corene knows her way around the bar better than anyone (other than maybe Murf). Her laugh is infectious and she has a heavy pour! More than all that, Corene is the kindest person I’ve ever seen confiscate a grown adult’s vape. She is a general on the frontline, commanding calmly and never losing her cool. It takes a special skill to make you feel seen in a sea of people. She can’t help but serve and she will be greatly expanding her reach as she will be working for Habitat AmeriCorps in North Carolina.

You know Nick from his Roger Sterling good looks and great pop-punk playlists. I’ve never seen someone command so much respect wearing board shorts. If Nick was the nickname type, you might call him Quick Nick, the dude can move. But, when he takes a minute to catch up or calls you by your name, you feel like you’re made of gold. We wish Nick a happy retirement, although you’ll be able to catch him next summer as he takes a victory lap for one more season as a Captain for his private water taxi, Le Launch.

We’ll miss them, for sure, but the glass is still half full! The Hamptons have a way of bringing people back.

Murfs will always be the best Backroom in the Hamptons. Big John will still keep everybody safe. I’m excited to get to know the returning team. They are a super tight-knit team at Murfs and the atmosphere is surprisingly delicate—you need someone who can manage swarms of drinking (I’m being polite) people, keep the space clean without making it antiseptic, and understand how to make something better by keeping it the way it is, among a litany of secret bartender knowledge.

I got the inside scoop that East Hampton’s own (and my personal favorite) bartender will be picking up some shifts! She needs no introduction, and I’m not qualified to attempt one, but from my POV, few people are better suited than Virg. She definitely understands the assignment.

Virg has all the ingredients and spirit of a great bartender, if you will, a classic cocktail.

2 parts lifelong Hamptons local

1 Part knows how to make a mean tequila soda

1 Part great music taste

Garnish with winning smile 

If she were reading me write this, Virginia would quickly say: “You’re cut off,” but it’s true! She genuinely appreciates the importance of a Dive Bar like Murfs and knows how to keep things perfectly unpretentious, like Corene and Nick. Plus, expect more Billy Joel.

To Nick and Corene, thank you for making things comfortable, for breathing life into the Village, and for keeping the kooks at bay. The Hamptons won’t be the same without you, but we know you’ll be back for a drink or 10, this time on the other side of the bar.

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Joey Wölffer has become an icon in the Hamptons for her fashion brand, her role in the operations of the family vineyard Wölffer Estate, and overall integrating herself fully with the community on the East End.

She has been part of many endeavors from her work starting the Styleliner Truck and evolving into a full-blown fashion boutique with physical locations, her integral role with Wölffer Estate Vineyard, which is deeply rooted in her family’s history, Wölffer Estate Stables, the Wine Stand, and all things Hamptons.

Joey spoke more about her background, what led to her creation of the brand, and how her environment and location growing up on the East End has inspired and influenced her along the way.

What is the Joey Wölffer brand all about?

 
JW: We’re about being authentic! We don’t buy deeply into collections because we want people to feel special in the pieces they find. Many of the designers in our store are unique and even the more well-known designers are not highly distributed. We want our customers to feel that they too have discovered something new! We incorporate vintage along with our own collection as well as other collections. There is nothing more gratifying than having a customer leave feeling good about herself and having discovered something really unique and special!

How did you get your start in the industry? Can you talk a bit about your background?

JW: I graduated from Vanderbilt in 2004 and had no clue what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Wanting to live abroad and escape a bad boyfriend, I decided to live in London where my mother is from. I got an internship with a family friend at her jewelry company where I worked three days a week and within a month, she had fired her designer and hired me full time. It was such a fun job that allowed me to work with different brands like Topshop, Jigsaw, Miss Selfridge, and Urban Outfitters to create special jewelry lines for their stores. Not long after, I moved back to NYC to do more design, production and merchandising for a company called Accessory Network. After that I worked as a jewelry designer for the Jones Group, specifically Nine West, where I learned the ins and outs of the corporate fashion world!

What led you to pursuing the launch of your fashion brand?

JW: I was never meant for the corporate world. My father was always an entrepreneur and I loved his ability to create something out of nothing. I started the Styleliner in 2010 because I wanted something of my own. My vision and my love for finds & fashion in a way no one else had done before. The truck concept came to me, and I knew I had to pursue it. From the Styleliner came our shop and then our Reworked by Joey Wölffer line of upcycled garments. The fashion industry is one of the largest contributors to waste in landfills and I knew I had to do something (even small) about it. All our designs are made up of upcycled fabrics and produced by hand in NYC. We really work hard to find sustainable and ethical brands to work with as well.

Can you discuss how the brand has grown over the years from beginning as the Styleliner Truck to where it is now?

