Aliza, Whitney, Maeve, Bridget at the Block Party.
By Bradlee White
The big news in Kismet last weekend was an early evening blackout followed by block party-stopping wild thunderstorms and pounding rain. The power went out around 6 p.m. on Saturday night. For the residents, guests and passersby gathered around “Paddy Shack,” “Rut’s Hut,” “Champaign Dreams,” “Once Upon a Beach” and “Cozy A”on Pine Walk, the hope was that the party would go on. Children and dogs romped as guests mingled and the “Tradewinds” band played unplugged. The skies turned to grey and then orange. With the first drops some remembered open windows and ran towards home while others sheltered in place. The luge at “Rut’s Hut” melted as the band frantically covered the amps. PSEGLIG texted “estimated times of restoration” for 8 p.m. then 9 p.m. Power was finally restored at 3:42 a.m. Early Sunday morning media had no mention of the incident. The heat is blessedly gone for now but next weekend’s forecast is “wash, spin, and repeat.”
The Kismet Fire Department Auxiliary (KFDA) Night At The Races fundraiser for the Kismet Fire Department (KFD) drew an enthusiastic crowd of over 50 people who came to bet with funny money on pre-recorded real races. Kerry Cannava Turner planned and organized the event around a packaged game as she did with last summer’s Roaring Twenties fundraiser. A hard working crew including Joe McKean, Joe and Dana DeRuvo, Jack Henry, Myrna Ussach and housemate Joyce, Eddie Schwartz, Jeff and Wendy Schou, Gary Leone and Neal Mandel labored to make it happen in the Firehouse. A large screen was set up to play the pre-recorded races. Jackson Hanner presided. Joe, Neal and Eddie and Gary took bets. Costumes were optional but Derby Day hats and splashes of pink were everywhere. The best was a prize winning jockey regalia complete with high boots and riding crop sported by Mrs. McCann. The huge raffles basket, which brought in $2,000, was won by Erin Wahlburg.
While the parties and the weather in Kismet last weekend were wild, the native and visiting wildlife were just as active. Sharks were again everywhere, and a man o’ war and other stingers were reported. There was a whale sighting on July 26. A welcome revival of frogs/toads was reported in Ocean Beach. Sadly, a huge sea turtle was found dead off our eastern bay beach. Sam Wood carried it off in his big yellow cart, posting, “Mondays are like a box of chocolates …” and turned it over to Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation. The bodies of two deer, one a fawn, were also found and buried locally. As in the past, deer may belong to the National Seashore or New York State while alive but if they happen to die on your property it is your problem.
The Arthur Lem Memorial Catch and Release Snapper Derby is scheduled for Aug. 8. See our Community Calendar on this website for further details.
