27Speaks: Recent Episodes
The Express News Group
Legendary filmmaker John Waters found fame in the 1970s and 1980s with a series of campy and totally outrageous films, including “Pink Flamingos,” “Polyester” and “Hairspray,” among others. Known as the “Pope of Trash,” this Baltimore native is a hero in underground cult cinema circles. Late July brought Waters and his one-man show, “Going to Extremes” to Guild Hall. In advance of that show, Waters, who turned 80 in April, took part in a free-ranging phone conversation with the Express News Group’s Annette Hinkle and Guild Hall’s executive director Andrea Grover, an avid fan of Waters’ work.Fortunately, it was recorded, and in this episode of “The Follow Up,” you’ll get to hear that interview, because when it comes to John Waters, delivery is everything. Warning: Some of the material may not be ideal for younger listeners.
In this episode of the Express News Group's 27Speaks: Behind the Headlines podcast, host Joe Shaw is joined by Cailin Riley, Jack Motz, Dan Stark and Annette Hinkle to discuss the latest East End news. This week, Stark talks about an initiative to reduce litter that's gaining steam in the Hamptons, while Hinkle recounts her interview with the legendary Fran Leibowitz.
In this episode of the Express News Group's 27Speaks: Behind the Headlines podcast, host Joe Shaw is joined by Jack Motz, Michael Wright, Cailin Riley and Michelle Trauring to discuss the latest East End news. This week, Wright talks the ongoing traffic issues in the Hamptons, Riley discusses development conflicts in Sag Harbor and more.
In this episode of the Express News Group's 27Speaks: Behind the Headlines podcast, host Joe Shaw is joined by Bill Sutton, Drew Budd, Jack Motz and Cailin Riley to discuss the latest East End news. This week, Budd talks about the death of a beloved teacher and coach, Sutton discusses a potential new initiative to protect Westhampton Beach beaches and more.
In this episode of the Express News Group's 27Speaks: Behind the Headlines podcast, host Joe Shaw is joined by Brendan O'Reilly, Michelle Trauring, Dan Stark and Jack Motz to discuss the latest East End news. This week, O'Reilly discusses a Sag Harbor boating accident, while Trauring talks about the upcoming Ellen Hermanson Foundation gala.
The Follow-Up: Local stories, deeper contextA Bi-Lingual Partnership: WHBPAC and OLA discuss expanding access to the arts on the East End — and what’s next for the WHBPACRecently, the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center and OLA (Organización Latino Americana) of Eastern Long Island teamed up to present a night of comedy. The twist is that the comedian, Colombian-born Pedro Gonzalez, presented back-to-back shows — the first in English, the second in Spanish. It’s just the latest example of how the two non-profits have worked together in recent years to provide entertainment that appeals to all East End audiences — including Spanish speakers.In this episode of “The Follow Up,” Julienne Penza-Boone and Minerva Perez, executive directors of WHBPAC and OLA, respectively, talk about their partnership and how it has been received within the community. Penza-Boone also reveals some details about the PAC’s upcoming expansion, including news of a couple impressive grants that will help make the project a reality.
In this episode of the Express News Group's 27Speaks: Behind the Headlines podcast, host Joe Shaw is joined by Dan Stark, Jack Motz, Hope Hamilton and Michelle Trauring to discuss the week's latest East End news. This week, Stark discusses friction amongst the Southampton Village Board, Hamilton details important new tick disease information and more.
In this episode of the Express News Group's 27Speaks: Behind the Headlines podcast, host Joe Shaw is joined by Cailin Riley, Jack Motz, Michael Wright and Desirée Keegan to discuss the week's latest East End news. This week, Wright talks about the economic impact the U.S. Open had on Southampton, Motz recounts the story of a dead whale in East Hampton and more.
In this episode of the Express News Group's 27Speaks: Behind the Headlines podcast, host Joe Shaw is joined by Cailin Riley, Jack Motz, Dan Stark and features editor Michelle Trauring to discuss the week's latest East End news. This week, Riley recaps the end of the U.S. Open, Motz and Stark share local election news and Trauring tells a story that will touch any animal lover's heart.
In this episode of the Express News Group's 27Speaks: Behind the Headlines podcast, host Joe Shaw is joined by reporters Cailin Riley, Jack Motz, Michael Wright and Dan Stark to discuss the week's latest East End news. With the U.S. Open in full swing, Riley and Wright give an extended report on the goings-on at Shinnecock Hills, while Motz talks park developments in East Hampton and Stark discusses the moving Juneteenth celebration he witnessed.
