New 'Greenport Village Worker Appreciation Day' Unfolds Wednesday

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GREENPORT, NY — Greenport Village workers will have a day of appreciation dedicated to them.

Wednesday, May 21, has been dubbed "Greenport Village Worker Appreciation Day," by the Greenport Village Business Improvement District.

Free box lunches will be distributed from noon to 1:45 p.m.at Blue Duck Bakery to any village worker.
Next, a pizza party, courtesy of 1943 Pizza bar, and a happy hour will be held at the Greenport Brewery from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with free drinks for village workers and then, happy hour pricing.

Nancy Kouris, BID president and owner of the Blue Duck Bakery, said baked goodies will also be donated to the event.

"Our village employees are the unsung heroes of our village. Through it all they keep the village humming along no matter what goes on," said Kouris. "They are the office workers at Village Hall, the maintenance crews, the lighting and electrical crews, the marina workers who prepare and service our boating visitors, with vessels of all sizes and shapes — and so many more individuals that I am not mentioning. It’s a great big thank you from the BID and all those who experience their hard work every day! Which is just about everyone who lives and visits our beautiful village. We hope they take the time to let us celebrate them — they sure do deserve it!"

"It is a great idea and I thank the BID in trying to help find positivity and celebrate the good in a climate of heightened stress, uncertainty and dysfunction as we head into another busy summer season," Vandenburgh said.

He added: "The importance of saying 'thank you' can become lost in our hectic day-to-day scramble. We are all trying to process daily the information we read about global conflicts, fragile financial markets, tariffs up or down, political antics near and far and the concerns over local issues that may affect us," Vandenburgh said.

He added: "What we don’t often see is the hard work, commitment and sacrifice of those who are 'in the trenches,' making sure the job gets done. Our village workers, who mostly go about their day doing the things that need to get done, work in hope of providing the stability of utility services for electric light and water, safe streets and sidewalks to travel upon, clean parks, marinas and beaches to enjoy and helpful assistance in a sometimes very turbulent place. "

Vandenburgh, who said he is currently an "informal advisor" to the BID, and is considering returning to a more active role on the board in the coming months, "applauds the idea of saying 'thank you' to those who often do not hear it. I support recognizing, not the ones in front of the cameras, but those who do the actual work — our Greenport Village workers and staff. If we are to remain a place that we are proud of and hope to improve upon, we must never forget to recognize the work they do, day in and day out. "

The idea was conceived of by Colin Ratsey, he said.

"I commend the Greenport Business Improvement District for organizing May 21 as Greenport Village Worker Appreciation Day," Vandenburgh added. "Next time you see that village worker actually doing the work in our streets or in Village Hall — be sure to let them know you appreciate all they do for us."