The Long Island Daily

Despite the loss of federal funding, WLIW-FM continues to bring you pertinent local and regional news each and every day. Make a donation or becoming a sustaining member today by clicking here or call 800-262-0717.***The U.S. Open Golf Tournament Championship Trophy made its debut on the temporary Shinnecock Hills train station platform on Friday, with LIRR President Robert Free hoisting the 131-year-old trophy.The ceremonial stop spotlighted what officials say is the highly recommended transportation option for the upcoming tournament week which starts today with practice rounds Monday through Wednesday. Then the championship play Thursday through Sunday.Angelina Livigni reports in NEWSDAY that the last time the U.S. Open Golf Tournament took place in New York was in 2020 at the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck. The U.S. Open Trophy was last presented at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton in 2018. “This is what every golf professional, every player on tour, this is what they want to win,” Eric Steimer, senior director of the U.S. Open Championships for the United States Golf Association, said during a news conference while holding the trophy. “Frankly, as we picked Shinnecock Hills as our golf club, one of the true cathedrals of the game, this is where they want to win.”On days of the tournament, fans have the option to take the Long Island Rail Road, rideshare or drive. Personal parking spaces will not be an option at the course, but fans can pay to park at the Shinnecock reservation and take a shuttle provided by USGA over to the tournament. The USGA on its website calls the LIRR “the most sustainable, affordable and convenient transportation option.”“We have experience working with the LIRR to help bring this to life,” Steimer said during a news conference. “The infrastructure in place is a massive undertaking. This is two-plus years of planning culminating right now.”Getting to Shinnecock is an approximately three- to four-hour train ride from Penn Station, requiring multiple transfers. The Shinnecock station is not open year-round, with the station operating exclusively as a stop on the Montauk Branch for U.S. Open Golf Championships at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Hampton Jitney is operating dedicated luxury motorcoach shuttles for the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hillsfrom Wednesday, June 17, through Sunday, June 21.Service runs directly between points east...Montauk through Southampton...dropping off and departing at Admission Gate 2 at the Stony Brook Southampton campus.***Reducing the cost of bringing prefabricated homes to Long Island and elsewhere in the state.Expanding telehealth calls for residents of assisted living communities.Ending the requirement that businesses who employ female restaurant workers get state permission allowing them to work after midnight.James T. Madore reports in NEWSDAY that those are among the first 50 regulations that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has struck down as part of a new initiative to reduce red tape and bureaucracy for businesses and individuals that must interact with state government."We're making it easier to build housing and infrastructure, access healthcare and cut down on burdensome fees and paperwork — delivering a more efficient government for every New Yorker," Hochul said in announcing the changes today under her EXPRESS NY initiative.Launched in February, the initiative comes as Hochul, a Democrat, seeks re-election in November to a second full term and faces criticism from Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman.Government bureaucracy and red tape are a key challenge for small businesses. Ten percent said regulations were the single most important problem they face, based on a nationwide survey released last Friday by the advocacy group National Federation of Independent Business.Hochul, who helped her late mother run a flower shop outside of Buffalo in the early 1990s, said the regulatory rollbacks announced today are the first in a series and would reduce state fees and compliance costs by "tens of millions of dollars" for more than 1.5 million people.The changes announced today were recommended by 22 state agencies. Additional rollbacks will come from nearly 4,000 recommendations made by the public between February and April, according to Hochul."Every New Yorker can agree that bureaucratic obstacles stand in the way, wasting time and money," she said in a statement.***Early voting in the Democratic Party primary is underway in New York.Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that on the east end, two candidates are competing for the Democratic party’s nomination in New York’s First Congressional District: Lukas Ventouras and Christopher Gallant. The winner of the primary contest will challenge incumbent Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) in the November general election.Gallant, 37, is a National Guardsman, Black Hawk helicopter pilot, former FAA air traffic controller and volunteer firefighter from Amity Harbor. Born in Smithtown, Gallant joined the Army at 17, became an air traffic controller and deployed to Kuwait in 2012, he told RiverheadLOCAL last year. He later became an FAA air traffic controller, most recently guiding flights out of Kennedy Airport.Ventouras, 25, is a law student from Northport and the son of Greek immigrants. He graduated from New York University and is a student at St. John’s University School of Law.Also on the Democratic primary ballot this year is the contest for NYS comptroller, pitting incumbent Thomas DiNapoli and challengers Drew Warshaw and Raj Goyle.The Democratic Party primary election date is June 23. There is no Republican Party primary.Early voting in the primary election is as follows:Today, June 15, 10am - 6pmTuesday, June 16, 7am - 3pmWednesday, June 17, 7am - 3pmThursday, June 18, 12 noon - 8pmFriday, June 19, 12 noon - 8pmSaturday, June 20, 10am - 6pmSunday, June 21, 10am - 6pmRegistered Democrats may vote at any one of the early voting locations in Suffolk County, regardless of residency. See the full list of early voting locations here. On primary election day and general Election Day registered voters must vote at their designated polling places.

Gasoline prices on Long Island and in the metropolitan area climbed 46.8% last month overall compared with a year ago, the third double-digit increase since March and the highest so far. James T. Madore reports in NEWSDAY that skyrocketing pump prices led to higher inflation overall in both the New York area and nationwide in May with the consumer price index rising at its quickest pace in three years. The index was released yesterday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The ongoing war in Iran, which has disrupted oil production and transportation for more than 100 days, is behind the high cost of gasoline, experts said. In the New York area, gasoline prices rose in May at their fastest rate in nearly four years.However, they've moderated this month. The average price of a gallon of unleaded in our region was $4.25 yesterday, down from $4.41 on June 1, according to AAA. The price of gasoline on the south fork east of Southampton Village is currently closer to 4.50 or more per gallon.Economists predicted pump prices would remain elevated as long as the Iran war rages — and consumers burdened by the higher cost of living would continue to alter their shopping habits as a result.Gasoline was a driving force in the price index for the 25-county region that includes Long Island rising 5.1% last month compared with May 2025. That rate of growth is the fastest since February 2023.“Over 5% starts to get people concerned because [increases in the index] should really be in the 2% to 3% range,” said Steven Kent, chief economist for the Long Island Association business group. “Getting to over 5% is difficult for people.”Pump prices were up 40.5% nationwide year over year, or 6.3 percentage points lower than locally.***A Suffolk County judge yesterday issued an order in related lawsuits over U.S. Open Golf parking at Enterprise Park at Calverton (EPCAL).The order bars tournament-related vehicles from parking on 400 David Court LLC’s property.Shuttle buses may pass through the easement area, and concrete blocks obstructing bus movement may be moved.The court said the order does not decide whether the planned use is permitted under the easement.Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that a Calverton property owner has sued the Town of Riverhead, the Riverhead Community Development Agency and the United States Golf Association over use of part of its property for U.S. Open parking and shuttle operations at EPCAL, but a court order issued Wednesday appears to preserve the town’s planned parking operation while barring vehicles from parking on the company’s property.Riverhead Town Attorney Erik Howard told Riverheadlocal last night that the parties appeared in Suffolk County Supreme Court and conferenced the matter. “At this time, there appears to be agreement resolving the immediate disputes relative to the parking of vehicles at the Town’s Calverton property,” Howard said. “I do not anticipate that parking for the US Open at Calverton Enterprise Park will be negatively impacted.”The court order expressly states that it does not resolve whether the use of the easement contemplated by the license agreement, or by the order itself, is a permitted use under the easement. The underlying lawsuits remain pending.The USGA’s proposal, attached to the town’s license agreement, estimated peak parking demand at about 3,750 vehicles on Friday and Saturday of championship week, with about 8,625 people using the Calverton parking and shuttle operation on those peak days. USGA officials said they expected to use about 130 to 145 coach buses on peak days to move spectators between Calverton and Shinnecock Hills.***In just 4 days the U.S. Open returns to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club for its 126th playing, and the fifth time it has been held in Southampton.As reported on 27east.com, the annual tournament is the United States Golf Association’s premier showcase, of the 14 national championships it puts on, and its largest production by far. Each year’s championship takes four years to prepare for and organize. With more than 100,000 spectators, volunteers, vendors and media passing through the gates, the logistics require creating, and then dismantling, a small city in just a matter of months — at a cost of more than $80 million. Tournament week begins this coming Monday with championship play Thursday, June 18 through Sunday, June 21st.Opens at Shinnecock Hills are always in the national spotlight. Indeed, it is an international sporting event right here in our own hometown...for better or worse.***When James Abdul-Lateef Poulos started to study Islam in the mid-1980s, he had a hard time finding a mosque on Long Island, he said. There were only four.Today, there are 40, underscoring the steady growth of the Muslim community in Nassau and Suffolk, he said. Now, several new ones are going up, including two that will be the largest on Long Island.Bart Jones reports in NEWSDAY that groundbreaking is set for Sunday on a 34,000-square-foot mosque on William Floyd Parkway in Shirley that is being spearheaded in part by a new, younger generation of Muslims. It will be the second-largest in the region.The largest, the Islamic Center of Melville, at 45,000 square feet, had a "soft opening" a year ago, leaders said. It should have its final touches done by the end of this year, followed by a grand opening.In Suffolk County alone, new mosques also have been built recently or are nearing completion in Dix Hills, Wyandanch, Mount Sinai and Medford-Coram, Poulus said.Poulus, who converted to Islam, became a founder of the Shirley mosque and an imam, or spiritual leader, there. Long Island is now home to at least 100,000 Muslims, community leaders said.The Islamic Center of Shirley-Mastic mosque has grown from 40 families when it was founded in 2002 to about 400 today, said Poulos, who also is a chaplain with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. They come from neighboring communities as far as Ridge and Manorville, said Imam Mehdad Islam, another leader of the mosque. The groundbreaking ceremony is expected to attract political local officials, including Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico.The Muslim community is growing partly because many Muslims, like other immigrant groups before them, are moving out of New York City for the suburban life with more space and good schools, Imam said. The project will end up costing about $6 million, some of it raised from Muslims in Shirley but the bulk coming from members of other mosques on Long Island, Islam said. He has visited many of them to make appeals during their Friday prayers services.***A defiant — and at times emotional — East Hampton Town Board trudged forward this week on buying a large vacant property on Wainscott Northwest Road for $4 million, which would be used to bolster the town’s fledgling housing landbank amid the ongoing housing crisis. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that with a unanimous vote, the East Hampton Town Board authorized town personnel to close on the deal, using Community Housing Fund revenue, at a work session on Tuesday.“I will guarantee you: I will do everything moving forward to try to fix this problem as long as I'm here — and this is a potential sliver of a solution here to try to target and acquire property to try to make sure that this community survives well past me not being here anymore,” said Councilman David Lys.Outside a simmering housing crisis, the backdrop to Lys’s impassioned remarks was stern opposition from neighbors and a courtroom battle over the funding source, which played out as the clock ticked on a 90-day, seller-imposed deadline to close, set to lapse on June 25.The resolution came just days after Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice James F. Quinn cleared the way for East Hampton Town officials to move forward on the buy by coming down on the side of the town in the brief but intensive bout of litigation between the town and a neighbor of the Wainscott Northwest parcel.Filed just a few weeks ago, the court case began after town officials made public, via resolution and subsequent public hearing, their hope to purchase the 13.5-acre vacant property in Wainscott, not far from Route 114, for use as a future affordable housing development.But there was — and is — no plan in place as to the nature and scale of the affordable housing development, and a neighbor quickly filed suit to block the purchase, setting in motion the burst of legal wrangling between the Town of East Hampton and the neighbor, Elise McKenna.Those in favor argued that landbanking with CHF money is made necessary by the aggressive nature of the East End real estate market and that vacant land is getting sparser and sparser around town as the pace of development continues unrelentingly.***The Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center will honor a group of East End educators during its 2026 Center Honors event this coming Saturday, June 13, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the center on Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike.The event celebrates what organizers describe as the “unsung heroes” of the East End — individuals whose contributions often go unrecognized but have made a lasting impact on local communities. This year’s ceremony will specifically recognize educators of color whose work has shaped the lives of generations of students throughout the East End.Honorees from the Bridgehampton School District include Grace Reynolds Victor, Helen Giles Smith, Aleta Parker, Jackie Poole, Daisy Bowe and Mandel Perodin. Poole, Bowe and Perodin will be honored in...

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...

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to flood New York City with more ICE agents since Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed legislation that will stymie the department’s efforts, the White House border czar said yesterday.Hochul told Newsday that the move would be "wildly disruptive" to the nation's economic capital and that "Americans have had enough with the overreach of ICE."On Long Island, immigration advocates said they feared a stepped-up U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement campaign in the city could spill over to Nassau and Suffolk counties, and they expect any surge to be met with resistance.Speaking on Fox News, Tom Homan said he will fulfill a “promise" he made to Hochul that if the legislation passed, he would send more agents to the city. “I made her a promise," Homan said on “Fox and Friends." “You’re gonna see more ICE agents [than] you’ve ever seen in New York City. And it's coming." “I just reviewed an operational plan," he added. “I'm not gonna tell you exactly when it's gonna happen, but it's coming. I'm keeping my promise. We're gonna send more ICE agents to New York because you took away the efficiencies of safe arrests in county jails."He has previously said he will “flood the zone" in New York City.Bart Jones reports in NEWSDAY that Hochul in late May signed legislation that bars ICE agents from wearing masks and keeps immigration agents out of sensitive locations such as churches and schools unless they have a warrant.The legislation also bars local governments from entering into 287(g) agreements that allow them to deputize local police as ICE agents and allows ICE to use local jails to hold detained migrants.On Monday, Hochul said President Donald Trump had promised her he will not send a surge of ICE agents into areas unless local officials ask for it."I'm not asking now - that'll never happen, because they saw what happened to Minneapolis...I would think that the president, the former New Yorker, would understand, we want to all keep the city safe. It is the economic engine of the country, so that'll be wildly disruptive" if he sends a surge of ICE agents, Hochul said.Minerva Perez, executive director of Organización Latino Americana {OLA} an East End immigration advocacy group, said yesterday she fears an uptick in ICE agents in New York City will spread to Long Island.“We already know there are outposts on Long Island. We already know that there are processing centers on Long Island," Perez said, adding that any surge in agents is likely "going to spill over to Long Island."Hochul said New York will help arrest real criminals but not immigrants without criminal records. "New York State is not a sanctuary state for criminals," she said. "In New York, our local police need to be focused on local crimes and not filling up our jails with people who ICE has taken off our streets, out of our schools, out of our pizzerias, out of our homes, and I'm not going to be part of that," she said. "We're not going to be helping with civil immigration enforcement."***The Riverhead Town Board will hold a special meeting tomorrow evening for a public hearing on the proposed Peconic River Hotel, a five-story, 94-room hotel planned for East Main Street in Riverhead as part of the downtown town square project.Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the hearing, scheduled for Wednesday June 10 at 6 p.m. in 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. The meeting was called solely for the hearing.The purpose of the hearing is to allow the Riverhead Town Board to review the hotel site plan and special permit application, hear from the applicant, receive comments from town staff and outside agencies, and take public comment before deciding whether to approve, deny or modify the applications.The hotel is proposed for 117-127 E. Main St., on the south side of Main Street in Riverhead next to the planned town square and the East End Arts campus. The property is in the Downtown Center 1: Main Street zoning district, where hotels are allowed by special permit from the Riverhead Town Board.***The Suffolk County Police Department will hold a vehicle auction this coming Saturday, June 13, at its impound facility in Westhampton.The auction, hosted by the department’s Impound Section, will begin at 9 a.m. at 100 Old Country Road.Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that approximately 90 lots will be auctioned, including sedans and SUVs, according to police. All vehicles will have a minimum bid of $500 and will be sold as-is.Vehicles may be previewed Thursday, June 11, and Friday, June 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the impound yard in Westhampton. Vehicles will also be available for preview for one hour before the auction begins Saturday.Vehicle documents for the auction can also be viewed at the Suffolk County Police website and conditions are available at suffolkpd.org under “Impound Section” and “Vehicle Auctions.”***As Jor’Dynn Duncan racked up 40 absences in the final six months of last school term, Bayport-Blue Point school district officials heard several excuses.The little girl was sick. A family member had died. She was on a family vacation to Disney World. All those reasons turned out to be false, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.Payton Guion reports in NEWSDAY that in May 2025 alone, Jor’Dynn missed nearly the entire month of school, prosecutors said. Seven months later, she was dead at age 7. Her guardian, Emily Kelly, now stands accused of torturing and killing her, with Kelly’s mother and daughter also facing charges.The case exposes a gap in the State of New York’s approach to chronic absenteeism: Schools must track attendance and report suspected educational neglect, but there is no automatic requirement to notify child welfare agencies when a young child misses a specific number of days. That leaves districts with broad discretion, even in extreme cases.The lack of formal reporting requirements is part of a larger, statewide effort to keep kids in homes and out of the child welfare system, advocates and state officials said. But some education officials and lawmakers have expressed concerns that the lack of coordination between schools and child welfare agencies means some children may be missed by the systems meant to protect them."Especially in this case, looking at how many days this child missed school, it’s an indication that something was going on," said Suffolk Legis. Greg Doroski (D-Mattituck), who sits on the legislature’s Public Safety Committee. "And I think it should be, going forward, a clear case where there should be some more formal guidelines."The state’s vague guidance — and preference for school district autonomy — has led to a patchwork of policies across the state, according to Sen. James Skoufis (D-Cornwall), who introduced legislation regarding student attendance this past session.Currently, Skoufis said, when it comes to students who miss days upon days of class, school policies around New York are "all over the map."Newsday reported last month that 17.3% of public school students on Long Island were chronically absent in the 2024-25 school year, meaning they missed 18 or more school days.That’s down from recent years but well above the pre-pandemic level of 11.4% in 2018-19.In the Bayport-Blue Point district, where Jor’Dynn Duncan attended school, 14.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2024-25 school year, up from 13.6% the previous year.***As state and local officials scramble to understand and limit the impact of a toxic plume discovered near a utility battery-storage plant in East Hampton, new questions are being raised about the state’s oversight of the plant following a 2023 thermal-runaway fire that sent millions of gallons of smoke-fouled water into the aquifer. Mark Harrington reports in NEWSDAY that at issue as governments rush to test groundwater now is why the state did not order groundwater tests directly after the fire, despite on-site reports from a contractor of large amounts of water running off-site.Gerard Turza Jr., fire and EMS administrator at East Hampton Village, who was at the fire scene, said his team raised questions about firewater runoff and air-quality tests during plant visits. He said plant officials haven’t provided him requested results of air-monitoring studies and "absolutely" should have conducted groundwater studies in the 2023 investigation. Only soil samples and plant swipes were taken, Newsday has reported, citing a 2023 state report.Knowing the nature of toxins early could have resulted in an earlier mitigation plan, said Turza, who is also chairman of the Suffolk County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services Commission."They weren’t very forthcoming with information," Turza said of plant developer NextEra, which owns the $55 million plant with National Grid. "Every time I asked a question they weren’t able to provide the answer. That’s alarming in and of itself."In an email to Newsday Friday night, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation spokeswoman Cecilia Walsh noted that DEC spill responders had been “prohibited by the Fire Marshall” from going on-site at the fire until “days later,” after an internal sprinkler system had ceased and the fire was “determined to be fully extinguished.” DEC was told that runoff from the sprinkler water had migrated from the building “to an adjacent dirt road” on the southwest side of the building.Walsh wrote that DEC was told...

The NYS Department of Transportation will begin $146 million in bridge and road repairs across Long Island this summer, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced yesterday, promising that upgrades would not affect peak summer beach travel.“Investing in Long Island’s bridges and highways means investing in safety, economic opportunity and improving the stability of vital roadways while building a dependable transportation system that Long Islanders need,” Hochul said in a statement.Janon Fishe reports in NEWSDAY that punishing commercial truck traffic makes up a tenth of the 190,000 vehicles that use the Long Island Expressway, tearing up the roadway, transportation officials said.That is why most of the $146 million highway fund will go toward repaving 193 lane miles of the Long Island Expressway and 140 lane miles of Sunrise Highway, the governor said.The governor promised that traffic disruption due to construction will not happen during rush hours and it will be coordinated with other traffic projects going on at the same time.Suffolk County will get $3.6 million to seal pavement cracks and work on the wooden noise barriers will continue, according to the governor.Heckscher State Parkway in Suffolk County has already started a $15 million project to repair concrete pavement in the Town of Islip. The governor said it would be finished by the end of next year.State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Kathy Moser said in a statement that Hecksher State Park is "one of Long Island’s most treasured outdoor destinations, welcoming more than 1.3 million visitors each year," adding that the construction will "provide better access for the many visitors who enjoy this iconic state park.”***The Suffolk County Water Authority filed a federal lawsuit against the operator of an East Hampton Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) operator late last week after the discovery of high levels of perfluorinated compounds in nearby public drinking water wells following a 2023 fire at the BESS facility.East Hampton Town is now calling for a task force to protect the community’s drinking water.Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that two of the Water Authority’s affected wells, which are south of the BESS facility, exceeded New York State’s maximum contaminant level for PFAS, and SCWA has taken the affected wells out of service as a result of the detections, according to the Town of East Hampton, which released a statement about the incident this past Friday.The 5 MW BESS system, called the East Hampton Energy Storage Center, is at an electric substation on Cove Hollow Road. It is a joint venture of NextEra Energy Resources and National Grid that came online in 2018. In addition to the operators of the Energy Storage Center, the Water Authority’s lawsuit also names battery manufacturers LG Chem and LG Energy Solutions as defendants.A fire broke out at the BESS system on May 31 of 2023. Officials said at the time it was contained as designed, with a built in fire suppression system.The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, alleges that the casings of the batteries “opened and released their contents” during the fire, and water from the fire suppression efforts ran off the property and into an undeveloped area to the south of the property. The wells are about 2,500 feet south of the BESS facility.On Friday, June 5, East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez issued a statement calling on New York State, Suffolk County, and Suffolk County Water Authority leaders “to form a coordinated joint task force to protect the community’s drinking water and groundwater.”In a letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine, and the Suffolk County Water Authority, Ms. Burke-Gonzalez “asked the offices to establish a joint task force to ensure that residents’ drinking water and the underlying groundwater are protected, including testing nearby private wells and pooling state and county resources so that the burden does not fall on ratepayers or individual homeowners.”***The Riverhead Town Board is slated to hold 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 coming Wednesday, June 10 at 6 p.m.Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that 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 the Town of Riverhead’s Master Developer of the Town Square project.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, 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.***Now that New York has joined the nationwide rush to redraw congressional lines mid-decade, Democrats in the State Legislature are determined not to repeat the failures of the past.Steve Hughes reports in NEWSDAY that in 2021, voters across the state soundly rejected a Democratic-backed plan that would have allowed them to gerrymander the state’s congressional districts.Although a vote on the Democrats' current push to redraw the lines is still 17 months away, both Republicans and Democrats are preparing for a long battle to convince voters they are in the right. Redistricting changes in New York State can't be implemented until the 2028 congressional elections.New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) said Democrats would have a different approach than in 2021, when the party was outspent by Republicans in engaging voters."I think the lessons learned are simply that you can't assume people know what it is you're doing, and you can't assume that if you do nothing, things will happen the way you want them," she said during a recent news conference.A proposal that passed the State Legislature in the final days of the legislative session allows state Democrats to approve new maps with a simple majority vote and removes a ban on maps drawn to benefit a political party. It also says that if the maps are successfully challenged in court, they go back to the legislature for changes.Democrats hope that eventual new district lines could help them pick up as many as four seats, including ones on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley. Democrats currently hold 19 of New York's 26 seats.New York’s redistricting push differs from other states. States like Alabama and Louisiana have moved quickly, redrawing maps that erase districts where the majority of voters are minorities.But New York’s process is more deliberate. First, state legislators must pass for a second time a proposal overhauling the state’s redistricting process during next year’s legislative session to put it on the November 2027 ballot.Then the real battle will begin.***He has Knicks fans believing they can go all the way — to heaven.Alex Mitchell reports in THE NY POST that a Long Island bishop who used to play college hoops is using his beloved Knicks and their “biblical” like 13-game postseason winning streak to get New Yorkers closer to God.“Like Peter, James, and John were called from fishing nets, I was called from basketball nets,” Bishop John Barres of the Diocese of Rockville Centre told The Post near the altar of St. Agnes Cathedral. The leader of approximately 1.2 million baptized Catholics throughout Nassau and Suffolk said, “New York Knicks, 2026, we’re so grateful to you…For the wonderful way you’ve turned Madison Square Garden again to just a magical place, and brought so many New Yorkers together.” The former point guard for Princeton University’s JV team in the late 1970s had his spiritual outlook shaped by both playing hoops and following his favorite basketball team — especially their “unselfishness.”“They formed me in so many ways,” Barres said of watching the 1970 and 1973 NBA champs as a boy.Barres is exemplifying the 2026 New York Knickerbockers long-awaited title run by teaching Long Island’s 1,000 newly confirmed Catholics and others to “step up” into their roles as “humble, compassionate” lights of Christ.. “I use the example of Jalen Brunson stepping up with his three pointers — his management of the floor, the wonderful way he passes, the wonderful way he drives to the

Homeowners who live near the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club will not be allowed to park cars on their lawns on their driveways or on their street frontage for a fee during the U.S. Open this month, Southampton Town says. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the Town of Southampton has already issued a cease-and-desist order to a Barkers Island Road homeowner who was advertising for paid U.S. Open parking spaces on his property with lawn signs and through internet posts.Ryan Murphy, the town’s director of code enforcement, said that using a residential property for a profit-making venture constitutes an illegal change of use under the town’s zoning codes and that the town code officers will be doing patrols before and during the tournament, which runs from June 15-21, to enforce the ban.Selling parking on residential properties near major events like this month’s U.S. Open, which is expected to draw nearly 20,000 people on the competition days, is a common sight nationwide.But communities, and even event organizers themselves, have taken different stances toward the practice. Many communities allow it, either looking the other way at the legal status it creates or expressly passing temporary special permissions to allow residents to rake in extra income from a major draw.Some events have forbidden it because of traffic safety concerns.At past U.S. Opens at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, members of the Shinnecock Nation, who are not subject to the town’s zoning codes, have set up private parking lots on their individual properties along Montauk Highway, most even providing shuttles to the venue entrance at the other side of the Stony Brook Southampton college campus.Lance Gumbs, the vice chairman of the nation’s Council of Trustees, said that he and other tribe members with streetfront properties will be offering private parking options, in addition to the VIP parking lots that the USGA has paid the tribe to host on their powwow grounds in the interior of the territory, from which USGA shuttles will ferry the spectators who pay the $84 per day, to the tournament entrance.***Long Island’s Latino population grew more than 120% since the turn of the millennium, compared with about 12% in New York City, according to a report from the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center.Robert Brodsky reports in NEWSDAY that on Long Island, the Hispanic population grew 122% between 2000 and 2024, including a 143% increase in Suffolk County and a nearly 99% uptick in Nassau County, U.S. Census data shows.The Dominican population has become the largest Latino contingent across both the metropolitan region and on Long Island, which has seen a more than 260% growth during that 24-year period, figures show.Suffolk now has 363,136 Hispanic residents and Nassau has 264,758, data shows.Experts contend Latinos have flocked to Long Island for many of the same reasons other groups have: improved work opportunities, high-performing schools and relatively affordable housing in communities where the Hispanics appear to be clustered.Latinos make up a majority of the population in seven hamlets and villages on Long Island as of 2020, according to Census data. Those areas include Brentwood, North Bay Shore, Central Islip, New Cassel, Inwood, Hempstead Village and on the east end – Flanders.Lawrence Levy, executive dean at Hofstra University’s National Center for Suburban Studies, said the growth of the Latino population on Long Island was not a surprise.But its future trajectory remains in doubt, he said, in part because of the Trump administration's immigration policies. Census data figures include both legal and undocumented U.S. residents."It's pretty hard to predict the future of Latino growth because we're in an unprecedented period in terms of both policy and the processes that flow from it," Levy said. Immigration policies could affect local industries such as construction, and child and elder care, he noted.The total Latino population increase in the N.Y.C. metropolitan area was 48%, from 3.59 million in 2020 to 5.31 million in 2024, according to Census data. ***The Peconic Baykeeper will hold its annual Day for the Bay tomorrow morning from 9 to 11 a.m. at South Jamesport Beach. This year the event will include the Peconic Estuary Partnership, the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the North Fork Anglers.Learn about the Blue Water Task Force and participate in hands-on activities to learn about water pollution, runoff and safe fishing and boating on the North Fork. Tomorrow morning’s event is free.For further info and registration visit Peconicbaykeeper.org.***Presumably bedtime won’t be an issue for Game 2 of the N.B.A. Finals tonight since there’s no school tomorrow. But, parents will once again face a championship bedtime challenge before game 3 Monday night.The last time the New York Knickerbockers won a National Basketball Association title was 1973. With fans' excitement now reaching a fever pitch, many parents are now weighing whether they should let their children stay up late for the 8:30 p.m. tip off of these championship round games against the San Antonio Spurs which don't end until after 11 p.m.In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, joined by young Knicks supporters, signed a tongue-in-cheek executive order Monday temporarily repealing bedtimes in the city "so that kids of all ages can watch our team in the NBA Finals."On Long Island, some parents interviewed by NEWSDAY staff yesterday agreed that the usual bedtime rules should not apply for what could be a once-in-a-lifetime event."I have three daughters and I’m making them watch the games," said Michael Burns, 57, who was at Adventureland amusement park in East Farmingdale with his family. "I told the kids, even though we don’t live in New York City, we’re going to go by the mayor’s proclamation: No more bedtime until the series is over."Henry Fernandez, 40, said he also let his son watch Game 1 of the Finals on Wednesday."You could stay up now, don’t worry about it," he said he told his son. "It’s a Knicks game today."Megan Richards, at an outlet mall in Farmingdale on Thursday, had a slightly different take. She said if the game was on a school day, she might be against kids staying up late.But, she added, if they keep up with their homework, she might reconsider.In their nearly 80 year history, the Knicks franchise has won 2 N.B.A. championships in 1970 and 1973…before most current fans were born…regardless of age. Some educators on Thursday said they were greeted with their share of droopy eyelids in the morning."Our kids were definitely a little extra sleepy this morning and some staff members looked a little extra tired. There’s definitely a couple more coffee runs this morning," said Merrick Avenue Middle School Principal Katelyn Dunn.The Finals run, however, has given educators a chance to connect with their students, she said."It’s really great to see such common language and conversations, connections happening at this time of year," Dunn said.***Pope Leo XIV and other Catholic Church leaders have denounced President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign, but anger and disappointment has spread in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, where some immigration advocates say the bishop has not spoken publicly enough about the issue.Bart Jones reports in NEWSDAY that the advocates, parishioners on Long Island, say they're done waiting for Bishop John Barres to act. They have started a grassroots effort seeking to educate and mobilize their fellow churchgoers throughout both Nassau and Suffolk counties in opposition to an immigration crackdown they say is separating families and terrorizing communities. "We've been very disappointed that he hasn’t addressed the policies, we are very disappointed that he hasn't spoken up," said Richard Koubek of Dix Hills, a former public policy advocate at Catholic Charities who is helping to lead the effort. "We've reached a dead end. We're sort of moving on from him. This is the moment of urgency ... and we're not going to wait anymore."The new group — dubbed Catholics Welcome Immigrants — is promoting a "tool kit" for pastors and priests that includes everything from ideas for homilies to prayers for immigrants to instructions on how to create parish discussion groups that lead to action. They say the effort is based on the teachings of Catholicism that mandate Christians help the weak, the poor and the vulnerable.Some Long Island Catholics believe Barres is taking the proper approach on immigration."I personally believe, as a Catholic, that the Catholic Church should not speak out against" Trump’s campaign, said Barrett Psareas, vice president of the Nassau County Civic Association. "If there's wrongdoing, fine, go right ahead" and criticize it. "But they're only following the laws, from what we're being told."Others think Barres, too, is in a difficult position as he must weigh politically diverse constituencies."I think I would not want the job of the bishop," said the Rev. Robert Smith, pastor of St. Hugh of Lincoln Roman Catholic Church in Huntington, a heavily Latino parish. "Because I think he's got a lot of things to balance, and I trust that he does that with a sincerity of heart and with the best way that he possibly can."Bishop Barres, who leads 1.2 million Long Island Catholics in one of the largest dioceses in the nation, declined to be interviewed by Newsday. But in a...

Charter helicopters will utilize temporary landing pads on Shinnecock Nation Territory during the U.S. Open Golf Championship for patrons wishing to breeze over traffic backups on roads — for rates ranging from several hundred dollars to more than $1,400 per seat.Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the aircraft charter booking company Blade and Zip Aviation are working with the U.S. Golf Association and the Shinnecock Tribe to utilize a landing pad that will be set up in an open field, part of the powwow grounds on the 800-acre Shinnecock Neck territory…just west of Southampton Village.The nation’s vice chairman, Lance Gumbs, said that the landing area has room for up to three helicopters to land and disembark passengers who will then be taken by shuttles to the tournament entrance gates.Blade is offering flights to the tournament from helipads in New York City, and from East Hampton Airport, which is only a 10-minute flight away.The Blade booking site — headlined “The longest drive is nothing to brag about” — shows prices for seats aboard the flights from New York City at $1,480 each and private charters as high as $15,000 for up to eight passengers. Seats for the flights from East Hampton Airport are $645 each.A 10 a.m. flight from New York City to the third day of the tournament on Saturday, June 20, is already sold out.During previous U.S. Open events at Shinnecock Hills, seaplanes have delivered passengers to Sebonac Inlet where they were met by concierge services and shuttles to the course, including at the 2018 U.S. Open, when Blade set up a concierge tent at the beach.A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration said that temporary heliports that are operated for less than 30 days are not regulated by the FAA and do not have to be approved. But the temporary heliports are supposed to be limited to fewer than 10 operations per day — a total of five round-trip flights.***Democrats in the New York State Legislature passed resolutions last night supporting changes to the state constitution that would grant legislators the ability to redraw congressional districts in the middle of the decade.The state Senate voted 38-22 in favor of the resolution. The state Assembly voted 91-47.Steve Hughes reports in NEWSDAY that the votes are the first of three steps that must happen before Democrats, which control both houses, can redraw the state’s congressional districts in order to maximize their representation in Congress.Republican legislators argued that the proposed changes ignore the will of the voters, who approved the creation of an Independent Redistricting Commission in 2014.Democrats said they were simply responding in kind to Republican efforts to create more favorable district maps across the South, amid a nationwide redistricting fight for competitive advantage in the U.S. House of Representatives.The changes would allow the legislature to redraw New York State's 26 congressional districts in the middle of the decade, rather than once a decade when the U.S. Census Bureau numbers come out, as it typically does.The legislature will need to pass the same changes again next year. Voters would also need to approve the measure in November 2027 before it could go into effect for the 2028 election.The proposal allows state Democrats to approve new maps with a simple majority vote and removes a ban on maps drawn to benefit a political party. It also says that if the maps are successfully challenged in court, they go back to the legislature for changes.Democrats hope the eventual new district lines could help them pick up as many as four seats, including ones on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley. Democrats currently hold 19 of New York's 26 seats.***Thanks to coordinated efforts between students and educators, as well as the Southampton Rotary Club, the Bridgehampton School now has a special way of bringing the “global language of peace” to life right here on the east end.Last Friday, the Bridgehampton School community gathered for a special outdoor ceremony to dedicate and recognize the recently installed “Peace Pole” that was set up on school grounds, next to a memorial bench dedicated to former teacher Nancy Bagshaw, who died at the end of 2023 at age 60.Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that Peace Poles are a worldwide Rotary initiative. The tall but slim poles, often white and made of wood or PVC, are internationally recognized symbols meant to represent “the hopes and dreams of the entire human family, standing vigil in silent prayer for peace on earth,” according to rotary.org. Each Peace Pole bears the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in different languages on each of its four or six sides. There are tens of thousands of Peace Poles in nearly every country. There are currently more than 100 Peace Poles planted across Long Island.It was the Bridgehampton students who chose the placement of the pole near the bench dedicated to Ms. Bagshaw, a beloved teacher who embodied so many of the ideals and values associated with the peace pole. ***The Shinnecock Indian Nation yesterday said its concerns about the creation of a temporary express lane on a section of Sunrise Highway that traverses tribal land in Hampton Bays have been resolved following discussions with operators of the U.S. Open Golf Championship.In a statement, the Shinnecock Nation said it had "worked diligently to ensure that traffic management and transportation planning efforts respected tribal sovereignty, protected the Nation's governmental interests, preserved safe and reliable access for tribal citizens, and maintained critical emergency response capabilities within the territory. The Nation appreciates the collaborative approach taken by its partners in addressing these important considerations."Mark Harrington reports in NEWSDAY that assurances came in the form of a letter from Eric Steimer, the U.S. Golf Association’s senior director of U.S. Open Championships, to Shinnecock leadership, clarifying the use of a newly created, temporary express lane during the June 15-21 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Temporary changes that involved road work would not be done on Shinnecock-owned land, the tribe has been assured. The plan involved "stabilizing" an existing crossover on Sunrise Highway at a point west of the Shinnecock Nation's Westwoods land, which would allow express buses traveling east to the tournament to use as a westbound lane of the highway from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m."Working with [the state Department of Transportation], we have finished stabilizing the existing Sunrise Highway turnaround and shoulder that is located 0.5 miles east of the NY-27/NY-24 interchange," Steimer wrote. "This crossover will be used to allow U.S. Open shuttle buses traveling from Calverton Airfield and other points west to navigate from the existing eastbound [Sunrise Highway] lanes into the westbound lanes during the heavy morning commuter hours."The Shinnecock Indian Nation has been in a protracted legal battle with the state DOT, which in 2019 sued nation leaders over the erection of 61-foot digital billboards. Decisions in that case, most favoring the state, have spilled over into a separate action by Southampton Town, which is suing tribal leaders over a gas station begun on Westwoods land in Hampton Bays.***New Yorkers would no longer see a "sell-by" date on food products they buy at the store under a bill passed by the legislature this week that aims to streamline food labeling and reduce food waste. Keshia Clukey reports in NEWSDAY that the legislation, which the Assembly passed on Tuesday, would allow "best if used by" and "use-by" dates to remain. It also would require food producers and manufacturers to use scientifically valid methods to estimate those best-by and use-by dates."This bill would standardize food safety and quality date labeling on food products for human consumption," Assemb. Karines Reyes (D-Bronx), the bill’s sponsor said on the Assembly floor. "Currently labels can be confusing, so we’re trying to make it easier for consumers to determine what those labels mean."The bill would help New Yorkers waste less, Sen. Michelle Hinchey (D-Saugerties), the bill’s Senate sponsor said in a released statement. "Confusing date labels lead people to throw away perfectly good food without even realizing it, wasting thousands of dollars per year and increasing emissions."About 40% of food waste ends up in landfills, contributing to about 58% of unintentional methane emissions, according to the bill memo. And food waste as a result of date labeling contributes to 7% of all consumer waste, the bill said.The measure received overwhelming support in both chambers. It was passed by the State Senate in May and will head to Gov. Kathy Hochul. The governor's office said she will review the legislation.The U.S. Department of Agriculture currently provides guidance surrounding food regulation, but it’s not enforceable, according to the bill memo.The proposed legislation would ban the use of the term "sell by" starting July 1, 2028.Environmental advocates and food banks applauded the measure’s passage."In an ideal world, there would be no food waste of any kind," Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest Food Bank in Melville, said in a news release. "This measure moves New York in the right direction by providing consumers with clearer guidance and the information they need to make smart choices about which foods can be consumed, donated, or discarded."***New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced this week that the Westhampton Beach...

