Let The Band Play On

There are few small-town traditions more important in Sag Harbor than the Tuesday night performances of the Sag Harbor Community Band in front of the American Legion on Bay Street. For almost 60 years, the band has played on, its fans lined up in beach chairs on Bay Street, as the sun sets over the water just a stone’s throw away.

It’s a piece of Americana that has not been lost as Sag Harbor has continued its evolution and become a waterfront destination beloved by locals, newcomers and visitors. Frankly, events like the Sag Harbor Community Band summer concert series have helped define the village, and it is a tradition worth preserving as so many others fall by the wayside.

Last week, citing a shortage of personnel to provide security for audience members who traditionally have set up camp in the middle of Bay Street, Sag Harbor Village Police Chief Austin J. McGuire asked the board to explore an alternate site for the Community Band.

In fairness, Chief McGuire has fewer part-time officers available to help provide security during the weekly summer concert — he has lost many to full-time jobs — and only has two full-time officers on duty at a given time. Without a formal police presence, and with just a small wooden barricade separating concert attendees from traffic, it’s not hard to envision a scenario where safety would be a legitimate concern.

Fortunately, it does appear that there may be an alternative — Marine Park. Members of the Village Board said this week they were in talks to move the band, perhaps after a final concert in front of the Legion, to the park, which sits just yards away from the Legion, is on the waterfront, and has ample space for an audience to set up chairs and enjoy the show, free from the potential of an errant vehicle resulting in a tragedy.

It is, admittedly, a hard pill to swallow, even this seemingly small change. But the reality is that compared to 57 years ago, when the band first performed, traffic in Sag Harbor has increased in dramatic fashion.

While there may be limits to the number of events that one organization can have at Marine Park, the Village Board should do everything in its power to give the Community Band its full slate of summer shows. It is time for trustees, the police chief and the band’s board to work together to find a location that works for everyone. The band must play on — we can all agree on that.