As the pace of events in Los Angeles quickens this week, with the Trump administration and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California facing off over the former’s deployment of National Guard and United States Marine troops to quell protests against immigration enforcement actions, East Hampton Town and municipalities throughout the country will see what is being called a nationwide day of defiance. 

Frank Calvo, the longtime pharmacist at White’s Drug and Department Store, which closed on Oct. 31, has opened Montauk Chemists on Main Street and is selling over-the-counter merchandise including vitamins and self-care products. One week after an inspection of the store’s pharmacy, however, he is still awaiting New York State approval to operate it. 

In some ways, Gosman’s Dock, one of Montauk’s few remaining family-owned and operated businesses until its October 2024 sale, closely resembles the complex of restaurants and shops long revered by locals and visitors alike. In other ways, though, it is markedly different under its new ownership.