There are just a couple days left in New York’s legislative session in Albany — and the State Legislature has a lot of catching up to do. Fewer than 350 bills have passed both the Senate and Assembly, meaning that the Legislature will need to go into overdrive to come close to matching the roughly 850 bills passed in 2025.There is always plenty blame to go around in Albany, but this year the clear culprit seems to be the glacial pace of budget negotiations with Gov. Kathy Hochul. Lawmakers finally passed the $269 billion budget last week, giving them only one week to advance their own agenda.In theory, the Legislature could stay in Albany as long as it likes to pass bills. In practice, members have already made travel arrangements to their home districts, to see family and campaign for the June 23 primary.That will put pressure on the Assembly speaker, Carl E. Heastie, and the Senate majority leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, to prioritize the bills that have the best chance of passing without much debate.Several issues vying for floor time this week include a moratorium on data centers, making redistricting easier in New York, an uncertain future in plastics, keeping surveillance out of pricing, and counteracting some Trump administration initiatives.The artificial intelligence debate promises to continue throughout the fiscal year in New York and across the country. A.I. has transformed New York’s economy, while it has also begun to shape the state’s physical landscape through the data centers that power A.I.But concerns about their environmental impact and energy consumption have led lawmakers in Albany to rally around a one year moratorium on new data centers.Initially, the push had been for three years. But after conversations with stakeholders, Mr. Heastie said, the Legislature had come to a compromise on one year. “I think we’re comfortable passing that,” he said.Over the next five years, the number of data centers across the nation is projected to triple, consuming more electricity than 28 million households, according to an analysis from the nonprofit Food & Water Watch.***For teen bands in the Town of Southampton, the musical calendar year revolves around one night: the annual Southampton Youth Bureau Battle of the Bands at Ponquogue Beach in Hampton Bays. Dan Stark reports on 27east.com that this year is no different, as teenage bands, friends, family and peers will flock to the parking lot of Ponquogue Beach this coming Friday, June 5, to hear and cheer on their favorite young groups in the 23rd annual Battle of the Bands.Gates open at 7 p.m.; those who arrive early will get to listen to a series of special guest opening acts for the first hour. This year’s slate features four local middle and high school students who have participated in the Youth Bureau’s annual “Hamptons Got Talent” event in the last two years.The main event begins at 8 p.m., when the bands take the stage.Like last year’s edition, this year will feature five competing bands. Each band will have 20 minutes to perform a set of three to four songs each. The winning band gets to come back on stage to perform an encore at the end of the show.Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third places. This year’s prizes have been donated by the event’s sponsors, including Dream Recording Studios, LTV Studios, Hampton Coffee Company and the Hampton Theatre Company.The event will be emceed by three students from Westhampton Beach High School: juniors Elhani Armijos and Jennifer Santiago, and senior Kate Lynch.Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the gate on Friday June 5.For more information, visit southamptontownny.gov/youthbureau or call 631-702-2425.***The Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton invites you to join them for a wonderful Sunday afternoon of chamber music performed by Poetica Ensemble, a consortium of world class musicians led by artistic directors and local residents Song-A Cho and Christopher Shaughnessy. The ensemble has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Scorca Hall as well as other renowned concert halls throughout the greater New York area and beyond.Registration required.The performance is this coming Sunday, June 7, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Morris Meeting Room at the Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton.For further info visit myrml.org.Register for the event at rogersmemorial.librarycalendar.com/event/sunday-concert-80790***The Riverhead Town Board voted yesterday to move forward with eminent domain proceedings against the Long Island Science Center’s downtown property, adopting a findings statement that says acquisition of 111 E. Main St. is necessary to complete the town square project.Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the resolution passed 3-1, with one abstention. Council Members Denise Merrifield, Joann Waski and Ken Rothwell voted yes. Supervisor Jerry Halpin voted no. Council Member Bob Kern abstained.The resolution authorizes the Town of Riverhead to proceed under Article 2 of the state Eminent Domain Procedure Law to acquire fee title to the property, owned by A Place for Learning Inc., the nonprofit corporation that operates the Long Island Science Center.The 111 E. Main St. building, the former West Marine store, has been slated for redevelopment as the science center’s new downtown home. The science center currently operates at Tanger Outlets.Riverhead Town officials have argued that the building remains vacant and blighted and is a critical piece of the broader town square redevelopment effort. The findings statement adopted on Tuesday says the acquisition will serve a public purpose by removing blight and furthering the town’s economic redevelopment and revitalization plan.The resolution says the property sits “directly on the Town Square” and forms the western border of the project. It states that the building has been in “blighted, deteriorating and substandard condition for over 20 years” and says the owner’s redevelopment plans have failed to move forward despite several years of ownership.But residents opposed to the taking said before and during Tuesday’s meeting that the town has not identified a specific future use for the property, has not provided a cost estimate and has not adequately explained why condemnation is necessary.Halpin said he believes eminent domain should be used only as a last resort and said he did not believe the town had reached that point.“It’s a legal tool that should only be used as an absolute last resort,” Halpin said. “My opinion is that we’re not at that absolute last resort.”Halpin said he understands the frustration of board members who expected the science center project to be farther along, but said he was “not ready” to use eminent domain.The resolution directs the town clerk to publish notice of the findings in two successive issues of the News-Review beginning June 11 and directs special counsel Frank Isler to serve certified copies on the property owner and any other parties with an interest in the property.***One consequence of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s waiting so late to get a budget deal:The State Senate might not have time to vote on all of her pending nominations for state agency commissioners, judgeships and other posts.Yancy Roy reports in NEWSDAY that because budget negotiations consumed 18 of the 19 scheduled weeks of the 2026 legislative session, the Senate and Assembly have just this final week to approve all the hundreds of bills their rank-and-file members want before adjourning, either late tomorrow or Friday.Meanwhile, Governor Hochul has submitted dozens of nominations for the Senate to consider, including several state agency commissioners, board members for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Corrections Commission and 28 judges, according to the Senate.Customarily, the Senate acts on nominations before the final week of the legislative session. This year, however, the budget wasn’t agreed on and voted on till May 27, even though it was due April 1. The result is that the nominations now are competing with a flurry of bills lawmakers are seeking to approve this week, ranging from congressional redistricting to surveillance pricing to data-center moratoriums.And the clock is ticking.With the budget finishing so late, there is "limited time" to give proper vetting to the more than three dozen nominees, Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris said."If we have time to do them, we’ll do what we can," Gianaris (D-Astoria) told Newsday.New York State legislators — especially Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) — have complained that Hochul drew out budget negotiations by throwing in a kitchen sink of non-budget policy items, such as climate and immigration laws. And that they had no time remaining for legislators’ own priorities.But the uncertainty over Hochul’s nominees isn’t so much about pay back as lack of time, a source said.Consequently, not all of the more than three dozen nominees might make it this week and, if so, would have to wait till the legislature reconvenes in January, following the fall elections.***The Riverhead Chamber of Commerce will host “America 250: 4th Before the 4th,” a country-themed BBQ street fair at Grangebel Park in Riverhead tomorrow…the 4th of June…from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.The event will feature live country music, BBQ food vendors, line dancing, cold drinks and kid zone family...

Recently passed state auto insurance reforms could help lower car insurance rates as much as 10% for New York drivers, according to some estimates. That includes Long Island, where the cost to buy and maintain a vehicle is notoriously expensive.Brianne Ledda reports in NEWSDAY that Gov. Kathy Hochul's office has touted the reforms as part of a broader affordability push in her recently passed budget, as Long Islanders and others across New York struggle with rising costs of living. The nonprofit Citizens Budget Commission estimates the changes could shrink premiums as much as 10%, saving at least $200 per individual annually, and as much as $2 billion for New York residents and businesses, without any additional state spending. But while proponents have lauded the initiatives for tackling high premiums, others say the changes could prove harmful to injured crash victims. The measures take aim at high rates of insurance fraud that experts say have been driving up premiums, by strengthening penalties against fraudsters and tightening the legal definition of a "serious injury."The reforms also ban using ZIP codes, occupation, education level or homeownership as primary rating factors — a change that could prove especially beneficial on Long Island, where some ZIP codes last year saw average six-month premiums soar as high as $2,460, said Beth Swanson, an insurance analyst at The Zebra, an insurance comparison company.Historically higher premiums for Long Island "comes down to factors like rampant fraud, runaway litigation, high state minimums, brutal traffic congestion, and just a higher cost of living overall," Swanson said. The reforms take "direct aim at several of those root causes," she added.In New York, insurance fraud and attorney representation in accident cases have played a significant role in driving up costs, said Tim Zawacki, an S & P Global Market Intelligence insurance analyst.Opponents say the changes could prove financially harmful to injured crash victims.***OLA of Eastern Long Island has announced the recipients of its 2026 OLA Youth Scholarship, recognizing eight students from across the East End for their academic achievement, leadership and commitment to their communities.Founded in 2002, OLA of Eastern Long Island, Inc. (Organización Latino Americana) is a nonprofit Latino-focused advocacy organization working in the five East End towns of East Hampton, Southampton, Riverhead, Southold, and Shelter Island.As reported on 27east.com, OLA scholarship recipients this year are Ashley Buestan; Faith Welch; Santiago Solorzano; Shirley Jiang; Angie Castillo; Cristian Bernal; Bruce William Apolo; and Emmanuel Morales Gonzalez.OLA’s youth scholarship program supports students pursuing two- and four-year college programs as well as specialized vocational training. The scholarships provide financial assistance for up to four years to help students continue their education while developing leadership opportunities within their communities.According to OLA, its 2026 recipients plan to pursue careers in medicine, law, engineering, architecture, environmental advocacy and public leadership. Many also have backgrounds in robotics, athletics, theater, climate advocacy, volunteer firefighting, music and mentoring immigrant students.“Ashley, Faith, Santiago, Shirley, Angie, Cristian, Bruce and Emmanuel each represent the extraordinary determination and brilliance that exists within our community,” said Minerva Perez, the executive director of OLA of Eastern Long Island. “Their stories reflect not only academic excellence, but courage, leadership, compassion and the sacrifices of immigrant families who work every day to create brighter futures for the next generation.”***The Riverhead Chamber of Commerce will host “America 250: 4th Before the 4th,” a country-themed BBQ street fair at Grangebel Park in Riverhead, this coming Thursday, the 4th of June, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.The event will feature live country music, BBQ food vendors, line dancing, cold drinks and family activities. Organizers are promoting the event as a kickoff to the summer season and America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.Line dancing – Kids zone – Family fun!The “America 250: 4th Before the 4th,” country street fair is this Thursday at Grangebel Park in downtown Riverhead from 5 to 9 p.m.For more information, email [email protected].***The federal Education Department's investigation into the Connetquot school district has been referred to the U.S. Department of Justice, after the agency determined that the district violated civil rights law by complying with the state's Native American mascot ban. Darwin Yanes reports in NEWSDAY that in a letter dated May 29, the Education Department's assistant secretary for civil rights, Kimberly Richey, asked the U.S. Justice Department to "commence judicial proceedings" against the district."After the District changed its Native American mascot in response to a state regulation that [Office of Civil Rights] has determined to be discriminatory, Connetquot has not yet taken the steps necessary to come into compliance with federal civil rights law," Richey said in a statement. "It is neither fair nor lawful to permit certain national‑origin‑based names and mascots while erasing others, and we are now referring the matter to the Department of Justice for further enforcement."Public school districts in New York State were given until June 30, 2025, to comply with a state regulation banning the use of Native American mascots, team names and logos in public schools.Some Native American leaders have said that the mascots promote hurtful stereotypes and can have a negative impact on the mental health and self-esteem of Native youth.But the federal Education Department has said the ban violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in federally funded education programs on the basis of race, color, or national origin. The agency's argument is that the ban does not allow the use of Native American mascots while permitting those "derived from other racial or ethnic groups, such as the 'Dutchmen' and the 'Huguenots.' "The ban affected 13 districts on Long Island. Connetquot, which used the nickname the Thunderbirds, was among them.Experts have told Newsday that the federal determination puts the Connetquot district in an "impossible" position of having to choose between complying with either state or federal officials.JP O'Hare, a spokesman for the state Education Department, said in a statement yesterday that the department was "not concerned" by the referral of the Connetquot case to the Justice Department because "it does not impact" the settlement agreement between the state and the district.He added that the federal Education Department "has made a similar referral in the past without effect."The federal agency, after determining the state ban violated civil rights law, had also referred that case to the Justice Department.***After lagging behind other state regions for years, police in Suffolk County significantly increased enforcement against dangerous driving violations in 2025, new statewide data show. Meanwhile, in Nassau County, enforcement for those offenses dropped last year and is significantly below its pre-pandemic level.Peter Gill reports in NEWSDAY that the Suffolk County Police Department handed out around 76,150 tickets for speeding, aggressive driving, impaired driving, distracted driving and seat belts in 2025 — a 26% increase from 2024 and the department's highest number in at least a decade. Several village and town police departments also increased ticketing for those core safety violations, according to official data from the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research at SUNY Albany.But ticketing for those same categories declined in Nassau County in 2025.The new ticketing data comes after Newsday reported last year that between 2016 and 2024, police in Suffolk County had issued significantly fewer dangerous driving tickets than other parts of the state when adjusted for traffic. However, the new data indicates Suffolk County caught up in 2025 and surpassed several other regions and Nassau, relative to miles driven.***Hamptons Pride will hit a five-year milestone this year with the nonprofit’s annual Pride Parade, which will return for another colorful march through East Hampton Village this coming Saturday, June 6.Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that this year’s parade, the only pride parade on the South Fork, will start between the Presbyterian Church and Guild Hall on Main Street. Parade lineups will begin at 11 a.m.; the parade will step off at 12 noon. Those registered to march will make their way east on Main Street to Newtown Lane, Railroad Avenue and Lumber Lane.The parade will end at Herrick Park, where there will be music and celebration until 3 p.m., with performances by the Bridgehampton School Marimba Band, DJ Watts and local singer-songwriter Inda Eaton, who will be joined by Jeff Marshall and Mila Tina.The parade, which commemorates Pride Month, has grown into a major community event. Last year, the parade brought a crowd despite steady rainfall throughout the day.That's the 2026 Pride Parade in East Hampton Village this Saturday from noon to 3 p.m.***They’re calling it a ringing success.A majority of New York teachers reported huge classroom improvements after the state’s first phone-free school year — thanks to better student focus, less bullying and more kids just being kids.Hannah...

While falling short of the resounding victory some LIRR employees hoped for, the five railroad unions that went on strike two weeks ago surpassed many observers’ expectations — by securing raises higher than transit workers have seen in years, while giving up relatively little and cementing themselves as major players in New York’s labor relations landscape, union leaders, MTA officials and sources with knowledge of the negotiations said.It was on May 28, 2025, that Long Island Rail Road locomotive engineers’ head Kevin Sexton, speaking at a meeting of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board, first warned of the potential for the first LIRR union strike in more than three decades. MTA managers would have to come to the table with an offer that "reflects the value, skill and sacrifice of the workers who keep the railroad running every day."At the time, MTA chairman Janno Lieber largely dismissed the threat, saying, ‘We don’t see that happening in the near-term." He suggested the five unions, representing about half the LIRR’s 7,000-member organized workforce, would ultimately fall in line and take the same deal ratified by "other, larger Long Island Rail Road unions."Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that last month, less than a year later, on the third day of a work stoppage that sent tens of thousands of Long Islanders scrambling to get to work and back home with the nation’s largest commuter railroad shut down, Lieber stood beside Gov. Kathy Hochul as she announced a deal once widely considered unfathomable: Giving workers raises of 4.5% in a fourth contract year, with only modest concessions.John Samuelsen, international president of the Transport Workers Union — the MTA’s largest labor organization, representing more than 40,000 city bus and subway workers — called it "a big win" for the LIRR labor leaders, and for transit unions throughout the state who hope the new contract means bigger raises for them.Some labor sources disputed the significance of the unions' achievement, noting some givebacks — including extending the term of the contract — dilute the value of the 4.5% raise in the last year of the four-year deal.MTA officials have said they got a win in shining a light on the federally regulated LIRR collective bargaining process and that the agreed upon deal is affordable for Long Islanders.***Thousands of Long Islanders could start losing food assistance as soon as today because of the Trump administration’s changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.Roughly 21,439 Suffolk County residents considered by the Trump administration to be "able-bodied" could lose access to the federal program, also known as SNAP, as a result of new work requirements to receive benefits.Tiffany Cusaac-Smith reports in NEWSDAY that these people could be cut off from the program formerly known as food stamps, according to the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance's December tally.Last year, President Donald Trump signed a sprawling budget bill passed by Congress that made several changes to the SNAP program.Among the key changes in the law were provisions regarding those considered "Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents," officials said. Those in that category are restricted to three months of SNAP benefits across three years if they don’t meet work or volunteer requirements, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.New York State previously held federal waivers so that people in that category could continue receiving benefits outside that time period, but most of those waivers have lapsed, officials said. The extensions ended March 1, starting the clock on the three-month timeline ending June 1st…today. The law also makes it harder for states to obtain the federal waiver, requiring an unemployment rate of above 10%. In April, New York had an unemployment rate of 4.6%, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.The law also includes increasing the age limit of those who would have to follow the Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents timeline. Previously, it was limited to those aged 18 to 54. Now, the law has raised the higher age limit to 64, the USDA said.Who can be exempt, and what are the new work-requirement rules?People considered to be Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents should meet several requirements, including working or volunteering, the state said.The work rules also can be met by gaining a job skill, though it must be approved by the local department of social services and be for 80 hours a month, according to the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.The OTDA said there are several exceptions to the rules, including being pregnant or of Native American descent. Other exemptions may include not being able to work because of a physical or mental health disability, officials said.The state also recommends reaching out to the Department of Social Services for Nassau or Suffolk for additional assistance for Long Island residents.***Those hoping to learn more about career opportunities within East Hampton town will soon have the chance.Lisa Finn reports on Patch.com that the Town of East Hampton will host a job fair this coming Saturday, June 6, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon in the main meeting room at Town Hall, located at 159 Pantigo Road in East Hampton.The job fair will give residents and prospective applicants an opportunity to learn more about employment opportunities with East Hampton Town, the civil service process, and the many ways local government serves the community, officials said.Representatives from the Suffolk County Department of Civil Service will be on site, along with the town’s human resources department and representatives from the East Hampton town police, recreation, code and animal control, highway and sanitation departments.No registration is required. Interested applicants are encouraged to stop by, meet department representatives, ask questions, and learn more about current and future employment opportunities with the Town of East Hampton.***This past Thursday, Riverhead Town Board members questioned the financial details and process behind Supervisor Jerry Halpin’s proposed early retirement incentive, after Halpin brought the proposal to a public work session for the first time following two prior executive session discussions and an earlier social media announcement and press release. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the proposal, still in conceptual form, would offer early retirement incentives to eligible CSEA, PBA and SOA employees. Riverhead Town Financial Administrator Jeannette DiPaola said the idea was explored after the town completed its 2025 annual financial report and found the general fund had a $5 million surplus due largely to higher-than-projected interest earnings on investments.“I have to admit, at first I was skeptical, because I’m very conservative and don’t really want to let go of any money,” DiPaola said. “But I was asked to put the numbers together on paper, and when we did,” she said, the potential savings became clearer.Council Member Ken Rothwell questioned why the interest earnings weren’t used to reduce the 2026 budget and tax levy.“Because we never know. Interest can change tomorrow,” DiPaola said. “When I look back at how we budgeted for interest, we’ve always budgeted conservatively, because the market can tank,” she said.DiPaola presented examples showing potential savings from replacing higher-paid employees with lower-paid new hires and moving employees from higher-cost retirement tiers to lower-cost tiers.If every eligible PBA and SOA employee accepted an incentive, DiPaola estimated total savings at about $1.3 million to $1.4 million in the first year. She said the town currently has about $33.4 million in fund balance.Riverhead Town Council Member Denise Merrifield said the public needs to understand that the proposal would require an incentive payment beyond the severance and benefits employees are already owed.“Someone’s not walking out the door in early retirement without some incentive, and that incentive is money,” Merrifield said. “I need the public to understand what that is.”***Long Island allergy sufferers: the spring was as bad as you thought it was. Now get ready for summer.This week, both tree and grass pollen are high as the seasons start to transition with longer, warmer days.Lisa L. Colangelo reports in NEWSDAY that the spring was particularly difficult because it did not ramp up gradually, said Erin McGintee, an allergist and immunologist at ENT and Allergy Associates in Southampton. The cold winter slowed down the early blooming trees while the late blooming trees started earlier as soon as the weather warmed up."With particularly cold winters and an early spring, everything sort of pops at once, so to speak," she said. "When everything's out all at once, for the people who suffer from tree pollen allergy, it can be really rough. And then, on top of that, grass starts in May. So you’re getting a double whammy."That means more people struggling with runny noses, red, watery eyes and sneezing.Tree season, which can start in February, usually runs through April and into May. Grass pollen kicks up in May and goes through June followed by the first weed pollen days in August.In March, Newsday spoke with Long Island allergy experts who predicted an "intense tree pollen season" based on the amount of snow and rain over the winter.In general, grass pollen season is lasting longer and is more intense, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America....

Schools should do more to limit technology in the classroom but calls from the nation's second-largest teachers' union to impose sharp new restrictions on computer use — including a ban on screens for the youngest students — go too far, several Long Island educators said this week.The American Federation of Teachers’ president, Randi Weingarten, laid out the union’s proposals in a speech Wednesday in Washington, D.C. The AFT’s 1.8 million members includes about 130,000 New York State United Teachers members in Nassau and Suffolk counties, the union said.Maura McDermott reports in NEWSDAY that the union’s recommendations include an immediate ban on screens, including computer-based assessments, for students in kindergarten through second grade, as well as prohibitions on the use of artificial intelligence in elementary schools and on so-called “social companion” AI chatbots for those under 16. Weingarten cited Jonathan Haidt’s widely discussed book “The Anxious Generation” as an inspiration for the proposals.Students are “drowning in tech,” Weingarten said at the National Press Club. Educators and parents, she said, “cannot manage the tech juggernaut on our own.”The use of technology in the classroom has been a hotly-debated topic around the nation, with some states exploring measures to limit students' use of digital devices or artificial intelligence.Local educators have seen “very positive results” from the state's ban on students’ smart devices in schools, including better behavior and more interactions between students, and restrictions on in-class technology also would be welcome, said Bob Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association“There's studies that show too much screen time is not good for the developing brain, so obviously we would support that,” he said. Plus, he said, “the use of artificial intelligence by students has to be closely monitored” to make sure the technology is being used in ways that are age appropriate.However, Vecchio said it is important for local officials to maintain control over decisions such as which vendors to work with and what policies to implement, “as opposed to a one size fits all mandate.”***By early afternoon on a recent Tuesday, Greenport was bustling. Tourists sauntered between boutiques, friends caught up over coffee at sidewalk tables, music spilled from open doors.But even against a busy backdrop, empty storefronts, "for lease" signs and dim windows are hard to miss as business owners and village officials grapple with a surge of downtown vacancies.Tara Smith reports in NEWSDAY that as the summer begins, with day trippers trekking from western Long Island and tourists arriving on marina docks, business leaders are launching a plan to fill empty stores, ideally beyond the three-month sprint from Memorial Day to Labor Day.Nearly a dozen storefronts remain vacant, largely concentrated across the waterfront on Front Street. Though there are glimmers of hope as several new shops and restaurants plan summer openings, a publicly funded business district is pushing to bring a burst of new business to the North Fork village.Rich Vandenburgh, the president of the Greenport Business Improvement District, described a “perfect storm” of challenges, including several retiring shopkeepers, coupled with rising rents, seasonal pressures and consumer trends.“We’ll find ways to bridge the gaps and get good quality folks in there, and hopefully have them be there year-round," Vandenburgh said in an interview. “Unfortunately, some of the landlords are looking for rents that are Southampton, East Hampton kind of rents that are just prohibitive."There are several vacancies on Main Street in Greenport, including a former candy store and pizzeria.Among the most prominent vacancies is The Arcade, a longtime general store that closed in 2017. The sprawling landmark, founded in 1928, once sold everything from beach towels and toys to sewing kits and household goods.Today, real estate posters fill the large windows of the 16,600-square-foot building. An online listing asks for a monthly rent of $27,667.Residents are split over the right path forward as a debate brews. One former mayor favors more forceful tactics, such as seizing properties by eminent domain.***This Sunday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., the Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton presents acclaimed pianist Olga Vinokur – who will return to the library for an afternoon of classical piano music. She has been praised by the New York Times for her “exquisite performance” and “the strength and consistency of her artistry.” From Great Romantics to American Favorites Sunday’s program will include pieces by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Gershwin among others. Reservations required.Visit the R.M.L. website at rogersmemorial.librarycalendar.com/event/olga-vinokur-piano-78124That’s this coming Sunday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Rogers Memorial Library, 91 Coopers Farm Rd, Southampton, NY 11968(631) 283-0774***Roughly a week after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced new restrictions on federal immigration agents, including a mask ban, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security made clear it was girding for battle.Grace Ashford and Hamed Aleaziz report in THE NY TIMES that in an internal memo, the department’s general counsel assured agents that they were “not legally required to comply with state and local mask prohibitions while carrying out their official duties.”The memo, dated May 15 and reviewed by The New York Times, added that officers should “freely perform their authorized duties without concern for state interference or fear of prosecution.”The guidance signals that the agency has no intention of cooperating with a wave of legislation across the country that aims to curtail immigration enforcement.New York is the latest to join the fray, enacting legislation that bans masks, allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to be sued for constitutional violations, and prohibits agents from searching “sensitive locations” like hospitals and schools without a warrant signed by a judge.“If you are enforcing the law, you should not be hiding from it,” Jen Goodman, a spokeswoman for Governor Hochul, said in response to the news that the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, was already preparing to disregard New York’s mask ban. “Any ICE agent who comes to New York and violates our laws will be held accountable.”The state will also prohibit informal and formal arrangements, called 287(g) agreements, between counties and ICE that had allowed the federal agency to use local law enforcement and jails to arrest and detain people suspected of being in the country illegally.In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said it does not comment on leaked materials. But it called mask bans like New York’s “despicable and a flagrant attempt to endanger our officers,” arguing that agents wear face coverings only to protect themselves and that under the Constitution, state and local politicians “do not control federal law enforcement.”“To be crystal clear: We will not abide by unconstitutional bans,” the statement said.The Trump administration’s border czar, Tom Homan, said earlier this month that New York’s legislation would make his agency’s work “more dangerous and less efficient.”“When I lose those 287(g) programs, I lose those jails, that means I’ve got to send more officers into the street to look for more people you released,” he said in an interview with The Washington Examiner.Lawmakers and immigrant advocates say that New York’s legislation, which was included in the state budget formally passed Wednesday evening, does not go far enough. Even though informal agreements between ICE and local law enforcement are prohibited, there is nothing in the law explicitly preventing the police from calling immigration officials after, for instance, a traffic stop involving someone potentially subject to deportation.Governor Hochul, who fought against creating a blanket rule to ban such calls, said yesterday that police officers still should not be calling immigration just because someone is speaking Spanish.“Why would you call ICE in that situation?” she said. “That is not your job.”***More details are emerging about the death of Cesar Albarracin Guncay, a sixth-grade student from the Sag Harbor Union Free School District who died this week following a rafting accident during an annual school trip to the Poconos.Kathryn G. Menu reports on 27east.com that according to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, a party of five boaters was traveling the Lehigh River in East Penn Township, Pennsylvania. The group was in an inflatable raft as part of a larger guided excursion when the vessel capsized, ejecting everyone on board. Guncay did not immediately resurface, prompting a search and rescue operation that eventually recovered the child. According to the commission, everyone else on the boat was recovered safely. Guncay was one of 74 students on the school trip.A release issued by the Carbon County Coroner’s Office stated that emergency personnel were dispatched to reports of a drowning near mile marker 99 of the D&L Trail along the Lehigh River. The 12-year-old boy had already been removed from the water and was being transported by the Lehigh Fire Department Dive Team to an area known as “Marvin Gardens.”Guncay was pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m. An autopsy was scheduled for yesterday. An ongoing investigation is being led by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat...

The United States Golf Association and New York State Department of Transportation will create an express lane along more than 3 miles of Sunrise Highway, solely for use by the shuttle buses ferrying spectators and volunteers from Calverton to the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in June. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that over the last two weeks, construction crews have been building a paved crossover through the Sunrise median between the eastbound and westbound lanes just east of the interchange with Flanders Road that will allow shuttle buses to bypass the chronic crawl of trade parade traffic on 27 eastbound in the mornings. For the seven days of the tournament week — from Monday, June 15, through Sunday, June 21 — shuttle buses running between the remote parking lots at the former Grumman aircraft factory in Calverton and the S.H.G.C. will cross over into the nearest westbound lane to travel east.The right-hand lane of westbound traffic will remain open at all times, separated from the so-called “contra-lane” by cones that will be put down and picked up each morning.The express contra-lane will run from the Flanders Road interchange to the intersection of Shrubland Road and County Road 39, where the buses will turn off and take Shrubland and Sebonac Road to the Shinnecock Hills G.C. property. The eastbound express contra-lane will only operate until 10 a.m. each morning, after which the dividers will be removed and both lanes on the north side of the median returned to westbound traffic for the remainder of the day.In 2018, the remote parking lots for the U.S. Open Golf Championship were at Gabreski Airport in Westhampton. But because much of what was once vacant on the Gabreski property has now been developed, the USGA this year was forced to move its remote lots all the way to the Grumman property in Calverton.Tournament directors said that in order to incentivize people to use the remote parking and the shuttle buses, they needed to find a way to cut down on the overall travel time from Calverton — otherwise more people might opt to try to drive and find parking around Southampton.***The Bridgehampton School announced yesterday that it has hired Dr. Brigid Collins as its new superintendent of schools.Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that Dr. Collins had been serving as interim superintendent since February, filling the void left by former Superintendent Dr. Mary T. Kelly, who announced her retirement in January.In a letter to parents in the district, Bridgehampton School Board President Jo Ann Comfort said that the board made the decision to hire Collins after a “thorough and competitive search process,” during which Collins emerged as the top candidate.“We have also been fortunate to experience her leadership style while she has served as the interim superintendent, and the board unanimously concluded that Dr. Collins brings the vision, experience and leadership qualities needed to guide our district forward.”Collins lives in Sag Harbor with her husband, Jim Stewart, who was a longtime teacher and coach in the East Hampton School District Bridgid Collins has more than three decades of experience as an educator. Her career began in upstate New York. After graduating with a teaching degree from Union College, Collins did a one-year internship at Niskayuna High School and taught for two years at Oneida Middle School as an English and reading teacher. Since then, she has moved to the east end where Dr. Collins has furthered her education and worked as teacher and administrator in East Hampton, Montauk, and Southampton…and now in Bridgehampton as that school district’s new superintendent of schools…no longer their interim leader.***Thanks to a collaborative effort from several different groups, the Sag Harbor Village Police Department now has an officer with four legs and a mission to reduce stress. Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that Gillies, a 17-month-old English Labrador, is now an official member of the department, serving as a therapy dog, after a special shield ceremony held at Village Hall in Sag Harbor this past Tuesday. Gillies will play a key role in supporting officer wellness and overall well-being. In the few weeks he’s been with the department, he’s become something of a local celebrity. His handler, Sergeant Kelly Anderson, said people have come into the department on multiple occasions asking if Gillies is on the job, proving he’s already perfectly suited to one of his other job duties — serving as a connection between the department and the greater Sag Harbor community through outreach, events and overall public engagement. Gillies is named after Clark Gillies, the New York Islanders 4-time Stanley Cup Hockey Champion who was highly respected as the team’s chief protector and enforcer. The young yellow Lab came to the department thanks to the Matt Martin Foundation and the Suffolk County Police Foundation. Those organizations teamed up to help fund the purchase of Gillies and pay for his training. Veterinarian Dr. Teri Meekins will be taking care of Gillies, a service she is donating through the support of the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation.Martin, who used to own a home in Sag Harbor and regularly visits the area, played in the NHL for 16 years, with the Islanders, retiring last year. The Matt Martin Foundation prioritizes working with veterans and first responders, in particular raising and training service dogs for organizations that work with veterans and first responders.***The Hampton Classic Horse Show in Bridgehampton has been sued by its primary fast-food vendor after the show ended its contract and allowed another vendor to offer items similar to those on its menu, according to the lawsuit.Tiffany Cusaac-Smith reports in NEWSDAY that G&L Gyro Concessions alleged in a lawsuit filed last week in state Supreme Court in Suffolk County it was not welcomed back to the 2026 event in August without prior written notice of dissatisfaction, despite an agreement the company would serve as the event's main fast-food provider through 2027.The Bethpage-based business also said Citarella, a gourmet market with several locations on Long Island, ran a food concession right next to G&L at the show and was allowed to sell items that were only supposed to be sold by G&L.The Hampton Classic Horse Show did not respond to Newsday’s request for comment, but court documents show the event’s executive director said in an email the event had received negative reviews of G&L and that it would have selected an alternative vendor whether or not Citarella was available or interested."The Hampton Classic did not find G&L Gyro Concessions' food service satisfactory and has therefore terminated the agreement," an email listed in court documents said.For roughly 12 years, G&L had served as the primary fast-food vendor for the summer gathering, the lawsuit said. An agreement spanning 2023 to 2027 called for the company to operate a lemonade area, a Groom's Café and the main food hub within the Boutique Garden, court documents show.In 2025, G&L said the Hampton Classic had told the company verbally it would not be asked to return in 2026, according to the lawsuit. G&L maintains the horse show had provided it "no written notice of deficiency, and no documented expression of dissatisfaction at any point during G&L's twelve years of service, or at any time during the term of the Agreement.”***Those hoping to learn more about career opportunities within East Hampton town will soon have the chance.Lisa Finn reports on Patch.com that the Town of East Hampton will host a job fair on Saturday, June 6, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon in the main meeting room at Town Hall, located at 159 Pantigo Road in East Hampton.The job fair will give residents and prospective applicants an opportunity to learn more about employment opportunities with East Hampton Town, the civil service process, and the many ways local government serves the community, officials said.Representatives from the Suffolk County Department of Civil Service will be on site, along with the town’s human resources department and representatives from the East Hampton town police, recreation, code and animal control, highway and sanitation departments.No registration is required. Interested applicants are encouraged to stop by, meet department representatives, ask questions, and learn more about current and future employment opportunities with the Town of East Hampton.***A Sag Harbor Elementary School sixth grader died yesterday during a rafting trip in the Poconos.John Asbury reports in NEWSDAY that Sag Harbor Superintendent of Schools Jeff Nichols sent a letter to parents last night announcing the death of Cesar Albarracin Guncay, who died during an annual class trip."There are no words to adequately express the depth of this loss," Mr. Nichols said. "Cesar was a cherished member of our school family, a child who mattered deeply to all who had the privilege of knowing him. His absence will leave an irreplaceable space in our classrooms, our hallways and our lives. Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to Cesar’s family and friends during this very sad time. We will keep them in our thoughts and prayers."Cesar died while rafting on the Lehigh River in East Penn Township, Carbon County, Pennsylvania after the raft overturned in the river.The death is being investigated by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission."On Wednesday, there was a large party of boaters on a raft on the Lehigh River in Carbon County, and that raft...

Here’s a question everyone around here has been asking the past couple days…Are weekends rainier than the work week?If the question sounds preposterous, consider this spring: Including the sodden Memorial Day weekend we just experienced, it rained five of the last six weekends.Nicholas Spangler and Anastasia Valeeva report in NEWSDAY that it rained on half, or 10, of 20 weekend days since the start of the season on March 20. By comparison, it rained on a mere one-third of the 46 workweek days.Was this uneven distribution a function of chance? A cosmic conspiracy to ruin your golf game? Is there a scientific explanation?"Really, this is not much more than a bit of a bad luck pattern," said Newsday meteorologist Geoff Bansen. "Look at the global jet stream," the bands of strong wind that generally blow from west to east all across the globe, affecting temperature and precipitation, he said. "The movement is very rhythmic, but no one bats an eye when these things happen during the week."Finding a pattern to weekend rainfall, he added, would likely require sifting decades of climate data, not just a season’s worth.A Newsday analysis of decades of precipitation data collected by the National Weather Service in Islip suggested Bansen was correct: Analyses of five, 10 and 40 years of data found rain was not more frequent on weekends than weekdays. It also found no statistically significant change in the overall occurrence of rain events. The analysis did find that, over the last five years, Thursday was the rainiest day, followed by Saturday.A number of academic studies have analyzed historical precipitation data from other regions in search of weekly weather cycles, or what is sometimes called a "weekend effect." One hypothesis is that human activity that releases aerosols — tiny particles from smoke, dust or other sources that float in the atmosphere — could have meteorological impacts including on precipitation occurrence and amounts. Since that activity tends to increase during the week and decrease during the weekend, the thinking goes, it might be possible to discern cyclical variance.But the results of these studies are mixed. A 2008 paper found that "both the average area and intensity" of rain events over the southeast United States were greater in the middle of the week than on weekends; the phenomenon was reversed over the Atlantic.***A forgotten baseball stadium that once drew thousands of fans — and one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history — has become the spark for a new community-driven effort to preserve Riverhead’s overlooked stories.Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Riverhead Free Library librarians Joann White and Michael Ryan say the idea for the library’s new “Riverhead Remembers” local history project grew out of their astonishment upon learning that Satchel Paige once pitched at a long-vanished Riverhead venue called Wivchar Stadium, later known as Riverhead Stadium.Neither librarian had ever heard of the stadium.Then they discovered many longtime Riverhead residents had not heard of it either.That realization led to a larger question: What else has Riverhead forgotten?Now the library is asking residents to help answer it — by bringing in photographs, documents, personal correspondence and stories tied to life in Riverhead through the decades. The library will digitize all materials and return originals to their owners, while building a growing archive of community history.“We really want to know their story,” White said. “A picture is great, but we need to learn a little bit about the story in the background.”The effort is centered partly around the mystery of Wivchar Stadium itself — a short-lived sports venue that operated from roughly 1949 to 1951 near what is now the Pulaski Street sports complex and the Riverhead Central School District offices on Osborn Avenue.Despite hosting professional-style events and drawing crowds reportedly exceeding 6,000 people, almost no photographic evidence of the stadium has surfaced.The legendary Satchel Paige appeared there in a barnstorming game on July 21, 1950.That game inspired the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame to install a historical marker at the site in 2022.The Riverhead librarians say they are especially interested in stories that often go undocumented — including African American history, immigrant experiences and everyday community life.For more information or to submit something for the Riverhead Remembers project, email [email protected].***Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) located on the north shore of Long Island at the Nassau / Suffolk border since 1890…congratulates their Professor David Jackson, who has been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society.Having the letters FRS (Fellow of the Royal Society) tacked onto the end of one’s name is among the very highest honors a scientist can achieve. It’s a mark of elite distinction. Other Fellows of the Royal Society include Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking.“David Jackson has been a cornerstone of CSHL’s historic plant biology program since he joined the faculty in 1997,” said CSHL President Bruce Stillman. “His research has advanced science’s understanding of plant stem cell regulation, with significant implications for crop yield and other traits of agricultural importance. I congratulate Professor Jackson on his well-deserved election to the Royal Society.”Jackson came to CSHL after completing a fellowship funded by NATO and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Among his most recent discoveries are specific stem cell regulators in maize, which Jackson’s lab linked to corn ear size and productivity.For 136 years, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. Home to eight Nobel Prize winners, the private, not-for-profit Laboratory employs 1,000 people including 600 scientists, students and technicians. The Meetings & Courses Program hosts more than 12,000 scientists from around the world each year on its campuses in Long Island and in Suzhou, China. The Laboratory’s education arm also includes an academic publishing house, a graduate school and programs for middle, high school, and undergraduate students and teachers.***The gaseous power duo that is heating up the planet consists of carbon dioxide, which is the largest contributor to global warming, and methane, its fast-acting, hot-tempered sibling.Hilary Howard reports in THE NY TIMES that carbon dioxide, which is mostly the result of burning fossil fuels, tends to get top-villain billing in climate policies. But in New York, methane — the stuff of cow burps, pipeline leaks and landfills — is getting its moment in the spotlight as legislators consider changing a metric for measuring greenhouse gases. It is part of an overhaul of the state’s 2019 climate law that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has proposed.The suggested metric, a common — and some say outdated — formula for counting emissions since the early 1990s, would play a crucial role in weakening what was once described as one of the most ambitious climate laws in the world. It would downplay the warming effects of methane, many scientists argue.Methane can trap 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. So New York’s current climate law uses a metric that reflects this fact.Unlike carbon dioxide, which can linger in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, methane disappears fast; half of its presence is gone after 12 years. This means its heat-trapping effects diminish over time — which is why, many scientists said, it’s important to measure its effects at shorter intervals. Over 100 years, for example, methane’s heat-trapping powers are reduced to being about 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide’s.Now, Ms. Hochul wants to adopt a 100-year time frame to measure the effect of methane on the climate. That would be a significant shift from the current policy, which evaluates methane’s impact over 20 years. Doing that would dilute measurements of the planet-warming damage of methane, scientists argue.But it would also keep costs down by putting less pressure on waste management facilities, farmers and natural gas companies to reduce their methane pollution, an expensive undertaking that other New Yorkers could end up subsidizing through higher bills and prices, Ms. Hochul’s office argues.Governor Hochul, a Democrat, is up for re-election this year and is embracing an affordability platform. She seems more amenable to New York trading in its trailblazing climate leader status for what other states are doing. Ms. Hochul has the support of some moderate members of her party, along with unions and business organizations.***United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement this year has detained at least a dozen young people locally with a special immigration status that protected them from deportation. The men, all of whom are from Central American countries, were released after challenging their detentions in court. The agency last year deported 132 people nationally with this status. Special Immigrant Juvenile Status applications have exploded in recent years. Roughly 78,000 people under the age of 21 applied nationally during the last fiscal year, up from 11,500 in 2015.Josefa Velásquez reports in NEWSDAY that across Long Island, young immigrants who came to this country years ago as children or teens — and believed the status would...

