Editorial: Sobering Statistics - 27 East
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Editorial: Sobering Statistics

Editorial Board on Apr 4, 2019
While we all like to celebrate success, it’s important to also recognize that many children are struggling to cope with the challenges before them while avoiding high-risk, unhealthy and potentially... more

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Safeguard the Future

Regarding the article on September 10, about Poxabogue Field [“Fate of Southampton Town-Owned Poxabogue Field, Within Sagaponack Village, Is Debated at Town Board Meeting,” 27east.com, September 10]: Most people care about the environment and understand how essential natural resources are for water quality and maintaining wildlife diversity, to support our ecosystems (and us). Changing the designated status of Poxabogue Field into open land makes sense, as it aligns with many of the area’s environmental objectives. We do need food from farms, and, in 1987, the vision for a farm made sense. However, today we face significant water pollution issues, loss ... 13 Sep 2025 by Staff Writer

Great Showing

The Water Mill Village Improvement Association would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all underwriters, sponsors, participants, spectators, and volunteers for making our car show a resounding success. It was a wonderful day on the village green, with hot weather and clear skies. Over 130 cars, trucks and motorcycles were on display, and many spectators came out to enjoy the show. This year, more than 20 dedicated volunteers assisted with setup, show operations and breakdown. We were thrilled to welcome “The Tavern Food Truck” — the food was fantastic! Our tentative date for the 25th Water Mill Car Show ... by Staff Writer

Let It Be

Last week’s article “Fate of Southampton Town-Owned Poxabogue Field, Within Sagaponack Village, Is Debated at Town Board Meeting” [27east.com, September 10] brought to light the concerns of some Southampton Town Board members that changing the status of Poxabogue Field from agriculture to open space/nature preserve might set a precedent that keeps farmers in the future from selling their land to the Community Preservation Fund. This is not the case. Poxabogue Field is a unique parcel, since it is located in the Long Pond Greenbelt Nature Preserve, where it sits next to Poxabogue Pond, one of the greenbelt’s famous string of ... by Staff Writer

We Are Not Immune

I was born in Dublin in 1960 and grew up watching Northern Ireland tear itself apart. Once violence was unleashed, it became the language of politics. Over three decades, more than 3,500 people were murdered before peace was finally secured through the Good Friday Agreement. To put that in perspective, adjusted for population, it would be the equivalent of over one million Americans murdered. The compromises reached then were not so different from what might have been negotiated years earlier — except they came after decades of trauma. That is why the murder of Charlie Kirk today horrifies me. I ... by Staff Writer

What You Don't See

Close your eyes and picture yourself asking for one more day. This isn’t about death — it’s about fear. Not the kind that comes from a horror movie, but the fear that creeps into everyday life: at the grocery store, the mall, anywhere. I was born a U.S. citizen to immigrant parents who taught me to be strong and courageous. But in today’s society, courage doesn’t erase the fear that haunts me daily. The papers that prove my right to be here feel meaningless when people like me are still discriminated against and treated like threats. None of us is ... by Staff Writer

Protect the Field

After living near and looking at beautiful Poxabogue Field daily for over 30 years, watching the grasses change colors through the seasons, the view across to Poxabogue Pond, the wildlife thriving there — protected Eastern box turtles; ground-nesting birds, including American woodcocks; deer, butterflies, beetles, moths, foxes, field mice, rabbits, woodchucks, snakes, salamanders, and all hidden animals that find protection to thrive in what has become an undisturbed grassland habitat after coming back from being a hayfield many years ago — I was thrilled when I heard it was being saved by our Community Preservation Fund dollars [“Fate of Southampton ... by Staff Writer

Ecological Value

There was thoughtful discussion at last week’s Southampton Town Board meeting regarding the future of Poxabogue Field [“Fate of Southampton Town-Owned Poxabogue Field, Within Sagaponack Village, Is Debated at Town Board Meeting,” 27east.com, September 10]. Most speakers voiced strong support for preserving the field in its natural state, citing its proximity to Poxabogue Pond and its transformation into a thriving grassland ecosystem that supports a wide variety of wildlife. Sagaponack’s Mayor Bill Tillotson expressed his desire to maintain the field as farmland. His concerns centered on protecting farmers and avoiding a precedent that might limit future agricultural use. He acknowledged, ... by Staff Writer

Cannabis Chaos

Last fall, at an Express Sessions event, then-State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. compared New York State’s rollout of its cannabis laws to the rollout of the Titanic — unfavorably. Today, if possible, it looks even worse. Not every municipality in the state is feeling the fallout — and, in fact, Southampton Town is alone on the South Fork. That’s because former Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman successfully lobbied his Town Board colleagues to opt in and allow cannabis dispensaries to open in the town, seduced by the $1 million to $2 million in annual tax revenue he expected once the ... 10 Sep 2025 by Editorial Board

A Lifesaving Plan

Last year, 24 fatal drownings were recorded in Suffolk County, a number that is concerning in and of itself but even more alarming when you consider that it was a 60 percent increase from the year prior. Many of these preventable deaths occurred in backyard pools and involved young children, and others occurred in open water or bathtubs. What circumstances could have led to such an increase, and what can be done to move the needle in the opposite direction? The Suffolk County Drowning Prevention Action Plan seeks to get to the bottom of these questions and others. Unveiled this ... by Editorial Board

A Real Leader

A recent story [“Divided Southampton Town Board Approves Funding for Affordable Housing on Quiogue,” 27east.com, August 27] relates the Town Board’s discussion leading to a 3-2 vote to award $2.7 million in Community Housing Fund money for a 79-unit workforce housing project on Quiogue. An editorial in the same issue [“Stop Stalling,” September 4] reviews the South Fork’s admitted crisis in affordable housing and concludes that Southampton’s Town Board is “stuck in first gear” about the much-needed acceleration of the approval process. The editorial refers specifically to the recent $2.7 million award for the Quiogue development, in which Supervisor Maria ... 8 Sep 2025 by Staff Writer