School Cellphone Policy Still Not Finalized in Westhampton Beach - 27 East

School Cellphone Policy Still Not Finalized in Westhampton Beach

icon 2 Photos
Westhampton Beach School District is considering using lockers to store student cell phones in response to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's distraction-free schools law for bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions. DANA SHAW

Westhampton Beach School District is considering using lockers to store student cell phones in response to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's distraction-free schools law for bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions. DANA SHAW

Westhampton Beach's Board of Education discusses proposals to address New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s distraction-free schools law for bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions.

Westhampton Beach's Board of Education discusses proposals to address New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s distraction-free schools law for bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions.

Desirée Keegan on Jul 23, 2025
The Westhampton Beach School Board still has not adopted a formal policy to address Governor Kathy Hochul’s distraction-free schools law for bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions. But the district is considering mandating... more

You May Also Like:

A Talk with a Trailblazer; Karl Grossman Retires From Decades-Long Career Teaching Journalism | 27Speaks Podcast

Earlier this month, Karl Grossman retired after a more than six-decade-long career as an investigative ... 25 Jul 2025 by Editorial Board

Jean Simpson of Southampton Dies July 21

Jean Simpson of Southampton died peacefully on July 21, surrounded by friends and family. She ... by Staff Writer

Falk Family Launches Southampton Public Safety Foundation To Support Police and First Responders

In the nearly two decades that Annie Falk has served on the board of the ... by Cailin Riley

Griffin Sisk Wins 54th World's Longest Sunfish Race

Griffin Sisk is no stranger at doing well, and at times even winning, large Sunfish ... 23 Jul 2025 by Drew Budd

Participants Give Their All in Fourth Annual HLA Run-Swim-Run Despite Low Turnout

The Hampton Lifeguard Association hosted its fourth annual Run-Swim-Run competition on Friday at Atlantic Avenue ... by Georgia Kenny

Hetrick-Martin Institute Benefit on August 2 Reaches for the Stars in Its 25th Year

In the Hamptons, where summer fundraising events occur with the same cadence as incoming flights at LaGuardia, it’s always interesting to see which ones have stood the test of time. After all, the demographics have certainly shifted dramatically in the last decade — a lot more money — but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee a rise in “the get” for deserving nonprofits. Indeed, the great philanthropists of the Hamptons can still be counted on fingers and toes. So for an event to reach its silver anniversary, along with record-breaking income, speaks volumes, especially when the cause is so very much a ... by Steven Stolman

Southampton Police Reports for the Week of July 24

FLANDERS — Omar Brown, 44, of Riverhead was arrested shortly before 7 a.m. on July 16 and charged with driving while impaired by drugs, a misdemeanor, after a Southampton Town Police officer pulled him over for a traffic violation and determined that he had been smoking marijuana. A Suffolk County deputy sheriff responded to the scene and conducted a drug recognition evaluation and determined that his impairment was such that he was unable to safely drive a vehicle. SAG HARBOR — An Oak Drive resident reported that someone had contacted her husband via text claiming to be an Apple Support ... by Staff Writer

Rethinking Rentals

East Hampton Town Councilwoman Cate Rogers deserves credit for doing a deep dive into an issue that should be top of mind in both town halls and every village hall on the South Fork: the impact of short-term rentals on the overall housing market. Affordable housing is a constant conversation, but too often the focus is on the price of real estate. That’s clearly a key factor in making communities less affordable to live in, but it’s not the only one. In fact, the impact of short-term rentals, particularly via the explosion of booking websites and apps, arguably has had ... by Editorial Board

Without Art

Last week, Kate Mueth, a fixture of and firebrand for the East End arts scene, widely passed along an email asking people to send emails to U.S. senators, asking them to restore funding for the arts. The Performing Arts Alliance was the source of the request. It noted that on July 15, the U.S. House Appropriations Interior Subcommittee had proposed, in draft bill for the fiscal year 2026, cutting funds for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities at $135 million each, cutting funding by almost a third. That’s severe — but President Donald ... by Editorial Board

Not-So-Still Life

Twenty-five barn swallows are resting on the metal slope of the shop roof. White tin and the deep blue of their feathers makes for a corner of brilliance in an otherwise quiet farmyard. The birds are not still; because they are fledglings and perhaps exhausted by the morning’s workout, they slide a little. Feathers splay before regaining purchase; the group shimmers. Adults, still on wing, make wide, gliding circles throughout the familiar complex. The heat pours on, little showers come at night, dew enough to keep the lettuce alive, but the humidity threatens to rot it. At the point, when ... by Marilee Foster