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Not Hillary and Donald, It’s Anna and Lee

Not Hillary and Donald, It’s Anna and Lee

Representative Lee Zeldin and Anna Throne-Holst, his challenger.
Representative Lee Zeldin and Anna Throne-Holst, his challenger.
Morgan McGivern
Sunday’s candidate forum was a real slugfest
By
Christopher Walsh

The tone was heated and the attacks were sometimes personal when Representative Lee Zeldin and Anna Throne-Holst, his challenger to represent New York’s First Congressional District, met at Concerned Citizens of Montauk’s 46th annual candidates forum on Sunday at the Montauk School.

Questions on environmental issues were interspersed with sharply contested queries, submitted by the audience, on topics including gun violence and immigration. But in this “election of our lifetime,” as the challenger put it, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the major-party candidates for president, continue to cast a long shadow over this congressional campaign.

With a recent poll indicating a 15-point lead for the incumbent, Ms. Throne-Holst made multiple efforts to tie her opponent to Mr. Trump, whom he has endorsed. While Mr. Zeldin conceded that inaction on immigration reform was due to partisanship in Congress, Ms. Throne-Holst said that “he supports Mr. Trump’s building a wall” at the Mexican border. She also noted that Mr. Zeldin, as a Republican, is part of the current legislative majority. “If the spirit is actually there to get this done,” she asked of immigration reform, “why isn’t it getting done?”

The tension rose as Ms. Throne-Holst continued her attack. Asked if Mrs. Clinton’s use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state gave her pause, along with the Clinton Foundation’s practices and “her abuse of women attacked by her husband,” former President Bill Clinton, she turned to the 2005 videotape on which Mr. Trump is heard bragging about kissing and grabbing women.

“We have an individual running for the White House today that has, over years, sexually abused women, and makes no bones about it,” she said, scornful of Mr. Trump’s defense of his remarks as “locker room talk.”

“Answer the question,” an audience member called out.

“Yeah, I’ll be happy to answer the question,” she replied. “Do I think that a man like that, that speaks disparagingly of Gold Star families, that puts a whole nationality, across the board, as criminals and rapists, has any business running for president of this country? And the fact that Mr. Zeldin’s moral compass is so off that he will troll for votes thinking that the Trump base will doesn’t, as a father and a husband, speak up” about Mr. Trump’s remarks “is a real issue, and it goes way beyond anything else.” Much of the gathering applauded.

Mr. Zeldin responded angrily. “To be asked a substantive question from someone in this crowd on whether or not anything that happens to be a flaw or imperfection in her own candidate gives her pause . . . instead of answering that, you’re going to attack me as a husband? You’re going to attack me as a father? And you’re going to bring my family into it? It’s disgusting.” His remarks also drew applause.

When Peter Lowenstein, the moderator, asked Ms. Throne-Holst if she would like to “take another crack at answering some of these questions,” she admitted to disagreeing with Mrs. Clinton with regard to “entirely opening our doors to Syrian refugees” before implementation of “a vetting system that is airtight,” and called her use of a private email server a mistake. “But does any of that rise to the level of condoning sexually molesting women?” she asked. “No, it doesn’t.”

The tone continued when the discussion turned to gun violence. Ms. Throne-Holst charged that Mr. Zeldin has voted 28 times to prevent a vote on legislation that would prohibit terrorism suspects on the government’s “no-fly” list from buying guns. “The skating and slip-sliding around this issue is almost comical,” she said of her opponent. “Just ask him that question: Have you or have you not voted 28 times not to permit the bill to come forward and a discussion on the floor of the House of Representatives to take guns out of the hands of terrorists through ‘No fly, no buy’? The simple answer is yes, he has done that 28 times.”

Loopholes can be closed to protect public safety, she said, but “because our Congress is so mired in dysfunction under people like Lee Zeldin, they are not happening.”

Mr. Zeldin said that gun legislation has to both prevent terrorists from buying firearms and protect Americans’ due-process rights, referring to a bill he introduced that would stop a gun sale to a suspected terrorist only after law enforcement obtained a court order. He also suggested that so-called gun-free zones were to blame for the scope of mass shootings at two military installations in Chattanooga, Tenn., and a movie theater in Aurora, Colo.

