According to an audit released on Dec. 24 by the New York State comptroller's office, the Montauk Fire District failed to file three years' worth of required financial reports, paid out unauthorized longevity and overtime to employees, and lacked oversight and consistency in administering its length-of-service award program (LOSAP) for Montauk's 131 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians.
Montauketts Denied Tribal Recognition a Sixth Time
Gov. Kathy Hochul has again vetoed a bill that would have reinstated the Montaukett Indian Nation's official state recognition, of which the tribe was stripped some 115 years ago by a court ruling that's widely regarded today as a grossly racist land grab.
December 27, 2024
Police & Courts
Sag Harbor Village police spotted what appeared to be 12 drones flying at different altitudes over the Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter Bridge last Thursday evening, after a caller reported seeing around seven of them that same night.
Jan 2, 2025
A businesswoman on Springs-Fireplace Road contacted police recently after people told her they were receiving strange messages from her on WhatsApp and asked if “everything was okay.” Police told her to deactivate the account and contact her customers by other means.
Jan 2, 2025
Two local men were hit by cars while bicycling on the evening of Dec. 19. One was taken to the hospital.
Jan 2, 2025
Spurned Planning Board Chairman Out With a Bang
After learning that he would not be reappointed chairman of the East Hampton Town Planning Board, Samuel Kramer announced at the board’s Dec. 18 meeting that he has decided to leave the board altogether, a year before his seven-year term was set to expire.
Jan 2, 2025
Sharon McCobb’s Telltale Departure for Vermont
This fall, Sharon McCobb lost the lease on the house she rented with her husband, falling victim to the town’s affordable housing crisis. So they packed up and moved to Chester, Vt.
Jan 2, 2025
Government
A petition urging East Hampton Town to allow licensed cannabis retail dispensaries popped up recently on change.org, arguing that a regulated cannabis market would increase community safety and foster opportunities for economic growth.
Jan 2, 2025
A dock on West Water Street next to the Beacon restaurant in Sag Harbor has “reached the end of its lifespan,” according to Chris Duryea, who with his fellow harbormaster, Robert Bori, at a village board meeting on Dec. 10 presented a plan to completely replace it.
Jan 2, 2025
Of dozens of proposed new rules for East Hampton Village beaches, the one that generated the most discussion was one that would prohibit dogs on the Main Beach Pavilion between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. “It’s dangerous to have animals on the pavilion at the same time as when it’s busy,” the deputy mayor told the village board last month.
Jan 2, 2025
Officials from East Hampton Town, Georgica Green Ventures, and the East Hampton Housing Authority celebrated the official opening of the Green at Gardiner’s Point, a new affordable housing project here, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 18.
Dec 26, 2024
Arts
The Many Layers of Esly Escobar
Esly Escobar is a Guatemala-born, East End-based multimedia artist, D.J., music producer, fashion designer, and technician at LTV Studios.
Jan 2, 2025
Works & Process, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting performing artists, is bringing a weekend of dance performances to The Church in Sag Harbor, Guild Hall, and the Watermill Center.
Jan 2, 2025
Whit Stillman will be at the Sag Harbor Cinema with his 1990 comedy of manners "Metropolitan," which earned him an Oscar nod for best original screenplay.
Jan 2, 2025
The Southampton Playhouse, formerly the Southampton Cinema, has announced its inaugural executive director and artistic director in advance of its 2025 opening.
Jan 2, 2025
Villages
Scallops: On Hope and Heartache
“There’s been some pretty significant glimmers of hope — only to have our hopes dashed again,” Peconic Baykeeper’s executive director, Pete Topping, said at the start of a panel discussion the group hosted in December on this year's scallop season and prospects for the future.
Sag Harbor Main Street Plans Advance
The developer Jeremy Morton’s proposed renovations for the K Pasa and former 7-Eleven buildings in Sag Harbor took another step forward last month, with more review ahead.
Sag Harbor's Sylvester & Co. Is Closing Its Doors
After 35 years as a mainstay on Sag Harbor’s Main Street, Sylvester & Co. will close its doors for the last time next week.