HamptonsFilm, home of the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF), recently launched a new media partnership with The Express News Group and its digital platform, 27east.com. The collaboration names The Express News Group as an official media partner for HamptonsFilm’s year-round community programming, including the 34th annual Hamptons International Film Festival, which runs October 2 to 12. As part of the new collaboration, The Express News Group will insert the festival’s annual program guide inside its newspapers on September 17.On this episode of “The Follow-Up,” HamptonsFilm Executive Director Bob Feinberg and Chief Creative Officer David Nugent join the Express News Group team to discuss the new partnership, reflect on the evolution of HIFF over the past three decades, and preview what’s ahead. They also share details on the 2026 SummerDocs series and the return of free outdoor film screenings across the East End in the weeks ahead.
In this episode of the Express News Group's 27Speaks: Behind the Headlines podcast, host Joe Shaw is joined by reporters Cailin Riley, Jack Motz, Hope Hamilton and Dan Stark to discuss the week's latest East End news.
In this episode of the Express News Group's 27Speaks: Behind the Headlines podcast, host Joe Shaw is joined by reporters Cailin Riley, Jack Motz, Hope Hamilton and Dan Stark to discuss the week's latest East End news.
In this episode of the Express News Group's 27Speaks: Behind the Headlines podcast, host Joe Shaw is joined by reporters Michael Wright and Jack Motz, Features Editor Michelle Trauring and Editor-in-Chief Bill Sutton to discuss the week's latest East End news.
In this episode of the Express News Group's 27Speaks: Behind the Headlines podcast, host Joe Shaw is joined by reporters Cailin Riley, Jack Motz, Michael Wright and features editor Michelle Trauring to discuss the week's latest East End news.
McCormick, who lives in Sag Harbor, joins the Express News Group to talk about the current book banning trends as well as the issue of sex trafficking, which was the subject of a recent panel discussion that McCormick moderated at The Church in Sag Harbor. Spoiler alert: the East End is not immune.
In this episode of the Express News Group's 27Speaks: Behind the Headlines podcast, host Joe Shaw is joined by reporters Cailin Riley, Jack Motz, Michael Wright and features editor Michelle Trauring to discuss the week's latest East End news.
In this first episode of the Express News Group's 27Speaks: Behind the Headlines podcast, host Joe Shaw is joined by reporters Cailin Riley and Jack Motz, as well as editors Drew Budd and Annette Hinkle to discuss the week's latest East End news, from an eye-opening forum on human trafficking to a new girls' flag football team.
In a move that became official at a Section XI meeting a few weeks back, the high school football programs at Hampton Bays and Southampton will merge in 2026 to become one. Hampton Bays, which has recently seen a strong resurgence of the sport after taking two years off to rebuild, will be the host school, welcoming Southampton students who would like to play. Despite the two schools legendary rivalry for the Mayor’s Cup, a tradition on the South Fork going back 40 years, this new combined team program is a sign of the times and represents an effort to save football for both communities. This week, the editors are joined by news reporter (and former sports editor) Cailin Riley and Hampton Bays Athletic Director John Foster to talk about the rivalry, the plan and the love for the tradition of high school football in challenging times.
In March, Sag Harbor Mayor Tom Gardella found himself in hot water after leaving a transphobic comment on a video posted by an Instagram user in Texas with more than 22,000 followers. The post gained traction and became the focus of numerous news stories far beyond the South Fork.Though he apologized for the incident, more reports of concerning social media behavior soon surfaced, including from members of the Sag Harbor community. In response, the Village Board retained labor attorney Vince Toomey to investigate Gardella’s behavior.Presented at a Village Board meeting on April 14, Toomey’s report concluded that Gardella had violated both the social media policy and anti-harassment policy. Separately, Gardella was also called out for budgetary missteps, including assigning indiscriminate raises to staff and shifting accountability for his budget fi lings onto administrative staff. At the meeting, all four of Gardella’s fellow board members formally requested his resignation. But Gardella was defiant and refused to step down. This week, the editors are joined by news reporter Cailin Riley to talk about the posts, the heated meeting and what might come next in this story.
