A 1988 Beechcraft Bonanza flying from Caldwell, N.J., made a rough landing last Thursday morning at East Hampton Airport when its landing gear did not deploy.

Andrew Harris, the pilot and owner of the plane, successfully landed it on its belly. Neither he nor a passenger, his wife, Patricia Harris, was injured. The plane was removed from the runway.

A Federal Aviation Administration official has interviewed Mr. Harris.

The incident caused concern among local emergency responders, who were not notified, which is standard protocol in such a situation, said Gerry Turza, first assistant chief of the East Hampton Fire Department. "I checked with the East Hampton Town police, and they were never notified either," he said. It appears that police did not learn of the rough landing until a couple of hours after it happened.

Chief Turza called East Hampton Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell, who took action later that day. "We have informed the airport management that protocol has to be followed at all times," he said Wednesday. "We expect that to be the case, going forward." The fire department has equipment on hand to deal with emergencies, he said, "but they need time to get from wherever they are in the community. Notification is critical."

The airport manager, Jemille Charlton, was not available for comment on Wednesday. 

Modern surf fishermen rely on rods manufactured with high-performance carbon fibers, reels built with aerospace gear technology, and lines created in chemistry labs to catch fish. Things were a little different at the dawn of surf fishing in Montauk.

The preferred method of surf angling in the early to mid-1800s was to attach a long length of coiled silk or linen line to a “squid,” a block of tin embedded with a large hook, and then spin it around and around above one’s head until the squid acquired enough velocity to be launched a fair distance into the surf. Then the fisherman would retrieve the squid hand-over-hand quickly across the surface of the water to entice a strike from a striped bass lurking below. Sometimes anglers would dispense with the tin block and simply toss a hook baited with a squid or crab into the roiling surf. 

Montauk practitioners of this surf-fishing technique often tied eel or bass belly skin around the tin block to increase their luck. This heaving and hauling style of fishing required skill as well as substantial strength and endurance. Clearly it was effective. Reports at the time indicate that early surfcasters caught numerous large striped bass. How many fishermen injured themselves or others while wildly swinging the tin block was not recorded. 

Later in the 1800s American companies began building long, sturdy rods from hardwoods and simple multiplier bait-casting reels suitable for catching striped bass and bluefish from the shore. This handmade equipment was expensive and was primarily purchased by wealthy members of the many elite striped bass angling clubs that dotted the coast from New Jersey to Maine. 

The rods of the early 1900s were strong but not particularly effective for long-distance casting. Resourceful anglers offset the limited reach of their equipment by building casting platforms that extended over the surf. One Montauk catwalk was 2 feet wide, stood 10 to 15 feet above the waves, and jutted 75 feet into the water, according to reports. The wobbly structure was supported by thin pieces of oak wedged between rocks scattered about the shoreline. Other local fish stands were likely of more rugged construction, consisting of thick wood planks resting on a frame of metal pipes set deep into holes that were drilled into large shoreline boulders. 

“Modern surfcasting at Montauk undoubtedly was pioneered by Leroy Edwards of East Hampton during the period 1918-19 or 1920,” wrote Richard Gilmartin, a Montauk historian quoted by the Montauk Guide and Cook Book, published in 1959 by the Montauk Chamber of Commerce. Gilmartin contended that Edwards inspired future surfcasting legends including Frank Tuma and Lou Cihlar, then stationed at the Ditch Plain Coast Guard Station, to take up the sport. “These early surfcasters used split-bamboo rods with VomHoff, Perez, or Cozone reels, which held up to 400 yards of line. For many years their terminal tackle consisted exclusively of a single hook, imbedded in a lead jig which weighed up to five and a half ounces,” Gilmartin penned. Whether or not Edwards deserves this honor can be evaluated by those most knowledgeable about the local history of the sport.

