Editorial: An Uncertain Autumn - 27 East
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Editorial: An Uncertain Autumn

Editorial Board on Jul 2, 2020
Over the course of the last week, families with children in prekindergarten, kindergarten, fifth, eighth and 12th grades all celebrated graduation, and students began preparing to embark on new journeys... more

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The Bounty That Surrounds Us

When the Community Preservation Fund gets its well-earned accolades for the good it has done for the East End in the past quarter century, the focus often is on the preservation of land, keeping it from being developed and thus protecting the region from becoming too intensely suburban. Without question, that effort to maintain the region’s rural appeal is a significant, historic accomplishment. But sometimes we forget the importance of the CPF in keeping agriculture alive as a major contributor to the region’s agroeconomy, which has quality-of-life benefits of its own for both farmers and those who live among their ... 14 May 2025 by Editorial Board

Proven Record

I am pleased to announce my candidacy for reelection for trustee in the Village of North Haven. I have had the privilege of serving the residents since 2020, and am running for reelection on a proven record of having always voted on behalf of the best interests of North Haven residents, and the protection and enhancement of our beautiful village. These are some of the principles that I have lived by as your elected North Haven trustee over the past five years: I advocate for strong budgetary and fiscal responsibility. I ask clarifying questions to get to the right decisions. ... 13 May 2025 by Staff Writer

Budgeting 101

A simple fact about the SALT deductions is being obscured with Nick Lakota’s statements in the news. If the 2017 tax rules expire, residents will once again be able to deduct 100 percent of their state and local taxes. If all New York representatives vote together, the new budget will fail. “Fighting” for a higher limit is unnecessary. The proposed reconciliation bill cuts taxes and once again has sunset rules for four years hence. This is not creating policy, it is political posturing. We need a long-term, stable tax policy. This is not the way to do it. Overall budgeting ... 12 May 2025 by Staff Writer

Backroom Deals

Who is Jose Reyes? This question seems, by their reactions, to be the most important matter the Southampton Town Democratic Committee has to deal with. For me, and many voting citizens of Suffolk County who contact me, the question isn’t “Who is Jose Reyes?” but rather what other dark backroom deals are the Suffolk County Democrats and Republicans conspiring on. That is why the public needs people like “Jose Reyes” to come forward and shed some light on these dark deeds. To some people, 53 years ago is ancient history, but it is relevant today to remember “Watergate” and “Deep ... by Staff Writer

Under Siege

Our Sag Harbor park tennis courts are under siege. There are eight clay courts and two hard courts. Information was just given at the start of the season that the hard courts will be given over to pickleball, as they were last season, but will be resurfaced and used only for pickleball — not to be shared for tennis, also. Two of the now eight clay courts, on the upper level, are to be paved this summer, I was told, so that the high school teams can use hard courts for practice in fall and spring. The timing of this ... 10 May 2025 by Staff Writer

Overstating

Kudos to the Board of Trustees of North Haven for addressing the continuous issue of cellphone coverage in North Haven. Poor to no cellphone coverage in and around North Haven is a matter of safety and security that needs to be improved. The two authors of the letters “It’s a Haven” and “Money Grab” from the May 1 issue of The Sag Harbor Express both overstated the size and footprint of a single cell tower. The tower size discussed in the last Board of Trustees meeting was a 110-foot tower, with a base of 2,500 square feet — not 150 ... by Staff Writer

'Solving' the Traffic

It’s not fair to suggest that the last two weeks, when Southampton Town, with Suffolk County’s blessing, tested some various strategies for managing the flow of traffic westward in the afternoon rush hours, will be enough to “solve” anything. This is a Gordian knot, but Charlie McArdle is no Alexander the Great, sword in hand, ready to cut the snarl free. At best, the town’s highway superintendent is diligently picking at various parts of the heap, hoping to loosen it a tiny bit. Suffolk County officials were active participants this time, which is helpful, and they will be sitting down ... 7 May 2025 by Editorial Board

Add a Star

When your publication dispenses its “Gold Stars and Dunce Caps,” I hope you will take the unprecedented step to add an additional star alongside the name of Town Highway Superintendent Charles McArdle. As an administrator who could have easily monitored the challenges of westbound traffic modifications from the comfort of a construction trailer, Charlie was planted roadside throughout the entire ordeal, wrapped in the neon OSHA jacket of his subordinates, barking orders into a walkie-talkie while simultaneously scowling at hapless motorists who were reluctant to merge into a single lane. My daily afternoon eastbound commutes confirmed his presence, a battle-hardened ... 6 May 2025 by Staff Writer

Try Vouchers

The recent “The Downtown Dilemma” editorial [May 1] asks the right question: If our streets are overflowing with people in summer, why are our Main Street businesses falling behind? The answer is not just about parking or nostalgia. It’s about how money flows — and how little of it stays. Every summer, millions of dollars pour into the South Fork. But, too often, those dollars bypass local businesses entirely — spent at national chains, short-term rentals or online retailers. Even when tourists walk through town, they often browse without buying. The result: Packed sidewalks but struggling storefronts. One practical, proven ... by Staff Writer

Culture of Cruelty

It was discovered last week that 11 upper-class members of a high school lacrosse team near Syracuse had terrorized their younger teammates. They invited five of them out for some fast food and then staged a kidnapping. Four escaped, but one was thrown into the trunk of a car, with a pillowcase over his head, and later dumped in the middle of the woods. The young victims were terrorized and terrified. The incident was videotaped. Surprising? Horrifying? Really? As a psychologist, let me remind you what our children are surrounded by every day: • The cruel and inhumane treatment of ... by Staff Writer