“I truly love moving to a new place, discovering the history, people, what makes them special. I’m excited to do that here,” the Rev. Ben Shambaugh said from his office at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. After a six-month search, he was selected to replace the interim rector, Joseph L. Cundiff IV, who had served since the departure of the Very Rev. Denis C. Brunelle.
Villages
Item of the Week: Inside the Gardiner’s Island LighthouseThis cross-section elevation drawing from 1856 shows the lighthouse that illuminated Gardiner’s Island. It stood just over two stories tall on a sandy beach of little Gardiner’s Point Island from December of 1854 until early 1894.
Wind Farm Road Work Is DoneOnshore cable installation for South Fork Wind has been completed, the developer announced this week, and the affected roadways have been restored. The offshore wind farm’s turbines are to be installed during the summer.
To Benefit the Birds and the BugsChangeHampton, a group of East Hampton Town residents concerned about climate change, biodiversity loss, and the sharp decline in insect and bird species, launched its 1000 Healthy Yards campaign on Saturday, aimed at stopping the use of pesticides and fertilizers and creating landscapes beneficial to pollinators and other native species.
The Way It Was for May 11, 2023May 11, 2023
One hundred years ago, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the village’s most famous “lowly thatched cottage” — John Howard Payne’s Home, Sweet Home.
Item of the Week: Indigenous Plants of the Nature TrailThis student-made guide to the native plants of the East Hampton Nature Trail from 1976 feels particularly relevant this spring.
Torahs’ Return Begins Next Chapter for Temple Adas IsraelWith a major renovation now substantially complete, Temple Adas Israel's rabbi and members joyfully returned holy books and artifacts to the synagogue in a Torah procession on Friday. “This being our first Shabbat in the new building, we felt we needed to do something to celebrate,” said Rabbi Dan Geffen.
On the Land Trust’s WorkMay 4, 2023
The 46th annual meeting of the League of Women Voters of the Hamptons, Shelter Island, and the North Fork happens on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Westhampton Free Library. The Peconic Land Trust will be the guest speaker’s subject.
The Way It Was for May 4, 2023May 4, 2023
From 1998, a less-than-enthusiastic assessment of the state of downtown East Hampton. And more from The Star of yore.
Concerned Citizens of Montauk’s President Steps DownConcerned Citizens of Montauk has announced that Laura Tooman, the group’s president for the last six years, has stepped down from that position.
Item of the Week: The Names John Lyon Gardiner DropsJohn Lyon Gardiner (1770-1816), the seventh proprietor of Gardiner’s Island, wrote to his brother in Queens on this day 233 years ago with updates on people here and complaints about the mail.
Item of the Week: A 1930s Sanborn Insurance Map Sanborn Fire Insurance maps are some of the best sources for historical property ownership and residency information from the mid-19th and 20th centuries. This one shows Southampton Village.