Southampton - Get your calendars ready, as the summer season is near and you won't want to miss anything.

Last Week in New York City, The New York Women's Foundation® (NYWF) Celebrating Women® Breakfast returned for its 24th year to honor NoVo Foundation President Jennifer Buffett with the Vision Award (awarded to a strategic philanthropist whose contributions are focused on women and girls). Also honored were NPR's Latino USA Anchor and Editor Maria Hinojosa, well as as Human Rights Advocate and Artist Faith Ringgold with the Celebrating Women® Award (awarded to women whose significant achievements have influenced the lives of, and provided a role model for, women and girls). Led by ABC Eyewitness News' Sade Baderinwa as Emcee, the event's Co-Chairs were Susan R. Cullman, Tuhina De O'Connor and Regan A. Solmo.

Over the past 23 years, NYWF will have given $28 million in grants to over 270 nonprofit organizations, improving the lives of five million women and girls in New York City, and 74 percent of the nonprofit organizations that NYWF has supported over the years are successfully thriving. In 2009, NYWF responded to the economic crisis by launching RISE-NYC!, a partnership initiative that increased its grant-making by more than 20 percent.


East Hampton Studio in Wainscott, welcomes WVVH TV Station to its 31,000 square foot facility. WVVH is owned and run by Ernie Schimizzi and Greg Schimizzi, two brothers who have grown the station from a local curiosity to a global presence. For the last 18 years, they have been located at 75 Industrial Road (next door to East Hampton Studio), and want to grow the business to the benefit of their television audience.

When WVVH-Channel 23 debuted in 1995, the first thing viewers saw was a simulcast of CNN Headline News. A 24/7 venture from the start, WVVH also became Eastern Long Island's home of Bloomberg TV. The station has since dropped CNN and Bloomberg, promoting instead a combination of home-grown and syndicated content centered on dynamic lifestyles.

"We admire Michael and his vision to bring quality Motion Pictures and Television production to the East Hampton Studio," says Schimizzi. "[Owner] Michael, my brother Ernie and I are very excited about our future working together at the East Hampton Studio facilities. WVVH-TV is proud to call the East Hampton Studios home."

To re-locate a television station is a monumental task involving fiber-optics, satellite dishes and a miriade electronic equipment. This move has to be handled carefully so that they do not disrupt the transmission of their broadcast to over five million homes. WVVH will be broadcasting live from Hampton Jams concerts from May to August. A recording company and an editing company are expected to move in to the East Hampton Studio facility soon as well. East Hampton Studio and The Enclave Inn chain are owned by Michael Wudyka.

Here's a fun item for the teens in your life: Family Travel Forum, the award-winning resource for family vacation information, announces its 5th annual FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship. The merit scholarships, given in association with the Society of American Travel Writers* (SATW), encourage teens to share their travel experiences in words and images.

Cash grants ($1,000, $500, $200) are given to the top three authors in the teen writing scholarship, and the work of 25 additional Honorable Mention nominees is rewarded with passes to any Ripley's Believe It Or Not! museum. Winners of the Best Photography and Best Video scholarship grants receive travel gifts, and all the top travel blogs are posted on Family Travel Forum's site (www.MyFamilyTravels.com). Family Travel Forum and SATW are proud to support the work of young travel bloggers with scholarships and grants, says FTF editor Kyle McCarthy. "We know sharing their work in our online communities is educational and we hope it inspires the next generation of world travelers." The merit scholarship contest is open to students ages 13 to 18 who
are enrolled in a junior high, high school or homeschool program in the United States, Canada or American school abroad. Students are asked to submit a maximum 600-word essay on any type or any aspect of a trip they have taken in the last five years, along with a photo or video.

South Edison (17 S. Edison Street, Montauk, 631-668-4200, www.southedison.com), which opened in June of 2010, announced its reopening. Chef Todd Mitgang, of Manhattan's three-star Cascabel Taqueria and formerly of Crave Ceviche Bar, offers a seafood centric menu with inventive flavors. The funky beach farmhouse style restaurant offers a casual setting for a fresh summer meal. Add the extensive raw bar, fresh baked bread and clever cocktails, South Edison promises to be a hot spot for summer 2011.

