The Long Island Daily

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The Long Island Daily, formerly Long Island Morning Edition, with host Michael Mackey provides regional news stories and special features that speak to the body politic, the pulse of our planet, and the marketplace of life.

  1. 4h ago

    Shoreline stabilization measures in the works in Montauk

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security yesterday accused New York officials of failing since last year to hand over 16,000 people living in the country illegally whom the agency said face charges of murder, rape and other crimes. DHS said in a statement that from Jan. 20, 2025, to Thursday, "16,070 detainers were not honored by the state of New York." Bart Jones reports in NEWSDAY that a detainer is a request by Immigration and Customs Enforcement {ICE} asking local, state or other federal law enforcement agencies to hold undocumented immigrants up to 48 hours beyond their scheduled release date so ICE can take custody and, presumably, deport them. "While sanctuary politicians continue to release dangerous criminals onto their streets, our brave law enforcement officers will continue to risk their lives to arrest these heinous criminals and make America safe again. Illegal aliens have no sanctuary in America," DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement. State and New York City officials denied the allegation they have failed to comply with detainer requests and called it part of President Donald Trump's efforts to deflect attention away from his immigration policies. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office said in a statement Monday that the governor "has been clear: New York State is not and never will be a sanctuary for violent criminals. By law, New York State always notifies federal immigration enforcement of any non-citizen serving a State prison sentence. Any assertion otherwise is a blatant mischaracterization of the facts meant to distract from the cruelty and violence we saw from Secretary Mullin’s ICE agents." Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Republican who is running against Hochul for governor, said in a statement that "all of Kathy Hochul’s criminal justice initiatives have made us less safe, including not honoring the detainer requests that would get dangerous criminals out of the state of New York." A law signed by Governor Hochul that went into effect in August prohibits local law enforcement agencies from collaborating with ICE for civil immigration enforcement. *** Shoreline stabilization measures are in the works for Rheinstein Preserve in Montauk, after heavy rainfall during the summer peeled off the face of a bluff in the area and starkly revealed a decades-old septic system buried in the sediment. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that East Hampton Town officials are planning to apply to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which granted emergency permits for work on the bluff over the summer, for the necessary permits for the latest round of maintenance there. “The town is going to move forward on applying for a DEC permit to actually do bluff face work there, which might include coir logs or also other plantings at the top, depending on what we’re going to do to try to maintain and hold that bluff,” said East Hampton Town Councilman David Lys, the Town Board’s liaison to Montauk. “I know there was a lot of slumping on that bluff during this last storm out there. That was Mother Nature at work, but we’re going to look at the best way we can do that with Natural Resources.” Coir logs, which Lys cited as a potential stabilization measure, are cylindrical logs made from compressed coconut fibers that can be placed on imperiled slopes to combat chronic erosion, like the erosion seen in the area just west of Ditch Plains — where the town’s Rheinstein Preserve is located. Lys said the timeline for the work is pending DEC permitting and approval. Rheinstein Preserve has been under East Hampton Town stewardship since 1972, when town officials bought the land for $360,000 — with a $270,000 contribution from the federal government. The land became a nature preserve in 1993, with the name chosen by town officials, Rheinstein Park and Nature Preserve, harking back to a rich history on the property. The land was owned by Wall Street stockbroker Sidney Rheinstein from the mid 1940s until he died in 1968. The property, by that point, was beginning to feel the drastic impacts of coastal erosion: A portion of the house built there in 1928 began dangling over the side of the eroded bluff in the early 1970s. Montauk got yet another stark reminder of this over the summer, when the bluff eroded enough to expose the bygone estate’s septic system, which was left in the ground after the house was removed decades ago. East Hampton Town officials quickly mobilized and got emergency clearance to remove the long-defunct septic system — but not without taking another significant chunk out of the face of the bluff. *** A public forum on the results of the water testing conducted near the battery energy storage system, or BESS, in East Hampton will be held at the East Hampton Emergency Services Building on Wednesday, October 14…that’s tomorrow evening…from 6 to 8 p.m. Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine is expected to be joined by East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen and other government officials, including members of local fire departments. Tomorrow’s meeting is open to the general public. The Emergency Services Building is located at 1 Cedar Street in East Hampton Village…where tomorrow’s public forum begins at 6 p.m. Results of the water testing conducted near the BESS facility in East Hampton are expected to be disclosed and discussed. *** New York college-educated residents have a higher unemployment rate than their less-educated peers for the first time in more than a decade, according to labor statistics highlighted by the New York City comptroller — who suggested AI might be to blame. Alex Oliveira reports in THE NY POST that New Yorkers aged 22 to 27 with college degrees hit 7.3% unemployment in March 2026 — compared to a 7.1% rate for NYC residents in the same age bracket with no higher education, Comptroller Mark Levine said in a Sunday post on X. Unemployment among college-educated young New Yorkers has been slowly increasing since the spring of 2024, while decreasing among those without degrees since the fall of that year, according to data compiled by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. It was the first time in at least 15 years — since January 2011 — that young New Yorkers with college degrees were unemployed at higher rates than those without degrees, according to a graphic shared by Levine. The comptroller’s figures came from a May report his office released where he cautioned that New York was “sleepwalking into the age of AI.” That report warned AI could cost the Big Apple about 300,000 jobs and $14 billion in tax dollars — gutting the local economy for both workers and the city alike. New York’s high concentration of white collar jobs are what makes the city extremely vulnerable to AI-driven job loss, according to the report. The comptroller’s office, citing figures Anthropic, found a high-concentration of AI usage among computer and mathematical-based jobs in the city. “I see NYC as the canary in the coal mine. Our core industries are all extremely AI exposed,” Levine wrote on X. AI could also end up being a boon to the city. The NYC comptroller’s office forecasted a boost in about 52,000 new jobs from AI by 2030 if proper measures are taken. *** The only New York State gubernatorial debate is set for this evening with Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman needing to make a bigger impact than Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul because time and money are running short, strategists told Newsday yesterday. The one-hour debate is set for 7 p.m. It will be aired live on NY1 and Spectrum News cable station, as well as the websites of both NY1 and Spectrum News 1 New York, and on the station and Spectrum's YouTube channel. It’s just the candidates and news panelists, no audience. Yancey Roy reports in NEWSDAY that Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, trails the Democrat by 9 to 12 points in the latest independent public opinion polls. He reported having $178,000 in his campaign account — the lowest amount for a GOP gubernatorial candidate this close to Election Day in a generation. Hochul has $18.5 million. Combined, political strategists said, this means Blakeman needs to make a big impact — this week. "His audience really is the donor class," said Michael McKeon, a GOP consultant and former press secretary to the last Republican to become New York governor, George Pataki. "The issue is, if Blakeman can have a strong [debate] performance and generate buzz and then use that to drive money to his campaign for a strong finish," McKeon said. "But it’s getting very late. This is probably the last week he has to make a difference to raise money and spend it in time." That’s because ads need to be crafted and television time purchased with enough cushion for the ads to run seven to 10 days to make an impression with voters, he said. Election Day is three weeks away, on Nov. 3. Early voting starts Oct. 24. Neal Kwatra, a veteran Democratic campaign consultant, said the final three weeks are more about get-out-the-vote efforts for a candidate’s supporters than "persuasion time," meaning winning over undecided voters. "Hochul needs to show she is not out of touch, that she recognizes people are struggling and that there is an affordability crisis. She has to guard against looking like she’s disconnected from everyday people," Kwatra said. The one-hour gubernatorial debate is set for tonight at 7 p.m. on NY1 and Spectrum News cable stations and their online sites including YouTube. *** The Big Duck, the Grumman planes in Calverton and other familiar Long Island landmarks will glow in teal, green and pink tonight, drawing attention...

