New scientific findings show worsening coastal water conditions

Commercial landscaping companies and governments on Long Island would be eligible for rebates to transition from gas-powered to electric lawn care and snow removal equipment, under a bill passed by the New York State Legislature."Gas-powered landscaping equipment emits a stunning amount of air pollution, not to mention the noise that blights communities across the state," Sen. Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan), who sponsored the bill, told Newsday in a statement. "This bill will make it easier for New York's landscaping companies to transition to cleaner, quieter equipment."The proposed legislation — which also applies to nonprofits, universities and school districts — would set up a state rebate program for battery-powered equipment, including leaf blowers, lawn mowers, tree trimmers and snow blowers, as well as batteries and chargers. The bill aims to "reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and reduce noise pollution," according to the legislative language. The rebate amount would be set by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, or NYSERDA, and be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The funding would come from existing revenues controlled by NYSERDA.Keshia Clukey reports in NEWSDAY that the State Senate yesterday passed the bill by a 54-8 vote, and it was approved by a 99-42 margin in the Assembly on Monday. The measure will now head to the desk of Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose office said she would review the bill.Assemb. Scott Gray (R-Watertown) was among those who voted against the measure."If the product is appealing and the marketplace is doing a good job trying to move the product along, I think government is the last...entity that should step in and put its fingers on the scale in a private marketplace and try to drive customers to a certain product," Gray said on the Assembly floor.Gray also cited concerns over the use of taxpayer dollars for the program as well as with the safety of lithium-ion batteries.Statewide, over 69 communities, including several on Long Island, have adopted laws to ban or restrict the use of gas-powered equipment, Assemb. Steven Otis (D-Port Chester), the bill’s sponsor said on the Assembly floor.The bill also would save taxpayers money by lowering costs for school districts and municipalities purchasing new equipment, Otis said. Long Island business and landscaping groups favor a rebate program as business owners struggle to meet new municipal restrictions along with the rising cost of gas and oil.***Southampton School District parents who wish to enroll their children in the elementary school’s dual language program must attend an upcoming informational session and sign a one-year commitment letter by May 15 to gauge interest, as part of a series of expected changes to the curriculum’s format.In the event that more students want to participate than there are seats, a lottery will be held on May 20, according to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Fatima Morrell.“The whole program is not changing,” Dr. Morrell said during a Board of Education meeting last night. “We do have to think a little bit more systemically, though, about how we use our teachers to get the best for our kids. And I think there were some serious concerns about our program.”Michelle Trauring reports on 27east.com that a nearly two-hour-long presentation and discussion dominated last night’s meeting, eliciting questions and feedback from board members, parents and students alike. A deeper dive into the proposed changes — some of which are being brought on by decreased enrollment — will be discussed at pre-K informational sessions this coming Friday, April 24, at 8:30 a.m. and on Monday, April 27, at 2 and 6:30 p.m., and kindergarten through third grade sessions on Thursday, April 30, at 8:30 a.m. and Wednesday, May 6, at 2 and 6:30 p.m.For over 20 years, the dual language program has been a pillar of strength in the district, Morrell said. The Spanish Embassy’s Ministry of Culture, Education and Sports recognizes each of Southampton’s schools as an International Spanish Academy, or ISA, which “implement a Spanish-English dual language immersion curriculum with the support, consultancy and recognition of the Ministry,” according to its website.Southampton is the only district in the state with this designation, reported Dr. Brian Zahn, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.However, Spanish and English teachers said they often find themselves competing for time, and families also are lacking information about the program. Some parents agreed, saying that they don’t fully understand how the program works and want the ability to choose whether it’s the right fit for their children.Addressing School Board President Zach Epley, a parent and new Southampton home owner said, “You're saying you're giving us choice, but if we go to a lottery, you're taking away that choice from us, that choice that we've worked very hard for, to sacrifice and be part of this very expensive community.”***The Town of Southampton Youth Bureau will host two upcoming events showcasing local young talent, including the 2026 Hamptons Got Talent competition and the 23rd annual Battle of the Bands.Hamptons Got Talent is scheduled for Friday, May 1, from 7 to 10 p.m. at Westhampton Beach High School. Eleven local middle and high school students will perform in front of a panel of professional judges, competing for prize packages that include gift certificates from Bay Street Theater, the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, Hampton Theatre Company, Dream Recording Studios, Edgewater Restaurant, Guild Hall and Hampton Coffee Co., among others.Audience members will have the opportunity to win giveaways and vote for a People’s Choice Award. Admission is free and open to the public.So, Hamptons Got Talent is scheduled for Friday, May 1, from 7 to 10 p.m. at Westhampton Beach High School.The Southampton Town Youth Bureau is also accepting applications for its 23rd annual Battle of the Bands competition, scheduled for Friday, June 5, from 8 to 11 p.m. at Ponquogue Beach in Hampton Bays, with a rain date of June 12. Bands interested in participating must submit applications and demo recordings by 4 p.m. on Friday, May 8, 2026. Submissions can be mailed or delivered to the Southampton Youth Bureau, 655 Flanders Road, Flanders, NY 11901.For more information, call the Southampton Youth Bureau at 631-702-2425 or visit southamptontownny.gov/youthbureau.***New scientific findings presented yesterday in downtown Riverhead point to worsening threats in Long Island’s coastal waters, including harmful algal blooms, low-oxygen zones and environmental conditions that promote dangerous bacteria, according to Stony Brook University coastal ecologist Christopher Gobler.Speaking on the Peconic River boardwalk in Riverhead, ahead of Friday’s annual State of the Bays symposium to take place at Stony Brook University in Southampton, Gobler said water bodies across Long Island failed to meet state and federal water quality standards last year and that 2026 is already off to a troubling start. He had a map of Long Island on display depicting “dozens and dozens of locations in our estuaries and our harbors and our bays and our lakes and our ponds” that didn’t meet water quality standards in 2025. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that among the most serious concerns are harmful algal blooms in both freshwater and marine waters, shellfish closures tied to paralytic shellfish poisoning and low-oxygen “dead zones” that harm marine life.Gobler said three Southold water bodies are currently closed to shellfishing because of paralytic shellfish poisoning and that the western half of Shinnecock Bay is also closed.Gobler said nearly three dozen Long Island locations are also experiencing hypoxic conditions, with dissolved oxygen levels below the state standard of 3 milligrams per liter.“Every hour that a water body spends below three milligrams per liter is an hour that is doing harm to marine life,” said Professor Gobler.The annual State of the Bays symposium is scheduled for this coming Friday in Stony Brook Southampton’s Avram Theater at 7 p.m. The event is free to attend and open to the public. For more information and to reserve free tickets, visit the Stony Brook Southampton website.***The Town of East Hampton and the Village of East Hampton are advancing legislation to bar police from cooperating with federal agencies on civil immigration enforcement — becoming the first East End municipalities to back the proposal.The proposal would also require police departments to notify newly created task forces about Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities if their officers were called to respond to a raid. Alek Lewis reports in NEWSDAY that the two municipalities are the first to support a "public safety and accountability” bill originally drafted by Organización Latino Americana - OLA of Eastern Long Island, Inc. - a Latino advocacy nonprofit based in East Hampton. Drafting the proposal was also assisted by former NYS Assemb. Fred Thiele, an OLA board member. OLA has been lobbying East End municipalities that have police departments to adopt the proposal since early February.“It's an important step in reassuring the public that our police department is doing the right thing,” East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen said in an interview. “The last thing we want is local police being involved in immigration ... because if people can't trust the local...