Cash reserves held by Long Island school districts climbed to nearly $3.64 billion during the 2024-25 academic year — up 12% from last year, Newsday found in a review of state financial records. About a fifth of those reserves, or $785 million, were "unrestricted" funds — that is, money that can be spent at districts’ discretion. New York State law bars districts from stockpiling this money beyond an amount equivalent to 4% of their annual operating budgets. Newsday found that 19 Long Island school districts had accumulated unrestricted cash surpluses above the state’s legal limit — the same number as last year. There are no penalties for violations of the law regarding unrestricted cash reserves. John Hildebrand and Michael R. Ebert report in NEWSDAY that districts’ cash surpluses are a hot-button issue in this region, where taxpayer advocates contend that such money should be applied to tax reductions rather than sitting in banks. School taxation in the region accounts for more than 60% of homeowners’ property-tax bills, which rank among the nation's highest. School officials insist, on the other hand, that these funds serve as an essential hedge against inflationary cost increases, economic downturns or potential losses of federal and state school aid. The prospect of losing state aid is a key concern this year for both state and local school officials, as negotiations now underway in the U.S. Congress could lead to cuts in funding for Medicaid. Costs of that health program are shared by federal, state and local authorities, raising the possibility that any cuts on the federal level would have to be made up by New York State. That could then mean less money available for state financial assistance to schools. *** Southampton Town police are looking for a hit-and-run driver who police said struck and killed a prominent real estate agent who was found lying in the road early yesterday in Hampton Bays. John Asbury reports in NEWSDAY that police said Sara Burack, 40, of Southampton, was struck by an unknown vehicle that sped away from the crash, which occurred before 2:45 a.m. Thursday on Montauk Highway. Police said Burack died from her injuries Thursday afternoon. Burack was a former real estate agent for Nest Seekers International, a Hamptons and New York City-based real estate agency of high-end properties. She was also featured in the Netflix series "Million Dollar Beach House," set in the Hamptons. A 911 caller reported an injured woman seen on Montauk Highway at about 2:45 a.m. yesterday near Villa Paul Restaurant, west of Springville Road in Hampton Bays. Police said Burack was transported by ambulance to Stony Brook University Hospital. Detectives and a New York State Police accident reconstruction unit were investigating the crash. Police did not provide a description of the driver or the vehicle. Police are asking anyone with information to call 631-702-2230 or 631-728-3400. Burack left Nest Seekers more than a year ago but stayed in close contact with former colleagues and friends, said Geoff Gifkins, the Hamptons regional manager for Nest Seekers. "Our thoughts and prayers are with family and friends," Gifkins said in a message. "Please be kind and respectful as this is a tremendous loss to her parents and close friends." *** Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton invites you to their GRAND REOPENING CELEBRATION tomorrow afternoon from 2pm to 4pm…with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 2:30pm on Saturday. RML promises food, fun, and festivities for all ages. Plus, a door prize and giveaways. Explore the NEW BOOKMARK CAFÉ – Study rooms – Tech Lab – Teen Space – updated family room – and more. That’s tomorrow from 2pm to 4pm at the Rogers Memorial Library, 91 Coopers Road in Southampton Village. *** The Shinnecock Nation sued the Town of Southampton in federal court this week over a threat by the town to bring a new legal action if the tribe uses its land in Hampton Bays as parking for this Saturday’s Palm Tree Music Festival. But while the suit was sparked by a letter from the town about using the nation’s land there for concert parking, the legal arguments presented by the tribe’s attorneys carry far wider implications for the tribe’s plans for a gas station, hotel and, potentially, a casino at the property. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the Shinnecock’s attorneys seized on a June 12 “cease and desist” letter from Southampton Town Emergency Management Administrator Ryan Murphy to the organizers of the music festival addressing the plans to use part of the tribe’s property, known as Westwoods, for staff parking during the music festival, which is taking place on the Shinnecock Territory in Southampton tomorrow afternoon and evening. But in arguing that the town should not be able to block the tribe from using the property as temporary parking, the nation’s attorneys said the federal court should prohibit the town and New York State from exerting any regulatory authority over the Westwoods property – ever. Pointing to a letter from a U.S. Department of the Interior official in January that ordered the Westwoods property to be logged in federal rolls as “restricted fee” lands, the tribe’s attorneys said that federal law is the only authority over such lands owned by sovereign Indigenous nations and that the town trying to impose its regulations is unconstitutional. Late Wednesday, after a three-hour conference in federal court, Southampton Town Attorney Jim Burke said the town had "agreed to work with the promoters (and the) Nation for the use of the Westwoods property for the parking." But a tribal lawyer, Tela Troge, said that won't impact the federal suit. "We are seeking to permanently enjoin the town from asserting any zoning for any reason at Westwoods," she wrote in a message to Newsday. *** The New York State Legislature agreed to expand the powers of the state to investigate "deceptive, unfair and abusive" acts by businesses including predatory lenders, debt collectors and scammers nationwide that impact New Yorkers even if the company is located outside New York. Supporters say the law is necessary in part because Republican President Donald Trump effectively ended the work of the federal consumer protection agency. But opponents warn that the measure adopted this week would give too much power to Democratic Attorney General Letitia James, who has investigated Trump and his businesses and opposed his acts as president. Michael Gormley reports in NEWSDAY that the measure now goes to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul for her signature into law or veto. "Too many New Yorkers are being taken advantage of by mortgage servicers charging unnecessarily high fees, debt collectors stealing Social Security benefits, and health insurance companies with unfair billing practices," James said in a statement Wednesday. The measure will "close loopholes that make it easy for New Yorkers to be cheated out of their time and hard-earned money." The Democrat-led Assembly gave the bill final legislative approval late Tuesday after a sometimes sharply partisan debate. The State Senate approved the bill Friday. Assemb. Edward Ra (R-Garden City South) argued Tuesday on the Assembly floor that the bill was too vague and expansive for elected attorney generals. He said Democratic attorneys general seem to say, “‘I’m the next governor and I’m going to pursue the cases that set me up best for that.’" Ra said insurance companies, real estate firms and other companies have opposed the measure. "We’re concerned this will be another thing that will make New York State a more difficult place to do business," he said. *** East End Jazz, which is working to bring new audiences to experience the love of jazz, will hold a free concert this evening at 6 p.m. on the New Suffolk Ballfield, sponsored by the New Suffolk Civic Association. Led by Olivia Foschi on vocals, Gil Goldstein on keys, Iris Ornig on bass, and Jonathan Mele on drums, the band will also feature incredible budding jazz musicians from the New Suffolk community. Join the New Suffolk Civic Association on the New Suffolk ball field with a blanket and a picnic for an unforgettable evening of music! East End Jazz is a women-led non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the community together through jazz education, concerts, and workshops. To learn more about East End Jazz visit: www.eastendjazz.org *** State Assembly wrapped up its work for the year, joining the Senate, which had gaveled out last week. This period was full of intense fights and expensive lobbying efforts over actual life-or-death issues, including legislation to permit terminally ill New Yorkers to end their lives and a bill regulating pet insurance. Then there was the equal opportunity bill aimed at those who imbibe, with lawmakers passing legislation to “recognize and promote New York State-labeled liquors, beer, cider and mead in the same manner as wine.” And a distinctly unrelated measure allows crossbows to be used “for the taking of big game in any area long bows are permitted.” Governor Hochul will now spend the rest of the year sifting through these proposed laws and haggling with legislative leaders over whether to sign, tweak or veto them. One noteworthy bill addresses artificial intelligence. New York has moved quicker than most states, with elected officials passing a package of bills to regulate the most advanced form of A.I. models. If Governor Hochul signs the legislation, larger companies using these models would have to formulate safety plans, which would then be published in some redacted form to give the public some insight into the safeguards. The companies would also have to disclose “major security incidents” that include instances when the models steal or engage “in behavior other than at the request of a user.” In the run-up to passage of the package, large technology companies lobbied intensely to have it killed. In the 11th hour, a stipulation requiring a third-party audit of this technology was stripped from the bill. Even so, proponents of the law held it up as a victory and the first of its kind in the United States.…

Southampton Village Police are warning residents and visitors that there will be increased police presence and possible traffic tie-ups over the weekend ahead of the anticipated “Billionaires Lane Shutdown” protest tomorrow. As reported on 27east.com, Southampton Village Police said that travel delays, temporary road closures and parking restrictions can be expected throughout the day on Saturday as more than 300 protesters have said they plan to flood into the village and block access on Meadow Lane, the posh oceanfront roadway home to a number of ultra-rich summer residents. The protestors plan to gather at Coopers Beach in the early afternoon and march down the roadway from there to the home of the late David Koch, owner of Koch industries and a major Republican Party donor, and back. Tomorrow’s protest march is expected to last about two hours, from 2 to 4 p.m., but the convergence and departure of the protestors can be expected to cause traffic congestion over a longer period. Southampton Village Police Captain Christopher Wetter said, “The safety and security of our residents, visitors and local businesses remain our top priority. As such, community members can expect an increased police presence throughout the village to help ensure a safe and orderly environment…All motorists and pedestrians are urged to follow the directions of law enforcement personnel, remain alert to closures and exercise caution due to the anticipated increase in traffic.” *** Protesters on Long Island and across the country will take to the streets Saturday in “No Kings” rallies nationwide to coincide with a military parade commemorating the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary that falls on Donald Trump’s 79th birthday. June 14 is also Flag Day. “No Kings is a nationwide day of defiance,” according to organizers. “From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we’re taking action to reject authoritarianism — and show the world what democracy really looks like.” Regarding tomorrow’s demonstrations, Suffolk County Police Commissioner, Kevin Catalina stated, "We’re in contact with our partners in LA and around the country to share intelligence of the tactics that have been used, and we are abreast of what is happening throughout the country…"As a result of that, we will be prepared for this weekend. We expect everyone to obey the laws. We respect people’s right to protest peacefully and lawfully. We’ll have our officers enforcing all laws and we’ll be ready for protests." No Kings events on the east end tomorrow include: East Hampton East Hampton Town Hall grounds 97 Main Street, East Hampton 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Southampton Coopers Beach 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Hampton Bays Macy's 190 W. Montauk Highway 10:30 a.m. to noon Sag Harbor 11 a.m. to 12 noon at Steinbeck Park. Riverhead The Riverhead No Kings rally, organized by the Riverhead and Southampton Democratic Committees, will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. in front of the Suffolk County Supreme Court at One Court Street, Orient 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. “We will be gathering in Orient Village to march around the block to make fun of the wannabe king on his birthday! Bring signs and noisemakers and wear costumes: ridicule him to the best of your ability!” *** The Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center, in partnership with the Long Island Housing Coalition and community partners, will host an East End Community Housing Summit tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 551 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike in Bridgehampton Saturday's event will focus on housing challenges and solutions across the East End. Community members are invited to engage in critical discussions, share their experiences, and learn about ongoing housing initiatives. Experts will be available to provide insight and resources that address housing equity and access in our region. “As long time Chair of the Southampton Housing Authority and ED of The Center for more than 17 years, I know all too well about the severe lack of affordable housing on the East End,” said The Center’s Executive Director, Bonnie Michelle Cannon, in announcing the summit. “I am proud that The Center is able to host this important event. Please come and learn. Tell your friends and family. There will be many experts on hand to offer valuable advice.” A light breakfast and lunch will be provided. RSVP here *** U.S. Congressman Nick LaLota, the Republican from Amityville who represents the 1st Congressional District which includes the east end and another Republican colleague changed their votes yesterday, saving an endangered House bill that slashes more than $9 billion from PBS, NPR and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Bahar Ostadan reports in NEWSDAY that the house narrowly voted to pass the bill, which aims at clawing back money previously allocated to USAID and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR, PBS and thousands of public radio and television stations nationwide...among them WLIW. The move crystallized Trump’s executive order to cut federal funding for NPR and PBS, and his efforts to dismantle USAID. Republican Speaker Mike Johnson had been engaged in a lengthy conversation with LaLota on the House floor before Thursday's vote. LaLota, along with fellow Republican House member Don Bacon of Nebraska, changed their votes to yes, propelling the final tally to 214-212. Nearly every Republican voted in favor of the funding cuts, including Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport). Four Republicans in the House voted against the bill and no Democrats voted in favor. The bill will now advance to the Republican-controlled Senate, where it only needs a simple majority rather than the 60 votes usually required from the 100-member chamber. This rule falls under the so-called rescissions request, where presidential administrations can ask to cancel funding that has already been allocated. A federal judge ruled in March that Trump’s dismantling of USAID violated the Constitution, blocking the Department of Government Efficiency from making additional cuts. NPR is available on WLIW-FM on Long Island and WNYC in New York City. PBS television stations serving Long Island include WNET and WLIW/21. *** Rep. Elise Stefanik and Gov. Kathy Hochul faced off over New York’s migrant crisis during a fiery congressional hearing on sanctuary policies — as the congresswoman aggressively asked the governor about high-profile migrant crimes. Vaughn Golden reports in THE NY POST that Stefanik…a Republican who represents upstate New York's 21st congressional district…is eyeing a run against Hochul in the 2026 gubernatorial election. Governor Hochul said the state has helped US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement remove over 1,300 criminal migrants since she became governor in 2021. Hochul renewed the state’s controversial sanctuary policy, first defined under an executive order by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo. It bars state employees from asking about someone’s immigration status other than in situations such as criminal investigations. Many localities around the state such as New York City have their own, often more rigorous, sanctuary policies. Throughout the hearing Hochul tried to argue both that New York has indeed been cooperating with ICE to deport criminal migrants, but also that the federal immigration raids and crackdown on protestors in LA are a “flagrant abuse of power.” “My views on immigration are simple and direct, our nation needs secure borders, our nation needs comprehensive immigration reform from this body, and our state laws dictate that we cooperate with ICE and criminal cases,” Governor Hochul said yesterday in Washington, D.C. during a U.S. congressional hearing. *** Hundreds of “NO KINGS” rallies are planned for tomorrow across the country including Long Island and New York City. Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine said a large presence of police would deter illegal or violent behavior and would be "working as our peacekeepers." "You have a point of view, great, this is America, and you can express it," Romaine said, "but you can't express it through violence or property destruction. That's not right. That's the wrong way to go about it. On the east end “NO KINGS” rallies are expected in Riverhead, Orient, Hampton Bays, Sag Harbor, Southampton and East Hampton. *** When “NO KINGS” demonstrators gather for their rally at Coopers Beach in Southampton tomorrow they might want to take a moment to appreciate America’s NUMBER ONE beach. For Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, a Florida-based university researcher and beach and sand devotee who is the director of the laboratory for coastal research at Florida International University, puts Coopers Beach at the top of his 2025 list of the best beaches in the United States. Main Beach in East Hampton took fifth place in the rankings But it was the tranquility, safety and an out-of-town vibe, to go along with soft, quartz sand, that earned Coopers Beach its No. 1 ranking. Often referred to as Dr. Beach, Leatherman tells NEWSDAY, "When you go out to the Hamptons, it's sort of like going out into the countryside compared to Manhattan. You got beautiful small towns there, but the beach itself is really pristine," he said, adding that it was "very safe" with "great lifeguards." (With a heavy Southampton Village police presence tomorrow, Coopers should be even safer.) "There’s no pollution there," he said of the Southampton beach. "The water is crystal clear and clean." Aidan Johnson reports in NEWSDAY that since 1991, Leatherman has named his top 10 beaches using 50 criteria, including "water and sand quality as well as safety and management." The Southampton beach is not without its flaws, Dr. Beach said. The sand at Coopers is grainier than he'd like and the $50 daily parking rate is pricey.…