  2. 4d ago

    Hampton Jitney doubling down on green energy solar micro-grid

    Four years ago, the Suffolk County Water Authority contacted several homeowners associations and condominium complexes to help them identify ways they could conserve water. Tracy Tullis reports in NEWSDAY that homeowners associations are classified as commercial customers, since the individual residences are not metered separately. And last year, HOAs and other residential complexes accounted for 13 of the water authority's top 20 commercial consumers. "We had very good initial conversations. There was definitely some interest," Jeff Szabo, the authority’s CEO, told Newsday. But the efforts collapsed. "I wish we’d had more participation," Szabo said. In all, the authority's top 20 commercial consumers drew more than a billion gallons of water from public wells last year: 570 million for HOAs and 491 million for the rest, including natural gas and waste-to-energy power plants, a hospital and a food manufacturing company. Long Island gets all its water — for drinking, bathing, washing cars, irrigating lawns, and for industrial and commercial purposes — from the aquifer system that lies under layers of sand, gravel, clay and silt. The aquifer from which these hundreds of millions of gallons of fresh water is pumped is "under stress," according to a 2024 study by the U.S. Geological Survey. Overpumping in some wells close to the coasts has allowed saltwater to seep inland into the groundwater — a phenomenon known as saltwater intrusion. The median SCWA residential customer uses 125,882 gallons a year, most of it in summer when lawns are being irrigated. In July, as much of Long Island was in moderate drought and the East End was in severe drought, SCWA instructed its customers to stop watering their lawns immediately. Without significant conservation measures, there was an immediate danger that low pressure would inhibit fire departments' ability to pump water. Pumping water to keep lawns green has already lowered the water table, dried up local streams, and draws not just salt water but plumes of contamination toward drinking water wells. Some experts suggest that investing in new water-saving systems for aging fossil fuel plants at this juncture could be a poor choice — economically as well as ecologically. In the meantime, Szabo of the Suffolk County Water Authority is hoping to restart discussions with some of its heaviest commercial water users, possibly next year. "it's something we're looking to reignite again," he said. "We're looking for interest from the private sector to partner with us to reduce overall consumption." *** After more than a year of legal tedium in a trio of court cases over the rights of the Shinnecock Nation to develop a gas station on its land in Hampton Bays, a Washington, D.C., judge last week ordered that the cases should at least be consolidated in the same New York court for the sake of convenience and fairness to most of those involved. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that having three cases that all focus in some form on the Shinnecock Nation and the legal status of the land known as Westwoods in Hampton Bays wending their way through separate federal courts — one in Washington, the other on Long Island — made little logistical or legal sense, the judge, District Court Judge Carl Nichols, agreed, siding with attorneys for the Shinnecock. Judge Nichols last week approved a request by the Shinnecock Nation’s attorneys to move a lawsuit filed in August 2025 by the Town of Southampton against the U.S. Department of the Interior from the Washington court where it was filed to the Eastern District Court in Central Islip. The nation had intervened to make themselves a party to the town’s suit shortly after it was filed, since it focused directly on a finding by the federal agency about the Shinnecock’s Westwoods land. Southampton Town’s law firm, Morgan Lewis Bockius LLP, had argued that the case should remain in the Washington, D.C. court because that is where the defendant federal agency and its lawyers are based, and because the case does not have any direct connection to New York, since it focuses more on the administrative process that Interior staffers had followed prior to making a determination about the status of Westwoods in early 2025. Two other lawsuits filed by the Shinnecock, one against the town and a second against New York State, are being handled in the Islip federal court. Beyond the logistical ruling — which itself had been the subject of numerous motions, cross motions and document filings — the three cases have done little more than simmer in 2026, advancing with the tediously slow legal progress common in the early stages of complicated legal fights. All three suits swirl around the nation’s rights at Westwoods, the 79-acre parcel of land owned by the Shinnecock, bisected by Sunrise Highway in Hampton Bays, where the nation installed two highway-side electronic billboards in 2019 and began construction on a gas station in 2024. *** Shelter Island Friends of Music presents JIJI with Danbi Um, guitar and violin duo, this coming Sunday, October 11, at 6:00 pm in the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church. Admission is free. Donations are appreciated. After the concert you are invited to join the musicians for a wine and cookies reception. Guitarist JIJI and violinist Danbi Um form a dynamic duo acclaimed for their expressive artistry and inventive programming. Both artists are celebrated soloists in their own right, and together they craft performances of striking intimacy, rhythmic vitality, and emotional power—bridging genres and eras in seamless dialogue performing music by Corelli, Paganini, Piazzolla, and others. That’s this Sunday at 6 p.m. in the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, 32 North Ferry Road, Shelter Island, N.Y. 11964. *** One of northeastern United States premier bus and tour operators is doubling down on green energy with a solar-powered microgrid that could become a regional hub for other commercial vehicles and a future fleet of battery-powered Hampton Jitneys. Mark Harrington reports in NEWSDAY that for months, Hampton Jitney, which operates from a primary hub in Calverton and offices at The Omni in Southampton, has been working with energy management firm Sprocket Power to design a facility that will use solar panels, commercial battery storage and electric vehicle charging for a planned fleet of electric buses for travel throughout the NYC metro area. The facility will also be a regional center for other commercial users, including those from local schools and transportation companies that already lease space at the company’s Calverton yard, to charge future electric vehicles, according to Sprocket and Hampton Jitney. While the plan may help H.J. reduce its carbon footprint, it’s also economical: the transportation company expects to cut per-mile fuel costs by more than 75% under the new plan, according to a company statement. Even while the federal government has begun eliminating or sunsetting generous federal tax credits for solar and batteries, Sprocket has been able to time the work to receive available credits while working with PSEG Long Island to receive credits for battery availability, said Maria Fields, Sprocket’s co-founder and chief executive. Phase one of the ongoing project is expected to be completed by year's end, she said. Making sure Hampton Jitney received the credits by scheduling the work within federal deadlines is “a very nice offset to the cost of a project like this," Fields said. “They wanted to be sure they beat that deadline." The tax credit can cut around a third of the cost of the project. Andrew Lynch, vice president of family-owned Hampton Jitney, in a statement said the plan “allows us to stabilize and control our long-term operating costs as we commit to absolute leadership in fleet electrification." Lynch, who sits on the board of the Cornell Cooperative Extension, told NEWSDAY that he envisions hubs such as the one in Calverton be a big benefit to local farmers, helping them reduce their biggest energy cost: fuel. He emphasized that the battery storage technology and design at his facility are quite different from batteries that have experienced fires around the state, including in East Hampton. The battery chemistry is improved and the design more modular without water suppression systems. The company views its hub as important on several levels. "Building this microgrid represents the next chapter in our commitment to the communities we serve," he said in the statement. “It ensures we continue to provide completely reliable service while driving the transition to a sustainable future." *** Respiratory virus season is here, the time when flu, COVID-19 and RSV cases ramp up on Long Island and throughout the United States. The peak is usually around December and January. Lisa L. Colangelo reports in NEWSDAY that this year’s flu season seems to be starting earlier, New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said during an event in Utica earlier this week. He said the spread of cases has moved from sporadic to regional more quickly than usual. Vaccine hesitancy, once reserved for COVID-19 and certain childhood vaccinations, is now impacting the number of people receiving flu shots, experts said. For years, it was a routine part of an annual health check list. While many senior citizens appear eager to get their vaccines, infectious disease experts are concerned about declining flu vaccination rates among other age groups. About 52.1% of people over the age of 6 months received the flu vaccine in 2020-21, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and...

