Long before Tropical Storm Irma smashed into the Dominican Republic, Meaghan Guzman, who was born and raised in Sag Harbor and now lives in East Hampton, had identified the dire need to help children and families living in remote parts of the island — the parts that most vacationers who flock to the Caribbean hotspot never see. 

Hence the name of her charity, Debajo de las Palmas, or Under the Palms, which Ms. Guzman said she used metaphorically for what one really finds, if one were to stop and look, beyond the glorious palm trees that line the upscale resorts: hundreds of starving children. 

“I went to the D.R. with my husband for the first time in 2006 and it broke my heart to see village kids who would pick dried up limes off a tree and try to sell them just to make a few pesos to buy food.”

She returned to the East End and immediately collected donations for clothes and food, which her husband’s family, who live in the capital city of Santo Domingo, helped distribute. Over the years, Ms. Guzman partnered with orphanages in the Dominican Republic and sent a regular supply of clothes, shoes, baby formula, diapers, and food. Children at these orphanages range from ages 2 to 18, she said, and many are H.I.V. and AIDS patients. About 60 percent of them, she explained, are refugees from neighboring Haiti, who cross over to the Dominican Republic side in hopes of a better life, but rarely find it.

In 2016, Debajo de las Palmas received its official nonprofit status. On Oct. 15, Ms. Guzman will host her charity’s first annual family picnic benefit at the Hayground School in Bridgehampton. An impressive list of local and New York City vendors and food purveyors will supply the fare, including Almond Restaurant, Simply Sublime, Joe and Liza’s Ice Cream, Chelsea Market, Naturopathica, and D.J. Biggie. Each ticket includes a picnic for the family, a blanket, as well as music, face painting, pumpkin painting, crafts, games, a raffle, and a silent auction.

The event runs from 3:30 to 7 p.m., and tickets cost $125 for a family of four or $85 for two. Tickets can be purchased at brownpapertickets.com.

All proceeds will go toward shipping costs to deliver provisions directly to the families in need. Ms. Guzman, a certified lactation consultant, also helps educate women about the benefits of breastfeeding and how to succeed in breastfeeding.

Tickets will also be on sale on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Homegrown Family Health Fair at the First Presbyterian Church in Southampton Village.

Sampling performed by State University at Stony Brook researchers has confirmed blooms of cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, at Fort Pond in Montauk, Poxabogue Pond in Sagaponack, and Sayre Pond and Cooper’s Neck Pond in Southampton.

Health officials have asked residents not to use, swim, or wade in those waters and to keep pets and children away. The advisory will remain in effect until the concentration of blue-green algae meets the state threshold and the water is not visibly discolored for at least 24 hours.

Though blue-green algae are naturally present in lakes and streams in low numbers, they can become abundant, forming blooms in shades of green, blue-green, yellow, brown, or red, which may produce floating scum on the surface of the water or cause the water to take on a paint-like appearance. 

Contact with waters that appear scummy or discolored should be avoided. If contact does occur, one should rinse with clean water immediately, and seek medical attention if nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, skin, eye, or throat irritation, allergic reactions, or breathing difficulties occur.

Residents have been asked to report suspected blue-green algae blooms to the State Department of Environmental Conservation’s division of water, at 518-402-8179 between 8 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., or via email at [email protected].

The D.E.C.’s algal-bloom notification page is at  dec.ny.gov/chemical/83310. html.

A three-mile portion of Montauk Highway, from Knoll Road in Shinnecock Hills east to Tuckahoe Lane in Southampton, will soon be repaved. 

The New York State Department of Transportation will resurface that portion of the state highway after having designated it a priority project, according to Stephen Canzoneri, a spokesman for the D.O.T. “A contract is expected to be awarded in the coming weeks, with resurfacing to take place during the 2018 construction season. Further details will be released to the public and local officials closer to the physical start date of the roadwork,” he said. 

Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. announced the project, saying he was glad that infrastructure on the East End was getting attention. “In the past few years, we have seen Route 27 from Southampton to Montauk repaved, as well as Route 24 between Flanders and Hampton Bays, and a portion of Route 114 in East Hampton,” he said.  

A new traffic circle will be constructed this fall in East Hampton Village at Toilsome Lane and Route 114. Businesses or residents with concerns about the Southampton project before it begins have been asked to contact Mr. Thiele’s office.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County will offer a Marine Meadows Program workshop on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Tiana Bayside Facility, at 89 Dune Road in Hampton Bays. The public has been invited to participate.

Participants will gather at the facility to weave eelgrass shoots, which were harvested from healthy donor meadows in local waters, into burlap planting discs. Once assembled, trained Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program staff will plant the discs at designated restoration sites in the bays. The newly created marine meadows will serve as important habitat for many species of finfish and shellfish and help enhance the health and productivity of local bays.  