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee today as the Republican-led panel investigates Democrat-led states with so-called sanctuary immigration policies that limit state cooperation with federal immigration agents. Hochul will appear alongside Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota in a hearing that comes as the Trump administration has ramped up its mass deportation campaign with recent worksite raids across the country. Laura Figueroa Hernandez reports in NEWSDAY that House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R- Ky.) called for today’s hearing months ago — issuing a letter to Hochul, Walz and Pritzker in April, requesting they appear before the panel for questioning. Hochul spokesman Avi Small said in a statement to Newsday: "Gov. Hochul has voluntarily agreed to appear before the committee and will reiterate what she’s said dozens of times: New York cooperates with federal immigration officials to deport violent criminals, but absolutely does not support cruel actions that tear families apart or rip children away from their parents." Comer, in a statement released Monday, accused "reckless sanctuary states like Illinois, Minnesota, and New York" of "actively seeking to obstruct federal immigration enforcement." New York currently has a patchwork of laws and executive orders that limit the state’s cooperation with federal immigration enforcement agencies, unless a judicial warrant or judicial order is provided. In his April 10 letter to Hochul, Comer specifically raised issues with a 2017 executive order signed by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo that prohibits state employees from providing information "to federal immigration authorities for the purpose of federal civil immigration enforcement, unless required by law." *** The Southampton Town Board this week officially adopted a battery of town code amendments that redirect the town’s allowances for the installation of battery energy storage systems, or BESS, that greatly restricts the size of systems and where they can be employed to store electricity. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the board approved amendments that repealed all of the current, more permissive regulations regarding BESS facilities in Southampton Town code since 2020, replacing them with stringent new constraints that ban the systems from residential areas, cap their size at a fraction of what’s already been proposed by developers, and put in place an exhaustive set of safety requirements and fail-safes intended to head off some of the predictions of conflagration and toxic smoke threatening the health of residents raised by critics of the technology. The new rules are also so punitive that it is unlikely that anyone will bring new BESS proposals to the town in the foreseeable future, industry experts have said — something town officials have gone out of their way to say is not their intention in crafting the code amendments. The vote on the amendments, which was unanimous by the five members of the board, comes some 20 months after the Southampton Town Board enacted a moratorium on approvals of any BESS facilities amid outrage over a proposal for a large battery system in Hampton Bays that was on the verge of being green-lighted. *** In the summer of 2001, Brian Wilson made two memorable appearances on Long Island…at Jones Beach Theater in Nassau County on Tuesday July 24th...and a day earlier on the East End at the ALL FOR THE SEA concert on the grounds of Southampton College. Following the Southampton show and through the next week, folks across the south fork spoke admiringly about how a supposedly burnt out Beach Boy delightfully delivered one Brian Wilson masterpiece after another. A small sampling of his 25 song set-list from that Monday evening performance nearly 24 years ago includes everlasting favorites such as California Girls, I Get Around, Help Me Rhonda, Fun Fun Fun, and God Only Knows. *** A school district on Long Island estimates it’ll spend $23 million to erase its “Thunderbirds” team name — as it’s forced to comply with a state ban on Native American logos and imagery. Alex Mitchell reports in THE NY POST that Connetquot, whose baseball team recently won the Suffolk County championship, has been in quiet communication with the state of New York and expects to entirely phase out its longtime moniker by March of next year, according to documents obtained by The Post. “The District has invested significant funds in larger-scale athletic costs at the high school and middle schools without the Thunderbirds name or imagery,” Superintendent Joseph Centamore wrote to Dave Frank, assistant commissioner of the NYS Department of Education. “These costs included the replacement of turf fields, indoor gym floors and equipment, and other fixtures, as well as repainting projects throughout the schools totaling $23,620,000,” he said in the letter, dated May 6. Connetquot will also have to spend “an additional $323,470.42” on “scorers’ tables, cheer equipment, wall pads, scoreboards, additional uniforms, and certain banners and signage.” The Thunderbirds, which use no relevant imagery, shares its name with a Canadian Hockey League team based outside Seattle and an Air Force demonstration squadron that performs at Jones Beach. The Connetquot School District has been fighting in court since 2023 with fellow Native American-named districts on Long Island, including Massapequa, Wantagh and Wyandanch. However, a chief justice dismissed the suit in March, but only Massapequa amended its complaint to keep the fight going. President Trump intervened in April, declaring “LONG LIVE THE MASSAPEQUA CHIEFS!” and ordered Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to investigate the issue at a national level. She recently visited Massapequa. The Connetquot School district was granted a year’s extension last week. *** An air quality health advisory has been issued for today covering Long Island and NYC Metro regions due to elevated levels of fine particulate matter, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced yesterday. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that elevated fine particulate levels have been reported across areas of New York State due to smoke from more than 200 wildfires that have raged in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan since early last month, burning more than 2.3 million acres as of last week, according to the government of Canada. Outdoor air quality levels are predicted to be greater than an air quality index value of 101 for fine particulates today in the New York City and Long Island metro regions, according to the advisory, reaching 101 in the Long Island region and 107 in the NYC Metro region today. An AQI of 101-150 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. The air quality index for Long Island yesterday was 70 for fine particulate matter and 87 for ozone. Both values are considered moderate. The AQI value for ozone today is forecast to reach 93. Ozone is produced by summer heat as a result of emissions from vehicles and smokestacks. Those emissions typically migrate to Long Island from out of state sources, the DEC said. The counties covered by today’s air quality health advisory are New York, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam. A toll free air quality hotline, 1-800-535-1345, has been established so New York residents can stay informed on the air quality situation, the DEC said. *** The Nationwide “No Kings” rallies planned throughout the country during the president’s military parade in Washington, D.C. this Saturday will include several on the East End. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that rallies are being planned in Riverhead, Orient, Hampton Bays, Sag Harbor, Southampton and East Hampton. Organizers of the Riverhead rally said Tuesday that more than 700 people had already RSVP’d. “On June 14 — Flag Day — Donald Trump wants tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday. A spectacle meant to look like strength. But real power isn’t staged in Washington. It rises up everywhere else,” says the No Kings organization in describing its nationwide day of protest. The Riverhead No Kings rally, organized by the Riverhead and Southampton Democratic Committees, will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. Saturday in front of the Suffolk County Supreme Court at One Court Street. The Hampton Bays rally will be held at the Macy’s shopping center from 10:30 a.m. to Noon. The Sag Harbor rally will be held at 11 a.m. at Steinbeck Park. The East Hampton rally will be held at 11 a.m. at East Hampton Town Hall. The Southampton rally, “Shut Down Billionaire’s Lane, No Kings!” will be held at Coopers Beach from 2 to 4:30 p.m. *** A six-year survey of humpback whales that are increasingly lingering in the waters off Long Island found almost 90% carried scars from entanglement in fishing ropes or nets. A smaller but still significant number, particularly young whales, had been wounded by ship propellers. Tracy Tullis reports in NEWSDAY that researchers from Stony Brook University used drones to take images of the whales swimming off the South Shore, which allowed them to capture a more comprehensive view of the animals’ bodies than is generally possible when taking photos from a boat. Entanglements from commercial fishing gear and vessel strikes in shipping lanes are thought to be the leading causes of whale mortality on the East Coast. "It's sobering to realize how often these animals are interacting with fishing gear," said Lesley Thorne, the director of the Thorne Lab at Stony Brook University’s marine science department and the lead scientist on the study. And "even more sobering," she said, "was the proportion of juveniles that had evidence of vessel strike scars." Thorne cautions that once a wound has healed, it’s hard to know where these whales, which migrate between the Caribbean in winter and as far north as Labrador, Canada, in summer, got entangled or injured by a propeller. She found no evidence that offshore wind developments were implicated in these deaths. As humpbacks spend more time near the busy port of New York, researchers believe they are at greater risk of ship strikes. The entanglements Thorne documented, on the other hand, may well have happened in waters far from Long Island, possibly in the whales' traditional feeding grounds in the Gulf of Maine. Lobster harvesters have been collaborating with conservationists and manufacturers to test remote-controlled pop-up traps, which are already being used in the Gulf of Maine…

A video is circulating on social media of a group of uniformed, armed men outside of the Community Housing Innovation complex at 629 W Main St. in Riverhead Tuesday morning. Ana Borruto & Nicole Wagner report in the Riverhead News-Review that local news outlets reported the men approached the homeless shelter early yesterday, wearing vests that read “U.S. Marshal.” The individuals, who were allegedly looking for someone at the shelter, reportedly did not identify themselves or present any credentials, and did not present a search warrant when asked for entry, according to RiverheadLocal…which in an update reported that Riverhead Town Police said late Tuesday afternoon that they have confirmed that the action earlier yesterday at the men’s shelter on West Main Street was not an action by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Capt. Danielle Willsey said the action in the video circulating on social media was not immigration-related. She said she could not provide information as to which law enforcement agency was at the site of the West Main Street shelter this morning. “ICE does not have to tell us when they’re in the area,” Captain Willsey said. But she confirmed that those officers were not from ICE. Minerva Perez, OLA Eastern Long Island executive director, said in response to the increase of alleged ICE activity happening on Long Island, the organization launched a rapid response action plan called Operation Stand and Protect to aid East End neighbors who may “fall prey to ICE agents.” OLA is in the process of setting up a 24-hour hotline at 631-500-5001 for people who are in need of assistance. Interested volunteers who want to get involved in OLA’s rapid response initiative are encouraged to fill out a short google form online: tinyurl.com/OLARapidResponse. *** “See the ability, not the disability.” That was the motto at East Quogue School last Thursday, when faculty and staff hosted the inaugural Abilities Day at the kindergarten through sixth grade school. Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that a committee of roughly 20 staff members at the East Quogue School worked together over several weeks to put together the action-packed day, which also included an evening event, after seeing the nearby Westhampton Beach School District put on a similar event last year. The Westhampton Beach Elementary School has hosted what they call “Sensory Day” (with an accompanying evening program) for the past three years. The idea originally came from physical education teacher Connor Davis, who also teaches the adaptive and unified phys Ed classes in the district. The East Quogue PTA also had a big role in their day, providing funding for all the necessary supplies. The purpose of Abilities Day is simple but profound — to teach children to appreciate the different and unique abilities many people have, rather than focusing on their disabilities, and to also gain a greater awareness of and appreciation for the things they’re able to do every day that they likely take for granted. “It’s really important to highlight the learning styles of all the kids, and for them to understand that just because someone might be learning something in a different way doesn’t mean it’s wrong,” school social worker Erin Brady said. *** The Southampton Youth Bureau hosted the 22nd annual Battle of the Bands contest last Friday, where five teen bands duked it out on stage at Ponquogue Beach in a night that showcased local young talent. Daydream, a four-piece rock band based in Riverhead, took home first place for the second year in a row. Dan Stark reports on 27east.com that Daydream, came on stage and immediately launched into their set with Olivia Rodrigo’s “good 4 u.” Led by a brooding riff by bassist Dylan West and the soaring vocals of lead singer Lilou Zugmeyer, the song proved to be a crowd favorite. Daydream’s four-song set showcased a band that was not only playing at a high level but also confident on stage. West and guitarist Lucas Magnnozzi crossed the stage to swap places with each other multiple times, while Zugmeyer shone through with powerful vocals, particularly during their closing song, “Bring Me to Life” by Evanescence. After the winning bands were announced, Daydream returned to the stage for an encore of “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” by Jet, ending the night on a high note. *** In a relatively short time span for Albany, the Medical Aid in Dying bill went from stuck in third gear to a fast-track passage by the New York State Legislature. Now, the action will shift to back-channel wooing of Gov. Kathy Hochul, who hasn’t given any clues whether she will sign or veto it. Yancey Roy reports in Newsday that advocates and opponents were weighing next steps yesterday, one day after the State Senate gave final passage to the controversial end-of-life bill that opponents call physician-assisted suicide. "The fight is not over," Assemb. Amy Paulin (D-Scarsdale), the leading legislative advocate of the bill, told Newsday. On that, opponents agree. "All our hope lies with the governor," Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, said. As with any legislation approved by the NYS Senate and Assembly, the legislature in practice has until the end of the year to formally advance the bill to the governor. When that happens, the governor has 10 days to sign or veto. Monday’s Senate vote — the Assembly voted in April — was the culmination of a decade of work by lawmakers and scores of activists. The bill would allow a "mentally competent, terminally ill adult," age 18 or older, who has a prognosis of six months or less to live, to request self-administered, life-ending medication from a physician. The measure also would provide certain protections and immunities for the prescribing health care providers, for example, for not resuscitating qualified patients who have self-administered the mediation. No Republican in either house supported the bill. Most Democrats did, although there were exceptions including Long Island, Sens. Monica Martinez (D-Brentwood), Siela Bynoe (D-Westbury), and Assemb. Michaelle Solages (D-Elmont). *** "Independency: The American Flag at 250 Years," is a unique exhibition of flags and historic objects at the Southampton Arts Center through July 19. Flags in the collection of lawyer, historian, writer, producer and East Ender John Monsky date back to 1775 - a banner for General George Washington. Mary Gregory reports in NEWSDAY that Monsky's collection is expansive and extraordinary, including objects from America's earliest days through the Apollo missions and beyond. Viewers of his presentations at Carnegie Hall or last year's PBS special "The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day” have seen some of the flags he's collected on screen. Now the actual objects, as rare and fragile as they are, are right before viewers' eyes. "It's such an important collection," said Southampton Arts Center’s executive director Christina Mossaides Strassfield, who co-curated the show with Monsky. "I love the opportunity to make history come alive," she said, explaining why she offered Monsky the entire museum to show his flags. While individual flags have been lent to a variety of prestigious institutions, the collection had never been displayed in its entirety. Many of the flags raise spirits; others are touchingly poignant. "We're not being political," Strassfield said. "The flag means hope. We're a democracy and we're imperfect, but were always trying, striving to do better." Strassfield's favorite piece is a strip of red, white and blue, taken from the flag Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin planted on the moon. There will be a talk on June 21 by Monsky, revealing the stunning and tragic stories behind the stars and stripes. He chose to end the exhibition with a quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald, "America was a willingness of the heart." Monsky encourages everyone to come in, adding, "Come with some time on your hands so you can take this trip through American