JW: The brand is ever evolving. After years of being on the road in the Styleliner, I was pregnant and really wanted a place in my hometown, Sag Harbor. We opened our first space in Sabina Streeter’s studio on Madison Street, and just recently moved into our third Sag Harbor location. The growth and evolution of the brand is thanks to my amazing team & loyal, loving customers who make this all possible.

What sets Joey Wölffer apart from other fashion brands, and furthermore, from other fashion brands in the Hamptons?

JW: What sets us apart is our ability to be exactly who we are. We don’t stray away from what we as individuals love and you can see it in all the pieces we curate for the customer. As a brand we are constantly evolving and changing as I evolve and change. We constantly pivot in small ways while still staying true to who I am as a person. We strive for individuality and want our customers to leave feeling exactly like themselves and not trendy.

Do you have a favorite type of clothing, jewelry, or accessories to create and/or wear?

JW: I like mixing old with new and higher end with low end pieces. I don’t follow trends. I feel best in colorful prints and bold jewelry!

How does your experience with the fashion brand differ from that of the vineyard and your other operations?

JW: My experience with the fashion brand is actually quite distinct from my involvement in the vineyard. While the vineyard is deeply rooted in my family’s tradition and my father’s legacy, my fashion career allowed me to explore my very own creative and entrepreneurial side. The Styleliner, a mobile fashion boutique, involved curating a unique collection of global fashion and accessories, creating a distinct brand image, and embracing a nomadic retail concept. I like that my work in fashion and the creative field allows me to bring my knowledge of trends and the luxury market to my role as the Chief Brand Officer at Wölffer!

How do you juggle your responsibilities with the Wölffer Estate Vineyard and the Joey Wölffer brand, along with all your other endeavors?

JW: I’ve always said that I’m at my best when I’m doing the most. My days are busy and sometimes chaotic, but I like it that way! I tend to thrive in chaos and always find a way to make it work.

What is the most rewarding aspect about your work in any field? Do you have a favorite accomplishment to-date?

JW: I love working with my teams in all my businesses. I see how much progress and success comes from great teamwork. I am more inspired and tend to have better ideas because of the people around me. I think Summer in a Bottle is one of my favorite accomplishments that WE at Wölffer have achieved. It really put this winery on a map, a dream that my father couldn’t have even imagined would come true. I am proud of building my truck. I have never worked harder in my life, BUT I learned so much during those years and it has given me the work ethic that I have now!

What are your favorite pastimes on the East End? 

JW: I feel so lucky to live here and be a part of this community. My favorite things to do: go to the beach with my family, ride at Wölffer Estate Stables, go to the Wine Stand, weekend museum outings at the Parrish, and dinners with friends at home! 

Does your location influence your designs or concepts?

JW: Yes, of course! The Hamptons, as you know, is one of a kind. A place where you can go to dinner in your sarong or heels and still feel comfortable. We love pieces that are wearable but comfortable and multi purpose. For example, our classic reworked dresses are 100% deadstock cottons. You can throw it over your swimsuit and run errands or add a wedged shoe and wear it out to dinner. We’re influenced by the creative spirit the Hamptons has and all the amazing artists and creatives we’re surrounded by.

To learn more about Joey Wölffer and her brand and endeavors, visit Joeywolffer.com.

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If you’re in your sixties and still searching for the meaning of life, good luck. At this point in my life, I find myself asking fewer questions about the future and just taking things in stride. I have younger friends who are struggling to figure it all out socially, romantically, and financially. Most of us have been there; some of us have won big, while others not so much.

Back when I was living paycheck to paycheck, I remember how stressful it all seemed. In those days, when things seemed bleak, I would take a walk on the beach or hike through a park. Sometimes I would stroll down an east-end village’s Main Street. It was amazing how this worked for me. I’m no expert on what soothes the overactive mind of an overachiever, but I believe the answer might just be on the east end, hidden in plain sight – the abundance of natural beauty, almost everywhere.

Making difficult business decisions usually means finding tough answers on many levels. In today’s complicated internet-oriented society, everything can sometimes feel like a three-dimensional chess match against a computer. That can really strain brain circuits. That’s when it might be wise to go back to basics and get back to nature.

Last Sunday night, I was driving to Bay Street Theater to see the movie “Four Winters.” This is a brilliant film about the Jews who hid and resisted the Nazis in the forests of Eastern Europe. While I was driving down Sebonic Neck Road, which is a beautiful back road I use to avoid Route 27 traffic, something happened. At the time, I was worried about finding parking in Sag Harbor and being on time for this movie. At a stop sign, I looked left and right, and just when I was about to go, a huge Blue Heron, with a body as long as my car is wide, flew not more than three feet over my car’s windshield. It startled me because I had never seen the eyes, wingspan, and tethered body of this exotic bird up so close. Needless to say, I was stunned. Instantly, my worries about the movie, parking, and so forth ended. The rest of the drive, I wondered how a bird that big even flies! It looked so prehistoric. It literally blocked my view of the road for a few seconds.