All members of the community, from individuals to school and scouting groups, have been invited to join Cornell Cooperative officials in this effort. Registration is free but has been requested in advance via tianammw.eventbrite. com.

Additional workshops in East Hampton, Moriches, and Bellport and are planned this fall. The full schedule is at marinemeadows.org. For more information on the Marine Meadows Program, Kimberly Barbour, Cornell Cooperative’s marine program outreach manager, can be contacted at 631-461-5294 or [email protected].

Those registered to vote in the Sag Harbor School District can weigh in today from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the John Jermain Memorial Library’s 2018 budget and also select three members of the library’s board from a field of five.

Next year’s budget of nearly $2.7 million is up 3.8 percent, or $101,246, over this year’s, resulting in an approximate increase of $10 per year for the average homeowner, according to the library. 

Of the anticipated spending, $905,000 will go toward debt service and nearly $1.8 million will cover day-to-day operations. The library expects to pay $986,819 in salaries, $266,576 for employee benefits and payroll taxes, $137,200 for library materials and programs, $192,720 for administrative and office expenses, and $226,000 to care for its building and grounds. Increased utility and insurance costs account for some of the budget hike. 

In the board vote, Ann Sutphen, the current vice president, is hoping to win another term, while Carol Hance, Gloria Brown, Bill McCoy, and Janine M. Rayano are each running for the first time. Ann Lieber and Jacqueline Brody are stepping down at the end of the year, having reached their term limits. There are eight seats on the library’s board. The winning candidates will serve three-year terms beginning on Jan. 1. Voting takes place at the library.

The East Hampton Village Zoning Board of Appeals looked favorably on an application to construct an addition to a century-old, historically important residence when it met on Friday.

Richard Brockman and Mirra Bank, who own the 1917 Woodhouse Playhouse, a grand Tudor building with a stage and formal gardens at 64 Huntting Lane, seek variances to construct an addition that would fall within the rear-yard setback and legalize a patio within the front-yard setback. The property is in the Huntting Lane historic district, and the proposed addition also requires approval by the design review board. 

“The proposed addition has been designed to complement the existing structure,” said Paul Alter, the project’s architect, “but it’s also been strategically located in the rear of the structure, in a corner where it will not be seen from the street.” 

The Playhouse was not conceived as a residence, Mr. Alter told the board. It was converted to residential use in 1948 and is “a challenging place to maintain.” The addition to the pre-existing nonconforming building will enhance its usability because “the main playhouse element is really impossible to use year-round. It’s not even heated in the winter, so the space that the owners have to live in is quite restricted.” 

The Brockman family, which bought the property in 1958, “have been excellent stewards of the history and the legacy of performance,” Mr. Alter said, citing concerts and fund-raising events held at the Playhouse. (The Peconic Land Trust and the Natural Areas Conservancy held a joint event there on Saturday.) Robert Hefner, the village’s director of historic services, has reviewed the proposed addition and deemed it appropriate, he said. 

“It’s a remarkable property,” agreed Frank Newbold, the board’s chairman, who said that Mr. Alter and the Brockman family “have done amazing things to preserve it as part of the Woodhouse Estate.” The proposed addition, he said, is “just about as tucked away as you could get,” will not be visible from the street, and will be screened from the nearest neighboring property by mature vegetation.

Mr. Brockman and Ms. Bank attended the hearing. “I am a strong advocate for preservation,” Mr. Brockman told the board. “I do remember what the environment here was like” in 1958, “and have done everything I can to preserve that quality of the landscape and the environment.” 

The hearing was closed; a determination will be announced at a future meeting. 

Four decisions were announced at the meeting. Charles and Karen Phillips were granted a variance to legalize the conversion of a second-story attic and storage area to a home office at 233 Cove Hollow Road. The conversion results in 9,741 square feet of floor area where the previously approved floor area was 7,872 square feet and current regulations limit it to 7,140. The board also granted a variance allowing excess coverage on the parcel. The variances were conditioned on the submission of a covenant stating that the office area would never become habitable space. 

The board granted the Hedges Inn, at 74 James Lane, a freshwater wetlands permit and variances legalizing coverage over the maximum permitted and to legalize air-conditioning units, storage bins, a wood storage rack, slate pavers, and a sign located within required property line or wetlands setbacks. The approval was granted on condition that no food or garbage be stored in the bins and that any substitution of the existing air-conditioning condensers would require a new application for variance relief.  

Edward and Lisa Williams were granted a wetlands permit and variances to make alterations and construct additions to a house at 200 Lily Pond Lane, as well as install dry wells and a new septic system, and plant vegetation, all within the required wetlands setbacks. The application was approved on condition that the proposed septic system and wetlands buffer plan are implemented prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy. 

