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Community News, January 4

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East Hampton High School student Gizel Espinal is the winner in the annual Polar Bear Plunge logo contest. Each year, students from East Hampton High School submit logos designs to be considered for the annual New Year’s Day fundraiser at Main Beach. The winning artwork chosen by the pantry’s board of directors is used for participant hats and merchandise. East Hampton High School counselor Aubrey Peterson, who is also a member of the food pantry's board, recently presented Gizel with a certificate of appreciation, along with a $25 gift card. COURTESY EAST HAMPTON FOOD PANTRY

Clip and Crawl

After many moons, the construction fence and its black drapes came down, and people could see their beloved General Store again. I have slowed as I passed and tried my best to stare at it like a stranger, recognize it as an old friend, see the dramatic and yet gentle renovation near completion. This is not to say that many won’t lament the near-certain closing of the Hedges Lane post office. The no-frills structure and charming staff make the 11962 zip code valuable for reasons not based on land transactions. Spring began cold and with heavy, unsettled clouds. The wind ... 1 Apr 2025 by Marilee Foster

What a Leader Does

Rich Schaffer, who will have been leader of the Democratic Party in Suffolk County for 25 years in September, is not shaken by Republican gains in recent times, nationally and in Suffolk. “We’ve been there before over the years I’ve been county chair,” Schaffer was saying. “We saw this when young [George W.] Bush was president. But a lot of times, the party in power makes mistakes, upsetting people. And I think with Trump, we are in a whole different universe. “There’s lots of chaos,” he continued in a recent interview. “His administration is hell-bent at going after Social Security ... by Karl Grossman

The Last To Die

A somber 50th anniversary is to be observed at the end of this month: the end of the war in Vietnam, on April 30, 1975. That means it will also be the 50th anniversary of the last two U.S. soldiers to die in what was never actually a declared war, one that in total killed over 58,000 American military men and women. For over four decades, there was controversy over who was the first American serviceman who died in Vietnam. Richard Fitzgibbon Jr.’s death in June 1956 was deemed to have taken place before the start of the Vietnam War. ... by Tom Clavin

Community News, April 3

YOUTH CORNER Circle of Fun East Hampton Library, 159 Main Street in East Hampton, will ... 31 Mar 2025 by Staff Writer

VIEWPOINT: An Investment in Our Communities

By Tommy John Schiavoni For generations, Long Islanders have relied on the Long Island Rail Road to connect us to jobs, schools, health care and economic opportunities. Whether heading to work on the East End or commuting to Manhattan, the LIRR is the lifeline that keeps our region moving. But without full funding for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s 2025-29 Capital Plan, that lifeline is at risk. The future of Long Island’s economy and quality of life depends on it. This Capital Plan makes critical investments that directly benefit Long Island communities, residents and businesses. One key project is the modernization ... by Tommy John Schiavoni

A Rat in the Coop

Because we have chickens, we have rats. When people who don’t have a farm tell me they are getting chickens, I try to warn them. That’s nice, I say. But be ready for some rats. You might want to consider getting a terrier. This is a messy lifestyle, and your Maltese won’t be able to manage it alone, if at all. As rats are associated with at least a few plagues, cities rightly fear them. In the countryside, we do our part to control them. Each night, when we go to close the coops, there is a hunt. We once ... 25 Mar 2025 by Marilee Foster

We Are the Living Dead

Welcome to the Land o’TrumpElon, where flying monkeys in the Department of Government Efficiency T-shirts are sucking out our brains and feeding off our democracy. The flying monkeys are attacking from all sides. Incoming for my Social Security. Incoming for my wallet. Incoming for my Medicare. Incoming for my nerdy niece’s future. Incoming to shrink my America on the world stage. Incoming. Incoming. Incoming. I’d like to wipe my hands of the whole thing, “Not my circus, not my monkeys,” but I can’t, not when I’m feeling the water in the pot already steeping to the boiling point. I don’t ... 24 Mar 2025 by Carlos Sandoval

Democracy Can’t Wait

“The decline of local journalism is a clear and present threat to our democracy,” declares the Empire State Local News Coalition, which describes itself as “a statewide coalition of hometown newspapers fighting for the long-term sustainability of local journalism in New York.” It continues: “Hometown newspapers are a foundational part of the American experience; we uplift the stories of everyday New Yorkers making a difference in their communities and serve as watchdogs that hold those in power accountable.” The coalition says it is “championing a robust legislative package that ensures local papers will survive through the 21st century and beyond. ... by Karl Grossman

Community News, March 27

YOUTH CORNER Circle of Fun East Hampton Library, 159 Main Street in East Hampton, will ... by Staff Writer

Breaking Open

The geese have grazed all that is left. They take surviving collards to stubs; there are bald patches in the rye. The carrots we passed over are mined out, gnawed like only a goose bill could, conically downward into the dirt. The oats are bleached linen white. A few more days of winter, and there is no icy grip. It is the witch hazel that gets the show rolling. Not as common as forsythia, and not always yellow, the early blooming tree is the most obvious thing in the landscape, because it glows. Honeybees, nearby scavenging for crocus, are secured ... 18 Mar 2025 by Marilee Foster

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Community News, January 4

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