Scoring a 130 to 93 victory last night while finishing a four game sweep of the Eastern Conference Finals, the New York Knickerbockers now advance to the National Basketball Association championship round - the NBA Finals for the first time this century and the ticket-buying frenzy on the secondary market for the Knicks’ first Finals home game at the Garden next month already has begun.Anthony Rieber reports in NEWSDAY that seats for the first Knicks home game in the Finals — which will be Game 3 on June 8 — are listing for well over $3,500 on most online resale sites.And that’s for the nosebleed seats. The priciest tickets that were on StubHub on Sunday night were a pair listed for more than $104,000 each. The seats, which are in the first row at center court, include a complimentary buffet, plus champagne and beer.On SeatGeek, the cheapest ticket for Game 3 on Sunday night was listed at more than $3,700, with the same $104,000 seats also being listed.TickPick had center-court seats — not in the front row — being offered for more than $177,000. Gametime maxed out at more than $103,000 for its top offerings.The Eastern Conference champion Knicks, who have not played in an NBA Finals since 1999, will host Games 3, 4 and 6 (if necessary) in the Finals regardless of whether Oklahoma City or San Antonio is their opponent. The two teams in the Western Conference Finals, which is tied at two games apiece, both had better regular-season records than the Knicks, and that is how home-court advantage is determined in the Finals.Prices for Game 4, which is scheduled for June 10, are along the same lines as Game 3 on the resale sites.The lowest-priced tickets for Game 6, which is scheduled for June 16, were listed for more than $4,200. Expect that number to skyrocket if the Knicks are up 3-2 and have a chance to clinch their first NBA title since 1973.Some Knicks fans probably already are looking to attend Game 1 either in Oklahoma City or San Antonio to save a few bucks.On StubHub, Game 1 tickets to a potential June 3 game in San Antonio could be had for about $1,500. And for Oklahoma City? Just over $1,100 a seat.***Jack Curio’s legacy at the Brentwood school district lives on through the Junior Olympics and Leader Corps programs he helped found.And now, the legacy of the longtime physical education teacher at Southwest Elementary School, who retired in 2006, will extend another two centuries — through a tree planted in his honor.Joe Werkmeister reports in NEWSDAY that the Brentwood School District partnered with Suffolk County for its Planting It Forward to 2276 Program as part of the county’s yearlong celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. For the past month, residents have been planting trees to create a Living Legacy Tree Registry that will be preserved through the county clerk's office.The county provided free red oak seedlings to anyone interested late last month at county parks.Participants receive a Suffolk 250 Living Legacy certificate of registration. The goal is to plant 2,500 red oak trees by June 1, “connecting generations for the next 250 years,” according to the county, which has encouraged residents to dedicate their tree in honor of a loved one, family member or future generations. “What better way to celebrate a community than planting a tree,” Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine said during a news conference last month to kick off the program on Arbor Day. “Years from now, the tree that you planted that hopefully will grow high and tall will remind people about the history of Suffolk County.”The United States of America celebrates its semiquincentennial on July 4, 2026.***The New York Blood Center is urgently calling on New Yorkers to donate blood this week as the region faces dangerously low blood collections at the start of the summer “trauma season.” Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that there are numerous local blood drives across the East End through the next few days.To register for this or other NYBC blood drives click here.Tuesday, May 26Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital, 201 Manor Place, Greenport. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Wednesday, May 27Hampton Bays High School, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.Southampton High School, 7:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.Box Pickleball, 605 Old Country Road, Riverhead. Noon to 6 p.m. Thursday, May 28Pierson Middle/High School, 200 Jermain Ave., Sag Harbor. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mattituck Lions Club at the Mattituck Fire Dept., 1000 Pike Street, Mattituck. 1 to 7 p.m.***The fleet of drones used to scan for sharks in the shallow waters off Long Island beaches will grow this summer, as will the number of pilots, officials said. Nicholas Spangler reports in NEWSDAY that the fleet, now at 30, will add 16 machines, and the number of operators will grow from 47 to 67, according to a news release from Gov. Kathy Hochul's office. The operators are mostly staffers of the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation who are federally licensed but trained by the state’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.“We started in 2021 with lifeguards who volunteered their drones, and we have evolved to the point where we are using top-of-the-line drones with better cameras and wind resistance,” George Gorman, Long Island regional director for parks, told NEWSDAY Friday on the Jones Beach boardwalk.As he spoke, a State Park Police pilot launched a DJI Matrice 300 RTK. Its four rotors made the sound of a swarm of angry bees, and the thing darted up to hover about 60 feet overhead. The Matrice can stay airborne for up to 55 minutes. This particular specimen cost $40,000 and was equipped with night vision, thermal imaging and a powerful zoom lens, making it useful not just for wildlife scans but also in searches for swimmers in distress, said Park Police Capt. Rishi Basdeo. The fleet’s cheaper models cost closer to $6,000.“In the past, we’d use marine assets,” basically, officers in a boat, Basdeo said. “It was line of sight. Because the drone is three-dimensional, it’s more efficient, more cost-effective, to survey a large area.”Expansion of the program will support drone patrols three times daily at state beaches — early mornings before swimmers arrive, in the afternoon and before beach closure, Gorman said. Operators will add patrols if they spot baitfish, a strong indicator that feeding sharks may also be present.Parks works with state Department of Environmental Conservation biologists to confirm potential shark sightings. Swimming is not permitted for at least one hour after a confirmed sighting, and lifeguards, park police and park staff continue monitoring the water.About 18 million people visit Long Island beaches each summer.***A two-story restaurant with a rooftop, Este, is currently under construction near the entrance to downtown Montauk — but the owner is facing scrutiny from East Hampton Town officials and the public over fears of what the site could become once up and running.Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that Marley Dominguez, the managing director of Enduring Hospitality, got approval last fall for a 39-seat restaurant. On the first floor, under those approvals, there would have been eight couches and a bar area with coffee, while the second floor would host 16 seats across eight tables and no bar. The rooftop would have had 23 seats across 11 tables with a service bar. This complex, located on Montauk Highway just down the street from the IGA in Montauk, will clock in at 22,100 square feet.But two applications and an investor packet have come to light that have called into question whether Dominguez planned to comply with those approvals and move forward with simply a restaurant — and not an operation more akin to a nightclub.Dominguez was tasked, in an unusual meeting with the East Hampton Town Planning Board last Wednesday, with explaining the conflicting applications and either convincing the board he would move forward with the current approvals or submit revised plans. In the exhaustive meeting, Dominguez largely wrote off the discrepancies between his approvals and the new supporting documents as misunderstandings or miscommunications and said the thought of making the space a club never crossed his mind.The East Town Planning Board agreed that Dominguez should answer supplemental questions from town officials and confirm the use outlined in a narrative submission from last fall or submit revised plans that outline what the use would actually be.***Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman dared New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to try and stop him from assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement in defiance of new sanctuary bills largely barring local cops from working with federal immigration authorities.The Democrat-passed package of bills would ban the Blakeman-brokered partnership with ICE that gives the agency space in Nassau County’s jail.Brandon Cruz and Matt Troutman report in THE NY POST that Blakeman, who’s running against Hochul as the GOP’s gubernatorial nominee, had a blunt response to the governor’s threats to have state Attorney General Letitia James force Nassau County into line with their anti-ICE laws.“Make my day,” said Blakeman.“We will not comply with the law limiting our ability to cooperate with (ICE),” Blakeman said, adding that he intends to sue the state over the new laws.The taunt imparted exclusively to The Post could put Blakeman and Hochul on a collision...

The Environmental Protection Agency this week announced a long-anticipated proposal to rescind federal limits on certain toxic "forever chemicals" in drinking water, established two years ago by the Biden administration, a move New York has sought to neutralize. Tracy Tullis and Laura Figueroa report in NEWSDAY that the Trump administration plans to roll back restrictions on four types of these chemicals, known as PFAS. Another proposed rule would allow water suppliers to request two more years to comply with limits on two other PFAS compounds, PFOS and PFOA. Water suppliers were initially given until 2029 to meet the standards under the Biden-era plan, but they will now be eligible for an extension to 2031.PFAS — or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — have been used in thousands of industrial and consumer products, from nonstick pans to artificial turf to fast food wrappers. There are tens of thousands of PFAS compounds, very few of which are regulated, and they do not easily break down — thus the term "forever chemicals." They enter groundwater when they are washed down the drains of ordinary households and when they leach from landfills where such products are dumped. High concentrations flow from industrial sites such as airports and firefighter training facilities.When PFAS leach into soil and water they poison wildlife and farm animals; they also accumulate in the tissues of humans when they ingest them in water or food. Researchers have found long-term exposure to PFAS, even in tiny amounts, increases the risk of prostate, kidney and testicular cancers, developmental problems in infants and children and other health problems.Many districts across Long Island have been installing filtering systems to remove the chemicals, which are highly effective but costly. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, the former congressman from Shirley, Long Island, defended the proposed rules during an event at EPA headquarters in Washington on Monday, where he argued the Biden administration regulations were "rushed out the door." He said water suppliers across the country, particularly in rural areas, were raising concerns about meeting the original compliance deadline."The water systems were given deadlines that many of them have communicated to us that they were going to have trouble meeting, and we left the rule open to be struck down in court," Zeldin said at a roundtable on PFAS where he was joined by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.The New York State legislature is considering a bill that would codify the regulations that the Trump administration seeks to roll back. ***Riverhead Town Board members repeatedly defended a proposed eminent domain taking of the former Swezey’s building Wednesday night during a contentious public hearing that exposed sharp divisions over the future of downtown redevelopment, the town square project and the Long Island Science Center’s stalled plans for the property.Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the nearly three-hour hearing on the proposed condemnation of 111 E. Main Street in Riverhead frequently blurred the line between public testimony and board debate, with board members openly rebutting critics, questioning speakers and arguing the merits of condemnation from the dais.Riverhead Town officials argued the long-vacant building is a critical piece of the town square project and must be brought under town control to ensure proper flood mitigation and “activation” of the downtown public space. Opponents countered that the town had failed to identify a specific public use for the property and accused officials of using eminent domain powers to advance broader redevelopment interests.“This is not about the science center,” Council Member Joann Waski said during the hearing. “This is about 111 East Main Street.”The hearing was held under New York State’s Eminent Domain Procedure Law, which requires municipalities to hold a public hearing before condemning private property. No decision was made Wednesday on whether to proceed with condemnation. The board voted at the end of the hearing to close oral testimony while leaving the record open for written comments for 10 days.The property was purchased in 2020 by A Place for Learning Inc., a nonprofit corporation that operates as the Long Island Science Center, for a proposed downtown science center and planetarium project. Town officials initially supported the plan enthusiastically as part of the broader downtown revitalization effort.Under New York State law, the Riverhead Town Board will have up to 90 days after the hearing record closes to decide whether to move forward with condemnation proceedings.***Southold Town Historian Amy Folk will discuss “What Happened in Southold During the American Revolution” at a 10 a.m. talk tomorrow morning at the East Marion Community Association’s annual meeting in the East Marion Firehouse.Amy Folk serves as the official Town of Southold Historian. She oversees the town's historical records, assists with genealogical research, and manages various local archival collections. Her passion for North Fork history has led her to compile rich stories of local participation in the American Revolution. Everyone knows how American patriots fought the British and won during the American Revolution. But do you know what happened in Southold during the war?Join Amy Folk tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the East Marion Firehouse where she’ll discus “What Happened in Southold During the American Revolution” Admission is free.***Sag Harbor will be commemorating the 249th anniversary of the Meigs Raid by American Continental Army forces on the village, which was then occupied by the British, throughout this weekend, with reenactments of the raid by the Third New York Regiment centered on the Sag Harbor Whaling & Historical Museum. Tomorrow’s event is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sag Harbor Whaling & Historical Museum at 200 Main Street.Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the Meigs Raid (also known as the Battle of Sag Harbor) was a military raid by American Continental Army forces, under the command of Connecticut Colonel Return Jonathan Meigs, on a British Loyalist foraging party at Sag Harbor, New York on May 24, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War. Six Loyalists were killed and 90 captured while the Americans suffered no casualties. The raid was made in response to a successful British raid on Danbury, Connecticut in late April that was opposed by American forces in the Battle of Ridgefield.On Meigs Raid Weekend, The Whaling Museum will be invaded by a host of Revolutionary War reenactors. Members of the Third New York Regiment, Long Island’s premier reenactment group, will be encamped on the museum grounds and conduct demonstrations of drill and musket firing throughout the day. This 18th Century encampment, including canvas dining fly, troop tents and officer’s quarters, Continental Army soldiers, their wives, and other camp followers dressed in period clothing will transport visitors back centuries for an experience not to be missed. The camp is interactive and open to the public from the opening of the Museum to closing.Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that the Sag Harbor Historical Museum, Preservation Long Island and the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation are also teaming up for a day of fun on Saturday. Their event - “Revolutionary Days” – is at the Custom House, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., right next door to the Whaling Museum in Sag Harbor.***Men’s recreational outdoor soccer leagues in Latino communities have flourished on Long Island over the last few decades. But this year a pall is hanging over the fields as the federal government's immigration crackdown has made many players afraid to come out for games, organizers said.Bart Jones and Gregg Sarra report in NEWSDAY that some teams are folding for lack of numbers, while some leagues have postponed the starts of their seasons. Even fans are staying away."They’re scared to come to the soccer fields," said Miguel Flores, who has been running the Brentwood Soccer League since 1990. Other than the COVID-19 pandemic, when they had to shut down entirely, he’s never seen anything like it, he said. "All the leagues are suffering."In Riverhead, which usually has 14 teams, the league is down to nine, said its president, Paul Villafranco, who called the drop "a big hit."Some leagues have lost entire teams or delayed the starts of their seasons because of low numbers.The decline in participation is lamented by organizers who contend the hugely popular soccer leagues provide a healthy outlet for young men, offer a family-oriented weekend activity and even serve as a lynchpin for communities when tragedy hits."It's bad, because a lot of young men are staying home instead of being in a park and enjoying soccer," Hempstead Soccer League President Robinson Barralaga told Newsday in Spanish.While immigration agents have conducted numerous raids and arrests in Brentwood over the past year, according to advocates, they have not raided the soccer fields, Flores said. But many players are still suffering from what he called "the fear factor." Many worry they will get stopped at checkpoints on the way to games. They often travel together in vans or other vehicles, making them feel particularly vulnerable as a target, he said.***Shelter Island Friends of Music presents Junction Piano Trio performing music by Dvorak, Zorn, and Beethoven this coming Sunday at 6 p.m. in the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church.Admission Free.There will be a post-concert reception...

State aid to Long Island schools is expected to total $5.5 billion for the 2026-27 school year, with most districts receiving at least a 2% increase in foundation aid, according to a Newsday analysis of state data.The majority of school districts in Nassau and Suffolk will get more funding from the state for the next school year, according to aid runs published yesterday, the day after Long Island voters approved 118 local budget proposals. Five failed and one district had not yet released results as of last night. The districts that are to see the highest jumps in state aid in Suffolk County are Amagansett (35.58%) and Montauk (23.62%). Five Suffolk districts are expected to see a dip in funding: Eastport-South Manor (-2.06%), Rocky Point (-1.71%), and Connetquot (-1.35%).Dandan Zou and Michael R. Ebert report in NEWSDAY that school officials said the latest aid figures did not come with any big surprises as most districts had anticipated receiving at least a 2% increase. However, they wished the news had arrived sooner.The NYS budget was due April 1 but lawmakers did not begin voting on budget bills until yesterday. School districts, meanwhile, had to present their budgets to voters on Tuesday, requiring them to guesstimate how much revenue they would get from the state.“We finally know what our state aid package is the day after our communities voted on our budgets. It's insane,” said Tim Eagen, president of the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association. “Thankfully it landed where we had anticipated it would.”Bob Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, said the 2% increase is better than the 1% jump that Gov. Kathy Hochul had proposed in January but still isn’t enough.Total school aid for Long Island districts will grow by $230 million, or 4.35%, but Vecchio said that funding increase includes an additional $54 million in universal prekindergarten grants, as well as reimbursements for building projects. Foundation aid, the single largest source of state financial support for public schools, is considered "new money," he said.Foundation aid will rise to nearly $4 billion — a 3.51%, or $134 million, increase for 2026-27 from the current school year.In Nassau and Suffolk counties, 80 out of 121 districts would receive the minimum 2% increase in foundation aid. (Sagaponack and Wainscott districts receive funding under a different formula; New Suffolk is non-instructional.)***Firefighters from multiple departments were on the scene yesterday to put out a fire at Dockers Waterside Marina and Restaurant on Dune Road in East Quogue.The East Quogue Fire Department was the first department on the scene at 3:53 p.m. after those at the restaurant, which was closed Wednesday, smelled smoke, according to Dockers owner Larry Hoffman. Members of the Hampton Bays, North Sea, Quogue, Southampton and Westhampton Beach fire departments, as well as the Hampton Bays and Southampton Village ambulance, soon arrived. The fire was deemed under control 30 minutes later.Dan Stark reports on 27east.com that the fire was contained and a majority of the damage was limited to the interior, with exterior damage occurring on the eastern facing side, according to Southampton Town Chief Fire Marshal John Rankin. A firefighter said that the kitchen and bar areas were heavily damaged. Nobody was injured.The cause of the fire has not been determined yet and an investigation is underway, according to East Quogue Fire Department Chief Glenn Bullock.***Shelter Island Friends of Music presents Junction Piano Trio performing music by Dvorak, Zorn, and Beethoven this coming Sunday, May 24 at 6 p.m. in the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church.Admission Free.There will be a post-concert reception with the musicians.Comprised of violinist Stefan Jackiw, cellist Jay Campbell, and pianist Conrad Tao, the Junction Trio is known for its adventurous spirit and electrifying ensemble chemistry. Their performances combine intellectual rigor with expressive warmth, offering audiences programs that range from the classical core to daring new works.That’s this Sunday at 6 p.m. in the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church.For further info visit sifriendsofmusic.org/***Like it or not, the summer season is here — and the new traffic patterns on County Road 39 in Southampton are about to be truly tested.Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the Town of Southampton last fall embarked on a still somewhat experimental redesign of the travel lanes along notoriously congested County Road 39, known on maps as the “Southampton Bypass,” in particular between the intersections with North Main Street and Tuckahoe Lane.The new patterns are meant to mimic — in part — the experiment from the spring of 2025, in which the town turned off some County Road 39 traffic signals which allowed traffic to flow freely. The effort was perceived as successful at moving traffic west much faster than the usual crawl.But it was far too expensive, costing somewhere in the neighborhood of $20,000 a week for the four hours each weekday the lights were turned off and intersections were manned by police and Highway Department staff to ensure safety.So two of the lights — Magee Street and Tuckahoe Road — have returned to their usual red-yellow-green cycle. But to allow the town to keep the light at the Sandy Hollow Road merge green for both cars coming off Sandy Hollow and the County Road 39 traffic approaching from the east, the town has restriped lanes on both roads to create single lanes of westbound traffic that can come together without having to alternate who proceeds west.As was done with cones last spring, the town convinced Suffolk County Department of Public Works to restripe County Road 39 west of the North Sea Road intersection, just west of the Burger King, to force traffic to merge from two lanes down to one.That has caused a new congestion — though whether it is any worse than what was there before is a matter of debate.The traffic on County Road 39 between North Sea Road and North Main Street has also been restricted to a single lane recently, to reduce the clog of cars rushing into the area ahead of the Burger King merge with each green light cycle.But that constriction has worsened the back-ups at the eastern end of County Road — the junction of 27 and 27A {“the turn”} where Montauk Highway and Flying Point Road feed onto the bypass — which have extended on some days through the intersection and east on Montauk Highway as far as back as Hank’s Pumpkintown, and sometimes Head of Pond Road in Water Mill.The effort has trade-offs, Southampton Town Highway Superintendent Charlie McArdle conceded, and he said the town is still making adjustments as they learn what impacts come with which changes and working with the county on ways to make small improvements where they can.***More Long Island schools were named to the Advanced Placement honor roll for 2025, and the number of schools that earned the highest ranking rose by one-third, according to the College Board, which administers the tests.Lorena Mongelli and Michael R. Ebert report in Newsday that across Nassau and Suffolk, 110 schools received either platinum, gold, silver or bronze awards — up from 107 in 2024. Eight earned spots on the honor roll for the first time.And of the 110 on the list, 23 schools notched platinum awards, compared with 17 the year prior, according to a Newsday analysis.Some Long Island educators said they have expanded course offerings and sought to make classes more accessible for all students. They argued that the advanced coursework remains relevant, despite a move away from standardized testing — with the state poised to drop its Regents graduation requirement in 2027, and many colleges making SAT and ACT scores optional for admission. AP exams, they said, offer students a less expensive way to potentially earn college credit, while the rigorous coursework prepares them for higher learning.Studies have found that taking AP coursework helps students excel at four-year colleges.But some experts say low-income students and students of color are not equally represented in the program.***The Sag Harbor Whaling & Historical Museum will host a Colonial Village Living History Festival this coming Saturday, May 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to celebrate America250 and commemorate the historic Meigs Raid, also known as the Battle of Sag Harbor, when Continental Army forces raided British Loyalists occupying Sag Harbor during the American Revolution. You’re invited to join a free, family-friendly, immersive experience as the 3rd New York Regiment recreates an 18th century Continental Army encampment and conducts military drills throughout the day. Watch and interact with historic tradespeople dressed in period clothing as they demonstrate trades and crafts such as...

At least five Long Island school budget proposals failed to garner enough voter support yesterday while 115 others won approval, according to early returns last night. As reported by NEWSDAY, in Suffolk County, Three Village failed to win a simple majority, meaning more than 50% of voter support Tuesday. The outcome was 2,051-2,340 in Three Village. Results for the remaining four Long Island school districts were still pending by midnight.Also in Suffolk, Bayport-Blue Point, Islip and South Country failed. The districts were three of seven on Long Island seeking a tax cap override, meaning they needed a 60% supermajority to pass.Voters greenlit the proposals in Greenport and Shelter Island which had also sought to pierce their tax caps.With a result of 398-153, Greenport had a 72% passage rate.Greenport Superintendent Beth Doyle thanked voters in a statement last night: “This budget allows us to continue supporting our students while taking important steps toward long-term fiscal stability.”Shelter Island’s budget was approved by a vote of 549-256. Voters last year rejected the Shelter Island tax cap override request but approved it this year with a 68% passage rate.“We deeply appreciate the trust placed in the District as we work to balance fiscal responsibility with maintaining the high-quality educational opportunities our students deserve,” stated Shelter Island Superintendent Brian Doelger.***It appears all east end school districts passed their budgets yesterday.On the south fork, long time local teacher Margaret “Midge” H. Fowler ousted incumbent Germain L. Smith in a 601-342 vote for one seat on the Southampton School Board.As reported on 27east.com, Southampton School District voters approved, 722 to 211, a $84.5 million budget with a nearly $65.5 million tax levy.Voters also passed all of the propositions, which will authorize a number of capital projects, including capital repairs and technology upgrades.The last six propositions will authorize the district to contract with The Water Mill Museum for $125,000, the Parrish Art Museum for $461,700, the Southampton History Museum for $290,000, the Southampton Youth Association for $500,000, the Southampton Arts Center for $175,000 and the Southampton African American Museum for $125,000, and levy taxes for the 2026-27 school year.In neighboring Tuckahoe, Sam Kelly – a Southampton High School Class of 2000 graduate - beat longtime incumbent Bob Grisnik in the Tuckahoe Common School District Board of Trustees election, 142-58. Grisnik will finish his 40th year as trustee in June.Voters also approved the Tuckahoe School district’s nearly $26.4 million budget in a 157-54 vote. An additional three propositions also passed, which will authorize a number of capital projects and levy funds for the Southampton Youth Association and the Parrish Art Museum.***Tonight - County Road 39 in Southampton will be closed to through traffic between Tuckahoe Lane and Shrubland Road from 8 p.m. until 4:30 a.m. tomorrow for the construction of the pedestrian bridge linking the Stony Brook Southampton college campus and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club for the U.S. Open next month.Starting tonight at 8 p.m. westbound traffic will be detoured south on Tuckahoe Lane to Montauk Highway and eastbound traffic will be detoured north onto Shrubland Road and Sebonac Road to get around the closure.Residents and employees of businesses between the detour points will be allowed to use the closed stretches of roadway but will not be able to pass Tuckahoe Road where the construction is taking place at any point.***With the LIRR strike settled on Monday night, South Fork Commuter Connection service was set to resume its normal schedule today. The South Fork Commuter Connection {SFCC} is a coordinated train and bus service offered on weekdays on the Long Island Rail Road’s Montauk Branch where upon exiting at stations between Montauk and Speonk, riders board buses to and from nearby businesses.Dan Stark reports on 27east.com that many in East Hampton Town government, and in the private sector in town, use the SFCC. In April alone, the service carried over 2,100 passengers over 22 days of service, said East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez."It just demonstrated how much our community and our town government depend on reliable public transportation, as we had a number of folks battling the traffic and others working remotely from home," Burke-Gonzalez said at a Town Board work session yesterday.Meanwhile, MTA and union sources told NEWSDAY on Tuesday that the agreement reached between managers and LIRR labor leaders to end the strike represented a middle ground between the sides' long-held negotiating positions. The final deal pays workers 4.5% in raises in the fourth year. It also extends the contract six weeks…so it won’t expire until August 2027…less than a year and a half from now.The agreement still has to be ratified by union members and the MTA Board.LIRR President Rob Free during a press conference Tuesday morning said, “Through negotiations we were able to find a common ground to come to an agreement,” Free said. “A contract they feel [union members] can ratify and something we know wouldn’t cause a financial burden to the taxpayers and the riders.” He also said there were “factors within the contract that were worked on to make it more affordable.”***At least five Long Island school budget proposals failed to garner enough voter support yesterday while 115 others won approval, according to early returns last night.Results for the remaining four districts were still pending by midnight.It appears all east end school districts passed their budgets yesterday.As reported by NEWSDAY staff, voters on Tuesday also weighed in on about 90 propositions, mostly for capital projects to improve school facilities. A total of 358 candidates were also running to fill 257 school board vacancies. Fewer than half the districts — 51 — had contested races.This year’s budget season was marked by widespread cuts. A Newsday analysis found a third of the spending proposals called for reductions in staffing or programs. Officials have cited rising costs — in some areas double-digit spikes — among reasons for the cuts. Only a few Long Island school districts said they would add programs or jobs.***The New York Blood Center is urgently calling on New Yorkers to donate blood ahead of Memorial Day weekend as the region faces dangerously low blood collections at the start of the summer “trauma season.” Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that there are numerous local blood drives across the East End in the upcoming week, including one today from 1p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Hampton Bays Public Library.Here are the upcoming NYBC blood drives across the East End in the week ahead. To register for these or other blood drives, visit NYBC’s Blood Drive Locator. Tuesday, May 26Stony Brook ELIH, 201 Manor Place, Greenport. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Wednesday, May 27Hampton Bays High School, 88 East Argonne Road, Hampton Bays. 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.Southampton High School, 141 Narrow Lane, Southampton. 7:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.Box Pickleball, 605 Old Country Road, Riverhead. Noon to 6 p.m. Thursday, May 28Pierson Middle/High School, 200 Jermain Ave., Sag Harbor. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mattituck Lions Club at the Mattituck Fire Dept., 1000 Pike Street, Mattituck. 1 to 7 p.m.***After a messy public fight between New York transit officials and five Long Island Rail Road unions whose three-day strike shut down the nation’s busiest passenger rail service, both sides are claiming victory.Stefanos Chen and Grace Ashford report in THE NY TIMES that Gov. Kathy Hochul struck a conciliatory note when announcing the deal that ended the strike at a Monday night news conference in front of the Manhattan headquarters of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that runs the railroad.“I always believed we could reach a good, fair compromise that achieved two principles,” Ms. Hochul said. “Protecting affordability for Long Islanders and commuters, while giving fair wages to the employees.”Kevin Sexton, the national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, one of the striking unions, also celebrated the deal on Monday, though he said he wanted to discuss the specifics with his members before sharing more details.Ms. Hochul said the agreement, which includes a wage increase for the current year and a retroactive raise for the past three years, would not result in higher fares or state taxes — a key consideration for the governor ahead of her November re-election bid.But the new contract could set a new precedent for the M.T.A.’s dealings with more than 80 unions, with repercussions that could be felt for years to come.“There are no winners in a strike,” said William Dwyer, an associate professor at Rutgers University and a former labor negotiator for management at the utility company PSE&G in New Jersey.The acrimonious dispute has eroded trust between the railroad’s workers and leadership, Mr. Dwyer said, noting that the two sides must negotiate their next contract in just a year…Monday’s agreement expires in August 2027.And it is unclear how much the deal will cost the M.T.A. in the long run, as it prepares to engage with other unions that are likely to now seek higher wage increases than those the agency has...

A deal to end the historic Long Island Rail Road union strike was reached late last night, with riders expected to see a resumption of rail service by noon today, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.As reported by Newsday Staff, the agreement reached shortly before 9 p.m. Monday, provides relief to the tens of thousands of harried and frustrated Long Islanders who saw their commutes double or even triple during the first workday of the dispute."I want to thank New Yorkers, Long Islanders, particularly, who made all the accommodations; who had to work from home; who sacrificed; who had to put up with inconveniences," Hochul said at a news conference last night.Hochul declined to answer questions about the terms of the deal, including about wages and work rules, but said MTA negotiators reached the deal without having to raise fares or taxes.LIRR president Rob Free said service will resume on the four electrified branches — Port Washington, Huntington, Ronkonkoma and Babylon — at noon today. All other branches will resume service at 4 o'clock this afternoon using normal weekday schedules, he said.The deal was reached on the third day of the strike, which brought service on the nation's busiest commuter rail system to a grinding halt and after the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the leaders of the five LIRR unions representing about half the railroad's 7,000-member workforce restarted talks early yesterday.An MTA spokesman said there will be no morning service today on the LIRR given how long negotiations had continued."We're looking forward to our members getting back to work and doing what they do best, which is serving the region," said Kevin Sexton, vice president of the locomotive engineers union.MTA chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said shuttle buses will operate in the morning, just as they did Monday."We had to find a deal that gave people fair raises, but didn't put the hit on the riders; the taxpayers; that didn't blow up the MTA budget, which would have bad consequences for everybody," Lieber said.***Long Island voters today will decide whether to approve the budget proposals of 124 school districts, with seven taking the risky move of attempting to pierce their tax cap.Dandan Zou reports in NEWSDAY that if all budgets pass, spending across Nassau and Suffolk public schools would total nearly $16.9 billion in the 2026-27 academic year, a 3.26% increase over the current year. Local property taxes would rise 2.5%, to $10 billion Long Islandwide. The spending increase is on par with the latest Consumer Price Index of 3.8%, as of April.This year’s budget season was marked by widespread cuts.A Newsday analysis found a third of Long Island districts have adopted budgets calling for reductions in staffing or programs. Only a few said they would add staff or programs. School officials across the region have cited skyrocketing costs, driven in part by inflation, among reasons for the cuts.“Inflation impacts us as homeowners, but it also impacts school districts and to some extent to a greater degree because of the size of our budgets,” said Tim Eagen, president of the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association.Another challenge districts faced this year was the uncertainty posed by the delay of the state budget, which was due April 1 but had yet to be finalized as of yesterday. Without an approved state budget, districts did not know exactly how much state aid their schools would receive next school year.Most were anticipating a minimum 2% increase in their foundation aid, as opposed to the 1% laid out in the budget plan unveiled by Gov. Kathy Hochul in January, said Eagen, also superintendent of the Kings Park district.“We have the most unusual and bizarre task of putting together a budget not fully knowing what our revenue is,” he said. “Albany's got to do better.”***Greenport’s East End Seaport Museum is holding a reopening celebration for the season this coming Friday, May 22 with revamped gallery space and a new major installation by nationally recognized Shinnecock artist Courtney M. Leonard. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the museum’s other gallery spaces have also been refreshed for the new season, with the main gallery featuring “Stories from Our Working Waterfront,” curated by Paul Kreiling.The museum has also revamped its Children’s Discovery Area with a new experience, All Hands on Deck, where young visitors can explore the sea through microscopes, interactive touchscreens, a restored boat helm, and a rope and knot station. The museum’s gift shop has also been fully renovated and restocked with all-new merchandise for the season.Friday’s festivities start with an exclusive first look for museum members from 5 to 6 p.m., and the galleries will open up to the public at large from 6 to 8 p.m.East End Seaport Museum is at 100 Third Street in Greenport, New York.***Cantwell Court has received a $7 million boost from the State of New York, which establishes and plots out a clear course for the future of the long-awaited 16-unit affordable housing development set to pop up in the coming months between East Hampton Village and Amagansett.Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that initial bids for development at Cantwell Court came in high, at around $600,000 per unit from Habitat for Humanity, which prompted the move toward more affordable, alternate options — ultimately leading town officials to lean on the state for a helping hand.The $7 million, which is part of a $19 million package spread out throughout the state, will support the installation of 16 CrossMod homes, which are so-called because they are essentially a cross between a traditional site-built house and a manufactured home, at Cantwell Court.The idea behind the CrossMod homes, which will be installed via the state’s MOVE-IN NY program, is to provide the benefits of a prefab house — speed of installation at a fraction of the cost — while still resembling a more traditional single-family house.Spokesman Patrick Derenze said East Hampton Town officials plan to meet with officials from Housing and Community Renewal later this week to iron out the details, like how much the houses will cost and when move-in is expected to occur.Installation, however, is on track to take place on a speedy timeline, with the expectation being that the homes will be sited on the 7-acre property by this summer.Cantwell Court is on Montauk Highway between East Hampton Village and Amagansett.“All these programs, we should remember ourselves, are taxpayer supported and paid for, so it’s great to see our tax dollars coming back to East Hampton,” said Councilwoman Cate Rogers.But the bottom line is that East Hampton Town officials, with a helping hand from the state, will be moving forward, at a reduced cost, on an affordable housing development that is years in the making and that will provide homes to 16 individuals or families — despite the wait time.***Residents in Long Island's more than 120 school districts can decide on board candidates, budgets and propositions by voting today at their local school district polls.Meanwhile, Stefanos Chen and Ashley Southall report in THE NY TIMES that transit officials and unions representing Long Island Rail Road workers agreed to a new contract last night, ending a three-day strike that shut down the nation’s busiest passenger rail service and wreaked havoc on commutes between Long Island and New York City.Details of the new contract were not immediately clear, but Gov. Kathy Hochul said the deal would not lead to an increase on fares or state taxes.Even with a deal reached yesterday, this morning’s commute was disrupted as the M.T.A. moved trains into place to restart regular service. Rob Free, the president of the L.I.R.R., said hourly train service would begin at 12 noon today on the four main electrified branches — Port Washington, Huntington, Ronkonkoma and Babylon — and full service would return to all lines by 4 o’clock this afternoon, in time for the evening rush.Workers for the five striking unions, which represent about half the railroad’s work force, had not received a raise since 2022. They had been seeking a raise of up to 5 percent in 2026, in addition to three years of retroactive raises.The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state transit agency that runs the railroad, had balked at the workers’ demands, arguing that the wage increases could jeopardize their negotiations with dozens of other unions and force them to raise fares or cut service.This strike shut down the entire service for 3 days, which carries an average of more than 270,000 passengers a day between Long Island and New York City. It was the first strike on the railroad since 1994, when a similar...

The first Long Island Rail Road strike since 1994 has rolled into a third day and the start of the workweek. Negotiations between MTA and union leaders are expected to resume at 7:30 this morning.As reported in NEWSDAY, Long Islanders arrived in Queens by the trickle early today, riding shuttle buses mobilized to replace LIRR trains.The shuttle bus that left Ronkonkoma at 4:05 a.m. arrived at 179th Street in Jamaica at 4:58 a.m. It carried 58 passengers, including the driver.An MTA employee stood at the bus door as passengers exited, handing out placards of the shuttle map and answering questions.The MTA said multiple customer ambassadors will be at each of the shuttle bus locations to take questions from confused commuters. They will probably be very busy.Here is the info on shuttle buses:They will run until 9 a.m. this morning from these Long Island locations to the subway stations in Queens and then back to Long Island from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.Bay Shore LIRR station to the Howard Beach-JFK Airport stop on the A train.Huntington LIRR station to the Jamaica-179th Street stop on the F train.Ronkonkoma LIRR station to the Jamaica-179th Street stop on the F train.In addition, shuttle buses will run until 9 a.m. from these three locations: Hempstead Lake State Park and the Hicksville and Mineola LIRR stations to the Howard Beach-JFK stop on the A train. But there will be no return buses in the afternoon.There is no separate charge for the bus. Tap and ride with phone, credit, debit or OMNY card and you will transfer.No substitute service is being provided east of Ronkonkoma.If you haven’t already, take a minute to bookmark mta.info/lirr strike for details or dial 511.Stefanos Chen reports in THE NY TIMES that five unions representing more than 3,500 workers — including engineers, signalmen and machinists — walked off the job shortly after midnight on Saturday, after yearslong negotiations with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that runs the railroad, fell apart.The strike has shut down the entire service, which carries an average of more than 270,000 passengers a day between Long Island and New York City. The M.T.A. is providing free bus service which began this morning from six locations on Long Island to two subway stations in Queens, and in the opposite direction during the evening rush. Police officers and members of the L.I.R.R. work force who are not on strike are expected to help direct passengers to buses at the stops.But the M.T.A. said the shuttles would not be able to accommodate all the riders who rely on the railroad, and encouraged people to work from home if they can.Yesterday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said that she had made major investments in the M.T.A. to stabilize its finances, and that she would not agree to a deal that could force the agency to raise fares.“I worked hard to do that and don’t want that undone — I will not let that be undone,” she said.A spokesman for the unions said in a statement on Sunday that their wage proposal was reasonable and that two federal review panels had sided with them.“We remain ready to negotiate a fair agreement at any time and get back to work on behalf of Long Island commuters,” the statement said.The National Mediation Board, a federal agency that oversees such disputes, summoned both sides to a meeting last night to continue negotiations. Negotiations continued past 1 a.m. with no resolution. Talks were set to pick up again this morning at 7:30 a.m.The unions represent about 3,500 workers - roughly half the LIRR’s workforce - who have not had a raise since 2022.Both sides have agreed on retroactive raises of 3% for the first two years of the contract as well as 3.5% for the current year. But they clashed over the union’s demand for a 5% pay hike in 2026. The MTA has offered a lower amount and wants to increase the amount newly hired employees would pay for healthcare.New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told the striking workers yesterday she values their labor and believes they deserved a fair wage and benefits but that the MTA cannot agree to a contract “that would raise fares as much as 8% and risk hiking taxes for Long Islanders.”Early this morning, Matt Hollis, national president of the Transportation Communications Union, posted an update on social media saying the union “gave the MTA every opportunity to avoid this. Instead, heading into a busy workweek, MTA leadership once again demonstrated that it does not value either the riding public or in the hardworking men and women who keep this railroad moving.”***While the Long Island Rail Road made history this weekend with its first strike in over 30 years, train history buffs can learn more about the famous commuter railroad’s history tomorrow evening at 6:30 p.m. at Peconic Landing in Greenport, where Donald Fisher of the Railroad Museum of Long Island will speak as part of Peconic Landing’s America 250 lecture series.Celebrating 192 Years of Railroading on Long Island. Greenport, the Reason for the Long Island Rail Road.In 1995, with twenty-three years of audio-visual and technical theater experience, Mr. Donald Fisher joined the all-volunteer Railroad Museum of Long Island to serve as an electrician and exhibit designer. By 1998, Mr. Fisher had been appointed Assistant Site Manager for the Museum’s Greenport, Long Island campus and a major rehabilitation of the exhibit hall was underway.Since October 2008, Don Fisher has served as President of the Railroad Museum of Long Island and continues to lead the restoration process on Locomotive #39.Registration is required for Tuesday evening’s free presentation and will be strictly capped at 60 persons.Click here to register and for further info.***Agriculture is an important business in Suffolk County, the top New York producer of many ornamental plants and vegetables.Cows or hogs, not so much.So a maverick stance by Rep. Andrew Garbarino for humane livestock conditions is befuddling his local farm bureau.Billy House reports in NEWSDAY that the Bayport congressman was one of just three House Republicans out of 212 to vote against the GOP’s Farm Bill, which passed last month in a 224-200 vote. Garbarino objected to language that would overturn anti-confinement laws emerging in other states that mandate strict minimum space requirements for breeding pigs, veal calves and egg-laying hens."We were a little disappointed and somewhat puzzled," said Bill Zalakar, executive director of the Long Island Farm Bureau. He noted Garbarino’s vote was initially curious because of the bill's importance to Suffolk County, which ranks fourth out of the 62 New York counties in terms of overall agriculture production.But Congressman Garbarino has an established record on federal animal welfare policy, notably through his work with animal protection caucuses. He is co-chair of the Congressional Zoo and Aquarium Caucus, which bills itself as a conduit from zoos to Congress of "valuable expertise and resources in animal care and welfare."He also has a track record of co-sponsoring bills to improve the treatment of animals or combat wildlife trafficking. As recently as last month, he was among a handful of Republicans to persuade party leaders to postpone a planned vote on a bill that critics said would impair and overhaul the U.S. Endangered Species Act."Long Islanders believe in treating animals humanely and respecting the right of states to set standards that reflect their values," he said. "That’s why I voted ‘no.’ ”Garbarino represents New York's 2nd congressional district which stretches along the south shore of Long Island and includes parts of Suffolk County and a small portion of southeastern Nassau County. Along with threatening state-level animal welfare standards, Garbarino also said the farm bill as passed by the House raises "serious concerns about federal overreach that could impact everything from New York’s pest and disease prevention safeguards to its public health, food safety and consumer protection laws."***East End Police Departments will participate in the statewide May 2026 “Click It or Ticket”/“Buckle Up New York” campaign, beginning today through Sunday, May 31.During the two-week mobilization, officers will be conducting fixed and roving safety restraint details focused on seat belt and child restraint compliance, according to police.Under New York State law, all front-seat occupants must be properly secured regardless of age. Since Nov. 1, 2020, all rear-seat passengers — both over and under age 16 — must also be properly secured, police said.Police also remind drivers and caregivers of New York’s child passenger safety requirements, including that children up to age 4 must be properly restrained in a federally approved child safety seat, and that backseat passengers under age 2 must be restrained in a rear-facing child restraint.For more information, residents can visit www.safeny.ny.gov.***As the U.S. Open returns to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, the United States Golf Association, in collaboration with the Metropolitan Golf Association and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, is launching a wide-ranging community engagement initiative designed to deliver lasting impact across Eastern Long Island.“Bringing the U.S. Open to a community is an opportunity to create impact that extends...