Surf fishing certainly has come a long way in nearly 200 years, but in some ways it remains the same. The block of tin with a hook is no different from a Hopkins or other slug of shiny metal hurled by surfcasters today. The old fishing stands allowed an angler to extend the reach of his cast, which also describes the reason why some surfcasters now slip on wetsuits and swim to distant rocks. In the end, and at the End, Montauk surf fishermen have always used whatever tools are available to them as well as their great ingenuity to catch fish.

Harvey Bennett at the Tackle Shop in Amagansett reported that a 41-pound striped bass was taken at Indian Wells Beach and porgies can be found off the fishing pier at the Navy Road park in Montauk. Bennett also mentioned that a gentleman purchased a new surf rod and reel from him, but was uninterested in learning how to cast because he was using a drone to deliver the bait beyond the surfline. (Author shakes head. Sighs.)

Sebastian Gorgone at Mrs. Sam’s Bait and Tackle in East Hampton reported that snappers are here for the poppin’ and some relatively rare and fine-tasting kingfish were taken around Gerard Drive.

Paul Apostolides at Paulie’s Tackle in Montauk said that favorable east winds brought big stripers to surfcasters for a few days, but action largely has returned to bluefish.

T.J. at Gone Fishing Marina in Montauk said that sea bass, fluke, and porgy fishing continue to be strong at Frisbees and other usual spots. Striped bass fishing has eased somewhat with the midmoon. Some bluefin tuna were diamond jigged inshore not far from Cartwright, he added.

Ken Morse at Tight Lines Tackle in Sag Harbor reported a continued strong weakfish bite in Peconic Bay and fluke at the Pocketbook, which is located few miles northwest of Montauk Harbor. Blue-claw crabs can be caught along the shoreline day and night with dipnets, Morse said.

The Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center will be able to upgrade its heating and air-conditioning system, replace its roof and outdoor siding, finish renovations to its kitchen, and complete other capital projects thanks to a $250,000 grant from New York State.

New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. formally announced the grant during a press conference at the center in East Hampton Village on Monday.

“You do an outstanding job and it’s good to be able to help,” he said to the center’s board members and administrators who had gathered for the announcement.

The grant came from the state’s community facilities program, through which legislators can request funding for local organizations they deem important and in need of support.

“There is, in my opinion, no more worthwhile project than what you’re doing here at the Eleanor Whitmore Center,” Mr. Thiele said. “I know you’ve got many things to do here, and hopefully this will help toward that.”

“We are in great need of this kind of support. We have a lot of projects that we need to take care of,” said Ruth Ann W. McSpadden, chairwoman of the board of directors. “We’re trying to work our way through a list of things that either need to be overhauled or maintained. We have a lot of long-deferred maintenance. We want to create the most wonderful, safe environment for these children.”

Eleanor Whitmore, a founder and longtime supporter of the center, remains the honorary chairwoman of its board of directors. “This grant answers our prayers,” she said Monday.

The $250,000 grant will go specifically toward capital improvements but beyond that, Maureen Wikane, the center’s executive director, said, the nonprofit needs to raise about $400,000 each year toward its $1.4 million operating budget to be financially solvent.

The Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center has its roots as a day-care center and senior citizen center, beginning its programs in a house donated in 1969. Since the 1996-97 school year the center has been the provider of the East Hampton School District’s prekindergarten program, which was extended to a full day for the first time in the 2015-16 school year. East Hampton pays tuition for 54 four-year-olds to attend prekindergarten there. As of late July, there was a waiting list of about seven children; an updated figure was not available this week.

The center also runs tuition-based day- care programs for children as young as 18 months.

Students in four South Fork school districts, East Hampton, Sag Harbor, Amagansett, and Montauk, came out ahead of statewide averages in the last standardized English and math tests for grades three through eight, while the Bridgehampton School District straddled the line and the Springs School District fell short.  

Because of changes in this year’s tests, including a rule that allowed students as much time as they needed, state officials said in a news release that comparing year-to-year results was not apples-to-apples. Local administrators have instead been comparing their students’ outcomes to those from around the state and county and similar districts.

Statewide, 38 percent of children in grades three through eight scored as proficient in English. In math, the number was 39 percent.