The candidates also clashed on the controversial Army Corps of Engineers barrier on the downtown Montauk beach that was damaged last month by Tropical Storm Hermine. Mr. Zeldin stressed solidarity with East Hampton Town officials. He said that all agreed that more sand was needed, both in the barrier’s initial construction and in the longer-term plan to add sand to the beach every four years, and that he had helped secure a commitment to it.

Local control is paramount, Ms. Throne-Holst said, but “doesn’t mean anything if you don’t have representatives on the higher levels of government” ensuring that that protocol is followed. Town officials, she said, “knew full well that putting the hardening structures in is something that every coastal engineer today will tell you is not the way to do it, that this is a project that will start to encroach on itself” as a result. Mr. Zeldin, “who’s responsible for making sure that the Army Corps did a project which was what local control was asking for, in my opinion fell down on the job,” she said.

Mr. Zeldin called that “a pretty remarkable spin,” and repeated, “I’ve secured a commitment to increase the amount of sand that’s coming to East Hampton Town.”

Ms. Throne-Holst repeated that the town “did not want hardening structures as part of this project, and it was allowed to go forward.”

In a rare moment of accord, both candidates agreed that climate change is a real phenomenon. Both pointed to their own accomplishments, Mr. Zeldin citing support for energy-efficiency programs as a state senator and funding for Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University as a congressman. Ms. Throne-Holst detailed sustainability measures in Southampton under her stewardship, including the Southampton 400 Plus update to the town’s comprehensive plan, the Solarize Southampton initiative, and her role in creating the Clean Water Technology Center at Stony Brook University.

Keeping Art in Studios

Keeping Art in Studios

Trouble arises when artists sell their work spaces
By
Christine Sampson

The East Hampton Town Board is considering plans to shift the review of artists’ studios to the town planning board and to make several changes to the zoning code in connection with what happens when a property with an artist’s studio is sold.

John Jilnicki, the senior assistant town attorney, presented the proposal to the town board at a work session on Tuesday. Specific regulations governing art studios would remain the same but the code would require those who sell or lease a property with such a studio to inform anyone entering into such a transaction that a restriction or covenant exists that limits the building’s use to an artist.

“We’re finding that studios get transferred to those who aren’t artists,” Mr. Jilnicki said. “That’s been problematic. We’re telling the new owner, ‘By the way, you have a structure on your property that can’t remain in its current state.’ Some buyers are not aware, and some sellers are not telling the buyers.”

Under the proposal, the size of artists’ studios remains the same. They cannot have more square footage than the ground floor of the main house, cannot take up more than 5 percent of the lot, and cannot exceed 2,500 square feet, whichever is less. Other accessory buildings are limited to 600 square feet. “If the property is not sold to an artist, it has to be removed or reduced in size. That’s the issue that’s arisen a few times for us,” Mr. Jilnicki said.

In addition, an artist wishing to expand an artist’s studio beyond these limits would have to apply for a variance from the town zoning board, as would someone who wanted to build a new one larger than the code allows. The request would have to provide “a clear and concise explanation as to the applicant’s need.”

The zoning code defines artists’ studios as buildings intended for “painting, drawing, sculpting, or other similar activities involving the crafting or manipulation of materials into objects of fine art by one or more members of the family of the owner or tenant of the residence located on the property.”

Other limits, such as a prohibition on sleeping quarters and on plumbing except for a sink, would not be changed, and the town would retain the ability to send in a building inspector. Penalties or violations would also remain as is.

The number of artists’ studios in the town was not available by press time yesterday.

After a brief discussion, during which town board members seemed amenable to the changes, Mr. Cantwell suggested scheduling a public hearing. The town will meet next for a work session on Tuesday at 10 a.m. and on Thursday for an open meeting at 6:30 p.m., both at Town Hall. 

Fed Up With Signs at Long Wharf

Fed Up With Signs at Long Wharf

Most serve good causes; some say they are ‘out of control’ and an ‘eyesore’
By
Taylor K. Vecsey

Sag Harbor Village officials have been mulling how to regulate signs that are posted at the entrance to Long Wharf, with some calling for a ban on signs there altogether. The board also discussed parking after Nada Barry, the owner of the Wharf Shop, asked how it was that about a dozen spaces on Main Street had been reserved for a group of “fancy” cars late last month. 