Ice and Accountability: East End Municipalities Weigh OLA ProposalOrganizacíon Latino Americana (OLA) of Eastern Long Island recently proposed a law that seeks accountability and transparency regarding federal immigration action. It was first introduced for consideration by OLA and director Minerva Perez in February to East End municipalities that have their own police departments. Written so that towns and villages can adapt it to suit their needs, the proposed law was drafted by former State Assemblyman (and current OLA board member) Fred Thiele. It encourages the establishment of protocols for local law enforcement in their interaction with federal agents as well as requirements for reporting ICE activity. In the two months since introducing the proposed law, South Fork municipalities have made varying degrees of progress on it. This week, the editors are joined by news reporters Jack Motz and Dan Stark to talk about which municipalities have moved forward in considering the law and which have raised questions as they seek to learn more about it.
Last week, Long Island Rail Road crews began installing new track sidings at the Southampton Village station, which local officials celebrated as a step toward improving limited train service on the South Fork. When completed, the project will accommodate the longer trains that LIRR runs in the summer months. While the MTA has not yet announced any plans for new scheduling, the hope is that additional sidings will allow for more frequent train service, not just for seasonal visitors but also for drivers who are currently stuck in highway traffic on their way to and from work.This week, the editors talk about the sidings project and how it might improve options for year-round commuters. They also float a bold idea that takes a page straight from New York City’s congestion pricing program.
Mark Parash and Anthony Meras, whose parents owned Sip’n Soda in Southampton andStar Confectionery in Riverhead, respectively, have known each other since they were kids. Recently, Parash and Meras teamed up to revive a family tradition by making chocolate Easter bunnies using the same nearly 100-year-old metal molds that their relatives worked with decades ago.The chocolate bunnies (and baskets) are now being sold at Sip’n Soda for the first time since 1986, just in time for Easter. This week, the editors are joined by Parash and Meras who share insight into the tradition, the trial and error that goes into making the bunnies and the coveted German-produced chocolate molds which their late parents guarded jealously.
This is the time of year when changes are afoot on the East End as new businesses open, old ones close and still others look to relocate. This year is no different, but already it seems as if more changes than usual are coming to Sag Harbor’s business district in the months ahead. From “Miracle,” a new restaurant expected to open at 29 Main Street in early May, to GeekHampton, the Hamptons only authorized Apple service center, opting to leave its longtime headquarters on Bay Street for a new location in Hamptons Bays, the times, they are indeed a changing.This week, the editors are joined by news reporter Cailin Riley who takes a tour of all the openings, closings and changes of venue that she knows about to date. But of course, there are likely to be more that come to light in the weeks and months ahead. So stay tuned!
Animal welfare advocates from across the region came together last week for the latest Express Sessions event, hosted at Union Burger Bar in Southampton Village, to discuss the challenges they face in caring for both wildlife and domestic animals, the issues they’re dealing with currently and the best ways for the community at large to help.
As a teacher, high school coach and athletic director, Kathy Masterson has shepherded a lot of student-athletes through high school sports programs over the years, beginning with her own alma mater, Southampton High School, in the mid-1990s. From there, positions followed at Shelter Island and Westhampton Beach — where she worked as a physical education teacher for several years before being named AD in 2006. In 2022, Masterson became the AD for the East Hampton School District.Earlier this month, Masterson announced that she will retire from her East Hampton position at the end of this school year. This week, Masterson joins editors Annette Hinkle and Drew Budd as well as news reporter (and sports lover) Cailin Riley to talk about the legacy of championship high school teams on the East End, her dedication to local athletes and her passion for building the best athletic program that she can.
Last year, Crescent Duck Farm on the North Fork was hit by a devastating outbreak of avian influenza and had to cull its entire flock of Pekin ducks. The farm is now rebuilding its stock. But the latest strain of the disease, known as H5N1, is back. It’s now raging through its fourth winter season and is proving deadly to a broad swath of wild birds. This year, it's wild waterfowl — especially Canada geese — that are catching bird flu in large numbers, sparking fears that the disease could decimate bald eagles and other birds of prey that feed on dead waterfowl. Recently, East Hampton Town oversaw the cleanup of 675 dead geese and ducks that were thought to have succumbed to the flu in and around Georgica Pond. This week, the editors are joined by senior reporter Michael Wright and Kathleen Mulcahy, director of the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center in Hampton Bays, and Kevin Hynes, director of wildlife health for New York State DEC, to talk about the situation.