  3. 5d ago

    Hochul currently holds 11-point lead over Blakeman, according to Marist poll

    The home healthcare sector last year withheld more wages from employees than any other industry on Long Island, a Newsday analysis of state and federal labor investigations found. Nearly 40% of $3.9 million in wages deemed stolen by Nassau- and Suffolk-based employers came from home healthcare companies, ahead of the amounts attributed to restaurants and construction firms, records show. An increasingly aging population and the desire to avoid costly nursing homes, both locally and statewide, is driving a boom in home healthcare that is requiring more aides — especially ones who may be vulnerable to wage theft, experts and worker advocates said. "Home healthcare is one of those areas that’s still the Wild West," said Janice Fine, the director of the Workplace Justice Lab at Rutgers University, a worker research and advocacy center. Anastasia Valeeva and Josefa Velásquez report in NEWSDAY that statewide, there are about 1,400 home healthcare agencies, and the industry employs more than 663,000 people, according to state and federal data, making it one of New York’s largest employment segments. Roughly 500 agencies are licensed to serve Long Island. A combination of the workforce’s isolation, low wages, unique pay structure and its preponderance of women and immigrants lends itself to mistreatment, including wage theft, the experts and advocates said. Home care aides in New York earned an average of $39,620 in 2025, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, making them among the health sector’s lowest paid workers. In fact, 61% of them were on some form of public assistance in 2023, with almost a third on food and nutrition assistance such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, according to PHI, a research advocacy group that analyzes census data. Home health aides on Long Island, New York City and Westchester earn $19.65 an hour plus 1.5 times their regular rate if they work more than 40 hours a week. Live-in aides are typically only paid for 13 hours of work a day, provided they get eight hours of rest — including at least five hours of uninterrupted sleep — and three hours for meals. But whether someone had to work during their rest hours can be "grounds for a lot of disputes," with usually just the aide and a client able to verify claims, said Bill Hammond, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute who focuses on healthcare issues. Newsday’s analysis found that a third of Long Island home healthcare companies have been cited for owing back wages by investigators on two or more occasions. *** The day has finally arrived. The new Target department store, located in Bridgehampton Commons, is officially open for business. The 90,000-square-foot space was formerly home to Kmart, which closed for good in October 2024. Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that representatives from Target have said that the store has created about 140 jobs and will provide convenient access to everyday essentials, groceries and same-day fulfillment services. The store will also feature an in-store CVS Pharmacy, which is slated to open next month. The store will also feature a Starbucks cafe, what representatives described as a “food-forward” shopping experience, and adult beverage offerings. On Tuesday, store manager Adriana Fitzpatrick told the media that while Target is a global corporation, the Bridgehampton store will be an active part of the local community. “Our team’s work extends beyond our store walls…Target team members are active in local communities, volunteering and working to address our neighborhood’s most pressing issues…We’re looking forward to partnering with local nonprofit organizations and creating opportunities for our Bridgehampton team to give back.” With the arrival of Target, Bridgehampton Commons once again has a large-scale department store where shoppers can buy a wide variety of home goods and groceries. Having that type of store in that exact location within the Commons is a longstanding tradition. Kmart was there for several years, and in was the last full-size Kmart in mainland United States to close its doors. Before Kmart, Caldor occupied the space. And prior to that Woolco operated where there is now a new Target in Bridgehampton. While the store is already open to the public, there will be a special grand opening celebration this coming Sunday, October 11. *** The Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, in collaboration with Guild Hall, is inviting local middle and high school students to participate in its second annual ARF Holiday Card Contest. The winning artwork will be featured on ARF’s professionally printed 2026 holiday card and mailed to supporters throughout the community. Open to students in grades six through 12, the contest asks participants to illustrate one ARF dog and one ARF cat currently available for adoption. The theme is “holiday spirit,” paired with ARF’s mission of giving animals a second chance. Original artwork is required, and AI-generated work is not permitted. Entries are due by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, November 5. Submissions should be emailed to info@arfhamptons.org with the subject line “ARF Holiday Card Contest” and include the student’s name, grade, school and contact information. The winner will be announced December 1, with the holiday card scheduled for release in early December. The contest launched this week. For more information, visit arfhamptons.org, or call 631-537-0400. *** Offshore wind power morphed from distant concept to boat-rocking, head-spinning reality for several dozen Long Island and New York City schoolteachers on Saturday when a national conservation group led its first educator voyage to a New England wind-power lease area. Mark Harrington reports in NEWSDAY that the boat ride sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation was aimed at helping fill curricula following a recently enacted New York State mandate to provide climate-change education in public schools statewide. The federation and advocating students pushed hard for the NYS Board of Regents to pass the mandate in March, said Emily Fano, climate resilience education leader at the federation. "This is a wonderful way for you all to learn about this and bring it back to your classrooms," she told the group. The high-speed ferry left Greenport early Saturday, taking a route that passed Plum Island and later, Block Island, Rhode Island, where the nation’s first five offshore turbines began operating in 2016. The main attraction was the South Fork Wind, the 12-turbine array 35 miles off Montauk that has been producing power to the East End of Long Island since 2023, powering tens of thousands of homes year-round, but mostly in winter. The ship also passed the recently completed Revolution Wind farm, a 65-turbine project that is bringing all its 705 megawatts of power to the New England grid, chiefly to Rhode Island and Connecticut. It and four other projects had been temporarily halted by a Trump administration stop-work order earlier this year that was thrown out in federal court. The tour avoided discussion of President Donald Trump's criticism of wind farms, including his efforts to pay big wind developers to stop projects, and claims of harm to whales and national security. No new projects have been permitted since he took office in 2025. Still visibly under construction was the Sunrise Wind project, an 84-turbine project that’s more than two-thirds complete. The massive array field that stretched to the horizon showed a mix of completed towers affixed with blades, foundations just above sea level, an offshore substation and barge work on the $7 billion project. It’s scheduled to bring its 924 megawatts of power to the Long Island grid next year, making landfall at Smith Point and connecting at Holtsville. Teachers were impressed. "It’s a lot more impactful to have that personal experience than to just read about in a textbook or newspaper," said Joshua Maines, a fifth-grade teacher and Climate Action Club adviser at the Barton Elementary School in the Patchogue-Medford district. He called the turbines "stunning." Kelsey LaPort, a library teacher for the Sayville school district, said the experience was "just breathtaking, to see the scale of [the turbines], see how much energy they produce. And the part of the trip I really loved [was] all the facts." The federation has been working with offshore wind regulators and developers for the past decade "to advocate for offshore wind to be developed responsibly, with protections in place for offshore wildlife, habitats and communities," said Sasha Horvath, the federation's coordinator for offshore wind energy. (Commercial fishing groups have opposed offshore wind and even some conservationists have complained about "industrialization" of the ocean.) "With New York becoming the epicenter of offshore wind energy, we think it’s especially important for students across the state to learn about renewable energy, especially when it’s taking place right off their coastline," Horvath said. *** Gov. Kathy Hochul holds an 11-point lead over Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, but is losing ground among independents with just four weeks to go in New York’s gubernatorial race, a newly released Marist poll shows. As reported The survey sampled 1,361 registered voters across New York state and found the Democratic governor ahead of her Republican rival 53% to 42%. But Blakeman had a strong showing among independent voters, carrying 49% in the survey compared to 42% who backed Hochul. And the two are in a dead heat in New York State’s suburbs, split at 48%. The governor crushed