The first strike since 1994 could shut down the Long Island Rail Road as soon as 12:01 a.m. Saturday...that's right after midnight tonight...as the MTA and five labor unions remain locked in a contract standoff.If commuters didn't have enough anxiety over the possible Long Island Rail Road strike, service to Penn Station was “extremely limited” this morning due to yesterday’s track fire.There are no eastbound trains leaving from Penn Station and “there will be reroutes, cancellations and delays,” according to the MTA’s TrainTime app.As reported by Newsday Staff, a 12-hour negotiation session yesterday between MTA managers and five LIRR unions ended last night without a deal, and with the two sides “very far apart,” according to one labor leader.The talks broke shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday and are expected to reconvene at 10 o'clock this morning — just 14 hours before a strike deadline.Asked if he thought a deal could be made with such little time left on the clock, Kevin Sexton, national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said “I hope so.”"What I can say is, at this point, the parties are very far apart,” Sexton said upon leaving the MTA’s Manhattan headquarters with other union leaders. "But we look forward to meeting with them tomorrow, and we'll take it from there.”Earlier in the day, the two sides noted incremental progress during yesterday’s marathon negotiations.***The Petrocelli hotel plan got a warm reception from members of the Riverhead Town Board yesterday and is headed for a public hearing next month on the site plan and special permit application.Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that officials reviewed the proposed 94-room downtown hotel from town square master developer J. Petrocelli Riverhead Town Square, a limited liability company whose managing members are Joe and John Petrocelli. Joe Petrocelli and other representatives of the development company presented plans for the five-story hotel proposed for 117–127 E. Main St., adjacent to the planned town square and East End Arts campus, during the Riverhead Town Board’s morning work session.The revised proposal increases the hotel room count from 76 to 94 rooms while removing the previously planned 12 condominiums. The fifth floor will now be built out as 14 suites with balconies or terraces instead of the condominium dwelling units, VHB environmental planner Christiana Kastalek told the board.The proposal calls for construction of a 69,738-square-foot mixed-use building on an approximately half-acre site. The building will contain:• a 116-seat restaurant with bar and outdoor terrace,• a coffee shop,• nearly 2,900 square feet of retail space,• hotel lounge and fitness facilities,• and 94 guest rooms, including 14 suites. Developer Joe Petrocelli described the project as critical to maintaining momentum for the broader downtown redevelopment effort.The Riverhead Town Board is expected to schedule formal public hearings on the hotel site plan and special permit applications for June 10. Project representatives said they are also seeking a foundation permit to allow construction work to begin as soon as approvals are obtained. “We’re ready to go,” Petrocelli told the board.***East End Police Departments will participate in the statewide May 2026 “Click It or Ticket”/“Buckle Up New York” campaign, which runs from this coming Monday, May 18 through Sunday, May 31, police have stated in a media release.During the two-week mobilization, officers will be conducting fixed and roving safety restraint details focused on seat belt and child restraint compliance.Police cited National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics indicating seat belt use has saved more than 345,000 lives since 1975, and that in 2024 there were 9,758 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes. The national seat belt use rate in 2024 was 91.2%, police said.Under New York State law, all front-seat occupants must be properly secured regardless of age. Since Nov. 1, 2020, all rear-seat passengers — both over and under age 16 — must also be properly secured, police said.Police also remind drivers and caregivers of New York’s child passenger safety requirements, including that children up to age 4 must be properly restrained in a federally approved child safety seat, and that backseat passengers under age 2 must be restrained in a rear-facing child restraint.For more information, residents can visit www.safeny.ny.gov.***Ticks take over lawns and yards across Long Island in the warm spring and summer months and stick around into the fall. And like many of us, they enjoy dining al fresco.Lisa L. Colangelo reports in NEWSDAY that many homeowners have turned to professional pest control companies to spray their yards to eliminate or at least control the tick population. Others prefer to tackle it on their own with store-bought tick killers and repellents.While not all tick bites cause diseases, such as Lyme disease, or trigger the red meat allergy known as alpha-gal syndrome, public health experts urge Long Islanders to be wary of these hearty arachnids, many of whom survived this past winter under the cover of snow."I think most people come in contact with ticks in their yards ... and yards can be risky areas," said Scott Campbell, Suffolk County’s chief entomologist, who oversees tick surveillance. "People have a tendency to take precautions if they are going for a hike, but not if they are in their backyards."The first step is figuring out if you have ticks in your yard and where they are."Not everyone has to spray," Campbell said. "You really have to assess the problem."Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, an entomologist based in Babylon and associate director at Cornell University’s Integrated Pest Management program, suggested a simple DIY approach. Take a light-colored piece of flannel and attach it to something like a broom handle and sweep it across the grass to look for ticks."The flannel is really a perfect substance, because the tick is kind of tangled up in there, and they don't fall off easily," she said.***Nancy Remkus, who grew up in Sag Harbor and has been minister at the First Presbyterian (Old Whalers’) Church in Sag Harbor over the last five years was chosen recently to receive a Suffolk County “Champion of Diversity” Award.Suffolk County Legislator Ann Welker chose Remkus as the “Champion of Diversity” award recipient for Suffolk County’s District 2. Remkus opted to receive recognition at this coming Sunday’s service at 10 a.m. in the Old Whalers’ Church. Welker and her assistant, Cheryl Rozzi, will be on hand to present the award. The church will host a reception following the service downstairs in the social hall. Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that Nancy Remkus was a beloved teacher at Sag Harbor Elementary School for more than 30 years. She created the school’s popular morning program, where students and their families start each school day by gathering in the gymnasium and singing a selection of songs.***Two weeks before the unofficial start of summer — traditionally the season of high water use across Long Island — the state has issued a drought warning for Nassau and Suffolk counties."Dry conditions and below-normal precipitation on Long Island have prompted DEC to ... issue a drought warning in Nassau and Suffolk counties," Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said in a statement yesterday. "We are encouraging all Long Islanders to practice water conservation to protect the region’s valuable sole source aquifer water supply." Both counties had been on a drought watch; a drought warning is the second of four ranks, from watch to warning to emergency to disaster.Long Island has received 4 inches less rain than normal over the past three months and 9 inches less than normal over the past six months, per the NYSDEC statement.Tracy Tullis reports in NEWSDAY that abnormally low precipitation depletes the groundwater and the surface waters, such as streams and lakes, that are fed by groundwater. Long Islanders use on average 140 gallons of water a day, per person, about 55% more than the national average of about 90 gallons, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Last August, during a drought watch, water use did not decline significantly even as the Suffolk County Water Authority pleaded with its customers to conserve water.A drought warning doesn’t carry mandatory restrictions. But water suppliers are asking residents to take extra care with their water consumption in the coming weeks."With Long Island under a drought warning, Suffolk County Water Authority is urging all customers to be mindful of their water use and take the preservation of our water resources seriously," authority spokesman Daniel Dubois wrote to Newsday yesterday. "Outdoor lawn watering is one of the biggest drivers of demand on our system," he said. Customers should observe the odd/even watering schedule, he added.Other suppliers encourage residents to use "smart" sprinklers, which monitor the soil for moisture before watering, and observe the ban on watering between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when much of the sprinkler water evaporates before reaching the lawn.Outside of a slight chance of showers this morning, rain is not in our east end forecast until next Thursday morning when a 40 percent chance of showers is indicated.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's lead negotiator said yesterday a deal to avoid a commute-crippling Long Island Rail Road strike was within reach, as the transit agency put a $134 million offer on the table that would pay workers "all of the money that was requested," and that the unions have budged from their previous demands.The MTA, however, is relying on a lump-sum payment to meet some of the unions' demands. A union source, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations, said the unions would not accept a deal made up of a one-time payment.Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that progress in the talks, acknowledged by both the MTA and the unions representing about half of the LIRR’s 7,000-member organized labor force, came as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul urged both sides to "find a middle ground" to avoid disrupting the commutes of 270,000 daily railroad riders. A strike could begin as early as 12:01 a.m. this Saturday if no deal is reached.Following a Manhattan bargaining session, MTA chief negotiator Gary Dellaverson offered new details of management’s latest offer at a news conference at the authority's headquarters. He said the compensation package worth — $133,788,000 — is "the exact same amount" as a proposal recommended by White House mediators.That recommended settlement would have paid workers 4.5% raises in the fourth year of their contract. The unions have demanded 5%, but Dellaverson said the unions, for the first time in recent negotiations, "actually made a move" at Wednesday’s bargaining session."All of the money that was requested is now on the table," Dellaverson said. "I believe firmly that a deal is present. It’s available. It’s doable. And we should reach it tomorrow."In the event of a strike, the MTA is encouraging commuters to work from home if possible. Those who can’t will have to drive to work or rely on limited public transportation options, including shuttle buses running between six locations on Long Island and two subway stations in Queens.***The public will get its first look this morning at long-anticipated plans for the Petrocelli hotel proposed for the Riverhead town square.Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Riverhead Town Board members are expected to review plans for a 94-room hotel filed by J. Petrocelli Riverhead Town Square LLC at today’s work session at 10 a.m. in Riverhead Town Hall.The application calls for construction of a five-story, 69,738-square-foot hotel building at 117–127 E. Main St., adjacent to the planned town square and East End Arts campus. Plans submitted to the town show the project would include a 116-seat restaurant with bar and outdoor terrace overlooking the riverfront, a coffee shop, nearly 2,900 square feet of retail space, hotel lounge and fitness facilities and 94 guest rooms, including 14 fifth-floor suites with balconies or terraces.The “Peconic River Hotel” proposal replaces an earlier concept reviewed during the town’s downtown revitalization environmental review process that included 76 hotel rooms and 12 condominium units.The plan represents one of the most significant vertical development projects tied to the town’s broader downtown redevelopment initiative, which includes construction of a new public town square, flood mitigation improvements and a planned parking garage.Among the most significant are questions involving sewer and water system capacity.Parking and traffic operations are also expected to be key discussion points during this morning’s Riverhead Town Board work session.***The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Southold Flotilla holds its annual National Safe Boating Week event in Greenport’s Mitchell Park this coming Saturday, May 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Activities to promote safety on the water will include paddlecraft & safety equipment, knot tying, and life ring toss. Free vessel safety checks will be given on the water in Greenport Harbor.Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that U.S. Coast Guard statistics show drowning was the reported cause of death in three out of every four recreational boating fatalities in 2024, and that 87 percent of those who drowned were NOT wearing life jackets.The NY State Annual Report reflects that the most common cause of accidents is collision between boats. “With over 60,0000 registered recreational vessels in Suffolk County, boaters must be constantly aware of what is happening,” said Andrew Tarantino, Division Commander, Eastern Long Island. “Auxiliary safety classes point out the changes in the laws, as well as best practices to keep boating safe and fun.” Learn more as the U.S. Coast Guard celebrates Safe Boating Week in Greenport’s Mitchell Park this Saturday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.***Tired of delay, an Amagansett property owner has sued the East Hampton Town Building Department after five months of waiting for a building permit to construct a house on Bendigo Road.Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that the East Hampton Town Building Department has been in the spotlight for much of the past year, having battled a backlog, a handful of lawsuits and staff turnover — all as the district attorney’s office conducted a bribery investigation, and ultimately, charged two staffers.Highly credentialed Principal Building Inspector Richard Normoyle, who came on board with the Town of East Hampton after 30 years of experience in municipal building operations last September, has looked to right the ship and told the Town Board this week that he has a one-year plan for cutting down the backlog, which right now stretches back to September.The goal is to cut the wait time down to three months by January 1 and reduce the wait time for smaller, accessory permits down to two weeks. By May 1 of next year, Normoyle is targeting a four-to-six-week wait for permits. Staffers are wrapping up applications from September; they are about to dive into October, November and December, which they plan to have worked through by mid-July.“We’re all aware of the challenges we’re facing, and this board has been tremendously supportive of rebuilding this department,” Normoyle told the Town Board at a work session on Tuesday.But the department is now faced with another lawsuit, this time concerning that very same application backlog that has been the subject of much scrutiny.Dominating the conversation about moving forward, is expanding the department with extra staffing, which Normoyle says will be critical for getting additional eyes on applications and keeping pace with the rate of applications. East Hampton Town officials have been working with Suffolk County Civil Service on that, with the current ask being two new plans examiner positions.Normoyle has also been quick to sing the praises of the new staffers. “The department is expanding and changing and growing…The more we expand, the more we train, the more we deal with the architects, the faster things move, and this only increases our momentum as we continue down this path,” said East Hampton Town’s Principal Building Inspector Richard Normoyle.***The Long Island Rail Road, America’s busiest passenger rail service, will be forced to shut down on Saturday if transit officials and workers cannot come to terms on a contract and avert a strike.Stefanos Chen reports in THE NY TIMES that five unions representing more than 3,500 workers — including engineers, signalmen and machinists — about half of the LIRR’s unionized work force - are preparing to walk off the job at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, if they don’t receive bigger raises than they are currently being offered. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that runs the railroad, has said such an increase could lead to higher fares, higher state taxes or service cuts.A strike on the Long Island Rail Road, which carries more than 270,000 passengers a day between Long Island and New York City, on average, could cause chaos for travelers with few other options. Many commuters cannot work remotely and rely on the service.The threat of a strike comes as Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, seeks re-election later this year. The governor, who lost Long Island in the last election, is being challenged by the Nassau County executive, Bruce Blakeman, a Republican with close ties to the region.Ms. Hochul said at a news conference yesterday that she did not want a strike, but that the unions’ salary demands could jeopardize the M.T.A.’s finances at a time when the authority is finally on stable ground.“I’m not willing to ask Long Islanders to pay unnecessary fare hikes or higher taxes,” she said. “So we have to be ready for whatever happens.”"Both sides must continue to negotiate in good faith toward a deal at the table. Now, I've directed the MTA to do just that, to negotiate in good faith, and they are," Hochul said. "But they need a partner."Following a Manhattan bargaining session yesterday, MTA chief negotiator Gary Dellaverson offered new details of management’s latest offer at a news conference at the authority's headquarters. He said the compensation package worth — $133,788,000 — is "the exact same amount" as a proposal recommended by White House mediators.Dellaverson said the MTA’s latest offer, which has been revised several times in the last week, would be the same financial outlay in the fourth year of workers’ contracts as mediators recommended. But because it would consist of lump-sum payments, rather than wage increases, it would be more affordable for the MTA in the long run, and not a precedent for negotiations with other, larger transit unions, he said.A...

A potential Long Island Rail Road strike could have a “catastrophic” impact on local economy and employees’ ability to get to work sites, shops and offices. The region could see a daily loss of $70 million in economic activity, according to past analysis adjusted for inflation. Local employers, both large and small said they are weighing contingency plans on how to get employees to job sites.Victor Ocasio reports in NEWSDAY that the Long Island Rail Road transports more than 270,000 weekday riders each day, and a strike would disrupt the local economy and create ripple effects on businesses that rely on rail access, business leaders and economists said. Businesses, from restaurants and hospitals to retail, construction and tourism, could stand to lose tens of millions in economic activity, experts said.“The LIRR is an economic lifeline for Long Island and a critical artery for the entire downstate economy,” said Stacey I. Sikes, acting president and CEO of the Long Island Association business group. “A strike could create immediate disruptions for hundreds of thousands of commuters and employees.”Steven Kent, chief economist for the Long Island Association said, “We on Long Island have not experienced this kind of disruption for a very long time,” said Kent, an associate professor of economics at Molloy University’s School of Business. The LIRR last went on strike in June 1994. The next LIRR strike could start this coming Saturday at 12:01 a.m.While businesses in certain professional services, such as accounting, the legal field, or IT support, have tools in place for remote work following the pandemic, many industries, including construction and retail don't, Kent said. Many workers will still need to travel within Long Island or to the city "whether the railroad is working or not."As a result, Long Island's highways may become even more gridlocked, leading to lost productivity even for businesses with local staff, Kent said. Kristen Porciello, vice president of operations at the Hotel Indigo in Riverhead said the loss of any modes of transportation ahead of Memorial Day weekend posed a risk to hotel stays. Industry officials said it could also slow the collection of hotel and motel taxes.“This is our busy season. This is the season that people come out for,” Porciello said. “Anything that could stop that could hurt bookings.”***Gasoline prices on Long Island and in the metropolitan area overall rose a whopping 33.9% last month compared with a year ago as the war with Iran continued to disrupt oil production and transportation.That was the fastest rate in nearly four years — and followed March’s 18.2% increase in the cost of gas.James T. Madore reports in NEWSDAY that the surge in pump prices led to higher inflation overall in the metro area and nationwide last month with the consumer price index rising at its quickest pace in three years. The index was released yesterday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.The acceleration of war with Iran which began Feb. 28, has reversed the year-over-year decline in the cost of gas seen in January and February, as well as in much of 2025.Prices on Long Island have continued to climb this month. The average price of a gallon of unleaded was $4.53 yesterday, up from $4.35 on May 1, according to AAA.Economists predicted more of the same at least in the short term, with some saying inflation will peak next month."Shoppers face a costly summer ahead," said John A. Rizzo, an economist and Stony Brook University professor, adding the higher gas prices coincide with the Trump administration’s tariffs on imported goods."Businesses are passing on the import taxes directly to customers. At the same time, high oil prices and summer gas fees are making it pricier to ship food and store goods," which leads to increases in retail prices, Rizzo said.The overall consumer price index for the 25-county region, including Long Island, rose 4.6% last month compared with April 2025. That was the fastest pace in three years.***Riverhead High School’s honor music students returned home from Philadelphia with some of the top honors awarded at the Music in the Parks festival earlier this month. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the R.H.S. wind ensemble, jazz ensemble, chamber orchestra and chamber choir all earned superior ratings at the regional competition, with the wind ensemble and jazz ensemble each being named best overall in their categories.The wind ensemble captured first place and Best Overall Concert Band, while the jazz ensemble earned first place and Best Overall Jazz Ensemble honors. The chamber orchestra also took first place with a superior rating, and the chamber choir earned second place with a superior rating.Two Riverhead High School students also received individual recognition for their performances. Senior Christian Seymour was named Best Overall Jazz Soloist and junior Jarell Gilliam earned Best Overall Vocalist honors.“This trip was an extraordinary experience for all involved, one that showcased the dedication, talent and hard work of our student-musicians,” said jazz ensemble director Crystal Crespo.***The Town of East Hampton yesterday adopted legislation barring its police from cooperating with federal authorities on civil immigration enforcement.Alek Lewis reports in NEWSDAY that the East Hampton Town Board voted unanimously to approve the bill during its meeting on Tuesday. The new law prohibits town police from assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in civil immigration enforcement. The measure allows town police to cooperate in criminal cases or when officers are presented with a judicial warrant.East Hampton Town officials framed the measure as a step to strengthen public safety by reinforcing trust between members of law enforcement and immigrant communities. About 27% of the town's population is Hispanic or Latino, and about 23% are foreign-born, according to U.S. census estimates. The percentage of "documented" foreign born East Hampton residents has not been officially published. Advocates have said the threat of deportation can deter residents from reporting crimes or cooperating with police. The legislation bars the Town of East Hampton from entering into 287(g) agreements with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which allows police departments to partner with ICE on immigration enforcement. Such agreements have been used in Nassau County, where local detectives have been deputized to assist federal agents.Latino and immigrant neighbors are “part of the fabric of East Hampton,” Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said before the vote. “I want them to hear this clearly: You are not alone and you belong here. You should not have to choose between your health and your fear.”In response to East Hampton Town’s adoption, an ICE spokesperson said in a statement to Newsday that ICE has had “tremendous success” when working with local law enforcement.“Partnerships with law enforcement are critical to having the resources we need to arrest criminal illegal aliens across the country…When politicians bar local law enforcement from working with ICE, our law enforcement officers have to have a more visible presence so that we can find and apprehend the criminals let out of jails and back into communities,” the I.C.E. spokesperson said. “Seven of the top 10 safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE.”The new East Hampton Town legislation follows a period of heightened illegal immigration enforcement nationwide by the Trump administration including on Long Island.New York State lawmakers are looking to ban municipalities from entering 287(g) agreements statewide. President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, has threatened to “flood the zone” with immigration agents if New York passes those bills.***Two of the most prominent commercial real estate properties in downtown Sag Harbor Village are officially under new ownership. Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that the U-shaped building at 2 Main Street — sometimes referred to as “Fort Apache” — which is currently home to K-Pasa and Yummylicious, and 22 Long Island Avenue, the former home of the 7-Eleven, were purchased last week by Mavik Capital, a New York City-based real estate investment firm.Mavik is now the sole owner of the properties, but has been involved in them for several years. Mavik was one of the original lenders when developer Jeremy Morton purchased both properties in 2024 for a total of $30 million.After making the purchase, Morton presented grand plans for the properties to the Sag Harbor Village Planning Board, looking to extend an existing second floor at both buildings. But the fate of those buildings has been in flux for months, after the news, earlier this year, that Morton had defaulted on more than $5 million in loans, many that he had personally guaranteed, and had failed to pay various local contractors as well. Mavik closed on a deal last week to assume full control of the two properties. While details of the company’s plans for the buildings have yet to be released, the company has hired local attorney Denise Schoen of Adam Miller Group and local architect Chris DiSunno, signaling a desire to engage in a thoughtful way with the community.A press release sent from Adam Miller Group outlined the approach the company plans to take in its ownership of the buildings.“As the gateway assets to the Village, Mavik is focused on delivering a thoughtful, community-focused approach by engaging local expertise to help shape the project’s vision,” the release stated. “Mavik has confirmed it will...

Every day on average, half a million vehicles cross the Queens-Nassau border on the region's major highways — the Long Island Expressway, the Northern State and Southern State parkways.Peter Gill and Alfonso A. Castillo report in NEWSDAY that shutting down the Long Island Rail Road, if a possible strike becomes a reality this coming Saturday, and sending at least a portion of the 270,000 daily weekday riders to their cars is expected to put a serious strain on roadways connecting Long Island and the city.Robert Sinclair, of AAA Northeast, said the strike has the potential to make roadways between the city and Long Island "extremely crowded.""All the roads going west are [already] jammed during a normal rush hour — and this is going to be extremely abnormal," he said.Commuters and transportation experts see a potential gridlock situation. However, they say, the impact can be difficult to predict and could be less severe if people adjust commute times, to avoid peak rush hour, or work from home.The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s strategy to survive a potential LIRR strike next week relies on most commuters working from home, and those who can’t making do with limited options to get between New York City and Long Island, including buses and their own cars.The MTA will have shuttle buses going from six LIRR stations — including Bay Shore, Huntington, and Ronkonkoma in Suffolk to and from Queens locations.MTA chief financial officer Jai Patel said between 165 and 275 buses could be secured for the contingency plan, costing the MTA $325,000 to $550,000 per day.Still, MTA officials have acknowledged the shuttles won’t be able to accommodate all riders of the busiest commuter railroad in North America, so they have been encouraging employers to allow workers to telecommute.***Gov. Kathy Hochul said yesterday she’s committed to getting LIRR workers a "deal that is going to prevent a strike" just five days away.Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that Governor Hochul, in Manhattan Monday, said she and her team are "immersed in the details" of the ongoing labor negotiations between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and five unions representing nearly 3,500 LIRR workers. If unresolved, the unions have said they will go on strike beginning Saturday, shutting down the nation’s largest commuter railroad and displacing about 270,000 daily riders."I am involved," said Hochul, who oversees the MTA and appoints many of its board members. "We just want to make sure that New York is affordable for everyone and make sure, as they negotiate, that they get the deal that is going to prevent a strike. I’m committed to that."After failing to reach a deal at a pair of negotiating sessions last week, both sides returned to the bargaining table in Bethpage yesterday for negotiations overseen by the National Mediation Board.A union coalition spokesman said Monday's bargaining session ended with no settlement and little progress made. He said both sides are set to meet again Wednesday.In a statement, the MTA said it made "a revised proposal" during yesterday's talks, but offered no details of the latest offer.Yesterday, Michael Sullivan, general chairman of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, said the MTA strategy is to "deflect, distort, dither and denigrate" even as the strike date grows nearer."It’s time for management to get serious about negotiating wages," Sullivan said in a statement.Hochul said among the issues her office is tracking is "what can be afforded" and "what sets the pattern for other unions."***New York Governor Kathy Hochul has endorsed incumbent East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez in her ongoing Democratic primary race with challenger Jerry Larsen, the mayor of East Hampton Village, according to a release sent out by East Hampton Democrats. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that Burke-Gonzalez and Larsen have been locked in a heated contest for the Democratic Party ballot line, the winner of which will be decided in the primary election on June 23. Since the local Republican Party has not put forth a candidate for East Hampton Town supervisor ahead of the filing deadlines for the November election, the winner of this year’s primary will have a straight shot at the town’s top office.Intrigue has surrounded the race from the outset, as Larsen has challenged the established local Democratic Party by backing a separate slate of candidates for seats on the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee and drawn the ire of Suffolk County Democratic Committee officials.Governor Hochul’s announcement yesterday endorsing Kathee Burke-Gonzalez stated in part, “Kathee knows how to work with partners at every level of government and bring resources home for the people she serves…I’m excited to keep working with Kathee to build on that progress and deliver even more for East Hampton and for New York.”***The man who was shot and killed by Southampton Town Police officers on Sunday had slashed and stabbed his mother more than 40 times inside her Northampton home before he was shot, Town Police Chief James Kiernan said at a press conference yesterday. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the 28-year-old, identified as Steven Eastwood, had already stabbed his mother multiple times when three officers arrived at the well-kept Topping Drive home on Mother’s Day.When officers entered the home, they found Eastwood standing over his mother with a knife. He ignored their orders to drop the knife and began walking toward the officers, who Chief Kiernan said backed away from him in an effort to draw him away from his mother and deescalate the situation.But, instead, the son suddenly turned back toward his mother and began stabbing her again.“Faced with an ongoing, deadly assault, officers discharged their service weapons, striking Mr. Eastwood, and immediately stopping the attack,” Kiernan said. “Emergency medical services personnel from Flanders Northampton Ambulance responded to the scene and pronounced Mr. Eastwood deceased.”Kiernan said that more than one of the officers fired their guns, but did not say how many shots were fired. He has not identified the officers by name, but said all three are receiving trauma counseling.The victim, whom police have not named, was taken by Suffolk County Police medevac helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she underwent surgery. She remains in serious condition and has not regained consciousness, Kiernan said, as of the last update shared with police.The victim had called police at 2:43 p.m. Sunday and said that her son was at the home, highly intoxicated and acting violently. Police officers were already en route to the address when the woman called 911 again and said that her son was threatening her with a knife.Chief Kiernan said that the officers involved in the shooting were wearing body cameras and that the footage from the incident will be released at a future date. The shooting is being investigated by the New York State attorney general’s office, as is protocol for all officer-involved shootings.This appears to be the first time a Southampton or East Hampton Town police officer has shot and killed anyone.***A code change that would link employment and housing underwent public debate last week as a string of speakers came out in force to question an East Hampton Town Board move that would, if passed, establish and enumerate the standards for employer-owned housing developments. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that all such developments, if the code were approved as currently written, would have to be built in both an affordable housing overlay district and a limited business overlay district, which would ensure proximity to workplaces. Units would go to moderate-income families or individuals — that is, those who earn within 130 percent of the area median income, which is around $142,000 for a single person. Rent also would be capped at 130 percent of fair market rent.Such developments would require a special permit. Tenants also would have all rights and protections provided by New York State’s tenant laws.These proposed changes came on the heels of a pitched 79-unit decentralized, condominium-style workforce development on Three Mile Harbor Road that popped up late last year — and quickly fizzled out in the face of firm opposition from the public and an East Hampton Town Board that questioned the oversight structure.This shadow loomed last Thursday as the Town Board unveiled the set of workforce housing code changes. The crux of the legislation, on top of what is listed above, would mandate that a third-party management company come in to oversee the units.What this code change would do, practically, is pave the way for private developer Kirby Marcantonio’s 47-unit, condominium-style plan for workforce housing on Pantigo Road. Units will cost $700,000 to build, so the cost for businesses to buy would end up being north of that number. Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, for one, has been outwardly supportive of this development.Next steps will have the East Hampton Town Board return the code changes to a work session for further discussion. There, town officials will likely discuss whether to make any changes to the draft code and whether the board’s support weathered the public hearing.***The League of Women Voters of the Hamptons, Shelter Island and North Fork will welcome Andrea Goldsmith, president of Stony Brook University, as guest speaker at its 49th annual meeting this coming Sunday, May 17, at 2 p.m. at Rogers Memorial Library in...

Southampton Town police shot and killed a man armed with a knife on Sunday afternoon after officers responded to a call of a "violent" disturbance in a family home, Suffolk County police said in a statement last night. Peter Gill and Janon Fisher report in NEWSWDAY that Southampton Town police said they received a call at 2:43 p.m. yesterday from a resident on Topping Drive in the hamlet of Northampton about "an escalating violent domestic situation."When officers arrived at the home, they found the son actively stabbing his mother. The unidentified man was shot and killed by officers with the Southampton Town Police Department after he refused to put down the knife, according to sources and police.A woman suffered serious injuries, Suffolk County police said, and she was taken to Stony Brook Hospital. Three Town of Southampton police officers were also taken to a hospital with unspecified injuries, but were treated and released."Officers secured the scene and an investigation is ongoing with the Suffolk County Police Department," Southampton police spokeswoman Det. Sgt. Gina Laferrera said in an earlier statement. "There is currently no danger to the community."State troopers and Southampton police blocked off Topping Drive Sunday afternoon with yellow crime scene tape.Greg Mastronardi, whose parents live across the street, said he and his wife witnessed the shooting.Mastronardi said that he saw a man come out of the house with a knife in his hand."The cop was telling him, 'drop the knife, drop the knife' several times. He didn't comply," he added.The police officer was about 10 feet from the stairs leading up to the porch of the home — where the man was — when the officer opened fire, Mastronardi said.The wounded woman is confined to a wheelchair and was described by neighbors as a quiet woman who suffered years of domestic abuse. She had triplet boys, with at least two of them suffering from mental illness, WABC reported.The woman, who was not identified, made at least one 911 call yesterday, stating she had become afraid of her son, sources added per THE NY POST.The New York State Attorney General's Office of Special Investigation is conducting "a preliminary assessment of the matter," a spokeswoman said.By New York State law, the attorney general's office must investigate all fatal police-involved shootings.***Extensive habitat restoration and trail improvements have been completed at the 100-acre Broad Cove Preserve in Aquebogue. Broad Cove Preserve, one of the largest remaining tracts of open space in the Peconic Estuary, was added to the New York State Birding Trail this spring.Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the site includes more than 8,000 feet of frontage on Terry Creek and Broad Cove in Flanders Bay, an embayment within the Peconic Estuary, an Estuary of National Significance. It is home to a broad array of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, the federally endangered northern long-eared bat, osprey and eastern wild turkey, and it lies within the Atlantic Flyway for migrating birds, officials said. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation this week announced the habitat restoration and trail improvements, which included invasive species removal, restoration of native habitat, trail realignment and expansion, and improvements to waterfront access and wildlife observation areas.A new trail also provides access to a waterfront viewing area overlooking Flanders Bay, where a Chronolog Station — part of a citizen science project led by Peconic Baykeeper — has been installed.Additional benches and observation points were added throughout the preserve to support birdwatching and quiet enjoyment of the property.Representatives from DEC, Peconic Land Trust and conservation organizations, along with local elected officials, gathered at the preserve this past Thursday to celebrate the environmental improvements and the site’s recent addition to the New York State Birding Trail.***Tuesdays with Tom at North Fork Audubon heads to Calverton Ponds Preserve tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. for a chance to spot Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Red-winged Blackbird, Tree Swallow, Osprey, and Red-tailed Hawk, along with a variety of ducks and other migrating songbirds during peak migration.Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that you are invited to join North Fork Audubon for a spring bird walk at Calverton Ponds Preserve, where they will explore freshwater ponds, woodlands, and open habitats during peak migration.Registration is required.To register visit northforkaudubon.org.That’s tomorrow morning - Tuesdays with Tom - from 8:00 AM to 10 AM at Calverton Ponds Preserve, Old River Rd, Manorville, NY 11949***Two cornerstone retail properties in Water Mill have been sold for a combined $39 million, setting a new record for the largest retail transaction in the history of the Hamptons. As reported on 27east.com, the blockbuster sale, which closed last week, includes Water Mill Square, located at 670 Montauk Highway, and The Mill, 760 Montauk Highway. Together, the two centers represent 84 percent of Water Mill’s gross leasing area.The properties were sold by Vault Development Partners, led by Robert Zecher and Benjamin Rinzler. The transaction was brokered by Hal Zwick and Jeffrey Sztorc of the Hamptons Commercial Real Estate Team at Compass.Water Mill Square features a 20,500-square-foot retail and office center situated on 2.26 acres, and has a mix of service, food, and lifestyle tenants. Neighboring property The Mill spans 29,314 square feet across 3.66 acres and is currently undergoing a repositioning to introduce new food concepts, curated outdoor elements, and experiential retail, according to a press release issued by Compass last Wednesday, May 6.Last year, Zwick and Sztorc were behind a $30 million sale of commercial properties along the Sag Harbor waterfront.The massive retail assemblage in Water Mill was finalized in 2023 when Zecher led the acquisition of The Mill to pair with Water Mill Square, which Rinzler’s family has owned for years.“This portfolio has been a cornerstone of the Water Mill community for years, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see it evolve into such a vibrant retail destination,” Zecher stated.***Hundreds of Long Island Rail Road union workers and supporters this past Saturday stood together and vowed to "walk together" if the failure to negotiate what they consider a fair contract with the MTA forces them to go on strike in a week's time.Alfonso Castillo and Joe Werkmeister report in NEWSDAY that the crowd of more than 400 rallied at the Massapequa train station one week out from what would be the railroad's first strike in over 30 years. Despite only representing about half the LIRR's union work force, the five unions involved in the contract fight presented a unified front, with support from other labor leaders and Long Island elected officials from both parties."This fight is about dignity. It's about respect. And it's about protecting the standard of living of hard working railroad families," Kevin Sexton, national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, told rallygoers — many wearing red "LIRR Bargaining Coalition" T-shirts and holding signs with messages including "No contract, no work."After three years of failed negotiations, the unions, which together represent about 3,500 LIRR workers, say they are prepared to strike on May 16 if the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — the LIRR's parent organization — does not agree to their demands for a 5% raise in the fourth year of their contract. Both sides have agreed to raises of 3%, 3% and 3.5%, respectively, in the first three years of a new deal, which would be retroactive to 2023.Sexton called it a "break-even agreement" that would barely allow workers to keep up with the growing cost of living. The monthly increases in the Consumer Price Index for the metro area have ranged between 2.5% and 4.5% since March 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Rank-and-file railroaders in the crowd expressed anxiety over potentially walking off the job and forgoing their paychecks but said they were buoyed by the large show of support, including from the MTA's largest labor organization, the Transport Workers Union, which represents 40,000 city bus and subway employees.MTA spokesman Tim Minton dubbed it "the first-ever 'Rally for a Fare Hike' " because paying the unions the raises they demand could force the MTA to raise rates to cover costs.***Suffolk County Legislator Greg Doroski honored Sonia Spar as the 2026 Champion of Diversity for Suffolk County’s First Legislative District at a ceremony at the Southold Town Board’s meeting last week at the Peconic Lane Community Center. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the honor celebrates Ms. Spar’s “decades of tireless advocacy, multicultural leadership, and her extraordinary ability to bring together residents, institutions, and government in service of a more equitable and inclusive community,” according to Legislator Doroski.A longtime Southold resident originally from Colombia, Spar has dedicated her career to building bridges of understanding across cultural, linguistic, and civic boundaries.Since 2023, she has served as Southold Town’s Spanish-Speaking Community Service Liaison, connecting multilingual residents with local government services

MTA managers, making their case against Long Island Rail Road unions' demands for 14.5% raises over four years, say LIRR employees threatening to strike are already the highest-paid railroad workers in the nation.But LIRR labor leaders argue both their pay and negotiating position are warranted given the high cost of living in New York and recent raises given at other railroads across the country. And they're prepared to walk off the job May 16 if their terms aren't met.In response to questions from Newsday about how they determined LIRR workers are the highest paid in the United States, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority cited numbers showing wages at four key LIRR positions exceeded the median of the next five largest American commuter railroads.Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that signal inspectors had the biggest difference among the union positions threatening to strike, according to MTA figures. Their $50.89 top hourly pay in 2025 was 20.7% higher than the $42.17 median at the five other railroads — Metro-North, NJ Transit, Boston’s MBTA, Philadelphia’s SEPTA and Chicago’s Metra. The smallest difference was for LIRR locomotive engineers, whose $54.81 top hourly pay was 3.4% above the $53 median earned at the other railroads. The MTA has told mediators that median pay was $131,212 in 2024 for employees in the five unions. When including fringe benefits such as health insurance, the average compensation was $200,427 in 2024. For locomotive engineers, the highest paid, it was $241,397. "They are the highest-paid railroad workers in the nation but have refused the same significant wage increases the vast majority of their colleagues accepted," MTA chief labor and employee relations officer Anita Miller said in a March statement.LIRR union leaders said those figures give an incomplete picture. They noted for one position some other railroads pay more. Locomotive engineers at Metro-North and Amtrak can earn $59 an hour — $4 more than the LIRR, according to information provided by the unions.More broadly, the unions say LIRR workers’ pay reflects the cost of living in the metropolitan area, which is among the highest in the nation.When accounting for cost of living, and for special pay outside of regular wages — including for receiving special training — the unions have said several other railroads pay more. Those include Metro-North, NJ Transit, Baltimore’s MARC, Northern California’s Caltrain and Southern California’s Metrolink, the LIRR unions said.Unions say recent raises given at other railroads were as much as 7%.If no agreement is reached, LIRR unions are threatening to walk off the job Saturday, May 16, at 12:01 a.m.***Employees at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma racked up more than $1 million in overtime in each of the past two years, a Newsday analysis found, costs that climbed amid a struggle to hire and retain security guards. The Town of Islip, which runs the airport, paid more than $1.2 million in overtime for 75 airport employees last year, up from $1.09 million a year earlier. In 2023, the town paid $944,017 in overtime. Sam Kmack reports in NEWSDAY that airport security guard staffing has fallen over the past several years. Islip Town employed 18 security guards at the end of 2019, and by the start of 2025, nine were employed, according to data provided by the town. Islip ended last year with 17 guards, following a mid-year push to boost staffing levels. The average base salary for a security guard last year was $67,469, town payroll records show.Overtime pay in 2025 for a single guard reached a high of $110,154, records show. The airport's top five overtime earners were all within the airport's security division, and two guards more than doubled their salaries through overtime. Newsday obtained Islip's payroll records under the state's Freedom of Information Law. Islip Town officials say federal minimum staffing requirements, and struggles to recruit and retain guards, contributed to the rising overtime expense.***Tomorrow morning, Peconic Landing in Greenport will host its 20th Annual John May Mile and 5K Race to benefit the Greenport Fire Department.The John May Mile and 5K fundraiser is open to runners and walkers of all ages and fitness abilities, offering both a relaxed mile-long walk and a more challenging 3.1-mile run. Registration and stretching begin at 7:30 a.m. at Brecknock Hall with the race and walk to start at 9 a.m. Runners and walkers may register at: www.peconiclanding.org/JMM.The family-friendly event features a barbecue lunch, raffles, and more.Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that since inception in 2005, the annual John May Mile and 5K has raised over $400,000 to support the local first responders. The most recent event in 2025 contributed a total of $28,570, helping to purchase and maintain rescue equipment vital to keeping Greenport Fire Department volunteers safe while responding to emergency calls.Following the race will be an awards ceremony at 10:30 a.m. on the back lawn of Brecknock Hall.To register as a runner or vendor, visit www.peconiclanding.org/jmm.***The possibility of preserving the Peconic Farms property on Peconic Bay Boulevard in South Jamesport is off the table, a spokesperson for Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine told RiverheadLOCAL yesterday.The owner of the 9.6-acre parcel, who had been negotiating with Suffolk County to sell the land for preservation as open space, notified the county real estate division late Wednesday that they were no longer interested in selling the land to the county, according to the county executive.“This is a missed opportunity to preserve more farmland on the North Fork,” Romaine stated.A portion of the site had been farmed, though the property was slated to be preserved as open space.The owner has decided not to sell the property to Suffolk “as is their right,” Romaine said, adding, “We remain open to any further discussions in the future.”Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the potential sale became a subject of local controversy last week, when County Legislator Greg Doroski asked the Riverhead Town Board to partner with the county in the acquisition by managing the property after its transfer to the county. It would be preserved as open space for passive recreation uses, he told Town Board members at last week’s work session.Riverhead officials balked at the idea of recreational uses on the site, expressing concerns that it would be opened up to people from all over Suffolk seeking beach access. The parcel borders town-owned land along East Creek but does not have any direct access to the waterfront.Residents in an adjoining neighborhood also objected to the idea of recreational uses on the property. They said they would support an open space purchase without any recreational uses.The Riverhead Town Board on Tuesday adopted a resolution supporting an open space acquisition conditioned on there being no recreational use of the site as county parkland.Riverhead Town Supervisor Jerry Halpin expressed disappointment that the acquisition may not happen.“I’m disappointed that this wasn’t able to happen,” Halpin said. “I totally respect the owner and their decisions, but I hope that myself and our Town Board can always be open to working with the county and landowners” to preserve land.***President Donald Trump's border czar has threatened to “flood the zone” with immigration agents if New York State passes bills to limit local coordination with the federal government's crackdown.New York seems ready to do so anyway.“I don't take well to threats,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said yesterday. "We’re going to pass what we think is important to protect New Yorkers.”Vaughn Golden and David Propper report in THE NY POST that Border czar Thomas Douglas Homan “schooled” Hochul Wednesday night as the New York governor looks to reduce local cooperation with ICE. Homan claims the Democrat NYS chief executive is only hurting the migrants she’s trying to help.The Trump administration’s top immigration official hit back at Hochul as the pair got into a war of words this week over the possibility of federal agents surging into the Empire State.The governor said she was “not asking” for more ICE agents to crack down on illegal migrants Wednesday – only for Homan to respond hours later on Fox News: “Well, Governor Hochul, I’m not asking either.”Homan’s threat of more manpower comes as Hochul and state lawmakers near a deal — that would be included in the delayed state budget — to dramatically curtail how much local law enforcement and jails can work with ICE. If ICE agents can’t work with jail officials in certain New York counties that have agreements with the federal government, Homan stressed the feds will find other ways to track their targets down.“She wants to end the partnership we currently have which means now we’ve got to send a whole team to look for a criminal that we could arrest in the safety and security of a jail, which is safer for the officers, safer for the aliens, certainly safer for the communities,” he told Fox News host Laura Ingraham. “So you’re forcing us into the neighborhoods to find this person, which means we lost the efficiency of the jails that you want to lock us out of, now we have to send a whole team to find this person so of course we’re going to increase manpower – a lot.”Albany Democratic legislators also want all law enforcement in the state to stop communicating with ICE unless a person has been criminally charged with a felony or misdemeanor. ICE won’t be able to...