For as long as anyone can remember, the village board has approved signs for community events, such as HarborFest or the American Music Festival, on a  40-by-50-foot grassy area at the wharf. Over the past few years, the number of requests has increased, with more organizations asking for permission to place signs there and the appearance of a number of different sizes. 

“It’s out of control, we all know that,” Ms. Barry said after Mayor Sandra Schroeder raised the issue and noted that there had been talk about prohibiting or finding another place for them.

“I’ve been opposed to signs on the Long Wharf for quite a while,” said Ed Deyermond, a board member, who has recently voted against sign requests. James LaRocca, another board member, agreed there was room for improvement, but said signs offer the community something  that he would hate to get rid of. He suggested taking the next month to consider ways to make the area more attractive.

According to Ken O’Donnell, a board member who is the liaison to the Highway Department, signs are doing irreparable damage to Long Wharf plumbing, with stakes being driven through an irrigation system. “I think it definitely needs to be looked at,” he said. 

Robby Stein, the deputy mayor, commented that the area had become a magnet for professional advertising signs. 

“It’s out of control and not all those signs are permitted,” Mr. Deyermond pointed out. Mr. LaRocca asked if tickets were issued to those who put up signs that were not approved by the board, but no answer was immediately forthcoming.  He also wanted to know how surrounding communities handle signs. “I’m feeling like, I’d hate to shut it down altogether, if it serves a purpose,” he said, adding that he likes seeing reminders for community events, like the blood drives by Sag Harbor Volunteer Ambulance Corps. 

Ms. Barry said community members may have some good ideas about how best to handle the situation, and a few ideas thrown out by the audience at the meeting were to create a community bulletin board or an electronic sign on which only the village would be able to post events. The board will continue the discussion at its Nov. 8 meeting. 

The Main Street parking issue was not unexpected. In July, the village board had approved a request from Aaron Hsu on behalf of Club 369, a limited liability corporation, reserving 14 parking spaces across from the American Hotel during the Historic Automobile Tour on Sept. 27 from noon to 3 p.m. 

Mr. Stein said the European sports cars were parked in spaces reserved through what are called encumbrance permits, which were $50 each, and that the club also made a $1,000 donation to the Sag Harbor Village Police Benevolence Association. Encumbrance permits are available to anyone, he said. He noted that parking was not reserved just to allow drivers to have lunch at the American Hotel, as Ms. Barry said she had heard, but that they had walked around and spent money in the village. Even so, Ms. Barry thought it was a bad idea.

“That’s pretty much exactly what I said, terrible precedent,” Mr. Deyermond said. Mr. O’Donnell agreed, saying he felt it was like “selling our souls” for $50. They voted against it on July 12. 

By phone yesterday, Mr. O’Donnell and Mr. Deyermond said the parking spaces had been “coned” off from at least 8 a.m. on the Tuesday they were expected. As a business owner, Mr. O’Donnell wondered how many times cars would have come and gone in the spaces with people shopping in the village that day, since regular parking is limited to two hours. “Everybody needs everything, whether it’s the weather, the spaces, to make money in this economy,” he said. “Nada could use the spaces for someone randomly coming in and buying toys. Schmidt’s could use it for someone stopping in to buy wine and liquor. Schiavoni’s could use it for someone stopping in to get their needs,” he said. He noted that his restaurant, La Superica, is closed on Tuesdays, however.

Mr. O’Donnell also said he was not in favor of closing Long Wharf again for a weekend in July for the Bay Street Theater’s fund-raising gala. “I don’t want to become the village of no,” he said, but “they could have gotten 13 spots at the end of the Long Wharf at this time of year and not adversely affected anyone.”

In other news, it seems that the purchase by Mitch Winston of Amagansett and his partners of the Morpurgo house at 6 Union Street may finally close. Tom Preiato, the village building inspector, said an investor informed him the closing is set for Oct. 25. The dilapidated, foreclosed house has been on the board’s agenda for months as it considered knocking it down due to health and safety concerns. 