history ... You feel the sacrifices of the boys on Omaha beach, on Utah Beach. You see America trying to birth this republic. You see the 13-star flags that were flown as a celebration at the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. And when you get to the end, you feel this willingness of the American heart." It's an emotional journey. Strassfield promises, "We'll have the tissues out." WHAT "Independency: The American Flag at 250 Years" WHEN | WHERE Through July 19, 12-5 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Southampton Arts Center, 25 Jobs Lane. (A curators' talk with John Monsky and Christina Strassfield will be held at 5 p.m. on June 21. To attend, register at the center's website.) For more information visit southamptonartscenter.org . *** The Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center, in partnership with the Long Island Housing Coalition and community partners, will host an East End Community Housing Summit this coming Saturday, June 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 551 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike in Bridgehampton This event will focus on housing challenges and solutions across the East End. Community members are invited to engage in critical discussions, share their experiences, and learn about ongoing housing initiatives. Experts will be available to provide insight and resources that address housing equity and access in our region. “As long time Chair of the Southampton Housing Authority and ED of The Center for more than 17 years, I know all too well about the severe lack of affordable housing on the East End,” said The Center’s Executive Director, Bonnie Michelle Cannon, in announcing the summit. “I am proud that The Center is able to host this important event. Please come and learn. Tell your friends and family. There will be many experts on hand to offer valuable advice.” A light breakfast and lunch will be provided. RSVP here . *** The 70th Mattituck Lions Club Strawberry Festival will tee off another North Fork summer - today through this weekend at Strawberry Fields Fairgrounds in Mattituck. This is the Lions’ main fundraiser for the year, and it has raised more than $1 million for local and national causes in its seven decades. “Every dollar we make is given right back to either the local community or we give back to American Cancer Society,” said festival chairman David Dominy. “We give away all our money to some form of charity, whether that is helping people who are hungry, helping in a national disaster environment or also helping out local families.” Amanda Olsen reports in The Riverhead News-Review that according to its website, on June 16, 1955, only a little more than three years after the club’s founding, the Mattituck Lions Club celebrated its first Strawberry Festival and this year will be the Club’s 70th. Back in ’55, for a total of six hours, Ed Buchak, the first festival chairman and fellow club members entertained about 1,000 guests. “The community members rally around the festival, from the folks who come out on Wednesday night to help us hull the strawberries to people who are friends and family of the members who are volunteering their time from over the course of those five days,” said Dan Kelleher, media and publicity director for the Mattituck Lions Club. “I think that makes it a little bit unique in terms of some of the other festivals that are out there, that the community really rallies behind it.” The 2025 Mattituck Lions Club Strawberry Festival opens this evening with “Hulling Night” when admission is free and locals gather to remove the stems and leaves from nearly 100,000 berries to be used in the shortcake, virgin daiquiris and other treats available at the festival. There will also be live music and a talent show tonight. Per NEWSDAY: MATTITUCK LIONS CLUB’S 70th ANNUAL STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL 5-10 p.m. June 11-12 5-11 p.m. June 13 11 a.m.-11 p.m. June 14 11 a.m.-5 p.m. June 15 1105 North Rd. (Rte. 48), Mattituck COST June 11: free; June 12-15 : $10 per person (fathers get in free on Father’s Day with one paid child); June 14 from 4 to 11 p.m. (adults and children 5 and up): $20. Rides and games are not included in the admission price. Pay One Price ride bracelets are $30-$40. More information at mattituckstrawberryfestival.com .…

Long Island addiction-treatment providers said yesterday that a congressional spending bill's $880 billion in proposed cuts, largely to Medicaid, and more than $1 billion in proposed trims to the federal budget, could lead to closed substance abuse programs and reduced services. Organizers from several Long Island organizations gathered Monday with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D- N.Y.) to call on Congress to reject the Medicaid cuts in the proposed spending bill, which has already passed in the Republican-controlled House and awaits consideration by the GOP-majority Senate. "It would devastate us," said Ann-Marie Foster, president of the Phoenix House, which operates 300 beds at residential treatment centers at four Long Island locations, with about 95% of those served on Medicaid. "We would significantly have to reduce service and potentially close programs," Foster said. John Asbury reports in NEWSDAY that Congress is still negotiating with President Donald Trump on his budget bill, which is expected to come up for a vote in September and calls for cutting $1 billion from SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which could freeze grants for addiction centers and Narcan overdose treatment, Schumer said. "Devastating Medicaid cuts proposed by the Republican leadership in the House are taking direct aim on Long Island and at the worst possible moment," Schumer said. "Now the cuts would slash funding that goes directly to addiction treatment, mental health services and recovery support." The $880 billion in cuts in the spending bill are to fund about $4.5 trillion in billionaire tax cuts, Schumer and other Democrats said yesterday. Schumer said the potential cuts could affect 600,000 Long Islanders enrolled in the federal health care program. *** The state budget adopted last month fails to adequately account for threatened federal aid cuts estimated at more than $10 billion that could also more than double the number of New Yorkers without health insurance, according to a budget analysis by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Michael Gormley reports in NEWSDAY that the $254 billion budget adopted in May, a month late, increases spending by 5.2% and continues a trend of significant growth since 2019, DiNapoli said yesterday. "The stakes are high for New York if the cuts being discussed in Washington occur," DiNapoli said Monday. "The state needs to do what it can to stabilize finances, build reserve funds, focus on efficient service delivery and develop a strategy for how to contend with federal changes." DiNapoli also said that while Gov. Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature took some measures to prepare for federal aid cuts planned by President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress, "the state needs to do what it can to prepare in a transparent manner before our options are even more limited." Hochul’s budget spokesman, Tim Ruffinen, said the budget is sound and the state is prepared to face deep cuts from Washington. Those cuts would have to be approved by the U.S. Senate and withstand expected court challenges. *** The grounds of the East Hampton Ladies Village Improvement Society will be the location for the organization’s annual fair this coming Saturday, June 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Among the activities will be a carousel, roving magician, pony rides, silent auction, a plant sale, vintage clothing and other vendors, food trucks and raffles. The LVIS grounds are at 95 Main Street in East Hampton Village. Admission is free. Go to lvis.org for information. East Hampton Ladies Village Improvement Society is celebrating its 130th anniversary! *** In recent months, the New York State Capitol has been a stage for Gov. Kathy Hochul to sell an agenda she believes will win her re-election next year. It has also been a key backdrop in the drama surrounding who will challenge her. Benjamin Oreskes and Grace Ashford report in THE NY TIMES that the latest to do so is Representative Elise Stefanik, a powerful Trump loyalist who, during a rare appearance in Albany yesterday, sounded less interested in doing the president’s bidding and more intent on carving her own political path. She blasted Ms. Hochul as the “worst governor in America” whose “pro-criminal agenda” made New Yorkers less safe by “putting violent criminals and illegals first and law abiding New Yorkers last.” Ms. Stefanik, a six-term congresswoman, castigated the legislative actions of New York Democrats as “anti-worker, anti-family, anti-farm, anti-small business, anti-manufacturing and anti-law enforcement.” The remarks appeared to preview Ms. Stefanik’s campaign themes if she runs. But they also misrepresented Ms. Hochul’s views in claiming that Democrats had rejected common-sense reforms to the bail laws and refused to lower taxes. Ms. Hochul has repeatedly strengthened the state’s bail laws, expending considerable political capital to do so. And while this year’s state budget increased taxes on businesses with payrolls of $10 million or more a year to fund public transit infrastructure, it cut taxes for smaller businesses and households making less than $323,000. The budget also drastically expanded the state’s child tax credit. Still only 40 years old, Ms. Stefanik, who represents a district that stretches from just north of Albany to the Canadian border, has long been a rising star in the Republican Party. Elected at just 30 years old as a moderate, she transformed herself after President Trump won in 2016 and has served as one of MAGA’s most ardent defenders. Ms. Stefanik has not publicly declared her intention to run for governor, but has said she is “honored” to be considered for the role and will make a decision in the coming months. *** Long Island addiction-treatment providers said yesterday that a congressional spending bill's $880 billion in proposed cuts, largely to Medicaid, and more than $1 billion in proposed trims to the federal budget, could lead to closed substance abuse programs and reduced services. John Asbury reports in NEWSDAY that organizers from several Long Island organizations gathered Monday with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D- N.Y.) to call on Congress to reject the Medicaid cuts in the proposed spending bill, which has already passed in the Republican-controlled House and awaits consideration by the GOP-majority Senate. Schumer said the potential cuts could affect 600,000 Long Islanders enrolled in the federal health care program. U.S. Rep Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) said in a statement Monday that the spending bill before the Senate "protects Medicaid services for vulnerable populations — it doesn’t cut them. As for the President’s budget proposal, it’s just that — a proposal. ... Sen. Schumer is deliberately spreading falsehoods to scare people into thinking they’re losing their health care. It’s dishonest, it’s dangerous, and it’s exactly what’s broken in Washington." Steve Chassman, executive director of the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (LICADD), asked yesterday, "When people are sick, do they have the right to get well? There are 26 million Americans right now living in long-term recovery from substance use disorders. There are too many Long Islanders, New Yorkers and Americans who have incurred great loss. These proposed cuts will sling us back to where we were 5, 10,15 years ago." *** The Southampton History Museum’s Carriage House Thrift Shop will reopen for the 2025 season this coming Saturday, June 14. Operating every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., through October 4, the shop offers visitors and residents a chance to discover unique treasures while directly supporting local history education. Located on the grounds of the Rogers Mansion Museum Complex at 17 Meeting House Lane, Southampton, the seasonal shop has a variety of art, vintage jewelry, books, postcards, and treasures of all kinds. New items arrive every week. All proceeds from the thrift shop directly support the museum’s educational programs, which bring Southampton’s history to life for students and community members. Go to southamptonhistorymuseum.org for more information. *** The Southold Town Board is seeking public comment at its 7 p.m. meeting this evening on its framework for awarding subsidies for affordable housing developers through its new Community Housing Fund. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the fund’s coffers are filled through a new half-percent real estate transfer tax, paid by buyers of property in the Town of Southold. Southold is currently working on the best ways to use this funding, guided by a Community Housing Plan adopted in 2023. The funds could be used for projects like the proposed 12-unit redevelopment of the former Capital One bank branch on Love Lane in Mattituck. Town Planner Mara Cerezo has been working since last year on developing a set of guidelines for how the subsidies will be awarded, with a base subsidy augmented by several other features of the project. The proposal would provide base subsidies of $55,000 per unit. Bonus subsidies would be awarded based on a percentage of the base subsidy for several different elements, including deeper affordability, adaptive reuse of existing buildings, septic upgrades, a diversity of unit size, home ownership, environmental sustainability and proximity to public transit. The additional subsidy for adaptive reuse — the redevelopment of existing buildings — would be the largest, at 50 percent or $27,500 per unit. This subsidy for housing developers is just one component of the Community Housing Plan. It can also be used for down payment assistance, maintenance of existing affordable housing stock and construction of accessory dwelling units. Southold Town Board members said at their May 28 work session that the subsidy framework could be updated in the future if it isn’t working as currently designed.…

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon will join local officials at Massapequa High School today to make an announcement related to the findings of an investigation into the NYS Board of Regents' ban on Native American imagery in public schools, according to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman's office. Darwin Yanes reports in NEWSDAY that the U.S. Department of Education launched the probe last month to determine if the state Department of Education's threat of withholding funds from the Massapequa district if it did not change its mascot violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, it said. The department initiated the investigation after President Donald Trump publicly expressed support for the district as it fights to keep its nickname, the "Chiefs," and its mascot. The state Board of Regents in 2023 banned the use of Native American mascots, team names and logos in public schools. The regulation affected 13 districts on Long Island; nine have taken steps to retire their mascots and names. The state has said that school districts that do not comply with the ban by June 30 risk losing state aid or facing the removal of school officers. A federal judge in March ruled against Massapequa and three other Long Island districts — Connetquot, Wyandanch and Wantagh — that had sought to either keep their names or nullify the state regulation. The Massapequa school district filed an amended complaint last week in its ongoing challenge to the ban. Secretary McMahon is expected to tour Massapequa High School during her visit today. In a letter to the community, Massapequa school officials said McMahon "will visit select locations to participate in important conversations and observe how our students and educators are engaging in meaningful work centered on real-world skills, leadership and lifelong learning...Friday’s visit is an opportunity to share the incredible stories of our students, staff and community, and to highlight how our commitment to excellence ensures that every child thrives." Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. *** New York State Attorney General Letitia James and law enforcement officials from 15 other states sued the Trump administration this week, seeking to block millions of dollars in cuts to National Science Foundation programs. Maura McDermott reports in NEWSDAY that the cuts imposed on research and diversity programs “will devastate critical STEM research at higher education institutions,” the NYS attorneys general said in the 38-page lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday. James said in a statement, “This administration’s attacks on basic science and essential efforts to ensure diversity in STEM will weaken our economy and our national security.” Under the Trump administration, the foundation has cut grants aimed at increasing the numbers of women, people of color and people with disabilities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. The National Science Foundation said in a statement on its website that the work it supports “should not preference some groups at the expense of others, or directly/indirectly exclude individuals or groups. Research projects with more narrow impact limited to subgroups of people based on protected class or characteristics do not effectuate NSF priorities.” It also said it would support science and engineering projects “that focus on protected characteristics when doing so is intrinsic to the research question and is aligned with Agency priorities." The state attorneys general lawsuit seeks a court order blocking the cuts to indirect costs and diversity programs. In addition to New York, the plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Washington. *** The daily pay for jurors is set to increase on June 8 from $40 to $72 — the first such hike in New York State in 27 years as the court system attempts to keep up with inflation and make serving more economically feasible. Robert Brodsky reports in NEWSDAY that the state budget increases by 80% the per-day wages for New Yorkers serving as jurors. Trial and grand jurors who receive their regular wages from their employer during jury service are not paid by the state. In a statement, Joseph A. Zayas, chief administrative judge of the New York State Unified Court System, which advocated for the increase, said the hike was overdue. "The juror per diem payment has not been increased since 1998," Zayas said of legislation signed by then-Gov. George Pataki raising the rate from $15 to $40. "Considering the sacrifices that persons serving on juries are routinely asked to make, the value of their service, and the importance of juries reflecting a fair cross section of the community, it is good public policy for the state to ensure that juror compensation is periodically adjusted." As was the case in the past, companies with 11 or more employees must pay employees the daily rate for each of their first three days of jury service. If jury service continues past three days, and employers do not pay the wage allowance, the state will make the payment. Employees of companies with 10 or fewer workers who are not paid their regular wages will be paid the daily allowance by the state for each day of jury attendance. Funding for the wage increase will be borne by the Judiciary’s annual budget, officials said. *** As the Southold Town Board unanimously approved a one-year extension of a moratorium for hotel development applications on Wednesday, the board is continuing to weigh an application for an exemption from that moratorium from the developers looking to build an 81-room hotel on the site of the former North Fork Bank headquarters on the Main Road in Mattituck. Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski said the board has “a lot to consider here” before taking a vote, which could occur as soon as the board’s next meeting June 10. “We have an applicant looking for relief, and we are considering this seriously,” he added. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the “Mattituck Hotel” project, proposed by the Cardinale family’s Limited Liability Companies, has been controversial for years — a 2018 proposal called for 200 rooms, and another iteration unveiled two years ago proposed a 121-room resort motel, with an indoor water park. It was roundly rebuked by residents of Mattituck. In 2024, the applicants brought a new proposal, working within the footprint of the existing building, to the Southold Town Planning Board, but it has not proceeded due to the moratorium, in place while the town works to update its zoning code. On Wednesday evening several residents of Mattituck spoke against granting a waiver for the new proposal citing traffic issues. But, Supervisor Krupski said the plan is “quite scaled back” from what the applicants originally proposed, and that “what’s being asked is not to approve it, only to be allowed to apply” to the Town of Southold’s Planning Board, which would review the project. He added that the Town Board had earlier in the meeting approved about 100 weddings in Southold, implicating that those wedding guests would need places to stay. *** The Southampton History Museum says it plans to sue the Town of Southampton over the recent redrawing of tax maps on property at Conscience Point, which the museum’s attorney claims was an “unconstitutional, fraudulent” seizure of land and part of a “conspiracy” to protect the Conscience Point Shellfish Hatchery from being evicted by the museum . Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that in a May 19 filing in Suffolk County Supreme Court, the Southampton History Museum’s attorney filed a notice of claim — the legal precursor to a lawsuit — saying that members of the Southampton Town Board, the town attorney, an attorney for the shellfish hatchery and other town officials had conspired to convince county officials to redraw the tax maps, giving the town ownership of the land where the hatchery stands. “These acts constitute … fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud … breach of fiduciary duty, slander of title, conversion, negligence, wrongful interference with property rights, trespass, and an unconstitutional taking and deprivation of property without due process,” the notice of claim says. The new map shows the Town of Southampton as the owner of the southern parcel, closest to North Sea Road, which contains a public boat ramp and a dirt parking lot where the hatchery building stands. The Southampton Colonial Society, the parent organization of the Southampton History Museum, is shown as owning only the northern portion of the property, comprised mostly of wetlands, and a trail to the historical marker commemorating the first landing of European settlers on the South Fork in 1640. In late April, the Suffolk County Real Property Tax Service Agency issued a new tax map that divides the land at Conscience Point in North Sea into two parcels — one owned by the town, one by the museum. Southampton History Museum attorney, Sheila Tendy said the museum will be filing the lawsuit referenced in the notice of claim within the next 90 days. *** New York State Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni, a member of the Agriculture Committee, recently welcomed committee Chairwoman Donna Lupardo of Binghamton to the North Fork for a tour of local farms and agricultural sites . The tour highlighted the region’s diverse farming operations and the challenges facing East End agriculture. Southold Town Supervisor Albert Krupski led the tour last Friday and Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio joined for the first leg, which included visits to Crescent Duck Farm in Aquebogue, 8 Hands Farm in Cutchogue, Little Ram Oyster Company in Southold, Oysterponds Farm in Orient, and a U.S. Geological Survey test well site in the Oysterponds School District. “This tour was an excellent opportunity to showcase the East End’s unique and vital agricultural economy to Chair Lupardo,” said Schiavoni. “Our farms are leaders in innovation and sustainability, and they play a critical role in feeding our communities and protecting our environment.” Assemblywoman Donna A. Lupardo of the 123rd Assembly District represents the Southern Tier in Albany. Both Lupardo and Schiavoni are Democrats. *** A New York school district was mired in a pitched battle over its Native American mascot. The school board in Lancaster, a small district near Buffalo, had voted to banish its “Redskins” imagery and nickname. But parents protested that the mascot was a source of pride. Teachers arrived to class sporting outfits with the logo. And students regularly ran into reminders of the old mascot in classrooms, gyms and locker rooms. The year was 2015. Troy Closson reports in THE NY TIMES that the school district was accused of violating students’ civil rights when it persisted in showcasing the mascot, and the U.S. Education Department opened an investigation. The imbroglio eventually ended with an accord between the district and the federal government to halt the use of the mascot. A decade since the battle began in Lancaster, the elimination of Native American mascots from public schools has re-emerged as a contentious political issue, and New York again finds itself at the center of a firestorm. The state has required districts to abandon mascots that appropriate Native culture, or risk losing funding. But this time, the federal government’s stance is very different. The Education Department recently began a civil rights investigation into the state’s mandate to banish certain mascots after the Massapequa School district on Long Island refused to forgo its decades-old “Chief” mascot, a Native American man wearing a feathered headdress. Today, the federal education secretary, Linda McMahon, is expected to visit the district to announce whether by restricting the use of Native mascots, the state violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits recipients of federal funds from engaging in discriminatory behavior based on race, color or national origin. The Trump administration’s approach to the issue reflects a stark shift in the application of federal civil rights protections, legal experts said, and illustrates the transformation of the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, which is charged with investigating complaints and ensuring an equal opportunity to education for the nation’s children.…

Over the past decade, Long Island’s dangerous roads have taken a steep toll — through crashes, injuries and deaths. Between 2014 and 2023, more than 2,100 people were killed and 16,000 seriously injured, according to a Newsday analysis. But beyond the personal devastation, there’s a staggering financial cost. This burden includes everything from car repairs and replacements, to hospital and health care expenses to legal and administrative fees, lost time and wages, and bills insurance companies won’t cover, according to personal injury attorneys, accident survivors and researchers interviewed by Newsday. The cost of car crashes can be devastating for victims and their families — but it doesn’t stop there. Communities also bear the cost. In 2023, crashes on Long Island generated at least $3.4 billion in losses, according to Ted Miller, a leading researcher in crash economics and principal research scientist at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, which is based in Beltsville, Maryland. For Newsday’s Dangerous Roads series, Miller calculated Long Island’s crash-related costs based on fatalities, injury severity and vehicle damage. He adjusted for the region’s per capita income and New York’s cost of living. His estimates are conservative, drawn from publicly available data. Rising costs of car ownership — especially insurance and repairs — have compounded the economic toll of crashes, experts said. High insurance rates are a key factor in the growing number of uninsured drivers in New York State, leaving crash victims financially exposed. The greatest financial costs of crashes are those resulting in death. Each fatality typically costs society around $1.6 million, largely due to loss in work, household productivity and legal costs, according to Miller’s research for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. *** A push to establish a park district in East Quogue is being led by a hamlet resident and community organizations with a desire to help beautify Main Street and have more local control of the hamlet’s green spaces. Dan Stark reports on 27east.com that the initiative is being led by East Quogue resident Christian Connolly, along with the support of the East Quogue Civic Association, Beautification Committee, Civic Advisory Committee and Historical Society. The main goal of the park district would be to rejuvenate the hamlet’s Main Street by having more consistent maintenance. Currently, the Southampton Town Parks and Recreation department is responsible for maintaining the Village Green, the plantings on Main Street and the hamlet’s other green spaces, though Connolly argues that their maintenance has fallen short, with the rest of the work falling to volunteers. In 2017 Southampton Town officials agreed to fund improvements for Main Street in East Quogue. “Parks and Rec does a great job, but they’re spread thin,” he said. “They’ve got to open up the beach this time of year, they can’t pay attention to detail like we believe our parks group can do.” The park district would be classified as a special improvement district, which would be supported by taxpayers who live within the district’s boundaries. Taxpayers would pay a yearly amount based on how much their property is assessed at. Based on a budget of $75,000, which is the amount Connolly is seeking, a property assessed at $500,000 would pay $16.30, a $750,000 property would pay $24.45 and a million dollar property would pay $32.60. To form the district, the Southampton Town Board would hold public hearings to determine if it’s in the public’s best interest to approve the district. From there, the board would need to adopt a resolution that would include a map with the boundaries of the district, estimates of the cost of improvements and how these will be financed. If a majority of voters within the East Quogue district boundaries vote against establishing the district, despite the decision of the Town Board, the district would not be formed. *** The Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton announces that the main library building will RE-OPEN to the public today! You are invited to check out all the exciting changes at the Library (and maybe some books too, while you're at it). Plus a tech class, some earth friendly fun, the book shop sale and more. The Rogers Memorial Library’s first home, a Victorian Gothic building on the corner of Job’s Lane and Main Street, was built in 1895, and opened to the public in March 1896. 100 years after the creation of the original Rogers Memorial Library - on November 3, 2000, the New Rogers Memorial Library opened at its current location, 91 Coopers Farm Road in Southampton Village. In celebration of its silver anniversary the “new” R.M.L. is completing a major restoration. Nowadays, the main library and Cooper Hall encompass 26,500 square feet, serve from 12,000 to 40,000 people year-round and its grand re-opening is today! *** The Montauk School District must start again after voters last week shot down a plan for the district to take out a $38 million bond to fund school renovations. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that the plan came about after school facilities received an “unsatisfactory” grade by New York State officials. If approved, the measure would have seen a new gymnasium, a new science classroom and designated spaces for elementary and middle school students, among other improvements. The gymnasium had the highest price tag at $12 million. In all, the planning process took about two years. However, in a vote on May 20 — which drew record turnout — Montauk voters rejected the measure, 361-318. Voters also shot down — in a vote of 342-334 — a proposition for $2.9 million for a new HVAC system, among other capital projects. Additionally, the Montauk district budget passed by a narrower margin than the surrounding districts, with the $24 million budget drawing a vote of 403-280. In the wake of the vote, the Montauk School Board of Education held a workshop for next steps and reevaluation. Separately, on Friday, May 23, Montauk Superintendent Joshua Odom spoke out about the rejection to The Press Newspaper Group. In the future, the district will likely pursue another bond for renovations, “the size of which is yet to be determined,” Odom said. It’s up to the Montauk School Board to determine what projects will move forward and “what will be cut,” Odom said. Many parts of the project will need to be “reimagined” to move forward. As for whether the gymnasium will be included in future renovation plans, Odom said “that is the $12 million question.” “Our gym right now has a lot of character,” he said. “I love that space. Actually, it’s a gym-a-torium. It’s our gym, it’s our stage, it’s our performing arts center. It’s very much the community hub of our school. It is small. The ceilings are low. It’s not appropriate for all middle school sports. As it stands, Montauk School students eat in their classrooms. Constructing a new gym would have allowed students to eat in the old gym, he said. *** Every seven minutes on average, a crash causes death, injury, or significant damage on Long Island. As reported in NEWSDAY, a leading researcher places the tangible costs of medical care, work loss, property damage and more due to crashes on Long Island in 2023 at $3.4 billion. A national study measured the lifetime societal cost per crash fatality at $1.6 million. Personal injury attorney Michael Mosscrop of Franklin, Gringer & Cohen in Garden City said many Long Islanders also carry too little insurance coverage. New York requires $50,000 in no-fault coverage and $25,000 in liability coverage. But many drivers do not raise those minimums. In serious crashes, that often leaves victims with no financial recourse beyond immediate medical costs — especially when the at-fault driver lacks additional coverage or assets. But car crashes on Long Island don’t just affect the people involved in a wreck. Ted Miller, the principal research scientist at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, found “society at-large absorbs” three-quarters of economic impact from the crashes — from taxes used to pay for emergency responses and rebuild roads to insurance premiums paid for by policyholders in the region, whose rates might go up even if they don’t get into crashes. That's why Miller argues that residents should be concerned about the fiscal stakes around road safety even if they haven't crashed or lost someone. “Because you’re paying for it,” Miller said. “It’s coming out of your pocket and you should care about that.” *** The Wainscott Heritage Project will hold several events designed to engage the community, preserve local history and celebrate the cultural character of Wainscott. The first is this coming Sunday, June 1, at 4 p.m. titled “Historic Preservation Myth Busting.” It’s at LTV Studios. Tara Cubie, preservation director at Preservation Long Island will offer an informative look at the realities of preservation. Sunday’s event is free and open to the public, with light refreshments and a Q&A to follow. Reservations are encouraged. That’s this Sunday at 4 p.m. in the LTV Studios in Wainscott. For more information and reservations visit ltveh.org/preservationmythbusting *** The Quogue Wildlife Refuge holds a special place in the heart of so many East Enders who have taken their children there to see the birds that seek refuge on the Old Ice Pond or to quietly walk or snowshoe through the seven miles of trails into the heart of the Dwarf Pine Plains, or to practice yoga or hear nature presentations in the Charles Banks Belt Nature Center overlooking the pond. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that this year, the Wildlife Refuge is embarking on a campaign to renovate and expand the Nature Center, which is now crammed with work spaces for its growing staff, for care of animals, a gift shop and a large, wood-paneled community gathering space that juts over the pond, where visitors feel like they’ve traveled not just to the center of an ecosystem, but also back in time. The Nature Center was built in 1970. Aside from a 1979 update adding handicapped-access bathrooms, a kitchen and a classroom, little about the building has changed since the 1970s, as the Refuge’s staff has burgeoned to nine full-time, year-round people. Refuge’s Assistant Director, Marisa Nelson said the refuge hopes to “honor the history and maintain the coziness” of the first floor gathering space. “It has the most beautiful view, and feels like a lodge, with a stone fireplace and the great views of the Old Ice Pond. This room will structurally stay the same, but we will be taking down the 1970s paneling and updating it.” The building is expected to be (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) LEED-certified. Anyone can visit the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, which is open 365 days a year, free of charge, and it receives about 150,000 visitors each year. The Quogue Wildlife Refuge has already raised or received pledges for more than $2.8 million toward the $3.5 million renovation, and is expecting to soon receive bids from local contractors, with the hopes of beginning construction this fall and finishing by the summer of 2026. For more information, visit quoguewildliferefuge.org.…

