Grind

Up for a challenge . . . for a good cause?

The bravest swimmers on the South Fork can answer the polar plunge call to raise money for charity by taking a winter dip on New Year's Day in Montauk, East Hampton, or Wainscott.

The first one of the day is on the beach at Gurney's Montauk Resort at 10:30 a.m. Donations collected during the Gurney's polar plunge will benefit the Retreat, a domestic violence shelter program based in East Hampton.

The East Hampton Trails Preservation Society will host three hikes this week in Montauk.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has signed into law a bill establishing protection and conservation areas for marine mammals and birds that live on the land and waters of Plum Island, Great Gull Island, and Little Gull Island.

To celebrate New Year’s Eve in a safe, alcohol-free environment, the South­ampton Town addiction and recovery committee will throw a New Year’s Eve party at Parrish Hall at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. The 2020 Clear Vision Party, as it’s called, will start at 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 and go until about a half-hour after the ball drops. There will be live entertainment and refreshments.

A menorah lighting will take place in Herrick Park in East Hampton Village on Friday at 4:30 p.m., organized by Chabad of the Hamptons with cocoa, chocolate coins, and raffle prizes. The event will be preceded by a parade of lights from the Chabad house on Woods Lane starting at 3:30 and an ice-carving demonstration at Herrick Park once the “menorahcade” arrives.

Shakespeare and Co.'s three-week residency at the school culminates in performances of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" on Thursday. All 78 students, ages 3 to 13, have had a hand in this year's production.

The Wainscott C.A.C. on Saturday announced that this year's business awards recognize Michael Del Piero Good Design and Wainscott Main Wines and Spirits for aesthetic and community-minded accomplishments.

The holiday festivities are in full swing with Santa likely showing up in your hamlet sometime over the weekend and plenty of places to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list, such as the annual Artisans Gift Show in Springs. In between all of that, catch a "Mixed Nuts" performance at Bay Street or take a dip in the ocean during the Polar Bear Plunge at Cooper's Beach in Southampton Village to raise money for Heart of the Hamptons, an organization which assists more than 1,500 people in the community each year. 

Friday, December 13 

Films and television offerings with East End connections found love from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which nominated several of them for their annual Golden Globes Awards.

If you are looking for farmland or you have farmland and want a farmer to work it for you, an upcoming Peconic Land Trust forum in Riverhead is for you. Next Thursday, Dec. 12, the Peconic Land Trust will review the Farmland for a New Generation New York program, which is coordinated by American Farmland Trust in partnership with the State Department of Agriculture and Markets, agricultural organizations, and land trusts. There will be specific information available to farmers and farmland owners on Long Island.

The Hampton Ballet Theatre School will bring holiday cheer to East Hampton with its annual production of “The Nutcracker,” which opens Friday at Guild Hall.

With 20 days until Christmas, it's time to get serious about holiday shopping, and with the many holiday fairs happening between Montauk and Southampton, it should be somewhat easy to do. Check out all the fairs, and more holiday festivities, like the Santa Parade and "The Nutcracker" performances, happening around town: 

Friday, December 6 

A ban on bump stocks and other rapid-fire modifications to guns is now in effect in New York State. On Nov. 26, the ban on the possession, manufacture, transport, shipment and sale of such items became law, closing a statutory loophole.

The first blast of snow in eastern Suffolk County was not quite enough for a snow day, but icy roads caused a two-hour delay for some school openings on Tuesday morning.

There are several volunteer opportunities, according to the social justice committee of Temple Adas Israel.

The holiday season will get off to a busy start on the South Fork.

Suffolk County officials announced increased police patrols over the Thanksgiving holiday, and a partnership with Lyft in an effort to deter people from getting behind the wheel under the influence this holiday season. 

Twenty-five years ago this week, Florence Fabricant shared her Thanksgiving Day menu in the pages of The Star, a list some 15 sweet and savory dishes long.

"The turkey, squash, cornbread, cranberries, and pumpkin pie adhere faithfully to the Thanksgiving tradition," wrote the well-known food writer, who was at the time writing a column called "In Season" for The Star. "Scallops, broccoli, potatoes, and beach plums pay homage to local bounty, which, I believe, is an equally important aspect of the celebration."

In what legislators have billed as another step forward in protecting the health of young people in New York, the state's new law raising the legal age at which tobacco can be purchased went into effect Nov. 13.

Now, an adult must be at least 21 years old to purchase cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and other tobacco and nicotine products. The previous legal age was 18.

New York State Assemb. Fred W. Thiele Jr. called it "absolutely crucial" to preventing cigarette and e-cigarette addiction among youth and young adults.

The Sag Harbor Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary will host about 30 vendors, including Jacqueline Rene Jewelry, Sag Harbor Essential Oils, the Hamptons Handpoured candle company, and the Southampton Soap Company, for holiday shopping from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at the firehouse on Brick Kiln Road.

Wine and refreshments will be served, and raffles will be held. Admission is $15. Those who provide a can of nonperishable food or a personal hygiene item for donation to the Sag Harbor Community Food Pantry will receive a $5 discount.

The Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce, which holds several annual events, including HarborFrost, HarborFest, the Easter Bonnet and Ragamuffin parades, and the arts and crafts fair, is seeking volunteers for the committees that manage them. 

The Montauk Historical Society’s Lighthouse Committee is gearing up for the return of the holiday lighting of the Lighthouse on Nov. 30 at 4 p.m.

"Conscience Point" will be shown as part of the Emmy Award-winning series "Independent Lens" on PBS on Monday at 10:30 p.m. It can also be streamed live on the PBS website.

In partnership with the Suffolk Office of Minority Health and the Witness Project, the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center will host a day focused on heart health on Saturday.

“Climate Reality Amplified,” a multimedia musical program on the Climate Reality Project, an initiative chaired by former vice president Al Gore, will be shown at the Montauk Library next Thursday at 5 p.m. The program points to “scientific evidence of the climate crisis” offers current global data, suggests solutions, and highlights achievements, according to the library. It is part of a global event, 24 Hours of Reality: Truth in Action, focused on the climate crisis.

The League of Women Voters of the Hamptons will have a party to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the New York State League of Women Voters on Monday at 7 p.m. at the Hampton Library.

The 43rd Turkey Day Run for Fun, started by John Keeshan and sponsored by the East Hampton Town Recreation Department, will be held on Thanksgiving Day at 10 a.m., rain or shine.

The Retreat, a domestic violence shelter and support and prevention program headquartered in East Hampton, has received a $450,000 federal grant, Representative Lee Zeldin recently announced.

Train service between Southampton and Montauk is set to resume on Monday, East Hampton Town and Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. announced on Thursday.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 550 is organizing the East Hampton event, which begins at 10 a.m., and has invited all veterans or active-duty military members to march from London Jewelers on Main Street to the monument on the Hook Mill green, a short walk that will conclude with a brief ceremony at the monument. Afterwards, American Legion Post 419 in Amagansett will hold a short service at 11 a.m.