Randy Parsons was first elected to the East Hampton Town Board in 1979, when the population of East Hampton was only 14,000; he will be leaving the planning board, on which he has served for the last seven years, on Dec. 31, and when he leaves, a great deal of institutional knowledge leaves with him.

All but two of the 20 students contacted said the pressures of the college application process this year have weighed more heavily than what they experienced as students during the Covid-19 pandemic, describing their state of being as“ Stressed,” “100 percent the most stressful year of my life,” and “So stressed my hair is falling out.”

The positive impact of art and culture on the economy was examined in a recent presentation by the Long Island Arts at the Southampton Arts Center.

The Sticks and Stones Comedy Club will bring Rob White, a comedian (and tattoo artist), to the Southampton Cultural Center.

LTV Studios in Wainscott is showing paintings by Josh Dayton, Stephen Loschen, and Haim Mizrahi, with a reception set for Jan. 6.

Better late than never, Baron’s Cove in Sag Harbor has announced its four-course New Year’s Eve menu, which will be accompanied by music, party favors, and a view of fireworks over the harbor.

The year 2023 began with Shelly Snyder Schaffer’s gift to East Hampton Town’s young people of Hub 44, a pitching and batting facility, continued with the hiring of Kathy Masterson as athletic director, and included a number of notable playoff runs.

After three terms as East Hampton Town supervisor, two as town councilman, and tenures on both the planning board and zoning board of appeals, Peter Van Scoyoc is leaving Town Hall. It has been an improbable path for the onetime owner of a construction company, he said, “and yet circumstances arose, and I felt compelled and called to serve.”

Star readers ring out an acrimonious year.

The language-learning app Babbel this month released its annual list of the most-mispronounced words of 2023.

Non-standard motorized vehicles have been a big problem in resort locations for a long time.

American men start to pick up books on Rome or dial in the History Channel for its endless depictions of gladiators and battle strategy almost the minute they turn 50.

I’m not a Christian, exactly, but I do believe in the winter solstice celebration of lights. The older I get, the closer I feel to ancestral rituals involving trees and bonfires.

Another lame-ass winter brings thoughts of cabin life up north. Way up north.

Vermont’s aging population is pleading for help up there, and people who want to work in this country are being beaten back at the Rio Grande. Go figure.

Anyone seeking an antidote to pervasive fear may find it in focusing on the good that might be coming our way right now — that way we can receive it, spread it around, and give it life.

Here. Now. Real estate.

A new East Hampton Town law going into effect Jan. 1 will require a new certificate of occupancy (C.O.) to be obtained when the ownership of a property changes hands.

New Year’s Eve options include Nancy Atlas and Hello Brooklyn at the Stephen Talkhouse, blackjack, roulette, and a mentalist at Gurney’s, disco with a D.J. at the Clubhouse, and That 70s Band at the Suffolk Theater in Riverhead.

Near-hurricane-level winds, tides, and rain blasted the East End on Monday, leaving downtown Montauk with far more damage than any other place in Suffolk County.