Mr. Winston was the winning bidder at an auction of the house in June, and the village decided to hold off until the new owners could take hold of the property and shore it up. The closing was delayed when a Dix Hills woman went to court in July, claiming a legal interest in the property. Her claim was dismissed in August. David J. Gilmartin Jr., the village attorney, said the closing would take place after the time to appeal the decision had passed.

Correction: The minutes from July 12 reflect Ed Deyermond and Ken O'Donnell voted against the resolution, not in favor, as this article previously stated. 

Income Dip at Beaches

Income Dip at Beaches

A water pollution-trapping project on the Village Green in East Hampton is being modified after it was found to have been improperly designed for the soil condition there.
A water pollution-trapping project on the Village Green in East Hampton is being modified after it was found to have been improperly designed for the soil condition there.
Chris Walsh
‘Very nice’ summer at Main, but parking fees decline
By
Christopher Walsh

A decline in revenue from parking despite high attendance at Main Beach and Two Mile Hollow this summer was reported at an East Hampton Village Board work session last Thursday, drawing suggestions about the causes and how to counteract them.

Francis Mott, the village’s beach manager,  described the fall in parking receipts, while Becky Molinaro, the village administrator,  said a four-year, fiscal-year comparison confirmed that expenses had risen while revenues declined.

Ms. Molinaro suggested that the shuttle bus called Free Ride, which takes beachgoers from the long-term parking lot to Main Beach, was partly responsible and noted possible solutions under consideration, which she said were an increase in the number of daily passes available for Main Beach and Two Mile Hollow, an increase in the fee itself, or an increase in the number of nonresident permits sold. The board, she said, would have to decide how to address the problem.

Mr. Mott also told the board that summer at Main Beach had been “very nice,” with only a few bathers rescued from the surf and none hospitalized. He also said dog owners had generally abided by the regulations and cleaned up after their pets. A new employee charged with picking up trash between 5 and 7 a.m. made for a cleaner beach, while reducing the burden on other staff, he said. 

“On behalf of the board of trustees and everyone that took advantage of the beach, we offer our compliments to you,” Mayor Paul F. Rickenbach Jr. said to Mr. Mott, asking him to convey the message to the staff. “It’s an asset, and we’re very proud to put our best foot forward.” 

Meanwhile, the board’s attention was drawn at the meeting to the two bioswales, drainage courses designed to trap pollutants and silt from surface water runoff, which are under construction in the village, and to standing water in the one at the green north of Town Pond. The other bioswale is near Hook Mill and the North Cemetery. The project is an effort to improve the health of Hook Pond, where cyanobacteria, or toxic blue-green algae, bloomed this year.  

According to Ms. Molinaro, Drew Bennett, a consultant, had informed her on Oct. 4 that standing water caused by silt at the Town Pond bioswale required remediation. A soil boring the previous day had indicated a two to three-and-half-foot layer of silt under the topsoil. Its removal, and replacing it with sand, would alleviate the condition, he wrote. 

Once the silt has been removed, the area is to be hydroseeded — planted with a slurry of seed and mulch — and rain gardens created, Ms. Molinaro said. She said the rain gardens would help remove nitrogen and phosphorus from surface water before it seeps into the ground. Piazza Horticultural, a Southampton firm, and the Eastern Long Island chapter of the Surfrider Foundation are donating design and materials for them, she said. 

“We are extremely proud and supportive,” the mayor said of the effort. “It’s tangible, and I think it shows the commitment of our board of trustees as it relates to overall water quality issues.” 

Lead in the Water at Amagansett School

Lead in the Water at Amagansett School

Amagansett School
Amagansett School
Christine Sampson
One fountain, six sinks exceed state limits
By
Christopher Walsh

The water fountain in the Amagansett School’s gymnasium tested above New York State’s action level for lead last month, as did the faucets of six sinks, according to a letter from the district addressed to parents, guardians, community members, and staff. 

The letter, dated Tuesday and signed by Eleanor Tritt, the district superintendent, said that the school had complied with the state’s mandatory regulations for the testing of lead in water, which Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed into law on Sept. 6. The school’s Sept. 23 samples of water were “first draw,” meaning they were collected from outlets where water was motionless for a minimum of eight hours. 