Corporal punishment and harsh discipline during toilet training against toddlers and preschool-age children that went unreported to the state.Young children left without competent supervision and staff who failed to immediately inform parents of serious incidents.Day care centers that failed to conduct criminal or sex offender background checks for new hires, in violation of state guidelines.Robert Brodsky reports in NEWSDAY that these are just some of the nearly 100 allegations leveled against seven Long Island day care centers that state officials report are now at risk of losing their license to continue operating.Meanwhile, another four local childcare facilities had their license revoked and were forced to shutter in recent months after serious health or safety violations were documented by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services, a Newsday investigation found.None of the nearly dozen Long Island day cares that have found themselves under scrutiny from the state are on the east end. Overall, the day cares cited represent just a small fraction of the 2,133 childcare providers on Long Island.But to the families of children enrolled in these facilities, typically ranging in age from infants to as old as 12, the alleged violations raise questions about the businesses' safety protocols and offer doubts whether they'll continue to operate moving forward."The safety and well-being of all children in Office of Children and Family Services-licensed childcare programs is our top priority," said Daniel Marans, a spokesman for the agency. "To achieve these standards, we work diligently to ensure enforcement is fair and proportional across the state, creating a pathway back to good standing for childcare providers that fully comply with OCFS’ remediation plans."In Suffolk, five day care businesses are at risk of revocation, records show.They include Dazzling Tots Daycare in Mastic, Kiddie Academy of Farmingdale, The Learning Experience in Northport, Snuggles Day Care in Copiague, and Vanessa Little Blessings Daycare in Coram.***An off-duty Quogue Village police officer who struck and killed a Hampton Bays woman with his personal vehicle will not be charged with a crime following a review of the case by New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation.Robert Brodsky reports in NEWSDAY that Margaret Lucey, 89, was crossing Ponquogue Avenue walking west in Hampton Bays shortly before 11 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2024, when she was struck by officer Jon Stanton’s Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck as Stanton made a left turn from Good Ground Road, authorities said.Stanton remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation, the report said. Lucey was taken by Hampton Bays Volunteer Ambulance to Southampton Hospital where she died from her injuries, Southampton Town police said.Two months after the accident, the AG's office announced that it was launching an investigation of the crash, which is mandated under a 2021 state law for deaths involving on- and off-duty police, peace officers and correction officers. Yesterday, James' office released her 11-page report into the incident which "concludes that a prosecutor would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that Officer Stanton committed a crime when he caused Ms. Lucey’s death."The investigation, the report states, included review of a 911 call, footage from nearby security cameras, an interview with a witness and photographs from the scene. The investigation, the report said, found no evidence that Stanton was speeding, distracted, impaired by drugs or alcohol or driving in a reckless manner.Stanton, who was hired by the Quogue Village P.D. in February 2022 and is a volunteer firefighter and EMT, immediately requested an ambulance, the report states, and began performing life-saving measures.***Suffolk County legislators approved at least $3.9 million to settle police-involved lawsuits so far this year, including $3 million to the estate of an emotionally disturbed man, Walter Kellogg, who was allegedly shot and killed by a police officer outside his Shirley home.Lawmakers also approved $600,000 to settle a lawsuit that claimed the same officer assaulted a Shirley woman in 2012.Internal affairs cleared the officer of wrongdoing in those incidents but he was terminated on other charges in 2022.Michael O'Keeffe reports in NEWSDAY that the Suffolk police Internal Affairs Bureau cleared former Officer Frank Santanello of wrongdoing in the 2018 fatal shooting of Walter Kellogg, but the Suffolk County Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee, which must sign off on large settlements, authorized $3 million to settle the estate's federal lawsuit at its March 3 meeting, according to the panel's minutes. Internal affairs also cleared Santanello in the alleged assault and false arrest of Jessica Roger, also of Shirley, in 2012. But the Ways and Means Committee approved a $600,000 settlement to end her federal lawsuit in January.Santanello, the target of 25 civilian complaints and four administrative investigations, joined the Suffolk County Police Department in April 2002. He was placed on suspension without pay in April 2021, and an arbitrator upheld his termination in June 2022, internal affairs bureau records reviewed by Newsday show.***The Town of Southampton is rolling out a new mass alert system that it says will be able to more efficiently alert large numbers of residents and town employees to emergencies, public safety threats, weather alerts or information about blocked or closed roadways and extended traffic delays.Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that Southampton Town’s new system — which residents are being asked to sign up for now — will allow the town to send text messages to thousands of numbers at once and allow the town to target information by hamlet or neighborhoods or specific clusters of town facilities.To sign up for the new text alerts, residents need only send a text saying “SouthamptonNY” to 38276 and they will be enrolled in the alert system. The town has also set up a specific notification for news related to the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in June, which you can enroll in by texting OPEN26 to 38276.The need for the new system became apparent, Southampton Town officials said last week, during the Westhampton Pines wildfire in spring 2025 when conflicting information about whether an evacuation had been ordered sowed confusion and panic in neighborhoods near where the fires were raging.The town’s current emergency alert system, NotifyMe, is only able to send text messages to fewer than 200 individual numbers at a time, so broader alerts and information messages are sent via email. But town officials acknowledged that emails are often not viewed as immediately as text messages are.More than 500 town employees have been enrolled in the alert system already, which will allow the town to notify those who work in specific buildings, or groups of town facilities, about information relative only to their locations.For mass emergencies, the system will also be able to access lists of residents who have signed up for CivicPlus alerts about town activities and events.Ryan Murphy, Southampton Town’s emergency management coordinator said the town will be starting a broad public outreach to encourage residents to sign up for the alerts in the coming weeks.***Designs for a facelift for the off-the-beaten-path Town Lane sculpture park in East Hampton include seven parking spaces and a gravel walkway access point, essentially establishing official access for the public.Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that in 2006, East Hampton Town officials bought the easily overlooked 5-acre parcel of land, located at 173 Town Lane for around $1 million for the purpose of showcasing sculptures by Sasson Soffer, which are still present on the unkempt property. Those sculptures remain on display in the park.The idea behind the work that town officials plan to undertake, the initial stages of which are being funded by the Sasson Soffer Foundation, is to beautify the park itself and provide access to and from for the public, which is currently lacking. A walking path will be made of pressed gravel.“The town's Land Acquisition and Management Department has maintained the meadow by annual, or as needed, mowing,” said East Hampton Town Land Acquisition Principal Environmental Analyst Andy Gaites. “Proposed improvements to the park, which are to be donated by the Sasson Soffer Foundation at no cost to the town, include driveway improvements, addition of a parking area, ADA compliant pathways, benches and native plantings.”Contractors working on behalf of the Sasson Soffer Foundation are planning to begin removing vegetation this month, so long as all the paperwork gets put in place. East Hampton Town officials say the plan is to begin parking preparations in July.***The bodies of two missing fishermen who both apparently drowned after falling out of a kayak were found in western Shinnecock Bay early yesterday morning.Southampton Town Police have identified the men as Daniel Villa, 25, of Southampton and Juan Carlos Penaranda, 43, of Quogue.As posted on 27east.com, the pair had ventured out together on a two-man kayak from the south pier of the old Ponquogue Bridge at about 8 p.m. Tuesday night to go fishing. They had paddled west into Shinnecock Bay from the old bridge pier, a popular area for striped bass fishing.Police were notified at about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday by concerned family members that the men had not...

On Long Island, the number of households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits…known as SNAP…has grown since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Experts say the spike stems from the region's cost-of-living crisis that has made housing unaffordable and can make food an afterthought. More affluent households seeking food assistance might not meet the lower-income federal eligibility requirements for benefits, and recent changes to SNAP work requirements means thousands of Long Islanders could soon lose access to the program.Tiffany Cusaac-Smith reports in NEWSDAY that SNAP, the nutritional support program formerly known as food stamps, has long served as a financial pulse of sorts that measures economic hard times. Experts say more households are turning to the program. Yet, they are quick to point out that the program is not a panacea for food insecurity in the region.In 2020, on average each month, 59,020 households in Suffolk County used the benefit. By 2025, Suffolk County had a monthly average of 78,923 households using the program, representing a roughly 34% increase, according to state data.SNAP benefits often go to the elderly and children on Long Island. In September, roughly 20% were in that age group in Suffolk, according to data from the state. Children represented about 31% of beneficiaries in Suffolk. For households on SNAP in Suffolk, the median income was $70,330, with a margin of error of about $7,800, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey one-year estimates.Vanessa Baird-Streeter, president and CEO of the Health & Welfare Council of Long Island, which is tasked with helping people sign up for SNAP, said the hunger assistance program today amounts to a subsidy people increasingly depend on — albeit one that many earn too much to tap. A few decades ago, she said, a middle-class family looking to move to Long Island to try and live the suburban dream could afford rent and food costs, likely never thinking they would need financial support."And so those people who may have never thought about a safety net program or a public benefit program before, they are now being faced with having to take advantage of these programs in order to ensure that their family just has…foundational stability," Baird-Streeter told NEWSDAY.***Preservation of a 9.6-acre property adjacent to a town-owned marina and beach in South Jamesport was endorsed by the Riverhead Town Board yesterday. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the board unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday afternoon supporting Suffolk County’s proposed preservation of the Peconic Farms parcel on Peconic Bay Boulevard. The resolution contained a qualifier held out by board members as essential to their assent: “as Open Space without improvement or development.”The vote followed days of public debate and mounting pressure from residents over the future of the property at 1161 Peconic Bay Blvd…which Suffolk County is considering acquiring through its Drinking Water Protection Program. Board members emphasized yesterday’s resolution does not finalize any agreement with Suffolk County but signals willingness to continue discussions over potential management terms.As a condition of the acquisition, the county is asking the Town of Riverhead to partner in the project by assuming management responsibility for the site, including “passive recreation uses” at the property, such as a walking trail and a gravel parking area. That condition triggered opposition from town officials, who said they feared such uses, if allowed, would lead to use of the site by out-of-town residents to gain beach access for fishing, swimming and other activities, with negative impacts on the character of the surrounding residential community.As he introduced the resolution, Riverhead Town Councilman Ken Rothwell acknowledged the board had received “an overabundance of emails and phone calls” about the proposal.“We very much want to protect [the property] from development,” Rothwell said.***ReWild next teams up with Group for the East End for a talk on “The Impact of Lawns” on Thursday, May 7…that’s tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. at Downs Farm Preserve in Cutchogue.A talk on lawns by gardener Corn Schmid will address why these grasses have become ingrained into our collective consciousness, culture, and even laws. Mr. Schmid will discuss the myths, facts, functions, and impact of one of America’s largest crops, as well as alternatives specific to our region.Corn Schmid’s expertise in plant ecology comes from years of experience working in the nursery industry and as a gardener in New York City and on the East End. Registration is required as space is limited.For more information, contact Group director of outreach Taralynn Reynolds at [email protected]’s “The Impact of Lawns” at Downs Farm Preserve in Cutchogue tomorrow from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm.***Neighbors of East Hampton High School are opposed to the district’s $64 million bond proposition due to the lights that will be placed on the turf field neighboring their homes. Desirée Keegan reports on 27east.com that Kate Gibbons, who said she was speaking on behalf of herself and her father, Ed Cullum, who could not attend the meeting, expressed disappointment over the district’s decision to include the lights in the bond, saying they will not only disrupt her and her family’s quality of life, but could lower property values and force the family to sell their home.“Disappointment doesn’t capture my true feelings,” she said during yesterday’s Board of Education meeting. “Your decision to put stadium lights on the existing turf field that runs along our family property is heartbreaking and gut-wrenching.”Five generations of Cullums, she explained, have lived on her East Hampton property over the last 100 years, and have been neighbors to the high school since it was built in 1970. Gibbons said she began a seven-year process in 2002 to build her house on her family’s land.“This was the way I could remain in this community that I grew up in and was teaching in,” she said, adding that she’s been an educator at John M. Marshall Elementary School for 32 years.“To say that the lights will not impact us is just not true,” she said. “The lights will impact us. And it‘s not only the lights on the field that are a concern for us, it’s all the other things that come along with {night-time} events.”Ms. Gibbons pleaded with the board through tears to reconsider, stating she…is trying to understand the need for stadium lights — questioning why the baseball and softball fields and tennis courts do not also need lights.According to Gibbons, Superintendent of Schools Adam Fine said during a recent meeting between him and her family that there would not be enough room for bleachers around another centrally-located turf field away from EHHS neighbors.***The price of a gallon of regular gasoline climbed 31 cents in the past week, spiking to an average of $4.48 per gallon yesterday, according to AAA, hitting the wallets of drivers after rising 50% since the war with Iran began.As reported by The Associated Press the main reason drivers are paying more at the pump is because of the global energy crisis caused by the Iran war. The price of crude oil, which is the main ingredient in gasoline, has been climbing for most of the past two months because the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow passage of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil normally passes, has effectively been shut, and oil tankers have been stranded there unable to deliver crude.Many drivers were hopeful in mid-April, amid signs that the conflict could be winding down, and gasoline prices fell daily for almost two weeks.“After the announcement of the initial ceasefire, there was kind of optimism that this really could be the beginning of the end of the conflict,” said Rob Smith, director of global fuel retail at S&P Global Energy. “And so crude prices came down correspondingly, gasoline spot prices followed, and so on and ... the retailers lowered prices as well.”But as the war continued, gasoline prices reversed course and began increasing again.“There’s a fundamental shortfall that will exist globally or fundamental struggle to meet that demand that will drive up price,” Smith said. “No matter what a government says or what any market person thinks, there is a true kind of upward pressure that’s being exerted on prices every day the Strait of Hormuz is constrained. And it is still severely constrained.”The longer the flow of oil is constrained through the Strait of Hormuz, the higher prices will go, and the longer it will take to get back to normal, Smith said.***Twelve Long Island hospitals scored an A grade for patient safety among the 2,800 healthcare centers reviewed nationwide, according to a new report released today.Celia Young reports in NEWSDAY that the nonprofit watchdog organization, The Leapfrog Group, rated 23 Long Island hospitals based on how well they protected patients from accidents, infections and injuries. Six hospitals scored B. Three hospitals scored C, Nassau University Medical Center received a D, and one was not assigned a grade, according to Leapfrog.The ratings can help Long Islanders determine where to get care, said Elisabeth Benjamin, vice president for health initiatives at the Manhattan-based Community Service Society of New York."The No. 1 thing you want when you're looking at a hospital is to make sure that the quality of care, the standard of care [and]...

Microplastics have been found in bodies of water all over the globe, from the Arctic to the Caribbean Sea to Long Island Sound. They can leach into groundwater from those waterways, and from septic systems and cesspools, or from rainwater runoff that collects particles from streets or landfills.And they make their way into our bodies from the food we eat and the water we drink, whether from the tap or bottled in plastic.Tracy Tullis reports in NEWSDAY that it's not clear if microplastics and the even smaller nanoplastics are in Long Island's drinking water, in part because testing is not required, and there's no standardized test.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced last month it will consider regulating microplastics — particles that can be smaller than a grain of sand, or even microscopic — as a contaminant in drinking water.California is the only state that requires testing for microplastics, and had to develop new ways to test for them.“The New York State Department of Health is closely watching the rapidly evolving science on microplastics and supports the addition of microplastics to the sixth candidate contaminant list,” Marissa Crary, spokesperson for the NYS Department of Health, wrote to Newsday in an email. At the moment, however, “no widely available standard method exists for evaluating microplastics in drinking water.”Tests conducted by the Suffolk County Water Authority found no detectable microplastics in its samples, probably because water drawn from an aquifer is somewhat protected from plastic contamination.“I can’t think of an issue that hits closer to home for American families than the safety of their drinking water,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in announcing the move to regulate microplastics as a contaminant in drinking water.Water suppliers in the United States are not required to test or filter for microplastics, "which is why this is important," Judith Enck, president of the nonprofit Beyond Plastics and a former EPA regional administrator, told Newsday.There are no guarantees that this first step will lead to anything. Last month the EPA declined to regulate any of the contaminants from the previous list, issued in 2022. And the administration also is trying to weaken regulations on PFAS in drinking water established by President Joe Biden.The EPA is required to name at least five possible drinking water contaminants every five years and to study their presence in drinking water, their health effects and whether they ultimately should be regulated.***A county effort to preserve a nearly 10-acre parcel of vacant land on the south side of Peconic Bay Boulevard in South Jamesport has run into resistance at Riverhead Town Hall.Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the property, part woodland and part fallow farm field, is located between a residential subdivision and the town boat ramp.Suffolk County Legislator Greg Doroski met with the Town Board at its work session Thursday to discuss preservation of the site as open space. Doroski said the county wanted the town to partner in the acquisition by agreeing to maintain the site for passive recreation use.That got pushback from board members, who said they’d prefer to see a development rights purchase rather than outright acquisition, so the property could be farmed. Some members objected to its conversion to county parkland, expressing concern that the use could be disruptive in a quiet residential area. Others voiced concerns about the cost of establishing and maintaining amenities like the walking trail and gravel parking area suggested by Doroski.An appraisal of the property has been completed, Doroski said. If it moves forward, the county would make an offer to the property owner, which, if accepted, would then require approval by the full Legislature.But the deal would stall without the town’s participation, he told Riverhead officials.The Suffolk County Legislative committee was scheduled to discuss preservation of the site during its executive session yesterday. However, the discussion was postponed.***The Regional Tick-Borne Disease Resource Center at Stony Brook / Southampton Hospital will hold a discussion on all the latest information about tick-borne diseases tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. in the Cutchogue-New Suffolk Free Library.Registration required.Medical Entomologist Dr. Scott Campbell, Chief of the Arthropod-Borne Disease Lab at Suffolk County’s Department of Health Services, and a member of the Scientific Advisory Panel of the Regional Tick-Borne Disease Resource Center at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, will discuss the medically important tick species on Long Island, their biology, habitat, the pathogens they transmit, and the best strategies to prevent tick bites in adults and children. Tomorrow’s program is sponsored jointly by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital, and the Tick Resource Center at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. All attendees will receive a free tick removal kit and a tick disease handbook.Register for this event on line at cutchogue.librarycalendar.com***A portion of the brand-new dune at Ditch Plains in Montauk took the brunt of the winter, eroding by about a dozen feet, but East Hampton Town officials have a plan to fill in the damaged gaps with fresh sand. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that one stretch of the new dune, located due west of Ditch Plains’ western parking lot, got the most battered over the course of the winter, and that is where town officials are planning to jump in and give the wall of sand a facelift.There the face of the dune, which would otherwise be lined with freshly planted beachgrass, has been fully peeled off, and the sand itself has receded. Elsewhere, the beachgrass remains, and the dune, in all other stretches, has successfully weathered its first winter.Where town officials expected to see the erosion was in the center portion of the beach at Ditch Plains, which is where the brunt of erosion has been felt in the past, like with the storms that battered the area in the winter of 2024. But the erosion instead was felt west of there, between the parking lot and the bluffs. Drone photos suggest the sand was peeled back about 10 or so feet.This restoration project has its roots in that brutal string of storms a few years back, when the storm surge breached the dune and pushed up beyond the houses that line the coast. The impacts were uncovered not long after, as it became known that the storms dwindled the beach and the dunes to the point of near nonexistence — or down to the hardpan, a beneath-the-sand layer of clay.Montauk has been front of mind for the East Hampton Town Board, as the severe weather events continue to roll through the area, sweeping away sand and highlighting the need for long-term planning. Among these initiatives was the approval of a 30-year agreement, part of the Fire Island to Montauk Point, or FIMP, project, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and New York State government that put East Hampton Town officials on the hook for around $27.6 million, or 15 percent of the total cost, over that span of time.But for the immediate future, as FIMP measures continue to inch forward, Ditch Plains will be the main beneficiary of the town-led stopgaps against erosion.***Over the past year, lawmakers across New York State have proposed protest buffer zones around houses of worship in response to vitriolic protests.Both New York City and Nassau County passed laws meant to protect worshippers from harassment near religious institutions. Suffolk County officials, state legislators and a Long Island congressman are pushing their own versions.Steve Hughes reports in NEWSDAY that proponents, including Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, argue that buffer zones balance the need to protect people from harassment while also allowing protesters to exercise free speech. They point to a jump in hate crimes across the state, including a sharp increase in reported cases of antisemitism.But civil liberties groups and other critics argue that buffer zones infringe on freedom of speech and break with established legal precedent. On Friday, a group of labor unions, including 1199 SEIU and the New York State Nurses Association, sent a letter to state leaders voicing their opposition.The unions argue that the measures are so broad they would effectively criminalize picketing activities outside certain buildings and subject unionized employees to potential felony charges if they come too close. State Sen. Sam Sutton, D-Brooklyn, who is sponsoring a buffer zone bill in the State Legislature, said during a March rally that he believes the state could balance the right to protest and the right to pray. He said he does not see them as competing values."We will protect our communities, we will defend our civil liberties, and we will uphold the values that make this state strong," Sutton said.But Justin Harrison, senior policy counsel with ACLU of New York, said the proposed state law is far too broad since it would apply to everyone, including protests that a church or clinic might support. The proposal makes no difference between places that might want a buffer zone and those that don’t, he said."You’re capturing a lot of constitutionally protected protest," he said. "These laws are going to be used to single out people...

Chronic absenteeism in Long Island schools remained stubbornly high in 2024–25, despite efforts to get students back into the classroom following a surge in absences during the pandemic. Lorena Mongelli and Arielle Martinez report in NEWSDAY that in Nassau and Suffolk combined, 17.3% of students in public schools were chronically absent, meaning they missed 18 or more class days during the school year compared to 17.6% the year prior, according to a Newsday analysis of state data. While that is lower than the nearly 20% absenteeism rate in the 2021–22 academic year, when all New York schools reopened for full in-person learning, it still exceeds the 11.4% rate in 2018–19.The figures reflect a nationwide trend, with education experts saying schools throughout the country have struggled to boost attendance rates in recent years.Research has shown that persistent absences can be detrimental for students, leading to gaps in proficiency and increasing the risk they will drop out of high school. Studies have also found that such absences disrupt learning even for students who attend regularly because academic content needs to be reintroduced.Experts say a variety of factors are to blame for the high rate of absenteeism, including a shift in how parents value in-person learning since remote instruction became more commonplace during the pandemic. Local educators also cited student mental health issues, general disengagement with school, work priorities and, in some districts, anxiety about immigration enforcement amid the Trump administration’s crackdown.In 42 states and the District of Columbia, 23% of students were chronically absent in 2024–25 compared to 24% the year prior, according to Nat Malkus, senior fellow and the deputy director of education policy at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based conservative-leaning research organization that tracks chronic absenteeism nationwide.New York’s chronic absenteeism rate was 27% in 2024–25 versus 27.3% the year prior. according to Newsday’s analysis.Twenty-nine of Long Island’s 124 districts had an absenteeism rate higher than 20% in 2024–25. The Hempstead district had the highest rate, at 49%, followed by Central Islip at 39.7%, according to state data.***The chronic absenteeism rate in Long Island public schools dropped slightly in the 2024-25 school year, from 17.6% the year prior to 17.3%, according to a Newsday analysis of state data. The figure was lower than the nearly 20% absenteeism rate seen during the pandemic but still higher than the pre-pandemic rate of 11.4% rate in 2018–19.Lorena Mongelli and Arielle Martinez report in NEWSDAY that a couple of east end school districts showed improvements in their absenteeism rate, which counts students in first grade and older who are enrolled for a minimum of 10 instructional days and attend at least one of those days.Bridgehampton dropped 9.6 percentage points, to 19.5%, in 2024–2025.The district’s interim superintendent, Brigid P. Collins, said, “The decrease in attendance issues is a combined reflection of our strengthened communication efforts and deeper family engagement.”She said the district sends attendance letters and implemented the ParentSquare notification system, which sends immediate alerts about student lateness and absences.The Amagansett school district, which had less than 100 students last school year, lowered its rate by 8.4 percentage points to 21.8%.Superintendent Michael S. Rodgers said the district “has made a strong, collective effort to build a more positive and engaging school culture for the students, staff, and families.”“This includes incorporating more hands-on projects, experiential learning opportunities, and field trips that connect classroom instruction to real world experiences,” Rodgers said. Cecelia Leong, vice president of programs at the national nonprofit Attendance Works, said some schools are having success by building relationships with students and families and ensuring students feel welcome, accepted and safe.“Those consistent things that build a sense of belonging and relationship are really important,” Leong said. ***A coalition of fire response entities and other partners will host an open house at Flanders Community Center, 655 Flanders Road, Flanders on Tuesday, May 5…that’s tomorrow from 6 to 8 p.m. to solicit public input for the Southampton Central Pine Barrens Community Wildfire Protection Plan, a plan that will help residents of western Southampton Town learn how to best protect their families and homes from wildfire hazards.Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that tomorrow’s meeting will provide an opportunity for residents to learn about the Community Wildfire Protection Plan {CWPP} and provide comments to help create the plan. Officials at the beginning of the meeting will offer a brief presentation about the CWPP program. Attendees can then learn more details about the CWPP from local experts at tables with topics including Resilient Landscapes, Safe and Effective Fire Response and Fire Adapted Communities. There will also be a table at which attendees can leave comments.Tomorrow’s open house is at Flanders Community Center starting at 6 p.m.***Southampton Village officials have unveiled a plan to build a downtown sewage treatment facility, a proposal they say is critical to improving water quality and allowing new apartments.Alek Lewis reports in NEWSDAY that the sewer plant would be in the village's business district, behind its police headquarters on Windmill Lane. But a group of residents have objected to the plan because it requires the village to turn a dog park there into leach fields, where treated wastewater is released into the ground. The village plans to build a new dog park down the street. Southampton Village Mayor Bill Manger said the plan is a breakthrough in the long-running effort to build a sewer system following a lengthy search for a suitable site.“We realized that after years and years of the village existing here with basically only cesspools and septic systems, we’re just really polluting our groundwater and our bays and lakes and shoreline,” Manger told NEWSDAY.Toxic blue-green algal blooms are prevalent in water bodies in and around Southampton Village, according to a recent Stony Brook University water quality report. That includes Lake Agawam, the 65-acre lake in the village's center.Sewers and advanced septic systems can prevent those blooms by reducing the nitrogen from wastewater that goes into the ground, environmental advocates and village officials contend. Manger said the hope is for the plant to open by 2030.However, building the sewage treatment plant as currently proposed would require moving Lola Prentice Dog Park down the street.Five residents who live near the park have sued to block the plan to convert it into leach fields.The Southampton School District gifted the park property to the village in 1962. In 2019, a judge ruled in a separate court case that the property could only be used for recreational and educational purposes. The plaintiffs are asking the court to prevent the village from using it now to build a sewer plant.A separate petition by the same plaintiffs asks the court to find the Village of Southampton and its trustees in contempt for violating the 2019 ruling and the court's injunction.***Relief is on the way for more than a dozen Long Island oyster farms after an icy, brutal winter damaged equipment and wiped out many growers' inventories. Tara Smith reports in NEWSDAY that fourteen oyster farms will receive $3 million in state funding to upgrade infrastructure and boost production, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Saturday. The infrastructure grants can help fund new docks, equipment and other tools to support aquaculture farms, state officials said.The funding is part of a second round of awards through the Long Island Aquaculture Program. Farmers said the timing couldn't be better after a deep freeze caused an estimated $2.4 million in losses across the region. New York State officials awarded an initial $1.2 million to 17 businesses to expand and upgrade equipment last October.On Friday morning, Matt Ketcham of Peconic Gold Oysters was still hauling up decimated cages from his plot in Cutchogue Harbor. "I had a section of my farm that we call 'iceberg alley' now," Ketcham said in an interview. "I'm still pulling up crushed stuff, broken stuff, stuff that was dragged through the mud. I need a lot of new cages."Ketcham said he plans to use part of his grant to invest in an ice machine and, over time, save money on a crucial element of his business.Aquaculture, he said, "is a type of farming that requires a ton of capital investment and a ton of reinvestment even just to grow your sales a little bit."He added, "Something like this helps us a lot."Other awardees include West Robins Oyster Co., Hampton Oyster Co., Davy Jones Landing, Oysterponds Shellfish, Lucky 13 Oysters, East Hampton Oyster Co., Scrimshaw Enterprises, Hart Lobster Co., Thatch Island, North Fork Big Oyster, Jeffrey M. Kraus, Dune Fishery and Little Ram Oyster Co., according to a news release from the governor's office.The awards range from $111,702 to $250,000, according to the governor's office."Long Island's historic seafood industry is second to none, helping to strengthen local food supply chains, bolster our state's economy, and upholding a legacy of excellence and dedication to industry," Hochul said in a statement. She noted that the program is intended to support aquaculture farmers so "they can continue to thrive for...

Long Island business leaders yesterday expressed concern of the potential economic impacts from an LIRR union strike, while also warning that unprecedented raises for railroad workers could be "unsustainable." Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that leaders from seven Long Island business advocacy and economic development groups, in a letter to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, expressed their "deep concern regarding the negative economic impact of a potential strike" by five Long Island Rail Road unions.The leaders noted that the strike, which could begin May 16, would come a week before Memorial Day as Long Island enters its peak tourism season."The railroad takes tens of thousands of New Yorkers each week to Long Island beaches, golf courses, and wineries," they wrote. "Thousands of small businesses rely on summer tourism to survive."The business groups also expressed concern that "unprecedented raises to the minority of the LIRR workforce will be economically unsustainable for a mass transit system with chronic fiscal woes." The labor organizations represent about half the LIRR’s union workforce.The letter was authored by representatives from the Association for a Better Long Island, the Long Island Association, the Hauppauge Industrial Association of LI, the Long Island Builders Institute, the Long Island Contractors' Association, the Commercial Industrial Brokers Society of Long Island and Discover Long Island.Hochul spokesman Sean Butler said the governor's position is that "a strike would hurt LIRR workers and riders alike. It is critical that both sides come to the table and negotiate in good faith."Asked to comment on the letter, MTA officials pointed to remarks made Wednesday by the agency's chief financial officer, Jai Patel. In the event of a strike, Patel said, "Riders will be frustrated, the local economy will struggle and trust in our service will erode."***Just in time for summer, East Quogue got a new Christmas tree last week.Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the blue spruce tree that has served as East Quogue’s public Christmas tree for many years was getting bare and suffering from needlecast and residents had recently begun talking about a replacement after the winter, resident Christine Grant said.The Town of Southampton created a hamlet park district last fall, which directs funds from development project fees to a kitty for beautification projects. But buying a new Christmas tree would have tapped the bulk of the fledgling park district’s funding.Two residents, Cathy Zambetti, and her husband, John Picone, stepped in and instead offered to cover the cost of purchasing a new tree. Grant and her husband, Chris Connolly, who own Aspatuck Gardens, were able to source a 20-foot Norway spruce from a North Fork tree farm and got Southampton Town Parks & Recreation staff to remove the old tree and excavate a hole for the root ball of the new one.That’s when the small town stuff really kicked in.The tree arrived on a rainy morning last week and proved to be so heavy that the equipment the town brought to move it into place couldn’t lift it.“So we did the classic Mayberry, small-town thing: We texted our friend Michelle Meduski, who knows everybody in town,” Connolly said. “She knew a company who had an excavator and they came right over and it turned out that they were East Quogue people, so it was pretty cool how it all worked out.”***The Town of Southold is holding an Environmental Expo and Repair Café with the North Fork Environmental Council (NFEC) tomorrow from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at the town’s Peconic Lane Recreation Center.The public can bring their household items — including small appliances, clothing, toys and bicycles to be repaired, and their knives to be sharpened. “It’s a great community event, with neighbors helping neighbors to make things work again, with the added bonus of keeping those things out of the waste stream,” said Margaret deCruz, the NFEC Repair Café chair.Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that numerous environmental organizations will also have tables at tomorrow’s event. Compost coaches from the Long Island Organics council will give demonstrations and offer tips on how best to compost at home, and organizations ranging from Group for the East End to the Peconic Baykeeper, Peconic Estuary Partnership, ReWild North Fork and UpSculpt will also offere information and inspiration on how to preserve our local natural resources.Tomorrow’s Environmental Expo and Repair Café is from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at Peconic Recreation Center, 920 Peconic Lane, Peconic, NY 11958.***Southampton Town gave residents of Riverside a look at some of the practical aspects of its new $44 million sewer district this week. The town’s consultants say they anticipate the system coming online in late 2029 or early 2030.Funding the Riverside Wastewater Recovery System has been a project in the works for more than a decade, and it has been seen as a necessary tool in the revitalization of this neighborhood across the Peconic River from downtown Riverhead. The neighborhood, however, is in the Town of Southampton.Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that investment within this community has stagnated in recent years, in part due to the inability to install more septic systems in an area with a high water table adjacent to the river.The sewer district received a major boost in the fall of 2025, when it received $19 million in funds through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.Consultants working with Southampton Town on the sewer system outlined some of its features for the crowd of residents who gathered at the Flanders Community Center Wednesday night. Many had been asking the town to come talk to them since it began redesigning some elements of its 11-year-old Riverside Revitalization Action Plan last year.The sewage treatment plant has been downgraded to 290,000 gallons per day of effluent from an original 800,000 gallons.The latest plan for the neighborhood, as presented by Paul Knight of the firm Historical Concepts, calls for allowing the construction of an estimated 532 housing units, ranging in style and sized from 450 to 1,200 square feet, along with 198,000 square feet of commercial space.Mr. Knight shared potential scenarios for commercial space in which 72,000 square feet could be offices; 45,000 could be retail; 15,000 could be restaurants and 20,000 could be a grocery store, with smaller portions of square footage available for gyms and dance studios, cafés and delis and bars.The engineering firm Arcadis is asking Riverside residents to fill out a detailed survey about their existing septic systems and other engineering aspects of their homes, to help them get a better idea of how each home will tie into the system.The survey is expected to be posted soon online.***A few years ago, North Haven Village officials orchestrated a move of the village’s historic old schoolhouse — for decades located on a piece of land at the corner of Payne Avenue and Ferry Road — to its current location on the property of North Haven Village Hall.Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that the village-owned land that the schoolhouse had been on has been vacant since then but won’t be for much longer.At the last Village Board meeting, North Haven Mayor Chris Fiore and his fellow trustees unanimously approved a resolution to put that property up for sale. Before they could even list it, the following day, a potential buyer reached out with a cash offer of $1 million for the property.Mayor Fiore said that putting the property up for sale essentially amounted to a no-brainer for the village…pointing out that the sale of the property represents a smart financial investment at a time when the village could really use one.For the second straight year, the Village of North Haven has been forced to pierce the state’s cap on tax levy increases, with a 10 percent rise in property tax in store for residents this year.“We have been advised the sale of the former schoolhouse property could generate in excess of $1 million. This will guarantee our fiscal safety for years to come.”***The Dandelion Festival at KK’s The Farm in Southold this Sunday is on a mission to spread the word about the benefits of the dandelion leaf, flower and root, and its vital role as early season food for bees and other pollinators.Stop down any time between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to learn more.EAST END BEACON Editor Beth Young and Climate Local Now columnist Mark Haubner join a panel discussion at the festival at 11:30 a.m.There will be workshops, farm tours, live music, kids crafts, dancing and hula hooping.Bring a picnic.The event is free.Dandelions will make you wise this Sunday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm at KK’s The Farm on Main Road in Southold.***The U.S. Supreme Court’s Wednesday ruling limiting the use of race in creating congressional district maps will not impact New York’s current map, but the decision reignited calls among Democrats for state lawmakers to move forward on a plan to amend the state Constitution to allow for mid-decade...

Paying Long Island Rail Road workers the raises they're demanding to avoid a strike could lead to service cuts, job reductions, or fare hikes as high as 8% — twice the usual rate, MTA officials said yesterday.But LIRR labor leaders, who met with Metropolitan Transportation Authority managers for an impromptu bargaining session Wednesday, blasted the figure as baseless, and maintained the MTA can afford to pay workers a fair wage without digging deeper into riders' pockets to pay for it.MTA officials also released new details of their strike contingency plan, which now includes shuttle buses serving five Long Island locations.Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that the MTA and five labor organizations representing roughly half of all LIRR union workers are locked in a contract dispute that could result in the first railroad work stoppage in more than 30 years beginning on Saturday May 16. The two sides have agreed on the terms of the first three years of a deal, with raises totaling 9.5%, as has already been accepted by most MTA unions.The LIRR unions still holding out want a fourth year at 5%. The MTA has offered between 3% and 4.5%, depending on contract concessions.Paying Long Island Rail Road workers the raises they demand in order to prevent a strike next month could lead the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to hike fares by 8% in 2027, cut jobs, or slash service, officials said.Ahead of a potential May 16 LIRR work stoppage, officials released new details of a strike contingency plan, including rush hour shuttle buses running between five locations on Long Island and two Queens subway stations.An impromptu negotiating session between LIRR labor leaders and MTA managers yesterday ended with no settlement, but with plans for further talks.Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that MTA officials recently laid out what they said were the potential consequences of acquiescing to the demands of the five unions, which represent locomotive engineers, electricians, machinists, signal workers, and ticket clerks. Because, other unions — including those representing more than 40,000 city bus and subway workers — would expect the same terms as those given to the 3,400 LIRR workers in the contract dispute, transit officials said giving in to them would cost the MTA an extra $200 million a year. MTA Chief Financial Officer Jai Patel said, "The entire MTA, and not just the Long Island Rail Road, has to pay for this somehow.”Kevin Sexton, national vice president of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and a spokesman for the coalition of five unions, called the threat of an 8% fare hike "absolute, unadulterated, shameless fear mongering."Sexton said the MTA's figures are "not based in fact" and are disputed by federal mediators who have reviewed MTA's finances.Members of the five unions threatening to strike made on average $122,443 in 2024, the latest year available, according to a Newsday analysis of payroll data.With the May 16 deadline drawing nearer, MTA officials yesterday began warning riders directly of a potential railroad shutdown, including through a new website, mta.info/lirrstrike, which includes information about a plan to help commuters get to work and back without trains running.***Two Southampton High School juniors are helping bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace by playing a key role in launching a new Business Advisory Council aimed at expanding career opportunities for students.Working alongside Director of Counseling Martha Tuthill, student ambassadors Cameron Kieffer and Jack D’Italia have helped establish the initiative, which focuses on strengthening connections between the Southampton School district and the local business community.As reported on 27east.com, since the start of the school year, the council has hosted two meetings with more than 20 local business leaders, working to increase student access to career information, internships and job opportunities while enhancing career education programs.Ms. Tuthill said the initiative is just beginning. “The council can only grow from here, and the plan is to build upon it every year,” she said.Looking ahead, the students are working to launch a business club in fall 2026 to further expand opportunities for their peers.Local business leaders interested in participating can contact Tuthill at [email protected]***Almost everyone in Sag Harbor — from village government leaders to the heads of community nonprofits and advocacy groups, small-business owners and landlords, and more — agree that the village is at a tipping point, similar to the identity crisis it experienced around 2008, when the specter of CVS arriving in Sag Harbor led to code changes to protect the village’s character. Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that there’s a sense of urgency, bordering on panic at times, and a feeling that immediate steps must be taken to ensure that the Village of Sag Harbor doesn’t succumb to the same fate as its neighbors to the east and west, East Hampton Village and Southampton Village, where the downtown becomes a ghost town during the months outside of Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend. The re-opened and restored Southampton Playhouse has enlivened Hill Street in Southampton.What can and should be done to help ensure Sag Harbor can continue to lay claim to its longtime moniker as the “Un-Hampton,” is a debatable topic in the village. Nowadays one might rightfully refer to Sag Harbor as SAG-HAMPTON.With Target set to open in Bridgehampton this fall, the problem gets bigger. A not much longer drive to an area with free and abundant parking becomes an almost irresistible option for local shoppers.Bob Weinstein is the co-president of Save Sag Harbor. He spoke about the irony of the situation the village now finds itself in, nearly two decades after the rise of Save Sag Harbor as an organization.“I sort of joke that Save Sag Harbor, which has been at the forefront of protecting the scale and authenticity and charm of the village, maybe we’ve been too successful,” he said. “What used to be the un-Hampton is now so desirable, but all the things that make us so desirable could be lost so easily if the village goes from being Sag Harbor to Sag Tropez.“If everyone doesn’t come together, the things that we love will be lost, due to its popularity, and then the popularity will also be lost,” he added.Weinstein is a big believer in the value of shopping locally. “I sound like an old hippie saying this, but there’s power in the people,” he said.***New York Governor Gov. Kathy Hochul is seeking to pass a bill that would require the drivers of “super-speeder” vehicles to install speed-limiting devices. Its fate is tied to state budget negotiations with the Legislature, which has so far failed to pass the measure. (The NYS Legislative 2026-27 budget is now a month overdue.)Stefanos Chen reports in THE NY TIMES that a driver must be caught on camera speeding 16 or more times in a single year — or more than once a month — to qualify as a super-speeder. In New York City, that designation currently includes about 14,600 vehicles.The device, known as Intelligent Speed Assistance, is a small box affixed to the dashboard that uses GPS to identify the speed limit — 25 m.p.h. or less on most local streets, and higher on highways — and caps the driver slightly above it. The driver may temporarily override the device, in certain circumstances, with the tap of a button.Proponents say the program could lead to a big improvement in street safety, where other interventions have failed. Critics argue that the technology is invasive and could endanger drivers if it malfunctions or if they need to speed up suddenly, though similar devices have been used successfully elsewhere.“Suspending the license doesn’t do anything,” said Emily Gallagher, a state assemblywoman representing parts of Brooklyn, who backs the super-speeder bill.Many repeat offenders will continue to drive, she said, so the aim should be to limit the harm they can cause.***Riverhead Rotary’s 30th annual East End Garden Festival runs May 3 to May 10 at Tanger Outlets in Riverhead.The event which starts this coming Sunday features a giant plant sale, with proceeds benefiting Riverhead Rotary Charities, Operation International and Peconic Bay Medical Center.A raffle will also be held with a top prize of $10,000, second prize of $3,000, third prize of $1,000 and two additional prizes of $500. Raffle tickets cost $100 each, and sales are limited to 300 tickets. Winning tickets will be drawn Wednesday, May 27, 2026. If fewer than 300 tickets are sold, prizes will be proportionate to the number of tickets sold. Winners do not need to be present to win.***The Town of Southampton will be paid $850,000 by the organizers of the U.S. Open Golf Championship for police and other expenses incurred during this year’s tournament in Shinnecock Hills. Alek Lewis reports in NEWSDAY that the payment will reimburse the estimated cost of town police, traffic control, safety enforcement officers and other town staff during the event, said Ryan Murphy, Southampton’s public safety and emergency management administrator.“It's a considerable amount of resources that go into it,” Murphy told Newsday yesterday. “The town provides a rather large police presence for the event ... as well as the traffic and making sure that things flow through the area.”The Southampton Town board approved a "consideration agreement" between the town and the U.S. Golf Association, which runs the tournament, at its...