The board granted Michael Braverman of 117 Montauk Highway variances to construct a swimming pool within side and rear-yard setbacks and to install pool equipment in an existing shed within the side-yard setback, on condition that the applicant plant and maintain a row of vegetation on the property line.

Despite low turnout, the Hampton Library's proposed 2018 budget of $1.3 million was easily approved on Saturday,  and four members of the board of trustees were elected. 

The budget was approved by Bridgehampton voters 41 to 3, and by Sagaponack voters 7 to 0. Registered voters in both hamlets were eligible to cast ballots.  

Louise Collins, the board president, Jackie Poole, the treasurer, and John Vendetti were re-elected to represent Bridgehampton with 42, 44, and 41 votes respectively. Mbachi Kumwenda was elected to represent Bridgehampton for the first time, also with 42 votes. Martha Brougham received two write-in votes.

The budget is $373,800 lower than this year’s. Although expenses increased, the debt service for the 2009 building renovation and expansion was paid off early, eliminating it from the budget.

The Sagaponack Village Board does not have adequate assurance that goods and services are purchased at the best price, according to the findings of an audit released by the New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli’s office on Tuesday.

The board does not review each claim to determine if they are properly itemized and include appropriate supporting documentation, the audit found. Also, competitive quotes were not sought for some purchases.

“The board did not perform an effective claims audit or establish an adequate process to ensure that transactions were properly authorized and approved, complied with statutory or village requirements or that claims were proper village purposes,” a statement from Mr. DiNapoli’s office said.

The audit covered the period between June 1, 2015, and Feb. 28, 2017. During the audit period, the village paid 558 claims, totaling $722,827. The comptroller reviewed 25 claims, equaling $82,166.88, along with related warrants and board minutes. They mostly appeared to be for proper village purposes with supporting documentation. Four claims, totaling $4,430, which fell below the competitive bidding thresholds, were made without seeking competitive quotations.

“As a result, there is an increased risk that goods and services were not procured in the most prudent and economical manner,” the report said.

The comptroller said the board should conduct a thorough claims audit to ensure that each claim has sufficient supporting documentation and that purchases are made in accordance with village policy. The office also recommended that village employees solicit and document quotes, as per the village’s procurement policy, to ensure goods and services are obtained at competitive prices.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mayor Don Louchheim said, “The audit found procedural omissions on a handful of minor transactions and a missing step in our review process for payment vouchers. Corrective measures have been implemented by the village board.”

The village board was asked to initiate a corrective action plan, which it filed with the comptroller on Sept. 5.

The East Hampton Town Trustees will hold their 27th annual Largest Clam Contest on Sunday at noon at the Donald Lamb Building on Bluff Road in Amagansett.

The contest, which serves to educate the public as to the trustees’ role in town government and celebrate the bounty of the waterways under their jurisdiction, is a perennially popular post-summer event.

Through Saturday, contestants can take clams harvested from Lake Montauk, Napeague Harbor, Accabonac Harbor, or Three Mile Harbor to the Amagansett Seafood Store, Gosman’s Fish Market in Montauk, the Seafood Shop in Wainscott, or Stuart’s Seafood Market in Amagansett. Winning entries will be named on Sunday in categories including largest overall clam and the largest clam taken from each harbor by both adults and juniors age 4 to 14. A clam chowder competition will also be on the menu. Prizes have been donated by shops and restaurants here.

Town Councilman Fred Overton’s Bonac chowder will be served to the gathering, and clams on the half shell, shucked by members of the trustee board, will also be free to those attending.

Representatives of the town’s shellfish hatchery will explain the ongoing effort to seed town harbors with shellfish and keep the waters pristine. Officials from Concerned Citizens of Montauk will offer information about septic systems and water quality. An overabundance of nitrogen and phosphorus, leaching from aging septic systems, is blamed for the harmful algal blooms that have beset waterways, resulting in shellfish kills and destruction of eelgrass beds, which provide essential habitat for marine life.

Members of the East End Classic Boat Society are also expected to be in attendance. The society typically displays and sells raffle tickets for the boat its members have constructed over the past year. This year’s offering, a sunshine tender, will be raffled in December.

Voters from the East Hampton, Springs, and Wainscott School Districts approved a budget increase for the East Hampton Library in balloting conducted Saturday. Dennis Fabiszak, the library director, said that he was happy to report the results, which showed 78 percent in favor of the budget. In all, 145 ballots were cast.

East Hampton voters went 79 yes to 30 no for the proposal, which will add roughly $104,000 to the library’s spending plan for the coming year. Votes from Springs were 32 in favor and 2 against. There were just two votes from Wainscott residents, both yeses.