East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen is currently backing a herculean push to unseat nearly all 38 sitting members of the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee and replace them with committee members favorable to him, part of a purported effort to reshape the local party in his image.He’s also launching a Democratic primary challenge against incumbent East Hampton Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, who has already been tapped by the current committee to be the party’s candidate in November’s race.The primary election is set for June 23, and this week, the editors are joined by reporter Jack Motz to talk about Larsen’s efforts and what it might mean for the party and the race.
At a public hearing hosted by the Southampton Village Board on February 12, residents and some board members voiced opposition to a proposal that would extend the terms of office for the mayor and trustees from two to four years.The proposal would be subject to a mandatory referendum. It was recommended by the village’s Planning Commission, which argued that longer terms would save the village money due to less frequent elections while providing elected officials more time to build institutional knowledge and oversee projects from start to finish.But those who spoke out against the proposal largely disagreed. They expressed support for keeping the current two-year terms in place and questioned the need for the change.This week, the editors are joined by news reporter Dan Stark to talk about the pros, the cons and possible motives behind the proposal.
Living Editor Annette Hinkle and news reporter Cailin Riley are joined by Molin and O’Shea, who discuss the challenges of serving this population in light of both the current weather conditions and the political environment.
The Hamptons real estate market saw its median home sales price breach $2 million for the first time in 2025, and for the first time in history, 70% of transactions were above $1 million. To make sense of the numbers, Jonathan Miller, the president and CEO of real estate appraisal and consulting firm Miller Samuel Inc., joins the editors for a discussion of what influenced sales in 2025 and his outlook for the market in 2026.
More than 100 community members came together at The Church in Sag Harbor on another frigid winter night to discuss the future of Sag Harbor’s downtown, everything that’s at stake, and how to protect it at an Express Sessions event titled “The Evolution and Preservation of Downtown Sag Harbor.” The panel for the conversation, which was moderated by Express News Group Consulting Editor Joseph Shaw, included Sag Harbor Village Mayor Tom Gardella; Sag Harbor Village Trustee Jeanne Kane; former New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele, a lifelong Sag Harbor resident and current board member of the Sag Harbor Partnership; community advocate Shawn Sachs; Sag Harbor Planning Board member Grainne Coen, who is the co-owner of Kidd Squid Brewing Co. in Sag Harbor and also serves on the Sag Harbor Board of Education; and Sag Harbor Variety Store owner Lisa Field.Co-Publisher Gavin Menu, Consulting Editor Joseph Shaw, multimedia content creator Lee Meyer and reporter Cailin Riley analyze the points raised at the event and share highlights.
As costs rise, taxes increase and budgets are stretched, small school districts across the region face the daunting task of providing robust programming to their students with fewer resources. Compounding the challenges on the East End are decreases in state aid, overall falling student population numbers and unaffordable housing costs that are driving families from the area.This week, the editors discuss the pros and cons of school consolidation. With more than a dozen school districts on the South Fork, it’s likely only a question of time before consolidation becomes a matter of survival.
On Thursday, January 15, Westhampton Beach residents, business owners, elected officials and others gathered at Fauna in the village for the latest edition of the Express Sessions series “Local Matters,” providing those in attendance with a chance to discuss and debate the most pressing issues facing the community.The afternoon conversation ranged from new regulations that will require beachfront communities like Westhampton Beach to start paying a portion of federal beach replenishment costs, to the continued vacancy of prominent storefronts, and challenges related to the sewer district expansion, parking and more. Several options and ideas were explored, with input not only from those living and working in the immediate village area, but also from stakeholders in surrounding villages like Quogue and West Hampton Dunes.The panel included Westhampton Beach Village Mayor Ralph Urban and Deputy Mayor Kimberly Monsour; West Hampton Dunes Village Mayor Irwin Krasnow; Quogue Village Mayor Robert Treuhold; Jennifer Sperber, owner of Mixology and a member of the Westhampton Beach Chamber of Commerce; Larry Jones, a preservation consultant and trustee of the Westhampton Beach History Museum; and Aram Terchunian, a coastal geologist and president of First Coastal Consulting.
