Chamber keeps Montauk Highway beautiful year-round

For nearly a decade, The Bayport-Blue Point Chamber of Commerce has been responsible for the Dickensian decorations in the winter and the vibrant flowers in the spring on the lampposts that line Montauk Highway.

The chamber’s Beautification Committee, with Carol Seitz-Cusack of Therm-a-Trol and Chris Cook of Razing Hair at the helm, has held fundraisers and engaged the community in support of bringing a charming aesthetic to the front door of BBP.

“As the world around us changes before our eyes, now more than before the comforts of home are more important than ever. Our beautiful Bayport-Blue Point community provides us with a safe place to bring some peace to our aching souls and a familiarity that lets us know we are where we need to be right now,” said Seitz-Cusack.

“As many of you know, the Bayport-Blue Point Chamber of Commerce Beautification Committee is responsible for decorating Montauk Highway with holiday decorations and lighted pole wraps during the winter and beautiful hanging baskets and planters during the spring and summer. These special touches create a welcoming small-town feel for all that drive through or visit our quaint little hamlets,” said Seitz-Cusack.

The committee started when Cook, as a board member living in Patchogue, said, “It is like driving through the desert after I leave Patchogue and before getting into Sayville Village.”

“We have all these beautiful lampposts, why not hang flowers on them?” suggested Cook.

Seitz-Cusack was recruited to be co-chair and for the last prior two years, Janet Draffin had stepped in, taking the chair position.  The first year, she split the chair seat with Nicole Butler, of Bayport.

“We would never have been able to do the beautification project without the generous donation of the Johnny Mac Foundation that offered us a yearly sponsorship of monies to be put towards the watering of the flowers.  Without the watering sponsorship, we knew we wouldn’t be able to get this off the ground.  Johnny Mac Foundation is one of our major sponsors,” said Seitz-Cusack of the Blue Point-based charity. 

Other platinum sponsors include Little Angels Learning Center, Therm-A-Trol Inc., and Raynor & D’Andrea Funeral Homes.

“As a local business owner, I believe in the importance of creating a beautiful and welcoming environment for our community. Sponsoring the beautification project is my way of giving back and helping to ensure that our Bayport-Blue Point community remains a vibrant and inviting place for residents and visitors alike,” said Laura Rogacki, founder and president of Little Angels Learning Center.

With Bayport Flower Houses as benefactor, owner Karl Auwaerter proudly grows the hanging baskets each year.

The flowering plant in each of the baskets is cascading geraniums (pelargonium peltatum), with the pink variety, Acapulco, and the red variety, Cascade Dark Red. “They are the ideal flowering basket for beautifying our towns because they bloom from spring to fall and they don’t require ‘deadheading’—they are self-cleaning. In addition, they are relatively drought tolerant, which allows them to flourish during the hot summer months,” said Auwaerter. 

In December, BFH takes cuttings from stock plants and then roots into small plugs. In mid-February, head grower John Auwaerter and his horticultural team plant nine small geranium plants into each large hanging baskets.

From February until May, they grow suspended from the greenhouses in their ideal environment, day temperatures of 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit and night temperatures of 62 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit. A few days before Memorial Day, the beautiful hanging basket geraniums are removed from their protected environment and hung on the poles along the road. “Now Mother Nature has the upper hand, sometimes it goes well and sometimes the geraniums need to adapt to extreme weather. This is why we choose the cascading geranium: it has the ability to withstand extremes and still perform well. 2024 was a good spring for plants and they hit the ground running and put on a show early,” said Auwaerter.

Referred to as a “watering star” by the Beautification Committee, Kevin Cusack waters the plants each day to keep them blooming into October.

“If you happen to be out in the wee morning hours, you will see Kevin and his assistants watering each basket... sometimes every other day,” said Auwaerter.

In October, the baskets are taken down, composted, and recycled and cleaned for the next year.

By this time, the garlands and wreaths begin to take over Montauk Highway for the holiday season.

The Beautification Committee tries to hold two fundraisers each year, with this summer’s being a basket raffle. 

Basket tickets can be purchased at Razing Hair Salon in Bayport or at the Bayport-Blue Point Library for one for $5 or three for $10.

On Nov. 2, the Beautification Committee will be hosting a comedy show at the Bayport Fire Department.