Villages

The establishment of Juneteenth as a national holiday late last week was long overdue, if you ask William Pickens III of Sag Harbor. "I'm so delighted that it's come to fruition. This is the celebration and commemoration that America needs," said Mr. Pickens, whose grandfather was one of the founders of the N.A.A.C.P. in 1909.

Health care is immensely complicated at times, and there are only so many minutes in the day. Finding a means both to make sure all of a given patient's concerns are addressed while still making sure the time allotted to other patients is not unfairly infringed upon is one of the hardest balancing acts that health care providers are asked to accomplish, and delineating clear expectations from the start of the visit can work wonders in this regard.

Pride Month, celebrated in June each year since 1970 in response to the Stonewall uprising in New York City in June of 1969, celebrates the L.G.B.T.Q.+ community and brings attention to its needs. On the South Fork, that attention might come through an interfaith service, a safe space for teens, or a health care center that prioritizes the needs of L.G.B.T.Q.+ people.

The Hampton Hopper, a seasonal bus service serving Montauk that was suspended during the pandemic last year, will resume service as soon as Thursday, with an expanded service territory.

Quality-of-life issues were the center of attention Monday night when the Amagansett Citizens Advisory Committee held what may have been its final Zoom session. Gas-powered leaf blowers, illegal Airbnb rentals, sign clutter at the beaches, beach fires, loud parties, and litter, litter, litter, all got a thorough airing.

This photograph from the Amagansett Historical Association's Carleton Kelsey Collection shows the Long Island Rail Road's engine No. 84, with James C. Eichhorn's name painted on the side.

Local engines making short trips were known as "scoot" engines. This engine was one of four of the most modern types available when the L.I.R.R. put them into service in 1898. The railroad began naming locomotives after their operating enginemen in 1924, which helps date this photo.

When Denise Smith organized a celebration of Juneteenth last year at Agawam Park in Southampton Village, the holiday was still an unofficial one, though just as important as ever. About two weeks later, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo formally declared Juneteenth a state holiday — and other states and municipalities eventually followed suit — so heading into this weekend, there's a lot to celebrate.

Clearly, some sort of benefit does come from going out into the world and engaging with the micro-organisms waiting to be found in the dirt of playgrounds and on the snot-covered tables in classrooms. But there is no way of knowing which encounters with micro-organisms will be relatively benign and lead to increased immunity, and which have the potential to be devastating.

Seventeen years ago, Gloria Cannon had an idea, to preserve “The Barbershop,” a longtime Southampton gathering place for Black East Enders. On Saturday, Juneteenth, after years of planning, fund-raising, construction, and a few setbacks, her vision will be realized with the grand opening of the Southampton African American Museum at 245 North Sea Road, the site of the former barbershop built by Emanuel Seymore in the 1940s.

In this timeless photo from the Amagansett Historical Association's Carleton Kelsey Collection, Dorothy Lester (1919-2015) is oceanside in a striped romper and canvas sneakers, wind in her hair.

New York State Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said this week that when 70 percent of the state's adult population has gotten at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine most of the remaining pandemic restrictions will be lifted. While much of the rest of New York State has yet to reach that mark, East Hampton Town has already surpassed it, Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc announced Tuesday.

Those curious about all the activity at the site of the former Il Mulino restaurant in Wainscott or perhaps surprised to see that this week the building there had disappeared could have had their questions answered at Saturday's Wainscott Citizens Advisory Committee meeting, when Kim Quarty of the Peconic Land Trust briefed the group on the new preserve at the head of Georgica Pond.

Some of the biggest names in skateboarding culture have signed on to support the renovation and expansion of the Montauk Skate Park, which will benefit from an art auction to be held on Saturday at the Montauk Beach House.

"I remember exactly what I was wearing, I remember exactly who was in the class, and I remember how hard I cried," said Colleen Saidman Yee of Yoga Shanti of the day in March 2020 when she closed her Sag Harbor yoga studio because of the pandemic. After barely surviving a 15-month shutdown, Yoga Shanti in Sag Harbor is seeking to regain its footing with new protocols designed to make students breathe easy about returning to group classes.