In East Hampton, 41 percent were proficient in English, 42 percent in math. Broken down by individual grades, highlights included 47 percent of seventh graders and 62 percent of eighth graders scoring well in English and 50 percent of sixth graders scoring well in math. Lower scores were received in English by 32 percent of third graders and 20 percent of fifth graders.

“I was very, very pleased with a lot of our results, but there are areas where we obviously have a lot of work to do,” Robert Tymann, East Hampton’s assistant superintendent, said by phone Tuesday. “If a district is ever coming out and saying they are doing as well as they can in every area, that I would question.”

 Complicating the results for some districts are the numbers of students who declined to take the exams. East Hampton had a relatively low number of opt-outs, about 14 to 15 percent in English and math, respectively, but that was not the case in other districts.

About one in four students in Springs did not take the tests. Eric Casale, the school principal, said that impacted the results. “We’re not happy. We’re never happy until every child is considered proficient, but the numbers, because of the opt-outs, are skewed. . . . For us it happens to be that many of those kids are proficient students.”

“I know the level of teaching and learning that goes on here,” Mr. Casale said. “We revise our practices every year. We tweak them because you have different groups of kids in the classrooms. But over all, I’m very confident in our program. It is a rigorous program in English language arts and math, as well as science and other content areas.”

Bridgehampton School students scored at 38-percent proficiency in English, meeting the state average, but fell 7 percentage points short in math, at 32 percent. The school had one of the highest percentages opt-outs, 43.7 percent in English and 47.5 percent in math. Lois Favre, Bridgehampton’s superintendent, could not be reached for comment.

Montauk students achieved 54-percent proficiency in English and 50-percent proficiency in math. Roughly 19.5 percent of students opted out of the English tests and 24 percent out of math. Jack Perna, the superintendent, said he was simultaneously happy and unhappy with the results.

“It’s going to sound cliché. There’s always room for improvement,” he said yesterday by phone. “I’m happy with the scores. I wish we didn’t have to do any of this, but that’s the reality. So we will continue to go on and improve the best we can without other subjects suffering.”

In Sag Harbor, where one-third of students opted out of the English tests and 34.2 percent out of math, the results in grades three through eight were above state averages. Forty-five percent scored as proficient in English, 53 percent in math. Highlights included 57 and 50-percent proficiency in English in grades three and four, respectively, and 62 and 65-percent proficiency in math in grades four and seven, respectively. Just 25 percent of eighth graders and 32 percent of sixth graders scored as proficient in English, however. Katy Graves, Sag Harbor’s superintendent, could not be reached for comment.

Suffolk County’s combined scores showed 38-percent proficiency in English and 41-percent in math. Most South Fork schools beat those overall averages.

Principals and teachers have access to specific data showing which students answered which questions incorrectly. Dr. Tymann said this will help teachers support those students in areas where they need help, particularly since the tests, and the controversial Common Core standards, on which the overall curriculum is based, are tougher than they were years ago.

“The standards now require application of knowledge. They are harder, more rigorous than they used to be. . . . So by teaching to the more rigorous standards and trying to get students to apply knowledge . . . they will be ready for whatever the test may bring.”

In Amagansett, the combined third-through-sixth grade test scores showed 47-percent proficiency in English and 49-percent in math. However, Eleanor Tritt, the superintendent, said in April that about one-quarter of the 59 students eligible to take the tests did not do so.

“Regarding opt-outs, we have no way of knowing how, or if, the opt-out movement impacted the state outcomes. . . . We actually use other nationally validated and reliable assessments to guide us in continuous program evaluation,” Ms. Tritt said in an email yesterday.

The state did not publicly release test scores for the Wainscott or Sagaponack School Districts.

Sag Harbor Village officials voted Tuesday to allow an application for a house larger than the allowable 4,000 square feet to move forward with the planning process. It is the first special-permit request the board has granted since it adopted new gross floor area limits in March.

