The first and most important thing to know about the purple sandpiper is that it’s not purple. It’s not even close. For the beginner, the best way to see this bird — the only sandpiper we tend to see here in winter months — is to know where it hangs out, because it absolutely doesn’t stand out.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control released data evaluating the effectiveness of a third dose of an mRNA vaccine in preventing Covid-19. There have been clear indications since before third doses, or “booster” doses, were authorized that vaccine-induced immunity wanes over time.

The East Hampton Village Board has approved a lease agreement with the East Hampton Historical Society for the Dominy Shops at 73 North Main Street, effective Feb. 1, 2023. A museum is the goal.

“It’s a popular beach, a beautiful beach, and there’s no reason we should have an unprotected stretch of beach in the village,” East Hampton Village's deputy mayor, Chris Minardi, announced on Friday.

The water level at Town Pond remains low, to the consternation of East Hampton Village officials. The new pump installed in early January is right now unable to pump properly, David Collins, superintendent of public works, told the village board at its meeting on Friday. Somehow, air is getting into the pump, preventing it from “holding the prime,” he said.

Lisa Ann O’Sullivan, who grew up on Long Lane in East Hampton and graduated from East Hampton High School, died on Dec. 30 at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. The cause was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. She was 69.

A man wearing a ski mask, dark-colored jacket, white sweater with a dark stripe, and dark pants robbed an East Hampton store on Wednesday at about 5 p.m., town police have reported.

Herman LeRoy Emmet III, a Pulitzer Prize-nominated photojournalist and author who lived in East Hampton for almost 20 years, died on Nov. 4 in New York City. The cause was complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 78.

Anthony John Corvi of Montauk, a Korean War veteran who worked in the medical manufacturing field, died at home on Jan. 15. He was 93.

Dorothy Kessen of East Hampton died on Sunday at the age of 85. She was buried on Wednesday at Oakland Cemetery in Sag Harbor. An obituary will appear in a future issue.

East Hampton Town police charged three men with felony assault following a fight on Friday night at Phoenix House, an addiction recovery facility on Industrial Road in Wainscott. A representative of that organization said in a statement on Tuesday that it is “working with law enforcement to address this incident. Phoenix House prioritizes the safety of all its residents.”

On Friday, in the middle of the night, Gabriel Butler, a 26-year-old East Hampton resident, was northbound in a 2005 Toyota on Old Northwest Road near Marion Lane, when, according to a nearby police officer, he crossed the double yellow lines multiple times.

Nancy Goldstone’s “In the Shadow of the Empress” focuses on four extraordinary Habsburg women: Maria Theresa and three of her daughters, one of them Marie Antoinette, during one of the most unstable periods in European history.

Michelle Grant, the Sag Harbor Elementary School guidance counselor, will soon embark on her annual lessons on personal safety. The program covers fire safety, seatbelt rules, bullying, and recognizing signs of abuse, and generally "helps students learn how to seek help in unsafe situations," Ms. Grant said in an email to families.

The Friends of Erin have chosen Marilyn Behan to be the 60th Grand Marshal of the Montauk St. Patrick’s Day parade, to be held on March 27 at noon.

Local restaurateurs have to be more flexible and nimble with their standing menus and specials thanks to rising costs and supply-chain delays.

It's not easy to interview the "world's most in-demand stylist" without feeling wildly insecure about one's hair. Even over a badly lit Zoom session, it's clear that visual information is being constantly absorbed.

Fixed in space but not time, Peter Campus's video loops are set primarily on open vistas. A traffic light, duck blinds, and plastic netting, are all reminders of human presence as well as its absence. 

Guild Hall tried out a new paradigm focused on group work and collaboration for its residency program with the Hamptons Dance Project.

The East Hampton Historical Society lecture series will illuminate the history of the Moran Studio and other local landmarks.