The Year In Photos: East Hampton Press

Who's Your Best Friend? September 18 -- Animal Rescue Fund staff members Debbie Downs, Cindy LeRoy and Jessica Tilton greeted 14 dogs from the hurricane-devastated Bahamas at the shelter in Wainscott. Along with six other dogs, which were transported to other shelters, the dogs were flown from Florida to Gabreski Airport in Westhampton by the Pittsburgh Aviation Animal Rescue Team. “Potcake” dogs, mostly Lab and shepherd mixed breeds, are found on several Caribbean islands.

Visit Raises Bucks, And Backlash August 15 -- President Donald Trump attended two major fundraisers on the South Fork, a $12 million trip that had supporters and protesters lining the streets of his motorcade route — and, on a national scale, prompted business losses for popular fitness clubs owned by the host of one of the events. After touching down at Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Westhampton, Mr. Trump traveled by motorcade to billionaire real estate developer Stephen Ross’s waterfront home in Tuckahoe, where he participated in a private roundtable with supporters, who each paid $250,000 toward his joint campaign with the Republican National Committee for the honor. Then he headed to Joe Farrell’s $39 million Bridgehampton estate, about eight miles away. Mr. Trump gave a one-hour speech and was joined by Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Republican National Committee chairpersons and others.

'Beyond Tragic' July 3 -- A 24-year-old mother who investigators say had killed her two toddlers earlier in the day begged East Hampton Town Police officers to shoot her as they approached her car in Montauk last Thursday afternoon, June 27. The woman, Tenia Campbell of Medford, had told her mother over the phone that afternoon that her two “babies,” twin 2-year-old girls Jasmine and Jaida, were dead, and that she was driving to a beach, where she planned to kill herself—sparking a countywide search for the minivan she was driving. The van and its occupants were found at Montauk County Park.

Lost At Sea Memorial Turns 20 October 23 --A ceremony was held at the Montauk Lighthouse in October marking the 20th anniversary of the installation of the Lost At Sea memorial monument.

Jerry Larsen

Sag Harbor's New Mayor Ready to Roll June 26 -- Even Kathleen Mulcahy was surprised to win an upset victory in Sag Harbor Village by a wide margin. The political newcomer ousted incumbent Mayor Sandra Schroeder after vowing to open communication and make it easier for the public to comment at Village Board meetings. "Winning by as many [votes] as I did makes me realize that people have confidence in me," she said after the election.

Murder in Montauk June 12 -- Two people walking on a trail in Kirk Park in Montauk in morning daylight discovered a man who was unconscious and had suffered what police later called "blunt force trauma" to his head. Robert Casado, 38, who was known as "Panda" and typically used the trail to get to work, was later pronounced dead at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. Joseph Grippo was accused of killing Mr. Casado with a pickax in connection with a romantic relationship.

Farmers Fear Overtime May 22 -- Just as the planting season was getting underway, local farmers feared that a proposed state law would put them out of business by forcing them to limit workers' hours or pay overtime in the face of thin profit margins, weather contingencies, lower-paying competitors outside the state and even the country, and other factors.

The Vanna White Bounces Back, But Succumbs October 2 -- A 21-year-old from Arizona who was alone aboard a 26-foot sailboat when it beached near Shadmoor in Montauk had purchased the boat on eBay for $700 only a day earlier. He was on his first trip on the boat when the engine died. The sailboat, the Vanna White, was pulled off the beach by a SeaTow crew, with the help of some beachgoers, at about 4 p.m. on Thursday and towed to Montauk Harbor. But the hull, which had been battered by waves, gradually took on water during the slow journey back toward the Montauk docks. As the young owner, Matthew Hunt, watched his new purchase pulled through the surf a couple of hours earlier, he had said he was praying the boat would still be seaworthy — as he’d planned for it to be his new home. “I flew out here on a one-way ticket with $1,000 in my pocket — $700 for the boat — so it’s my only place to live,” he said on the beach while waiting for SeaTow to arrive, his suitcase sitting in the sand next to him.

The Point Was Jumpin’ May 22 -- Tuatha Dea performs at the Lighthouse Cafe as part of the Montauk Music Festival

Incumbents Cruise To Win November 6 --East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc and his Democratic running mates for Town Board, Sylvia Overby and David Lys, cruised to easy reelection victories on election night as the Democratic Party once again asserted its electoral dominance in East Hampton Town.

Doggy Day Care Can Continue March 6 -- Lori Marsden was allowed to continue to run a doggy day care business from her East Hampton home after the Town Zoning Board of Appeals overturned a decision by the building inspector that said it was not permitted in a residential area. The business owner's attorney had argued that closing down the popular doggy care enterprise could have a chilling effect on similar home businesses.

Rites of Spring April 24 -- The ocean beach in downtown Montauk was rebuilt in preparation for summer 2019, as it had been in previous years. East Hampton Town had more than 50,000 tons of sand trucked in to cover sandbags intended to protect oceanfront hotels and other properties, at a cost of slightly more than $1 million to be split between the town and Suffolk County.

Bloomin’ Big May 1 -- A couple checksout Will Ryman’s “rose” at opening day at LongHouse Reserve.

Fly Forth, Young Quail! May 29 -- Third House Nature Center hosted its first bobwhite quail release of the year in partnership with Montauk School science students.

The Eagles Have Landed July 10 -- Like a lot of Springs residents, photographer Maria Bowling first noticed a pair of bald eagles perching in the trees of Tick Island last winter. In early March, another photographer, Darren Helgensen, caught the pair in the act of mating. They were exhibitionists—doing it on every osprey pole in Accabonac Harbor, on treetops, and during midair acrobatics, for all to see. Bald eagles had never nested in Springs before, as far as local environmentalists know.

Oyster Toss! October 23 -- Caeleigh Schuster and William Tintle helped the Town Trustees and the Shellfish Hatchery seed some 250,000 baby oysters in Three Mile Harbor in October.

Trestles Reach Their Destination October 23 -- The new train trestles to replace outdated ones running over Accabonac Road and North Main Street in East Hampton Village were shipped from New Jersey to Shinnecock by water on October 16. Also on October 16, the more than 100-year-old Accabonac Road bridge was removed in preparation for the replacement. The trestles then were transported to East Hampton Village by truck, traveling on Main Street at about 10:30. The crossings, which were constructed in 1895, underwent a $21 million upgrade after they were repeatedly struck by trucks, especially box trucks, that were high to pass beneath the trestles.