The board heard support and opposition for the application to build a house slightly under 5,300 square feet at 48 Lincoln Street, between Harding Terrace and Wilson Place, in Ninevah Beach, a neighborhood that has recently experienced a surge in turnover and growth. The proposed house would be built on two merged properties that total 44,751 square feet, one of the largest lots in the village. A property of that size, through a special permit process, could fit a house of up to 7,000 square feet.

Alex Kriegsman, an attorney for the applicant, Bruce Bronster, told the board the proposal was in keeping with the harmony of the area. Peter Cook, the architect, said that had there been two lots instead of one, then under the village’s G.F.A. law, two houses of 3,700 square feet each could be built, with two pools and two septic systems. “We’re requesting a single home on a lot that could handle much more,” Mr. Cook said.

He said the proposal was compatible with the scale and size of others in the area, and allowed for enough landscaped screening and parking. “You’d be hard pressed to find a house that meets that criteria better,” he said.

Camille Clark, chairwoman of the government affairs committee for Sag Harbor Hills Association, a neighboring community, objected that such a large house would change the low-profile character of the neighborhood. She pointed to a village-commissioned study by InterScience Research Associates, done as the village reviewed its residential zoning code over the winter, showing that the median gross floor area of houses in that area is 1,445 square feet, on lots that average 12,467 square feet. “We think there is also a place for a more modest house and we think it’s important for everyone to have fair and equal access to live in this village,” she said.

Will Sharp, who lives in a 3,000-square-foot house on Wilson Place, said the Bronster house would be an outlier in the neighborhood, and if the board allowed it, they would set a precedent for big houses. “You start tipping the scale in the opposite direction,” he said, and the neighborhoods would end up with large houses like Redwood.

Ninevah, Sag Harbor Hills, and Azurest have “experienced a rush of purchasing of a lot of properties, and it’s because it’s been undervalued. . . . This has never occurred in these three neighborhoods since 1950,” Mr. Sharp said.

“We’ve globalized now, and we welcome that, but we do not welcome change for the sake of change,” said Deborah Jackson, a longtime resident who lives at 41 Lincoln Street. “I want to keep us with the character and sensibility we are so proud of.”

But Steven Schucker of 3 Wilson Place, whose pool would abut Mr. Bronster’s pool, said the proposal was not out of scale for an acre of land. “I dread the idea of two homes on this property,” he said later, adding that the proposal was “a thousand times better than having two large houses.”

Mr. Bronster, a lawyer who has teamed up with Robert Kapito, co-founder and president of BlackRock, the world’s largest investment firm, on other Sag Harbor development recently, told the board he intends to live in the six-bedroom house with his four children. He had spent a lot of time designing the house so that it fit into the neighborhood, he said.

He said he had heard a lot of talk about community and had joined the Ninevah Association, attended its meetings, made contributions, and announced his plans to the association. “I want to be the best neighbor possible,” he said, adding that he welcomed anyone with concerns to speak to him. “The people who have actually spent time with me and reviewed the plans, 100 percent of those people have been in support.”

Mayor Sandra Schroeder said she wanted the audience to understand that the board’s vote to approve a special permit does not mean that the project has approval. The application still needs to be approved by the Architectural Review Board, and could end up smaller.

Robby Stein, the deputy mayor, made a motion that the board approve the special permit subject to a written opinion from counsel, and it passed unanimously.

Mr. Bronster’s is not the first application for a special permit, though it is the first to be decided. A hearing was held last month on Christy Ferer’s request to build a 7,000-square-foot house on a 1.78-acre lot at 10 Cove Road in Redwood. A decision was expected Tuesday, but Brian DeSesa, Ms. Ferer’s attorney, who, with Mr. Kriegsman, also represents Mr. Bronster, asked that a decision be tabled. He said he wanted all members present to vote, and Ed Deyermond was absent.

While it is not unusual for a restaurant to open and close in a single summer, the end usually comes after Labor Day. For Deckers Bar and Grill in Sag Harbor, however, closing day has come early.

Harlow East, the restaurant that had been at 1 Long Wharf, the longtime home of B. Smith’s restaurant, for the past two summers, filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code on May 13. On July 1, Rich Decker, operating without a lease under the name Harlow East L.L.C., opened Deckers at the site.