Lead is extremely harmful to young children and can result in lowered I.Q., behavioral problems, and brain damage, a statement announcing the new regulations read. The State Department of Health also issued emergency regulations pursuant to the legislation requiring that school districts test water for lead contamination by Oct. 31 and report results to parents, the department, and local government officials. 

The gym’s fountain was the only drinking source to test above the action level of greater than 15 parts per billion. It was taken out of service immediately, with a bottled-water cooler currently in its place, according to the letter. An earlier test, in March, revealed no trace of lead. 

“We will explore a cost-effective remediation of the original fountain,” Ms. Tritt wrote. 

Water from sinks in the coach’s office, the girls locker room, a janitors’ closet, and the first-grade closet also tested above the action level, according to the letter. These, Ms. Tritt wrote, were used for hand-washing only, and the latter sink not used at all. Signs have been posted at all locations stating that the faucets are used for hand-washing only. 

As reported in The Star in June, test results on the South Fork showed that the Sag Harbor Elementary and Sagaponack Schools had very small amounts of lead in water samples, but in both cases the levels were less than 15 parts per billion. 

Lead is extremely harmful to young children and can result in lowered I.Q., behavioral problems, and brain damage.

The presence of lead in school drinking water gained national attention earlier this year when high levels were found in the water supply in schools and residences in Flint, Mich. In March, testing found lead in the drinking water of 30 Newark schools, prompting parents across the country to question the quality of the water their own children were drinking and washing with. 

“I think we’re all finding out there’s a lot more in the water than we realized, between chromium and lead,” Kieran Brew, who has two children in the Amagansett district, said yesterday. “It’s an eye-opener.” 

With Reporting by Christine Sampson

Say Springs House Had 4 Illegal Bedrooms and a Pet Deer

Say Springs House Had 4 Illegal Bedrooms and a Pet Deer

Environmental Conservation Officer Katie Jakaub with a young deer that was reportedly found in a Springs yard with a collar on its neck.
Environmental Conservation Officer Katie Jakaub with a young deer that was reportedly found in a Springs yard with a collar on its neck.
New York State D.E.C. Officer Emma Carpenter
By
T.E. McMorrow

A 911 call in which a neighbor complained that a deer was being kept in a backyard as a pet took East Hampton Town police, and then code enforcement officers, to 7 Cedar Street in Springs on Tuesday afternoon, leading to 17 charges against the owner of the house, Angel Otavalo.

Most of these were misdemeanor charges. Kelly Kampf, assistant director for public safety for the town, said that the house, which has a certificate of occupancy allowing three bedrooms, had been converted into a seven-bedroom residence. Two of those illegal bedrooms were in the basement, with no safe egress in case of emergency, she said.

The deer was not the cause of the call to code enforcement by police. Rather, Ms. Kampf said, it was the eight cars parked in the driveway.

The initial 911 call came in at about 2:15 p.m. Code enforcement was contacted soon thereafter. Because the end of the day was approaching for the officers in the Code Enforcement Department, Ms. Kampf, who was promoted to her post just a month ago, and her supervisor, David Betts, the town’s director of public safety, took the call themselves.

Ms. Kampf said that there were eight people in the house at the time, however, it appeared that many more lived there, but were out at work or at school. In several of the rooms, “there were children’s cribs, children’s beds, and toys,” she said.

Mr. Otavalo, who purchased the house in 2006 for $800,000, according to public records, was charged with six counts of lacking a certificate of occupancy for various rooms, two counts of creating a bedroom without legal egress, one charge of illegally wiring a room via an extension cord, three charges of constructing accessory structures without a permit, and four charges for not having either a smoke or carbon monoxide detector in rooms.

Ms. Kampf said she and her supervisor were taken by surprise by what they found. It appears that the town had never received a complaint about the house on Cedar Street, a dead end off of Harrison Avenue. “They were under the radar,” she said.

The deer was found in the backyard with a dog collar around its neck, which was secured via a rope tied to a stake in the ground. It did not appear to be afraid of humans, according to the town. It was turned over to the State Department of Environmental Conservation, which charged Mr. Otavalo with unlawful possession of wildlife, a violation subject to a $250 fine or 15 days in jail.

