Last week, two large American elm trees, estimated to be between 80 and 100 years old, were cut down at the intersection of Main Street and Newtown Lane: one in front of Louis Vuitton, and the other in front of J. Crew. Neither had Dutch elm disease, according to Olivia Brooks, the chairwoman of the 25-person Ladies Village Improvement Society tree committee since 2008, but both had simply reached the end of their long lives.

The curtain rises Friday on East Hampton’s production of the classic musical comedy “Anything Goes,” starring some veteran East Hampton theater performers as well as some fresh, new faces.

Things are looking up for the Wainscott School District, which at this time last year was confronting a budget deficit of close to $1 million and floating an over-the-tax-cap spending plan for the 2023-24 school year. Board members and administrators said this week they may not need to pierce the cap this year.

Odds are, you’re not going to see an American bittern, despite its large size. Frankly, the American bittern doesn’t want to be seen; it chose invisibility as its superpower. Still, this is the best time of year to try; make the experience at least as much about the journey as the destination.