Last year, Hampton Coffee Company took over a roadside cafe in a quiet corner of Hampton Bays. Over decades, the building, a former farm stand, had been expanded and transformed into a small eatery with bathrooms, a kitchen and walk-in refrigerators. The neighbors love having the cafe nearby. The problem is, all those expansions were done sans permits. So in an effort to bring everything up to date, Hampton Coffee Company’s owners Jason and Theresa Belkin filed a change of tenancy notice with Southampton Town Building Department to officially convert the certificate of occupancy from a farm stand to a take-out restaurant. Now the town is telling the Belkins they must go to the Planning Board for a proper assessment of what the building has become. This week, the editors discuss the conundrum the town faces as it considers legalizing a beloved business in a residential zone while also pondering what sort of precedents it might set down the road in other similar situations.
Southampton Town is weighing using its Community Preservation Fund to purchase a Meadow Lane mansion — and the land it sits on — for nearly $26 million. The town would then raze the mansion and remove the accompanying pool to install a new parking lot where town residents could access a stretch of beach in Southampton Village. The property is located next to a Town Trustees 4x4 access road that is popular with beach drivers. Reporter Michael Wright joins the editors on this week's podcast to discuss the motivations behind the purchase.
In late December, Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill that would formally recognize the Montaukett Nation. This, despite the fact that there was broad support for the legislation, which passed the State Assembly unanimously and the State Senate in a vote of 59-1. The bill sought to reinstate recognition to the Montaukett Nation by reversing a 1910 court ruling that improperly stripped it away by ignoring an earlier U.S. Supreme Court decision under which the nation would have qualified for recognition. It was the seventh time in recent years that such a bill has died on the New York governor’s desk.This week, the editors are joined by reporters Michael Wright and Jack Motz as well as Montaukett Executive Director and Government Affairs Officer Sandi Brewster-walker, who has worked extensively over the past decade to gain state recognition, and State Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni, the bill’s co-sponsor, to talk about why this has been such an uphill battle for the Montauketts.
Two of The Express News Group’s most enduring newsroom fixtures decided that 2025 would be the year they finally stepped away from journalism. At the end of December, photo editor Dana Shaw and reporter Stephen J. Kotz officially filed their last stories.For more than three decades, Shaw was a constant presence at the region’s most important moments — from protests and public meetings to wildfires and parades. And for over 30 years on the East End, Kotz — who also had stints as a news editor — chronicled the villages, towns, people and personalities of the South Fork with relentless curiosity and determination.This week, the editors sit down with Shaw and Kotz for a candid “exit interview,” filled with unforgettable anecdotes, hard-earned wisdom, and reflections on a lifetime spent chasing the story.
What happens when kids put down their phones and step into the wild?Jen Skilbred knows firsthand. She’s the assistant director for environmental education at Group for the East End, where her job often means leading students off the pavement and into forests, fields and shorelines to discover the region’s plants and wildlife. Last year alone, Group for the East End reached more than 2,270 students across the East End.So earlier this year when Governor Kathy Hochul announced a statewide ban on student cellphone use during the school day, Skilbred saw an opportunity to extend that phone-free time beyond the classroom by getting kids outside and reconnecting them with nature.This week, the editors are joined by Skilbred to talk about what happens when young people discover the magic of the natural world.“Let’s make real life more interesting than screens,” Skilbred says. “We live on the East End, and there are so many beautiful outdoor spaces.” CHRISTOPHER SCOTT PHOTO
The Express News Group is launching a brand-new 27east.com this month, a major step forward for local news coverage on the South Fork. The upgrade comes during the same month that longtime Executive Editor Joseph P. Shaw steps back to a consulting editor role while Bill Sutton steps up to become the ninth editor-in-chief in the history of both The Sag Harbor Express and The Southampton Press. In addition, Brendan J. O’Reilly assumes the newly created digital editor role. In this week's podcast, the editors and co-publishers discuss these and other changes as well as the better reader experience that the new website will provide.
Hamptons Doc Fest is back, and from December 4 to 11 will screen 33 feature-length and short documentaries at Bay Street Theater, Sag Harbor Cinema and, new this year, Southampton Playhouse, which hosts the closing night film, “Lost Wolves of Yellowstone.”This week, the editors talk to Jacqui Lofaro, founder and executive director of the Hamptons Doc Fest, about the festival’s 18th season and some of the highlights that are not to be missed.
The staff and volunteers at Heart of the Hamptons Food Pantry work hard year-round to feed hungry Southampton residents. But 2025 has been a particularly difficult year for those facing food insecurity. Reductions in federal funding for pantries and the added pressure of suspended SNAP benefits means the pantry is feeding more families than ever. This week, the editors are joined by Molly Bishop, executive director of Heart of the Hamptons Food Pantry, to talk about how she and her crew are meeting the need as they settle into their new location at 44 Meeting House Lane in Southampton Village.