  4. 6d ago

    Riverhead sees more ICE arrests than anywhere else on the East End

    As the Trump administration continues its deportation crackdown, there have been more arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Riverhead than anywhere else on Long Island’s East End. It has become the epicenter of uncertainty for a population that helps make the region work and now lives in ICE's shadow. Alek Lewis reports in NEWSDAY that interviews with immigrants, advocates, educators and business owners point to a community adjusting in real time: workers skipping jobs when ICE is around, children anxious in school, court appearances missed, families making contingency plans. Even Latinos with legal status and U.S.-born family members report heightened anxiety, with fears of racial profiling and family separation. Fewer athletes are playing soccer on Riverhead's fields and fewer fans are attending games because of ICE's presence, Newsday has reported. One immigrant was arrested when he showed up at the nearby court complex, which discouraged others from making their required appearances, advocates said. Riverhead serves as a gateway to the East End and a critical hub for immigrants. One-third of residents in Riverhead, and two-thirds of students in Riverhead schools, are Latino. Immigrant workers support industries key to the East End’s economy, like construction, restaurants, hospitality and farming. And over the last 35 years, the Latino population of Riverhead hamlet has skyrocketed from 2.5% in 1990 to 38% in 2020, according to U.S. Census data. Across Riverhead Town, which spans 67 square miles, one-fifth of residents are Hispanic or Latino, and 16% are foreign-born. A Guatemalan consulate office opened in Riverhead in 2021. Overall the number of undocumented immigrants living in Riverhead has not been officially determined. Broader regional estimates from advocacy groups and analyses of census data estimate that the entire Long Island area (Nassau and Suffolk counties combined) is home to roughly 88,000 to over 110,000 undocumented residents, with Suffolk County historically accounting for about half of that total. *** A former vice president of the Sag Harbor Elementary School Parent Teacher Association avoided jail time at her sentencing yesterday for embezzling more than $14,000 from the organization’s account, officials said. Hope Livingston, 50, was sentenced to five years of probation yesterday after previously pleading guilty to committing third-degree grand larceny, a felony, by pilfering PTA funds. As reported in The Sag Harbor Express, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said Livingston stole more than $14,000 while serving as the PTA’s co-treasurer, from July 2021 to June 2022, and vice president, from July 2022 through June 2024. According to the D.A.’s office and Livingston’s guilty plea allocution, she abused a PTA debit card, using it to pay for her own personal expenses. Acting Supreme Court Justice Anthony S. Senft also ordered Livingston to pay $14,487 in restitution. “Restitution is an important part of accountability, particularly when the money stolen was entrusted to a parent teacher association to benefit students and the school community,” D.A. Tierney said in a statement. “This sentence requires the defendant to repay what she took and serves as a reminder that those who steal from Suffolk communities will be held accountable.” The use of the card for personal expenses — which included purchases from Costco, Amazon, Target, Lululemon and various local Sag Harbor businesses — was discovered in September 2024 when the bank account was turned over to new board members, according to the DA’s office, which added that, on numerous occasions, Livingston also withdrew cash directly from the PTA bank account. "She fully expressed regret for her actions and plans to work on a successful probation and pay back what she owes in hopes of expressing how sorry she truly is," Livingston's defense attorney, Ed Burke Jr., told Newsday. *** The North Fork Civics Coalition will hold a forum on “Housing & Septic on the North Fork” at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Greenport tomorrow evening at 6:30 p.m. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that Thursday’s free forum is designed to shed light into the difficulties affordable housing developers have had in attempting to get permits to construct affordable housing on the North Fork, and what can be done in the future to amend Article 6 of the Suffolk County septic code to ensure housing can be built to meet the dire need. How much can we build and how will it affect our environment? That challenge will be discussed tomorrow evening from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. during North Fork Civics Forum: Housing & Septic at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 768 Main Street, Greenport, N.Y. 11944. *** East Hampton Town officials are looking to buy and preserve around 38 acres in the former Wainscott Sand & Gravel mine for $36.3 million. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that the property in question, tucked between Wainscott Northwest Road and Montauk Highway, is the same one where John Tintle was looking to create a controversial 50-lot subdivision to develop a light-industrial complex that was known as the Wainscott Commercial Center. With the Town of East Hampton now looking to buy a substantial slice of the 70-acre site at 104 Wainscott Northwest Road with a combination of Community Preservation Fund money and a bond, any plans for redevelopment would have to be substantially revised in order to move forward with the Town Planning Board. “That application is still pending,” Town Planning Director Tina LaGarenne said. “However, the last subdivision map formally submitted was created before two of the lots were sold to a different entity and therefore it is out of date. We do not have a submission for this site under active review currently.” The lion’s share, nearly 87 percent, of the $36.3 million would come from the Community Preservation Fund, while the remaining 13 percent would be bonded. This breaks down as 33 acres and 5 acres, respectively — with different uses for each. “This is a very significant opportunity for Wainscott,” Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said. “We have the chance to protect more than 33 acres for open space and recreation, while also securing land that can help us meet future municipal needs. When we make decisions of this size, we have to think not only about today, but about what will best serve the community for many years to come.” The East Hampton Town Board has scheduled a public hearing on the purchase for Thursday, October 15. *** Residents pressed the Riverhead Industrial Development Agency Monday evening to explain why the developer of a proposed Town Square hotel should receive a 20-year property tax abatement whose value has not yet been disclosed. The agency closed the hearing without deciding on the request, and its chairman announced a further public hearing after a proposed tax agreement is prepared. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that J. Petrocelli Riverhead Town Square LLC is seeking sales and mortgage recording tax exemptions totaling about $1.5 million, along with a 20-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement, or PILOT, for a proposed $35.15 million, 94-room hotel on East Main Street. The dollar value of the requested property tax break remains unknown. Representatives of the developer said the project faces substantial construction costs and financing uncertainty. Joe Petrocelli cited the cost of building on the site, including deep foundation piles, and the difficulty of attracting visitors to a new downtown hotel. Steve Shauger, the director of management and operations at the Hyatt Regency Tapestry, who discussed the project’s financial projections for the applicant, said the requested exemptions and PILOT would provide predictable costs needed to secure financing. The developer’s attorney, Eric Russo, said the company is still negotiating with lenders. It has not begun hotel construction, Russo said. The Riverhead Industrial Agency Board voted to close Monday’s hearing. It took no vote on the developer’s request for financial assistance. *** Turtleback Conservation Center will hold a family celebration of World Migratory Bird Day at Landcraft Garden Foundation in Mattituck this Saturday, Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Learn ways you can help birds during migration -and year round. They will go on a hike to look for migrating birds, particularly warblers and raptors. Dr. Carmen Campos of PuppetEd will be joining the fun with an interactive puppet show about bird migration! The program is free and friendly for all members of the family. That’s this coming Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon during the Turtleback Conservation Center World Migratory Bird Day Celebration at Landcraft Garden Foundation, 4342 Grand Avenue, Mattituck, N.Y. 11952 More information here. *** Want to know what your employer really thinks of you? Soon, it will be easier for New Yorkers to find out. Allison Lax reports in THE NY POST that starting Sunday, November 8th, a new employee personnel records access law will go into effect for public and private employers in New York State, equipping current and former employees with new rights to view — and, when necessary, dispute — the contents of their records. The new ruling came about after Governor Kathy Hochul signed Senate Bill 3460 into law early in September, adding Section 210-B to the New York Labor Law. It will enable New Yorkers employed by both...

