Nearly four in 10 school board members are current or former teachers, according to a survey by the NYS School Boards Association, reflecting the rising influence of the state’s largest teachers’ union in electing its members to public office. Michael Gormley reports in NEWSDAY that the Pipeline Project of the New York State United Teachers union has helped elect more than 400 of its members to the more than 700 school boards since 2015, according to the union, which has nearly 700,000 members.

Supporters say union members can provide school boards with direct insight from classrooms on curriculum, education policy, student needs and funding priorities. The project is also helping members win seats in the State Legislature and in Congress, according to the union.

But the Pipeline Project has also drawn criticism that the already politically powerful teachers’ union now has a conflicting interest in school boards, which determine spending, including teacher compensation, and set instruction policy in a state with some of the highest property taxes in the nation. State law doesn’t allow teachers and other employees of a school district to serve on that district’s school board as a guard against conflicts of interest, but teachers can serve on their local school boards if they work in other school districts.

In addition, Ken Girardin, director of research at the Empire Center for Public Policy think tank, concluded in his 2023 study that current teachers who work in other districts still pose a conflict by potentially promoting policies to benefit teachers as a group over fiscal prudence. He also said retired teachers and family members of teachers also pose potential conflicts on school boards.

The teachers union, however, said Pipeline and the expertise and funding it provides works for the whole community, and will continue to put more members in elected roles.

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Members of National Grid’s unionized workforce overwhelmingly rejected the company’s "best and final" contract offer in a vote tallied yesterday afternoon, giving both sides about three weeks to reach a new pact before a potential strike. Mark Harrington reports in NEWSDAY that members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1049 voted 617 to 252 to reject the London-based company’s contract offer in a mail-in ballot. The union represents nearly 1,200 workers who operate the National Grid’s natural gas network and LIPA-contracted power plants.

Their contract expired last month but both sides agreed to a contract extension to March 28. The existing four-year contract, which includes no strike and no lockout language, remains in place.

National Grid, in a statement last night said they are “disappointed the tentative agreement we signed with Local 1049 leadership was not ratified by the members, and will continue to negotiate in good faith for a deal that is fair for our hard working employees and affordable for customers.”

"The membership is unhappy and angry at the offer that was given to us after two months of negotiating," said Pat Guidice, business manager for the local, after the vote. "We intend to go back to the table as soon as possible to get an agreement that meets the needs of both sides so we can go on doing our jobs for our Long Island neighbors."

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PSEG Long Island expected to begin work today to remove another section of giant steel high-voltage poles in Eastport, this time on a stretch of roadway that has seen at least two pole-related fatalities. Mark Harrington reports in NEWSDAY that the utility plans to remove five steel poles around a section of County Road 51 that intersects with County Road 111, and replace them with underground lines, according to the company. Two other steel poles will be replaced with shorter "riser" poles that transition the line from overhead to underground. The work includes...

President Donald Trump released a flurry of executive actions over the past month that could lead to increased school taxes in New York, raise the cost of goods from construction materials to gas prices, cut federal funding for transportation and separate immigrant families. Keshia Clukey reports in NEWSDAY that New York and other states don’t necessarily need to follow all of the directives, according to constitutional and public policy scholars and attorneys. But some of the orders carry a threat of billions of dollars in reduced federal aid for not complying.

“An executive order, just as a piece of paper, doesn’t do anything. It has to be implemented,” said Julie Novkov, dean of the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the state University at Albany. “So the real question lies in how federal officials are going to implement executive orders in ways that might have an impact on what the states are doing.”

Generally executive orders are directed at federal government officials and agencies, but those agencies can try to enforce Trump’s policies on states even if they conflict with state-level policies and laws, constitutional scholars and attorneys said.

State officials already have said they plan to resist federal orders that clash with NYS law. If the courts rule in favor of Trump or Congress backs the order, New York risks losing federal funding dollars for not complying — funding the state would likely have to make up for in tax increases, including school taxes.

