Go Shop There

There’s no argument: Westhampton Beach has courageously taken a step into the future that other villages have contemplated, coveted, debated. But, in the end, it’s just too big to actually begin. The benefits of a new septic system, providing capacity for more commercial growth (and environmental benefits), and a reconfigured Main Street are significant. But so is the price to be paid while the work is being done.

Westhampton Beach officials have fearlessly pushed forward — two weeks early, in fact, because that’s what was required to get the job done before next Memorial Day brings in the next summer, and all its visitors. The village should be well positioned for the season in 2020, and beyond.

To get there, though, the businesses of Westhampton Beach are going to suffer for as long as eight months. Trying to make a living in the offseason is tough, but the inconvenience of the Main Street reconstruction is going to make it nearly impossible for some. But there’s a solution to that. Every resident of Southampton Town — not just the hamlets and villages west of the canal, but shoppers in Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor and especially Southampton Village, which may face a very similar predicament if its leaders can find the fortitude, should make a pilgrimage.Every single person should make it a point of pride: Go to Westhampton Beach and spend some money. Get your Christmas cards there instead of online. Treat yourself to a new outfit. Buy some ice cream or baked goods. Have dinner. Have a few drinks. Spend money.

It won’t be easy — nothing worthwhile ever is. Getting around will be a little inconvenient. Wear sneakers, it might be a little muddy.

But you’ll be voting with your dollars. You’ll be saying, “Local merchants matter, and when they’re hurting, we can skip the internet and show a little love with our credit cards.” You’ll be voting with your feet, and your dollars.

And you’ll be telling other villages: Upgrades to your infrastructure do not have to be death sentences. You can survive. We will help.