FAIR HARBOR

FAIR HARBORBy Emily S. BrafmanWhen a Saturday morning starts out cool, cloudy – and you’re happy about it – then one has acclimated to life on the island. After a picture perfect week of
warm sun, and crystal clear (freezing cold) ocean waves, I am sitting here happily at the bay in my zip-up sweatshirt, watching my kids swim in lukewarm water. They are perfecting their dives and I’m writing my article on my iPhone because my computer won’t turn on!
 July fourth weekend kicked off with the annual Pine Walk Fair where I had a front row seat at a table with my father Kenny Goodman. It is a prime location for people watching and I have a lot to report!
 When Dad is in town, the Fair Harbor community flocks to him. For me, it is amazing to see all of his fans. This year is bittersweet because he recently found out that his Ocean Beach studio will not be available to him next year. So this summer marks the end of Kenny Goodman’s gallery as we know it. It is sad to see this landmark go, but my father is the kind of man that looks forward.Many people stopped by our table. Among them were Nancy, Michael and Andrew Shapiro, Sophia Yarosh, Laura, Paul and Betty Roth, Siby and Harald Perklebaur, Marlene, Stevie and Dylan Baum along with countless others. 
 There are always lovely things to see at the Pine Walk Fair and this year didn’t disappoint. My long time friend Claudia Gill was selling her gorgeous trays, frames and mirrors made of broken antique pottery. She has even made them into shower curtains. How cool is that!! Check it out at www.claudiagill.com.Jennifer Hicks along with her mom Barbara Thorpe had their quilts and baby clothes on display you can see their line at www.olivestreetstudio.com.I also met some new people who were honoring our island and communities in some fabulous ways. I met James Kennedy, creator of Cotton Culture. He designs Fire Island t-shirts that remind me of the ones with the seagulls flying that everyone had when I was a little girl. I asked him if he summers on Fire Island and when he replied that he doesn’t, I asked him how he came to make these cool t-shirts? He explained to me that his college roommate was Sam Wood from Kismet. Through Sam, used to visit fire island all of the time and fell in love with the place. One day he and another roommate decided to design a shirt in honor of Fire Island. Now he sells them at all of the town fairs.I also visited the table of “I Lost My Dog Design” where there were these amazing maps of Fire Island with all of the community names in their proper spot actually creating the community shape. It’s hard to describe them, but they are very much worth a look. They are produced in bold beautiful colors. I might just need one of my very own! His website is www.ilostmydog.com.There is some wedding news from Broadway and the bay that I am excited to report to you. Strangely these two newly-engaged Fire Island women happen to be next-door neighbors, but I’m not sure they even know each other. Ashley Russell is marrying Robert Stanton on June 23, 2018. She told me that he proposed to her when they were snorkeling. When he came to the surface, he had a ring that was shaped like the waves to symbolize her love of the ocean! How beautiful is that?Also long time Fire Islander Ruthanne Secuna recently renovated her family house in Fair Harbor. To celebrate her new house, she had a big deck party. In the middle of a huge crowd of Ruthann’s friends and family, her boyfriend, Tom Boland, knelt down on one knee and proposed. I’m so happy for both of these wonderful ladies. Congrats to you both!I also want to congratulate Laura Tischler and Tony Falotico and their daughter, Bella on her bat mitzvah. It was held right here in Fair Harbor and it looked like a great celebration!The day has stayed gray so my son, Nicky and I decided to take a bike ride, to our surprise we rode right into a beach party! It was the day of Open Water Swim’s fifth annual ocean swim!The swimmers swam in a pretty rough ocean, and they were all celebrating with live music and some cocktails. Nicky and I hung out a bit then went to the very cool Atlantique playground, where there is a fun pirate ship climber.For all the families out there, movie night is in full swing. Come see your favorite cartoons and movies Wednesday nights at the firehouse starting at 6:30 p.m. Snack and drinks are for sale. Swimming lessons are also happening daily at the bay. Speak to Ashley to schedule your children.So I’ve had enough clouds for now, but can see the sun peeking through. Hope to see you at the beach this week! Please email me with any news or events you would like me to include in upcoming columns at fairharbor@fireisland-news.com and have a good week!