Several legal challenges have already been brought by state attorneys general, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, against Trump’s directives, setting up constitutional battles on several fronts.

“We need to remember that it is the United States of America, that means 50 co-equal states and we have a government that is built on the consent of the governed,” said Susan Lerner, executive director of the Common Cause/NY good-government group. “We believe in the Constitution, we believe in checks and balances, and therefore we believe the states need to step up and assert their sovereignty in the federalist system and protect state residents.”

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Some Long Islanders plan to participate in a nationwide "economic blackout" today, as a form of protest against what organizers view as corruption among corporations and politicians. Brianne Ledda reports in NEWSDAY that the boycott is one of several protests planned by activists in the coming weeks against large corporations, especially those that have scaled back on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

People's Union USA, a group focused on economic resistance, has taken credit for today’s protest, which was organized primarily on social media. It is a midnight to midnight Friday only boycott, with participants instructed not to make purchases online or in-person — not even food or gas today.

If protesters must purchase something, they should use cash and shop small, the group’s website says.

Long Island experts expressed skepticism at how effective a one-day boycott might be at bringing about policy change, especially without a clear target or goal. Members of progressive coalitions on Long Island, however, still plan to join.

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First National Bank of Long Island, which has several branches on the east end, will merge with ConnectOne Bank, as announced by the two financial institutions this month. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that shareholders of the parent companies of both banks voted in separate special meetings to approve the merger, the companies announced in a press release Feb. 14.

The companies expect the transaction to close in the second quarter of this year, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals.

Upon completion of the transaction, the combined company will operate under the ConnectOne brand. It will have...

Federal officials are giving the MTA until March 21 to end its congestion pricing program in Manhattan, but Gov. Kathy Hochul said New York will continue to mount an "orderly resistance" to the Trump administration’s attempts to kill the tolling plan.

Speaking at the monthly board meeting of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Hochul addressed the uncertain future of congestion pricing after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, in a letter to her last week, said he was rescinding federal approval for the program and requesting an "orderly cessation" of the tolls.

"I will propose something in the alternative: orderly resistance," Hochul said. "The fight’s not over."

Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that Federal Highway Administration executive director Gloria Shepherd followed up Duffy's letter with another telling state, city and MTA officials they "must cease the collection of tolls" by March 21. MTA CEO and Chairman Janno Lieber yesterday confirmed federal officials have told the transit authority to "wind it up" in just over three weeks, but made it clear the MTA has no intention of complying unless ordered by a judge.

Launched Jan. 5 following years of planning, debate and legal challenges, the MTA’s Central Business District Tolling Program charges most vehicles $9 for driving on 60th Street and below in Manhattan during peak hours. The plan aims to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and generate funding for mass transit including the LIRR.

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The Southampton Town Board this past Tuesday closed a public hearing on a proposal to phase out all sand mines on residentially zoned property in town. The board did not indicate when it would vote on the proposal, which has the support of its Democratic majority.

Stephen J. Kotz reports on 27east.com that after reading comments from the Town Planning Board, which also supported the measure, Southampton Town Supervisor Maria Moore said at the February 25 meeting that the board would still have to review the proposed law to make sure it meets the standards of the State Environmental Quality Review Act. Opponents of the measure, who packed an initial public hearing, were nowhere to be found both Tuesday and last month when the board also solicited public comment. The Planning Board also recommended that the Southampton Town Board use money from the Community Preservation Fund to purchase former sand mines, a measure it said would speed up the amortization process. The amortization proposal, which was unveiled last October, would require mines that have extracted all of the sand allowed by their mining permits to close within a year. Those that still have sand left to mine would be allowed to petition the Zoning Board of Appeals for an extension of up to seven years to exhaust their allotments. They would also be allowed to argue before the ZBA that they should be given additional time.

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A British-style boarding school complete with uniforms and boater hats is preparing to open in Oakdale in September, after receiving a provisional charter for a 6-12 school from the NYS Board of Regents.

