Community News, June 1 - 27 East
logo logo logo logo

East Hampton Press / Community / Southampton Press / Column / Community / Sag Harbor Express / Column / 2162904

Community News, June 1

icon 9 Photos
The Jewish Center of the Hamptons, Temple Adas Israel and the Conservative Synagogue of the Hamptons joined together on May 25 for an evening of learning with the rabbis. In celebration of the Jewish holiday Shavuot, the joint program unites the three communities around a sacred ritual called Tikkun Leil Shavuot. Tikkun means “correction,” while “Leil Shavuot” means “night of Shavuot.” Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah by God to the Jewish people, but, according to the legend, the Israelites overslept on the morning they were due to receive the Torah. As a correction for having overslept, the custom emerged of all-night learning. Rather than sleeping late, Jews would not sleep at all. From left, Cantor Debra Stein and Rabbi Josh Franklin of the Jewish Center of the Hamptons, Rabbi Jan Uhrbach of The Conservative Synagogue of the Hamptons, and Rabbi Dan Geffen and Student Cantor Kevin McKenzie of Temple Adas Israel.

The Jewish Center of the Hamptons, Temple Adas Israel and the Conservative Synagogue of the Hamptons joined together on May 25 for an evening of learning with the rabbis. In celebration of the Jewish holiday Shavuot, the joint program unites the three communities around a sacred ritual called Tikkun Leil Shavuot. Tikkun means “correction,” while “Leil Shavuot” means “night of Shavuot.” Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah by God to the Jewish people, but, according to the legend, the Israelites overslept on the morning they were due to receive the Torah. As a correction for having overslept, the custom emerged of all-night learning. Rather than sleeping late, Jews would not sleep at all. From left, Cantor Debra Stein and Rabbi Josh Franklin of the Jewish Center of the Hamptons, Rabbi Jan Uhrbach of The Conservative Synagogue of the Hamptons, and Rabbi Dan Geffen and Student Cantor Kevin McKenzie of Temple Adas Israel.

Fred Voss, Joan Overlock and Linda Fogelson hand out kites at the first annual

Fred Voss, Joan Overlock and Linda Fogelson hand out kites at the first annual "Kites for Kids Day," on Saturday afternoon at Main Beach in East Hampton, but for a worthy cause. For a $10 donation, participants received a plain kite and art supplies to decorate it, in support of the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center. RICHARD LEWIN

Sarah and Scarlett Diacre and Kathryn Hunt at the first annual

Sarah and Scarlett Diacre and Kathryn Hunt at the first annual "Kites for Kids Day," on Saturday afternoon at Main Beach in East Hampton. For a $10 donation, participants received a plain kite and art supplies to decorate it, in support of the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center. RICHARD LEWIN

Maria Nardone and Alice Pizarro at the first annual

Maria Nardone and Alice Pizarro at the first annual "Kites for Kids Day," on Saturday afternoon at Main Beach in East Hampton. For a $10 donation, participants received a plain kite and art supplies to decorate it, in support of the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center. RICHARD LEWIN

On Saturday afternoon at the first annual

On Saturday afternoon at the first annual "Kites for Kids Day,: everyone was invited to "go fly a kite" at Main Beach in East Hampton, but for a worthy cause. For a $10 donation, participants received a plain kite and art supplies to decorate it, in support of the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center. RICHARD LEWIN

Lalitte Smith at the Garden Club of East Hampton's annual garden party and plant sale on the grounds of Mulford Farm in East Hampton on Friday evening. Plant lovers took home armloads and Flexible Flyers full of their favorites and bid for silent auction items. A special

Lalitte Smith at the Garden Club of East Hampton's annual garden party and plant sale on the grounds of Mulford Farm in East Hampton on Friday evening. Plant lovers took home armloads and Flexible Flyers full of their favorites and bid for silent auction items. A special "Orchid Table" was set up in memory of G.C.E.H. dedicated Member Diane Paton. RICHARD LEWIN

Alejandro Saralegui at the Garden Club of East Hampton's annual garden party and plant sale on the grounds of Mulford Farm in East Hampton on Friday evening. Plant lovers took home armloads and Flexible Flyers full of their favorites and bid for silent auction items. A special

Alejandro Saralegui at the Garden Club of East Hampton's annual garden party and plant sale on the grounds of Mulford Farm in East Hampton on Friday evening. Plant lovers took home armloads and Flexible Flyers full of their favorites and bid for silent auction items. A special "Orchid Table" was set up in memory of G.C.E.H. dedicated Member Diane Paton. RICHARD LEWIN

Allegra Kelly and Francie Murphy at the Garden Club of East Hampton's annual garden party and plant sale on the grounds of Mulford Farm in East Hampton on Friday evening. Plant lovers took home armloads and Flexible Flyers full of their favorites and bid for silent auction items. A special

Allegra Kelly and Francie Murphy at the Garden Club of East Hampton's annual garden party and plant sale on the grounds of Mulford Farm in East Hampton on Friday evening. Plant lovers took home armloads and Flexible Flyers full of their favorites and bid for silent auction items. A special "Orchid Table" was set up in memory of G.C.E.H. dedicated Member Diane Paton. RICHARD LEWIN

East Hampton Village Administrator Marcos Baladron; Village Deputy Mayor Chris Minardi; Village Trustee Sarah Amaden, Village Mayor Jerry Larsen; Village Trustee Sandra Melendez; Village Foundation Chairman and CEO Bradford Billet and, rear, Village Department of Public Works Superintendent David Collins cut the ribbon on the reconstructed tennis court in Herrick Park on Saturday to announce the completion of