  5. Oct 6

    New York joins 15 other states in a lawsuit seeking to restore childhood vaccine schedule

    New York joined 15 other states yesterday in a lawsuit seeking restoration of the childhood vaccine schedule rolled back by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. John Asbury reports in NEWSDAY that the lawsuit — which names Kennedy and Dr. Erica Schwartz, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as defendants — is asking a federal judge to order the childhood schedules restored for seven vaccines, including for hepatitis B, the flu, RSV and meningitis. The suit also is asking the judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to declare the CDC’s new vaccine schedule illegal; invalidate the agency's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a panel that made the recommendations; and reverse Kennedy's order against hepatitis B vaccinations for infants at birth. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ... delivered an unprecedented attack on the nation’s evidence-based childhood immunization schedule," the lawsuit states. "Under the direction of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, the CDC stripped seven childhood vaccines of their universally recommended status, in favor of senseless complexity and equivocation that will make children sicker and strain state resources." The states’ lawsuit also is challenging Kennedy's June 2025 firing of the previous panel of the CDC immunization committee, which sets U.S. vaccine recommendations. New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday added the state to the lawsuit, which was filed by attorneys general in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin, along with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. "Every parent wants their child to grow up healthy and protected from preventable diseases," James said in a statement. "For decades, these vaccines have kept millions of children out of the hospital and saved countless lives. Families deserve guidance grounded in science, and these abrupt changes put children's health at risk. I will keep fighting to protect our kids and make sure every family can trust the advice they get from their pediatrician." The CDC reduced the number of recommended vaccines from 17 to 11 in January, while still recommending shots for polio, whooping cough, chickenpox, measles, tetanus and HPV. The agency also stopped recommending the COVID-19 vaccine for all children. New York State officials said they would continue to follow the traditional recommended schedule for all 17 vaccines. State lawmakers passed legislation in May that separated state guidance from federal agencies and maintained vaccine requirements for school enrollment and traditional guidance for children and newborns. *** The Shinnecock Indian Nation’s first woman chairperson announced she will temporarily step down from her duties to deal with unspecified medical issues. Mark Harrington reports in NEWSDAY that in a letter to Shinnecock tribe members, Lisa Goree said she had experienced “some serious medical issues that require me to focus my attention on my health.” Her three-month leave, recommended by her doctors, will mean that her responsibilities as the nation’s highest ranking member will be shared by council members and staff. “I have the utmost confidence in our council of trustees, executive cabinet, as well as staff that have always remained committed to keeping the business of the nation a priority,” Goree wrote. Lance Gumbs, the nation’s vice chairman, will take on the role of interim chairman. The move comes as the Shinnecock Nation...whose federally recognized tribal territory is adjacent west to Southampton Village...has faced challenges to its economic development plans in Hampton Bays. New York State has filed multiple legal actions seeking to shut down its Sunrise Highway digital billboards, a primary income source for the nation, and the Town of Southampton has filed suit to block construction of its travel plaza gas station on the north side of Route 27. Both initiatives are on more than 80 acres of tribal land called Westwoods in Hampton Bays that was recognized as being federally protected in a U.S. Department of the Interior finding over a year ago. Southampton Town and New York State have challenged that federal finding in court. Goree, who in 2025 was elected as the first woman to serve as chair of the council of trustees, also works for Southampton Town in the assessor’s office, a position she said yesterday she will continue to hold. *** Riverhead Town police officers will be at four local businesses tomorrow morning for Coffee with a Cop Day, inviting residents to stop in for an informal conversation over coffee. As posted on Riverheadlocal.com, police officers will be at the following locations from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Wednesday Oct. 7: Wildcat Bagel Deli, 6243 Route 25A, Wading RiverLolly’s Hut, 1290 Old Country Road, RiverheadEl Deli Chapin de Riverhead, 303 Osborn Avenue, RiverheadBlack Sheep Bagels, 1451 Main Road, Jamesport Coffee with a Cop is a national program first launched in Hawthorne, California in 2011, the result of a brainstorming session on ways to better connect with the community. The events have now been hosted in all 50 states and the program is considered one of the most successful community-oriented policing programs in the country. It opens the door for interactions outside of the crisis situations that typically bring law enforcement officers and community members together, organizers say. The Riverhead Town Police Department has participated in the program since 2016. *** A bipartisan lineup of town supervisors from Suffolk County, New York is urging the state to loosen the tax cap formula, warning the 2% limit on property tax hikes is too restrictive. Carl MacGowan reports in NEWSDAY that six town leaders — four Republicans and two Democrats — said during a news conference yesterday that rising prices for fuel and supplies as well as employee pension and healthcare funds have made it nearly impossible to stay within the cap. And, they added at Brookhaven Town Hall in Farmingville on Monday that it may be impossible to comply if waste disposal costs explode when, as expected, the Brookhaven Town landfill closes in two years. Parks and recreation budgets may be the first to take the brunt of cuts next year, some supervisors said. Towns may have to cut staff at beaches and golf courses and as a result, limit hours there. Concerts at town parks may also be on the chopping block, officials said. Town officials, some of whom face reelection on Nov. 3, must enact new budgets by Nov. 20 under state law. The problem, they said, is the cap drops when the national inflation rate falls below 2%, but does not automatically rise when it exceeds that threshold. By the end of August the Consumer Price Index, which measures inflation, was up 3.4% from a year earlier, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The supervisors yesterday signed a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul seeking "open dialogue" to adjust the state tax cap formula and address "the growing financial pressures facing local government." In the letter, supervisors said they were forced to "absorb significant costs that we have no vote, voice or authority to determine." In a statement, Hochul spokesman Gordon Tepper said Monday the tax cap, which took effect in 2012, "is a critical protection for homeowners." He added that Hochul, a Democrat, "has provided more support to local governments than any other governor ..." "Elected officials across the state should be looking for ways to control costs, not asking homeowners to pay more," he said. The supervisors who attended yesterday's gathering were Dan Panico (Supervisor, Town of Brookhaven) – HostEd Smyth (Supervisor, Town of Huntington)Maria Moore (Supervisor, Town of Southampton)Ed Wehrheim (Supervisor, Town of Smithtown)Albert J. Krupski Jr. (Supervisor, Town of Southold)Tony Martinez (Deputy Supervisor, representing the Town of Babylon). *** The Village of Greenport will receive $2 million to upgrade its 100-year-old sewer system, $500,000 to upgrade its parks and playgrounds and $150,000 for sewer infrastructure improvements, New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Assembly Member Tommy John Schiavoni announced yesterday at a press conference at the village’s Third Street basketball courts. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that Speaker Heastie said this investment in the sewer system is just the beginning — the Assembly will be working when it reconvenes in January of 2027 to allocate as much as $8 million more toward Greenport Village sewers. “The $2 million is a down payment and a placeholder, but we’re going to try to get you an entirety of $10 million in the state budget next year,” Speaker Heastie told a crowd of village residents and elected officials gathered Monday on the basketball court. “Don’t thank me — this is your money, state money. What’s the best way to spend money? On things that people need every day in their lives, whether it’s parks for young people but also infrastructure for new housing.” Greenport Mayor Kevin Stuessi said the $2 million for the sewer system would go toward “replacing pipes and improvements at the sewer plant, and toward pump stations as well.” “All of this allows us to continue to build community housing in this community, which we can rely on, and to work with the town [of Southold] for the greater Greenport area, to allow

  6. Oct 5

    LI police departments more than doubled the number of Flock cameras in the past year

