A local law that would give East Hampton Town regulatory powers over mining, mulching, and composting operations and require the monitoring and reporting of any impacts to groundwater drew strong support from environmental advocates at a public hearing last Thursday. Representatives of a local business engaged in such operations, however, vigorously criticized the proposal.

If you are lucky enough to encounter one of these visitors from the north, the number-one rule is to simply keep your distance.

Laura Stein, a longtime resident of Montauk who had a long and distinguished career as a marketing and advertising executive, author, and fitness expert, died of cancer at home in New York City on Nov. 22. She was 75.

Richard Bono, who ran Bono’s Small Engine Repair in East Hampton for decades, died at home here on Nov. 27. He was 86 and had been in declining health for the past year.

Barbara Patricola-McNiff, who owned and operated the Devlin-McNiff real estate business in East Hampton with her husband, John, died on Nov. 21 at home here. She was 81.

Word has been received of the death of Merrie Barbara Bennett Gay, a lifelong resident of Springs, on July 15 at the Kanas Center for Hospice Care in Quiogue. She was 63 and had been ill with cancer for two years.

Ellen Frank, an artist, scholar, writer, and founder of the Ellen Frank Illumination Arts Foundation in Springs, died last Thursday at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. She was 75. An obituary will appear in a future issue.

By an 8-to-1 vote on Dec. 15, the Long Island Power Authority’s board of trustees approved a new contract with PSEG Long Island, which operates and maintains the electrical grid on its behalf.

The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has completed its environmental review of potential impacts from offshore wind energy leasing activities in the New York Bight, off New York and New Jersey, and has issued a finding of no significant impact.

Consultants to the town who have spent the last few months fact-finding on the future of East Hampton Airport reported to the town board on Tuesday about community support and opposition, and the economic implications of closing the airport or, alternatively, imposing certain restrictions.

Citizens for the Preservation of Wainscott asked the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division on Monday to block the installation of a transmission cable connecting the South Fork Wind Farm to the electric grid until the court ruled on the group’s appeal of what it calls the state’s improper approval of its route through the hamlet.

Projects that will protect or improve ground and surface waters may be eligible for funding under the water quality portion of East Hampton Town’s community preservation fund.

The omicron variant of Covid-19, known to be more contagious than previous variants, is causing virus cases and hospitalizations to rise fast.

With water levels at Town Pond noticeably low, and residents beginning to wonder whether the situation is related to a recent dredging, the village board voted last week to ask the town for $163,985 more from the community preservation fund to rectify matters.

After hearing a report from Christopher Gobler of Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences on the impact of wastewater on the village’s drinking water and water quality in Georgica and Hook Ponds, the East Hampton Village Board voted on Friday to create a central sewer committee with Mayor Jerry Larsen as its chairman.

With a Sag Harbor moratorium on waterfront building set to expire in February, the village board said last week that it intends to vote on a proposed waterfront zoning overlay district at its Jan. 11 meeting.

The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation has awarded a $1,500 grant to LTV to support its Bill Fleming Project. The money will be used to assist in digitally preserving “The East End Show,” which Fleming, a longtime East Hampton attorney, hosted for 34 years until his death in 2018.

New York State’s beaches were given a grade of “C” in the Surfrider Foundation’s 2021 State of the Beach report. The annual report aims to inform the public and decision makers on the current status of their coastlines and how they are being managed.

Skye Qi Marigold and Patrick Timothy Boyle were married at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in East Hampton on Dec. 11 by the Very Rev. Denis C. Brunelle.

This photo from the Springs Historical Society’s archives shows a decorated evergreen tree floating on a platform in Pussy’s Pond in Springs. Based on the photo technology, the image probably dates to the 1980s or early 1990s.