East Hampton Village’s New Facebook page

Historic village meets modern world.

According to Facebook: Providing a platform that enables direct interactions between governments and their citizens is an important part of our mission to make the world more open and connected. With more than 188 million people on Facebook in the United States, Facebook is an efficient and effective place for governments to engage with their constituents.

But in contrast to this technology and future-friendly message it is noted that, thanks to its strong preservationist policy, The Village of East Hampton has maintained its quaint, small town character and was voted “America’s Most Beautiful Village” by National Geographic.

Nonetheless, Facebook has spoken and East Hampton Village has heard the message.

At a recent Village Trustee meeting, deputy mayor Barbara Borsack announced there would soon be a new Facebook page for the village. When asked when the page would be online and accessible to all, Borsack replied, “Hopefully, by next Friday.”

And right on schedule, this past Friday, March 6, at 8:42 AM, the Village of East Hampton created its first post:

“Welcome to the Village of East Hampton’s Facebook page. This page will be used to provide information on meetings, upcoming events and other important village information. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Village Hall at 631-324-4150. Have a great day!”

The post sits beneath a page header featuring the village’s newly designed seal, with a seagull flying above a windmill. Next to it is a beautiful slideshow that creates a virtual tour of East Hampton. Iconic swans swim the pond and sunset’s haze filters through tall, stately elms.

Becky Molinari Hansen, the village administrator, said, “We’ll use the page to post all kinds of helpful information for the public, for instance alerts, announcements, and info on how to obtain things like beach permits. It’s easily accessible and most people are on Facebook already, so it doesn’t require a separate trip to a website someone may or may not be familiar with navigating. In addition, the public can comment and make requests, helping us to understand the needs of the village’s citizens more clearly.”

Molinari Hansen also noted, “As for administering the page, there will definitely be an ongoing learning curve for everyone at Village Hall.”

And so, it begins.

At 2:33 PM was a second post, announcing bids were open for Sea Spray Cottage #8 with an opening bid of $95,000.

And then, at 3:41 PM one more post appeared: Village Of East Hampton Centennial Parade: Call For Volunteers!

And just like that, the village, with roots going back to the 1600s, known for its tight embrace of that past and its passion for the preservation of its history — the village many believe would make time stand still if it could — that village stepped up to the cutting edge of technology and social media.

And if you need proof, just go to: www.facebook.com/easthamptonvillage.

“What was that streak of light across the sky?” someone was overheard saying on Main Street.

Hey, you never know.

karen@karenfredericks.com