Inside Westhampton Pines - Feb`07

Where Only The Nicest People Live
February 2007
Volume 1, Issue 1
ISIDE WESTHAMPTO PIES
LET’S GET STARTED
by Barbara Kroner
Okay – so you’ve finally done it – you’ve made
the big move – you’ve bought your “dream
house” in the fabulous Hamptons! Now what?
So many decisions to make! So many things
to buy! So many new neighbors to meet! So
many new places to explore!
WE NEED HELP!!!
That’s why this newsletter (which we hope to
put out on a monthly basis if possible) was
born. Do you have a tip to share? Can you
design a nice logo for our newsletter? Are you
looking to make a connection, share a photo,
make an announcement? We would love to
get lots of suggestions and ideas from you
and, of course, more contributing writers. You
can submit your contributions as an e-mail attachment
to
Tom
Franza
at
[email protected] or Wendy Chaikin at
[email protected]..
Because we want to help people enhance their
lives in Westhampton Pines, we have decided
to begin the newsletter with the following columns:
Carol Reeth will
SPOTLIGHT ON;;..
spotlight various businesses, places to go and
activities in the area – a different one each
month.
CONNECTIONS Barbara Kroner will help
you to “hook up” with other neighbors who want
to find people who share similar interests and
want to do similar activities.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WESTHAMPTON? Wendy Chaikin will update everybody
as to news and events in and around WHP.
MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR Wendy Chaikin
will “introduce” us to our new (and old)
neighbors in her article.
NETWORKING: HOMEOWNER TO HOMEOWNER Tom Franza will give us tips to make
our lives as new homeowners a little easier.
We also plan to have special features such as
Messages From Our Board Members (Stu
Agranoff and Donna Buonomo); Pets Of WHP;
Announcements (the birth of a grandchild, special anniversaries, etc.); and a photo gallery
(for people who want to share WHP photos).
VERY IMPORTANT!!
The distribution of this
newsletter will be done primarily via e-mail.
We will print up some extra copies to leave in
the Clubhouse, the mailroom and the sales
office. However, we strongly suggest that if
you want to receive this newsletter on a regular
basis, and if you haven’t already done so, you
should submit your e-mail address to Ruth
Agranoff who prepares and regularly updates
the Westhampton Pines Directory, as this is the
list we are going to use for distribution.
Hope you all enjoy this first issue!
Volume 1, Issue 1
Page 2
“SPOTLIGHT ON” ……….
ISIDE
by Carol Reeth
WESTHAMPTO
PIES
FOLLOW YOUR ART
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE
LET’S GET STARTED
1
SPOTLIGHT ON ...
2
WHAT’S HAPPENING WHP
3
MUSINGS FROM THE 5
MIDDLE AGES
PETS
5
INTRODUCTIONS
5
BIOGRAPHIES
6
CONNECTIONS
7
NETWORKING
8
Contributors:
• Wendy Chaikin
• Barbara Kroner
• Carol Reeth
• Toby Libert
Editor: Tom Franza
59 Main Street, Southampton 11968
631 287-6189
Paint your own pottery studio
Thanksgiving Day 2005, I broke the salt shaker to my sister-in-law’s
china set. No big whoop, she was not at all upset but I was and took
the pepper shaker with me that night intending to replace the set for
her. Wrong! I went to every store imaginable, went online to every
china site I could find. I tried Ebay. I tried second hand stores. What
was so special about this set? It was just off-white shakers with fruit
painted on them. Surely Mikasa would have a set closely matching it.
Wrong! Evidently, harvest fruits are passe’ in chinaware these days.
It should have been such a simple task but it turned into an all
consuming personal mission for me to find this !@##$% set.
Thanksgiving 2006 came and went and I still hadn’t replaced them.
Come on! A year and I still hadn’t found them? Like a dog with a
bone, I WOULD FIND THEM!. Wrong!. I gave up and realized it
would just be by dumb luck that I would ever find the fruity S&P
shakers. It became a family joke.
Voila! While shopping in Southampton, I found FOLLOW YOUR
ART. It’s a small ceramic store/studio run by some very friendly
women. They stock ceramic plates, trays, vases, bowls, tableware
and - oh happy day - salt and pepper shakers. You purchase the
item and then sign up for a class to paint it. They bake and glaze it
for you and you have a wonderful and very personal gift for someone
special or just a beautifully decorated personally hand done item for
display in your home. They have pre-painted pieces for sale which
are very unusual and beautiful - some quite pricey. All items can be
personalized with names, dates, etc. Current studio charges are $10/
hour for children and $12/hour for adults. Fee includes all colors, final
glaze and firing fees as well as expert guidance but does not include
the pottery piece you select to paint.