On Tuesday, a judge dismissed the Chapter 11 filing, directing that Deckers shut down immediately. A court-appointed trustee will change the locks and secure the assets, Salvatore LaMonica, a Wantagh attorney representing the landlord, said yesterday.

Mr. Decker said yesterday that the locks had not yet been changed, but that he has followed the order to cease operation. He was in the Central Islip court when the judge made “the most disheartening decision I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said, explaining that he had been brought in to try to “revive” the restaurant while the business was restructured under Chapter 11 guidelines.

He said the judge had given his attorney short shrift. “It was a lynching at best. Twenty-five people immediately lost their jobs,” he said. He declined to say how much he had invested in the new business, but said it was significant.

Patrick E. Malloy III, who owns the building, opposed the Chapter 11 petition, his attorney said in a July 12 filing, on the grounds that Harlow East was “abusing the bankruptcy process” and that it “epitomized a bad-faith filing.” Opening Deckers without informing the court or the landlord, Mr. LaMonica wrote, was a “blatant violation” of the provisions of the Bankruptcy Code and in violation of the lease. “Despite ongoing daily operations, not one penny has been paid to the landlord post-petition, for the debtor’s post-petition liabilities,” he added.

Mr. Decker disputes the claim that the lease was not paid after the Chapter 11 filing, saying that he had canceled checks totaling $54,000 to prove it. No debt was accumulated while he was running the restaurant, he claimed.

“On its face, it appears as if the assets of the Debtor have been transferred to a third party, without Court approval, without notice to creditors, at the expense of the creditors and in deliberate violation of Bankruptcy Code,” Mr. LaMonica wrote.

Richie Notar, co-founder of Nobu, entered into a 10-year lease with Mr. Malloy for an outpost for his now-closed Manhattan restaurant, Harlow, starting on April 1, 2014. The annual rent was $324,000; $27,000 to be paid monthly. Harlow East closed in October after the 2015 summer season, and owes back rent since February 2016, Mr. LaMonica said.

Jon Krasner, who signed the May 13 Chapter 11 appeal as the new manager of Harlow’s operations, said Tuesday in a phone interview that “we are really sad and extremely disappointed,” with the judge’s decision. “We are the most disappointed that our incredible employees will be losing their jobs. These people worked so hard and helped restructure a business that was operating legitimately and now showing extremely high profit margins.”

Mr. Decker said the restaurant was running a 30 to 35 percent profit margin. “This, by far, was the most successful venue out of the gate, and it was just the beginning,” he said. Weddings, birthdays, and corporate sponsorships in August were booked. On July 14, The Star’s restaurant reviewer, Laura Donnelly, praised Deckers “casual dining and moderate prices.”

In his decision, Judge Robert E. Grossman converted the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case to a Chapter 7 filing, meaning that Harlow’s assets will be sold off to pay its lenders or creditors. Under Chapter 11, debtors can negotiate with creditors without having to liquidate assets.

Had the bankruptcy petition not been dismissed, the creditors would have been paid in full, Mr. Krasner said. “We felt like we gave the space and restaurant back to the community, charging reasonable prices, hiring local musicians, and making it approachable and comfortable for everyone.”

Adding to Mr. Deckers woes, his restaurant was cited on different occasions for code enforcement violations and under the Alcohol Beverage Control law. Those charges have yet to be adjudicated.

WITH REPORTING BY T.E. MCMORROW

The dense blooms of cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, that resulted in the closure of Georgica Pond in East Hampton to crabbing and warnings against exposure for the third consecutive summer have overshadowed another threat to the well-being of the South Fork’s waterways and the people who use them: enterococcus, a coliform bacteria that indicates the presence of fecal matter in the water.