Gasoline prices on Long Island rose more than 12 cents a gallon over the last week, pushed by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which has choked oil exports from the Persian Gulf, as well as seasonal factors, according to AAA.By Monday morning, the auto club put the average price per gallon at just under $4.13. Gas Buddy put the average at $4.09, the highest in 12 months, though well off the $5.05 highest average price the AAA recorded for the region in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The national average has dropped since early April and was $4.11 on Monday, according to AAA. Here on the east end stations were charging over $4.20 per gallon in Water Mill and points east.Nicholas Spangler reports in NEWSDAY that gas prices — advertised on almost every commercial road — are key to consumer confidence, especially on Long Island, where there are more cars than households. Crude oil cost is the major driver of retail gasoline prices, and it has surged since the start of the Iran war because of disruption to production and shipping of oil and gas in the Persian Gulf. The threat of Iranian attacks on shipping has essentially closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s daily crude diet passed before the war’s start.The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s last available short-term energy outlook, from April 6, predicted retail gasoline prices would peak at $4.30 in April and average more than $3.70 this year, but that outlook assumed that war would not continue into May and that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz would gradually resume.***The Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center in East Hampton is looking to undertake a $4 million basement renovation to make way for a new Infant center, building on the success of the program for infants launched at the center last year.Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that to get the renovation project off the ground, the center, which provides child care and early education for infants and toddlers in East Hampton, is eying a $3.5 million grant from the NYS Office of Childhood and Family Services, which will be awarded to an early childhood center within the state for either new construction or a renovation.What the renovation project calls for is an overhaul of the center’s underutilized basement space as part of a three-phase project.If the center does not receive the grant for the renovation, it will pursue the project through other means. But the grant would serve to expedite the process overall.“We're still going to go ahead, and what we'll do is we'll probably break up the project into three different areas,” said Tim Frazier, Executive Director. “We'll probably put the elevator in first, and then we'll look at the renovation on the outside, then the renovation on the inside.”The Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center is one of only a few early education centers in the region that offers a structured and educational infant program.***Montauk, the home of the lighthouse, is about to see its name in lights on Broadway. Daniel Bubbeo reports in NEWSDAY that yesterday, Manhattan Theatre Club announced that Emmy Award winner and Oscar nominee Laura Linney will star in the world premiere of "Montauk," a new drama by David Hare at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre next spring. The play is described as "a visceral portrait of two artists with violently different approaches to art and life." Linney will play a writer who becomes infatuated with a passionate artist who is "a stubborn titan of Long Island abstraction," according to the announcement.Montauk has history as a refuge for artists including Andy Warhol, who lived in the oceanfront estate Eothen in Montauk.Eothen is Greek for "from the East" or "from the dawn.***Suffolk County officials are pointing to the Navy’s cleanup of the Bethpage plume in Nassau County as a precedent — and warning they expect the same urgency in Calverton, where county testing shows contamination from the former Navy-owned Grumman manufacturing site continues to move through groundwater, surface water and fish habitat while federal cleanup efforts remain largely in the study phase. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that at a community meeting last night, County Executive Ed Romaine made clear Suffolk is no longer willing to wait.“We are not without options,” Romaine said, emphasizing the county’s size, population and resources as he warned the county is not willing to tolerate indefinite delay from the U.S. Navy.The contrast with Bethpage is hard to miss. There, after decades of delay and denial about groundwater contamination from a former Navy/Grumman site, the Navy and Northrop Grumman in 2020 agreed to a $406 million cleanup plan to halt the spread of a massive groundwater plume that had already polluted public water supply wells, according to the Associated Press.That is the model Suffolk officials and environmental advocates say should now apply in Calverton: a former Navy/Grumman site, migrating contamination, public-water impacts, years of delay — and, eventually, an engineered containment plan funded by the responsible parties.Suffolk Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott said the stakes are high because Nassau and Suffolk have only one drinking water source: the sole-source aquifer.“It’s very important to understand what’s going into that aquifer, what’s going into our groundwater, our surface waters,” Pigott said.Riverhead Town Supervisor Jerry Halpin said after last night’s meeting that the Navy must move beyond discussion.“It’s time for the Navy to take accountability and begin action,” Halpin said. “They need to formulate an action plan and clean up our water so people have clean drinking water. It’s a basic human right.”***The mother of 8-year-old Thomas Valva, who reached a $9 million settlement with Suffolk County after her son died from being forced to sleep in a freezing garage in Center Moriches, could soon see the agreement scrapped and instead be forced to take the case to trial, a federal judge said yesterday during a brief but contentious hearing.Nicole Fuller reports in NEWSDAY that U.S. District Judge Brian M. Cogan, who recently took over the case after Valva's mother, Justyna Zubko-Valva, refused repeated requests from her lawyers to sign the required documents to finalize the settlement, issued an ultimatum from the bench in federal court in Brooklyn."There will be no settlement unless the plaintiff [Zubko-Valva] files an infant compromise motion," Cogan said, referring to the required motion that he said must be approved by a judge in settlements involving minors.If Zubko-Valva doesn't sign off on the motion in 30 days, the judge said, "Then the only other option is, we're going to trial."Zubko-Valva rejected an earlier proposal for distribution of the settlement, which called for her to receive $2 million immediately and for trusts in the amounts of about $2 million apiece to be established for her two surviving sons, Anthony and Andrew. The remaining $3 million would have been set aside for Zubko-Valva's attorneys. Her former attorney, Jon Norinsberg, has argued he is entitled to be paid. But Zubko-Valva has argued that neither her current attorney nor her previous one are entitled to any of the money, despite her signing agreements with each that stipulated they would be paid a portion of any settlement reached. 8-year-old Thomas Valva was killed on Jan. 17, 2020, by his NYPD officer father, Michael Valva, and Valva's then-fiancee, Angela Pollina, who forced the boy to sleep in their unheated Center Moriches garage, and starved and beat him. Thomas died from hypothermia.Valva and Pollina were both convicted of second-degree murder and are serving sentences of 25 years to life in upstate prisons.***The Town of Southampton will host a community discussion of the Riverside Water Resource Recovery Facility this evening at 7 p.m. at the Flanders Community Center, 655 Flanders Road, Flanders.Attendees will receive the latest updates on the Riverside project, learn what an E-One grinder pump looks like, and hear information about its installation and operation from the vendors at Site Specific. Southampton Town’s consulting engineers and architects will also be available to answer questions and gather community feedback.Community participation and input are encouraged as the Town of Southampton works with residents toward the future of Riverside.Tonight’s meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Flanders Community Center.***Years of independent ground and surface water testing by Suffolk County shows that a far more extensive plume of industrial chemicals is spreading beyond the former Grumman site in Calverton than the U.S. Navy has acknowledged. Tara Smith reports in NEWSDAY that the findings, presented by the county at a forum in Manorville last night, show the hazardous and in some cases carcinogenic chemicals are migrating directly toward the Peconic River, putting the entire estuary at risk.Residents, environmental advocates and local officials have grown frustrated by what they say is the U.S. Navy moving too slowly to confront the full extent of the pollution. The Navy is "dragging their feet," said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment.Navy officials did not participate in yesterday’s forum, though a Navy representative was in the audience taking notes.The 6,000-acre former Grumman site was used to build and test fighter jets from 1954 to 1996.Last night's meeting struck an urgent tone among nearly 100 residents who...

The Long Island Rail Road will begin summer service schedules on May 18 on the Montauk, Long Beach and Ronkonkoma lines — including more weekday trains to Montauk. Peter Gill reports in NEWSDAY that separately, beginning May 11, some midday weekday trains on various branches will see their departure times adjusted by a few minutes to accommodate maintenance work and accessibility upgrades outside of rush hour.All the changes will be viewable on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s TrainTime app later this week, according to the LIRR.Beginning Monday, May 18, the 5:13 p.m. train from Penn Station to Speonk — which normally runs to Montauk on summer Thursdays and Fridays — will continue on to Montauk, making all stops Mondays through Fridays throughout the summer. Likewise, the 11:37 a.m. and 4:18 p.m. trains on Sundays (Mondays on holiday weekends) from Montauk will operate through to Penn Station.The additional summer weekday trains to Montauk were first rolled out last summer. They are in addition to the Cannonball trains that offer express service to and from the South Fork on summer weekends."As we head into the busy summer season, we’re expanding service to give customers more flexibility," said LIRR President Rob Free in a statement yesterday.Regarding the north fork, midday weekday train service east of Ronkonkoma to and from Greenport will resume on May 11; it had been substituted with busing for several months for track maintenance.***The New York attorney general, Letitia James, on Friday sued to block the Trump administration’s cancellation of more than $73 million in highway funding for the state.The lawsuit, which A.G. James filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, asks the court to overturn the U.S. Department of Transportation’s decision and to restore the funding. Samantha Latson reports in THE NY TIMES that the Department of Transportation said last week that it would withhold financial support because New York refused to revoke commercial driver’s licenses it said were issued illegally. Ms. James said the trucking licenses were in compliance with state and federal regulations and only issued to people with legal status.“New Yorkers depend on safe, reliable roads and bridges to get to work, take their kids to school and keep our economy moving,” Ms. James said. “The administration cannot promise funding to our state and then abruptly yank it away.”Last week, the Transportation Department said it would also withhold an additional $147 million in future funding. The federal aid funds road maintenance, safety improvements and infrastructure. The attorney general said the aid block could interfere with “critical” transportation projects, increase costs and effect local economies across the state.“I promised the American people I would hold any state leader accountable for failing to keep them safe from unvetted, unqualified foreign drivers,” said Sean P. Duffy, the U.S. transportation secretary, in a statement. “I’m delivering on that promise today by refusing to fund Governor Hochul’s dangerous, anti-American policies. My message to New York’s far left leadership is clear: Families must be prioritized on American roads.”The trucking licenses have been part of a protracted battle between New York and the department for months. Mr. Duffy said in June 2025 that the federal government would audit state licensing practices because millions of people entered the United States illegally, leaving the truck licensing system vulnerable to exploitation. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration audit released in December found that 107 of New York’s commercial driver’s licenses were issued illegally out of 200 sampled records. The agency said the state issued commercial licenses to foreign drivers without providing evidence that it had verified the driver’s legal status.Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement on Friday that the department’s claims were false and that the blocking of federal funds was “political payback.”***Beth Young in EAST END BEACON reports that that there are 3 important civic gatherings this evening:The League of Women Voters of the Hamptons will host a program titled “Learning About Serving on Your East Hampton, Southampton and Shelter Island Town Board Advisory Committees” this evening from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the East Hampton Library, at 159 Main Street. The program will include LWV members from the three towns speaking about how to participate on the town advisory committees, when they meet, what the committees’ responsibilities are, and what they’ve accomplished. For more information, visit lwvhsinf.orgThe Mattituck and Cutchogue Civic Associations host a joint public forum on “The State of Mattituck-Cutchogue Schools” this evening from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Veterans Park, on Peconic Bay Boulevard in Mattituck. Find Out More.The Hampton Bays Civic Association meets this evening at 7 p.m. at the Hampton Bays Senior Center. They’re expecting to hear from a septic system installer about grants available for new septic systems, and from a member of the Southampton Town Board about local issues.***The Village of East Hampton has become the first municipality on the East End to enact a law, drafted by OLA of Eastern Long Island, Inc. (Organización Latino Americana), that is meant to boost accountability in the event of federal immigration action.What the blueprint drafted by OLA aims to do, primarily, is establish a series of procedures and training programs that would help deter the impersonation of federal officers and adopt local requirements for reporting enforcement activity up and down the chain, with the goal of making that information publicly available. The purpose is to boost public safety and accountability and clarify the place that local governments occupy in the event of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, raid.Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that East Hampton Village officials adopted a version that is stronger than the final version that OLA is promoting. This is primarily because the village law, unlike OLA’s draft, blocks village officials from entering 287(g) agreements, which essentially allow local and federal officers to work in partnership for immigration detentions. OLA removed this provision, thinking that blocking 287(g) agreements could be a stumbling block, after receiving feedback from local officials.Another point where East Hampton Village officials gave the law extra teeth is in blocking federal officials from accessing data from the village’s Flock, or license plate reader, cameras. Data that has not been flagged in connection with a criminal investigation will be deleted within 30 days. East Hampton Village officials enacting the law, which was drafted via a collaboration between OLA and former NYS Assemblyman Fred Thiele, came right on the heels of a public hearing, held on April 22, during which OLA advocates spoke up.Of the 10 twin forks towns and villages with a police department, East Hampton Town and East Hampton Village have been spearheading the OLA law, while others are continuing discussions with OLA about what the law will entail.OLA Legal Advocate Erika Padilla said the law is not about hindering federal enforcement but protecting the safety and integrity of the local community. The law will provide a simple, common sense solution, Padilla said.The East Hampton Town Board, which lent support to the law after a discussion on April 7, plans to hold a public hearing on May 7.***The Town of Southold struck two words from its zoning code in a move officials say could spur more accessory apartments and boost affordable housing on the North Fork. Tara Smith reports in NEWSDAY that the change approved April 21 allows accessory apartments to be built in new detached structures on residential property. Previously, Southold Town law required accessory apartments be built in “presently existing” structures including garages, barns and storage buildings.The town board approved the change as part of a broader effort to update zoning laws to encourage accessory dwelling units in a competitive, expensive housing market. Southold’s Zoning Board of Appeals, which reviews applications to build accessory apartments, supported the change.Leslie Weisman, the board’s chair, said the town removed a roadblock and could allow residents to have tiny homes on their properties.Weisman cited a recent denial on a property where a homeowner sought to build a detached apartment for their son to live in. “We couldn’t say yes, because it was not existing,” Weisman said in an interview.Adding affordable housing is a key priority in Southold’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan. The need is dire, Weisman said.“Enrollment in our public school systems on the North Fork [is] dwindling dramatically,” Weisman said, noting that young families cannot afford to live in the region. “We’re going to lose generational vitality if we don’t do something about housing.”The Town of Southold is considering tapping its Community Housing Fund to provide no-interest loans to homeowners looking to build accessory apartments.***A Riverside Wastewater Forum at Flanders Community Center is scheduled for this coming Wednesday evening April 29 from 7 to 9 p.m.Southampton Town representatives will discuss the latest on Riverside’s Water Resource Recovery Facility in an informational program for the community.That’s this Wednesday at 7 p.m. in David W. Crohan Community Center, 655 Flanders Road, Riverhead, NY 11901.***New York school leaders have until today to file their...

The confessed serial killer, Rex Heuermann, told family members that the woman whose body was found in a wooded area in North Sea was indeed the first murder he committed and the only one that was not planned ahead of time.Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that in a documentary released yesterday on the streaming service Peacock, Heuermann’s wife and daughter recounted conversations they had with him last summer in which he admitted to them to have killed eight women between 1993 and 2010.The first, they said he told them, was Sandra Costilla, whose body was found in a small section of woodlands off Fish Cove Road, just north of Noyac Road.His wife, Asa Ellerup, says in the documentary that he told her he killed Costilla, who was a sex worker he had hired and arranged to meet over the phone, inside an SUV he owned at the time, a two-tone blue Dodge Ramcharger.“He said he killed Sandra Costilla in the Dodge — that was his first murder, before I married him,” Ellerup says in the “The Gilgo Beach Killer" fourth and final episode.Heuermann would have been 29 in November 1993, when Sandra Costilla, 28, disappeared. Her body was discovered by two Southampton waterfowl hunters early on the morning of November 20, 1993.“He said ‘The first one, I had no idea I was going to kill at the time, I just randomly did it,’” therapist Alison Winter, tells the documentary cameras, after speaking with Heuermann, with Ellerup, in the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Riverside in August 2025.Costilla’s murder had been the earliest one that Suffolk County Distirct Attorney Ray Tierney’s office had linked to Heuermann since 2024, when a new examination of DNA evidence in cold case murders following Heuermann’s 2023 arrest linked him to the decades old Southampton case.Costilla’s body was found, still partially clothed. Her body had been mutilated but was not disremembered, like many of the other victims, and only feint effort had been made to avoid the body being found.“She was lying on her back with her arms outstretched over her head — her legs were uncovered, a shirt was pressed over her head,” Tierney said at a press conference in 2024, the day he announced the new charges against Heuermann. “The victim suffered numerous sharp force injuries, 25 in all, which we believed were post-mortem.”Neither the D.A.’s office, nor the documentary, has shed any light on how Heuermann arrived at the small plot of undeveloped land in North Sea as the disposal site for Costilla’s body. The other bodies of his victims were found in dense brambles off a remote stretch of the Ocean Parkway in Gilgo Beach and in the woods of the Long Island Pine Barrens in Manorville.***There will not be a Republican Party candidate for East Hampton Town supervisor for the second straight election cycle, giving the winner of this year’s highly contested Democratic primary race a straight shot at the town’s top office. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen has, for months now, been running a challenge against incumbent Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, who was formally endorsed for a third term by the established Town Democratic Committee in January.Besides running a fiery campaign for town supervisor, Larsen has been backing a push to reshape the local Democratic Committee in his image by unseating the lion’s share of the 38 sitting committee members and putting his allies in their place.Throughout the campaign, Larsen has defended his political identity from establishment Democrats who say the Larsen-backed slate of committee candidates is sprinkled with longtime Republicans who appear to have switched their registration to wrest power from the local ruling party.Larsen said of the Republicans failing to nominate a candidate that “the election is really decided in June for the foreseeable future.”Burke-Gonzalez, in November, won reelection for a two-year term, in another uncontested general election, but a New York State law, which lined up local elections with the national calendar, truncated her term to one year – and put her right back on the campaign trail.This week, Larsen wrote off the possibility of him running with a third party, which would have been possible in the event of a Burke-Gonzalez win in the June primary election: “Democrat only,” he told The East Hampton Press.The candidates, Burke-Gonzalez and Larsen, will face off at a debate at LTV Studios in Wainscott on May 13 at 6 p.m. Express News Group Consulting Editor Joseph P. Shaw will serve as the moderator.***North Fork Scouts are busy this year making Southold a better place, starting just steps from the side door to Town Hall. Mattituck High School Junior Madison Tomaszewski is planning a Celebration Garden in a neglected space just outside of Southold Town Hall as part of her Gold Award project, while Brendan Boyle of Southold is placing first aid stations at a number of preserves throughout the town as an Eagle Scout project.Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that regarding Madison Tomaszewski’s Celebration Garden, Southold Supervisor Al Krupski told Town Clerk Denis Noncarrow to get ready for a slew of applications for weddings at Town Hall.“Quite a few weddings take place here already,” he said. “This serves as an example to younger girls, to see the kind of things they can do to help the community.”Regarding Brendan Boyle’s project, Southold Land Management Coordinator John Sepenoski told the Southold Town Board this week that Boyle’s first aid stations will be placed at Ruth Oliva Preserve in East Marion, Arshamomaque and Pipes Cove preserves in Greenport, Paul Stoutenburgh Preserve in Southold, Downs Farm Preserve in Cutchogue and Laurel Park in Laurel.***Suffolk County sheriff’s deputies are testing out high-tech guns that will be mounted on police car bumpers to fire GPS darts onto suspects’ vehicles’ during high-speed chases.The new technology, known as StarChase, already led to the tracking and arrest of a drunk driver who refused to pull over, authorities announced yesterday.Brandon Cruz reports in THE NY POST that the program was launched several weeks ago and is being piloted by the department’s DWI enforcement unit — the first agency in the county with access to the tech.“We have seen dozens of people try to evade arrest causing dangerous situations for themselves, our officers and the community at large,” said Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. “With our DWI team equipped with the StarChase GPS technology, it will help them apprehend subjects during high-risk events by safely giving our officers access to their real-time location, speed and direction,” the sheriff said. Once a driver makes it clear they have no intentions of pulling over, police are authorized to shoot the adhesive GPS tag onto the back of the fleeing vehicle, authorities said. It isn’t clear what the dart guns’ maximum range is.The dart then latches onto the car, giving officers and dispatch the ability to monitor the target’s real-time location, speed and direction without having to chase them through the streets.Once the driver believes they got away and comes to a stop, the tracking officers are then able to swoop in and make the surprise arrest.The system, according to officials, boasts an 85% success rate across a range of offenses — from drunk driving and stolen vehicles to human trafficking and narcotics — and could possibly find itself implemented in police vehicles across the county to use beyond DWI enforcement.With the new pilot program launching just weeks ago, Suffolk County joins neighboring New York City and Old Westbury cops in Nassau County who both implemented the tech back in 2023.***The president of the LIRR expressed optimism yesterday that a deal could be reached to avert a railroad union strike less than a month away. Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that ahead of a planned virtual conference with LIRR labor leaders Monday, Long Island Rail Road president Rob Free said he "absolutely" believes a settlement to the three-year-long contract dispute is within reach.The two sides have already agreed on raises totaling 9.5% over the first three years of a new contract — terms already accepted by most Metropolitan Transportation Authority union workers. But the five LIRR labor organizations are demanding a fourth year at 5%. The MTA has countered with an offered 4.5% raise in the fourth year of the contract, but tied it to productivity increases and work rule givebacks."We want to talk to them. We're almost there," Free said at a Jamaica news conference. "Three years we're in agreement on. We're talking about a fourth year, and I don't think we're that far apart in what the raise would actually be."The five labor organizations embroiled in the contract dispute represent nearly half the LIRR’s union workforce, including locomotive engineers, signal workers, machinists, ticket agents and electricians.The unions have said the 15% in total raises they’re seeking is necessary to keep up with the rising cost of living, and with raises given to other union workers throughout the railroad industry. The LIRR’s offer, the unions have said, would amount to a pay cut.Free said Wednesday that paying higher-than-expected wages would create added costs in the MTA’s operating budget, which is funded in part through riders’ fares. "Who’s going to pay for it?" Free asked.Jeff Klein, general chairman of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 589, the union representing LIRR electricians, said he, too, remains optimistic that a deal can be made, but believes that raises...

Since the early 1980s, Long Island has become a hotbed for ticks and an epicenter for the diseases they can carry, such as Lyme disease, babesiosis and more recently, alpha-gal syndrome, the meat allergy sparked by a tick bite. Lisa L. Colangelo reports in NEWSDAY that predicting whether this will be a "bad" tick year is difficult because population is driven by factors such as weather, vegetation and availability of hosts — such as deer and mice — to feed on, said Scott Campbell, Suffolk County's chief entomologist.Every year, he oversees tick surveillance in Suffolk to see which species are in the environment and which pathogens they are carrying."I’ve never seen a shortage of ticks," Campbell said. "You still have to take precautions whether you are in contact with one tick or 100 ticks."But there are some signs it will be a busy seasonSnow, blanketed Long Island this winter, can insulate ticks from cold temperatures."The question is always, 'It's been a terrible winter — will there be fewer ticks?' " entomologist Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann told members of the Adirondacks Club's Long Island Chapter at a meeting this month. "We were snow covered for a whole month at least. That means the ticks and all the insects that are under the snow are buffered from the very cold."Ticks can be active when the temperatures are about 37 degrees or higher. They are less likely to survive in dry conditions, whether they are extremely hot or cold.Gangloff-Kaufmann said an abundant acorn season, called an "acorn mast," two years ago may also foretell a tough tick season because it can lead to a burst in the mouse and chipmunk population. Mice are a common reservoir for disease.7:06am - 7:07:30amAre tick-borne illnesses going up?"The trends are up for everything you measure," said Nicole Baumgarth, director of the Lyme and Tickborne Diseases Research and Education Institute at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. "The question is whether [tick-borne diseases] are being diagnosed more, or are they more prevalent?" Lisa L. Colangelo reports in NEWSDAY that emergency department visits for tick bites have been rising. For the most recent week in April available, 168 out of every 100,000 visits to emergency departments in the Northeast were for a tick bite, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For the same week last year it was 107 out of every 100,000 visits.Stony Brook Southampton Hospital's Tick-Borne Disease Clinic in Hampton Bays has received a steady stream of calls and appointment requests over the last two weeks."We're starting to see more tick activity and more tick bites," said Dr. Andrew Handel, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Stony Brook Children's Hospital who has a focus on tick-borne illnesses. "I expect in the coming weeks to start seeing cases of tick-borne diseases."Researchers in the United States and Australia spent years piecing together the mystery of why some people were developing an allergy to meat. Scientists at the University of Virginia found a "range of evidence" by 2010 to link it to the bite of a lone star tick, and specifically a sugar molecule in the tick's saliva that can cause an overactive immune response.Dr. Erin McGintee, an allergist and immunologist at ENT and Allergy Associates in Southampton, started diagnosing cases on Long Island around 2011 and has treated more than 1,000 patients with the allergy since that time.McGintee, an alpha-gal expert, said cases were once more common on the East End of Long Island but now show up in patients from various places including Port Jefferson, Islip, Stony Brook and Smithtown."It's following where the deer are going and the lone star tick is spreading," she said. Lisa L. Colangelo reports in NEWSDAY that wildlife experts believe much of Suffolk County’s large tick population can be attributed to the warming climate and a growing wildlife population, in particular white-tail deer that provide a food source and mode of transportation for ticks.The region's deer population, almost wiped out at the start of the 20th century due to over hunting and other issues, rebounded in recent decades due to conservation efforts and the lack of natural predators."The deer population on Long Island exploded," said entomologist Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, associate director at Cornell’s Integrated Pest Management program. She is based in Babylon.Scott Campbell, Suffolk County's chief entomologist, said the deer on Long Island are moving westward as their numbers grow and they search for food."Decades ago, people in Huntington, Smithtown, Islip didn’t have problems with ticks," said Campbell. There's less food for deer in forests, so they "come into residential areas to feed on the arborvitae or plantings in our yards and they bring those ticks with them."If you do have a tick bite, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital's Tick-Borne Disease Clinic recommends taking a photo of it, removing it with pointy tweezers, and placing it in a container of alcohol. This will kill the tick and preserve it in case it's needed later to be identified and tested for bacteria that causes disease in humans.Not all ticks carry bacteria and viruses that cause disease, but removing one quickly lowers the chance of transmission. Watch for symptoms including fever, headache, swollen joints and a rash, and follow up with your health care provider.***A white-tailed deer with rare nearly all-white coloring has been frequenting a grassy yard on eastern Long Island.A resident, who asked to be kept anonymous to protect the animal and whose exact location Newsday is keeping private, said the deer started showing up in his backyard, which borders a wooded area, in December, and he began snapping photos.Tracy Tullis reports in NEWSDAY that the deer has a genetic trait called leucism, which causes a loss of pigment. Deer with leucism can be nearly all white, like this one, or spotted like a pinto pony — a variation commonly called piebald. The condition can affect nearly any animal, including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish.Leucism is the result of a recessive gene, so both parents must carry that gene in order to produce a leucistic fawn. Only about 1% of deer have this trait, according to The Nature Conservancy. It’s different from albinism, also a genetic mutation, which results in a complete lack of melanin. A leucistic deer will still have dark eyes, nose, and hooves.Leslie Lupo, a wildlife biologist at the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s Stony Brook office, said she’d never seen a deer with leucism on Long Island.This rare Long Island animal seems content to browse on tender spring greens, the east end resident said, sometimes alone and sometimes accompanied by a more conventionally attired companion."I was and still am very fortunate to see this deer," the man told NEWSDAY. "I realized how lucky I am when something that rare chooses your yard to feel safe in." ***Frustration with the slow pace of progress in the cleanup of the former Grumman superfund site in Calverton has residents and government officials fed up. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that in a grassroots effort, members of the Calverton Restoration Advisory Board, community members and county and town officials have scheduled their own meeting outside of the Navy’s twice-annual cleanup updates in order to receive data obtained through an investigation by Suffolk County health department officials. The meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday, April 28 at the Manorville Fire Department headquarters.At the last Calverton Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) meeting on Feb. 10, the Navy would not allow Suffolk County health department staff to present well-testing data they’d collected over the prior year.Calverton RAB member and clean water advocate Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said the county sampling was requested through the RAB, the data collection was completed, and members expected it would be shared as part of the Navy’s public process.Addison Phoenix, the Navy’s current project manager for the Calverton site, said that Navy representatives and contractors are authorized to discuss “Navy-generated data associated with the environmental restoration program.” Esposito called that decision “very unhelpful,” because it undermined the idea of agencies working together in partnership. Further, she said, the information would “educate members of the public” and “add to the understanding of what is a concern and what is not a concern” as a result of groundwater contamination at the site and a plume of contamination that has been migrating off-site.Members of the RAB are appointed by the Navy to provide citizen input on the environmental cleanup and restoration of the former military manufacturing and testing facility. Its meetings are intended to provide the community with periodic updates from the Navy on the status of its investigation and cleanup/restoration efforts — as well as an opportunity to give the Navy feedback and ask questions.The first Calverton RAB meeting was convened on April 28, 1998. The most recent meeting held in February was the Calverton RAB’s 62nd meeting. The flyer being circulated by organizers of the April 28 community meeting bluntly states that the Navy has been dragging its feet for decades and “it’s time for accountability and action NOW!”This coming Tuesday’s meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at Manorville Fire Department headquarters, 16 Silas Carter Road, Manorville. <a...

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...

Twenty-three schools in 16 Long Island districts have been flagged for subpar academic performance in the state's latest accountability ratings, a Newsday analysis has found. More than half of the schools — 15 — were classified as needing targeted support and improvement, also known as TSI. Six were designated as needing additional targeted support and improvement, or ATSI.Two schools, one in Hempstead and another in Riverhead, were marked as needing comprehensive support and improvement, known as CSI. That designation means the schools are ranked among the bottom 5% of schools statewide. There was good news as well, though. Central Islip had no schools on the state's needs-improvement list for the first time in more than a decade.Brentwood, Wyandanch, William Floyd, Patchogue-Medford and Westhampton Beach also were taken off the list this year. Maureen Mullarkey reports in NEWSDAY that the number of schools in Nassau and Suffolk on the 2025-26 list dropped from 29 the year prior but was higher than the 11 identified in 2023-24.Educators have argued that the improvement labels unfairly stigmatize schools. Officials in some of the districts identified in this year’s list criticized the designations, saying they were based on the performance of a small subgroup of students and are not indicative of the student body as a whole. Others cited outside factors, like increased immigration enforcement in their communities, as having a negative impact on their schools.State officials said the accountability ratings offer “an opportunity” to improve academic outcomes. The data used for identification can help educators zero in on learning gaps, they argued.Rachel Connors, a NYS Education Department spokeswoman, told NEWSDAY that the accountability system is not intended to "diminish the work of educators, but to highlight where additional support and resources are needed.”“We understand and respect that educators work incredibly hard every day to support their students, and that no single designation can fully capture the full story of a school community including its culture, relationships, or the progress happening in classrooms,” she emphasized.***Crossing Long Island Sound will cost you more after both the Bridgeport &amp; Port Jefferson Ferry and the Cross Sound Ferry announced fare increases due to current fuel prices. Dandan Zou and Michael R. Ebert report in NEWSDAY that this week, the Cross Sound Ferry in Orient listed its fuel surcharge as 9.5%. That's actually down from 10.7% recently, the company reported on its website."Due to the volatility of fuel costs, Cross Sound Ferry uses a floating fuel surcharge," the ferry said on its website. "The fuel surcharge is a percentage applied to all published fares, and is based on our most recent fuel costs." Cross Sound Ferry is a passenger and road vehicle ferry service operating between New London, Connecticut and Orient. As of last Wednesday, the Bridgeport &amp; Port Jefferson Ferry enacted a 4.5% fuel surcharge to all ferry fees, increasing one way tickets from $74 to $77 off-peak and from $76 to $79 peak for a vehicle with a passenger."This surcharge will be reviewed weekly and may be adjusted upward or downward based on fuel costs and market conditions," the ferry website said. "Any revised fuel surcharge will be posted in advance and, unless otherwise stated, will take effect on Wednesdays."***ReWild Long Island will launch the fourth summer of its South Fork internship program in 2026, offering high school students hands-on experience in sustainability, food security and environmental stewardship.The Summer Program to Fight Hunger and Climate Change is open to rising freshmen through seniors and provides modest stipends along with environmental education focused on Long Island’s unique ecology.Applications for both interns and volunteers opened April 1 and are available to the end of this month.ReWild Long Island also welcomes adult mentors and volunteers to support its South Fork chapter.For more information or to apply, visit the program page at rewildlongisland.org/summerprogram.***Framing April 20th NOT as a celebration of cannabis culture but as a public-health warning, Suffolk County officials, law enforcement leaders and addiction treatment providers gathered yesterday at Wellbridge Addiction Treatment and Research in Calverton to sound the alarm about cannabis use disorder, cannabis-induced psychosis, youth access to THC products and drugged driving. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Monday’s event, hosted by Wellbridge, featured Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, District Attorney Ray Tierney, Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr., Suffolk police Chief of Department William Doherty, Riverhead Town Supervisor Jerry Halpin and clinicians from Wellbridge and Outreach Development Corp.Again and again, speakers returned to one central point: marijuana may be legal in New York but driving while impaired by cannabis is not.D.A. Tierney said his office has prosecuted cases involving fatal crashes, children sickened by THC-laced edibles and illegal sales to minors. He cited the 2023 death of Franklin Blake in Southampton, saying the driver who struck and killed him was high on cannabis and Xanax.But while the public officials focused largely on impaired driving and enforcement, the most detailed warnings about cannabis itself came from the treatment providers and clinicians.Dr. Edmond Hakimi, Wellbridge’s medical director, said the cannabis now commonly available is far more potent than marijuana used decades ago and argued that the rise in high-THC products has changed the risk profile dramatically.“It’s not the same drug anymore,” Hakimi said, describing cannabis concentrates with THC levels far above those seen in plant marijuana in past decades.Hakimi said Wellbridge is seeing patients admitted for treatment for cannabis use alone and said clinicians are increasingly concerned about psychiatric consequences, particularly among frequent users of high-potency products and among younger people whose brains are still developing.He described patients arriving paranoid, hallucinating and, in some cases, losing touch with reality. He also warned that regular cannabis use can be especially risky for people with a personal or family history of mental illness.Romaine and Tierney both pressed for changes in state law and better roadside tools for detecting cannabis impairment. Romaine said lawmakers need to address the gap between legalization and enforcement, arguing there is still no marijuana equivalent of a Breathalyzer. Tierney said technology exists but is not yet in use.That difficulty is reflected in federal guidance as well. The CDC says cannabis can impair driving but also notes that linking THC levels in a person’s body to actual driving impairment is far more complicated than it is with alcohol. *** Yesterday, the Trump administration took its first steps toward issuing tariff refunds with the launch of a web platform through U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Brianne Ledda reports in NEWSDAY that the system follows a Supreme Court ruling that found the president had exceeded his authority last April when he cited the U.S. trade deficit as a national emergency to invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act {IEEPA} a 1977 emergency powers law. The decision did not order the government to repay the tariffs, but a judge at the U.S. Court of International Trade determined last month that businesses subjected to IEEPA taxes should see refunds.Customs and Border Protection has noted that the refund process is being rolled out in phases."Importers and brokers can visit CBP’s website for resources and step-by-step guidance," an agency spokesperson told Newsday.Stacey Sikes, acting president and CEO of the Long Island Association, a regional business nonprofit, called the refund portal's launch "welcome news" that could help businesses experiencing tariff-induced financial challenges to recoup money, "especially at a time when they are navigating other uncertainties.""Hopefully the processing of refunds will be expeditious," she said.At a media event on Monday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also highlighted the refunds, as well as the added burdens that tariffs pose as many in the state struggle with continued inflation."Remember, everyday New Yorkers also paid the price," she said. "$13.5 billion is the additional cost that has been imposed on New Yorkers alone because of the Trump tariffs, and that's about $1,700 per the average family."New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with 21 other state attorneys general and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania, sued in March to stop tariffs implemented under the Trade Act of 1974, which the administration used to impose a 10% import tax on imports for 150 days starting Feb. 24. The suit also seeks refunds for tariffs collected under the law.***Until tomorrow, the Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons is accepting applications for scholarship grants through its Karish Education Fund, supporting students pursuing studies in horticulture and related fields.Eligible applicants include graduating high school seniors, college students and individuals enrolled in professional certification programs in disciplines such as agriculture, botany, landscape architecture, garden design and environmental science. Applications are due by Earth Day, April 22….that’s tomorrow.The fund honors Paul Karish, a founding member of the

Southampton Town police said yesterday that they rescued a kayaker marooned on a sandbar due to rough seas in the Great Peconic Bay.Janon Fisher reports in NEWSDAY that police responded to a 911 call around 4:30 p.m. Sunday from the boater who said that she was stranded about 500 feet northeast of the Shinnecock Canal, in Hampton Bays, according to a news release.Before help arrived, the kayaker jumped into the water, but was found and pulled from the water by the Southampton Town Marine Patrol.During the rescue, an officer suffered a leg injury “due to the sea conditions,” according to the release.Marine Patrol took the woman to the Meschutt County Park where Hampton Bays Volunteer Ambulance workers treated her for hypothermia.The injured officer was taken to a hospital for treatment.The U.S. Coast Guard, which also responded, recovered the woman’s kayak.***Long Island's homeless population rose 32% between 2022 and 2024, according to a report from the New York State Comptroller’s Office. According to the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless, as of 2024, there were approximately 500 families with children in shelter and over 1,100 single adults in shelter. Mike Giuffrida, the coalition's associate director, told NEWSDAY that homelessness and displacements are on the rise due to lack of affordable housing in Nassau and Suffolk.***Island Water Park Corp., which owns the Calverton amusement park, has filed a new application to amend its site plan to allow drifting events, the use of battery-powered bumper boats on the site’s manmade lake, a floating dock for the boats, a fire-suppression well drawing water from the lake and a zip line over a portion of the water.Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that approval of the application would require the Riverhead Town Board to amend a covenant imposed as part of the June 17, 2025, site plan approval prohibiting use of the track by any vehicles other than go-karts. It would also require amendment of an earlier recorded covenant restricting the lake to nonmotorized watercraft.That go-kart-only restriction was not incidental. It was one of the conditions the Riverhead Town Board relied on in March 2025 when it issued a conditional negative declaration under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, finding that no further environmental review was required for the then-pending site plan application.Island Water Park’s new application came before the Town Board at its work session this past Thursday, where Senior Planner Greg Bergman outlined the proposal and cautioned that the track restriction was tied directly to the 2025 SEQRA determination because go-karts were viewed as having more limited impacts than other vehicles.Riverhead Town Supervisor Jerry Halpin, who acknowledged meeting with company representatives some time before the work session, expressed support for the application, and support for following procedures.“Like every other business in town, you’re here. We want you to be successful. You have a CO. We want to make sure we’re going through every step…and how we can assist them…So thank you for presenting, “said Supervisor Halpin.***East End police officers will take part in the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee’s “No Empty Chair” campaign beginning today through Friday, with enforcement and education efforts focused on teen driving safety. School resource officers and patrol officers will participate in outreach and enforcement aimed at reducing dangerous driving during prom and graduation season.The traffic safety committee’s message to teens is simple.“Be buckled up. Be a cell-free motorist. Be a sober driver. Be in your chair on graduation day.”The statewide campaign runs today through Friday, April 24.The campaign includes daily enforcement themes this week.Monday, April 20: underage drinking and impaired drivingTuesday, April 21: seat belts and child restraintsWednesday, April 22: cell phone use and textingThursday, April 23: Operation Safe StopFriday, April 24: speeding in school zonesThe campaign is intended to raise awareness of highway dangers and promote safe driving habits among young motorists, police said. State and local law enforcement agencies are expected to increase patrols near high schools and focus on violations of the Graduated Driver Licensing law and other traffic offenses.For more information, visit trafficsafety.ny.gov.***East Hampton Town officials are poised to block driving on town-owned portions of Gin Beach in Montauk, a popular destination for bathing, during the summer season between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that this change comes because town officials, at the behest of Marine Patrol, say the beach is a lifeguarded one, popular among families with small children, which means beach driving should be blocked during the times when there is a lifeguard on duty. The change would take effect the Thursday before Memorial Day and run until September 15.But the move drew pushback at an East Hampton Town Board public hearing earlier this month, with William Jakob from the Montauk Surfcasters Association saying that imposing beach driving restrictions is a slippery slope. Gin Beach, he said, is one with a long history of fishing. Others echoed Jakob’s thoughts, saying that the Town Board should appreciate longstanding local traditions. “The town has been fundamentally available for beach driving for generations,” Jakob said. “This was a fishing town. It still is a fishing town.”Jakob called for the Town Board to leave beach driving on Gin Beach open to the public and not block that to make way for sunbathing, saying the latter is a new phenomenon that started in the 1900s.The East Hampton Town Board, though, put itself in a position to move forward with the restrictions, which would only apply to the town-owned portions just north of the parking lot, at a work session last week. A unanimous Town Board backed the changes.Other beaches in the area that are lifeguarded — like Hither Hills, Indian Wells and Atlantic Avenue — also have seasonal driving restrictions.Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez spoke supportively for the measure, like her colleagues on the Town Board and Chief Harbormaster Tim Treadwell. With majority support, the measure is ready for adoption when a resolution appears.“This beach is used by a lot of families with small kids,” Burke-Gonzalez said. “They're not ready to take them to the ocean yet — and we want to protect public safety, so I'm supportive as well.”***New York State has receded as a key battleground in the contest for control of the U.S. House, with independent analysts pointing to Texas, North Carolina, Maine and Ohio as better opportunities for Republicans. Billy House reports in NEWSDAY that Long Island and other areas of New York State had been projected to be among the nation's pivotal battlegrounds heading into this fall’s midterm elections. Instead, Republicans have struggled to recruit or keep top-tier candidates in the Hudson Valley, central New York and this past week in Nassau County, where former Rep. Anthony D’Esposito decided not to run.Nationwide, Democrats need a net pickup of just three districts in the 435-member chamber to wrest the majority from Republicans. That means Republicans need to defend the seats they have and counter any losses with gains elsewhere.New York had been seen as a key focus of that aim."New York is less central to the battle for control of the House because the national environment for Democrats has improved," said Erin Covey, a nonpartisan handicapper with the Cook Political Report.On Long Island, 3 congressional races in Nassau County seem competitive. Republican Nick LaLota’s 1st Congressional District in eastern Suffolk County is not seen as very competitive.***Brookhaven National Laboratory physicist William Morse is part of a team of scientists honored Saturday night with a Breakthrough Prize, one of science's top honors.Morse and his fellow researchers were honored for their studies of an obscure subatomic particle known as a muon. Scientists believe the muon's unstable nature helps to explain cosmic anomalies such as Mercury's erratic orbit around the sun.The Breakthrough Prize comes with a $3 million award split among dozens of scientists involved in the research, officials said.Carl MacGowan reports in NEWSDAY that the 78 year old Morse of East Patchogue and the others are credited with significant scientific advances in a quest begun in Europe six decades ago to fine-tune physicists’ understanding of the enigmatic muon.The research led Morse and the Brookhaven lab at one point to shut down William Floyd Parkway to carry a 17-ton superconducting magnet more than 3,000 miles by truck and barge to Illinois.And yet in spite of the award, more work remains, added Morse.“The theorists say they need another two or three years of calculations,” he said.***Allowing a Westhampton property owner to clear brush and trees in the pine barrens to protect against wildfires would set a dangerous precedent for the forest’s ecosystem, the Long Island Central Pine Barrens Commission has ruled. Alek Lewis reports in NEWSDAY that commissioners voted unanimously last Wednesday to deny the application made by Joseph Gazza, a commercial property owner who sought to clear up to 100 feet around six properties he owns...

