The flame burning behind the Herrick Park bathrooms in East Hampton Village is not a new pyrotechnics display or art installation. Instead, it's a controlled burn of 400 gallons of propane. Dave Collins, the superintendent of the Public Works Department, said it will take two days to burn off completely.

Reducing food waste is one of the top solutions to reversing climate change. Nearly 40 percent of food is wasted in the United States, according to the hunger-relief organization Feeding America. To mitigate that problem here, East Hampton Town will soon embark on a composting pilot program, an effort aimed at diverting, recovering, and reusing residential food scraps to create compost and return it to the soil.

Now that it's May, one thing is for certain: It's time to get outside.

East Hampton Town saw more reports of identity theft, fraud, larceny, trespassing, and sex crimes last year than it did in 2021, according to Police Chief Michael D. Sarlo's annual report. There were 17 calls about possible drug overdoses among adults, a five-year high, and officers made 41 percent more arrests, issued 49 percent more traffic tickets, and logged a collective 7,249 hours of training, an increase of 25 percent over 2021.

With a major renovation now substantially complete, Temple Adas Israel's rabbi and members joyfully returned holy books and artifacts to the synagogue in a Torah procession on Friday. “This being our first Shabbat in the new building, we felt we needed to do something to celebrate,” said Rabbi Dan Geffen.

After 28 years fielding 911 calls as an East Hampton Village dispatcher, Gerry Turza will be hired at the May 19 East Hampton Village Board meeting for a new village position: fire and emergency medical services administrator. Mr. Turza served as chief of the East Hampton Village Fire Department from 2018 to 2022 and in many other roles, all in the field of public safety, for the last 30 years.

After reviewing an initial environmental analysis of the proposed Wainscott Commercial Center, the East Hampton Town Planning Department has found it insufficient and recommended further analysis to address lingering concerns.

From the impact of inflation and the lingering effects of Covid-19, to ever-growing concerns over safety and fluctuating student enrollment, school districts here are grappling with rising costs, as reflected in their proposed spending plans for the next school year. From Bridgehampton to Montauk, here is a district-by-district breakdown of spending plans, board candidates, and propositions.

Three candidates are running for two seats on the East Hampton School Board this year, making it one of only two contested races on the South Fork. The contenders are Emily Agnello, a first-time candidate who grew up in East Hampton; George Aman, a former board member seeking to return, and John Ryan Sr., an incumbent seeking a 10th term.

Melanie Hayward and David Eagan are facing off for a seat on the Wainscott School Board in the district’s first contested board election in 12 years.