The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center was recently awarded $4 million from Southampton Town’s Community Preservation Fund. The money will be used for capital projects and enhancements at the historic 1932 theater.While the CPF, a 2 percent property transfer tax, was originally used for open space purchases, in recent years its use has expanded to include preservation of important structures owned and operated by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations. In addition to the preservation of the theater’s iconic façade, the CPF agreement stipulates that WHBPAC will continue to operate as a space for diverse cultural programs, serving as a community anchor for generations to come.This week, the editors are joined by WHBPAC Executive Director Julienne Penza-Boone and Marketing Director Heather Draskin, who talk about the history of the theater, the process that led to the CPF award and how the theater will use the funds in the future.
On Wednesday, November 5, ICE agents swept into Hampton Bays and Westhampton, setting upon immigrant laborer gathering spots and businesses that employ or are frequented by immigrants. The officers made several arrests as part of the largest local federal immigration sweep since the start of the second Donald Trump administration.This week, the editors talk about the operation with senior reporter Michael Wright, New York State Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni and, from OLA of Eastern Long Island, Executive Director Minerva Perez and legal advocate Erika Padilla.
This Saturday, November 8, three generations of local veterans — Angelique Williams (Navy 1997-2014), Ed German (USMC 1967-1970) and Martin Sylvester (Army 1943-1945) — will be honored at Southampton Arts Center with a screening of a trio of short films about their military service created by USA Warrior Stories, which was founded in 2017. Ahead of the screening, USA Warrior Stories founders Matt Hindra and Nick Kraus joined the editors and reporter Cailin Riley to share what they’ve learned from recording hundreds of first-hand accounts of military life.
Every Tuesday, an 8-year-old poodle/golden retriever mix clocks in for his shift at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. Known to staff and patients as “Dogtor” Cooper, he even has business cards made up by his owner and handler, hospital volunteer Eric Weston. Cooper is part of a robust therapy dog program at the hospital and one of seven dogs certified to visit patients on a regular basis. This week, the editors are joined by reporter Cailin Riley along with Weston and Robin Page, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s director of Patient Experience/Volunteer Services, to talk about the therapy dog program and the joy it brings. Also joining in is Cooper, but honestly, he stays pretty quiet because he’s a good boy.
The Hampton Theatre Company has launched a new initiative to open each of its next three seasons with a female-led production. Called the Jane Stanton Celebrating Women in Theatre Project, the initiative is funded by a recent anonymous grant from a private charitable foundation and the goal is to spotlight plays written and directed by women. This week, the editors are joined by HTC president Rosemary Cline, vice president George Loizides and general manager Terry Brennan who discuss the details of the project as well as the first play to be produced by it — Larissa FastHorse’s “The Thanksgiving Play” which runs through November 2 at the Quogue Community Hall.
focused on Southampton Village with an Express Sessions event at Union Burger Bar on October 9. Top of mind for area residents and panelists in attendance were traffic, affordable housing and the continued push to develop a sewer district in Southampton Village.
In a few weeks, the Suffolk County Department of Public Works will institute changes in traffic patterns on County Road 39 between North Sea Road and Magee Street in Southampton to test a pared-down version of an experiment run by the county and Southampton Town last spring. Local officials said the plan, as envisioned by Charles McArdle, Southampton Town superintendent of highways, brought marked improvement in travel times for afternoon commuters and eased bypass traffic on residential back roads.This week, the editors are joined by senior reporter Michael Wright and McArdle to talk about how the new plan will work and some of the Southampton road challenges that remain.
Every summer morning, a dedicated group of open-water swimmers — each over the age of 60 — gathers at West Landing in Hampton Bays to swim the calm waters of Peconic Bay. But this ritual is about much more than fitness. Over the years, these daily swims have become a source of deep friendship, connection and joy.This week on the podcast, the editors are joined by filmmaker Doug Gallo and his mother Chris, one of the swimmers featured in his short documentary “West Landing,” which is screening at this year’s Hamptons International Film Festival. Together, Doug and Chris share how the film came to life — and reflect on the tight-knit community that’s formed in the bay, one swim at a time.
