Skip to main content

Hither Woods Coalition Is Watching

Thu, 03/09/2023 - 10:32

The East Hampton Town Board got a double dose of the Whalen brothers last Thursday when Robert and Richard Whalen each addressed the board about the proposed Montauk sewage treatment plant.

Two weeks ago, the trustees of the Suffolk County Parks Commission voted unanimously to reject the town-county land swap that is a cornerstone of the proposal. However, should the board now choose to push the plan forward with the County Legislature, the brothers let them know that the Coalition for Hither Woods is watching. The message: Don’t do it.

Richard Whalen, an Amagansett attorney and the coalition’s founder, told board members the group will continue to support the town in its efforts to improve Montauk’s environment, but will oppose any encroachment on the hamlet’s parks. Mr. Whalen has enlisted numerous environmental groups around Long Island in his locally popular quest to kill the sewage treatment facility, proposed for land now owned by the county in Hither Woods.

Robert Whalen stressed that the location is on top of a county Special Groundwater Protection Area, “an irreplaceable supply of Montauk’s sole-source drinking water.”

Villages

Tariffs Are Sobering News for Liquor Stores

It’s not clear when, or if, President Trump’s European alcohol tariff will ever go live. Nonetheless, the threat is looming over South Fork wine and liquor retailers, who have been forced to react to the uncertainty. 

Mar 27, 2025

East Hampton Star Shines at Better Newspaper Contest

Durell Godfrey, The East Hampton Star’s longtime staff photographer and a fixture at community events from Montauk to Southampton, has once again been named one of New York State’s top photographers. At the New York Press Association’s annual conference last week in Saratoga Springs, The Star’s newsletter also repeated in winning first place in the Best Newsletter category, capping a successful awards season for the paper. 

Mar 27, 2025

A Short Parade That’s Become a Big Success

For the first Am O'Gansett Parade in 2009, the organizers jokingly promised Clydesdales, Macy's balloons, and floats. With good humor and an enthusiastic response from the community, the very short parade has been an annual event ever since.

Mar 20, 2025

 

Your support for The East Hampton Star helps us deliver the news, arts, and community information you need. Whether you are an online subscriber, get the paper in the mail, delivered to your door in Manhattan, or are just passing through, every reader counts. We value you for being part of The Star family.

Your subscription to The Star does more than get you great arts, news, sports, and outdoors stories. It makes everything we do possible.