Environment

With widespread incidents of tick-borne diseases reported each year, Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman of Montauk has introduced a resolution calling on the county’s vector control division to create a plan of concrete steps to address what he calls an “epidemic plaguing Suffolk County.” Vector Control was created by the county to prevent both mosquito and tick-borne illnesses, but has to date focused primarily on mosquitos. The division, which operates under the Suffolk County Department of Public Works, has an annual budget of $2.5 million that Schneiderman and others believe would be better spent elsewhere. On Tuesday, the county legislature voted to pass the resolution by a wide margin, with 16 legislators voting yes and one legislator, minority leader John M. Kennedy, abstaining.

The former principal of Pierson Middle/High School, talks about current Pierson Principal Jeff Nichols who will be honored at “The Best of the Hamptons,” the upcoming fundraising masquerade cocktail party at B. Smith’s to benefit a new joint venture between Youth Advocacy and Resource Development (The YARD Program) and the Sag Harbor Youth Center.

It’s not just fall that’s in the air these days…it’s also politics. With several races to be decided at the polls in early November, the Noyac Civic Council has been hosting candidates for local office at its meetings in the last two months.

Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman announced this week that Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone has signed legislation to further reduce light pollution from county-owned...

Over 26 percent of American adults suffer from a mental illness in a given year, according to estimates by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). That figure translates to roughly 57 million Americans who are affected by one or more mental disorders at any given time.

Bill Wilkinson has introduced his fourth and final budget as East Hampton Town Supervisor, proposing a $69.96 million spending plan for 2014.

Protecting Wildlife   To the Editor: In the September 18 Sag Harbor Express article ‘Schneiderman clears Hurtles for Turtles,’ there is an implication that the Friends...

With issues like flooding, depletion of shellfish and finfish populations and an increasing number of algal bloom events making news around the region, the overall health of the East End’s waterways — from ponds, streams and bays to the groundwater beneath our feet — have come into question. While many scientific questions remain regarding the causes and solutions of water degradation, a new marine research facility at Stony Brook University’s Southampton Campus may play a key role in answering some of those questions right here in our own backyard. Last Friday, Stony Brook Southampton officially opened its new state-of-the-art Marine Sciences Center for the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS).

Last Saturday afternoon, The Group for Good Government held an East Hampton town board candidate’s debate in the Cedar Street Emergency Services building. Among the participants was Democratic and Independence party candidate Larry Cantwell, who is retiring from his position as East Hampton Village administrator and at this moment, is running unopposed in November’s town supervisor’s race.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has vetoed a bill that would have established a procedure for the state to evaluate a claim for recognition made by the Montaukett Indian Nation.

Address the Source Dear Editor: While I laud the Sag Harbor Express editorial on water quality (“Ticking Clock,” September 12, 2013) and its call for all...

The Long Pond Greenbelt has harbored everything from glaciers to gristmills, but it wasn’t until 15 years ago that it had friends.

At this time of year, when life slows down, Kathy Zeiger can’t help but see the wildlife on the East End. “When there’s a nip in the air I notice the animals more,” she says. “The crush of the season is over. I saw a fox pass in front of my car the other night.” Fauna is, in fact, the theme of “Kingdom Animalia” a new group art exhibit curated by Zeiger which opens this weekend at Dodd’s & Eder in Sag Harbor.

The New York League of Conservation Voters, which works to make environmental sustainability a top political and policy priority in New York State, has...

Several independent environmental groups have joined forces to ensure candidates in this fall’s election for East Hampton town board and supervisor address key environmental...