A $2.2 million forest management contract for Napeague and Hither Hills State Parks, where the invasive southern pine beetle has killed thousands of trees and sparked concern about wildfires, will focus on areas adjacent to Montauk Highway and nearby residences and trails while creating additional access for fire departments to help reduce the risk to human life or property in the event of a wildfire, the governor said during a visit to Montauk Friday.
Big Sea Life Chases Small, Some Years More Than Others
A senior scientist spots only 20 humpback whales this season here, down from 121 at this point in 2024. But we were spoiled: Last year was an aberration.
August 14, 2025
Police & Courts
Staff at the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett heard noises from above and discovered a man on the roof, trying to gain access to the music venue. He told police he’d “just wanted to see what his friends were doing.”
Aug 14, 2025
A 34-year-old man faces two felony drunken-driving charges following his arrest on the night of Aug. 3.
Aug 14, 2025
A Sag Harbor woman was injured on Aug. 6 after a westbound Mercedes sedan rear-ended her Jeep on Montauk Highway near Green Hollow Road.
Aug 14, 2025
Fire and Emergency Service Dollars and Cents
Amid continuing frustration over uncleared piles of dead pitch pines along the Napeague stretch left in the wake of the southern pine beetle infestation, the East Hampton Town Board approved millions of dollars in new fire protection contracts at last Thursday’s meeting.
Aug 14, 2025
Trustees Approve More Three Mile Harbor Oyster Reefs
The East Hampton Town Trustees heard a pitch for the construction of a fifth and sixth oyster reef in Three Mile Harbor on Monday, a plan they quickly approved.
Aug 14, 2025
Government
Gabrielle McKay, who was sworn in as the East Hampton Village clerk at the end of July, is among the youngest of municipal clerks.
Aug 14, 2025
“Our season has been an amazing season,” John Ryan Jr., the town’s chief lifeguard, said of East Hampton Town’s junior lifeguard program, which teaches children ages 9 to 15 the importance of water safety and ocean awareness.
Aug 14, 2025
Worried residents of Napeague, who live in a part of East Hampton Town that’s next door to a vast state park littered with miles of dead trees, turned out in force to hear Chris Beckert, chief of the Amagansett Fire Department, address the hamlet’s citizens advisory committee about a recent fire in the park, which came scarily close to some of their homes.
Aug 14, 2025
Nothing belongs in the public right of way, except maybe a mailbox, a utility pole, or a fire hydrant. That was the message in a joint presentation from Councilman David Lys and Kevin Cobb, a highway project inspector from the Highway Department, at the Aug. 5 East Hampton Town Board meeting.
Aug 14, 2025
Arts
Remembering Robert Wilson, 83, a Theater Visionary
Robert Wilson died at home in Water Mill on July 31 after a brief illness. He was 83 and left behind not only a remarkable body of work as a theater director, playwright, and visual artist, but also the Watermill Center, a monument to his far-reaching vision.
Aug 14, 2025
After 20 groundbreaking years, Edsel Williams of the Fireplace Project in Springs has mounted his final show, featuring work by 95 of the more than 320 artists who have exhibited there.
Aug 14, 2025
Programs at the Church will unpack the history of "Saturday Night Live," reveal how to cultivate healthy ecosystems at home, and feature the artist Monica Banks discussing her work in "The Ark."
Aug 14, 2025
A musical week at LTV will include cabaret with four stars, rock with Corky Laing of Mountain, and two jazz performances.
Aug 14, 2025
Villages
Lighthouse Weekend and Other Montauk Fun
At the Montauk Lighthouse, a national historic landmark, the Third New York Regiment will show off their Revolutionary War uniforms and accouterments, and the Kings of the Coast Pirates will perform. Downtown, the Montauk Artists Association is holding its second art show and sale of the summer.
Item of the Week: Frederica Gallatin on the Beach
This East Hampton Star archive snapshot of Frederica Gallatin (1913-2003) on the beach at the Maidstone Club depicts what a beach day in the 1930s would look like for young women in the summer colony.
Gosman’s Honors a Cancer Triumph
Service was paused at Gosman’s Topside, Inlet Cafe, and Clam Bar restaurants on Friday afternoon so the blessing of good health for Kate Hobbes could be celebrated by the tight-knit staff.
