This memorial Day Weekend (May26-27 and 28) the maritime village of Greenport is hosting the Tall Ships Challenge 2012! Although many ships van be viewed from adjoining docks and waterfront areas – the village sells tickets to truly participate in the event

The TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Race is a series of sailing races, cruises, crew rallies and maritime festivals organized by Tall Ships America in conjunction with US and Canadian ports on the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts of North America and in the Great Lakes.

Peconic Landing and the Seaport Museum hold the Sea Captain’s Reception on may 26th 5-8 at Brecknock Hall

All law-abiding and loyal citizens are urged to be vigilant and alert to the presence on your coast of the weatherly, fast, and heavily armed Clipper Schooner Lynx. The 122-foot square top sail schooner Lynx will be sailing into Greenport and will be offering a one time opportunity to sail aboard Lynx on Friday, May 25^th from 3 pm to 5 pm

For reservations please call 866-446-5969 (PST) or visit www.privateerlynx.org for online ticketing and donations.

The 16th Annual Riverhead Community Mosaic Street Painting Festival will take place this year on Memorial Day weekend-Sunday May 27th only, from 12 noon to 5 pm! (rain date Monday May 28th).

Presented by the East End Arts Council, street painters 14 years of age and up commence upon East Main Street to create works of art on the sidewalks with colored chalks.  Street painting is a form of art that may date back to Italy in the 16th century.  Sizes of the artwork showcased will vary in mural size from 4×6' to 8×8', and are each sponsored by a local business.  Funds will benefit the East End Art School scholarships.

As this is a "Festival", the sidewalks will also be a buzz with artisan and craftsman booths, offering for sale fine art, crafts and woodwork, and homemade food items, all at reasonable prices.  An inspiring and fun event for all to kick off the traditional beginning of the summer season!

29 acres of mostly woodland in Westhampton has been acquired by the Town of Southampton. In addition to expanding the Westhampton Cemetery, the town and county plans to preserve the land. This could mean hiking and biking after a day at the beach!

Open space and farmland preservation on Long Island increased in the past two years, but not fast enough to meet conservationists goal set years ago from development before the Island is built out. Local governments protected more than 1,700 acres last year and 967 acres in 2010. The growth comes after preservation declines in 2008 and 2009 related to the recession and a lack of large tracts of available land, according to a report issued, last week by the Long Island Pine Barrens Society.

"The period of decline has stopped and changed direction, but the rate of land purchased is not sufficient to get us to the goal, by a long shot." society executive director Richard Amper said last week.

The Nature Conservancy of Long Island and 100 environmental, civic and business groups in 2006 set a goal to protect 25,000 acres of open space and 10,000 acres of farmland by 2020, the year they estimated every acre of Long Island would be designated for either development or preservation. With development slowed by the recession, the Pine Barrens Society estimates build out to occur in 2025.  Even with the delay, it's estimated local towns and counties will preserve a total of about 17,000 acres by 2025, Amper said.

Last year, Suffolk County and the towns of Brookhaven, Riverhead, Southampton, Southold, East Hampton and Shelter Island bought a total of 1,703 acres, up from 1,134 the year before.

Amper worries the number of acres preserved will not be sustained. "They are not expected to do that well in the next two years," he said.

Westhampton Beach is the setting for an upcoming episode of Royal Pains. Shooting begins today along Main Streets as actor Mark Feuerstein was seen in front of the Westhampton Beach Playhouse assisting a choking Zombie as cast and crew looked on. Already excitement in the Hampton’s……and the season has yet to begin!!

Westhampton Dunes may be the winner of an ASPBA contest for “Best Restored Beaches Across America”. This would be a second win for Westhampton Dunes, confirming what we already know…. The most pristine beaches in the world run along the eastern coast of Long Island. Through the tireless efforts of the village of Westhampton Beach, the shoreline has been replenished and restored. Located 75 miles from Manhattan, a ninety -minute drive can take you from the lights of Broadway to the beauty of the oceanfront.

East Hampton Village is getting two high tech safety crosswalks which will be illuminated at ground level when people on the sidewalk press a button, lighting the crosswalks at night and making it easier to see pedestrians.