After keeping their social distance from trains during the height of the pandemic, weekend Long Island Rail Road riders are back in a big way, and then some, according to a new state report.Alfonso A. Castillo and Joseph Ostapiuk report in NEWSDAY that according to the report by the office of NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, weekend ridership on the LIRR was 27% higher last year than in 2019 — a year in which the railroad set a modern ridership record. The boom in Saturday and Sunday demand has helped offset lagging weekday rush hour ridership, which remains nearly 40% down from pre-COVID levels, according to MTA data.Officials and riders attributed the railroad's surging weekend ridership to several factors, such as the boost in service that came with the opening of Grand Central Madison, and the growing cost of driving.LIRR ticket prices have also recently increased. But new discount promotions have reduced the cost for families traveling on the LIRR on weekends.The LIRR averaged 267,567 riders each weekend in 2025, up from 210,313 in 2019. The railroad's weekend ridership has been trending up for years, beating 2019 levels in nearly every month since 2023, when the railroad opened Grand Central Madison and significantly boosted service levels to accommodate a second Manhattan terminal.Although the LIRR's overall ridership has bounced back faster than the MTA predicted, the railroad closed out 2025 still down about 8% from pre-COVID levels.Among all Metropolitan Transportation Authority agencies, including subways, city buses and Metro-North, the LIRR on weekends is "the only transit mode analyzed where ridership has fully recovered and even improved compared to the pre-pandemic baseline," the report said.But weekend ridership recovery has outpaced the MTA’s expectations across all its agencies since the pandemic, when trains and buses were largely empty for months. After carrying 91 million passengers in 2019 — the most in 70 years — LIRR ridership plummeted to just 30 million in 2020. Last year, it was nearly 82 million, buoyed by particularly strong weekend crowds.***Later this month, Southampton Town Highway Department crews will begin work on a long-awaited pedestrian enhancement project in Noyac that will bring sidewalks and crosswalks to a more than 2-mile stretch of Noyac Road, improving pedestrian accessibility and safety along the busy corridor. Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that Southampton Town Highway Superintendent Charles McArdle and engineer Nick Jimenez were on hand at the Noyac Civic Council meeting last week to discuss the plan, which is being fully funded by the Town of Southampton. Jimenez and McArdle said they expected crews to start breaking ground on April 27, but cautioned that the project will take much longer to complete than the recent repaving and restriping of Noyac Road, which was done in about a week. This project could take up to 12 weeks to complete.On the bright side, McArdle and Jimenez said there was a good chance the sidewalks would be finished before the height of the summer season, as long as the weather cooperates. If there are extended delays, and the traffic becomes untenable as the summer season bears down, it’s possible the project would require a break and then be picked back up in September to complete.Sidewalks and several crosswalks will be added down a roughly 2.5-mile stretch of Noyac Road, starting at Ruggs Path east of Trout Pond Park and will continue easterly along Noyac Road, past Serene Green, to Cove Avenue East, where it will meet an existing sidewalk that extends all the way to Sag Harbor Village.The sidewalks will predominantly be on the south side of the road, but will be installed on the north side at certain points, including near MJ Dowlings and Jimmy Jim’s. Several new crosswalks will be installed, along with the diamond-shaped pedestrian crossing signs with blinking lights. The Noyac Civic Council leadership strongly urged members who live along that stretch to review the plans, which can be found in detail at noyac.org.***Shelter Island Friends of Music presents Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner, on piano in concert tomorrow at 6pm in Shelter Island Presbyterian Church. A full capacity crowd is expected so you are encouraged to arrive early to get a seat. Due to fire code regulations, organizers cannot guarantee seating once that capacity is reached. Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner has emerged as one of the most compelling pianists of his generation.Saturday’s concert is free; donations are greatly appreciated. The performance will begin promptly at 6 pm tomorrow in Shelter Island Presbyterian Church with no intermission.You are invited to a reception with Llewellyn immediately following the concert! For further info visit the Shelter Island Friends of Music website at sifriendsofmusic.org ***Gov. Kathy Hochul…running for reelection as the Democratic party candidate in this year’s gubernatorial race…is getting politically pulled further to the left on New York’s sanctuary policies – now saying she supports banning nearly all cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE. Vaughn Golden reports in The N.Y. POST that Governor Hochul, who proposed a slate of anti-ICE measures at the start of this year, yesterday unveiled several new restrictions that she wants to put into state law as part of the ongoing budget negotiations with the Democrat-controlled Legislature.“I just want to have more protections in place that I think are long overdue. So I’m anxious to get this done,” Hochul told reporters at a quickly assembled press event in Albany Thursday afternoon.Among the newly announced measures was a ban on police cooperating with federal immigration enforcement agents — unless it involves a criminal conviction or cops have “probable cause” to suspect someone of a misdemeanor or felony offense. “Local cops should be focused on local crimes, keeping our streets safe … not doing ICE’s job,” she said. Hochul also wants to ban US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from wearing masks, though it’s unclear how the state would be able to enforce such a mandate. The proposed legislation would make it a misdemeanor for an ICE agent to wear a mask in the State of New York.And it would expand the list of public areas where ICE is prohibited from operating without a judicial warrant, to include virtually any public land like parks, shelters and “housing accommodations.”Hochul also said that ICE agents, for example, wouldn’t be allowed to operate alongside a local police DWI checkpoint.“We’re talking about basically separating out civil infractions, vehicle and traffic law, for example, and other areas that they’ve been using as ruses,” she said.“There’s sometimes ICE officers, are at a DWI stop, are at a traffic stop. Like why are they there? Explain to me why they’re there,” she questioned.The new policy would also create an overarching ban on any public employee using state resources, including their working hours, to aid federal immigration authorities.It means New York would essentially have a blanket sanctuary state law on its books. Hochul, during her tenure, has continued to extend an executive order signed in 2018 by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo barring state employees and law enforcement from helping immigration authorities.The Democratic incumbent is now expanding her initial anti-ICE proposal unveiled in January following talks with the legislature, coinciding with her $263 billion spending and policy plan, which was due April 1.***New York will lose more than $73.5 million in federal money because the Transportation Department said yesterday that the State of New York has refused to revoke nearly 33,000 questionable commercial driver's licenses for immigrants since an audit uncovered problems last year.The department said that more than half of the 200 licenses reviewed during the audit had significant problems such as remaining valid long after an immigrant was authorized to be in the country. So the state was ordered to review all of this type of licenses and revoke illegal ones.As reported by The Associated Press and posted on NEWSDAY.com, the federal government has reviewed records related to these non-domiciled CDLs in every state since Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy put a spotlight on this issue after an August crash in Florida that killed three people. Most states have either complied or are in negotiations with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, but California has lost $200 million. Several other states — including Pennsylvania, Minnesota and North Carolina — have been warned they are at risk of losing some funding.“I promised the American people I would hold any state leader accountable for failing to keep them safe from unvetted, unqualified foreign drivers. I’m delivering on that promise today,” Duffy said.Duffy has said that immigrants account for about 20% of all truck drivers nationwide, but these non-domiciled licenses immigrants can receive only represent about 5% of all commercial driver’s licenses or about 200,000 drivers. New York issued 32,606 of them. New rules the Transportation Department has announced will prevent 97% of those foreign drivers from getting a commercial license again.New York officials have defended their licensing practices and said they are complying with federal law and that audits during the first Trump administration supported that.Trucking industry groups have praised the Transportation Department's efforts to get unqualified drivers off the road,

Arrests made after an investigation cloaked in strict secrecy and undertaken by the Suffolk County district attorney’s office, over charges that staffers were taking bribes to expedite permits, sent shockwaves through East Hampton Town last week.At the helm in that office at that time was former East Hampton Town Chief Building Inspector Joe Palermo, who was the first to notice — and report — what looked like unusual patterns: Building permits that should take weeks to process were being approved in a matter of days. His reports nearly two years ago ultimately launched an investigation by the district attorney’s office that ultimately led to two people being charged and indicted on five counts of receiving bribes, a class D felony, and five counts of official misconduct, a misdemeanor.Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that Evelyn Calderon, a suspended office staffer, and Ryan Benitez, a former building inspector, are now awaiting their next court date, which is slated for May 21.“We did such a huge volume in the Town Building Department — it's always, always busy,” Palermo said. “A mistake can always happen. But, usually, if something happens, you look into it and you make sure you correct it.”One example came where a pool was being constructed outside a double setback. The Building Department sent the applicant to the Zoning Board of Appeals, and Palermo realized that the permit was turned around almost immediately. Typically, such a permit would get logged in, and the total turnaround would be around four weeks.Palermo, at that time, began to get suspicious — and those suspicions were echoed elsewhere in the department. Others began to point out discrepancies.“That’s when I realized what was going on,” Palermo said.Palermo, who had been asking town officials what he should do, was told to observe and document — take notes, make copies — any actions that appeared suspicious, as his reports were being investigated.Suffolk D.A. spokeswoman Emily O’Neill said interviews with the people who are said to have paid Calderon is what ultimately unraveled the scheme. This is how the D.A.’s office got word that Calderon would allegedly send half the money to Benitez as part of the stated operation.The Suffolk County D.A. investigation did not involve working with the leaders of the local government. Investigations of that nature require strict secrecy, O’Neill said, to bring them to a successful conclusion. However, she said, the East Hampton Town attorney’s office did initially bring the stated issue forward, and a former employee in the Building Department was a “huge help and important resource.”***The group of five residents who are suing Southampton Village for following through with a land swap plan that would alienate Lola Prentice Memorial Park as part of a plan to build a sewage treatment plant have filed a petition for civil contempt against the Southampton Village Board. Dan Stark reports on 27east.com that the filing stems from a vote that the board took at its meeting on March 12 to support the passage of a pair of bills in the New York State Assembly and Senate — sponsored by Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni and Senator Anthony Palumbo — to alienate the park as part of the land swap. The plaintiffs have said that the board’s support of this, and involving the park in the plan, violates a 2019 Suffolk County Supreme Court injunction that ordered the village to use the park “for education or recreational purposes only.”In the petition, the plaintiffs argue that by voting for this resolution, the board “disobeyed the order” despite alleging that “each respondent had knowledge of the order prior to undertaking the above described actions…The aforesaid actions taken by the village and Village Board, collectively and individually, have impaired, frustrated and prejudiced each of the petitioners’ rights and benefits obtained by the order,” the petition reads.Southampton Village’s current plan is to acquire the property at 135 Windmill Lane, currently home to The Express News Group, demolish the building and turn it into a new dog park. The plant would be located on village-owned property behind the ambulance barn, while leach fields would be located underground at the current park.If a judge finds that members of the board acted in contempt of court, they could be subject to fines or possible jail time.The village is holding an information session about the sewer plan this coming Saturday, April 18, at Southampton Village Hall at 10 a.m. The meeting will also be streamed on Zoom, which multiple attendees lobbied for on April 9.***East End police officers will take part in the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee’s “No Empty Chair” campaign during the week of April 20, with enforcement and education efforts focused on teen driving safety. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that school resource officers and patrol officers will participate in outreach and enforcement aimed at reducing dangerous driving during prom and graduation season.The traffic safety committee’s message to teens is simple.“Be buckled up. Be a cell-free motorist. Be a sober driver. Be in your chair on graduation day.”The statewide campaign runs from Monday, April 20, through Friday, April 24.The campaign includes daily enforcement themes next week.· Monday, April 20: underage drinking and impaired driving· Tuesday, April 21: seat belts and child restraints· Wednesday, April 22: cell phone use and texting· Thursday, April 23: Operation Safe Stop· Friday, April 24: speeding in school zonesThe campaign is intended to raise awareness of highway dangers and promote safe driving habits among young motorists, police said. The release says New York State and local law enforcement agencies will increase patrols near high schools and focus on violations of the Graduated Driver Licensing law and other traffic offenses.For more information, visit trafficsafety.ny.gov.***State budget talks appeared revived yesterday by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s surprise pied-à-terre tax proposal — but several sticking points remain, including her pitches to implement protest buffer zones around houses of worship and to reform auto insurance. Vaughn Golden reports in THE NY POST that Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Westchester) acknowledged “incremental progress” was being made in negotiations behind closed doors, including inching closer to a deal on new anti-ICE measures proposed by Hochul.The governor’s $263 billion state budget proposal was due for approval by April 1.Stewart-Cousins expressed optimism about Hochul’s pitch to slap multi-million dollar second homes in New York City with a new tax. “The pied-a-terre is something that we’d considered and pushed our house before,” she said.Stewart-Cousins said that the Legislature and governor have moved towards compromises on two major issues that were at an impasse – delays to the state’s controversial climate law’s mandates and new policies meant to further restrict local governments’ ability to work with federal immigration enforcement agents.The New York 4 All bill would effectively implement statewide sanctuary policies.Still, Stewart Cousins admitted there’s little hope of resolving talks ahead of the three-week-late mark next Tuesday.Hochul and lawmakers remain far apart on her proposed changes to liability statutes meant to change the definition of “serious injury” as to cut down on car accident fraud and thus theoretically lower insurance rates on everyday drivers.New issues are also starting to bubble towards the surface of the closed-door negotiations, such as resistance to Hochul’s pitch to restrict protests within 25 feet of a house of worship in response to antisemitic demonstrations outside of synagogues, including a particularly rowdy November protest outside the historic Park East synagogue in Manhattan.Lawmakers are set to vote again today on another stop gap spending measure to keep state workers paid.***The Riverhead Fire Department will host a recruitment event this coming Sunday afternoon, April 19, from 4 to 7 p.m. at department headquarters, 540 Roanoke Ave., in Riverhead…inviting community members to learn what it takes to become a volunteer firefighter. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that all are welcome to stop by and speak with department members and officers about joining the all-volunteer department, training requirements, benefits and the application process, Riverhead Fire Chief Pete Kurzyna said.The department is seeking new recruits at a time when volunteer fire departments across Long Island and New York continue to face recruitment challenges.“Once you get the feeling of getting on that truck and helping people out, you want to respond to every call,” Kurzyna said.To be eligible to join, applicants must be at least 18 years old, live within the Riverhead Fire District and possess a valid New York State driver’s license.Kurzyna said there is extensive training during a new member’s first year, but the experience is valuable.“Joining the fire service opens up a lot for your career, especially for a young person,” he said.The department provides training, gear and equipment at no cost, according to recruitment information posted on the Riverhead Fire Department website. Benefits include participation in the Length of Service Awards Program, a free gym membership, professional training and certifications, and opportunities for

A Deer Park orthopedic spinal surgeon, accused of copying and pasting 43 virtually identical surgical reports, has been named in another federal racketeering lawsuit, this time for providing unnecessary spinal surgeries on drivers and passengers involved in allegedly staged motor vehicle crashes with FedEx vehicles.The wide-ranging lawsuit, filed last week by FedEx in New York's Southern District, alleges that Dr. Alexios Apazidis, along with two dozen other physicians, lawyers, chiropractors and radiologists, conspired to bilk the mammoth delivery company through sham lawsuits and inflated medical bills.Robert Brodsky reports in NEWSDAY that the RICO lawsuit is the latest to pull back the veil on what critics contend is an interconnected fraud scheme in which motorists claim catastrophic injuries from motor vehicle crashes that they deliberately caused and then — at the recommendation of their attorneys — seek treatment at preferred medical providers. All of the accidents cited in the lawsuit occurred in the five N.Y.C. boroughs.The FedEx lawsuit, which follows the pattern of similar complaints filed across the country by the ridesharing service Uber, comes as Gov. Kathy Hochul has launched a crackdown on staged vehicle crashes that cause drivers’ insurance premiums to escalate. Long Island, Hochul said recently in Deer Park, has seen an 80% increase in auto premiums since 2019, in large part due to criminal networks that conspire to stage accidents and provide unneeded medical treatment to extort large settlements or insurance payouts."The FedEx RICO case underscores exactly why Governor Hochul's auto insurance reforms are needed now," Hochul spokeswoman Kristin Devoe said in a statement. "This case is not unique and New Yorkers are paying the price for a system that allows loopholes to be exploited by bad actors, driving up premiums across the board for everyone. The governor's proposal is about stopping these scams, lowering premiums and protecting law abiding New Yorkers."Tom Stebbins, executive director of the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York, an advocacy organization that supports the governor's proposed changes, said the lawsuit should serve as a "wake-up call" to state lawmakers who have resisted Hochul's reform measures."States throughout the country are enacting liability reforms for a reason," Stebbins said. "From the Big Apple to the Big Easy, staged car crashes have become big business for crooked doctors and lawyers."The 2026-27 New York State budget was due April 1st. Disagreements continue over policy items, including a climate bill and car insurance reform as well as this “staged accident issue.”***East Hampton Town officials say that multiple pairs of eyes now see each application that comes through the Building Department, ensuring in the wake of a major bribery investigation that all is done above board.The way the beleaguered Building Department handled applications in the past had been “vertical,” in the words of East Hampton Town officials, meaning that each application went to – and stayed with – one building inspector throughout the process. This approach, which town officials said was new, was described, then, as “horizontal.”But they say that the process now mirrors that used in departments in western towns, which have exponentially greater populations but roughly the same number of building applications.Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that East Hampton Town Principal Building Inspector Richard Normoyle took the helm at the Building Department, which had been plagued with a backlog, turnover and lawsuits, late last year, bringing with him a 30-year background in municipal building operations that included employment in western towns, such as Huntington and Babylon.“We're ensuring that this type of thing never takes place by breaking apart some of the responsibilities that the building inspectors previously held by themselves,” Normoyle said this week.“The way the process used to work was once the application came in, the building inspectors would handle the process pretty much from beginning to end,” Normoyle said. “They would review the documents. They would do the inspections. They would write the permit fees. They would write the descriptions. These are now jobs that are going to be broken apart.”But the investigation conducted by the district attorney’s office, which culminated in charges of receiving bribes against Evelyn Calderon, a suspended office staffer, and Ryan Benitez, a former building inspector, was not the only reason for the changes to departmental operations recently undertaken.East Hampton Town officials say the procedural changes are also a means of boosting procedural efficiency in the department, bringing it more in line with the processes that Normoyle saw while he worked in western towns.***Shelter Island Friends of Music presents Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner, on piano in concert this coming Saturday, April 18, at 6pm in Shelter Island Presbyterian Church. A full capacity crowd is expected so you are encouraged to arrive early to get a seat. Due to fire code regulations, organizers cannot guarantee seating once that capacity is reached. Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner has emerged as one of the most compelling pianists of his generation.Saturday’s concert is free; donations are greatly appreciated. The performance will begin promptly at 6 pm this coming Saturday in Shelter Island Presbyterian Church with no intermission.You are invited to a reception with Llewellyn immediately following the concert! For further info visit the Shelter Island Friends of Music website at sifriendsofmusic.org.***A defiant Sag Harbor Village Mayor Tom Gardella refused to resign from his post last night after all four of his fellow board members voted in favor of a resolution formally requesting his resignation. Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that the resolution was one of four additional resolutions that the board added to the meeting agenda related to the mayor’s conduct over the past few months, and to an investigative report that found he’d breached the Village of Sag Harbor’s social media conduct and harassment policies.The board also presented findings of a “pattern of procedural avoidance,” accusing the mayor of “statutory neglect” and “breach of fiduciary duty” related to the budget development process.The board introduced a resolution to waive privilege attached to the investigative report prepared by labor attorney Vince Toomey related to Gardella’s behavior on social media, which included screenshots of his social media posts and interactions with various social media users, including members of the community, as well as emails sent to the village detailing concerns about his conduct.The report recommended that the mayor participate in one-on-one social media and anti-harassment training, which the mayor agreed to at the meeting. The report also stated “that the board may wish to censure the mayor” to “publicly distance” itself from his comments and make it clear they aren’t reflective of the board at large, which the board voted to do.While Mayor Gardella said he welcomed the opportunity to participate in social media and anti-harassment training, he was not willing to go further than that.That report also accused Gardella of “a pattern of procedural avoidance” during the budget preparation, including “systematically bypassing” safeguards like consulting with labor counsel and senior administrative staff and the board. They also highlighted that the mayor had engaged in “unauthorized and unvetted negotiations for selective salary adjustments totaling an estimated $250,000 annually, which would have inflicted a $2,865,970 cumulative fiscal burden on taxpayers over the next decade.”They accused Gardella of assigning indiscriminate raises to staff, and ignoring repeated warnings from senior administrative staff, and said he attempted to shift accountability for his own budget filings onto senior administrative staff.The Sag Harbor Village Board will get together again this coming Friday at 3 p.m. for a special budget meeting before adopting their 2026-27 budget.***The Riverhead Country Fair will not take place this year, the 50th anniversary of the popular event’s founding in 1976. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the country fair committee announced the cancellation in a Facebook post yesterday. The committee has decided to put the country fair “on hold until the downtown construction is completed,” the post said.“We have no place to be,” Sue Young, who serves on the board of directors of Riverhead Townscape, which produces the October event told Riverheadlocal. Construction of downtown buildings on the south side of East Main Street makes use of the East End Arts Council grounds and the eastern portion of the Peconic River parking lot infeasible, Young said. The green space of the East End Arts campus hosts the agriculture and homemakers competitions and displays, while the carnival is held in the eastern area of the parking lot. Both of those sites will very soon become or be in close proximity to construction zones. It’s not clear when the fair might be able to return, or whether the future configuration of the arts council campus or the riverfront parking lot — where a playground is planned —will provide space for the fair after construction is completed, Young said.The fair as we know it was founded by Riverhead Townscape, an organization established during the American bicentennial year of 1976 to beautify...

President Donald Trump’s attack on Pope Leo XIV offended Long Island Catholics who spoke with Newsday yesterday, including some Republicans who otherwise support the president.They said they disliked Trump saying Leo is "weak on crime" and caters to "the radical left" and Trump subsequently comparing himself to Jesus Christ in an apparently AI-generated image. The image disappeared from Trump's social media on Monday after backlash. Trump then said it was meant to show him working as a doctor for the Red Cross healing people. Bart Jones reports in NEWSDAY that the Rev. Francis Pizzarelli, a Roman Catholic priest and founder of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson, said that "the president really crossed the line when he disrespected the Holy Father and that should not be acceptable to any God-fearing person…It’s just another thing where the president thinks he can really go after someone with an ad hominem attack if they don’t agree with him." Father Pizzarelli added, "I don’t understand why our political leaders have not called him to task with cleaning up his language and to stop demeaning people. He’s the president of the United States. ... At least treat people respectfully."The backlash on Long Island, home to 1.2 million baptized Catholics, came after a poll showed President Trump's standing slipping among Catholics nationwide.Trump won the Catholic vote in the 2024 presidential election by a 12-percentage point margin over Kamala Harris, 55% to 43%. But he now has an approval rating of 48% among Catholics, according to a poll conducted jointly between March 20 and 23 by Republican pollster Shaw &amp; Co. Research and Democratic pollster Beacon Research.***The Long Island Rail Road has fired another worker who admitted to possessing a cloned employee ID card that coworkers used to cover up for his absences.Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that the termination of road car inspector Eric Smith marks the resolution of the last remaining disciplinary case against the 36 employees implicated in the ID card counterfeiting and distribution ring uncovered in a three-year investigation by the office of Metropolitan Transportation Authority Inspector General Daniel Cort, which announced the firing on social media Friday.Exploiting a COVID-era health precaution that suspended the requirement that workers scan their fingers at biometric time clocks, the workers used equipment purchased on Amazon to run off duplicates of employee ID cards, then kept the extra cards at their job locations, including a Ronkonkoma facility where Smith worked, investigators said. Employees would use the cloned cards to swipe coworkers in and out when they arrived to work late, left early or took extended breaks, according to investigators.MTA payroll records show Smith, who worked for the LIRR since 1997, made $164,925 in 2024, the most recent year for which data was available.LIRR officials have said they’ve taken several measures to prevent employee wage abuse in the future, installing security cameras near time clocks and mandating regular audits of worker facilities by managers. In September 2024, the MTA reinstated the finger-scanning requirement at biometric time clocks.***The Peconic Baykeeper will be leading two marsh cleanups, on Saturday April 18 and Saturday April 26. After the destruction wreaked around our coastlines by ice on the bays this winter much help is needed. Mike Wright reports on 27east.com that the April 19 Meadow Lane Marsh and Shoreline Community Cleanup event will focus on the vast marshlands along the Shinnecock Bay shoreline off Meadow Lane in Southampton Village.The Baykeeper will have a 10-yard dumpster on site for disposing of the collected junk. Baykeeper Peter Topping says “the more the merrier” for volunteers!The gang will be gathering at the Dune Beach parking area in Southampton at 9 a.m. this Saturday.There will be complimentary beer and wine, courtesy of the Southampton Publick House, for those volunteers over 21.The second event, Saturday April 26, will focus on the Sag Harbor shorelines and will start at the Breakwater Yacht Club at 10:30 a.m.For more information about either event, call the Baykeeper’s offices at 631-653-4804***New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is taking off the gloves, accusing the powerful trial lawyers lobbying group of outright lying about her plan aimed at saving a bundle on car insurance.Carl Campanile reports in THE NY POST that Governor Hochul is proposing changing the legal definition of “serious injury” to cut down on frivolous and fraudulent claims such as staged accidents and to cap the damages victims can receive if they are uninsured, convicted of impaired driving, or have a felony conviction connected to the accident.At a recent press conference, the Trial Lawyers Association — accompanied by Assemblywoman Jen Lunsford (D-Rochester) — presented a handful of cases of accident victims, claiming Hochul’s proposal would have negatively impacted their ability to collect damages. But the Hochul administration reviewed the cases and claimed none of the victims would have been impacted by her proposal.“Exploiting victims of serious accidents to peddle false information and misconstrue facts is a new low,” a Hochul spokesperson said. “The governor’s auto insurance proposals are a common sense way to root out fraud, waste and abuse, without stripping legitimate victims of their rightful compensation. While special interests continue to put profits first, Governor Hochul will continue to focus on driving down costs for New Yorkers.”In response, a Trial Lawyers Association rep called Hochul’s analysis “blatantly false.”“These claims are blatantly false, just like the fiction being sold to the public that this plan will result in savings.” Hochul’s proposals “incentivize the defendant to drag out the case, aiming to shift just enough blame onto the victim to avoid paying anything at all.”A grieving family “could be left with nothing”—based on a disputed allocation of fault—under the governor’s plan, the TLA rep said.Data show that New York drivers pay the highest car insurance rates in the nation, shelling out more than $4,000 on average.NY POST sources say the auto insurance issue is one of the major hold-ups in adopting a new state budget, which was due April 1.***Sag Harbor has proposed a new budget that hikes village taxes by $600 for the median home, but officials are looking to scale back the increase before adopting a final plan.Mayor Thomas Gardella's $18.4 million budget proposal would increase spending by 16% in the next year. It would raise the village tax levy from $9.2 million to $10.5 million, which would result in a tax hike of just under $600 for a home assessed at the median market value of $1.5 million, according to Alexandra Balserus, the village treasurer.Alek Lewis reports in NEWSDAY that the current budget totals $15.9 million. The new fiscal year runs from June 1 through May 31, 2027.Mayor Gardella said the Village of Sag Harbor is imposing a hefty increase this time, but future ones would likely be smaller. He described the tentative plan as a “wish list.” The mayor and trustees have already begun identifying areas for cuts so the tax hike is smaller.“We want to definitely set that rate to where we take that initial hit and then as we move forward, as the years go by, we can achieve where we want to be without having to go back to the taxpayer again for anything substantial,” Gardella said when he introduced the budget during a recent meeting.The budget proposes using $582,487 in reserves to offset tax increases. But some officials said they are wary of dipping into the fund balance, arguing it could jeopardize the village's credit rating.Officials have outlined possible trims to the tentative spending plan. Among them is a proposed $150,000 cut for traffic mitigation measures. A study is underway but the village does not have a cost estimate for implementing potential recommendations, which could include rearranging crosswalks. Funding for improvements could come from outside grants or future budgets, officials said.Sag Harbor officials also proposed trimming $30,000 from the $150,000 set aside for consultants who conduct environmental and traffic reviews required for large construction projects. Village officials said those costs have been underbudgeted in past years. Developers pay a portion of the expense.***The Children’s Museum of the East End (CMEE) will host an Earth Day Swap Party this coming Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its location in Bridgehampton.The free, family-friendly event invites community members to donate gently used books, puzzles and sports equipment between now and April 18, then return to “swap” items during the event. Organizers say the initiative promotes sustainability while giving children access to new-to-them recreational and educational materials.Accepted donation items include complete puzzles, board books, children’s graphic novels and a range of sports gear such as shin guards, cleats, helmets, balls, bats, hockey and lacrosse sticks, as well as balance bikes and scooters.Admission is free, and advance registration is encouraged. Visit cmee.org.That’s the Earth Day Swap Party at CMEE in Bridgehampton this coming Saturday at 1 p.m. ***The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has dropped into Montauk this spring to remove wooden beach access walkways damaged in the storms of 2023 and 2024 that have since sat dilapidated and blocked off.Tucked on the edge of downtown Montauk,...

The Trump administration's $2.2 trillion budget proposal prioritizes defense spending while proposing significant cuts to domestic programs, notably targeting New York and other blue states for alleged program mismanagement.Proposed cuts include eliminating the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, prompting bipartisan opposition from local lawmakers concerned about the high cost of energy.Lawmakers and officials, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, criticize the budget for exacerbating the cost-of-living crisis and prioritizing military spending over essential domestic programs.Laura Figueroa Hernandez reports in NEWSDAY that the proposed budget also calls for the elimination of the $3.3 billion Community Development Block Grant program, which has long been used by municipalities to build affordable housing and improve blighted neighborhoods, and cutting $393 million in federal funding for homeless programs.Members of Long Island’s congressional delegation have raised concerns about some of the cuts, particularly to the heating and cooling assistance program that the administration tried unsuccessfully to eliminate last year and as well as during Trump's first four years in office. Those attempts failed amid bipartisan pushback, and lawmakers told Newsday they’re prepared to fight again for the program. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville), noting he is "the only Northeast Republican on the House Appropriations Committee," said that last year he helped secure support for an additional $20 million in funding for the LIHEAP program, but he also blamed Hochul and state lawmakers for not doing enough to keep energy prices down."I will continue fighting to support LIHEAP so Long Island families can afford their energy bills and stay safe," LaLota said.Another Suffolk County U.S. Congressman, Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport), told NEWSDAY, "Cutting LIHEAP is the wrong approach for those already struggling with high energy costs, especially in high-cost regions like Long Island, where energy bills can be a real burden." Garbarino noted that during past attempts to cut the program he has led a bipartisan effort in support of maintaining its funding.***The East End’s representatives to the New York State Legislature have introduced new legislation that would give commercial fishermen immediate relief from the state’s fuel tax, as a way to ease the burden of skyrocketing gas prices. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that since the Trump administration ordered U.S. military forces to join an Israeli assault on Iran, the per gallon price of the diesel fuel their boats run on has more than doubled, fishermen said this week.Commercial fishermen are entitled to relief from state taxes, much like farmers are. But, unlike the agriculture industry, they have to pay the full price for their fuel at the pump and then can apply to the state for a rebate, which can take months to get back.The bill introduced last week by NYS Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni of Sag Harbor and State Senator Anthony Palumbo of New Suffolk would give fishermen the break immediately so they do not have to carry the costs of the fuel taxes, as well as the increased burden of the cost of gas until the red tape clears.The state’s three largest commercial fishing ports are all in the 1st Assembly and Senate districts represented by Schiavoni and Palumbo.A similar bill that Palumbo has introduced in the State Senate would extend the fuel tax exemption to charter boat captains, as long as they can show that they earn at least 50 percent of their annual income from running for-hire fishing trips on their vessel.Whether the proposal will win support from the rest of the Legislature and the governor’s office, and how quickly it can be implemented if it does, remains to be seen.New York State budget for fiscal year 2025-2026 has not passed yet. It was due April 1st.***ReWild Long Island will launch the fourth summer of its South Fork internship program in 2026, offering high school students hands-on experience in sustainability, food security and environmental stewardship.The Summer Program to Fight Hunger and Climate Change is open to rising freshmen through seniors and provides modest stipends along with environmental education focused on Long Island’s unique ecology. Students who complete 60 hours of supervised volunteer work will be eligible to receive a $300 stipend. Participants may also choose to complete fewer hours to earn community service credit while still taking part in the educational programming.The program runs from the end of the East Hampton School District academic year in June through Labor Day, connecting students with local residents and nonprofit organizations working to protect biodiversity across the region’s green spaces and waterways. Applications for both interns and volunteers opened April 1 and are available to the end of the month.ReWild Long Island also welcomes adult mentors and volunteers to support its South Fork chapter.For more information or to apply, visit the program page at https://www.rewildlongisland.org/summerprogram.***The Riverhead Zoning Board of Appeals held a lengthy and contentious public hearing last Thursday night on Stony Brook Medicine’s proposal to locate an ambulance storage and service facility in the rear portion of the former Big Lots space at Staples Plaza, 1087 Route 58 in Riverhead.The hearing ended without a decision by the board, which kept the record open for written comments until April 23. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the owner of the shopping center is seeking a zoning code interpretation on whether the proposed use is permitted in the Shopping Center zoning district, or, in the alternative, a variance from the code to allow the proposed use. The ZBA originally held the hearing on Jan. 8 and reserved its decision to a later date. Before it made a decision, Peconic Bay Medical Center, asked the ZBA to reopen the hearing.The application seeks permission to use about 14,236 square feet of the former Big Lots store for storage space for up to eight ambulances and one mobile stroke unit, along with office, training, break room and supply space.The proposal drew opposition Thursday from Northwell Health/Peconic Bay Medical Center, whose Riverhead hospital is located close to the shopping center and is preparing to open a thrombectomy-capable stroke center. PBMC and Stony Brook are competitors in the regional health care market.Speaking on behalf of PBMC, President and CEO Amy Loeb said the hospital supports advanced stroke care but questioned the need to base a mobile stroke unit a short distance from a hospital that is about to open a thrombectomy-capable stroke center.Former PBMC president Andrew Mitchell told the board the issue before it was not whether mobile stroke units are beneficial, but whether an ambulance garage belongs in a shopping center.Deputy Town Attorney Annmarie Prudenti, who serves as counsel to the Riverhead ZBA, said the record would remain open for written comment until April 23, after which the board would consider the matter for reserved decision on May 14.​​***At the site of a proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Holtsville, about 100 people protested yesterday, decrying the plan and the agency's raids on Long Island and throughout the country."ICE out!" the crowd of faith leaders and others yelled outside a building housing Internal Revenue Service office space that could be transformed into an ICE detention and processing facility."We have organized here today to insist that Brookhaven Town not be a place of detention for immigrants [and] that we stand in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors here on Long Island," said the Rev. Kate Jones Calone, chair of the Long Island Immigrant Justice Alliance, which sponsored Sunday afternoon’s protest.Tiffany Cusaac-Smith reports in NEWSDAY that construction documents submitted to the Town of Brookhaven showed that the Holtsville facility could include holding cells and detainee interview rooms with handcuff bars.The proposed site would be under the same roof as an existing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office, which handles legal immigration requests. Federal immigration agents have detained people there who were making regular check-ins, eventually transferring them to cells at the federal court in Central Islip.Later, the protesters piled into dozens of vehicles to make their voices heard at Brookhaven Town Hall, they said.For their part, Brookhaven Town officials have rejected the plans, noting that holding cells are not permitted for office space under town code.The town can’t permanently halt the project because the applicant can seek a zoning change or use variance for the privately owned two-story Barretts Avenue property, which the federal government leases, Newsday has reported.Suffolk County said it does not participate in ICE’s local immigration enforcement partnership. Nassau County has a pact with ICE and last year detained upward of 2,600 immigrants at the county jail in East Meadow.***Peconic Landing hosts a panel discussion with the North Fork Environmental Council, “Rising Tides &amp; Rising Rents,” on how we address the North Fork housing crisis while protecting the environment. this coming Friday, April 17 from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm at Peconic Landing, 1500 Brecknock Road in Greenport.North Fork Environmental Council’s mission is to raise environmental awareness on the North Fork, and move our east end community and...

Long Island Rail Road commuters now have an opportunity to weigh in on what they’d like to see in a reimagined Jamaica Station.New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced this morning the launch of a "customer engagement" effort as part of her proposed $50 million redesign of the Queens transit hub, which serves as the main transfer point for LIRR riders, and includes connections to buses, subways and the JFK AirTrain.Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that starting today, customers can take an online survey with several questions about their experiences using Jamaica, and what improvements they’d like to see at the station, which serves 200,000 daily riders.QR codes linking to the survey will be posted throughout Jamaica Station, along with staffed tables with information about the project. A poster tells customers that the survey "will help us identify areas for improvement and inform future planning and upgrades."Hochul’s office said the survey, which will be available through May 8, focuses on "ticketing, wayfinding, transfer experience between agencies, and concessions."Survey questions ask customers how satisfied they are with a number of issues relating to their experiences at Jamaica, including waits for LIRR transfers, availability of food and drink options, cleanliness, ease of travel from one mode of transportation to another, and "safety from crime or harassment."Not included in the survey are any questions relating to customer comforts, including availability of seating and more spaces to take shelter from the elements. Several LIRR riders and advocates interviewed by Newsday in January said they hoped a redesign of the 113-year-old outdoor station would include the addition of more enclosed spaces.It’s been nearly a quarter-century since Jamaica Station underwent meaningful upgrades as part of the opening of the adjacent AirTrain building in 2023.***A handful of spots at Montauk Harbor had to be touched up and deepened to the stated dredging depth of 17 feet, so the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers redeployed a mechanical dredge to put the final touches on what has been a monthslong operation.Now, though, neither the massive suction dredge, Oyster Bay, nor its smaller companion, Scrod II, are in the neighborhood. A mechanical barge, equipped with an excavator, was left over from the first phase of the operation and is spearheading this latest phase.Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that East Hampton Town officials, who worked in tandem with the Army Corps of Engineers on what was planned as a jointly funded $11.6 million operation, had said earlier in March that the operation was complete – and the Army Corps confirmed this week that it was, in fact, deemed complete at the time.The project appeared to be complete last month,” said Army Corps spokesman James D’Ambrosio. “However, surveys afterward indicated there were still high spots that needed to be removed by the contractor to reach the authorized depth.”The purpose of the operation has been to restore safe navigation in and out of the harbor, which sees natural shoaling and had previously been reduced to three feet in some areas, which severely limits the ability of mariners to pass through.The project had been years in the making and saw several pieces of heavy machinery descend on Montauk Harbor, including both suction dredges, a 30-foot-by-90-foot mechanical barge and two tugboats, Uncle Bill and Manhasset Bay.***Southampton Arts Center has received a $50,000 grant from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation to support its upcoming exhibition, “The Story of America: 1776-2026, A Celebration of Freedom and Independence.”The funding will help underwrite the presentation of the Museum of Democracy exhibition, which explores more than 250 years of American presidential campaign history. The exhibition is scheduled to be on view from May 23 through July 18.“The Museum of Democracy’s collection of American campaign artifacts is unparalleled,” said Kathryn M. Curran, executive director of the Robert Lion Gardiner Foundation. “This exhibition is not only a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, but also a lesson in the power of the individual’s vote.”“We are thrilled to receive a donation for this important historical show,” said Christina Mossaides Strassfield, executive director of Southampton Arts Center. “This generous support allows us to bring meaningful stories to the community and foster a deeper appreciation of history.”The exhibition is part of a broader effort to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary and highlight the evolution of democratic participation in the United States.Southampton Arts Center is at 25 Jobs Lane, Southampton, NY 11968***A potential partnership involving the Town of Riverhead, Suffolk County and Peconic Land Trust could preserve about 145 acres in Baiting Hollow that Nassau County has owned and operated as a 4-H camp for more than a century. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the proposal, outlined during yesterday’s Riverhead Town Board work session, would divide the longtime camp property into several preservation components, with Suffolk County purchasing development rights on portions of the farmland, Peconic Land Trust coordinating the overall acquisition and Riverhead potentially acquiring a section as town open space.Riverhead Town officials signaled support for taking a first step quickly, with town counsel saying a resolution could be prepared to authorize an appraisal of the portion that Riverhead might acquire.“This is really, almost a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the town of Riverhead to acquire a Sound-front parcel with access to the beach,” Suffolk County Legislator Greg Doroski told the board.The property, known as the Dorothy P. Flint 4-H Camp, has been owned by Nassau County for 101 years. Nassau County now wants to sell it, and preservation advocates told the board that time is short to assemble a deal that would protect as much of the site as possible from future development, Doroski said.Julie Wesnofske of Peconic Land Trust said the property sits in the middle of a large block of protected land and farmland stretching from Sound Avenue to Long Island Sound, making it especially significant from both an ecological and public-access standpoint.A land-status map prepared by Peconic Land Trust identifies the parcel at 145.53 acres. Another concept plan shows a proposed Riverhead acquisition area of 36.13 acres, alongside county purchases of development rights on other parts of the property and two small development areas totaling less than four acres.The town-owned portion under discussion would be acquired as open space, though Riverhead Town officials and the project partners said that does not necessarily mean the land would be left entirely untouched.***Southold’s land preservation efforts are on a roll. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that on the heels of a vote in March to preserve 54 acres of land on the outskirts of Greenport, the Town of Southold is en route this week to preserving a vineyard in Cutchogue and a swath of bayfront property in the Bayview section of Southold. And next on the burner is another proposal to preserve nearly 35 acres on the south side Route 48 in Southold, across from the North Fork Flower Farm, which backs up to a tributary of Hashamomuck Pond.The Southold Town Board will hold a public hearing on this acquisition at its April 21 meeting at 6 p.m. in the Peconic Community Center auditorium.This property, which is in an R-80, two-acre residential zoning district, extends to Long Creek, a tributary of Hashamomuck Pond, an area where Southold and the county have already preserved a significant amount of land, including a 54-acre parcel earlier this spring.The purchase price is estimated at $3.829 million, which works out to approximately $110,000 per acre, paid in a 50/50 split between the town and the county.The property is three parcels currently owned by Moffat Farm South LLC, Moffat Farm Rabbit LLC and Moffat Farm Tiny LLC.Southold Town says the property is being acquired “for open space, passive recreational purposes, wetland protection, shoreline protection, habitat protection and protection of forested land,” and that proposed uses may include “a nature preserve and/or passive recreational area with trails and limited parking,” subject to a management plan to be prepared for the property.***Ever wonder what’s being built in our North Fork community or the best way to get a message to Town Hall? Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that Mary Eisenstein and Library Director Shauna Scholl invite residents of Mattituck and Laurel to an informational program tomorrow to help you navigate our local government with ease. “Your Town, Your Voice: A Guide for Mattituck-Laurel Residents,” is tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 Noon at the Mattituck-Laurel Library, on Main Road in Mattituck, New York…11952During tomorrow morning’s free event you’ll get the facts on new projects like the construction on the Sacred Heart Parish property….you’ll be shown how to find what you need on the Southold Town website…Learn the most effective ways to communicate with town officials….and how to Stay in the Loop as they’ll provide you with a complete list of meetings and resources, from the Zoning Board to Channel 22.That’s tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the Mattituck-Laurel Library.***Large lithium-ion battery storage plants proposed for Suffolk County comprise the bulk of dozens of proposed projects under review by New York State for development before the...