In honor of the kick off of summer, South Edison will offer a special Six Point Craft Ales (www.sixpoint.com) promotion throughout Memorial Day weekend. All Six Point Craft Ales will be half price from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The extensive raw bar will be open Saturday and Sunday beginning at 3 p.m. The restaurant will also be open for dinner on Monday beginning at 5:30 p.m.

A mere two blocks from the ocean, South Edison offers a menu changing almost daily to highlight the fresh local seafood, most of it sourced from the fishing docks only a mile away. Chef Mitgang's most recent food affair before landing in Montauk, was with ceviche. In crafting an entire menu from raw and fresh seafood, he brings this flair to his menu at South Edison.

South Edison will be open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday through May and into June beginning at 5:30 p.m. Reservations may be made online at www.southedison.com/reservations. South Edison can also be found on Open Table.

Get ready for some music! MTK: Music To Know Festival presented by Bing announced its inaugural line up headlined by Vampire Weekend on Saturday, August 13 and Bright Eyes on Sunday, August 14. Other confirmed bands include Matt & Kim, Cold War Kids, Chromeo, Tame Impala, Ra Ra Riot, M. Ward, Fitz & The Tantrums, Tom Tom Club, Dawes, We Are Scientists, The Limousines, Naked and Famous, Francis and the Lights, Suddyn, Nicos Gun and Young Empires - 18 of today's most critically-acclaimed and successful new, emerging and well-known bands. The music begins at 12 noon each day, ending at 10 p.m.

According to co-founder Chris Jones "The Hamptons are a unique market to say the least - full of decision makers, trend setters, and taste generators who have always been eager to embrace the best and the brightest in our culture - whether that is in literature, film, fashion or music. We are excited to bring this collection of artists together in our community, and hope this is the first of many annual events."

MTK teamed with Downtown Music and RCRDLBL to co-produce the event. As media partner, RCRDLBL assisted in the line-up's curation, and will supply the festival's digital marketing component. Downtown CEO and RCRDLBL Chairman Josh Deutsch said, "Downtown and RCRDLBL are pleased to partner with the MTK team to curate such an incredible line-up featuring some of today's most exciting and innovative artists. And we are especially excited to bring the event to such a unique and special place as the Hamptons - one of the most vibrant cultural communities in the country.

Two day passes are on sale now to the general public for $195, and Two Day VIP passes can be purchased for $645 at www.musictoknow.com. MTK is offering a special discount priced ticket to locals at $175, and will be available to purchase on sale at these locations: Amagansett: Indian Wells Tavern; East Hampton: Khanh Sports & Eyewear; Sag Harbor: Sylvester & Co.; Montauk: 668 Gig Shack


The Backyard Restaurant at Solé East (90 Second House Road, Montauk, 631-668-2105, www.soleeast.com/restaurant) reopens for the 2011 season on Thursday, May 12. This hidden garden oasis offers a distinctly laidback vibe and focuses on fresh, locally sourced, seasonal cuisine. A full schedule of weekly events, signature cocktails and live music, add to the appeal, making The Backyard the place to be this summer.

The menu, prepared by executive chef Larry Kolar, centers around fresh fish from Montauk's waters and seasonal produce from local farms and The Backyard's own herb garden. Dishes feature both Mediterranean flair and South American influences.

Their weekly, not-to-be-missed events include Jazz and Bosso Nova Sunday Brunch, Mexican Mondays, Reggae Thursdays, Montauk Acoustic Sunsets at Solé East, which is an extension of the MTK music festival features free, intimate, acoustic performances with featured musicians on Saturdays beginning July 2 through September 3. The Backyard will be open for dinner Thursday to Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in May, June and October. From July through September, the restaurant will be open daily, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.

New York City club kings have landed in Southampton. Mark Barker of "Double 7" fame has teamed up with New York City's Lavo's Rocco Ancarola, Day & Night brunch inventors Derek, Daniel Koch and longtime nightlife power players Yura Shabetayev and Dave Sherman plan to bring a Mediterranean lounge to the 230 Elm space in Southampton. The space will also continue to host charity events and bring in celebrity chefs for private dinning events.