The news on Monday of a "major reopening" of New York State came not a moment too soon for the South Fork's caterers and restaurateurs, for whom the pandemic represented an unprecedented disruption of business but who now must move swiftly to book and prepare for summer events while keeping an eye on state guidance that remains fluid.

The announcement on Tuesday of East Hampton High School's valedictorian and salutatorian also signaled that the school district is in the thick of plans for end-of-year commencement ceremonies.

Art for Kids and Teens

The next installment of the children's story-and-art collaboration between Guild Hall and the East Hampton Library is Monday at 3:30 p.m. The free program is ideal for kids ages 3 and up. Monday's story is "Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature" by Joyce Sidman, followed by watercolor painting.

Stony Brook Southampton Hospital has announced new inpatient visitation guidelines, allowing the admission of visitors “at the discretion of hospital staff,” according to an announcement posted on its website.

One visitor, 18 years or older, is allowed per patient during either of two windows of time, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. or 4 to 6 p.m.

Pat Lillis of East Hampton died at home on April 23. She was 70. An obituary will appear in a future issue.

Alec Petroulias, an electrical engineer who worked on the Apollo space program in the 1960s, died of heart failure and cancer on April 10 at home in East Hampton. He was 91, and had been briefly ill. 

Joyce Hayes Whitman was proud to be a part of the Montauk community, which she demonstrated in her extensive volunteer work with the Montauk Library. She read stories to children for nearly 20 years -- before there was a children's librarian there -- and held nearly every board position at one time or another with the Friends of the Montauk Library.

Before taking early retirement a few years ago, I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel extensively in my job. When time allowed, especially on weekends, I often tried to visit any nearby tackle shops or fish markets to better understand and appreciate the wares and tastes of the locals.

An East Hampton Town advisory committee convened last year to address beach matters has recommended a cautious approach to the looming summer season and the continuation of protocols established last year, affecting entrance, egress, and activity on beaches, as well as parking and comfort stations.

Allen O'Reilly spent more than four decades as an actor and education director before taking on the position of director of education and community outreach at the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor.

We can only hope that the more than 1,200 people who signed a petition demanding fast action for the eroded Montauk ocean beaches now begin to understand the folly in waiting for the federal government to save the day.

Sag Harbor Mayor Kathleen Mulcahy put it well during a public forum last week when she said that the village has the power to control the use, size, and character of development.

A new cleaning service on the Circle, inns offering books for your bedside reading pleasure, and a new gym store.

Nothing screams “suburban streetscape!” quite so loudly as Belgian block.

My son, bless his cotton socks, is of a scientific mind.

A soaring vertical space broken up by horizontal catwalks, railings, and landings. This is what preservation can look like . . .

A fellow tennis player said the other day that he assumed I’d not been very busy lately, though I assured him I had been inasmuch as the high school teams had been pretty much in full swing since the end of February.

Time spent on the beach with a father, and the details a daughter remembers.

The latest real estate transfers.

Our readers weigh in.