According to Aphrodite Montalvo, a spokeswoman for the State Department of Environmental Conservation, the deer was less than a year old. It will be cared for at the Holtsville Ecology Center, which has a license to collect and possess wildlife, including white-tailed deer.

"Deer and other wildlife that become habituated to humans cannot be successfully released back into the wild," Ms. Montalvo wrote in an email. "Keeping wildlife is illegal without proper permitting. Unfortunately, wildlife raised in this manner must often be euthanized due to the danger they can present to people and the environment. It is important to remember that wildlife should remain wild and do not make good or safe pets."

 

Update: Fatality in Montauk Traffic Accident

Update: Fatality in Montauk Traffic Accident

Janis Hewitt, who had worked for The Star for 20 years, died Tuesday in a car accident on Montauk Highway in Montauk.
Janis Hewitt, who had worked for The Star for 20 years, died Tuesday in a car accident on Montauk Highway in Montauk.
By
Taylor K. Vecsey

The story, as it appeared in print, Oct. 20: A Montauk woman was killed Tuesday afternoon in a head-on collision with a propane truck near the transfer station in the hamlet. Janis Hewitt, 63, of Montauk, was pronounced dead at the scene, shortly after the 12:39 p.m. crash. The accident closed Montauk Highway for at least nine hours. Ms. Hewitt had been a reporter at The East Hampton Star and covered Montauk for 20 years until earlier this year.

Police said Ms. Hewitt was driving her 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser east on Montauk Highway when she crossed into the opposite lane and hit a Paraco Gas truck. She was the sole occupant of the vehicle. David T. Kelleher, 42, of Mastic, the driver of the 2015 International Harvester truck, carrying 3,000 gallons of liquid propane, was taken to the hospital as a precaution, Town Police Capt. Chris Anderson said Wednesday. Detectives are investigating the cause of the crash.

“At this point, speed does not appear to be a factor, and we’re basing that on an independent witness interview, as well as an interview with the other driver. Certainly, we will continue with our investigation and hopefully be able to confirm that,” Captain Anderson said.

With only one known eyewitness, police have asked anyone with information about the accident to call detectives at 631-537-7575. All calls will be kept confidential.

Detectives took measurements at the site for an accident-reconstruction analysis. Montauk Highway between the intersections of Old Montauk Highway and Lincoln Road was closed to traffic until about 10:30 p.m.

Officers from the Suffolk County Police Motor Carrier Safety Section conducted safety checks of the gas truck at the scene, and the 2005 Chrysler was impounded for inspection. The Suffolk County medical examiner’s office was also called.

While the propane truck remained intact, a small gas leak prompted police to ask Montauk Fire Department officials, the East Hampton Town HazMat team, and gas company personnel to respond.

The Fire Department used its heavy rescue squad to extricate Ms. Hewitt from her vehicle after the crash, a long process that was coordinated with town police. A Suffolk County medevac helicopter was called, but was soon canceled. The Montauk ambulance took the driver of the gas truck to Southampton Hospital, where he was treated and released Tuesday.

Town Police Chief Michael Sarlo was among the many people who were remembering Ms. Hewitt Wednesday. As the Montauk precinct commander in 2009 and 2010, and throughout his career, he followed Ms. Hewitt’s work as she covered community events and reported on committees and issues facing the hamlet. “She was engaged in the community, and was always fair in her reporting. It always appeared to me that she was truly there to document and report for the citizens, with a smile on her face and good sense of humor. She truly loved Montauk, and it showed.”

Many of the firefighters and emergency medical personnel who responded to the accident knew Ms. Hewitt, and county officials led a “critical incident stress” debriefing session for them Wednesday. Information about funeral arrangements will be posted on The Star’s website when available.

Ms. Hewitt wrote about everything from the school board to community happenings to new businesses and residents of note. She was a frequent contributor to the paper’s “Relay” column, which is written each week by a different member of The Star’s staff.