East Hampton Village Administrator Marcos Baladron; Village Deputy Mayor Chris Minardi; Village Trustee Sarah Amaden, Village Mayor Jerry Larsen; Village Trustee Sandra Melendez; Village Foundation Chairman and CEO Bradford Billet and, rear, Village Department of Public Works Superintendent David Collins cut the ribbon on the reconstructed tennis court in Herrick Park on Saturday to announce the completion of "Phase 1A", the first phase of rehabilitation of the park. RICHARD LEWIN

authorStaff Writer on May 29, 2023
MONTAUK Wildlife at the Lighthouse Quogue Wildlife Refuge will bring wildlife to the Montauk Point Lighthouse on Saturday, June 3, from noon to 1 p.m. The educational show will feature... more

You May Also Like:

A Leadership Pipeline

There’ll be a question for voters on the election ballot in November on whether the terms should be extended, from the present two years to four, for the 18 members of the Suffolk County Legislature, of which most of the major government officials in Suffolk County in the last five decades have been members. One was Republican John V. N. Klein of Smithtown, the first presiding officer of the legislature. He brought continuity between it and the centuries-old Suffolk County Board of Supervisors when the legislature replaced the board in 1970 as the county’s governing body. It was determined in ... 9 Sep 2025 by Karl Grossman

Not Over Yet

A heron departing the wetlands flies up and across the morning sun. With each wingbeat it grows closer to silhouette: white, then silver, then black. Then the bird has risen directly into the sun’s path, and you must drop your watch of this or be blinded. You close your eyes to recover. September — they say summer is over. That position does not give summer much credit. How could she just end? Something so vibrant and desirably warm, the season of fruit, green grass and fresh vegetables, does not die in a day. September is the culmination of summer, the ... by Marilee Foster

Does the New York City Mayor’s Race Matter Here?

2025 is what political pundits call an “off-year” election: There is no election for president or governor. It is the most local of the four-year election cycle, with only local town and county races on the ballot. Yet, just 100 miles to our west is a high-profile election to choose the next mayor of New York. It has drawn national attention since an unknown state assemblyman turned the political world upside down by winning the Democratic primary. His name is Zohran Mamdani. Why was this a political earthquake? Well, first of all, he is an avowed Democratic Socialist who, just ... 8 Sep 2025 by FRED THIELE

Community News, September 11

YOUTH CORNER Circle of Fun The John Jermain Memorial Library, 201 Main Street in Sag ... by Staff Writer

In the Weeds

Late summer is reductive work. You harvest, take away the best, and plants, likewise, contract. The oldest growth — green leaves rimmed in death, tattered at their edge — cannot hide the fruit. A life cycle is complete … or, at least, nearing completion. Weeds, robust, and some 6 feet tall, tower over the remnants of the first melon planting. Their seeds are not mature, but the threat is burgeoning. One year at seed takes seven to weed. So the mower goes. We battle weeds all season, but in August, when the farmer is too busy reaping to spend time ... 2 Sep 2025 by Marilee Foster

Souvenirs

With less than a week to go before Labor Day, I panicked that I haven’t been to the ocean as often as I thought I would. I headed down to Ponquoque Beach to spend time with my son and granddaughters. At the end of August, in the parking lot, it’s not unusual to see broken beach chairs, single flip-flops or battered paperbacks with pages curling from the salt air — remnants of summer vacation. The beach buckets filled with sand, and maybe a hermit crab or a carefully curated shell collection, brought back memories. There’s a gentle melancholy in these ... by Denise Gray Meehan

‘Atomic Bill’

Live long enough and more interesting things happen. I received a script last year of a play in which, by name, I’m a character. The play is “Atomic Bill and the Payment Due.” Next week, it is to have its premiere staged reading as a featured presentation for the 50th anniversary celebration of the establishment of the Peace Resource Center at Wilmington College in Ohio. It is by playwright and podcaster Libbe HaLevy, who spent 13 years writing it. She is already fielding requests for readings and presentations in Japan, New Mexico, Navajo Nation, Nevada and Germany, and has talks ... by Karl Grossman

VIEWPOINT: What Drives Traffic, and What’s the Road Ahead?

We have all heard, spoken and experienced a lot with regard to traffic in Southampton Village this summer. None of it has been enjoyable. And while traffic issues are not confined to our village, our challenges are unique, especially during the afternoon commute. Let me summarize some key facts, and then comment on some current actions by the mayor and trustees. Just the Facts While it is easy and popular to blame our traffic woes on overdevelopment, McMansions, landscapers and large trucks, all of these play only supporting roles. I’ve been researching traffic for a decade, and here’s what I ... 1 Sep 2025 by Rob Coburn

Community News, September 4

YOUTH CORNER Read and Play The John Jermain Memorial Library, 201 Main Street in Sag ... by Staff Writer

A Tree Falling

After 30 years of growing, a large limb breaks. Without cause, it shears off in the still evening air. Diners, nearby but inside, hear it. The host pauses mid-sentence; his guests, too, wait for some follow-up noise. Hearing none, they cautiously return to their wine, re-admiring its taste, not knowing that the old Spanish vineyard has burned. Another limb falls without warning midday. This one was seen by many, because it was a Saturday in August. People were walking and running, people were towing or pushing their children in strollers or on bikes, sometimes both. There were people shopping at ... 26 Aug 2025 by Marilee Foster