Villages

"It's kind of hard to believe we are at the end of the year," said an understated Harvey Bennett at the Tackle Shop in Amagansett. "Like many others, I'm tired. I hope next year brings better hope and promise. We all deserve it. Let's close the book on 2020."

“What will happen in four weeks?" Governor Cuomo asked, as vaccines were rolled out across the state and the number of new Covid-19 cases continued to climb precipitously. "You tell me what you're going to do over the next three weeks or four weeks and I'll tell you what's going to happen. . . ."

During the first surge of cases in New York in the spring, so many of us in the health care field fought tooth and nail to uphold our sacred oath to heal and keep death at bay. Many of those under our care died, and with each one of those who passed away under our watch, a piece of our hearts died as well. We thought it would be worth the heartache because the rest of the country would learn from our experiences and be better prepared. But here we are again.

A mix of the holiday spirit and a desire to pierce the pandemic gloom with strings of twinkling lights has led to a record-breaking boom in Christmas tree sales, according to several South Fork vendors, and left those who waited too long scrambling to find a tree.

On Monday New York State began distributing 170,000 doses of a coronavirus vaccine, including 26,500 doses designated for Long Island, which will be used to inoculate high-risk groups such as health care workers, nursing home residents and staff, and emergency medical services personnel. 

Snow is expected to begin at about 4 p.m. today, changing to rain after midnight, then to a mix of snow, sleet, and rain during the early morning on Thursday.

Now that there's a "for lease" sign in the front window, the word is out that Scoop du Jour is closing its doors for good after 16 years on East Hampton's Newtown Lane and about 10 more before that on Main Street.

A winter storm watch issued early Tuesday morning by the National Weather Service shows a northeaster is on its way on Wednesday, likely to bring lots of snow to parts of Suffolk County just a few days before the official start of winter.

The large lift boat that conducted geotechnical survey work off the ocean beach at the end of Beach Lane in Wainscott last month has returned to complete that work.

Lately, I have had a number of patients refer sardonically to their “Covid 15,” a play of words on the colloquial weight gain that many college freshmen experience their first year at college. The effects of this pandemic are myriad and will be years in the delineating, but among them is definitely some degree of physical deconditioning for many people, myself among them. 

Gardiner's Island remains private today, owned by members of the same family that has owned it for centuries. However, the prior owner, Robert D.L. Gardiner (1911-2004), often described as the "Last Lord of the Manor," frequently took groups to tour the island. This image is from a collection of Gardiner's Island photos donated to the library that were probably taken in the 1990s based on the tour group's attire, some of the vehicles shown, and the photo technology.

Even with much that characterizes the holidays curtailed, the shopping season has been suprisingly strong on the South Fork, according to several shopkeepers. "People are making a conscious effort to shop locally," said Gwen Waddington, an owner of the Wharf Shop in Sag Harbor.