    Education may be priceless, but on Long Island it isn’t cheap. The cost to educate students on Long Island has hit a record high, with districts projected to spend an average $41,913 per student this year, up from about $39,000 last year, a Newsday analysis shows. The rising costs of health insurance, salaries, fuel and other essentials contribute to the increase, along with the need to meet state and federal mandates on special education and other services, Long Island school district officials said. Maura McDermott and Michael R. Ebert report in NEWSDAY that Long Island schools’ costs are rising faster than the metropolitan area's inflation rate, which was 4.3% in August, according to federal figures. “It costs more money to do business on Long Island,” said Bob Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association. Along with other expenses, he said, “salaries are higher here because of regional cost differences, without a doubt.” Vecchio said, “Are costs too high? I would say there's a general sentiment that costs are too high, but a lot of those costs are out of the control of the local school boards and are really dictated by the state or the federal government.” Some critics argued New York taxpayers are spending too much on schools that lag behind other states in academic performance. Statewide, students met or exceeded proficiency standards in English and math at rates of 53.2% and 55.1%, respectively. Long Island students performed better, at rates of 55.5% and 60.1%, the most recent available figures show. Long Island’s projected per-student cost was higher than New York’s average of $37,019 this year, Newsday’s analysis shows. It also is more than double the 2024 national average of $17,619 per student, according to federal data. Tuition paid to charter schools, institutions for students with special needs and out-of-district middle and high schools were also factored into the cost. *** The Southold Town Planning Board is expected to reopen the public hearing on a proposed agricultural storage barn on a controversial proposed farm on Ackerly Pond Road in Southold this evening at 5 p.m. at Southold Town Hall. The applicant had originally proposed a chicken farm there, but recently updated his plan to instead have a fruit and vegetable farm, after complaints from neighbors. Old Westbury resident Grant Callahan, representing 2340 Ackerly Pond LLC, first approached the Southold Town Planning Board about using the currently vacant 16-acre property as a 6,000-hen chicken farm this past winter. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that residents of the subdivision have adamantly opposed the project from the start, starting a petition and repeatedly appearing at Planning Board and Southold Town Board meetings asking the town to intervene to keep the chicken farm from beginning operation. Among their concerns were the intensity of the operation and potential associated dust, disease or vermin. The Southold Town Board has declined to weigh in on the matter, stating that it cannot intervene in applications that are before its land use boards. Southold Town holds a development rights easement on the property which requires it to only be used for agricultural purposes. While Mr. Callahan does not need approval from the Planning Board to raise chickens, he does need approval for a 2,100-square-foot barn he proposed to build not far from the property’s border with a neighboring subdivision on Jasmine Lane. So, the Southold Town Board will reopen the public hearing on this matter at its meeting this evening at 5 p.m. *** The Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons will host its 33rd annual Stroll to the Sea Dog Walk this coming Saturday, October 10, bringing dogs and their owners together for a morning of activities, contests and fundraising in East Hampton. The event will begin Saturday at 9 a.m. at Mulford Farm, 10 James Lane in East Hampton with designer and entertainer Isaac Mizrahi joining the prewalk festivities and awards presentation. The morning will include vendor shopping, food, music and activities for families before the walk to Main Beach begins at 11 a.m. New this year are dog contests for Best Ears, Best Dressed Duo and Best Bark from a Human. Participants also can earn prizes and recognition by reaching fundraising milestones. Registration includes an event T-shirt featuring original artwork by Mizrahi, a tote bag, refreshments and access to vendor booths and activities. Proceeds support ARF Hamptons’ efforts to rescue animals and help them find homes. For registration and additional information, visit arfdogwalk.org. *** Long Island Police Departments have more than doubled their number of Flock Safety cameras recording and logging every passing car in Suffolk County in the past year — with many now targeting the east end. County officials said more than 30 new police AI-powered cameras have been put into place along Suffolk’s roads since August 2025, with several more in the process of being installed, to bring the total number of county-operated Flock Safety cameras from just 25 last year to about 60. That increase is a 140% jump in the cam tech’s reach around Suffolk’s roads through its police since just last fall. Brandon Cruz reports in THE NY POST that Suffolk already has hundreds more Flock Safety cameras blanketing the roads through separate deals with towns, villages, and even private living communities — most of which directly share their data with police through Flock’s sprawling and connected network. Other AI-powered plate readers have also been installed on Suffolk roads that “do not require legislative approval,” but it was not specified where, according to the documents. The new Suffolk cams, which were purchased through a $542,500 law-enforcement tech grant from the state and unanimously approved by the county legislature in August 2025, greatly expanded the county’s surveillance network along the island’s East End. The deal paid for 35 more Flock AI-powered surveillance cameras, with 16 going throughout the East End, including in Southampton, Riverhead, Southold, along Route 114 in Sag Harbor and East Hampton Village, and near Exit 71 on the Long Island Expressway, according to documents published by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. The cameras scan and store info on every car that drives past, including license plates and distinct features such as dents and bumper stickers. That data is then searchable nationwide to cops — who don’t need a warrant to look through Flock’s database — and is able to be used to track a vehicle’s movements. The expansion of the cameras in Suffolk County comes as officials unexpectedly delayed the installation of Flock Safety’s “Raven” listening system — another controversial piece of tech designed by the brand — last month. The separate devices were part of another $4 million deal that the county inked with the company earlier this year. *** A nearly century-old era for King Kullen has come to an end, as the sale of the iconic supermarket chain to another family-owned Long Island grocer has been finalized. Tory N. Parrish reports in NEWSDAY that Giunta’s Meat Farms' purchase of King Kullen Grocery Co. Inc. closed Friday, the grocers said in a joint statement Saturday morning, two months after announcing a sale was planned. Oakdale-based Giunta’s Meat Farms had 10 Long Island stores before its purchase of King Kullen’s 24 supermarkets and four Wild by Nature natural food stores, all of which are in Nassau and Suffolk counties. The purchase price for King Kullen Grocery Co. Inc. has not been publicly disclosed. No grocery stores are expected to close and no employees are expected to be laid off due to the sale, the companies said. Most King Kullen and Giunta’s employees are unionized. "For employees, the expectation is largely business as usual. All existing union contracts will be honored, and union employees should not see a change in the terms of those agreements," the retailers said in the statement. In July, after both retailers announced the impending sale, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union locals said they represented more than 2,160 King Kullen employees. The retailers said the sale of King Kullen will benefit customers, who will see expanded produce, meat and deli departments, and more competitive pricing. "At a time when Long Islanders are facing higher costs across nearly every aspect of daily life, we see the acquisition as an opportunity to increase our buying power to significantly lower prices for consumers throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties," the retailers said in the statement. As for whether stores might be renamed, no decisions have been made yet about which locations will retain the King Kullen name and which will transition to the Giunta’s Meat Farms banner, according to the statement. The Giunta family started in the grocery business in 1952, when Joseph Giunta opened his first grocery store in Queens, according to Giunta’s Meat Farms’ website. Longtime friends Philip Giunta and Peter Levantino opened the first Giunta’s Meat Farms in 1992, the website says. Founded by Michael J. Cullen in Queens in 1930, King Kullen markets itself as "America's first supermarket," a claim confirmed by the Smithsonian Institution. While Hauppauge-based King Kullen remained the largest family-owned grocery chain on Long Island for decades, the grocer and other traditional supermarket chains have closed dozens of stores in the region over the past several years, as more discounters and specialty grocers drew a...