Fitting for the occasion, it was Smoochie the dog who officially broke ground Friday on the new home of the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons. No shovel was needed — Smoochie was specially trained to dig the first hole herself.

The recent introduction of paid parking in East Hampton Village has led to confusion about the use of the ParkMobile payment app.

An environmental remediation project designed in part to showcase sound and sustainable landscaping practices is taking shape in East Hampton Village. Called a bioswale, it is a veritable meadow of trees, plants, and grasses native to Long Island that is designed to absorb road runoff, filter pollution from stormwater, and provide native habitat while beautifying a public space. 

The 60th reunion of the East Hampton High School class of 1961 will take place via Zoom this year on June 25, but along with the festivities will come a solemn reminder of loved ones lost along the way.

The class of 1961 is donating a memorial tree to be planted at what is now the East Hampton Middle School, but which was simply "school" to these graduates, as it housed kindergarten through 12th grade before the high school opened in 1970.

With the recent departure of Scoop du Jour, the East Hampton Village commercial district may be facing a summer without an ice cream shop for the first time in 26 years, and residents of all ages are dripping with dread.

Aidan Corish and Bob Plumb, Sag Harbor Village Trustees who are running to keep their seats in the June 15 village election, talked this week about their separate priorities. Mr. Corish, Mr. Plumb, and a first-time candidate, Bayard Fenwick, are vying for two seats on the village board.

On Sept. 28, 1802, Abraham Baker (1729-1817) penned his last will and testament to ensure proper disbursement of his possessions to his family. Abraham Baker was born on Nov. 2, 1729, to Daniel Baker (1692-1740) and Abigail Osborn (1698-1748) in East Hampton.

Community members gathered in East Hampton and Sag Harbor on Monday for solemn Memorial Day ceremonies recalling military men and women who were lost in service and also longstanding, pre-Covid traditions. 

News that fully vaccinated people could go without masks and stop social distancing in most settings has been met with unbridled joy by many, but questions remain. Among them, what, if anything, is recommended when it comes to testing vaccinated people for Covid-19.

A dispute over the $33,000 installation of a gas fireplace in a residence at the Watchcase Condominiums complex in Sag Harbor has led to a four-year legal battle between Sandra Foschi, the owner of WLNG radio, and Cape Advisors, the developers of the property.

This week, with Memorial Day fast upon us, what was known by 1950 as the "Liberty Pole" in honor of those who served in World War II is getting a cleaning and a fresh coat of white paint, courtesy of the Amagansett Village Improvement Society. The steeplejack doing the work, David Midgette of Medford, was planning to ascend the 120-foot pole in a crane on Tuesday, barring strong winds.

The American College of Surgeons certified that Stony Brook Southampton has the right equipment, resuscitative capabilities, blood bank protocols, and surgeons and emergency physicians who are trained in advanced life support and who commit to responding to severe cases within 30 minutes of a patient's arrival.

This image shows Lawrence Smith and Leander Arnold constructing the base of the veterans monument next to Ashawagh Hall in Springs. The monument was officially dedicated on Memorial Day weekend in May 1989.   

Facing a steep rent increase, the Hampton Chutney Co. eatery will soon be leaving the Amagansett Square space it has occupied for more than 20 years, Isabel MacGurn, an owner, said on Monday.

Following a solemn year in which all official parades were canceled locally, there will be parades in both East Hampton and Sag Harbor Villages on Monday. 

If, like most Americans, you have been waiting with bated breath for signs that the Covid-19 pandemic is winding down and that a return to normalcy has finally arrived, then you probably heaved a great sigh of relief at some point over the past two weeks as the Centers for Disease Control announced that vaccinated individuals could dispense with wearing masks in most settings. On May 19, New York followed suit and adopted the same guidelines, except where certain municipalities, businesses, schools, and settings such as hospitals or doctors' offices still require them.