Sag Harbor Village Mayor Tom Gardella and the Village Board will hold a hearing next month on a plan to eliminate the trustees’ role in reviewing site plan applications for... more
With the Fourth of July on deck, and the national “No Kings” protests occurring recently, it’s worth taking a moment, in partisan times, to remind ourselves that dissent is patriotic, and protest is a core American principle. You might well disagree with what’s being said, depending on which group is protesting, or who is in power to face the protests. But the act of civil protest is a healthy part of democracy, and in fact is essential to its survival. And it’s hardly new. The Center for the Study of the American Constitution, a nonprofit, nonpartisan center based at the ...
25 Jun 2025 by Editorial Board
You don’t need to hear it from us, but: Times are tense. It’s a moment when, in our local communities, we need to be more careful to avoid knee-jerk reactions, and while vigilance is a virtue, don’t assume everything you see on social media is what it appears to be. At the same time, communication is going to be key. An incident last week demonstrated that all of us — including local police agencies — need to be aware of the unique moment, and take steps to make sure people are not frightened needlessly. A photo circulated last week that ...
18 Jun 2025 by Editorial Board
Sometimes the hardest thing is to acknowledge when you need a little more help — and to figure out the most cost-effective way to get it. Last week, the Sag Harbor Village Board said it was planning to hire a planner to work with its regulatory boards, rather than relying solely on outside help via contracts. It’ll seek proposals for “professional planning, engineering and on-call consulting services.” There’s no reason to think this is necessarily a reflection on the job being done by Nelson Pope Voorhis, the planning consulting firm from Melville that is contracted frequently by South Fork municipalities ...
by Editorial Board
When it comes to New York State’s mistreatment of the Montaukett Nation, it seems like Groundhog Day: A new year, but the same outcome, without fail. It’s insulting, it’s despicable — and it must end. This is the sixth time the State Legislature has put recognition of the Montaukett on the governor’s desk in Albany, with overwhelming, almost unanimous support. There is absolutely no ambiguity about the legislature’s support for the idea, and it’s been championed by local legislators for years. They’ve all done their jobs and deserve a note of thanks. Governor Kathy Hochul has vetoed the bill three ...
by Editorial Board
North Haven is a small village with remarkable energy, a deeply engaged electorate, and a government that is active and passionate about the 2.7-square-mile peninsula they call home. In recent years, it has been a political hotbed of sorts, and its elections are almost always contested — and interesting. This year is no exception. Two seats on the Village Board are up next Tuesday, June 17, and there are three candidates: incumbents Terie Diat and Peter Boody, and challenger Max Rohn. At a virtual debate on June 4, they didn’t disappoint — the three engaged in a substantive discussion aimed ...
11 Jun 2025 by Editorial Board
An email to constituents last week contained an important message: As we start the 2025 hurricane season, it’s important to be prepared. The note, from U.S. Representative Nick LaLota, included contact information for a variety of important resources: the National Hurricane Center, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “As a lifelong Long Islander and your representative in Congress,” LaLota wrote, “I’ve seen how storms like Gloria, Bob, Irene and Sandy can devastate our communities. Preparation saves lives.” He’s absolutely right, on all counts. Except one. LaLota supports domestic funding legislation, and an administration in Washington, ...
by Editorial Board
Few people embody the spirit of community service better than Hampton Bays resident Robert Ross, who recently retired after decades of making his home a better place for its residents. Ross spent the last 42 years, before retiring from his position late last month as vice president of community and government relations at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, fighting for and giving back to an adopted community that he loved. His retirement came just as Stony Brook put the finishing touches on a standalone emergency room in East Hampton, a project that Ross, by all accounts, fought for and helped shepherd ...
by Editorial Board
All local stories matter. They matter to some portion of readers, and they certainly matter to the journalists sharing them. But there’s always an article that hits home a little more than others. Bill Sutton, who is the managing editor of The Express News Group, was never comfortable being in the pages of our newspapers. But he agreed, because his story is so important — and can help so many others — because he needs a donor kidney. He’s not alone: There are some 100,000 people in the United States alone who need life-saving organ donations. It’s testament to modern ...
4 Jun 2025 by Editorial Board
Shinnecock Hills and Tuckahoe make up a mecca for golfers, with four world-class golf courses shoulder to shoulder: Shinnecock Hills, the National Golf Links of America, Sebonack and Southampton. Sebonack is the new kid on the block, opened in 2006 and designed by Jack Nicklaus and Tom Doak, but it’s already developed an international reputation, hosted a Women’s U.S. Open and made the list of the nation’s 100 best courses. Nearby are The National, which dates to 1911, and Shinnecock Hills, founded in 1891, the celebrity courses that every golfer knows and dreams of playing. Southampton, though, is the overachieving ...
by Editorial Board
It’s often easy to slip up and wish someone a “Happy Memorial Day” — it is, after all, the first long weekend of warm weather and a time for family and friends to get together. Beyond the time off, though, is the solemn reason for the holiday: As the Veterans of Foreign Wars put it just a few days ago, “Memorial Day is, at its core, a day of remembrance for those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation.” It’s a celebration, but one that should be filled with gratitude. This year on the South Fork, there ...
28 May 2025 by Editorial Board