  7. Oct 2

    Suffolk County to open new Italian-American heritage museum

    The booming hospital sector on Long Island, while expanding healthcare capacity, is also taking more property value off the tax rolls, increasing the burden on other taxpayers. And while few question health systems’ nonprofit status, they’ve grown so much that the charity care justifying their exemptions is being scrutinized. A Newsday analysis of property tax records found that nonprofit hospitals removed $4.8 billion in full market value from Long Island’s tax rolls in 2025, up from $2.3 billion in 2015. As health systems build new centers and fill old shopping malls, the number of parcels owned by hospitals claiming a property tax exemption has grown from 260 in 2015 to 301 last year, including numerous sites that currently serve no direct medical or healthcare purpose. Arielle Martinez and Payton Guion report in NEWSDAY that these hospitals are not required to pay tens of millions of dollars annually in county, town, city, village and school district property taxes because of these exemptions, roughly two-thirds of which would otherwise go to school districts across Long Island. To ensure the districts remain solvent, assessors must make up the difference by collecting additional tax from nearby properties, including single-family homes. "It shifts the tax burden onto people who are paying taxes," said Elizabeth Plummer, a professor and taxation expert at Texas Christian University, who has published research on hospital tax exemptions. "There’s a lot of evidence [hospitals] aren’t providing the kind of charity care they’re supposed to to justify the subsidies." The tax-exempt properties now owned by hospitals on Long Island range from emergency rooms and surgical centers to office buildings and parking garages to vacant lots and residential houses. Hospitals have been exempt from local property taxes in New York since at least 1896, but the current tax exemption was codified by the State Legislature in 1981. Hospitals receive these exemptions alongside nonprofit religious, charitable and educational organizations, according to state law. *** Nassau and Suffolk counties are expected to absorb nearly $10 million in costs --- with more costs coming next year --- to support the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, as the Trump administration implements changes tightening eligibility requirements. The funding shift is just one of the changes that could affect SNAP recipients as the federal government seeks to pass costs to the states for the program that feeds thousands of Long Islanders. Tiffany Cusaac-Smith and John Asbury report in NEWSDAY that starting yesterday, Oct. 1, Suffolk County will have to fork over $5.8 million in administrative costs, while Nassau’s additional costs will be $4.1 million. But additional costs from program changes could end up costing New York State more than a billion dollars, according to government figures. Previously, SNAP expenditures were split evenly with the federal government. But now, counties are expected to cover 75% of the program's administrative costs because of changes passed under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, which brought several changes to the nation’s largest food assistance program, formerly known as food stamps. A key change taking effect next year is an increase in costs for states with “high” SNAP payment error rates, a measurement of whether benefits were correctly paid out. Gregory May, director of government relations for the Island Harvest food bank said, "We are extremely concerned about the benefits cost shift that will be coming later on, where New York State could be on the hook for more than a billion dollars, and that is what we're really concerned about. Folks need to have access to those benefits more than anything. Although SNAP recipients are set to see a cost-of-living bump in their benefits, experts warn work requirement changes and other SNAP modifications passed under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will make it harder for people to get necessary food assistance. Long Islanders who lost Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits because of federal work requirements may reapply as of yesterday, Oct. 1. New Yorkers can apply or reapply for SNAP at MyBenefits.ny.gov. Island Harvest also offers assistance with SNAP applications at 631-873-4775 or snap@islandharvest.org. People seeking emergency food assistance can text their ZIP code to 631-450-3775. *** Heart of Springs will host its third annual SpringsFest Saturday afternoon...that's tomorrow from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Parsons Blacksmith Shop, 1 Parson Place in Springs. Saturday’s free community music festival will feature performances by local bands, a craft fair, food trucks, raffles, yard games and a blacksmith demonstration highlighting the trade’s importance to the Springs community nearly 150 years ago. Families are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs and enjoy the fall fair atmosphere. Tomorrow's event is free, although donations are encouraged. Proceeds from donations and sponsorships will support Heart of Springs’ efforts to maintain and restore historic buildings in the Springs Triangle, including the Parsons Blacksmith Shop, Springs Library, Ashawagh Hall and Springs Community Presbyterian Church. Heart of Springs is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and celebrating the cultural, historical and spiritual significance of the Springs Historic District. For more information about this coming Saturday afternoon's SpringFest, go to heartofsprings.org. *** Nearly two years since Crescent Duck Farm in Aquebogue was shuttered due to an outbreak of bird flu, the ducks are back. Erica Marcus reports in NEWSDAY that Long Island duck became famous the world over when scores of farms here were raising the Pekin breed, originally from China. The name persisted even as our farms began to close during the mid 20th century. By 2015, only Crescent, founded in 1908, remained. Then, in January 2025, state and federal authorities instructed Crescent to euthanize its entire flock of about 99,000 birds. Fortunately, owner Doug Corwin had a cache of 15,000 eggs that had been segregated from the affected birds. Those eggs were incubated off site and a third of them hatched — enough to create a new, post-outbreak generation of ducks. At the beginning of September, production resumed at the farm. While Crescent ducks were unavailable, local restaurants had to find alternatives but now, Corwin said, his major wholesale partners are fully stocked. Some chefs were so pumped about the news, they headed out to Aquebogue to pick up the birds themselves. Elmer Rubio, chef-owner of Chachama Grill in East Patchogue has been cooking with Crescent ducks for 30 years, and he was thankful when Corwin called him two weeks ago saying that his order was ready to be picked up. At the Halyard in Greenport, chef Francis Derby said he "already has two cases of duck on hand right now. Other Crescent duck superfans include: Barrow Food House in Riverhead, The Bellport in Bellport, The Fifth Season in Port Jefferson, Jerry and the Mermaid in Riverhead, Modern Snack Bar in Aquebogue, Orto in Miller Place, and in Hampton Bays R. AIRE at Hampton Maid and Villa Paul. *** Suffolk County is opening a brand new museum celebrating Italian-American history, heritage and the generations who helped shape Long Island. Brandon Cruz reports in THE NY POST that Suffolk County officials, alongside numerous Italian-American organizations and activists, announced their plans to build the new museum yesterday, which they said will not only feature the history of how Long Island came to be what it is today, but the contributions of the Italian-Americans who helped forge the region. “So many Italian Americans have contributed to building Long Island and its continued success — we’re finally going to celebrate that properly,” Bob Fonti, who leads the Italian American Political Action Committee, told The Post. Suffolk County is home to roughly 320,000 Italian-Americans — the most in any one county in the country — who account for nearly a quarter of the area’s entire population, according to census data. Neighboring Nassau County is home to an additional 238,000 Italian-American residents, meaning that there are roughly over 557,000 Italian-Americans living between both counties — roughly 20% of Long Island’s whole population, according to census records. Those figures, according to Dr. Joseph Scelsa, the founder and director of Mulberry Street’s Italian American Museum in Manhattan’s Little Italy, makes Long Island the perfect and most obvious location for the next museum, he said. “It’s about time,” Scelsa said as he announced the plans for the museum. “How did we get here — from steerage to the suburbs — that’s what this museum is going to talk about, that’s what this museum is going to tell you about,” Scelsa said, referencing Italian-American contributions. Italian immigrants first started pouring onto Long Island at the turn of the 20th century. Currently, there is no timetable, estimated budget, or set location for the museum’s opening, which officials said they hope to have running in the next few years. The museum will be privately funded. “I hope, next year, we’ll be making announcements on choosing a place — we have exhibits that we’re looking to do,” County Executive Ed Romaine told reporters during Thursday’s announcement. *** The state might owe you money. No, this isn't a scam. Brianne Ledda reports in NEWSDAY that nearly $1.2 billion in unclaimed funds is available across more than 5 million accounts on Long Island, coming from utility...