A federal judge yesterday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from killing New York’s congestion pricing toll or carrying out retaliatory threats to withhold transportation funding unless the state capitulates. Matthew Chayes reports in NEWSDAY that ruling from the bench, Judge Lewis J. Liman of U.S. District Court for the Southern District said his temporary restraining order is in effect until June 9 at 5 p.m. as he considers arguments in a lawsuit by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which he said the agency is likely to ultimately win. The suit challenges the Trump administration's efforts to revoke permission granted under President Joe Biden and end the congestion pricing program, the nation's first, which charges most drivers $9 to enter 60th Street or below in Manhattan. The Trump administration had threatened to implement "compliance measures" — including withholding federal transportation funding and stopping approvals for state transportation projects — beginning as soon as today unless New York ends the program. Last year, while running for office, candidate Donald Trump vowed to "TERMINATE" congestion pricing” stating, "CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD." On Tuesday, Judge Liman likened the Trump administration's threats — made by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy — to a sword of Damocles. Duffy has said it's unfair to toll drivers to get around Manhattan and force commuters onto a mass transit system that he has used profanity to describe. New York says the toll is essential to reduce traffic congestion, to make the air less polluted and to raise money for mass transit…including the L.I.R.R. In a statement issued by her office, Gov. Kathy Hochul said, "We’ve won — again." She called Judge Liman's ruling "a massive victory for New York commuters, vindicating our right as a State to make decisions regarding what’s best for our streets." *** The Southampton Youth Bureau’s 22nd annual Battle of the Bands competition is bringing the sound of local bands back to Ponquogue Beach in Hampton Bays on Friday, June 6. Dan Stark reports on 27east.com that the concert is one of the largest annual events for high school bands in the Town of Southampton to showcase their talents in front of a large crowd of friends, family and peers, complete with a professional sound and lighting system. Southampton Youth Bureau Assistant Director Peter Strecker, who runs the event, called it “a great opportunity for them to get out on stage to express their creativity in front of a live audience in a safe and supervised setting.” Gates open at 7 p.m., and those arriving early will be treated to a series of special guest opening acts for the first hour. This year will feature four local high schoolers who participated in “Hamptons Got Talent,” a talent show hosted in Hampton Bays by the Youth Bureau in April. The main show begins at 8 p.m., as the bands take the stage. This year, five bands will be competing, which is the most bands since 2018. Each band will have 20 minutes to perform a set of three to four songs. The winning band also gets to perform an encore at the end of the show. The event will be emceed by Casey Farrell and Julianna Najdzion of the Youth Bureau’s Youth Advisory Committee. For more information, visit southamptontownny.gov/youthbureau or call 631-702-2425. *** The Wainscott Heritage Project will hold several events designed to engage the community, preserve local history and celebrate the cultural character of Wainscott. The first is this coming Sunday, June 1, at 4 p.m. titled “Historic Preservation Myth Busting.” It will take place at LTV Studios. Tara Cubie, preservation director at Preservation Long Island, will present the talk that will debunk common misconceptions such as “historic designation means you can’t change anything about your house” and “preserving old buildings lowers property values.” Through real-life examples from East Hampton and beyond, Ms. Cubie will offer an informative look at the realities of preservation. Sunday’s event is free and open to the public, with light refreshments and a Q&A to follow. Reservations are encouraged. For more information and reservations visit wainscottheritageproject.org. *** Businesses that pay manual workers biweekly, violating New York’s century-old weekly pay law, will no longer be on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages under provisions in the state budget that provide flexibility for first-time offenders. Keshia Clukey reports in NEWSDAY that the law, which has roots in the Industrial Revolution era, aims to protect manual laborers. But in 2019, a midlevel state court decision opened the door for certain manual laborers to sue their employers for "liquidated damages" if they were being paid biweekly instead of weekly. Liquidated damages by law include up to 100% of the total amount of wages found to be due going back up to six years, as well as attorney’s fees. The decision opened the floodgates to hundreds of cases across the state, costing businesses anywhere from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars and forcing some small businesses to close. The $254 billion state budget passed this month included language championed by Gov. Kathy Hochul to limit the amount of damages employees who are paid in full on a biweekly basis are entitled to. For a first time violation, businesses will only be required to pay the interest the employee lost by not being paid weekly. Second violations would still be subject to full liquidated damages. The law applies to pending and future cases. The change evoked concern from some worker advocates and attorneys who say manual workers have the right to not only be paid on time but to seek full damages if an employer violates the law. Business groups applauded the move, saying the original law is not only ambiguous in how it defines manual laborers, but that businesses shouldn’t be so heavily penalized if they are fully paying their employees, just on a biweekly basis. New York State law in 1890 required weekly pay for certain employees, including railroad, manufacturing and mining workers. The current version of the pay frequency law was put in place in 1966 and has been interpreted to mean individuals who spend more than 25% of working time engaged in "physical labor," according to the labor department. *** The Suffolk County Water Authority is continuing a water main improvement project in Quogue by replacing approximately 3,420 feet of aging cast iron water main with new iron pipe . Dan Stark reports on 27east.com that the project started last year by replacing nearly 1,300 feet of cast iron water main that SCWA ruled had “reached the end of its useful life.” This is not limited to Quogue, as other water main breaks have been reported on Dune Road. The goal of the project is to lower the risk of future water main breaks on Dune Road, as well as to increase water flow in the system. “This project is another example of our ongoing commitment to upgrading critical infrastructure to better serve our customers,” SCWA Chief Executive Officer Jeff Szabo said in a recent press release. “By replacing aging cast iron with modern ductile iron pipe, we’re ensuring that residents and businesses in Quogue continue to receive reliable, high-quality water service for years to come.” SCWA is currently working on performing these upgrades, and work is expected to continue over the next few weeks. *** At their latest work session Southampton Village Board members unanimously approved creating a new green energy fee. Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that the law essentially authorizes a variance with respect to sustainable building requirements, providing a way for certain homeowners, including those who live within the historic district, to comply with the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) requirements without needing to place solar panels on the roofs of their home or elsewhere on their property, if doing so would either not be logistically possible or aesthetically appropriate. Homeowners who apply for and are then approved for the variance will now be able to comply with the HERS requirements by paying a fee to the village that is 1.5 times the normal cost of what the compliance would require, which would then go into a restricted fund that allows the village to use the money to further green energy initiatives. The law also states that money from the fund can also be used to help pay down bonds that were issued to pay for green energy initiatives in the Village of Southampton. *** In a bid to balance aesthetic concerns with environmental benefits, the North Haven Village Board on May 21 agreed to take up legislation governing the placement of solar panels on homes in the village. Mayor Chris Fiore, who said he had heard from a resident whose proposal for solar panels had been denied by the village’s Architectural Review Board because they were visible from the street, polled board members about their feelings on the matter. Stephen J. Kotz reports on 27east.com that the board was divided, with Trustees Dianne Skilbred and Claas Abraham arguing that the environmental benefits trumped aesthetic concerns. “In my heart, I believe we should allow them,” Skilbred said. “I don’t think they are ugly.” While Abraham and Skilbred agreed, as Abraham said, to favor “the environment over fossil fuels,” Trustee Peter Boody said he believed the ARB had a role to play even if the village wanted to encourage solar panels. “It’s a small village. Everybody makes a big impression on the local scene when they do something,” he said. “And there’s a big potential for an aesthetic nightmare with these, although it’s not a problem now.” Trustee Terie Diat, said she thought there could be a way to keep the ARB involved without making it “an onerous process” for applicants. Although Diat said she found solar panels to be unattractive and would like to see the village encourage people to use solar shingles, Abraham said his research had shown that shingles are cost-prohibitive. Fiore agreed with Boody and Diat that the ARB should “retain final approval,” but that it should know the Village of North Haven supports the use of clean energy whenever possible. Abraham agreed to look into ways the Village Board could amend its code to take its members’ thoughts into consideration.…

Dede Gotthelf has spent the past weeks preparing her Southampton Inn for the crucial summer season, which began on Memorial Day. But this year, her familiar routine has been interrupted by telephone calls from Canadians canceling their hotel bookings. "We had major, verbal cancellations from our Canadian tourists who come to Southampton year-in and year-out — with some vociferous explanations for the cancellations," she said, adding the calls started in April, with guests citing the current political climate as a reason for changing their plans. "We don't have many Canadian reservations on the books," Gotthelf said, adding that she will miss her regular clients. James T. Madore and Lee Meyer report in NEWSDAY that the 90-room Southampton Inn also has lost reservations from European travelers, who usually account for more than $100,000 in revenue per year at the inn, Gotthelf said. So, like the owners of other tourism-related companies on Long Island, she is working to attract more business travelers and tourists from other parts of the United States. "As a community, we need to work very hard to determine how to encourage [international tourism] and how to pivot," Gotthelf said. The number of international visitors to the metropolitan area, including Long Island, and nationwide has dropped this spring compared with a year earlier, according to data from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the National Travel and Tourism office. The decline is largely from Canada and comes amid controversial statements by President Donald Trump about making Canada the 51st state and taking control of Greenland, as well as his crackdown on illegal immigration and higher tariffs on imported goods. *** A celebration of local legends Howard and Kenny Wood, set to be inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame this Thursday, will take place at The Clubhouse at 174 Daniels Hole Road in Wainscott, the following day, Friday, May 30, from 5-7 p.m. Complimentary small bites will be served while all in attendance share their stories about the Woods. For more details, visit clubhousehamptons.com/event/howard-kenny-wood. As reported on 27east.com, Howard and Kenny Wood led their respective East Hampton High School basketball teams to state championships in 1977 and 1989, respectively, then starred both collegiately and professionally. Howard Wood led East Hampton to a state basketball championship in 1977, and following a standout career at the University of Tennessee, played both in the NBA with the Utah Jazz and the premier leagues in Spain. He was named a Southeastern Conference (SEC) Legend in 2018. Kenny Wood led the Bonackers to a state championship during his senior year in 1989, played at the University of Richmond, where he’s a member of the hall of fame there and the Atlantic 10 Conference, and also went on to a professional career in Spain and South America. He scored 2,613 points in his high school career, which, at the time, was a public school state record. Ken’s son is James Wood – a rising star on the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball team. *** The Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton announces that the main library building will RE-OPEN to the public this coming Thursday – May 29th! Both Cooper Hall and the main building will be closed today and tomorrow in preparation for Thursday’s re-opening. You are invited to check out all the exciting changes at the Library (and maybe some books too, while you're at it). Plus a tech class, some earth friendly fun, the book shop sale and more. The founding of Rogers Memorial Library in 1893 was made possible due to a bequest made by Harriet Jones Rogers, upon her death in 1891. The library’s first home, a Victorian Gothic building on the corner of Job’s Lane and Main Street, was designed by R.H. Robertson, built in 1895, and opened to the public in March, 1896. Just over 100 years after the creation of the Rogers Memorial Library, on November 3, 2000, the New Rogers Memorial Library opened at its current location, 91 Coopers Farm Road in Southampton Village. In celebration of its silver anniversary the “new” R.M.L. is completing a major restoration. Nowadays, the main library and Cooper Hall encompass 26,500 square feet, serve from 12,000 to 40,000 people year round. *** East End Food, which is working to build a hub for production and distribution of local food in Riverhead, received a major boost this month, winning a game-changing $5 million state grant that will allow them to purchase the former Homeside Florist property on the corner of Route 25 and Route 105. The grant will also enable them to build a commercial kitchen there. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the non-profit organization was founded in 2010 as the Amagansett Food Institute, later becoming the East End Food Institute and now East End Food. Through the name changes, its mission has stayed focused on connecting farmers, food producers and institutions with food service programs and consumers of local food. Its food processing operations had long been in a rented kitchen space at Stony Brook Southampton College until that arrangement was terminated last year. In 2021 the organization leased the building at the prominent intersection in Riverhead, with the hopes of eventually building the East End Food Hub there, bringing together all its operations on one property. This new funding, the New York State Regional Food Infrastructure Grant, is a “lifeline and a launchpad,” according to East End Food’s announcement of the funding. “After years of fundraising hurdles and building delays, the organization finally has the means to secure the physical space it needs to operate and grow. And with that, the region gains more than just a building — it gains a future where farms thrive, students eat well, and local food stays local.” The five-year grant is dedicated to the infrastructure of the East End Food Hub, and it will first be used to install the kitchen followed by the eventual purchase of the property according to East End Food Executive Director Marci Moreau. *** Canadian tourism is down on Long Island due to the Trump administration's calls for Canada to become the 51st State. James T. Madore and Lee Meyer report in NEWSDAY that European tourism numbers also have declined, leading tourism boards to find creative ways to promote New York and Long Island as a destination. Hotels on the East End have seen a decline in international tourism, specifically in the Hamptons. Fewer international visitors would affect the U.S. and local economies because while their ranks are smaller than that of domestic tourists, they spend far more, said Dorothy Roberts, president of the Long Island Hospitality Association, which represents hotels, catering halls, restaurants and other hospitality businesses. Among international visitors, Discover Long Island has found that Riverhead is the top destination in Suffolk because of its myriad hotels, the aquarium and Tanger factory outlets. From there visitors often take day trips to the Hamptons, Montauk and East End wineries. Melissa Rockwell, president of Long Island Wine Country, which represents 57 producers, said, “Normally, we would see the majority of our international tourism between Memorial Day and Labor Day. We do have a very big bump from locals — Long Island and New York City — in the fall during the harvest time,” she said. At Southampton Inn, Dede Gotthelf, the owner, said U.S. corporate bookings are up but visitors from Canada and Europe will be missed. “We’re sad to lose [international tourists],” she said, “because those are the guests who do the most shopping, exploring and participating in the local economy.” *** Beth Young in EAST END BEACON reports on 2 meetings tomorrow, each open to the public. The Southold Town Board holds two public hearings at Wednesday’s meeting at 4:30 p.m. on issues related to a moratorium on hotel development. One is on extending the current moratorium, which expires in mid-June, by one year, and the other is a request for a waiver from the developers of a proposed hotel at the former Capital One Bank headquarters on the Main Road in Mattituck. That’s tomorrow at 4:30pm in Southold Town Hall. Then tomorrow evening, the Hampton Bays Civic Association meets at the Hampton Bays Senior Center at 25 Ponquogue Avenue. The guest speaker will be Southampton Town Director of Code Enforcement Ryan Murphy. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will be held at 7 p.m. *** Jose Medina and his wife, Anna Frias Medina, arrived at Calverton National Cemetery yesterday to visit the grave of his brother-in-law, Manford Wild, a Vietnam veteran. It’s an annual rite for the Far Rockaway couple, both Army veterans who came to the United States five decades ago from the Dominican Republic. "We learned to appreciate our country more," and politics plays no role, Anna Frias Medina said of her military service, which included a deployment in Iraq. Jose Medina, who served three years, added pride in service transcends politics and “any individual serves his country." As reported in Newsday, the Medinas were among many Long Islanders who attended community parades or solemn ceremonies and visited military gravesites on Memorial Day 2025 to honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. The first national observance of Memorial Day occurred on May 30, 1868. Then known as Decoration Day and observed on May 30, the holiday was proclaimed to honor the more than 600,000 Union and Confederate soldiers were killed in the U.S. Civil War. World Wars I and II turned it into a day of remembrance for all members of the U.S. military who fought and died in service. In 1968, Congress changed its observance to the last Monday in May, and in 1971 standardized its name as "Memorial Day.” Gerry Croce, of Islip Terrace, arrived at Calverton National Cemetery yesterday to not only honor his father, Eugene Croce, who served in the Korean War, but also his mother, Catherine, whom he described as a "strong woman from Queens," who raised four children largely on her own after her husband died. Honoring the lives of loved ones, Croce said, provides "comfort" and "gives me a good feeling." Rob and Cheryl Davis, of Oakdale, stood at the grave of his grandfather, Charles M. Davis, a World War II vet. In addition, Rob Davis' late father served in the Korean War and is also buried at Calverton. "They were everything to me," Rob Davis said of his father and grandfather. Honoring them, Cheryl Davis said, is itself an honor. "When you see the true meaning of what it is, that’s when it actually hits you, what they did for us," she said.…

