The mostly beautiful July weather has been a tremendous boon for the hub of the Lonelyville, Dunewood and Fair Harbor tri-community. The Dock, a.k.a. downtown in Fair Harbor, is back to its very busy self.  

Patrick Adams’ inventive menu, Unfriendly’s plethora of sticky confections, daring displays of stunt-flying turns and beautifully synchronized skimming birds, and, of course, awe inspiring sunsets drive a diverse parade of vacationers to this “Sixish” hotspot. While the adult crowd sips, chats and mingles, our clever kids have added a new pick-up game to the mix:  “Faculty,” a trust no one type  of “Shark and Minnow” match; and, the nightly assembly of a make-shift bike ramp (that makes parents squirm in fear of concussions or worse) rank among the favorite leisure activities this month. 

Thursday night is Bingo night in Fair Harbor. Look for an overflowing, excited crowd spilling out of the fire house and onto the sidewalk with lots of “Shhhs” and “What was that?”  Cathy Zweibel of Holly Walk was the first lucky winner of the season, although Max Sniderman took home a whopping $175 bucks!

Lonelyville’s beach continues to be the surfing Mecca of the West End. The lure was so great; Maguire’s owners Drew Becker and Jim Betz were compelled to make the trip over on their only day off to check it out. When the surf’s out, throngs of skim boarders happily make the best of low tide.       

Lonelyville and Dunewood beach parties all benefitted from the generosity of our favorite “Sanitary Engineer,” John Altieri, who proudly celebrates 50 years in business this summer. Dunewood party organizers went the extra mile by booking the super talented Melissa Adams and Dave Mendelssohn to belt out classics to very welcoming and appreciative families.The fabulously stylish and sweet natured Suzanne Tick celebrated her 50th birthday with lots of great food and good cheer. When Suzanne’s party wrapped, a crew of primed night crawlers set out yet again to celebrate, “Solid Gold” style, the 40th birthday of Fair Harbor’s own spin queen, Melanie Griffith.

Lisa and Billy Cassara once again out did themselves with a very rocking Fourth of July dance party. The kids didn’t even notice their time at the party had expired thanks to the amazingly generous and beautiful display of “Fifth Avenue Fire Works” that seemed to go on longer than any light show ever  remembered by this truly thankful audience.  

Speaking of dance parties, the “Fresh Prince of Saltaire,” Tyler Ehrman, commanded a sweaty, packed mass of raving dancers at LeDock’s infamous, annual White Party. Black lights dazzlingly illuminated a gyrating sea of white garbed revelers. Smash and Jason certainly worked off just as many calories as the dancers while serving up a demandingly thirsty crowd.  Thanks to Le Dock’s entire crew for a job well done. Look forward to the “Theme TK” LeDock Party on Aug. 22.

The Pine Walk Fair appeared to be another huge success. Throngs of shoppers and onlookers came down to find beautiful things to buy. It was great to see some old-time Fair Harbor faces, Samantha Sejas and Kenny Goodman.  Paul Westlake also made a rare appearance.  

While there are tons of good things going on, all is not idyllic in our peaceful tri-community.  A nasty rash of house break-ins, random acts of vandalism in the form of dozens and dozens of slashed bike tires and, sleazy displays of drunk and disorderly types have left many folks yearning for days of unquestioned safety and civility in our communities. Keep your eyes open and lock your doors folks!   

At press time, our local DuneGood hero, Dr. Peter Taub, is volunteering on his third surgical mission with KomedyPlast in Peru to treat pediatric patients afflicted with congenital anomalies, such as cleft and palate, and complex deformities of the skull, known as craniosynostosis. Talk about generous: Peter pays his own airfare, conducts the surgeries free of charge, uses his vacation time away from his family and takes a financial loss from time away from his professional practice.  

While the KomedyPlast team travels on their own dime and time, medical equipment and supplies must be financed. The costs associated with these types of severely complex surgeries can range in the tens of thousands of dollars. Maxine Hayden has organized a KomedyPlast Walk-a-thon and fundraiser on Aug.15, at 8 a.m. along the ocean from Sandpiper Walk in Dunewood to Ocean Beach. It will end with a generous donation of beverages and refreshments from Scott Hirsch at the Island Mermaid. 

“I like knowing every dime will make a difference and go directly to putting smiles back on these children’s faces,” Hayden said.  

To support the cause, meet up at The Island Mermaid around 9 a.m. or send checks made payable to KomedyPlast, along with a note c/o Maxine Hayden, general delivery, Fair Harbor, N.Y., 11706. Log onto www.komedyplast.org for more information.