On July 21, Colleen Henn, who conducts weekly water-quality sampling on the South Fork for the Surfrider Foundation’s Blue Water Task Force, sent an email to Lars Svanberg, who owns Main Beach Surf and Sport, a Wainscott provider of sporting goods including kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and canoes. A sample Ms. Henn took on July 5 at the Georgica Pond kayak launch on Montauk Highway, which is used by Main Beach Surf and Sport, measured almost 70 times above the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s standard for recreational exposure, she told Mr. Svanberg. While subsequent samples from the site have shown decreased bacteria, levels remained more than twice the E.P.A.’s recommended limit, she wrote.

“I don’t have the authority to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do,” Ms. Henn wrote, “but I feel morally obligated to tell you what I do know about the kayak launch. Given the current harmful algal bloom and a confirmed presence of coliform bacteria, I doubt those waters are safe for recreational use.”

The July 5 sample, however, was not particularly surprising, as it closely followed a heavy rainfall on July 1 and the concurrent arrival of thousands of visitors to the South Fork for the Fourth of July weekend. On July 5 came the largest rainfall event of 2016, when 1.4 inches fell, said Christopher Gobler of Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, who monitors waterways under the East Hampton Town Trustees’ jurisdiction.

“Suffolk County preemptively shuts down beaches anytime it rains more than one inch in summer,” Dr. Gobler wrote in an email, “as they know that leads to high levels of bacterial contamination from runoff.” He cautioned against undue alarm over the July 5 sample from the kayak launch. High levels are to be expected, he said, “due to it being a low point, along the road, and thus being designed to drain all water to that point.”

Sara Davison, executive director of the Friends of Georgica Pond Foundation, a group of pondfront homeowners that has also engaged Dr. Gobler in a cyanobacteria remediation effort, said that “fecal coliform contamination is also a consideration of all of our ponds, especially after big rain events,” but is typically short-lived. “I’m not saying it’s not a concern, it’s very much a concern.” It would be useful to determine the species responsible for the coliform bacteria entering the pond, whether human or wildlife, she said, adding that DNA testing can make that determination.

“We’re going to check on the Surfrider data and have Dr. Gobler occasionally test as well to verify that,” Ms. Davison said. Structural changes on Montauk Highway to intercept runoff before it enters the pond would also help, she suggested.

In a resort community such as East Hampton, compromised waterways have obvious far-reaching implications, for residents and visitors alike. “We’ve lost recreational and fishing opportunities on every water body south of the highway, which is really a shame,” said Rick Drew, a town trustee. Before the trustees’ temporary closures of Georgica Pond to crabbing, he said, “It was truly a wonderful bounty. The kids would have a great time, you’d go home and have a nice dinner, and you felt a deep connection to the community. Now, you risk the health of yourself and your family to do traditional recreational pursuits that people have enjoyed here for hundreds of years, and some people made a living out of it.”

“We’ve backed off putting people in the pond,” Mr. Svanberg said on Tuesday, “and focused on the north side of East Hampton: Northwest Creek, Cedar Point. Luckily, we have a few options.”

As Ms. Henn wrote, the Surfrider Foundation does not have authority to close beaches or waterways. Nonetheless, “it’s good citizen science and jump-starts some action,” said Kim Shaw, director of the town’s Natural Resources Department, who said yesterday that she has previously referred the group’s data to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, which issues beach advisories and closures. Following rains last week, the department advised against bathing at 62 beaches it deemed susceptible to stormwater runoff and the consequent potential for bacteria levels exceeding state standards. An additional advisory for seven beaches was issued on Tuesday. The advisories are typically in effect through two tidal cycles, or at least 24 hours, after rainfall has ceased. 

“I would like to do more monitoring” for bacteria in waterways, Ms. Shaw said. “For the budget next year, we’re looking into purchasing some stand-alone water-quality monitoring stations. The town board has been generous in putting aside money for water-quality monitoring.”

Georgica Pond remains closed to fishing and shellfish harvesting. The town trustees typically open Georgica Pond to the Atlantic Ocean in the spring and fall, restoring salinity and dissolving any harmful algal blooms. They have also applied to the State Department of Environmental Conservation for a dredging permit, which they believe will further improve the pond’s health.