There are many special deals at FOLLOW YOUR ART like the Kid‘s
After School Program from 3 to 7 pm for children age 6 to 12, as well
as Adult Paint Nights on Friday and Ladies Night on Thursday. On
Sunday, Dads paint free from 12 to 3pm when accompanied by a
(to page 3)
Volume
Inside
Westhampton
1, Issue 1
Pines
Page 3
WHAT’S HAPPENING WHP
SPOTLIGHT ON ….
(from p. 2)
by Wendy Chaikin
child. Private birthday parties are
popular where, at a pre arranged
price per child, each child paints an
item of their choice. Pizza or cake
may be brought in for the kids to
enjoy. There are adult sessions
available for private parties as well,
although I cannot imagine many
guys who would just love to go to a
ceramic painting party. Home parties can be arranged also.
FOLLOW YOUR ART has been at
the Southampton location for three
years and is owned by Deborah
Belica who has a similar shop called
ONCE UPON A DISH located at
659 Franklin Avenue in Garden
City. The Garden City studio has
been successfully operating for ten
years. The Southampton shop is
managed by a very personable
young woman named Meaghan
who has arranged pottery groups
for local schools as well as the
Town of Southampton.
I purchased salt and pepper shakers and presented them to my sister-in-law. Of course, I had to take
them back so I could return to FOLLOW YOUR ART to paint the fruits
on them and have them glazed.
One little thing ---I can’t draw a
straight line let alone sketch fruit so
I‘ll have to wait until my art classes
are over before going back to FOLLOW YOUR ART for my ceramic
class. (I think it would have been
cheaper to buy her a new set of
china)!
The purpose of this column is to keep the homeowners
informed about the ever changing construction site we
inhabit, as well as happenings around Westhampton.
As a homeowner and Pulte employee, (and member of
the Chamber of Commerce) I am in a unique position to
be in the know!
The security fence on the east side is now complete,
with a construction entry gate that is locked daily. This
gate will also act as a crash gate entry for emergency
vehicles. The sound wall will be finished in February.
The pump station for our sewage treatment facility is
now complete and testing. Connection will begin in
spring. The septic tanks will be filled in as each home
is connected to the sewer.
Last month Pulte hauled out debris in the Pine Barren
Preservation area. With the heavy rains we get land
erosion, exposing old debris from the racetrack. Pulte
will schedule another cleanup soon. This is an ongoing project. If you are walking, please remember to
carry a plastic bag and pick up any trash you see.
Construction does make every effort to keep the site
clean, but with many workmen and high winds, trash
does find its way to the preservation.
(to page 4)
Volume 1, Issue 1
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Inside Westhampton pines
(from p. 3)
The Bridgehampton model is being completed and will serve as the new design
center. The Medford design center was
closed and this function was moved to
each community. The selection meeting
with new buyers will now be handled by
sales, on site.
Who says there is nothing happening in the
winter in Westhampton?????
Pulte Homes nationally is moving to a new
standardized spec (different levels for different communities). We will begin with
Condo 2. Pulte is moving towards more
efficient operations and simpler processes
by offering customers what they want while
driving costs down.
The Amagansett model is currently under
renovation and will represent the new selections. Completion is scheduled for the
end of March. We will begin renovation of
the Southampton model in March. Both of
these models will be decorated with the
current paint colors, furnishings & accessories.
Think Spring! 1,000 tulip and crocus bulbs
have been planted in the entrance beds.
Landscaping around the sound wall and
other locations on the property will begin
again in spring.
We had a great turnout for the 11th Annual
SNOWBALL Feb. 3rd. at Atlantica on the Ocean.
8 couples from WHP partied the night away including:
Rich & Sandy Ramistella, Ralph & Barbara
Kroner, Elliot & Audrey Gross, Barry and Cecilia
Finehirsh, David and Wendy Chaikin, Drew &
Arlene Davidoff, Stu & Ruth Agranoff, and Steven Hess & Toby Libert
Village of WHB — Westhampton Beach, NY
Upcoming Events:
St. Patrick's Weekend Festival
Friday, March 09, 2007 7:00 PM
Saturday, March 10, 2007 8:00 AM
Saturday, March 10, 2007 12:00 PM
Sunday, March 11, 2007 12:00 PM
A bevy of activities over the weekend surrounding the 41st Westhampton Beach St.
