New bill to require healthcare providers to report instances of alpha-gal syndrome; Law suit unfolds over land for parking at Shinnecock Hills; and more East End news

A string of recent service meltdowns at Penn Station raises new questions about whether the Manhattan transit hub is up to handling massive crowds heading to the NBA Finals and World Cup, transportation advocates say. Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that three major incidents in and around Penn Station in recent weeks — including two rail tunnel fires — snarled Long Island Rail Road service over several rush hours, all while the station operates at reduced capacity because of a repair project keeping one of the four East River tunnels out of service. Officials with Amtrak, which owns and maintains Penn Station and the adjoining tunnels, have said the incidents were anomalies and not evidence of larger infrastructure issues at the station — the busiest rail terminal in the Western Hemisphere. But transit advocates say the recent failures were made worse by Amtrak's approach to tunnel repairs and capacity restrictions at a station built to handle about 100,000 riders daily, and now moving about six times as many each day. Offering some hope for a smoother customer experience in the future at the 115-year-old station, Amtrak earlier this week released new details of an $8 billion project, spearheaded by the Trump administration, to redevelop Penn Station. Although the effort will not expand track capacity, project leader Andy Byford said some of the upgrades will streamline train service. The planned demolition of the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden, on top of Penn, will allow for the removal of several structural columns at track level that will give riders more breathing room on platforms. "We’re not just going to limit ourselves to what looks nice at street level and on the concourse," Byford said. "We’re also going to totally modernize the platform area and fire, life safety issues and make sure that things like the switches ... are modernized." Samuel Turvey, chairman of Rethink Penn Station NYC, a group pushing for upgrades at Penn, said, even with a limited ability to expand the station’s capacity, any redevelopment effort should look to widen narrow platforms — making it easier for customers to get on and off trains, even with the kind of demand during the NBA Finals and World Cup. *** Last week, a bill sponsored by New York State Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni that would require healthcare providers to report instances of alpha-gal syndrome in Suffolk County unanimously passed in the state Assembly. Hope Hamilton reports on 27east.com that according to the NYS Department of Health, illnesses that are classified as reportable diseases must be reported to the department by healthcare workers and the data must be made available to the general public through the DOH’s annual Communicable Disease reports. Other tick-related illnesses such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are reportable diseases. Alpha-gal syndrome, however, is not. Schiavoni’s legislation would place alpha-gal syndrome on this list. Alpha-gal syndrome — an allergy to foods containing the alpha-gal sugar molecule, most commonly mammalian meat products such as beef, lamb and pork, and in severe cases dairy products — can be caused by a lone star tick bite. Because the human body does not produce alpha-gal, the saliva of a lone star tick that contains alpha-gal can trigger this allergy. It’s important to note, however, that not everyone who gets bitten by a lone star tick develops alpha-gal syndrome, according to the DOH. “I made this legislation because of the growing prevalence of alpha-gal syndrome on Eastern Long Island,” Schiavoni told THE SAG HARBOR EXPRESS. “Of the reported instances on the federal websites, Suffolk County is leading the country in cases of alpha-gal syndrome.” A spokesperson from the Suffolk County Department of Health Services said in a statement this week: “Although specifics on tick density are difficult to establish, the Suffolk County Department of Health Services is continuing to see a tick population on the East End and throughout Suffolk County. The species of ticks the department is seeing includes blacklegged ticks, lone star ticks, American dog ticks and Asian longhorned ticks. Residents are reminded of the importance of tick education and prevention of tick bites.” *** For the first time in seven years, a band has pulled off a three-peat at the 2026 Battle of the Bands. Dan Stark reports on 27east.com that five teen bands treated fans to a memorable night of music and showmanship at Ponquogue Beach in Hampton Bays on Friday night. Daydream won its third consecutive battle in the Southampton Town-sponsored competition for teen musicians. Daydream is the first band to accomplish the