She often mused about Montauk, and in one “Relay” from 2011, she wrote, “When we drove over the Old Montauk Highway and had our first glance at the incredible ocean view, I knew I was home. I had found Montauk, and fell deeply in love . . . I envy the newcomers for their first time and all they have to learn and see in our little salt-scented hamlet. But it’s nothing like the Montauk I first came to love, a place that was still undeveloped, with sand-swept lots of shrubby plants and empty beaches for as long as the eye could see. Parking was available and there were never long waits on sandwich lines.”

Update, Oct. 18, 8:40 p.m.: One person was killed in the head-on collision near the Montauk transfer station on Tuesday afternoon, East Hampton Town police have confirmed.

Janis Hewitt, 63, of Montauk was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Ms. Hewitt had been a reporter at The East Hampton Star for 20 years.

Police said that Ms. Hewitt was driving a 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser east on Montauk Highway when she crossed into the opposite lane and hit a Paraco Gas truck at 12:39 p.m. She was the sole occupant of the vehicle. David T. Kelleher, 42, of Mastic, the driver of the 2015 International Harvester gas truck, was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Detectives are investigating the cause of the crash. They took measurements at the scene for an accident-reconstruction analysis. Traffic on Montauk Highway between the intersections of Old Montauk Highway and Lincoln Road remained shut down as of 9 p.m.

Officers from the Suffolk County Police Motor Carrier Safety Section conducted safety checks on the gas truck at the scene. The 2005 Chrysler was impounded for an inspection. The Suffolk County medical examiner’s office was also called to the scene.

The Montauk Fire Department responded with its heavy rescue squad to extricate Ms. Hewitt from her vehicle after the crash. A Suffolk County medevac helicopter was called, but soon canceled.

A Montauk ambulance transported the driver of the truck to Southampton Hospital, where he was treated and released.

Many of the firefighters and emergency medical personnel who responded to the accident knew Ms. Hewitt, who had covered Montauk for The Star until earlier this year, writing about everything from the school board to community happenings to new businesses and residents of note. She was a frequent contributor to the paper's "Relay" column, which is written each week by a different member of The Star's staff.

Anyone with information about the accident has been asked to call the East Hampton Town Police Department at 631-537-7575. All calls will be kept confidential.

Originally, Oct. 18, 1:18 p.m.: Police and fire officials are on the scene of a head-on collision involving a propane truck near the entrance to the Montauk transfer station. At least two people were seriously injured. 

The accident occurred at about 12:40 on Tuesday afternoon. One person was reportedly pinned. The Montauk Fire Department responded with its heavy rescue squad to extricate the person. Chief Joe Lenahan was running the operation and reported "heavy, heavy damage." He initially requested a Suffolk County medevac helicopter to land at the 555 property in Amagansett, but it was then canceled. Two Montauk ambulances responded.

The East Hampton Town hazmat team was requested to respond and assembled at about 1 p.m. The chief reported a possible gas leak. The East Hampton Town fire marshal's office also responded.

Traffic was shut down at the intersection of Old Montauk Highway, just west of the overlook, and Lincoln Road on the eastern side of the accident.

East Hampton Town police detectives are responding to the scene with the town's command van. 

The East Hampton Ambulance Association picked up an unrelated call for emergency medical care in Montauk while Montauk's ambulances were tied up with the accident.

Check back for more information when it becomes available.

High Levels of Lead Found at Bridgehampton School

High Levels of Lead Found at Bridgehampton School

The faucets in four sinks in the Bridgehampton School's chemistry laboratory, like the one seen here during a Sept. 14 tour of the school, were replaced after initially testing high for lead content.
The faucets in four sinks in the Bridgehampton School's chemistry laboratory, like the one seen here during a Sept. 14 tour of the school, were replaced after initially testing high for lead content.
Christine Sampson
By
Christine Sampson

Update, Oct. 19: Late Tuesday evening, the Bridgehampton School District removed from its website its initial statement saying its water test results were within normal limits.

Originally, Oct. 18: The Bridgehampton School has removed a drinking fountain in the boys locker room and replaced faucets in four science laboratory sinks after water tests over the summer came back with lead content results higher than state-allowed limits, according to a report released last week by the school district.

New York State regulations allow lead readings of up to 15 parts per billion, but the Bridgehampton School's report showed the locker room water fountain tested at 66 parts per billion, and the four chemistry lab sinks ranged from 24 to 97 parts per billion.