Patrick's Parade which is on Saturday, March
10th at 12:00 noon.
For more information: www.whbstpatsparade.org 631-288-3337
Volume 1, Issue 1
Page 5
MUSINGS FROM THE MIDDLE AGES
by Toby Libert
Somewhere between my 45th and 55th birthday my arms shrunk. After I got reading
glasses, they grew back. With improved vision, a new problem arose: seeing all the lines
and wrinkles on my face. Why is it that a man
with graying hair and laugh lines is distinguished and a woman is frumpy?
Where has the time gone? Just a few decades
ago, I was trying to sneak into the movie theatre on a child’s ticket. Now I’m trying to sneak
in at a senior discount. Playing the numbers
has become a new pastime. My cholesterol is
so high if it were my IQ, I would be in Mensa
twice. My blood pressure is so low; I am going
to sell it for the tax loss.
THE PETS OF
WESTHAMPTON
by Wendy Chaikin
Joining this wonderful community has been a
great experience. Playing Mah Jongg and
bridge with new friends, comparing notes on
decorating ideas and celebrating happy occasions together are just a few of the benefits of
being 55 or better and at Westhampton Pines.
If age is just a number and I am only as young
as I feel, exactly how old am I? Some where
between the beginning and the end? Old
enough to know better and young enough not
to care? Middle-aged?
I’m fifty-five, and proud of it. Fine wine becomes more full-bodied and fruity with age;
cheese becomes sharper, steak more flavorful. I’m not getting older: I’m just ripening.
INTRODUCTIONS……..
by Wendy Chaikin
The purpose of this column is to welcome our new
homeowners. I am going to begin this column with
those who closed on their new Pulte Home in December ’06.
Please welcome:
This column will feature our best
friends. If you would like your pet featured, please send a digital photo and
a brief pet bio to me at [email protected]. Or call me
and we can schedule a photo session
and exclusive interview with your pet!
Thomas & Louise Franza of Bay Shore, LI - 79
Samantha Circle
Stephen & Sandra Eisen of Del Ray Beach, FL – 76
Samantha Circle
Bill & Nancy Kelly of Jersey City, NJ – 77 Samantha
Circle
Genie Portillo of Mattituck, LI – 80 Samantha Circle
I would also like to feature homeowner bios and pictures. Please submit your bio and digital photo to
Wendy Chaikin at [email protected] for
inclusion in a future issue.
Volume 1, Issue 1
BIOGRAPHIES …
Ralph & Barbara Kroner
Address: 99 Samantha Circle
Phone #: 288288-2440
Inside Westhampton pines
and civil tax matters and he is a member of
the N.Y. State Society of C.P.A.’s.
Barbara was born in Brooklyn, NY.
Barbara attended Brooklyn College
(undergraduate) and Queens College
(graduate), majoring in Early Childhood Education, and later received a 2nd Masters Degree at C.W. Post in Counseling. She has just
recently retired from a position with the N.Y.C.
Bd. of Ed. as an Elementary School Guidance Counselor (P.S. 7, Elmhurst, Queens).
She was formerly a Kindergarten Teacher on
Long Island.
Barbara and Ralph have been married for 39
years. They have 2 grown and married children (David and Michele), and 4 grandkids –
all boys (2 are twins).
Ralph was born in Manhattan and grew up in
the Bronx, NY.
Ralph attended CCNY, majoring in Accounting
and has a Master’s Degree in Taxation. He
currently owns his own accounting and tax
practice in Manhattan, specializing in criminal
Barbara and Ralph still live at their primary
residence (of 36 years) in Oyster Bay, L.I.
They are very much enjoying coming out to
their new vacation property at Westhampton
Pines. They love the serenity and beauty of
the area (especially the beaches) and making
lots of new friends.
David & Wendy Chaikin
David and Wendy Chaikin visited the Westhampton Pines Sales office to see if there was
a good investment to be had. (Yes, we were
thinking of buying and flipping in that go go
market). We fell in love with the Amagansett
model and decided to sell our Glen Cove
home and make a lifestyle change earlier than
planned.
David grew up in Springfield, MA; Dallas,
Texas; and mostly Great Neck, LI. following
his union organizing father. He works as a
(to page 7)
Inside Westhampton Pines
Biographies
Page 7
(from p. 6)
Nuclear Medicine Technologist at Great Neck
Imaging. He is a graduate of Mercy College in
LI. He is the guy always washing and detailing his car.
Wendy grew up in Los Angeles (Valley Girl!),
moved to San Francisco to study ballet, and to
New York in 1979 for marriage (not to David).
