Barbara Burnside of Springs, a garden volunteer with ChangeHampton who late in life became politically active here, died of cancer on Jan. 6. She was 79.

Mary Bennett Petersen, who grew up between New York City and her grandparents’ house in East Hampton, died on Dec. 31 after a long illness. She was 88.

Robert Young Jr., who was 35 and lived in East Hampton, died on Jan. 6 following cardiac arrest. A wake will be held on Friday evening at the Yardley and Pino Funeral Home here, with a funeral at Most Holy Trinity on Saturday.

Patricia M. Ryan, an E.M.T. and driver for the East Hampton Ambulance Association for 34 years, died at home here on Jan. 7. She was 90.

Gordon M. Grant, a lifelong resident of Springs who began contributing photographs to local newspapers while he was still in high school, died of colon cancer on Jan. 9. He was 53.

A new 16-foot-tall Ditch Plain dune now stands impudently, or perhaps daringly, maybe both, before the Atlantic, extending from just east of what’s known as the “dirt lot” parking area to a few hundred feet west of the Seaside Avenue parking lot.

Christopher Gallant, a non-politician from Amity Harbor who announced his bid last summer after John Avlon said he wouldn’t run again in 2026, seems to be emerging as the candidate to face Nick LaLota, and he has Mr. Avlon’s support.

The Wainscott Citizens Advisory Committee emphatically endorsed a plan to mitigate noise from aircraft flying to and from East Hampton Town Airport, noting that “years of litigation and more than $9 million in legal fees” have brought no relief to beleaguered residents in the form of restrictions on aircraft operations.