Grind

A fire in Springs on Tuesday morning left a family with neither a home nor belongings, according to a GoFundMe page set up to help them get back on their feet.

Meditation, a pond exploration, hiking, and historical walking tours are on the outdoors agenda in the coming weeks.

The Montauk Playhouse Community Center Foundation’s Virtual Swim Challenge to benefit the construction of an aquatics center at the Playhouse will run from Saturday through July 31.

Two popular community gatherings, the Amagansett Fire Department's chicken barbecue and the Eastville Community Historical Society's fish fry, will return to traditional formats this year.

Amid the disease threat posed by ticks, SUNY is offering a free lab service for testing them.

Medium or high levels of the enterococcus bacteria were reported in 14 of the 28 water bodies tested by Concerned Citizens of Montauk last week, with notably high levels found in Montauk at a site on Fort Pond Bay off Tuthill Road.

This week's enriching outdoor excursions include a buck moon hike, a trek to the Truman Capote marker at Crooked Pond, and an exploration of a salt marsh in Northwest.

The South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center is flipping the script on the typical shark tournament this month. Instead of catching sharks, the idea is to collect discarded balloons from local waters to protect them and compete for prizes throughout July.

The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill will present a conversation on Sunday about “The Black Woman Project,” a collection of Gwen Smith’s portraits of renowned Black women.

The New York State Senate Long Island Republican Delegation wants to recognize people who have bettered their communities during the difficulties of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Hamptons Observatory has invited people to reach for the stars on Monday when it hosts a virtual evening with the accomplished amateur astronomer David H. Levy.

Medium or high levels of the enterococcus bacteria were reported in 12 of the 20 water bodies tested by Concerned Citizens of Montauk last week. Tests of the Benson Drive Culvert on Lake Montauk, East Creek on Lake Montauk, and Fort Pond Bay off Tuthill Road showed extraordinarily high levels of bacteria.

After many recent gloomy days, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy what should be nicer weather coming up.

A show of works by the late Gahan Wilson opens Thursday, and the Sag Harbor Community Band has an upcoming performance.

Gosman's Fish Market is offering a chance to take home a jewel of the sea — a giant pearl, discovered last November while Gosman's chefs were opening clams for New England chowder. It will be raffled off this month to raise money for the Montauk Food Pantry.

The State Department of Environmental Conservation is soliciting input from the public as it embarks on a new study of the impact of sand mining on Long Island's groundwater.

Medium or high levels of the enterococcus bacteria were reported in 10 of the 25 water bodies tested by Concerned Citizens of Montauk last week, with extraordinarily high levels found in Montauk at a site by Navy Road on Fort Pond Bay, the Benson Drive Culvert on Lake Montauk, and East Creek on Lake Montauk, and in East Hampton at the Northwest Creek culvert.

After the isolation of the pandemic, "we all feel like we need to unite," Nia Dawson said, and so she has organized an East End Interdependence Day for Sunday, the Fourth of July, to celebrate unity and highlight food justice.

A relatively quiet weekend is ahead for the East Hampton Library, which has returned its self-service Starbucks coffee and tea machine to the main lobby. It had been removed when the Covid-19 pandemic first spread across the nation. The cost is $1 for those who supply their own mugs; $2 for those who don't.

The Hampton Classic has released the poster for this year’s event, designed and photographed by the equine photographer Shelli Breidenbach. The poster was to have announced last year’s big annual horse show, but the event was canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last week the number of water bodies in Montauk and Amagansett with harmful levels of enterococcus bacteria increased, according to Concerned Citizens of Montauk, and a harmful blue-green algae bloom was in Kellis Pond in Bridgehampton.

Want to get outside? Here are some upcoming activities that promise to satisfy your thirst for the outdoors. 

On Saturday, the East Hampton Trails Preservation Society invites hikers to explore the numerous trails of Amagansett’s hilly and shaded Stony Hill area, featuring glacial kettles and a mature beech forest. Those interested are to meet on Red Dirt Road (1/4 mile east of Accabonac Road) at 9 a.m. More information is available by calling 212-769-4311. 

Montauk is a happening place to be. Upcoming programs and events include musical performances, rummage sales, a book talk and a lecture, and more.

Amanda M. Fairbanks, author of the new book "The Lost Boys of Montauk," will be at the Montauk Lighthouse next Thursday at 7 p.m. to sign copies of her book about the four Montauk fishermen lost at sea during a storm in 1984. She will read excerpts and answer questions from Tom Clavin, the author of "Dark Noon," about the wreck of the Pelican party boat off Montauk in 1951.

The Town of East Hampton has scheduled a Stop Throwing Out Pollutants day — known as a STOP day — for Saturday. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., residents can take hazardous waste to the East Hampton recycling center at 260 Springs-Fireplace Road for proper disposal.

Oyster farming on Long Island will be the focus on Thursday at 5 p.m. when South Fork Sea Farmers hosts a discussion of its challenges, benefits, and possibilities. The first of what will be a monthly presentation, the conversation will cover the future of aquaculture as a logical area of economic growth and environmental restoration on the East End.

The lifting of more Covid-19 restrictions last week has impacted mask-wearing rules at local libraries.

At the East Hampton Library, masks are no longer required in the building for vaccinated people. Signs will be put up to encourage unvaccinated people to wear masks. Seating and computers will return to full capacity.

Concerned Citizens of Montauk on Thursday reported that 9 of the 25 bodies of water it routinely tests have medium to high levels of harmful bacteria. 

A memorial service for Betty Mazur, a longtime East Hampton Town Democratic Committee official, will take place on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Yardley and Pino Funeral Home in East Hampton, at 94 Pantigo Road.

The Town of East Hampton has scheduled a "Stop Throwing Out Pollutants" event — known as STOP Day — for Saturday, June 26. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., residents will be able to bring hazardous waste to the East Hampton Recycling Center at 260 Springs Fireplace Road for proper disposal.

Stony Brook Medicine has begun conducting a survey of the health needs of the L.G.B.T.Q.+ community, the first such on Long Island. The survey is expected to be a crucial cog in shaping the future of the Island's first comprehensive L.G.B.T.Q.+ Health Center, named for the Southampton activist Edie Windsor, which will open this month.