In the wake of a traffic experiment that appeared to show at least some success at speeding up the typical crawl of westbound traffic through Southampton during the afternoon rush hour, the Town of Southampton plans to ask the New York State Department of Transportation to take a hard look at the possibilities for relieving one of the South Fork’s most notorious and problematic bottlenecks for eastbound traffic in Water Mill. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the traffic signal installed in the early 1990s in the center of Water Mill’s small business district has long been seen as the main cause of the bumper-to-bumper eastbound traffic that forms on Montauk Highway between Flying Point Road and the hamlet center, often well before sunrise. The chronic backup on the highway also causes traffic jams on residential back roads, as thousands of motorists try to find bypasses each morning. A task force that examined traffic congestion problems throughout Southampton Town championed a years-old proposal by the state to construct two roundabouts at either end of the Water Mill hamlet business district, which would allow the traffic light in the center of the downtown to be eliminated. The Southampton Town Board last week had offered a resolution that asked the state to conduct a study of the possibilities for addressing the traffic issue and spotlighted the roundabouts plan. But after Water Mill’s Citizens Advisory Committee voiced hesitation about the roundabouts approach, town officials said they would like the state to take a comprehensive look at the traffic patterns in the hamlet and would welcome any suggestions about how the chronic congestion could be addressed. *** The number of people going to emergency rooms this month in the Northeast for tick bites is the highest since 2019. Suffolk County chief entomologist Scott Campbell said more lone star ticks are being found in the western part of the county. Lyme disease remains the most common tick-borne disease on Long Island and health officials are warning residents to protect themselves against tick bites this season. Lisa L. Colangelo reports in NEWSDAY that lone star ticks gained their name from the white spot on the back of adult females. They are one of the first tick species to emerge in the spring, followed by black-legged ticks in late May and June. Black-legged ticks carry Borrelia burgdorferi, the pathogen that causes Lyme disease. "The lone star ticks are out in full force," Campbell said. "The black-legged ticks are starting to come out." In 2023, over 21,000 Lyme disease cases were reported in New York — including 3,299 in Suffolk County and 697 in Nassau County, according to the state Health Department. Experts said the actual number of cases is likely much higher since many people don’t recognize the symptoms, which can include fatigue, joint pain, headache, fever, a rash and sometimes temporary facial paralysis. Dr. Luis Marcos, an infectious disease specialist with Stony Brook Medicine who researches tick-borne illnesses, said another problem is many doctors are not educated on how to treat someone who may have symptoms of Lyme disease. Knowing which ticks can carry viruses is vital, doctors said. For example, lone star ticks can also carry Bourbon virus disease and Heartland virus disease, two emerging tick-borne viruses. Both have only been detected at "extremely low levels" in Suffolk County ticks, according to the county Health Department. *** A replica of the glossy black Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall is on display at the American Legion in Amagansett this Memorial Day weekend. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that the Amagansett “pop-up” is a replica of the memorial in Washington, D.C. The replica wall stands at three-fifths the size of its real counterpart. In total, it is 6 feet tall and stretches 300 feet from end to end. In Washington, D.C., the memorial is a glossy black granite wall completed in 1982. The names of all dead or missing service members who fought in the Vietnam War are inscribed into it. The number of names on the wall has expanded over the years, but currently, there are more than 58,000. Doc Russo, who travels the country with the wall, said his mission was to “give people that’ll never make it to D.C. a chance to start healing” from the conflict, whether they lost “a comrade,” “a buddy” or a “family member.” A replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in D.C. is on display in Amagansett now through Monday. *** The Long Island Power Authority board yesterday took the unprecedented step of canceling a yearlong search for a new grid manager, voting 6-0 with two abstentions and one recusal to cancel the request for proposals. The vote means LIPA will move to extend its existing contract with PSEG Long Island, whose contract expires at year's end. A group "to be determined by the board" will negotiate a contract extension with PSEG. LIPA OK’d the new deal and scrapped a competitive bidding process after LIPA interim chief executive John Rhodes and his wife were found to have financial ties to Quanta Services, the company lined up to replace PSE&G. Rhodes defended himself against the notion that his ownership of stock in the recommended contract winner influenced his assessment. He said that his stocks are managed by an outside financial adviser and that once he learned in December that he owned the stock, "I reported that fact and sold the stock immediately." Mark Harrington reports in NEWSDAY that the board’s latest actions come amid a state inspector general’s investigation of the utility, and LIPA’s hiring of an outside law firm to handle issues surrounding the solicitation of a new grid manager. No one at LIPA discussed the IG’s probe, but Anthony LaPinta, LIPA’s newest board member, said it was he who "advocated for the board to hire counsel to help us navigate this complicated and highly sensitive process moving forward." "To attempt to cast the board in a negative light because of our decision to hire prominent outside and independent counsel is disappointing and wrong," said LaPinta, a prominent defense attorney. *** Coopers Beach in Southampton Village was named the best beach in the United States, and East Hampton Main Beach the fifth-best, by the Florida scientist known as “Dr. Beach” in his annual “Top 10 Beaches” list. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that Dr. Stephen Leatherman ranks America’s beaches each year by scoring them on 50 separate criteria, from the width of the beach to the concessions, amenities, color and softness of the grains of sand, the “smell” of the beach, and the ease of access or cost of parking permits. Both Coopers and Main Beach have held the top spot in years past but had fallen in Leatherman’s rankings because of the cost of parking permits, the challenges of access due to traffic, and aging facilities. But improvements to the concessions offerings and facilities for beachgoers and free shuttle service between the Southampton Village and East Hampton Village downtowns have bumped them back up the list. Coopers was ranked second by Leatherman last year, behind Duke Kahanamoku Beach in Hawaii. “Coopers Beach is hundreds of yards wide, made of grainy white quartz sand,” Dr. Leatherman writes in his 2025 Top 10 Beaches assessment. “This year’s number one beach is backed by large sand dunes covered by American beach grass interspersed with extravagant mansions.” Regarding the “Number 5 U.S.A. Beach” Leatherman says, “East Hampton’s Main Beach provides the perfect blend of nature and the built environment. Wealthy summertime residents flock to the beaches protected by a conservation easement that dates back over 300 years… the wide sandy beach, composed of grainy quartz grains, has towering sand dunes and beautiful clean and clear blue water.” *** As reported 27east.com, the Commission on Veterans Patriotic Events will host a Memorial Day ceremony at 11 a.m. this Monday, May 26, at Agawam Park, in Southampton Village following a parade starting at the First Presbyterian Church parking lot at 10:45 a.m. All veterans are invited to participate and asked to be at the church parking lot by 10:30 a.m. Cars will be available for those who cannot march. All are invited to Veterans Memorial Hall for refreshments after the Southampton service. In Hampton Bays on Monday a ceremony at the Hampton Bays American Legion Memorial Park, 55 Ponquogue Avenue, next to Hand-Aldrich Post 924 will begin at 10 a.m. The guest speaker will be Jordan Isaac, a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and the owner of Cornucopia Consulting. *** At 10 a.m. yesterday, the Stony Brook East Hampton Emergency Department opened to receive patients at 400 Pantigo Place in East Hampton, becoming one of a very few number of stand-alone Emergency Departments in the state . Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the new, 22,000-square-foot facility was designed to provide vital healthcare services to people in the Town of East Hampton, including Montauk, Amagansett, and Springs. Previously, anyone facing a serious medical emergency in East Hampton, and the ambulances that carry those patients, would have to fight crushing traffic to get to the Emergency Room at Southampton Hospital. Local volunteer ambulances returning from calls would also face long delays, without lights and sirens, returning in traffic to go back into service in their home districts. The off-campus facility was built using funds from a 2017 grant of $10 million from New York State and more than $32 million in donations through the Southampton Hospital Association’s East Hampton Emergency Department Campaign Committee. The East Hampton Emergency Department is now open and operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year, including holidays. It is equipped with advanced diagnostic technologies and life-saving treatments including a dedicated resuscitation room; cardiac monitoring capabilities in every exam room; an on-site ambulance for hospital transport plus eco-friendly innovations including rooftop solar panels, a rain garden and native plantings. “The East Hampton Emergency Department is staffed by Stony Brook Medicine specialists and board-certified emergency room physicians, nurses and professionals,” said Carol Gomes, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Stony Brook University Hospital. “ “At Stony Brook Medicine, we are committed to expanding access to high-quality healthcare where it is needed most,” said Stony Brook Medicine Executive Vice President Dr. William Wertheim. “The new Stony Brook East Hampton Emergency Department represents a significant step in ensuring that residents and visitors on the East End have timely access to expert emergency care, reinforcing our mission to deliver world-class healthcare closer to home.”…

Residents and school officials reacted with a mixture of disappointment and resignation after budgets or special propositions were voted down in their districts Tuesday, bucking the trend of decisive approvals across Long Island. Maura McDermott reports in NEWSDAY that overall, voters green-lit spending plans and propositions by wide margins. Of Long Island’s 124 school districts, 122 saw their budgets approved by voters Tuesday. The majority of districts’ 100-plus special propositions also were OK'd. Those results “show that the voting public clearly supports public education on Long Island and are satisfied with the quality of the education that is being delivered and value what public education brings to our communities and our economy,” said Robert Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association. Long Island school budgets earned the approval of about 69% of voters on average, roughly even with last year’s 70% average, Vecchio said. However, voters in two Suffolk County school districts — Shelter Island and Elwood — rejected proposed 2025-26 budgets that would have pierced state-imposed tax caps. The two proposed spending plans would have exceeded state limits on property tax increases, so they needed the approval of at least 60% of voters. Districts whose budgets fail can put new spending plans before voters in June. *** Voters in the Shelter Island School District rejected a proposed 2025-26 budget that would have pierced state-imposed tax caps. On Tuesday, Shelter Island’s school district sought approval for a budget of $13,855,325, up 5.77% from this year’s nearly $13.1 million spending plan. Maura McDermott reports in NEWSDAY that the measure would have increased school property taxes by 6.97%, more than three times the district's 2.13% tax cap. The measure earned the support of almost 55% of voters but fell short of the 60% minimum. Shelter Island resident Jeanne Woods said she voted for the budget, but she understood why some of her neighbors did not. The cost of living has soared on Shelter Island due to inflation and a spike in housing costs that is “pricing out” many longtime residents, she said. “Frankly, it's overwhelming to somebody who's on a fixed income,” said Woods, 84, who volunteers with Meals on Wheels and other charities. The defeat of the school budget was a blow to many parents, including Victoria Shields, 46, who has three children in the district and previously served for about eight years on the PTSA, including as president. Shields said she worried the district would need to cut “vital” services. School officials “work very hard to walk the line between providing the services that they know our children need and deserve and also not burdening the taxpayers with onerous taxes,” she said. The Shelter Island district had 176 students last year, per state figures. Districts whose budgets fail can put new spending plans before voters in June. *** A short Memorial Day “Lost at Sea” service will be held at Main Beach in East Hampton Village at 9 a.m. on Memorial Day Monday, May 26, hosted by the Everit Albert Herter VFW Post 550 and American Legion Post 419. Afterward, a parade will start at the East Hampton Presbyterian Church at 10 a.m. and make its way to Memorial Park at the Hook Mill for a ceremony. The day before members of the legion and the VFW will visit each cemetery in their area to honor deceased veterans. *** Pekin ducks are being brought back to Crescent Duck Farm in Aquebogue. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the first group of about 900 12-week-old ducks were transported from their temporary home at Miloski’s Poultry Farm in Calverton back to the more than century-old family farm early Monday morning, a week after a U.S. Department of Agriculture avian-flu quarantine was officially lifted, Crescent Duck Farm President Doug Corwin said Tuesday night. Another 1,800 ducks will be brought to the farm in about a month, after samples of the new residents test negative for avian flu for three weeks. “It would be highly, highly doubtful that these healthy ducks would be positive, but this is USDA protocol,” Corwin said. An avian flu outbreak in January shuttered the farm’s operations and forced the euthanization of some 99,000 ducks, leaving the future of Long Island’s last remaining duck farm in jeopardy. The farm has been testing for the virus since it completed a massive farm-wide cleanup following the outbreak. Most recently, 25 samples were taken in 20 barns on April 28, Corwin said. USDA determined all of the 500 samples were negative, he said. The quarantine was lifted May 12. The ducks being brought to the farm now were hatched offsite from sanitized eggs laid by Crescent’s hens before the bird flu outbreak. Corwin said he expects to have around 1,700 females laying eggs by summer. He needs some 8,000 to 10,000 females regularly laying eggs to begin larger scale operations. He won’t begin raising, processing and selling duck meat until next year. *** The U.S. House of Representatives this morning narrowly passed a wide-ranging bill to deliver President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda, after Speaker Mike Johnson put down several mini-rebellions in Republican ranks to muscle the legislation to its first major victory over unified Democratic opposition. The early morning vote was 215 to 214, mostly along party lines. The legislation would slash taxes, steer more money to the military and border security, and pay for some of this with cuts to Medicaid, food assistance, education and clean energy programs, adding significantly to federal deficits and to the ranks of the uninsured. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) in an e-mail to his 1st Congressional District constituents called passage of the legislation “a significant win for Long Island taxpayers following successful negotiations to quadruple the cap on the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction. The change, included in the House-passed version of the One Big Beautiful Bill, now heads to the Senate and awaits the President’s signature. If enacted, the measure would provide long-overdue relief—saving many Suffolk County families as much as $8,000 on their 2026 federal tax returns,” per a statement issued today by Congressman Nick LaLota who further states that, ”The deal raises the SALT deduction cap to $40,000 for households earning under $500,000, with both thresholds indexed to grow by about 1% annually—reaching roughly $44,000 and $552,000 by year ten. A household earning $333,000 and paying $20,000 in property taxes would now be fully covered under the new cap. The provision is valued at $344 billion over ten years.” That’s from an e-mailed statement issued this morning by Rep. Nick LaLota (NY-01). *** The Sag Harbor American Legion Chelberg and Battle Post and Veterans of Foreign Wars will observe Memorial Day with their annual parade on Monday, May 26. The parade will step off at 9 a.m. from the World War I Memorial at Otter Pond by the corner of Main Street and Jermain Avenue, will proceed north through the village, stopping at war memorials, the Main Street Firehouse, and the Lance Cpl. Jordan C. Haerter Veterans Memorial Bridge, where wreaths will be laid, before concluding at Marine Park. The Sag Harbor Community Band will perform. Veterans, scouts, the American Legion Auxiliary and public officials are expected to participate. The guest speaker will be Carl Browngart. A reception will follow at the American Legion on Bay Street in Sag Harbor this coming Monday. *** The Shinnecock Indian Nation yesterday celebrated the purchase of a parcel of land adjacent to its Westwoods property in Hampton Bays, saying it’s the first time the tribe has been able to acquire a privately held parcel in 400 years. Mark Harrington reports in NEWSDAY that the 7.88-acre property sits adjacent to an 80-acre parcel the Shinnecock Nation is partly developing for a travel plaza-gas station, a plan begun last year that has pitted the Shinnecock Nation against the Town of Southampton, which has sued to block construction. The tribe has said the town’s suit is costing it about $22,000 a day amid a stop-work order by a Suffolk Supreme Court judge. The newly purchased parcel, at 13 Indian Rd., is undeveloped and had been privately owned by Diane and Harold Holzman, county records show. Amid the pounding of drums and song on the ancestral parcel, Shinnecock leaders said at a tribal ceremony marking the occasion that the purchase was the fulfillment of a long tribal ambition and the first of many such acquisitions. Trustee Seneca Bowen credited the Shinnecock Sovereign Holdings tribal holding company which worked with tribal and bank funds to pay for the land. Shinnecock Nation spokeswoman Rebekah Wise said the tribe has no plan to develop the property at present. She called the acquisition a "beautiful moment" in the nation’s "land-back" push, spearheaded by tribal lawyer Tela Troge — an effort that seeks to reclaim parcels of land it previously held that were “illegally” annexed by developers and others. The ceremony at the parcel Wednesday included a traditional "smudging," with cleansing smoke, song and prayer to "welcome the land back home to its rightful stewardship," the nation said. Unkechaug Nation Chief Harry Wallace and Shinnecock tribal member Shane Weeks led the ceremony. "This powerful gathering was not only a spiritual event, but a reaffirmation of the Shinnecock Nation’s enduring connection to their ancestral territory, which is vital to the community’s spirit, strength and resiliency," the Nation said.…