feat since Road Trip from 2017 through 2019. A four-piece rock band, Daydream’s five-song set showcased a band operating as a well-oiled machine, with quick transitions between songs and selections that got the crowd pumped. After the winning bands were announced, Daydream returned to the stage for an encore performance of “The Spirit of Radio” by Rush, capping off a night where every battling band shined. *** Land set to be used as parking for the U.S. Open Golf Championship at Shinnecock Hills next week is at the center of a legal dispute between its owner and the Town of Riverhead, court documents show. Tiffany Cusaac-Smith reports in NEWSDAY that earlier this year, the United States Golf Association signed an agreement with Riverhead Town to use Enterprise Park at Calverton’s runways, tie-down, and taxiway for the golf tournament for shuttles, security screening, and parking, court records show. The agreement included a 16-acre easement area owned by 400 David Court LLC, a Delaware-based company. But in a lawsuit filed in the Suffolk County Supreme Court on Saturday, 400 David Court LLC said the decades-old easement agreement with the Community Development Agency stipulates that the disputed area should not be used for parking and its only legal use is as a taxiway and an “aircraft parking area." The suit charges that the USGA has trespassed on and damaged the property. Staff affiliated with the golf association have repeatedly been denied access to the property, according to the town. Riverhead town, seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to halt the firm's interference, says otherwise, noting that the company “does not have any legal rights to utilize the Easement Area in any meaningful way," court records show. Moreover, the town contends that not having access to the easement area will lead to irreparable harm, causing people with disabilities and first responders to travel longer. The company’s lawsuit claims that the town and the USGA, which oversees the tournament, entered into a contract allowing the easement area to be used during the tournament “to park approximately 18,900 vehicles and shuttle an estimate of 43,470 people to and from the Town of Southampton." Yet the company said in the lawsuit that it received written notice from the town regarding the tournament's use of the site only in late May. Erik C. Howard, Riverhead Town attorney, told Newsday that efforts were made to avoid escalation of the litigation and that his office will “pursue judicial intervention and injunctive relief against the owner of 400 David Court, LLC to enforce the Town's property rights.” “The Town is committed to its partnership with USGA and their production of the U.S. Open," Howard said. “It is unfortunate that the owner of 400 David Court has pursued this misguided course of action." *** The Riverhead Town Board has scheduled a public hearing on the proposed site plan for the new five-story hotel adjacent to the town’s Town Square project at a special meeting this evening at 6 p.m. in Riverhead Town Hall. The five-story “Peconic Hotel,” slated to be a part of the Hilton Tapestry Collection is currently proposed as a five-story, 69,738-square-foot building containing a 94-room hotel, retail spaces, a restaurant, café and nine parking stalls on the lowest level, according to the public hearing notice. The project is being proposed by J. Petrocelli Contracting, named last year Riverhead Town’s Master Developer of the Town Square project. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the hotel will be on property transferred last year from the town to J. Petrocelli as part of the Town Square deal. It was initially slated to include 76 hotel rooms rooms, 12 penthouse condos on the fifth floor, three retail shops and a restaurant facing onto the Town Square, and parking spaces for the condos under the building. The condos have now been replaced with 14 hotel suites. The hearing, scheduled for 6 o’clock this evening at Riverhead Town Hall, concerns the site plan and special permit applications filed by J. Petrocelli Riverhead Town Square LLC, the town’s designated master developer for the town square project. This evening's meeting was called solely for the public hearing. *** Hampton Library in Bridgehampton invites you to join them this coming Saturday, June 13th at 4pm in the newly renovated Geri Bauer Gallery for an inspiring talk with award-winning aerial photographer Joanna Steidle. Through her breathtaking aerial imagery, Steidle captures the beauty and fragility of our coastal environments, blending artistic vision with environmental advocacy. She will share how her unique perspective from above reveals important conservation issues affecting the ocean and Long Island's shoreline, offering a fresh and compelling view of the landscapes we call home. Joanna Steidle, a Southampton resident, was named International...