It’s always neat to meet new, interesting Hamptonites, and it can happen anywhere you are on the East End. Heading back on the brief shuttle ride from watching the Walker Cup at the National, I met Ray Overton, the Director of Operations at Ross School, and also a candidate for Southampton Town Trustee on the Southampton Republican and Conservative lines. Ray and his wife Christine,  along with their son, Chris, live in Westhampton in a home originally constructed by his grandparents 80 some years ago. His longtime attachment to the beauty and history of the Hamptons along with his commitment to preserving it makes Ray our new featured KDHamptons Diary of the week….

KDHamptons: How long have you been living in the Hamptons? Why do you love it so much?

Ray Overton: I grew up in Westhampton, graduating from Westhampton Beach High School before heading off to Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. After receiving my bachelor’s degree in economics from Dickinson in 1981, I came back to Westhampton, developing business management experience working in both construction and then financial services.

KDHamptons: You lived in Vermont for a period of time, what drew you there?

Ray: I moved to Vermont in 1990 for a business opportunity (I also love to ski so there was a draw), but moved back to Westhampton in 2005 to help care for my parents. Despite living in the North Country for quite awhile, Westhampton was always home. I always feel most comfortable at, or on the water, whether it meant being at the beach or on a boat. There is something about the rhythm of the ocean and bays in our area that is both soothing and energizing.

KDHamptons: How would your describe your perfect Hamptons day in detail?

Ray: My perfect Hamptons day starts with a 15-20 mile bike ride that includes Dune Road to Cupsogue Beach to see the sunrise and back to the Beach Bakery in Westhampton Beach for coffee with my buddies. After some yard work (a necessary evil), it would be either off to Lashley Beach/Jetty 4 for relaxation and swimming, or to the Westhampton Yacht Squadron to help out with some of the sailing races. After the obligatory stop at the clubhouse to mingle with the great membership there, it would be off to one of the Dune Road restaurants on the west side of the Canal (Saltwater Grill, Dockers, Sundays, Oaklands) for music, some seafood and a great, great sunset.

KDHamptons: Please tell us about your position at the Ross School in East Hampton?

Ray: As Director of Operations at Ross School, I oversee all the non-program related functions for the campus including facilities maintenance, capital improvements, energy use, security, boarding homes, vehicles etc. I started at the school in May 2012 and have been amazed at how the design of the school (particularly the upper school campus) was created to support the academic mission of educating through a cultural history curriculum. The challenge is to evaluate specific steps that may be necessary to preserve not only the integrity of the structures but their place within the academic environment. At present, my efforts are focused on constantly improving the product we make available for our students and creating a long term plan that will allow the campuses to operate sustainably for the next 50 years.

KDHamptons: You are running for Southampton Town Trustee this year. What are the responsibilities of this position?

Ray: The Town Trustees are responsible for protecting and maintaining the various waterways within Southampton Town including the bays, ponds, lakes, streams, etc. The Trustees also play a role in maintaining access to the ocean beaches below the high water mark. Their authority comes from the Dongan Patent, which mandated that the waters and their bottoms could not be privately owned or controlled. The document was originally issued by the King of England prior to establishment of the United States and that authority was continued after independence was won from England. Due to the nature of the responsibility, the Trustees must work with the Southampton Town Board for the unincorporated areas of the Town and the various boards in the 8 incorporated villages that exist with the Southampton Town borders.

KDHamptons: What are two key issues areas that you are focused on working on?

Ray: The obvious issue for all the Trustee candidates is the quality of the water in our bays, ponds, lakes etc. We all read about the degradation of the quality of these estuaries and many of the other candidates look at this as a regulatory issue, in other words the way to change the result is to pass more regulations. I believe we will develop faster and more long lasting improvements through the Trustees taking a strong leadership position to improve cooperation with the Town Board, the 8 Village boards and our neighboring Trustee boards and our community as well as helping our schools develop applied science programs focusing on improving knowledge of our local ecosystems both to our school age kids of all ages and parents. We need to make certain whatever regulatory initiatives we undertake recognize that there are often unintended consequences that prohibit them from having their desired effect and that we can convince our community to follow the regulations willingly for the betterment of our local environment.

For instance, there is a lot of talk about requiring septic system upgrades to homes existing within so many feet of waterways. In theory, this regulatory strengthening would improve water quality. However, people tend to focus on multi-million dollar homes on the ocean and not on the hundreds of small, lesser valued homes along many of our canals and the bays. These folks are going to need help financially to improve their systems and many may be fearful of losing their homes. We need to make certain that whatever regulation is imposed delivers the desired effect and does not ruin people’s lives with the unintended consequences. We hear a lot of talk about developing sustainable systems but unless those systems truly focus on the three E’s of sustainability (Environmentally Sound, Economically Feasible and Socially Equitable), they will never truly be sustainable.

KDHamptons: What is your best kept secret about the Hamptons?

Ray: Not sure there really are many best kept secrets anymore in the Hamptons. It used to be the best kept secret was the entire month of September, but more and more people have recognized that September is truly the greatest month of the year out here. It still is so much more relaxing than the traditional July/August prime time. The beaches are still beautiful, water is very warm, humidity is down and there are so many more opportunities to get to know your neighbors than there are at other times.

KDHamptons: What is your favorite Hamptons restaurant, got a favorite dish & drink you get every time?

Ray: I know for a lot of people, the Shinnecock Canal is like a wall that you never cross. However, I encourage your readers from both sides of the Canal who want fine dining to try the Stone Creek Inn in East Quogue [above]. All of the food is delicious, service is impeccable. I am a huge fan of fresh seafood and their specials are always tremendous.

KDHamptons: Whom do you admire most and why?

Ray: My dad, Fred Overton Sr. [not to be confused with East Hampton Town Clerk Fred Overton, who is also a great guy] is the person I admire most. My dad is 83 years old, a lifelong resident of Westhampton and has never had a desire to leave. He has spent nearly 60 years as a volunteer in the Westhampton Beach Fire Department, is Chairman of the Westhampton Beach Fire District, was a founding member of the Westhampton Historical Society and has been involved behind the scenes of more local charities and quietly assisted more people than I can count. He has taught me that humility can go a long way in life. He also taught me that for me to be successful, I don’t need to make certain that someone else fails; that success is much more enjoyable and satisfying when you share it with others.