Prior to working for Pulte, Wendy was an
agent with Coldwell Banker in Locust Valley,
LI., and worked for 25 years in the garment
industry, traveling the world in “global sourcing” most recently as VP Production for Ann
Taylor Stores. Wendy is a graduate of the
Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), in
NYC.
David and Wendy met in 1987 over a velvet
skirt – As a Macy’s buyer Wendy had to find
a good skirt manufacturer. She was introduced to David, a factory owner willing to
sew velvet. 1500 skirts later we were in love.
David & Wendy lived in Great Neck for 10
years, and Glen Cove for 5 years. David has
two handsome sons Seth, 29 a restaurant
manager and Zachary, 23, graduating college in June (Yeah!). We love our new home
and wonderful neighbors in Westhampton
Pines.
CONNECTIONS
by Barbara Kroner
I don’t know about the rest of you, but one of
the main things that attracted me to Westhampton Pines was the idea of “Community”
- i.e. a place to make new friends, to connect
with other people, and to engage in fun and
rewarding activities together.
I loved the idea of the Clubhouse – a perfect
meeting ground to do all of the above. However, now that I have been living here six
months, I haven’t been as successful as I’d
like to be, and I realize that there are numerous obstacles to making the types of connections I desire. I imagine that many of you feel
the same way. That is why I wanted to do
this column and I’m going to need your help.
I, like many of the people living here, am a
part-timer. I come here for summers and
occasional week-ends in the winter. My husband still works. I am retired. I have discovered that an awful lot of people never, or
rarely, go to the clubhouse – people I would
like to meet! When I come here, I want people to “play” with: i.e. take a class together,
play some tennis, ride a bike, go to a movie or
an event in town, go out to eat, go exploring
(to page 8)
Volume 1, Issue 1
Connections
Inside Westhampton pines
(from p. 7)
the Hamptons, etc., etc. In fact, right now I’m already thinking ahead to next summer. I enjoy
water aerobics and we have two lovely pools here. I would like to set up a water aerobics class
once a week at WHP (I may even have an instructor who would be willing to do it if guaranteed
enough participants!) If you might be interested in such a class, please contact me at my e-mail
address: [email protected]. You can also call me at either my Westhampton phone
number: 631-288-2440 or my Oyster Bay phone number: 516-922-9036.
Please let me know what connections you are looking to make and I will make sure to include
them in future columns. Make sure to give all necessary contact information
NETWORKING: HOMEOWNER TO HOMEOWNER
by Tom Franza
Somewhere between the house and the apartment lies the Condo. That hybridized home
we now all share lying slightly beyond the
realm of suburbia, but not quite in the Land of
Oz
There used to be an old joke that claimed
there was a zoning ordinance on Long Island
stating that no home was to be located more
than a half mile from the nearest deli. Obviously, that doesn’t quite apply at Westhampton Pines where some of the units are 3/4 of a
mile from the mailbox, and that led me to:
1. We all have chores to do.
2. Most of us would rather play than work.
3. There is a wealth of knowledge contained
within our community.
4. Nothing can be of benefit if it remains unknown.
So it is my intent to use the ramblings of this
column as a conduit for the distribution of
helpful information. By sharing our experiences, solutions and discoveries, we will all
end up with more time to play and less time
wasted on the more mundane aspects of life.
For example, I live in an Amagansett and
Louise, my wife, wanted to hang two-inch
blinds on the windows. I picked up a wooden
paint stirrer on the way out of Lowe’s, broke it
in three, and using some of that blue painter’s
tape that we all became familiar with during
the walk-through taped two pieces together
with a half dozen wraps or so. Another half
dozen wraps around the third piece before
using the tape to form a hinge binding the two
units together and I was done. The right angle that had been formed provided the exact
distance I needed for spacing the hanging
brackets away from the side of the casement
and the window (thicker section to the side).
Has anyone figured out a way to get hot water
to come out of the tap without having to wait
for what seems like forever?
Please feel free to e-mail the answer to this
along with any other tricks you might have
discovered to me at [email protected].
Editor’s Note: While this publication will continue to be distributed via email to accommodate those who are not fulltime residents, having printed copies available would be a nice touch. To give this a try, the nominal cost of printing the
first two editions will be underwritten by Professional Writing Services, Inc. ; but the continuation of hard copies will rely
on other willing WHP owners.