At least 118 Long Island school budgets won voter approval in early returns last night, while Elwood and Shelter Island lost their attempts to pierce state-imposed tax caps. Most budget approvals were by lopsided margins. “Overall, very very positive results,” said Robert Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association. He described the results as evidence of public support for what he called high-quality education on Long Island. John Hildebrand reports in NEWSDAY that Shelter Island, Hicksville and Elwood had sought to pierce their tax caps, which required approval of a 60% voter majority. Shelter Island’s majority was 54.8%; Elwood’s was 54.2%. Meanwhile, Hicksville did succeed in its cap-override effort, with a 65.3% margin. Hicksville had proposed tax levy increases of 2.54% in 2025-26, 3.31% in 2026-27 and 2.97% in 2027-28. District spending proposals on Long Island for the 2025-26 school year totaled a combined $16.36 billion — up 3.68% from the current year — as many districts pushed for expanded career training and other instruction, while also providing for renovation of classrooms, gyms and other aging facilities. A total of 335 school board candidates were also on the ballot in Long Island’s 124 districts, as were more than 100 special propositions. If all budgets had been approved, property taxes across the Nassau-Suffolk region would have risen to $10 billion, or an average increase of 2.3%, with state financial aid picking up a larger share of educational costs. Montauk voters rejected a move to take out a bond intended for a school renovation project that would have ultimately cost $38 million through taxes over the next 20 to 25 years. As reported on 27east.com, the vote wound up tallying 318 to 361 for the project, which would have ended with an improved gymnasium after the district received an “unsatisfactory” grade from New York State on its current facilities. Outside the new gymnasium, the bond would have funded a new science classroom, designated areas for middle and elementary school students and an outdoor classroom. By an even narrower margin — 334 to 342 — voters rejected a $2.9 million capital project that would have authorized an upgrade to the school’s HVAC system. The Montauk School District’s $24,564,115 budget passed by a tally of 403 to 280. A renewed five-year tuition agreement with East Hampton School District also passed, 470 to 210. *** The Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center proudly announces The Center Honors, a heartfelt ceremony recognizing the outstanding service and leadership of Black and Brown fire chiefs—past and present—from East Hampton to Southampton. The event is scheduled for this coming Saturday, May 24 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at The Center, located at 551 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike, Bridgehampton, NY. This special gathering will bring together honorees, their families, elected officials, fellow firefighters, and community members to celebrate the legacy and impact of these trailblazing public servants. This year, The Center is proud to honor Alex Verdugo, Dudley Hayes, and Jamalia Hayes of the East Hampton Fire Department; Anthony Stevens, Emmanuel Escobar, and Polis Walker of the Southampton Fire Department; and Nicholas Hemby and Thomas Jenkins of the Bridgehampton Fire Department. Bonnie Cannon of Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center states, “The Center is privileged to be able to gather, honor and properly thank our local fire chiefs for their vital service to our community. We live in gratitude every day that they keep us just a bit safer. Please support your local volunteers fire department and offer your services yourself if able.” The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. RSVP by emailing camryn@bhccrc.org. *** It’s back to the drawing board for Shelter Island School District officials after falling 40 votes short of the 60% needed to pass the $13.85 million budget yesterday, which would have gone above the state-imposed tax cap. The tally was 424 votes in favor of the spending plan for the 2025-26 school year, to 329 against. “While this outcome was not what the district had hoped for, we respect and appreciate the voice of our community,” said Superintendent Brian Doelger, Ed.D. “We will carefully evaluate the results and begin developing a thoughtful plan for the re-vote. Our goal is to present a revised budget that reflects community priorities while continuing to support the educational needs of or students,” he said. Shelter Island’s majority was 54.8%. Shelter Island School Board President Kathleen Lynch said she’s “terribly disappointed, but the incredible team that crafted this budget I have faith will craft another budget” she believes will gain approval in a re-vote. Julie Lane in Shelter Island Reporter reports that by a wide margin, a $275,000 proposition to support the Shelter Island History Museum failed to pass. That vote was 536 against to 239 in favor. When the Shelter Island Historical Society transitioned to become a museum, it came under the New York State Department of Education, moving its proposition to yesterday’s ballot. Had the proposition passed, it would have added $43.30 for the year to tax bills for those with property valued at $1 million. *** Members of the Southampton Town Board, Westhampton VFW Post 5350, local military organizations and friends and family celebrated local veterans with the “Hometown Heroes” banner program at Good Ground Park in Hamptons Bays on Monday. As reported by 27east.com, the program, spearheaded by Southampton Town Councilwoman Cyndi McNamara, aims to recognize and honor local military men and women by displaying personalized banners with their picture and military service information. The program will run from Memorial Day through Veterans Day. *** House Republican leaders labored this morning to win over holdouts for their sweeping domestic policy bill to deliver President Donald Trump’s agenda, slogging through a marathon overnight committee session to prepare the measure for a floor vote. As reported in THE NY TIMES, the powerful Rules Committee began meeting around 1 a.m. and continued debating the measure as morning broke, while Republicans worked behind the scenes to hammer out enough concessions to cobble together the votes in their fractious ranks to push it through the House. But as the session dragged into its eighth hour, they had yet to release any new language and the panel had yet to vote to send the legislation to the floor. Meanwhile, yesterday, President Trump distanced himself from his full-throated campaign pledge of "restoring the SALT deduction," as he pressed New York Republicans to vote for a sweeping budget bill despite their objections that the proposed deduction cap offers little relief. Laura Figueroa Hernandez reports in NEWSDAY that Trump, in a closed-door meeting with House Republicans on Capitol Hill, urged the group to quickly pass his “big, beautiful bill,” stacked with his legislative priorities, even if it means outstanding issues including a higher SALT deduction cap pitched by Long Island’s House Republicans are dealt with later. Hours after the meeting, Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport), Nick LaLota (R-Amityville), and a coalition of blue-state Republicans appeared to reach a tentative deal with House Speaker Mike Johnson that would raise the SALT deduction cap to $40,000 for households earning $500,000 or less, sources familiar with the deal told Newsday. The deal to raise the current $10,000 cap came after the New York lawmakers announced they would continue to withhold their support from the mega bill unless there was a bigger cap beyond the $30,000 limit approved by the House Ways and Means Committee last week. Congressman LaLota...who represents the East End...said that discussions with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson had yielded significant progress on SALT...the state and local tax deduction...which Republicans from high-tax states have been pressing to raise considerably. “They presented numbers that were the reality of what we could possibly sell back home,” Mr. LaLota said of talks on Tuesday afternoon. “Numbers prior to that were just simply unsellable.”…

A Newsday survey of Long Island school districts holding budget votes today found that the largest number of respondents remain optimistic about their finances over the next several years, but that a growing number are uncertain or pessimistic. Across Nassau and Suffolk counties, residents of 124 school districts are going to polls today to vote on proposed school budgets totaling more than $16 billion. Some polls are already open across Long Island. Voting hours vary among local school districts. In recent weeks, Newsday asked districts to describe their financial outlook for the next three years, as part of a questionnaire that also covered budgets and taxes for the 2025-26 school year. One big question raised by district officials in interviews was whether Washington, D.C., might impose cuts in federal funding in coming months that would have an impact on public schools here. John Hildebrand reports in NEWSDAY that of 114 systems responding to the survey – up from 104 last year – 50% expressed optimism about their future finances, 32% uncertainty and 18% pessimism. Comparable figures from polling last year were 56%, 28% and 16%, respectively. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers have approved an aid increase of more than $1.7 billion for schools statewide next year, while adding a caveat that has some school officials worried. An inserted budgetary "superpower" rule would allow the state to withhold aid, in the event it finds itself facing a fiscal deficit of $2 billion or more. On Long Island, some longtime school leaders said the budgetary language reminded them of what happened in 1990, when the state got caught up in a nationwide economic slump. At the time, then-Gov. Mario Cuomo and legislators imposed midyear school aid cuts of $190 million. *** The Town of Riverhead will end its effort to seize a blighted building on East Main Street from the Long Island Science Center, clearing the way for the nonprofit to build a new museum on the town square. The Riverhead Town Board will vote to cancel the hearing scheduled for tomorrow on whether to use eminent domain to acquire the Riverhead-based nonprofit’s building at 111 East Main Street, Supervisor Tim Hubbard said during a press conference yesterday. Riverhead Town officials had said the building is severely damaged and poses a “danger to the public;” the town planned to buy the building and sell it to a private developer for demolition and redevelopment of the former Swezey’s Department Store property. Alek Lewis reports on Riverheadlocal.com that last month, science center officials, working with new architects, presented a revised two-phase plan for the museum during the Town Board’s work session. The plan is both “feasible” and “fundable,” Hubbard said; it “focuses on addressing the most glaring issues in the existing building and allows them to open as soon as possible.” Science center officials said they hope to complete the first phase of renovations — allowing it to open the museum — by this fall. “I’m very happy,” Long Island Science Center President Larry Oxman said after Hubbard’s announcement…which was applauded by a small group of residents and local business owners who had gathered downtown to hear the news on Monday afternoon. “I’m really happy that the Science Center is going to be on Main Street again. I’m just really pleased,” said Cindy Clifford, president of the Heart of Riverhead Civic Association. The civic group had organized a letter writing campaign and circulated an online petition urging the Town Board to drop the eminent domain action. *** Members of the Southampton Town Board, Westhampton VFW Post 5350, local military organizations and friends and family celebrated local veterans with the “Hometown Heroes” banner program at Good Ground Park in Hamptons Bays yesterday. As reported on 27east.com, the program, spearheaded by Southampton Town Councilwoman Cyndi McNamara, aims to recognize and honor local military men and women by displaying personalized banners with their picture and military service information. The program will run from Memorial Day through Veterans Day. *** A developer that built ground satellite antennaes in Calverton without proper approvals — part of a bid to boost internet connection on the North Fork — is seeking permits from Riverhead a year after officials ordered a stop to the project. Tara Smith reports in NEWSDAY that the developer plans to build 40 "satellite earth station" antennas on the property that communicate to Starlink satellites orbiting in space. Roughly half of them, which resemble domed white orbs, were installed without an initial approval, Riverhead Town officials have said. Starlink is SpaceX’s internet network that speaks to a constellation of satellites orbiting Earth. The company was founded by billionaire Elon Musk. Terra Connect, a telecommunications firm based in Parsippany, New Jersey, began construction on a field of satellites last year on industrial land in the Enterprise Park at Calverton. Riverhead Town issued a stop work order in May 2024 because, officials said, the developer had not secured site plan approvals or building permits. At the time, the town’s zoning code did not reference the emerging technology that's used as an intermediary between satellites in orbit and local internet networks. Since then, the town has approved new laws that allow satellite stations by special permit. Riverhead set a June 3 hearing on the proposal. “Unfortunately they did start it without the permits, but they’ve been very cooperative since,” said Riverhead Supervisor Tim Hubbard. In the application, Terra Connect officials noted that Starlink provides service to more than 1 million customers in the United States, particularly in rural areas. “The Satellite Earth Station will improve the overall performance and capacity of the Starlink system, including to the local area,” the company said in the application. A Starlink report from February says the company has more than 6,750 satellites in orbit and millions of customers globally. *** Riverhead officials marked National EMS Week last night at Town Hall with an awards ceremony recognizing Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Stony Brook EMS and Riverhead Police Department members for five CPR saves made this year so far. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Supervisor Tim Hubbard welcomed the first responders, their family and friends who filled the Town Hall meeting room for the ceremony, congratulating the award recipients for their “incredible work” to save lives in the community. “It’s just really a great thing that Riverhead has such good coverage from all of our public services, with our fire departments, EMS and police,” Supervisor Hubbard said. Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps President Garrett Lake described the saves and called out the names of the EMS and police department officers who worked together to make them. Lake spoke of the importance of “teamwork between the police department, EMS and fire.” The public is often unaware of the critical role of police in lifesaving EMS work, Lake said. “Without police getting on scene, starting CPR, starting that chain of survival, updating us to what we have there. That is what saves lives,” Lake said. Lake read a brief narrative about each save. RVAC Chief Jacob Phillips and Riverhead Police Chief Ed Frost distributed the award certificates. Riverhead Town Council Members Ken Rothwell, Joann Waski and Bob Kern were on hand for the Monday evening ceremony, along with RVAC District Manager Patrick Gugliotta. *** The Hampton Bays and Southampton school districts have been honored with a Best Communities for Music Education designation from the nonprofit NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. The districts are two of 935 school districts from across the nation to earn the award. To receive the recognition, the districts demonstrated outstanding achievement in their efforts to provide music access and education to all students. The districts were required to answer detailed questions about their programs, including funding, music class participation, instruction time and support. As reported on 27east.com, this is the sixth year in a row that Hampton Bays has been recognized and the 10th year that Southampton has earned the distinction. The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) is a not-for-profit global trade association dedicated to the music products industry. Originally founded in 1901, NAMM is headquartered in Carlsbad, California, and represents 15,000 global member companies and individual professionals. *** Island Harvest, one of Long Island’s largest food banks, could lose up to 4 million pounds of food annually for lower income families, seniors and veterans, if $300 billion in SNAP benefits are cut in the proposed federal budget, organizers said. Advocacy groups gathered yesterday at the food bank’s warehouse in Melville with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to warn of potential cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that provides food to about 150,000 Long Islanders and 1.7 million people in New York City, Schumer said. John Asbury reports in NEWSDAY that Island Harvest provides 20 million pounds of food annually for more than 108,000 people in Suffolk County and more than 41,000 people in Nassau County in the SNAP program, according to the food bank. Food banks, including the Hauppauge-based Long Island Cares Harry Chapin Food Bank, said the demand for food and SNAP assistance has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed budget would cut more than $1 million to Long Island’s emergency food programs, which could pay for about 3 million pounds of food, under the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. Island Harvest provides food boxes monthly to 5,500 seniors on Long Island who make less than $1,900 per month, said Island Harvest president Randi Shubin Dresner. The U.S. House of Representatives Budget Committee voted Sunday, along party lines by a vote of 17-16, to advance the budget bill to a vote before the full House later this week. The committee did not include any representatives from Long Island. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) in a prepared statement last night said the budget bill wasn’t ready for a vote yet with key provisions on SALT, Medicaid, and SNAP still being negotiated. “Senator Schumer’s criticism is premature, and he knows it. I’ve had numerous meetings with organizations like Island Harvest and Long Island Cares, and I understand and support the vital work they do,” LaLota said.…