Harrow International School New York is scheduled to be the first American affiliate of the 450-year-old Harrow School in London, whose alumni include Winston Churchill and Benedict Cumberbatch. The Oakdale campus is undergoing a $100 million-plus renovation, officials said.

Mark Harrington reports in NEWSDAY that Harrow officials led an open house at the 170-acre campus of the former LaSalle Military Academy and St. John’s University in Oakdale on Tuesday.

The school expects to open for up to 80 students this year, with plans to eventually accommodate about 400, a school official said.

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With the infestation of the southern pine beetle on Long Island entering its 12th year, a separate insect and a fungus — along with...

Crescent Duck Farm’s eggs have hatched. The eggs saved for hatching after last month’s outbreak of avian influenza at the Aquebogue farm produced 3,700 ducklings, Crescent Duck Farm President Doug Corwin said last night. About half of them are females. Corwin said he was hoping for a better result, but “so long as we can keep them avian flu-free, we will have just enough for a first generation.” Newborn females will start laying eggs at six months of age. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Corwin said last week he hoped 5,000 eggs would hatch. Some 15,000 eggs were sanitized and cleared by the state for hatching at an off-site hatchery. Of that number, 6,000 were discarded because they did not have embryos growing inside, a determination made by examining the egg with a light. The hatching of 3,700 eggs of the remaining 9,000 was a very low hatching rate, compared to normal rates, Corwin said. But the eggs were already old and a lower rate was anticipated, he said. “As a farmer, I was hoping for better,” Corwin said. With highly pathogenic avian influenza sweeping across the country, the potential looms for another avian flu outbreak. If it happens again, Corwin said, “We’re done.” Corwin said last week he expects the quarantine in place at his farm — Long Island’s last surviving duck farm — will remain in place for another 2-3 months. “We are truly doing our best to keep our legacy strong,” he said.

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Assessments are currently underway by New York State Department of Transportation officials to determine what will be done to address issues with the Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays after its closure last Friday, according to a spokesperson for the Town of Southampton. Michael Malaszczyk of Dan’s Papers reports that the bridge was closed after the department conducted a routine check on the structure and identified conditions that demanded the bridge’s closure. The Ponquogue Bridge, which runs over the Shinnecock Bay in Hampton Bays, is closed indefinitely.

“The state has been out there all day today, rechecking some of the spots that they had identified in the routine inspection, taking a kind of a deeper dive into it to really get a better handle on exactly what’s going on,” Ryan Murphy, a spokesperson for the Town of Southampton, said yesterday. “We’re still kind of in holding pattern, waiting to see what the new assessment data reveals to them and whatever actions they decide are necessary going forward.”

No further information on what was found to be wrong with the bridge was available, nor is a time frame on when the bridge could reopen.

“We hope it’s sooner than later, but we don’t know what the timeframe is yet,” Murphy continued. “The engineers were looking at the data over the weekend. I guess we could surmise that as a result of looking at that data, they wanted to get some additional information, so they sent a team back out today. They’ve been up on the bridge taking a closer look at things. I would imagine that we’ll be looking at at least another couple of days, or day or two for them to go over whatever their findings were today and figure out what can and can’t be done.”

Until then, the Town of Southampton advised drivers to pursue alternate means of accessing Dune Road, and urged everyone to be mindful of the effect the bridge’s closure could have on traffic for the area.

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Top chefs from across Long Island — are coming together for a one-night fundraiser to benefit Crescent Duck Farm workers. “Flock Together: A Culinary Tribute to Crescent Duck Farm” will take place this coming Friday; February 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Tellers Next Door, 599 Main Street in Islip.

Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the event will feature nine top chefs at chef-led food stations, local cocktails and wines, an auction, and donation opportunities — all with proceeds going directly to...

