Opinions

Editorial: Giving Thanks

Kathryn G. Menu on Nov 27, 2019
It’s lovely that Americans set aside a holiday each fall for the simple purpose of taking time to reflect on the things we are thankful for. In this space, we... more

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A Great Success

On behalf of Little Lucy’s I would like to sincerely thank everyone who helped make Little Lucy’s 24th annual Halloween Pet Parade a great success. I’d especially like to thank Mayor Bill Manger for his continued support. Thank you to the Parks Department, for the use of the stage, and the Village Police Department, for always keeping everyone safe. Thank you to all the volunteers, the merchants, restaurants, vendors, contestants, for your time and generous donations. To all of you who helped Little Lucy’s raise animal awareness and much needed funds for the beneficiaries Suffolk County SPCA and Southampton Animal ... 10 Nov 2025 by Staff Writer

Donate Food

Thank you for your editorial in the November 6 issues [“Stop the Hunger”], in which you urged all of us to contribute to our local food pantries now because of the suspension of federal SNAP benefits. Emphasizing that this is not a partisan issue, I made similar requests to local Democrats during the recent campaign, as well as more recently this last weekend. We can each find food pantries nearest us by going to the Town of Southampton website and putting “local food pantries 2025 v2” in the search box. To this list, please add Bay Street Theater, Sag Harbor. ... by Staff Writer

Dragnet

Recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Hampton Bays and Westhampton Beach lay bare the irrational immigration policies of the Trump administration. I wrote this one and a half years ago: “In February 2017, The Southampton Press’s Michael Wright reported on local businessmen and their reasons for employing immigrant laborers; his article was titled “East End Employers Say Immigrant Workers Pay Taxes, Provide Foundation for Local Economy.” In that article, local tradespeople expressed the belief that the new Trump administration would be judicious in their approach to immigration, that the new administration would deport only bad guys. On July ... by Staff Writer

Tribal Politics

The tribe has spoken. Following the national trend, Southampton Town Democrats enjoyed some big wins in Tuesday’s election. Tom Neely earned a Town Council seat by defeating incumbent Rick Martel, and Democratic Party candidates won all five Trustees seats, ousting three incumbents. Indeed, big wins for local Democrats. Voters stayed loyal to their brand — but is Southampton Town better off today? Time will tell. I primarily voted for the incumbents in our local election, as I’ve never subscribed to the idea of change for the sake of change. Southampton Town will be losing a lot of experience when Rick ... by Staff Writer

Infernal Gadgets

I am writing this letter to ask all of you to agree with me that the gasoline-powered leaf blower is, perhaps, one of the worst inventions of the past 75 years. It would be fitting if it was invented in Japan in 1947 as retribution for the U.S. atomic bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I don’t want to diminish those horrific acts, but it was invented in Japan around 1977. I do think the time has come to do something about the noise, pollution, and to free the poor operators from the health risks imposed by ... by Staff Writer

Time To Lead

According to The Southampton Press, more than a dozen federal officers arrived in a caravan of what appeared to be their personal cars and mustered at the Hampton Bays Fire Department on Montauk Highway, before setting out in a fleet of unmarked minivans [“Dozens of ICE Agents Sweep Through Hampton Bays and Westhampton Beach Wednesday,” 27east.com, November 5]. Putting aside the cruelty of it all, the elephant in the room is this: Did Southampton Town Supervisor Maria Moore and the police department she oversees know about this ICE raid in advance and, if so, to what extent? The fact that ... by Staff Writer

Big Parade Coming

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Baffling Decision

Southampton Town Democratic Chairman Gordon Herr picked the wrong election cycle to sit out. His baffling decision to not run a second Democrat Town Council candidate came amid a blue wave that swept across eastern Long Island, New Jersey and Virginia — a wave that carried all five Democratic Town Trustees candidates in Southampton Town and even ousted experienced and well-liked Trustee President Scott Horowitz. Town Democrats should have been prepared for a pendulum swing like this, yet they weren’t. Against that backdrop, Herr’s refusal — which he denies was part of any backroom deal — to field a second ... by Staff Writer

Stop the Hunger

Setting aside politics for a moment, the federal government shutdown, now in its fifth week, is having significant consequences. A Washington Post story last week estimated that it will cost the economy up to $14 billion. The Congressional Budget Office says up to 750,000 federal workers are being furloughed or required to work without pay. The impact on air traffic controllers is starting to affect travel just as the holiday season begins. But none of that is as worrisome as the impact on the poorest among us, who are about to see the challenge of simply putting food on the ... 5 Nov 2025 by Editorial Board

Expect Delays

Anyone who commutes east and west on the South Fork daily, or who needs goods or services that come by truck — so, really, everyone — endured several days of stress. New York State and Suffolk County officials were able to find a higher gear than normal to repair Sunrise Highway at the Shinneock Canal, which limited the pain, and for that they are to be commended. By now, everyone is aware: Heavy rains last week caused erosion along the bridge abutments on the northeast side of the canal. Two westbound lanes of the highway were closed for days, with ... by Editorial Board