School budget and board of education voting is tomorrow, May 20th. School budgets on Long Island could rise 3.68% on average to a total of $16.36 billion in 2025-26, as districts step up career-oriented training and other instruction, while also providing for renovation of classrooms, gyms and other aging facilities. John Hildebrand and Michael R. Ebert report in NEWSDAY that budget voting is scheduled for tomorrow in 124 districts regionwide, with a total of 335 school-board candidates on ballots, together with more than 100 special propositions. The great majority of districts are keeping within the state’s strict tax caps, while Elwood, Hicksville and Shelter Island will seek cap overrides. If the budgets put forward by school districts in Nassau and Suffolk are approved tomorrow, property taxes would increase to a total of $10 billion, or an average of 2.3%, with a continued flow of state financial aid picking up a larger share of educational costs. Revenue growth would push costs next year to more than $39,700 per student, among the highest figures in the nation. Questions remain around federal aid, in part due to a dispute between the Trump administration and state authorities over the use of diversity, equity and inclusion programs in schools. Regional finance experts say federal funding represents about 4.5% of school revenues on Long Island, while state funding is more than 30%. According to the latest state records from the 2023-24 school year, school districts in the region receive nearly $700 million annually in federal funding. That figure covers assistance for educational purposes, and does not include funding for school meals, which is handled separately. Districts have proposed additions ranging from advanced college-level coursework to sports to student security. Other school districts, meanwhile, plan cutbacks in staffing and services. Lars Clemensen, superintendent of Hampton Bays schools, tells NEWSDAY that the variety of goals embedded in districts' spending plans reflects the fact schools these days are being called on to provide a growing number of services. Clemensen is also president on the New York State Council of School Superintendents. "Long gone are the days when the 3Rs were the sole focus," said Clemensen, referring to the basic subjects of reading, writing and arithmetic. "It strikes me how powerful the idea of local control is on Long Island, because each district is responsive to what local residents say is important to them." Voting hours tomorrow vary across Long Island’s 124 school districts. Robert Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, said in a prepared statement, "School districts over the past several years have had to deal with the challenges of sustained inflation that has exceeded allowable tax caps…We applaud the work of boards of education, together with their administrative teams, in sustaining a level of excellence in public education." The cost squeeze is just one reason why many districts are making cuts. Another factor is dwindling enrollments. A Newsday analysis last year found the region's student population dropped 7.3% over the prior decade, from 455,384 students to 421,990. District projections for next year, compiled by the state, show a continued decline to 412,465. The status of next year's federal aid to schools also remains a question mark, partly due to a highly-publicized legal dispute between the Trump administration and New York State authorities over the use of diversity, equity and inclusion programs in schools. *** The Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center will host a ceremony recognizing the service and leadership of fire chiefs of color — past and present — representing departments from East Hampton to Southampton. The event will take place this coming Saturday, May 24, from 10 a.m. to noon, at The Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center, 551 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike in Bridgehampton. This gathering will bring together honorees, their families, elected officials, fellow firefighters, and community members to celebrate the legacy and impact of these trailblazing local public servants. To be honored are Alex Verdugo, Dudley Hayes, and Jamalia Hayes of the East Hampton Fire Department; Anthony Stevens, Emmanuel Escobar, and Polis Walker of the Southampton Fire Department; and Nicholas Hemby and Thomas Jenkins of the Bridgehampton Fire Department. “The Center is privileged to be able to gather, honor and properly thank our local fire chiefs for their vital service to our community. We live in gratitude every day that they keep us just a bit safer. Please support your local volunteer fire department and offer your services yourself if able,” said Bonnie Michelle Cannon, executive director of the center. The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. RSVP by emailing camryn@bhccrc.org. *** As Southold considers extending its moratorium on new hotels and inns for another year, the developer of a proposed hotel in Mattituck is asking the Town of Southold to make an exception with the pitch it will improve a long blighted area. Developer D'Wayne Prieto is seeking to build an 81-room hotel at 9025 Main Rd., a 77,000-square-foot property which formerly housed a bank headquarters. It's been vacant since 2011. The application was frozen by a yearlong moratorium on hotels that took effect last June. With that moratorium set to expire on June 18, the town set a May 28 hearing to continue the pause for another year. Tara Smith reports in NEWSDAY that Southold enacted the moratorium in response to an influx of hotel proposals while the town launched plans for a sweeping overhaul of its zoning code, which was last updated in 1989. Now, Southold Town must weigh the reuse of the vacant building against its long range planning goals. The developer’s request has sparked a divide as residents urge town officials to heed their warnings that an exception could jeopardize the town’s zoning plan. Southold Supervisor Al Krupski said the town is under pressure from developers to build hotels, which drive tourism but can strain municipal resources and worsen traffic. Southold currently has 337 hotel and motel rooms, with another 142 in the Village of Greenport. There are five proposed new hotels. If all of them are approved, that would bring the total number of rooms to 515, according to a Suffolk County Planning Commission report. The Town of Southold must first decide whether the application can proceed through the review process, not whether the hotel is approved. The board has not made a decision and will continue the public hearing on May 28. *** Due to inclement weather, the final paving work for the Snake Hollow railroad crossing originally scheduled for this past Friday has been rescheduled for tomorrow when Snake Hollow Road in Bridgehampton will be closed to all except local traffic. Work will take place tomorrow during the daytime hours, from 7 a.m. until approximately 5 p.m., according to the Long Island Rail Road, which states that this paving marks the final step in the grade crossing renewal project at Snake Hollow Road intended to enhance safety and service quality. MTA Police will be onsite to support the closure. The LIRR suggests Butter Lane as an alternate route. *** Many agents agree that, while there may be less inventory as time gets closer to Memorial Day, there might also be some deals to be had for seasonal rentals on the East End for Summer 2025. Stacey Altherr reports in NEWSDAY that on the south fork - “The Hamptons” - spans many communities, but the most notable summer destinations are from Southampton east to Montauk Point. Vacationers come back year after year to the pristine beaches, high-end shopping, upscale restaurants and the general ambience. For nature lovers, hiking at public parks, touring wineries and kayaking on the bay bring them back, as well. High-end rentals are being snapped up, but those in the $50,000 to $125,000 price range for the summer season — usually Memorial Day to Labor Day — are available, said James Keogh, an agent with Douglas Elliman's Atlantic Team. "In general, the rental season's high-end got swept up early," he said. "Then it cooled off a bit," referring to full season rentals in the $250,000 to $1 million budget that feature prime locations, tennis courts and large pools. Prices have settled into a price point for the past two or so years following the pandemic. Tom Friedman, an agent with Rosehip Partners LLC in East Hampton, a boutique real estate firm said, "Since Covid, [prices] went up dramatically because of the great demand to be out of the city," Friedman said. "Since then, it has come down a little, and it seems very steady one year to another." On the East End, laws limit the amount of unrelated people who can rent in one home, affecting the nostalgic "shares" where people rent bedrooms for a set number of days within one rental. Currently, the law says no more than four unrelated people can rent one home, said Friedman, although he said about 75% of his rentals are to families. Rentals need not be for an entire season. In fact, there are many weekly or monthly rentals as well.…

Next Tuesday, voters across Long Island will go to the polls to determine how much their school districts can spend in the 2025-26 school year and who will sit on their school boards. In all, about $16.36 billion in school spending is being proposed across Long Island, an increase of 3.68% from the current year. As reported in NEWSDAY, the amount collected in school property taxes is projected to rise by $224.65 million, or 2.3%. Many districts will also have propositions on their ballots, as they seek approval for infrastructure projects, property purchases and other initiatives. Some would raise taxes if approved. New York’s cap law took effect in 2012-13 to limit growth in property taxes. Under the cap, annual growth is limited to a baseline of 2% or the inflation rate, whichever is lower. Actual tax increases in individual districts can run higher or lower, however, depending on local financial circumstances. In Nassau and Suffolk, school taxation accounts on average for about two-thirds of homeowners’ tax bills. Dozens of school districts across Long Island are asking voters to approve multimillion-dollar propositions for items such as roof repairs, bathroom upgrades and the purchasing of property, among other improvement projects. *** Residents across New York State will vote on their local school district's spending plans this coming Tuesday. About $16.36 billion in school spending is being proposed on Long Island for the 2025-26 school year, up 3.68% from the current year. Three districts are seeking approval to pierce their tax cap including Shelter Island which is calling for a 6.97% tax increase About 1 in 4 districts across Nassau and Suffolk have proposed cutting staff, citing declining student enrollment and rising costs. As reported in NEWSDAY, many districts will also have propositions on their ballots. In Montauk, the district is asking residents to consider a $38.4 million renovation proposal that would tackle the school’s aging infrastructure and outdated portable classrooms, while expanding its facilities. The plan would add a gymnasium, a science lab and outdoor classrooms, while also renovating rooms and other parts of the building. “We developed this project to not only repair the issues we have in the building but be proactive in our facilities management to set the district up for success for the future,” Montauk Superintendent Joshua Odom said. Odom said the overhaul was prompted after the district received a New York State designation of “unsatisfactory” in a required building condition survey. If the proposition is approved, the district will use $2.9 million from a reserve fund and issue a bond for the rest of the funding that will be financed for 20 to 25 years. The average homeowner would see an increase of about $37 a month in school property taxes, officials said. 7:33am - 7:34am Southampton Rotary Club's annual Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser is at Edgewater Restaurant in Hampton Bays from 4pm - 9pm this coming Monday; May 19, 2025. Contact a Rotary member or call for further info regarding this event to benefit the Rotary scholarship and endowment fund. 631-723-2323 *** Most Long Island towns and villages saw modest population growth between 2023 and 2024, helping to reverse years of declining trends in the Northeast, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau released today. Tiffany Cusaac-Smith and Arielle Martinez report in NEWSDAY that experts say what’s fueling the estimated population growth is a confluence of factors that includes a modest rise in housing stock and an uptick in immigrants flocking to Northeast communities. But they warn that more housing is key for the trend to continue and expand and that changes in federal immigration policies might impact where people move. Southampton saw the highest jump among Long Island towns between July 1, 2023, and the following July, with a 0.93% growth in population estimates from 69,995 in 2023 to 70,646 the following year, the data showed. East Hampton — the town with the third-largest estimated population growth — saw a 0.80% increase by adding 230 residents to its 2023 population estimate of 28,860. The second-highest rise was in Shelter Island, which saw an 0.88% increase or about 30 people. Newsday reported in March that Nassau and Suffolk counties each saw a roughly 0.44% increase in population between July 2023 and the following July. There was also a modest spike in the number of housing units on Long Island. In Suffolk County, the estimated housing unit growth was 0.17% from 2023 to 2024, or adding roughly 1,000 units, the bureau data showed. *** The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency yesterday announced it is delaying by two years the deadline by which water systems must comply with maximum contaminant levels for PFOA and PFOS, two of the “forever chemicals” the agency set national standards for last year. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the EPA also announced it intends to rescind and reconsider the maximum contaminant levels it set last year for three additional PFAS chemicals known as “GenX” PFAS. It will also rescind and reconsider the “hazard index” combined standard for the “GenX” chemicals and a fourth PFAS chemical, PFBS. The agency adopted drinking water regulations for six PFAS chemicals in April 2024, setting maximum contaminant levels of 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS and 10 parts per trillion for the “GenX” chemicals, and the “hazard index” combined standard. Under the regulations adopted last year, water systems had until 2029 to comply with the new standards. That deadline is now pushed back to 2031. PFAS, known as “forever chemicals” are harmful substances linked to deadly cancers, impacts to the liver and heart, and immune and developmental damage to infants and children, the EPA said in a press release announcing the rule. PFAS contamination of drinking water on Long Island is widespread. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin of Shirley, Long Island, stated on Wednesday, “The work to protect Americans from PFAS in drinking water started under the first Trump Administration and will continue under my leadership,” the former congressman said in a press release announcing the changes. *** The public is invited to the 48th annual meeting of the League of Women Voters of the Hamptons, Shelter Island and North Fork, this coming Sunday, May 18, at 2 p.m. in the East Hampton Library, 159 Main Street in East Hampton Village. The guest speaker is Emily Mastaler, the new chief administrative officer of Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, who will speak about the hospital and its new emergency services building in East Hampton. She will be introduced by Valerie King, Ph.D., of East Hampton, chair of the League’s Health Committee. Refreshments are also on the agenda. Reservations may be made by calling 631-324-4637 or the East Hampton Library at 631-324-0222, ext. 3. *** The Trump administration yesterday announced plans to delay or rescind federal limits on PFAS chemicals in drinking water. Public health advocates said the rollbacks of the standards set by the Biden administration would threaten public health and that legal challenges should be expected. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that clean-water advocate Adrienne Esposito of Citizens Campaign for the Environment denounced the EPA’s decision. “This is a broken promise, betrayal of public trust and adds a significant threat to public health,” Esposito responded after yesterday’s announcement. “The two-year delay is unnecessary and risky. Water suppliers were given five full years to comply, and billions of dollars were made available to help communities invest in the necessary drinking water treatment technology,” Esposito said. The longer remedial action is delayed, the worse the problem will get, and the more expensive the solutions will become, she said. “Peer-reviewed science has made clear that there is no safe level of exposure to PFAS in drinking water, and delays in acting puts public health at risk to serious health impacts, including cancer and liver damage. This is clearly a decision that prioritizes saving money over saving lives.” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, the former U.S. Congressman from Shirley, Long Island said he remains “a staunch advocate for protecting Long Islanders and all Americans from contaminated drinking water. ” The EPA press release Wednesday noted that Zeldin was a founding member of the PFAS Congressional Taskforce and supported the PFAS Action Act, legislation to provide funding to support local communities cleaning up PFAS-contaminated water systems. The PFAS Action Act passed the House in 2021, but died in the Democratic-controlled Senate, where it did not gain enough Republican support to overcome a filibuster.…