Wishes for those celebrating birthdays during COVID-19:
— May you have a delicious birthday cake and ice cream (but don’t eat too much, because of the “COVID weight gain syndrome” due to inactivity).
— May your birthday be peaceful (though not too peaceful, because it is very easy to feel understimulated nowadays, and that is not good for your brain).
— May you be surrounded by friends and family (do you have a thermometer or oximeter so you can take temp and oxygen saturation levels before you go near anyone?).
— May you do something fun on your birthday. (But be careful, it’s dangerous out there because of the virus. Actually, where would you go anyway?)
— May you get lots of nice gifts. (But not too many, because you really don’t need anything. … As a matter of fact, most of the stuff you have you could get rid of anyway, because you will never need/wear it again.)
— May you get beautiful balloons (no, no, no — no balloons — they are very bad for the environment and do not biodegrade).
Perhaps you should put one candle in some hummus and stay home — that’s best, I think.
Paula Angelone
Southampton Village
Ferry UsWhy don’t we have “inter”-village ferries, similar to the Amalfi Coast, that run along our bays and can port at each village? Imagine the reduction of summer traffic if you could ride in a great ferry from Southampton or Sag...
A WarningThe June 24 Southampton Village Board of Trustees meeting was brief but telling [“Southampton Village Will Start Two-Week Pilot Program Closing Off Ox Pasture East of Halsey Neck,” 27east.com, June 25]. First, Mayor Bill Manger got caught hiding the payment...
Not So BeautifulPresident Donald Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill” includes provisions to reduce Medicaid recipients and spending. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office was asked to review those provisions, and these are two key findings: • The number of people without health insurance...
No PlanMost Southampton Village business owners have said this June was historically soft. While rain and hot weather played a role, East Hampton and Sag Harbor performed better. Commercial real estate professionals have echoed this, noting that even popular restaurants, typically...
Fight BackAs we approach July Fourth, let’s remember that America has suffered through dark and divisive times before. It appears as if we are there again. While there are always those who capitulate, our history shows that we remember those Americans...
Don't Change ItAs a Sag Harbor native in my late 30s, I’ve seen the East End fully transform into the Hamptons — and it’s not a pretty picture. A village resident, I’m constantly reminded of how I don’t make enough money to...
Time for ChangeRegarding your editorial, “Dangerous Liberty” [June 26]: We are of like minds on some issues — government overreach, the founding fathers’ understanding of the dangers of democratic process and of the dichotomy created by a two-party system. It seems important...
Support ShelterI am a volunteer at Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation, and I see the valuable work they do. The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, open-admission, no-kill shelter that relies on the generosity of donors to care for the...