A little noticed element of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget proposal would extend a temporary tax on the wealthiest New Yorkers, which she said would fund programs to make life more affordable for middle class and poorer families, but which independent analysts warn could hurt taxpayers of all income levels. Hochul’s proposal would extend the temporary income tax surcharge on earners making more than $2.1 million a year in taxable income and provide the state $5 billion a year in revenue over five more years. The temporary tax rate, which began in 2022 and is scheduled to end in 2027, was created to help the state rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Hochul's proposal, the surcharge would continue into 2032. Michael Gormley reports in NEWSDAY that Democratic legislators along with advocates for the poor want the revenue to help pay for needs in public schools, which would also reduce pressure on property taxes; for health care, including hospitals in fiscal distress; and social services for food and housing as inflation hits middle- and lower-income families hardest. However, the proposed extension of the temporary tax is a concern for fiscal analysts. "First, it’s a question of economic competitiveness," said Patrick Orecki, director of state studies at the independent Citizens Budget Commission. "The next is the necessity of it ... this tax is just like the ‘millionaire’s tax’ 15 years ago that was passed to get through the recession," Orecki told Newsday in an interview. "Now, it’s built into the tax code." That millionaires tax rate was adopted as a response to the 2009 recession, extended once and then made permanent. The current proposal to extend the temporary surcharge is in addition to the millionaire's tax. Orecki said Hochul’s proposed tax extension has the potential to continue an exodus of wealthy New Yorkers to other states with lower income taxes or, as with Florida, no state income tax. That could force reduced spending on the same education, health care and social service programs and middle class tax breaks Hochul says the tax extension is needed to help fund, financial analysts said.

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The Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays is closed until further notice, officials announced Friday. Lisa Finn reports on Patch.com that Southampton Town Supervisor Maria Moore said the town received word from Suffolk County that the Suffolk County Department of Public Works had closed the bridge until further notice.

Ryan Murphy, Southampton Town public safety and emergency management administrator, sent out a release that said the bridge is closed to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic in both directions.

"The town was informed that, while the NYSDOT was conducting a routine inspection of the bridge on February 20, conditions were identified that have since resulted in the closing of the bridge. County and state engineers continue to analyze the data in an effort to determine what additional action may be necessary," the release said.

"Until such time as the Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays reopens, residents and visitors are asked to pursue alternate means of accessing Dune Road. Residents and visitors are also urged to be mindful of the potential traffic impacts to other bridges and roadways that might provide access."

The notice continued: "As the town becomes aware of additional information, or a projected timeline for the reopening of the bridge, we will share that information."

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The East Hampton Town Police Department’s 2025 Citizen Academy is now accepting applications, with the Spring 2025 session scheduled to begin on March 5. CHRISTOPHER WALSH reports on 27east.com that a 10-week program, the Citizen’s Police Academy gives participants firsthand insight into how the town’s police officers perform their duties and serve the community. The goal is for graduates to leave the academy as more informed citizens with

Employees at the Holtsville branch of the Internal Revenue Service said staff reductions were ongoing yesterday, as the Trump administration moves to downsize the federal government and terminate 6,000 IRS employees nationwide.

Department of Homeland Security officers were dispatched to the only IRS office in Suffolk and patrolled the hallways while IRS employees awaited their official termination via email at their desks, according to an account from one employee to Newsday.

Another employee described a scene of chaos, confusion and heartbreak Thursday as scores of employees were laid off and escorted out of the building.

Employees, many of them in tears, spent the day walking around and saying goodbye to each other as they absorbed the news.

Jennafer Martens, 25, of Centereach said IRS managers confiscated their government badges, computers and other equipment, estimating about 160 employees in her section alone were laid off at the Holtsville IRS branch.

Officials with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, the agency that handles tax revenue collection for the state, said its operations were not impacted by the layoffs.

The agency, which has one main office in Hauppauge, said the processing of state tax returns won't be affected by the federal job cuts.

Aaron Fallon, spokesperson for the NYS Labor Department, told NEWSDAY yesterday their Rapid Response Team was "working to identify impacted employees to offer job search assistance."

"Federal agencies are not required to file WARN notices with the NYSDOL," Fallon said, referring to the state’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires employers with 50 full-time employees or more to file a notice 90 days in advance with the state in the event of a mass layoff or closing.