  8. Oct 1

    Minimum wage to remain at $17 for Long Island going into 2027

    Minimum wage workers in New York State won’t be getting an automatic raise in January after all. For the first time since 2024, the hourly minimum wage will stay flat — at $17 on Long Island — because a dip in jobs suspended automatic increases that are tied to inflation in state law. It's only the third year since 2013 that Long Island's minimum wage hasn't increased. The hourly wage remained at $15 for 2022 and 2023. Keshia Clukey reports in NEWSDAY that the freeze comes as costs of goods and services continue to rise, including for oil and gas, which have increased since the U.S. war with Iran accelerated 7 months ago. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is running for reelection, yesterday proposed changing the law to increase the minimum wage, blaming the war in Iran and President Donald Trump's tariff policies for the rising cost of living. Changes would require a vote from the New York State Legislature, which won’t be back in session until January, and a special session is not likely before the November elections. Minimum wage hikes had been debated each year by the State Legislature until 2023, when it passed a law tying annual increases to inflation. Along with Long Island, the minimum wage in New York City and Westchester County is $17. It is $16 an hour for those in other parts of the state. That law included three "off ramps" that would pause increases in the event of an economic downturn. They are triggered if there’s "negative inflation," if the unemployment rate is up a certain amount and if the state’s seasonally adjusted, nonfarm job numbers from July are lower than what was recorded in January and April. Tying minimum wage to inflation "provided businesses with greater predictability while helping workers keep pace with the cost of living," said Stacey Sikes, acting president and CEO of the Long Island Association, a nonprofit business advocacy group. "Any discussion about revisiting the formula should be driven by economic data and take into account the impact on employers, particularly as businesses across New York continue to face rising costs." In January, there were more than 10 million jobs, but it dropped to 9.97 million in April, according to state labor data. Job numbers increased to 9.99 million in May, but dropped again in July to 9.96 million. The governor’s office blamed, in part, federal policy changes — including changes to immigration enforcement as well as tariffs — for job declines and high costs. The governor, if reelected, said she would introduce legislation in January tweaking the job "off ramp," basing it on a percentage of decline rather than an absolute drop, as well as using a median monthly rate. *** A portion of Dune Road east of the Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays will be closed for several days next week as Suffolk County conducts emergency repairs to a dune damaged by the recent nor'easter. Alek Lewis reports in NEWSDAY that the roughly 1-mile section of the road, which runs parallel to the ocean, will be closed from Monday through Thursday next week, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., for dune restoration activity, Southampton Town said in a notice. The road leads to the western side of Shinnecock Inlet. The oceanfront on Dune Road was severely eroded by the weekend’s nor'easter, according to Southampton Town Emergency Management Administrator Ryan Murphy. Restoration work is being done by the Suffolk County Department of Public Works, which will use 3,000 to 4,000 cubic yards of sand, stated county spokesperson Michael Martino. The dune helps protect the Shinnecock Commercial Fishing Dock, which is just west of the inlet. The dock has 20 boat slips for commercial fishing vessels and a dock house, according to the town, which owns the facility. “It's a critical piece of Southampton infrastructure. It's in the top three commercial fishing stations in the State of New York,” Murphy previously told Newsday. Offshore wave heights on the shoreline peaked at 19 feet, Aram Terchunian, a Westhampton Beach coastal geologist, told Newsday this week. *** The East End Fund for Children and Citarella gathered this past Tuesday afternoon at Citarella East Hampton for a closing ceremony to celebrate the conclusion of the 2026 fundraising season for the coalition, in which they raised $152,475 Dan Stark reports on 27east.com that the fund is a coalition of eight East End nonprofit organizations that provide resources like mental health support, food, counseling, affordable childcare, education and recreational programming to more than 3,500 local children each week. The group’s member organizations are the Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center, the Children’s Museum of the East End. East End Hospice’s Camp Good Grief, the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center, i-tri, Project MOST, the Retreat and the Southampton Youth Association. Though not an official coalition member, Citarella has been a key supporter, raising funds through its locations in Bridgehampton, East Hampton, Southampton and Westhampton Beach that support the work of the fund’s member organizations. Of the funds that were raised this summer, $146,704.46 came from Citarella customers rounding up the cost of their purchases, while $5,770.17 came from Citarella reusable tote bag sales. Since the fund’s inception, $736,325.89 has been raised. *** The North Fork community heard how officials plan to put together the best possible Community Housing program at a public forum at Southold Town Hall this week. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that Southold is in the midst of revamping sections of its town code that involve community housing this fall in order to spend the more than $8.5 million the town has collected in its Community Housing Fund, which can be used for a variety of projects, including to subsidize projects built by developers, construction of accessory dwelling units and down payment assistance, as well as maintaining existing community housing. At the Tuesday, Sept. 29 meeting, the public also got a first look at a series of maps of proposed Community Housing Overlay Districts (CHOD), where multi-family housing could be built. These preliminary maps were prepared by the town’s Planning Department on a hamlet-by-hamlet basis, showing in purple where housing could be built. These areas are generally within hamlet centers or within 1/4 mile of a hamlet center, and on Route 25 and Route 48 within Hamlet Locus {HALO} zones — an area surrounding an existing hamlet center, Town Planning Director Heather Lanza told the crowd. She said the new maps pertain only to multi-family housing, and her department will soon also be exploring how best to guide mixed-use development in the hamlet centers. Southold Town Planners have decided to prioritize code changes involving Community Housing, after scrapping a plan to update the town’s entire zoning code at once last year. The Town of Southold is urging anyone with questions about this project to email zoningupdate@southoldtownny.gov. The town is also posting the documents to its Zoning Update website. *** Flooded streets, polluted drinking water and battering storms: Long Island is grappling with a range of environmental challenges, some of which could worsen in the years to come. A Newsday/Siena poll conducted earlier this month asked respondents to choose which of five environment problems poses the greatest risk to Long Island over the next 10 years. The highest percentage of polltakers, 37%, said contamination of drinking water was their top worry. “Clean water is a compelling necessity for all of us, and therefore it is not surprising it is identified as a primary concern for the public,” Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, told Newsday. The next most common response was coastal flooding, which was cited by 22% of respondents, followed by severe storms, pollution of bays and tick infestations. Esposito also noted drinking water was the top concern for Republicans (41% of whom chose that option), Democrats (32%) and nonaffiliated independent voters (39%). “The results illustrate that both parties can finally agree on something, which is the need for clean drinking water.” She said the results should also provide a nudge to Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign a bill, already passed in the State Legislature, that would strengthen state standards for toxic PFAS chemicals in drinking water. “Clearly, there is strong public support for measures that increase public health protection and advance safe drinking water goals,” Esposito said. Robert Hayes, senior director of clean water at Environmental Advocates NY, likewise mentioned the bill, which aims to codify the federal PFAS limits that the Trump administration has vowed to weaken. “By insulating our state from the federal government's reckless rollbacks, the governor can ensure Long Islanders don't face prolonged toxic exposure when they turn on the tap," Hayes said. "Long Islanders understand that clean drinking water isn't a luxury, it's a necessity.” Tracy Tullis reports in NEWSDAY that advocates for the environment who viewed the poll data said the choice of drinking water— a basic need and also a particular vulnerability on Long Island, where every faucet is fed by the aquifer system — seemed logical. *** The 14th annual SouthamptonFest will start in Southampton Village tomorrow evening with numerous events scheduled for this coming Saturday. Dan Stark reports on 27east.com that the festival begins with the annual kickoff party hosted by the Southampton Rotary Club from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday at Agawam Park,...

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2.5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The Long Island Daily, formerly Long Island Morning Edition, with host Michael Mackey provides regional news stories and special features that speak to the body politic, the pulse of our planet, and the marketplace of life.

Information

  • Creator
    WLIW-FM
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    60
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 WLIW-FM
  • Show Website
    The Long Island Daily

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