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Village Beach Changes Follow the Money

Three changes to the operation of its beaches were on the East Hampton Village Board’s agenda Friday, all of them with an eye to maximizing income from the village’s top resource.

Crash in Montauk Renews Safety Concerns

Residents who live on or near Second House Road have been advocating for flashing yellow lights to be installed at each end of the school zone there. A crash last week, which took down a utility pole and saw a driver charged with drunken driving, has renewed their concerns.

An Inside Look at a Troubled Range

Two very different narratives have emerged as the Maidstone Gun Club seeks to renew its land lease with East Hampton Town and fight off a lawsuit that threatens its future altogether. In one narrative, a number of Wainscott residents push for the club’s permanent closure, painting it as a dangerous nuisance. But the other narrative — the Maidstone Gun Club’s point of view — is rarely heard, owing to the low profile its members intentionally keep.

A Shagwong About-Face

The East Hampton Town Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously at a Feb. 14 work session to reopen a hearing concerning the Shagwong Tavern in Montauk a week after upholding a determination that it was operating as a nightclub, in violation of the town code.

A Dot Is a Dot Is a . . . Dilemma

A “dot” on a town map of a Springs-Fireplace Road property was a hot topic at last Thursday’s town board meeting as the board discussed a controversial car-wash plan proposed there. It is now up to the town board to decide whether to amend the underlying Urban Renewal map that “currently requires that access for the lot be taken directly from Springs-Fireplace Road,” said Eric Schantz, assistant planning director.

Preventing Dating Violence Among Teens

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control, which compiled the extensive Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2019, one in 12 teens experiences some form of physical dating violence. That's one reason why the Retreat's Teen Leadership Council has spent the month of February spreading awareness of the topic of teen dating violence.

To Bury Utility Lines in Montauk

With a negative environmental impact declaration in hand, the East Hampton Town Board voted last week to issue $850,000 worth of bonds to bury about 2,000 linear feet of utility lines in Montauk.

Sizing Up the Capital Plan

A draft of the Town of East Hampton’s $15.1 million proposed capital budget for 2023, released last week, was notable for what it did not include — a line item for a new senior citizens center on Abraham’s Path in Amagansett.

New Anti-Littering Effort

An anti-littering campaign here called No Fling Spring had members of the town’s litter action committee talking up plans for a public service announcement.

Commuter Schedule Tweaked

Starting Monday, workers who rely on the South Fork Commuter Connection to get them eastward will notice schedule changes to the Montauk train line that should be rider-friendly.

Hands-On Attention Needed at Town Pond

Beleaguered Town Pond, low on water, high on invasive plants, was again on the East Hampton Village Board’s agenda Friday, in the form of a resolution providing $9,175 for the “hand removal of surface algae” from the once pristine water body. “The pond is frustrating, there’s no doubt about it,” commented Mayor Jerry Larsen. “This algae pops up pretty quick. Because we’re having such a warm winter, this weed is growing very rapidly.”

Bonackers’ Top Two Students Named

Excelling both inside and outside the classroom, Nicole Velez and Aryan Chugh have been named valedictorian and salutatorian of East Hampton High School’s class of 2023.

Kids Culture for February 23, 2023

The New York International Children’s Film Festival will host a matinee short-film program titled “Celebrating Black Stories” for kids 9 and up this weekend at the Sag Harbor Cinema.

On the Police Logs 02.23.23

Several unidentified “white things” were reported floating in the harbor off West Water Street in Sag Harbor on Feb. 13. Police told the caller that while they couldn’t determine what the things were, they didn’t present a hazard.

Criminal Contempt Charged

A Sag Harbor man was charged on Feb. 13 with second-degree criminal contempt, a misdemeanor, for allegedly disobeying an order of protection issued in East Hampton Town Justice Court in December.

Item of the Week: Logbook of the Daniel Webster

This logbook tracks the voyage of the Daniel Webster, which set out from Sag Harbor for the Pacific in 1833 seeking whales. Capt. Philetus Pierson was at the helm.

Susan Mintzer, Ph.D.

Susan Mintzer of Montauk and New York City, a psychoanalyst in private practice, died on Jan. 18 in the city. She was 80.

Barbara Albright, 95

Barbara Brown Albright, visited by generations of students on Flag Day, died in Sagaponack on Sunday, in the house that had been in her late husband’s family since 1720.

The Killer Bees Swarmed in OT

Bridgehampton, which is aiming to play in its first state Final Four tournament at Glens Falls since 2015, duked it out with the Smithtown Christian Knights on Feb. 15, nailing a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.

Pierson Whalers Repeat as County C Champion

It looked as if the Pierson (Sag Harbor) High School Whalers were going to blow out Port Jefferson in the early going of the county Class C boys basketball championship game played at St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue on Feb. 15, but the Royals came back in the third quarter to make a game of it.