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Riverhead Town is appealing a state Supreme Court ruling that found the town overcharged Suffolk County for sewage treatment at county facilities in Riverside from 2018 to 2021. Tara Smith reports in NEWSDAY that Suffolk County sued Riverhead in 2021, alleging the town sought to “penalize” the county by charging more for sewer services at the county complex that includes the jail, county center and courts. In a ruling last month, state Supreme Court Justice Maureen Liccione sided with the county, writing Riverhead’s sewer rates were “arbitrary and capricious” and had “no rational basis” according to the law.

The ruling, which prohibits the town from collecting the fees for the four-year period for now, could put nearly $2 million at stake for Riverhead. In court documents, Riverhead claims the county owes $2.8 million in sewer fees while the county has argued the actual cost of providing the services was $1.1 million.

Riverhead Town Attorney Erik Howard said in an email the town was “disappointed” in the decision.

“The trial court’s decision did not focus on the unreasonable, unfair and substantial impact imposed upon our sewer district and ratepayers ... to reserve a certain amount of flow for the comparatively massive County Center and Jail property,” Howard wrote.

Agreements between Riverhead Town and Suffolk County for wastewater treatment at the county center complex date back to 1969, and the last long term contract expired at the end of 2017. The county had been paying Riverhead an average of $345,966 per year for the services from 2006 to 2017, according to court documents.

But when officials failed to iron out a new agreement, and that contract lapsed, Riverhead began setting the annual fees by town board resolution, according to court papers. The town effectively doubled the annual fee, which ranged from $684,171 to $756,343 between 2018 and 2021.

“Surely such a dramatic increase would need to be justified,” Justice Liccione wrote in her decision.

Riverhead has continued setting sewer rates for the “out of...

Builders would have to install automatic fire sprinkler systems in new single-family and two-family homes in New York if a key state regulator adopts the policy at a meeting later this month. Long Island’s largest group of homebuilders opposes the change, which it says will add tens of thousands of dollars to home construction costs and worsen housing affordability in the region. Builders could absorb these costs and keep prices the same, but the shortage of available homes for sale gives them greater power to pass costs on to consumers. “Our concern is you’re adding to the already expensive cost of a home,” said Mike Florio, CEO of the Long Island Builders Institute. Jonathan LaMantia reports in NEWSDAY that the measure is backed by the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, which represents volunteer firefighters, as necessary to protect people caught in house fires and contain blazes until firefighters can arrive. “It’s a worthwhile investment,” said John D'Alessandro, the association’s board secretary and a volunteer firefighter in Halfmoon, New York, in Saratoga County. “When it comes down to it, what price for a life?” Local builders and the state firefighters association expect the State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council to consider a requirement at its Feb. 28 meeting. There were 126 home fire fatalities in New York last year, according to U.S. Fire Administration data for 2024. Ten Long Islanders had died in home or apartment fires last year as of late November. New York builders estimate the addition of fire sprinklers to new homes would cost $20,000 to $30,000 based on a report published last year by Churchville, New York-based Asterhill Research Company for the New York State Builders Association.

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There has been talk of converting the difficult intersection of Noyac Road and Long Beach Road in Noyac into a roundabout for years. But while that plan may or may not ever come to fruition, Southampton Town Highway Superintendent Charles McArdle offered members of the Noyac Civic Council last week a cheaper and easier fix — in the form of a stop sign. Peter Boody reports on 27east.com that McArdle said the sign would be placed on an island alongside the westbound lane of Noyac Road. It would allow eastbound traffic to turn left onto Long Beach Road, while still enabling westbound traffic to turn right onto Long Beach Road without stopping. McArdle said Suffolk County, which would share at least some of the cost of the project because Long Beach Road is a county road, is resistant to the idea of a roundabout, because it would be expensive, but that it had signed off on the addition of a stop sign. “It’s a quick answer, and it could solve the problem,” he said. Several members of the small audience initially objected to the idea, pointing out that traffic is bad in all directions at the intersection and that a more comprehensive solution is needed. McArdle urged patience. He said the town believes that eastbound traffic on Noyac Road is heavier than westbound traffic, though he conceded that the stop sign might cause westbound traffic to back up in the afternoon, as workers head home. “This is something we can try,” he said. “If I come back in a year and you say, ‘Charlie, you blew it,’ we can yank it out.”

