Kismet is celebrating its 100th anniversary! According to Albert Bliss’s The Kismet Story, published locally in 1984, Clifford Weis, owner of the West Island Ferry boat, the Kismet, visited Fire Island in 1925. He subsequently purchased a strip of land, which he named Kismet Park, after the boat.
Weis and his three sons returned in March 1926 to plot 331 lots, dredge the marina, build homes, construct a diesel-powered powerhouse, install a 10,000-gallon water tank, establish a firehouse, open a general store, and develop a restaurant.
Families arrived, but the thriving community was almost destroyed by the massive hurricane of September 1938, leaving only three houses standing.
Rebuilt after WWII, Kismet has undergone numerous transformations, evolving from a family community to a singles paradise and back to a largely family-owned area. The marina attracts boaters from all over, and visitors flock here for weekend visits and rentals.
Sam Wood has promised us a year of celebration beginning with an anniversary observation around the flagpole on Sunday, May 25. The Kismet Fire Department Auxiliary (KFDA) has planned a monthly calendar of events: The May calendar is posted on the Kismet Homeowners Facebook page. Many of Kismet’s homes and businesses opened in late April, coinciding with the opening of the Kismet Inn and Marina. The Memorial Day holiday will see bands at the Inn, the Dive, and Bar Aquatic. Look and listen for the J. Haus Band on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, Tim Mooney and Friends, and the Dirty Vice Band will play from the roof deck of LaFamiglia on the bay. Kismet League for Animal Welfare (KLAW) will be raffling a Basket of Cheer.
In contrast to last year, the weekend of May 3 was clear and sunny, as people filled the Inn on Saturday to meet and greet, with the TVs tuned to the Kentucky Derby. Traditional Derby Day hats, decorated with flowers, plastic sharks, and skeletons on surfboards, were much in evidence.
The Kismet Fire Department Auxiliary (KFDA) continued its tradition of seasonal plant sales. It was organized this year by Mary P. and Laura Mc with the help of Dana, Patty, Linda K., Eileen R., Cathy S., Ellen F., and Jack. They moved and set up the plants, which filled the Firehouse. Homeowners were able to preorder flowering plants and herbs to be picked up on Saturday, May 3, with an open sale on Sunday, May 4.
The Kismet Fire Department (KFD) and the KFD Association (KFDA) have already begun selling their hoodies. The color for 2025 is Yellow, and they are spectacular.
A fundraiser for Bay Shore Hospice honored Michael “Mugsy” Cole and his family in April. Muggs turned 50 in January. Kismet women made a grand appearance at the Bay Shore St. Patrick’s Day celebration, clad in a limited special edition of green KFD hoodies.
Sadly, long-time Kismet Inn bartender Tom Butler was diagnosed with ALS. A long-time Kismet renter resident, Helene Hellman, passed away April 15 after a months-long illness. She was well-known and well-loved, always ready to volunteer or participate in community activities. She loved and always wore something purple: Mourners honored her by wearing purple to her funeral.