The work has already begun, which is being done by the state, and they have stated it will be completed well before Memorial Day. In the meantime we will be somewhat inconvenienced as work will shut down 1,2 or 3 lanes on Main Street and at times will detour traffic entirely away from Main Street. This too shall pass!!

TOWN & COUNTRY’S 1st Quarter Homes Sales Report for the North Fork clearly demonstrates forward motion and a new trend as the investment opportunities on the North Fork are attracting customers from as far away as France and as near as Manhattan. As a continued emerging market, the future for the North Fork is, far and away, going to outshine the past.

If you can down to All North Fork Markets Combined you will see 66 of the 70 Home Sales recorded, or over 94% are sales below $1M.

Looking at specific markets you will see Southold (including New Suffolk and Peconic) and Orient (which includes East Marion and Greenport) enjoyed significant increases in sales activity with the Number of Home Sales increasing 62% and 117% respectively.

The Total Homes Sales Volume for Orient (which includes East Marion and Greenport) exploded by over 136% from $2.488 to $5.9M!

Overall the North Fork 1st Quarter Home Sales Report is heavily weighted by robust activity. Although there is a slight dip in Median Home Sales Price from $415,500 1st Quarter 2011 to $391,750 for the 1st Quarter 2012, the remarkable 40% jump in the Number of Homes Sales and a 23% increase in total Home Sales Volume speaks for itself.

To view more specifics on your particular locations visit http://www.1townandcountry.com/html/marketReports.php

Judi A. Desiderio, CEO
jd@1TownandCountry.com

**All information is deemed reliable and correct.  Information is subject to errors, omissions and  withdrawal without prior notice.

TOWN & COUNTRY'S 1st Quarter Hamptons Home Sales Report demonstrates a significant change in our markets. We have been reporting on the unusually active winter season and now the numbers prove indisputably the Hamptons markets are breaking national trends.

Markets such as Sag Harbor Village statistically posted eye-popping increases in all 3 criteria monitored by TOWN & COUNTRY with a 29% increase in the Number of Home Sales, 68.4% increase in the Median Home Sales Price and an impressive 95% increase in Total Home Sales Volume. Sag Harbor is no longer the East End's best kept secret!

Shelter Island experienced reversal shifts with reductions in all 3 criteria…but when there is such little data (6 sales in an entire quarter) statistics get skewed easily.

Southampton Village realized a 67% increase in Number of Home Sales (from 9 to 15) and a 128% gain in Total Home Sales Volume from $21.5M to $49M year to year, yet the Median Home Sales Price shifted downward to $800,000 from $1.845M or a decline of 56.64%, but again few sales (9 in 2011 vs. 15 in 2012) cam make the Median Home Sales Price shift easily. Examining the 6 price categories in Southampton Village and you see the number of sales below $1M market was the driver with 9 of the 15 sales this year and yet in 2011 the number of sales under $1M was only 3 of the 9 sales.

Westhampton (which includes Remsenburg, Westhampton Beach, East Quogue, Quogue and Quiogue) realized the greatest increase in the Number of Home Sales with a 109% increase, which pushed the Total Home Sales Volume upward by 118%.

Looking at All Hamptons Markets Combined for 1st Quarter 2012 and you see all positive signs, further validating TOWN & COUNTRY'S conclusion that the Hamptons markets are setting new benchmarks.

The water's perfect, time to jump in!

To view more specifics on your particular locations visit http://www.1townandcountry.com/html/marketReports.php

Judi A. Desiderio, CEO
jd@1TownandCountry.com

**All information is deemed reliable and correct.  Information is subject to errors, omissions and  withdrawal without prior notice.

This coming weekend is the Town of Southampton's GREAT EAST END CLEAN-UP. People and organizations have registered to work on the clean-up from all over the town. Registration had to be completed by April 13th and those participants will be provided with garbage bags, pick sticks and a free pass to the town recycling centers to dispose of the refuse. Plastic bags will be kept separate for the permanent bin they have at the recycling center for all plastic bags, wraps, plastic coverings. ALSO, there is a hazardous waste pick up on April 29th from 9 am to 2 pm at the North Sea Recycling center. Check the Town of Southampton website for dates on the Hazardous Waste pickup dates closer to your home. HOPE THIS HELPS YOU TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE DOING THEIR PART IN KEEPING OUR AREA CLEAN OF DEBRIS AND HAZARDOUS WASTE.