Although the report showed that cleanup efforts were required, the district posted the report online along with the statement, "District test results are within normal limits."

"We really meant to say, in the black bold letters on the link, that at the school right now, the district results on any one of these potable water supplies is within the limits," Robert Hauser, the district's assistant superintendent for finance and facilities, said on Tuesday. "Right now, we comply with the law the way it's written, and all of the locations are within the limits."

Mr. Hauser said the district also removed a water fountain in the girls locker room that had not been working anyway, "just for consistency," and said there are no plans to replace that fountain or the one in the boys locker room. He added that the four new faucets in the chemistry lab sinks have since tested within normal limits for lead content.

Recognizing that lead is extremely harmful to children, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation on Sept. 6 requiring schools to periodically test their water supplies for its presence. The law also requires schools to inform their communities of the water test results, and specifically requires districts that have websites to post the results there.

Last week, the Amagansett School shut off a water fountain and placed "hand-washing only" signs at six sinks after testing found elevated levels of lead in those fixtures.

 

Street Mixup May Get a Fix

Street Mixup May Get a Fix

Christine Sampson
Woodlot Lane has been chosen as a potential new name
By
Christine Sampson

Not too many people know that a short spur of road in East Hampton’s Northwest Woods, perpendicular to Jason’s Lane but on the other side of Old Northwest Road, is named Main Street — and that is a problem for those who live there. The East Hampton Town Board discussed changing the name during Tuesday’s work session, when Alex Walter, Supervisor Larry Cantwell’s executive assistant, told the board that Woodlot Lane had been chosen as a potential new name.

According to Mr. Walter, the residents of the Northwest Woods Main Street had requested that the name be changed for obvious reasons, such as police, ambulance, and fire department services, but also because visitors and deliveries are inconvenienced by accidentally going to Main Street in East Hampton Village.

Mr. Walter said Woodlot Lane had been selected from a list of possibilities after discussion with Averill Geus, East Hampton’s town historian, and Hugh King, the East Hampton Village town crier.

Mr. Cantwell and other town board members were amenable to the change, and a public hearing is expected on it within the next few weeks.

“Some people remember that ‘wood lots’ were a historic term used because a lot of the land in the Northwest Woods area, the wooded area predominantly, were sold, leased, or rented out in wood lots, so that people could cut trees and provide wood for their heating needs down in the village,” Mr. Cantwell said.

Whether the residents of adjoining streets with names that duplicate others in town — Mulford and Dayton Avenues, for example, will want to follow suit remains to be seen.

Candidates Forum Sunday

Candidates Forum Sunday

Representative Lee Zeldin, a Republican seeking re-election in New York’s First Congressional District, and his opponent, former Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst, will appear in the event’s first hour
By
Christopher Walsh

With the Nov. 8 election looming, Concerned Citizens of Montauk will host its 46th annual meet the candidates forum on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the Montauk School gymnasium. Peter Lowenstein of the group’s board will moderate the forum, which is free and open to the public. 

Representative Lee Zeldin, a Republican seeking re-election in New York’s First Congressional District, and his opponent, former Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst, will appear in the event’s first hour. Mr. Lowenstein will question the candidates, with a focus on environmental issues. The forum will then be opened to audience members, who can question the candidates on any topic. 

Ms. Throne-Holst will appear on the Democratic and Working Families ballot lines. In addition to the Republican ballot line, Mr. Zeldin will appear on the Conservative, Independence, and Reform Party lines. 

The second hour will feature State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, the incumbent in the Senate’s District 1, and his Democratic opponent, Greg Fischer, as well as Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr., who is seeking re-election in District 1 on the Democratic, Independence, Working Families, and Women’s Equality Party tickets. Mr. Thiele’s Republican opponent, Heather Collins, will not attend. Mr. Thiele defeated Ms. Collins and Brian DeSesa, who ran on the Conservative Party ticket, in 2014.

Mr. Zeldin and Ms. Throne-Holst will face off again on Tuesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Suffolk Community College’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Center in Riverhead. The event is an environmental forum co-hosted by the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Defend H2O, and Save the Sound.