Mr. Svanberg, however, wonders if that will be enough. “Because of all the nitrates, the effluent going in, we’re reaching a point of no return where they can’t control it by letting it out,” he said. “People have to take the next steps: upgrade sewer systems, stop using fertilizer.” It is time, he said, “for everybody to pitch in and be their own activist. We’ve got some beautiful resources out here, and we have to take care of them.”

The Bridgehampton Fire District is facing a potential fine from the Suffolk County Department of Health Services for an alleged code violation involving the district’s new generator, which a county official said was three-quarters full of fuel during an inspection conducted before the district obtained a permit for the generator.

According to a June 21 notice of violation from Suffolk County to the fire district, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, the fire district’s new generator was inspected on May 5. In the notice, Richard Meyer of the Department of Health Services Bureau of Enforcement said the district faces a civil penalty of up to $2,000 per violation, per day that the code continues to be broken, as well as civil, administrative, and/or criminal penalties of up to $37,500 per violation, per day.

According to the Department of Health Services, fines are waived “provided that prompt corrective action is taken.” The district has 60 days, beginning June 21, to correct the problem and pass an inspection.

During a July 27 fire district meeting, Bruce Dombkowski, the chairman of the board of commissioners, said the issue would be fixed soon. He said the district was waiting for a 600-amp power switch to be installed, and that the part was taking a long time to acquire, hence the holdup.

The fire district has also appointed a new commissioner to replace one who resigned in May. Robert Comfort was voted in on July 27 to replace Raymond Topping Jr., who was first elected to a five-year term in December 2011. Mr. Topping stepped down on May 25 for what Mr. Dombkowski described as personal reasons.

Mr. Comfort will serve until December, when the next fire district election is to be held.

Mr. Dombkowski did not return calls or an email seeking comment on Mr. Comfort’s appointment and the Suffolk County code violation.

An East Hampton couple were injured, one seriously, when they were hit as they stood on the side of Sunrise Highway Saturday by a driver who was driving under the influence of drugs, according to state police. They had pulled over to take pictures of a brush fire on the other side of the highway. 

Crystal Hayes, 34, and Christopher King, 38, parked their 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee on the south shoulder of the eastbound lane on Sunrise Highway and exited the vehicle to watch the brush fire developing on the north shoulder, state police said. Ulyana Yaremko, 20, of Hampton Bays was traveling east in the left lane when she hit Ms. Hayes and Mr. King. The accident was reported between Exit 64 in Hampton Bays and Exit 65 in East Quogue at 11:38 a.m. 

In a statement Saturday night, police said Ms. Yaremko "lost control and skidded sideways," hitting the couple and their Jeep. Her 2007 Pontiac ended up in the woods off the shoulder. 

A Suffolk County medevac helicopter landed on the highway and transported Ms. Hayes to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she was listed in serious but stable condition, according to police. Mr. King was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead for non-life-threatening injuries. 

As for Ms. Yaremko, she was taken to Southampton Hospital, where she was treated and released into police custody. She was arrested on a charge of driving while ability impaired by drugs. She will be held overnight and arraigned Sunday in Southampton Town Justice Court. 

Sunrise Highway's eastbound lanes were closed for approximately four hours while police investigated the accident. 

The Coast Guard rescued four people who were in distress in Lake Montauk on Saturday. 

Someone on shore called at about 5:30 p.m. and said that five people were treading water in the lake next to paddleboards and kayaks, the Coast Guard said. After Sector Long Island Sound issued an urgent marine information broadcast, Coast Guard Station Montauk, which already had a 29-foot response boat under way, headed toward the group in the water. 

The crew found four people in distress, and brought them aboard the rescue boat. The fifth person had already swum to shore. The four who were rescued were taken to the Coast Guard station. They were not injured. It was not clear what had caused them to be in distress.

In a statement Saturday night, the Coast Guard reminded kayakers, paddleboarders, and boaters to file a float plan to let family and friends know where they are going to be and when they will be back. It will assist rescuers in a search for overdue boaters who may be in distress.