Back at George Washington University in 1975, I took an elective, a graduate school-level class on Business Management. Professor Carrington, a witty businessman and professor, always had anecdotes to spice up his lectures. One of my favorites that rang true later in life was this one. He said, “In business, you never really solve your problem at hand because a bigger one comes along that instantly needs your full attention.” Then he insinuated that business is like defusing bombs dumped on your desk daily. I suppose life can be described as daily problem-solving.

Who hasn’t run to buy a coffee to go and sip in an ocean beach parking lot in the off-season to take a break from that day’s problems that needed to be solved? Usually, you see someone with their dog enjoying running through the surf. After a few minutes, you check the phone, start up the car, and head back into the chaos workdays often are. There were times when I had either a huge personal problem or a business problem, such as the company I was working for filing for bankruptcy and owing me thousands. Somehow, staring at the ocean calmed me down.

The next day, my immediate boss, editor-in-chief, landlord, and future best man took me fishing off his sailboat. After catching a few bluefish in Gardiner’s Bay, we were laughing at the unknown while noticing how beautiful Gardiner’s Bay always is. Somehow, it all worked out with a few bumps and pit stops for both of us. He went sailing with me this summer with his young daughter in Gardiner’s Bay. The East End is like that – it soothes, heals, teaches, and sometimes it just helps you come up with the answers.

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The Hampton Theatre Company will launch their 39^th Season with a production of “Rose and Walsh.” This romantic comedy is the work of playwright, screenwriter and author Neil Simon. This show will be the start of the Theatre Company’s 2023-2024 season. Performances will run from October 19 through November 5 at the Quogue Community Hall.

Terry Brennan, the General Manager of The Hampton Theatre Company explained for Hampton.com that in 1985, the HAMPTON THEATRE COMPANY began its life on a shoestring and a dream at the Westhampton Beach Middle School. Their first production was, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK. The company has come a long way since its founding in 1984 by James Irving and June Ewing. At that time the company had no theater, no audience, no board of directors and no capital. Shows were performed in such dramatic venues as a tent pitched behind the Masonic Temple on Montauk Highway. One time in the midst of an August hurricane.

Ms. Brennan went on to say, “Thanks to the generosity of the Village of Quogue, in 1987 the company found a permanent home at the beautiful Community Hall. There and at other venues, the company has produced more than 100 plays by a wide variety of major playwrights…. The Hampton Theatre Company today fills a unique niche in the Long Island performing arts landscape.”

 From its start it has been a small community group bound together by a love of live theatre, it has grown into a successful professional company, one that is still dedicated to the original dream of the founders and still proud to draw its talented performers and technical expertise primarily from the surrounding area in order to present the very best in live theater in the fall, winter and spring on Long Island’s East End.

The Hampton Theatre Company’s four-member cast of “Rose and Walsh” includes a familiar pair of HTC veterans, both of whom starred in last season’s production of “The Portuguese Kid.”  Rosemary Cline  plays Rose, with Andrew Botsford portraying Walsh. Making their HTC stage debuts will be Alaina Manzo and Alexander Massaad as Arlene and Clancy. 

The beloved and admired George Loizides will direct the show. Roger Moley is the producer. Set design is by Mr. Loizides, Ricky Bottenus and Meg Sexton; lighting design by Sebastian Paczynski; sound by Seamus Naughton; and costumes by Teresa Lebrun.    

Performances of “Rose and Walsh” will run from October 19 through November 5 on Thursdays and Fridays at 7, Saturdays at 8, and Sundays at 2:30. An additional matinee performance will be offered during the final weekend of the production, on Saturday, November 4, at 2:30, prior to the regular 8 p.m. performance that evening.

 Tickets are $36, $31 for seniors, and $20 for students 25 and under, and are available at the Hampton Theatre Company website at hamptontheatre.org or by calling 631-653-8955.  Patrons can also purchase season subscriptions and individual tickets for the theatre’s 2023-2024 season; details available on the HTC website. 

In summing up why the Hampton Theatre Company is  so unique, Terry Brennan said, “There are a lot of reasons: our longevity (we’ve been around for close to 40 years); our passion (many of our actors and board members have been committed to our theater for years, some for decades); our professionalism (we adhere to strict standards in evaluating, casting and producing our plays); our traditional use of locally based talent whenever possible, both onstage and off; our symbiotic relationship with the mayor and administration staff of the Village of Quogue, which has generously allowed us to lease our beautiful theater space for over 25 years; and our faithful audience core from all over Long Island, many of whom return again and again for each new season.”

She is correct. There is a magic cohesiveness of community and theater in every Hampton Theatre Company production. It one has never sampled a show, one is missing out on one of the special things that makes east end theater, enjoyable, affordable and successful.

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