Rex A. Heuermann confessed to killing eight women yesterday, strangling and dumping their mutilated bodies as the elusive Gilgo Beach serial killer, bringing resolution to a case that has generated worldwide attention since the first victim's remains were found off the Ocean Parkway in 2010.As reported in NEWSDAY, Heuermann, who had lived a normal-appearing life as an architect and married father in Massapequa Park while clandestinely killing women in his basement when his family was on vacation, pleaded guilty to the murders of seven women and admitted killing an eighth woman — a vicious crime spree that began in 1993 and confounded Long Island for years.Standing in a suit and navy tie, Heuermann detailed his crimes one-by-one in response to a series of questions from Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney during a riveting and rapidly paced court hearing in Riverhead that lasted 27 minutes."Strangulation," he repeated in a matter-of-fact tone, eight times, when asked how he ended the lives of his victims in a courtroom packed with the tearful families of the victims, the authorities that had finally nabbed him after years of hunting, the journalists that had long chronicled the case, as well as a host of curious onlookers.NYS Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei sentences Heuermann on June 17. The 62 year old Heuermann, born and raised in Nassau County, Long Island, is expected to receive three consecutive sentences of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for the killings of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Lynn Costello Heuermann is also expected to be sentenced to a consecutive sentence of 100 years to life imprisonment in the killings of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla and Valerie Mack.Heuermann was arrested on July 13, 2023, as he walked away from his Manhattan office. As Heuermann remained in custody at the Suffolk County jail in Riverhead, the case against him continued to expand. On Wednesday, Tierney vowed his office would continue to find answers to unsolved homicides. "There are still bodies on that beach," D.A.Tierney said. "There are still bodies in Suffolk County. There's no rest for the weary. We are going to continue to work with our partners and try to obtain hope for as many families as we can."*** In a last-minute bid to stop the Riverhead Town Board from authorizing the acquisition of its East Main Street building, the Long Island Science Center submitted a 92-page packet of engineering reports, correspondence and project records to the board this past Tuesday.Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that with Supervisor Jerry Halpin and Council Member Bob Kern dissenting, a divided board voted to authorize the town to pursue acquisition of the property through eminent domain, the legal process governments can use to acquire private property without a willing seller.The resolution adopted Tuesday authorizes the Town of Riverhead to pursue acquisition of 111 E. Main St. “for general municipal purposes.”The vote followed an extended public discussion in which science center supporters argued the nonprofit’s long-delayed redevelopment project remains viable and should be allowed to proceed, while a majority of board members said the building has remained vacant too long and now stands in the way of the larger town square project.Tuesday’s vote did not itself start an eminent domain proceeding. Rather, the resolution reaffirmed the board’s 2024 authorization for the town to pursue acquisition of 111 E. Main St. in Riverhead for “general municipal purposes,” allowing officials to continue taking preliminary steps toward a possible acquisition.Riverhead Town Attorney Erik Howard said after the vote that the town would still have to hold a public hearing before proceeding further.The Place for Learning, the nonprofit operating as the Long Island Science Center, bought 111 E. Main St. in 2020 for $1.45 million after selling its former West Main Street location in 2016. At the time, the move was celebrated by town, county and state officials as a major step in downtown revitalization, with then-Supervisor Yvette Aguiar calling the project a “heart transplant for Riverhead.”***The Submarine Veterans of Long Island will lead its annual Tolling of the Boats Ceremony at the New Suffolk Beach Submarine Memorial this coming Sunday at 11 a.m. It’s a solemn remembrance of U.S. Navy submarines and their lost crews at sea, in which the names of lost submarines and their crew members are read and a bell is rung to honor their service and sacrifice.The United States Submarine Veterans, Inc., also known as USSVI, proudly represents Long Island Subvets and all submarine veterans who have served in the U.S. Navy…honoring the commitment and sacrifices of every Subvet, ensuring that the legacy of our U.S. submarine fleet lives on.The annual Tolling of the Boats Ceremony is this Sunday at 11 a.m. at New Suffolk Beach, 2650 Jackson Street, New Suffolk, NY 11956***A looming Long Island Rail Road union strike would be "disastrous" for Long Island, despite MTA officials’ attempts to downplay the impact of the railroad’s first work stoppage in more than three decades, labor leaders said yesterday. Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that representatives of the five unions involved in the three-year contract battle with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority suggested during a Manhattan press conference that a potential strike, which could commence at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, could result in commuter chaos, especially given what they say is an inadequate MTA contingency plan to move stranded commuters."I think it’s going to be a disaster for Long Island," said Kevin Sexton, national vice president for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and spokesman for the coalition of five LIRR unions."I’m sure we’ve all been on the expressway or the parkway during the rush hour," added Nicholas Peluso, national vice president of the Transportation Communications Union. "Can you imagine adding 350,000 commuters to that?"The coalition represents about half the LIRR’s 7,000 union workers, including train operators, ticket agents, electricians, signal workers, and machinists. They’ve rejected a three-year contract — already accepted by most other MTA unions — with 9.5% in raises that they say doesn’t keep up with the cost of living. The unions are seeking a four-year deal with 14.5% in raises. The MTA has said any raises beyond what they’ve offered would have to come with significant concessions, such as eliminating some work rules that provide extra pay.A Newsday analysis showed that workers represented by the five unions made, on average, $122,443 in total earnings in 2024, the most recent year for which MTA payroll data was available.In a statement, the MTA's chief of policy and external relations, John McCarthy, said both sides are in agreement regarding the terms of the first three years of a potential contract."The dispute pertains only to one future year, and there's no good reason why it can't be resolved at the bargaining table," McCarthy said. "Nobody wins in a strike — not the unions, not the LIRR, and not the Long Islanders who depend on our great service."The last Long Island Rail Road strike was a two day stoppage that began on June 17, 1994.***Southampton Fire Department will open its doors to the public on Sunday, April 19 as part of the statewide RecruitNY Weekend initiative, offering residents an opportunity to learn about volunteering in the fire service.The open house…a week from this Sunday…is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the department’s headquarters at 470 Hampton Road in Southampton. The event is part of a broader effort involving hundreds of volunteer fire departments across New York state aimed at raising awareness about the need for new members.Volunteer fire departments statewide have faced declining membership alongside increasing call volumes, creating an urgent need to recruit additional volunteers to maintain emergency response capabilities. The Southampton Fire Department is among those seeking to strengthen its ranks to continue providing essential services to the community.At the April 19 event, visitors will be invited to tour the station and firefighting apparatus, try on gear, observe demonstrations and speak directly with current volunteers about the responsibilities and rewards of service. Firefighters will also be available to answer questions and provide information about how to join.“We welcome the community to join us during RecruitNY Weekend,” said Polis Walker. “This is an excellent opportunity for people to meet their local volunteer firefighters and learn more about the fire service.”The initiative is organized by the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, which supports more than 1,700 volunteer departments across the state. Established in 2011, RecruitNY aims to help departments connect with their communities and recruit the members needed to sustain operations.For more information, visit southamptonfd.org or call the non-emergency phone number at 631-283-0853***ReWild Long Island will launch the fourth summer of its South Fork internship program in 2026, offering high school students hands-on experience in sustainability, food security and environmental stewardship.The Summer Program to Fight Hunger and Climate Change is open to rising freshmen through seniors and provides modest stipends along with environmental education focused on Long Island’s unique ecology. Students who complete 60 hours of supervised...

Immigration arrests on Long Island reached a historic high at the start of the year and continued steadily into last month, new data shows, offering the first comprehensive local look at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s crackdown.Anastasia Valeeva and Josefa Velásquez report in NEWSDAY that the 352 ICE arrests in January marked a peak in the monthly numbers covering October and early March. Newsday analyzed the statistics after the nonprofit Deportation Data Project released them last week. They confirm what immigration advocates called a "significant acceleration" in enforcement that also saw a record number of people challenging their detentions.In February of this year immigration arrests dipped nationwide as well as on Long Island that month to 223, data shows.But in the first 10 days of March, 118 people were arrested here, the data shows, potentially putting arrests on track to meet the January high, when there was an average of 11 people per day.Islip Forward, a nonprofit immigrant advocacy organization that tracks ICE activity on Long Island, said the findings are consistent with what the group’s been seeing: a "sharp escalation" in immigration enforcement in late 2025 and a "significant acceleration" into the new year.While the federal data only covers through March 10, Ahmad Perez, Islip Forward’s founder and executive director, said there’s been a drop off in ICE sightings on Long Island starting in late March, coinciding with ICE agents being deployed to airports to help during a partial government shutdown."Importantly, this shift should not be interpreted as a reduction in enforcement overall. Rather, it reflects a temporary redistribution of federal resources, following a period of sustained escalation," Perez told NEWSDAY.He also noted that immigration activity is becoming "less publicly visible.""Including early morning residential operations, activity near courthouses, and the use of unmarked or newly branded vehicles — dynamics that are not always captured in traditional reporting or arrest data alone," Perez said.***The U.S. House of Representatives has reauthorized the National Estuary Program, which provides federal funding for the Peconic Estuary Program and Peconic Estuary Partnership, as well as the Long Island Sound Program, through 2031. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the measure still must win approval by the U.S. Senate and President Donald Trump.U.S. Congressman Nick LaLota…the Republican from Amityville who represents the east end…as well as local environmentalists applauded the House vote and championed the cause for further federal support.“[The] American Water Stewardship Act delivers exactly the results we need by locking in long-term support for the Long Island Sound and our estuaries,” LaLota said in a statement announcing the passage of the bill by the House, which he co-sponsored.The bill, which has initial bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, would fund the National Estuary Program’s 28 nationally recognized estuaries for fiscal years 2026-2031. The Peconic Estuary was adopted into the National Estuary Program as an “estuary of national significance” in 1992.The National Estuary Program {NEP} was created in 1987 and last reauthorized in 2021 as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the $1.2 trillion federal economic stimulus package passed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The act funded the NEP for 2022-26 with $132 million in annually available matching grant money for the national estuaries. The program’s supporters claim that for each federal dollar invested in the estuary programs around the country, the local program managers have generated $19 in local investment.The American Water Stewardship Act also reauthorizes the Long Island Sound Program, which coordinates state, local and federal agencies to manage the environment impacts on the Sound, whose watershed extends as far north as Vermont and Canada.The AWSA would also reauthorize, establish or expand more than a dozen other maritime and water quality programs nationwide.***The Town of Southold is holding a presentation on “Understanding Subdivisions &amp; Land Preservation in Southold Town” hosted by the North Fork Civics tomorrow evening at 6:30 p.m. at Veterans Park in Mattituck. Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski, Planning Director Heather Lanza and Land Preservation Coordinator Lillian McCullough will discuss subdivision rules, the process for lot creation, conservation and affordable housing, balancing responsible development with farmland and open space protection, smart growth, data trends and the policies that have “preserved Southold’s rural character and land.”The Forum on “Understanding Subdivisions &amp; Land Preservation in Southold Town” is free and scheduled for tomorrow at Veterans Beach in Mattituck from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.***East Hampton Town officials are moving forward on a law, drafted by OLA of Eastern Long Island, Inc. (Organización Latino Americana), that looks to boost accountability and establish reporting procedures for future Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raids. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that OLA’s leaders have been attending East End town and village board meetings in recent months, lobbying for the boards that have a corresponding police department to pass the law, which is aimed at boosting accountability in the event of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid.What the blueprint drafted by OLA aims to do, primarily, is both establish a series of procedures and training programs that would help deter the impersonation of federal officers and adopt local requirements for reporting enforcement activity up and down the chain, with the goal of making that information publicly available. The purpose is to boost public safety and accountability and clarify the place that local governments occupy, in the event of an ICE raid. East Hampton Town’s version of the law also blocks any town participation in ICE actions under the 287(g) clause, which essentially allows ICE and local governments to work in partnership for detentions.OLA’s blueprint removed this provision after hearing feedback from local municipalities. The thinking was that the provision could serve as a stumbling block when looking to enact the law. But the one put forth by East Hampton Town officials, and that put forth earlier this month by East Hampton Village officials, contained a section blocking 287(g) partnerships.What East Hampton Town’s version of the law also calls for is the creation of a task force, which will make recommendations to the Town Board. These recommendations will need to be answered, by the Town Board, within 30 days.Further, mandatory reporting procedures will establish a flow of information, which will ultimately become publicly accessible. This will require East Hampton Town Police to notify the supervisor of any ICE activity that officers become aware of. The supervisor then has to share that information with the Town Board and the task force. This flow of information would, theoretically, be conveyed in real time.The last part of the law gives Town Police the authority to request identification from those claiming to be ICE officers.East Hampton Village officials became the first municipality to move on the law last month, when they slated it for a public hearing that will take place at the Village Board’s April meetingEast Hampton Town officials this month plan to notice the law for a public hearing which would be held on May 7. If passed, the law would sunset in July 2029.***U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests of “illegal immigrants” on Long Island reached a historic high at the start of the year and continued steadily into last month, per a Newsday analysis of new data.Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville), who’s been supportive of local police departments cooperating with federal immigration officials, said the rising arrests on Long Island are "rooted in common sense and public safety."Congressman LaLota, who represents the 1st Congressional District which includes the East End, criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYS Gov. Kathy Hochul for their sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration officials."The contrast is undeniable. The Hochul-Mamdani approach is driven by ideology. And NYC residents continue to flee to Long Island where we are guided by a simple responsibility to keep our kids safe and our communities secure," LaLota told NEWSDAY.The Newsday analysis of the Deportation Data Project numbers show that people with no criminal background continue to make up the majority of those arrested on Long Island, outpacing the national numbers. Since last Fall, more than 60% of people arrested on Long Island were not convicted or charged with any crime committed other than entering and / or remaining in the U.S. without the required federal documentation.Nationally, this share reached its peak of 48% in January 2026.Newsday calculated all ICE arrests on Long Island by adding together four locations: Nassau and Suffolk Counties, the Nassau County Jail and the Central Islip processing area. Newsday looked at total arrests for each month in those locations and the average number of daily arrests.Anastasia Valeeva and Josefa Velásquez report in NEWSDAY that the 352 ICE arrests in January marked a peak in the monthly numbers covering October and early March. Newsday analyzed the statistics after the nonprofit Deportation Data Project released them last week. ***The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office is teaming up with

Long Island officials use a number of tools to discuss potential terror threats. Long Island's proximity to New York City makes it an attractive target for a variety of attacks by more organized groups, or a lone-wolf attacker, authorities said. Nicole Fuller reports in NEWSDAY that a slew of upcoming high-profile events, such as the U.S.A. semiquincentennial, the FIFA World Cup and the U.S. Open Golf Championship at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton are capturing the attention of local law enforcement. Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said the department's connection with the NYPD — and its vast counterterrorism efforts — as well as its involvement in organizations like the Major Cities Chiefs Association are key to helping protect Suffolk residents.Catalina, a 27-year veteran of the NYPD who became Suffolk police commissioner in 2025, said he's bolstered security at large-scale events in the county since becoming Suffolk's top cop. Some of the enhancements have included officers on roofs toting long guns, garbage and fire trucks along the perimeter to protect foot traffic and metal barriers, as well as more covert things the public may not see, such as cameras and undercover officers in crowds.A counter-drone program is on Suffolk's wish list. "Drones scare me," Catalina said. "We see what's happening in the Middle East. We see what's happening in Ukraine and Russia, as far as weaponizing drones. So that's something that we want to be able to have the autonomy to stop on our own."Catalina also brought on an NYPD leader in counterterrorism last year. Suffolk’s Deputy Police Commissioner Thomas Galati, a 39-year veteran of the NYPD, retired as the chief of intelligence and counterterrorism where he oversaw the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Intelligence Division and the Counterterrorism Division.***Curriculum changes, teacher training and extra-help sessions have aided multiple East End school districts in raising English language arts assessment test scores. Desirée Keegan reports on 27East.com that four New York school districts saw proficiency levels increase more than 20 percentage points during the 2024-25 school year, according to state data, with the Remsenburg-Speonk School District seeing the biggest rise — a 31 percent jump from the previous year to 73 percent. The test is graded on a 1-4 scale, with a 3 or higher indicating proficiency. “It’s exciting because we invested time and resources, and the teachers really put their best feet forward to make sure they were addressing the things that students really needed to know in order to be successful,” Remsenburg-Speonk Superintendent Denise Sullivan said. This included teaching students how to type and utilize computer tools, like the highlighter, that could assist in test taking. Educators also looked at assessment vocabulary to see if there were words that could be causing students confusion and implemented test-taking strategies to work on fatigue.Similar strategies were implemented in the East Quogue School District, which saw a 17-percent increase in ELA proficiency, to 67 percent. The district implemented new ELA curriculum, with The American Reading Company, which the superintendent said strengthened literacy instruction across all grade levels. To further support students, East Quogue expanded academic intervention services and introduced an after-school academy for both ELA and math, funded through a grant from Paddlers for Humanity.Westhampton Beach and Tuckahoe School districts’ ELA test results also rose 12 percent, to be 65 and 57 percent proficient, respectively.Sag Harbor results increased 8 percent to reach a 69 percent proficiency level, Southampton rose 8 percent to be 45 percent proficient and Montauk increased 6 percent to reach a 68 percent proficiency level.***The Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons is now accepting applications for scholarship grants through its Karish Education Fund, supporting students pursuing studies in horticulture and related fields.Eligible applicants include graduating high school seniors, college students and individuals enrolled in professional certification programs in disciplines such as agriculture, botany, landscape architecture, garden design and environmental science. Applications are due by Earth Day, April 22.The fund honors Paul Karish, a founding member of the organization and noted horticulturalist, who established the endowment through a 1991 bequest. Additional contributions from members have helped expand the program over the years.Since 2001, the fund has awarded more than $70,000 in scholarships, with 47 individual grants ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 distributed to students pursuing careers in plant science and environmental fields.Application details and submission instructions are available on the Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons website. ***A week after the supervisor raised questions about whether Riverhead's Alive on 25 is a worthwhile investment, the popular summer street festival seems poised for approval, with a majority of Riverhead Town Board members in support of continuing it.“Absolutely yes, there will be an Alive on 25,” Council Member Ken Rothwell told Denise Civiletti of Riverheadlocal this past Saturday, adding that he expects the board to move quickly because whoever is hired to organize the event will need time to secure a date, vendors and logistics.Rothwell said he expects the matter to be formalized soon, likely at the board’s April 21 meeting.The council member said he expects the event will probably be held late July or August because of U.S. semiquincentennial celebrations scheduled for early summer. And on a Thursday rather than a Friday, reflecting comments from some downtown businesses that Thursday is a slower day and therefore a better target for an event meant to increase foot traffic.The question of whether the event would return surfaced at the board’s March 26 work session, when new Riverhead Town Supervisor Jerry Halpin raised concerns about costs, police staffing and whether downtown businesses still support the event.Costs do remain part of the conversation.Rothwell said the latest estimate he has heard for police costs alone was about $17,000, with additional expenses associated with highway crews, building and grounds staff, barricades, setup and cleanup.But he dismissed the idea that those costs justify dropping the event.“I don’t want to lose the community events,” he said. “I think they’re great for the businesses. I think we’re obligated to help the downtown businesses,” and the cost of the event is “very miniscule” compared to other things. As for now, Riverhead’s Alive on 25 event remains without a formal vote, an approved organizer or a confirmed date.***Long Island’s oyster and kelp farmers, reeling after a brutal winter, could get a lifeline in low-interest emergency loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced yesterday that the state was requesting a disaster declaration for Suffolk County that would make farmers eligible for loans covering damage to aquaculture gear, vessels and farm infrastructure. Nicholas Spangler reports in NEWSDAY that emergency loans through the USDA’s Farm Service Agency are used to replace essential property, cover production costs and pay essential family living expenses. The loans cover up to 100% of losses and are capped at $500,000. Rates are typically lower than conventional rates."With freezing temperatures that lasted for several weeks, the Long Island coast saw ice conditions like they haven’t experienced in years, leading to a halt in operations and damage to equipment that will cost the aquaculture industry millions of dollars," Hochul said in a news release announcing the disaster declaration request. "I urge the USDA to take swift action to declare Suffolk County a disaster area and help our growers get the assistance they need to recover and move forward."A survey this winter by an industry group, Long Island Oyster Growers Association, found that the industry as a whole on Long Island lost about a third of its crop — millions of oysters — and faced about a $2.4 million bill for gear replacement. The group has more than 50 members.Eric Koepele, a partner in the oyster farm, North Fork Big Oyster, and the industry group’s president, said that many member farmers carry crop insurance and so they avoid a total loss. But Long Island’s aquaculture farms are almost all small, family-run outfits without easy access to capital, he said."After a winter like this, it’s going to be a scramble to repair equipment and seed purchases are coming in next month," he said. "Just like any farm economics, you’re got to reserve money from harvest for seed."Plans are moving ahead for the Suffolk County Oyster Jamboree and the Oyster Bay Oyster Fest, in August and October, respectively, he said. Demand for Long Island oysters could increase this year because an oyster disease called MSX is limiting supply from Canada, Koepele said.A representative for the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Denis Slattery, said that state officials were also gathering information to support a potential fishery disaster declaration request that could result in additional federal assistance. ***The Town of Southold is holding a presentation on “Understanding Subdivisions &amp; Land Preservation in Southold Town” hosted by the North Fork Civics this coming Thursday, April 9 at 6:30 p.m. at Veterans Park in...

The Long Island Rail Road is adding a second temporary platform at Hampton Bays and making several other improvements to its Montauk Branch as it preps for a busy summer surge on the South Fork and the U.S. Open Golf Tournament. Alek Lewis reports in NEWSDAY that the temporary platform, on the station's southern side, will allow two trains to simultaneously unload passengers in Hampton Bays, according to Southampton Town and state officials. That could help trains run more often on the South Fork and provide a boost for visitors, residents and commuters.The second platform will provide “operational flexibility" on the Montauk Branch, especially on busy weekends, according to the MTA. The first four-car lengths of the platform are expected to be completed by Memorial Day, with another two-car lengths before the start of the U.S. Open Golf Championship in mid-June. The tournament this year is being hosted at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton.The LIRR is expecting a surge in ridership on the line during the tournament. In 2018, when the event was last in Shinnecock, spectators using the Montauk Branch filled parking lots at two high-volume LIRR stations west of the South Fork to capacity. Railroad use helped relieve traffic congestion on roadways, local officials said at the time.A temporary platform will be installed at Stony Brook University's Southampton campus. Riders can walk from there to the golf course. A temporary bridge will also be built over County Road 39 so pedestrians can walk to the course without disrupting traffic. The LIRR platform and bridge will be taken down after the tournament, the MTA said.While currently deemed “temporary,” local officials are hopeful the additional Hampton Bays platform could become permanent and boost the South Fork Commuter Connection, the coordinated rail and shuttle bus system that brings riders from Speonk and Montauk to job centers in East Hampton and Southampton towns.***Smoother commutes could be on the horizon for Long Islanders as state highway crews launch an aggressive spring cleanup effort to fill potholes and resurface roads after a harsh winter.New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the state will invest $58.8 million in Nassau and Suffolk counties to repave roads, fill potholes and improve curb and sidewalk ramps. Tara Smith reports in NEWSDAY that the effort includes projects on the Northern State Parkway, Hempstead Turnpike, Nassau Expressway, Veterans Memorial Highway, Sunrise Highway service roads and Route 25 that will begin “immediately,” according to Gordon Tepper, a spokesman for Hochul's office.They are the first batch of a larger, $107 million commitment to repave approximately 225 lane miles of state roads on Long Island. Additional projects are expected to be announced later this year, officials said. Winter weather wreaked havoc on Long Island roads with heavy snow, frequent plowing and freeze-thaw cycles that cracked pavement and carved potholes, some of them massive.“This has been one of the coldest, most unforgiving winters in New York in recent memory, but the great news is that paving season is finally here and we will be renewing thousands of miles of roads across New York,” Hochul said in a statement.***The Town of Southold is holding a presentation on “Understanding Subdivisions &amp; Land Preservation in Southold Town” hosted by the North Fork Civics this coming Thursday, April 9 at 6:30 p.m. at Veterans Park in Mattituck. Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski, Planning Director Heather Lanza and Land Preservation Coordinator Lillian McCullough will discuss subdivision rules, the process for lot creation, conservation and affordable housing, balancing responsible development with farmland and open space protection, smart growth, data trends and the policies that have “preserved Southold’s rural character and land.”The Forum on “Understanding Subdivisions &amp; Land Preservation in Southold Town” is free and this coming Thursday at Veterans Beach in Mattituck from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.***Long Islanders are getting slammed in every direction by rising utility costs — with electric bills jumping as much as 20% and water rates increasing for the third straight year for millions of customers.Local power costs have surged, going $294 million over budget through February alone, mainly driven by record cold weather and the war in the Middle East, according to the Long Island Power Authority and experts. Brandon Cruz reports in THE NY POST that those costs have been passed along in the form of massive bill increases of 15% to 20% this year to customers already averaging around $200 a month in 2025.The Suffolk County Water Authority meanwhile approved a $346 million budget at the end of last month effectively hiking customer rates by 2.81%, to bump the average homeowner’s annual water bill just over $16 and bring the average cost — just for access to clean water — to more than $600 a year starting June 1. The water authority previously approved hikes as high as 4.17% in 2024 and 2.99% last year.The water authority — which serves about 1.2 million Suffolk County residents — said the budget boost helps upgrade infrastructure and treatment capabilities without “placing an undue financial burden” on its customers.The SCWA said its rates remain a relative bargain compared to its regional competitors.“Our bills remain well below the industry average in New York,” SCWA CEO Jeff Szabo said during a State of the Authority address recently, adding his team developed the budget with “fiscal responsibility” in mind. ​***New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the state will invest $58.8 million in Nassau and Suffolk counties to repave roads, fill potholes and improve curb and sidewalk ramps. Tara Smith reports in NEWSDAY that the state is spending $17.7 million on Suffolk County roads including Route 25 in Riverhead, from Route 25A to Splish Splash Drive.Deteriorating conditions on the roughly 3-mile stretch of Middle Country Road in Calverton have drawn concerns from local officials and first responders.Riverhead Town Councilman Ken Rothwell, who also volunteers with the Wading River Fire Department, said first responders have had to pull over on the side of the road to take vital signs and perform EKG tests.“It is so bumpy and choppy that EMTs and paramedics in the back [of an ambulance] cannot get a good EKG reading,” he told NEWSDAY on Saturday.NYS Assemb. Jodi Giglio (R-Riverhead) said the project was originally slated for completion in 2028 but accelerated after hearing from emergency crews and a tough winter.Lights and cones were already visible along Route 25 on Friday.That heavily traveled stretch of NY-25 in Calverton will be closed overnight on weekdays starting April 16, as the much-anticipated resurfacing project begins. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Rosemar Contracting, the contractor on the project, said there will be full closures of Middle Country Road (NY-25 between Parker Road (NY-25A) and Manor Road/Splish Splash Drive in Calverton, Monday through Friday from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. for milling, paving and line-striping operations.The overnight closures are expected to continue through about May 29. Detour signs are being posted to route traffic around the work zone.The NYS Department of Transportation lists the project completion date as Dec. 31, 2026.***The Southampton Rose Society will host its annual Rose Planting and Pruning Session this coming Saturday, April 11, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon in the Rose Garden at Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton Village.The free, hands-on program marks the start of the society’s spring season and is designed to make rose gardening accessible to all. Attendees will learn essential techniques from noted rosarian Peter Bertrand, who will demonstrate how to properly plant and prune a variety of rose bushes, including climbers.Bertrand will also offer guidance on fertilization, soil management and proper watering practices, and will be available to answer questions from participants. No registration is required; instructional pamphlets will be provided to attendees.The rose holds special significance as the official flower of the United States, New York State and Southampton Village, underscoring the importance of the society’s work in preserving and promoting rose cultivation locally.Now in its 50th year, the Southampton Rose Society will host its annual Rose Planting and Pruning Session this coming Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon in the Rose Garden at Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton.For more information, visit southamptonrose.org.***King Kullen's meat and seafood workers reached a tentative agreement with the company on Saturday, ending a strike that began Thursday in response to failed negotiations for a new contract and allegations that the grocer engaged in unfair labor practices. Tory N. Parrish and Sam Kmack report in NEWSDAY that the union announced that it reached a tentative deal with the company after talks resumed Friday night and extended into Saturday morning. The company confirmed the provisional pact."Our members are happy to get back to work so they can provide for their communities," UFCW Local 342 wrote in a news release.Keeley Lampo, director of activities and communications for the union, said the tentative agreement was reached about 4 a.m. Saturday and that it includes compensation and retirement increases for workers."We got the language that we wanted

The 404 new converts to Catholicism in the Diocese of Rockville Centre this year is the highest figure in nearly 40 years, church officials said. Church experts cite a range of reasons, including the diocese’s evangelization efforts, people’s hunger for deeper meaning, effective use of social media, the first American pope and a welcoming environment, especially for Hispanic immigrant families. The converts will officially become Catholics at Easter Vigil Masses throughout the diocese on Saturday night. Bart Jones reports in NEWSDAY that the Long Island numbers mirror a nationwide trend with many dioceses seeing high and even record numbers of converts. The converts go through a process that can last a year or more before becoming officially Catholic. The new high on Long Island comes nearly a year after the church elected its first American pontiff, Pope Leo XIV. While church officials said that may be a small factor for the growth, there are probably many others, including simply the mystery of faith.“More than any program or initiative of ours, God does the calling and God allows the growth,” said the Rev. Eric Fasano, a spokesman for the Diocese of Rockville Centre which serves Catholics across Nassau and Suffolk counties..The 404 new members will receive the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Holy Eucharist at Easter Vigil Masses tomorrow night throughout the diocese. It is the highest number since 1988, the last year for which the diocese has readily available records, Fasano said. The second-highest number of conversions was last year, with 320 new Catholics. The number has nearly doubled in the last seven years, rising from 208 in 2020, according to diocesan data.While the converts include many Latinos — the fastest growing group of Catholics in the United States and on Long Island — there are also other ethnicities coming into the religion, though there was no demographic breakdown, Rev. Fasano said.Converts who were not raised Catholic but become one as an adult, make up about 8% of the 32 million Catholics in the United States, according to a June 2025 Pew Research Center report. Long Island is home to 1.2 million baptized Catholics, according to the diocese.***Two people have been charged with receiving bribes in the East Hampton Town Building Department, as part of an investigation conducted by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Public Corruption Squad that stretched back into 2024. Ryan Benitez and Evelyn Calderon, both suspended Building Department staffers, were arraigned in Suffolk County Criminal Court yesterday. Both were released on their own recognizance, as the charges are not bail-eligible. This comes on the heels of what has been a turbulent year for the East Hampton Town Building Department, as town officials have sought to work through a backlog and boost efficiency within a department plagued by turnover, lawsuits and now a pair of indictments.Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that Benitez and Calderon, in a joint indictment, were charged with 10 counts each. Five of those counts are for bribe receiving in the third degree, a class D felony. The remaining five are for official misconduct, a class A misdemeanor. Adding up the total amount in the indictment puts the number at $16,100 accepted or planned bribes across the five counts. The pair face two and a third to seven years in prison, if convicted of the top count.A grand jury in Suffolk County indicted the pair, who surrendered to the D.A.’s office on Thursday morning April 2 and were then arraigned by Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei. Alyssa Constantino from the Suffolk D.A.’s Public Corruption Bureau is prosecuting the case. Benitez and Calderon are due back in court on May 21. ***The Long Island Oyster Growers Association is hosting a “Peconic Oyster Dregs Hunt” tomorrow — a chance for the community to help oyster farmers collect ghost oyster gear and other winter debris washed up on the shoreline after this winter’s devastating deep freeze. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that you show up on Saturday morning between 9 and 11 a.m. at the Greenport Harbor Brewery in Peconic, Ram’s Head Inn on Shelter Island, or Kidd Squid Brewing Company in Sag Harbor, and the organizers will point you toward a beach that needs some love. After the Cleanup, haul your collected debris to the nearest designated drop-off point (trucks and trailers recommended). If you do not have a vehicle, pile the debris neatly near the road for later pickup. When you drop off your haul, we will reward you with a token good for two drinks (beer or wine) and oysters compliments of LIOGA at either Greenport Brewery location on the North Fork, Ram’s Head Inn Shelter Island , or Kidd Squid East Hampton.For further info visit the Long Island Oyster Growers Association website. ***The whine of chain saws and sudden thinning of woods have become a familiar — and jarring — backdrop to life on the South Fork. Towering oaks and dense thickets that buffer homes and define the region's rural feel are being cleared for luxury homes. The trend has fueled unease among residents who say their neighborhoods are changing in real time. Alek Lewis reports in NEWSDAY that currently, most properties in Southampton Town can be cleared and regraded without restriction. But town officials say they are looking to change that with a bill that will ensure large trees, vegetation and habitats are not removed unnecessarily during the construction process. The Town of Southampton issues thousands of building permits annually, including 184 last year for new homes and 695 for renovations.The proposal would require the town's land management department to review and issue permits for any major clearing, regrading, or excavation, save for several exceptions. Clearing more than half a property would require the planning board's approval. “The sheer physical beauty of the land and the water [on the East End] is extraordinary. And yet, if we continue to cut down mature trees, that character of various hamlets [and] communities start to disappear on us,” Mark McIntyre, co-chair of the town’s sustainability committee, told Newsday. “It's part of what makes the South Fork so special." Those activities are already restricted in other South Fork communities, including the Town of East Hampton as well as the villages of Sag Harbor and Southampton. In those municipalities, a permit or building department approval is typically required to remove trees and clear land.Trees and vegetation are an “integral and irreplaceable part of” Southampton’s character, the proposed bill states. Their removal is harmful to wildlife habitat and means there are fewer trees that can capture greenhouse gases, which can worsen the effects of climate change, said Councilman Michael Iasilli, one of the bill's sponsors.But opponents say the proposal would give the town too much control over private property and could lead to delays in real estate deals and construction timelines. Councilwoman Cyndi McNamara, the board’s only Republican, opposes the measure. She said it will bring “more red tape" and is "another permit to get" for residents and contractors. The requirement could cause delays for contractors and strain the department's staff, she said.Southampton Town officials will incorporate revisions based on comments from the public, Iasilli said.***Home improvement giant Home Depot is looking to open a large warehouse and distribution center in Yaphank, with the help of tax breaks. Celia Young reports in NEWSDAY that Brookhaven Logistics Center, an affiliate of Kansas City-based NorthPoint Development, applied in March to bring in Home Depot as a subtenant for a proposed $157 million building. Home Depot has requested tax breaks from the Town of Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency to equip the facility, according to Brookhaven Logistics Center’s application to the IDA.If the deal is approved, Atlanta-based Home Depot would lease the yet-to-be-built, 414,000-square-foot building for 15 years, according to the application.The new development would sit on 50.64 acres on the northern end of a massive swath of land south of the Long Island Expressway, slated to become a warehouse development under a 2021 deal with the Brookhaven Town IDA.The developer behind the warehouse project, another NorthPoint affiliate, already secured 15 years of tax breaks for the overall warehouse project, which run through 2037, according to a 2021 IDA resolution and the IDA's 2024 annual report.The project is part of Home Depot’s "larger, multiyear North American supply chain expansion plan," according to the application, and comes as the company looks to grow its business to serve larger contractors as well as individual consumers.If approved, the new center would create an estimated 200 jobs, with salaries ranging from $97,702 per year to $191,127 per year and hourly wages ranging from $23 to $24.50, according to the application.***You are invited to join the 10th Annual Greenport Egg Roll presented by the Greenport Business Improvement District tomorrow morning. Bring the family to Mitchell Park in Greenport for a Saturday morning of egg hunting and magic! Magic show at 10:30AM, Egg Hunt right after, followed by free carousel rides until 1:30PM!That’s tomorrow starting at 10:30am at Mitchell Park on Front Street in Greenport.Also tomorrow is Hampton Library’s Annual Egg Hunt from 10am – 11am at the Bridgehampton Museum – Corwith House, 2368 Montauk Highway, Bridgehampton, NY. Find all the...

Suffolk County argued this week that a $112 million jury verdict handed down five months ago on the detention of immigrants in the country illegally was “fundamentally flawed” and should be overturned.The county made its case in court filings that the trial in a nearly decade-old lawsuit featured "several substantial errors."Joe Werkmeister reports in NEWSDAY that the case stems from Suffolk's policy under former Sheriff Vincent DeMarco to honor detainers issued through the U.S. Immigration &amp; Customs Enforcement agency, a practice halted after a 2018 court ruling found it unlawful.A federal jury awarded the verdict in November following a weeklong trial. The county’s Manhattan-based law firm Dewey Pegno &amp; Kramarsky filed a motion in December to have the verdict either vacated or a new trial.The two sides presented arguments on the motion before Judge William F. Kuntz II in Eastern District Court in Brooklyn Tuesday. Both sides now wait for Kuntz to issue a written decision.The original complaint was filed on behalf of Joaquin Orellana Castaneda, an immigrant from Guatemala, who had been stopped by Suffolk police for a traffic violation and booked on a driving while intoxicated-related arrest. He was held on an ICE detainer for two days after his bail was posted on the local charge, according to previous reports. The case grew to include about 650 people who were similarly held longer than the local charge required. The county had argued it was entitled to immunity because it acted under federal authority, an assertion the court had dismissed. At the November trial, a nine-person jury awarded $75 million based off Kuntz’s January 2025 ruling and an additional $37 million on a separate due process claim.***As Southampton Village waits for a pair of corresponding bills in the New York State Assembly and Senate to be passed that would authorize the alienation of Lola Prentice Memorial Park for use in a land swap plan, village residents who oppose the swap have raised further points in why they believe the plan should not go through. Dan Stark reports on 27east.com that in the current plan, the village seeks to alienate the park to use as underground leach fields for a sewage treatment plant that would be located behind the village ambulance barn. A neighboring property a few hundred feet down the road at 135 Windmill Lane — currently home to The Express News Group building — would be turned into a new dog park. In response, five residents filed a lawsuit against the Village of Southampton last week for going through with the plan, arguing that the village is violating the park’s 1962 deed and a 2019 court injunction by using the park for something other than recreational and educational use.As the plaintiffs wait for a response, some raised the question of whether the village can pursue a land swap if the two properties aren’t the same size. The park measures in at 2.478 acres, while the proposed new dog park site is 1.10 acres, less than half the size of the current park.Under New York State law, the determining factor for alienating two properties is not its acreage, but rather its fair market value. Specifically, state law says that “the fair market value of the substitute property must be no less than the fair market value of the property being alienated.” State law also includes provisions about requiring new properties to “be of reasonably equivalent usefulness and location to the lands being alienated” and to “be of equal environmental value and usefulness to the lands being alienated.”***The Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons is now accepting applications for scholarship grants through its Karish Education Fund, supporting students pursuing studies in horticulture and related fields.Eligible applicants include graduating high school seniors, college students and individuals enrolled in professional certification programs in disciplines such as agriculture, botany, landscape architecture, garden design and environmental science. Applications are due by Earth Day, April 22.The fund honors Paul Karish, a founding member of the organization and noted horticulturalist, who established the endowment through a 1991 bequest. Additional contributions from members have helped expand the program over the years.Since 2001, the fund has awarded more than $70,000 in scholarships, with 47 individual grants ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 distributed to students pursuing careers in plant science and environmental fields.Application details and submission instructions are available on the Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons website.***A NYS Supreme Court justice has ordered the county clerk to lift restrictions on land within Enterprise Park at Calverton, which could allow Riverhead Town to pursue new ideas for the 1,600-acre property. Tara Smith reports in NEWSDAY that Calverton Aviation &amp; Technology, a venture aerospace company, filed a lis pendens — a public record of a pending lawsuit — as it sued Riverhead for backing out of a $40 million deal to sell the property to the company in 2024. The notice effectively blocked the town from marketing or selling the land, since most buyers will not make offers on properties tangled up in litigation.Justice David Reilly, in a March 24 ruling, directed the Suffolk County clerk to cancel the notice within 30 days, noting “there are no remaining claims that would directly affect title to, or the possession, use or enjoyment” of the site. The decision removes a hurdle Riverhead Town officials have previously cited as delaying action on the property intended to be an economic engine for the town, though attorneys for the aerospace group say they plan to appeal.Town attorney Erik Howard said the latest development in the legal dispute is a win for Riverhead. Justice Reilly previously dismissed 16 of 17 claims alleged in CAT’s initial complaint, and the company has since filed an appeal seeking to reverse the dismissed claims.Howard told NEWSDAY yesterday that the cancellation “whittles away at any leverage CAT has in the case going forward and drastically limits relief that can be pursued.”“More importantly, for the Town and the residents, it allows them to move forward with entertaining new proposals for development of the property,” Howard added.Calverton Aviation &amp; Technology proposed 10 million square feet of development at the former Grumman hub for aerospace, energy and academic tenants, noting in court papers that it would be a boon to the regional economy and pledged to invest $250 million in its first phase. The town board terminated the deal in October 2023 after the Riverhead Industrial Development Agency ruled the company was not financially capable of delivering its vision.Ronald Rossi, a Manhattan attorney representing Calverton Aviation &amp; Technology, said the company plans to seek a stay of the cancellation of the notice of pendency during the appeal process.***New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration has proposed substantially lifting the oversight and review demands of one of the state’s foundational environmental protection laws for residential developments in its latest attempt to improve housing affordability. But East End civic and environmental groups say that the proposal would do nothing to reduce the cost of housing and would have sweeping unintended consequences on the East End, and in many other areas, from overdevelopment that would simply be high-priced luxury residences. The administration’s proposal, which it has dubbed “Let Them Build,” would, in part, free some small- and large-scale residential developments from scrutiny by local planning and zoning boards currently demanded in the State Environmental Quality Review Act, or SEQRA, a 1975 law that is the overarching guide of all development regulatory review in the state.Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that projects of fewer than 100 units — either in subdivisions or multifamily structures — on land that is already “disturbed” and serviced by public utilities, like water and sewer mains, essentially would be freed from subjective review, other than making sure they comply with underlying zoning standards. Development hawks say that the state’s approach — which the governor has included as a line-item in her budget proposal — would open up untold numbers of properties to newly unconstrained development that would almost certainly be exploited by developers. “What the governor is trying to do is eliminate the review process for a variety of project types which, in our area, have nothing to do with affordability,” said Bob DeLuca, president of the Group for the East End. He pointed out that, “The word affordability does not appear in any of these amendments…It’s easy to beat the drum and say let people build and suddenly things will become affordable. When you get down to the nitty gritty, there’s a zillion reasons why things are not affordable, and it’s not just putting a building up.” NYS Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni of Sag Harbor said that if the governor thinks SEQRA should be amended to remove some of the hurdles to responsible development in appropriate areas and streamline the review process, it should be done through legislative amendments, not in the state budget bill — an increasingly common approach to forcing through controversial legislative changes since Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration. Schiavoni emphasized, “This is not what the people of the East End want. We need housing initiatives…We need to create affordable housing. We’ve created the transfer tax to do that. I think local