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Southampton Town Highway Superintendent Charles McArdle told the Noyac Civic Council last week that the Town Board had approved a $9 million, three-year plan to repave Noyac Road. Peter Boody reports on 27east.com that this spring, the section from North Sea Road to Deerfield Road will be done, and next year, a second section, from Sag Harbor Village westward, will be completed. That project will extend south along a portion of Stony Hill Road near the Serene Green farmstand and west to the Long Beach intersection, if not farther, but McArdle said he did not know exactly where that phase would end. The final...

Nonprofit organizations serving survivors of domestic violence on Long Island say the suspension of a federal grant program has jeopardized critical services for their clients, including those who have fled abusers. Nicholas Spangler reports in NEWSDAY that leaders of East Hampton-based The Retreat and Suffolk County-based Brighter Tomorrows said they had planned to renew grants for transitional housing through the federal Office on Violence Against Women. The office, part of the U.S. Department of Justice, removed grant opportunities earlier this month for fiscal year 2025, just as many area nonprofits were preparing to submit their applications. The office, also known by its acronym, OVW, was the source of $63 million in grants last year across New York State to victim service organizations, local governments and other recipients.

The Feb. 6 notice on its website read in entirety: "At this time, OVW has withdrawn notices of funding opportunities, and you should not finalize any applications started under them. Please continue to check back on the OVW website to stay up-to-date on current and future open funding opportunities."

Cate Carbonaro, executive director of The Retreat, said she and her colleagues received an email from OVW with similar language. They had already begun work on an application for a transitional housing grant through the office. Had it been successful, Carbonaro said, the grant would have provided $800,000, starting in October, to continue funding rental assistance on Long Island, where housing costs are high and rental apartments scarce.

"It’s housing money for victims of crimes," she said. "The way these people are eventually able to get out of these situations is by getting financial support that lets them become independent from their abuser. It’s temporary money to help them get back on their feet."

Carbonaro said she worried too about the status of a legal services grant through OVW that her organization uses to hire lawyers to represent its clients in family court.

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The Riverhead Town Board approved the creation of a seven-member Hispanic Development, Empowerment and Education Committee at their meeting on Feb. 4. Tara Smith reports in NEWSDAY that the volunteer board led by 45-year-old Alexander Escobar is tasked with making recommendations to “build a bridge” between local government and the growing Hispanic community to improve quality of life, according to the resolution.

About 18.7% of Riverhead’s 35,723 residents are Hispanic or Latino, according to the most recent U.S. Census data. State education data from last year shows 64% of students in Riverhead schools are Hispanic or Latino. Through the new committee, Escobar hopes to address systemic challenges for Hispanic entrepreneurs by providing mentorship, workforce development and networking opportunities.

He said Latinos are hardworking people who may be deterred by bureaucratic processes like navigating permits, licenses and insurance.

Riverhead Town officials applauded the formation of the committee, which they said would foster unity and allay fears some Hispanic residents may have about doing business at Town Hall.

The committee plans to meet monthly, and meetings will be open to the public, officials said.

Escobar assembled the group with town Councilman Ken Rothwell, who will serve as its liaison.

Rothwell hopes the committee will lead to more positive interactions at Riverhead Town Hall. One of the committee’s first priorities will be discussing ways to translate the town website and key town forms and documents into Spanish.

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Members of the Greater East Hampton Chamber of Commerce elected a board of directors for 2025 and new leadership at their general membership meeting, held at Clinton Academy in East Hampton last week.

Gavin Menu, the publisher of The Express News Group and the