The Children’s Museum of the East End celebrated the grand opening of a brand-new playground — a goal the museum’s co-presidents, Liz Bard and Lara Sweeney, have been working toward for four years.

The 2025 valedictorians and salutatorians at East Hampton and Pierson High Schools already have résumés that put most of us to shame, and they’re just getting started. Along with their academic successes, they are standout musicians, athletes, and volunteers.

High school graduation ceremonies take place Friday in East Hampton and Saturday at Pierson High School in Sag Harbor. In East Hampton, 241 students will graduate under a tent on the school grounds at 6 p.m. Pierson’s ceremony takes place at 5 p.m. Saturday on Pierson Hill.

The East Hampton Village Board voted to approve a $30.7 million budget for the next fiscal year that includes a tax increase of 1.28 percent for village residents.