The annual Hamptons International Film Festival returns this week for its 33rd iteration, and from October 3 to 13, will present screenings at theaters in East Hampton, Sag Harbor and Southampton.This week, the editors are joined by David Nugent, Chief Creative Officer of HamptonsFilm, HIFF’s parent organization, who shares some insight into the business of putting on a film festival. He also offers a sneak peak at a few of the 146 films that will be screened in the days ahead.
This week, the editors are joined by Southampton Village Mayor Bill Manger who addresses some of the most pressing concerns in the village. Traffic, of course, is at the top of the list, but also on the table is workforce housing, a potential sewer system and rehabilitation of the arboretum grounds at Southampton Arts Center as well as the World War I monument in Agawam Park. Also discussed was some fun stuff coming up, including Southampton Fest and the Hamptons International Film Festival, which in October will offer screenings at the newly renovated Southampton Playhouse.
The Suffolk County Legislature recently voted to establish a mechanism for preserving working waterfronts from development. The law will allow the county to acquire conservation easements on properties housing businesses like commercial fisheries and marinas. Montauk is a likely candidate for some of these funds, and this week, the editors are joined by Inlet Seafood’s general manager Amanda Jones and Long Island Commercial Fishing Association Executive Director Bonnie Brady who talk about how the new law could help Montauk fishermen and businesses.Similarly, they also touch on the Lake Montauk Inlet dredging project, which will move forward this fall due to a decision by East Hampton Town to allocate $1.1 million for the project from a South Fork Wind fund.
This week, the editors are joined by East Hampton reporter Jack Motz and Kurt Gottwald, a Hither Hills State Park lifeguard who, last year, converted his decades-old onsite trailer at the campground into a makeshift music studio.His latest project is a six-track indie rock album called “Montauk New York.” On it, Gottwald weaves tales of local stories into larger musings about capitalism, consumerism and online culture. As his lifeguard job in Montauk winds down for the season and he prepares to travel overseas to spend the coming months in Prague, Gottwald shared his inspiration and unique philosophy on life, music making, nature and the changing face of the East End.
2024 NY-01 congressional candidate John Avlon, a former CNN anchor and current host of the podcast "How To Fix It," joins the editors on the podcast to discuss redistricting, gerrymandering and the state of democracy.
It’s been a hot, dry summer, and in late July the Suffolk County Water Authority issued a Stage 1 Water Alert urging its customers to immediately reduce water consumption. The editors are joined this week by senior reporter Michael Wright, who has a story in the paper naming the South Fork’s biggest “Water Hogs,” and Daniel Dubois, SCWA’s director of communications and external affairs, who explains how summer demand impacts water supply and shares steps that residents can take to help alleviate the situation.
Late summer is the time for horses on the East End. This week, the editors are joined by reporter Cailin Riley and Shanette Barth Cohen, the executive director of the Hampton Classic Horse Show, who talk about 50 years of the prestigious event, including its history, evolution and the different competitions and activities that visitors to this year’s Classic will enjoy. The 50th Hampton Classic Horse Show runs August 24 to 31 at the showgrounds at 240 Snake Hollow Road in Bridgehampton.
This week, the editors are joined by Eric Kohn, artistic director of the newly revived Southampton Playhouse, who talks about how the historic, non-profit theater is establishing itself as a cultural cornerstone on the East End. Kohn discusses the Playhouse’s commitment to both classic and contemporary cinema, including its upcoming series "The Scorsese Family Experience," curated in collaboration with Martin and Francesca Scorsese, which launches August 14. The goal? To bring generations together through timeless films while building a sustainable model for a community-driven movie house.
Dan Stark and Hope Hamilton both returned to The Express News Group newsroom in 2025 for their second consecutive summer as full-time interns. Stark and Hamilton join the editors on the podcast to discuss their experiences and most memorable articles and to reflect on what they learned that they will carry with them into their future careers.
A year ago this week, Kristina Foster, supervisor of the Southampton Head Start Center, received some unwelcome news. During construction to expand the center at 271 Flanders Avenue in Riverside, the building was found to be structurally unsound. With less than a month before the start of the school year, the 88 children attending the free preschool education program had nowhere to go. Also at risk were the free meals and other services Head Start provides to low-income families throughout Southampton Town.Foster scrambled and, with help from other organizations, cobbled together classroom space for 30 pre-K children during the 2024-2025 school year. However, she was not able to accommodate younger children, and the future of the center was unclear.But earlier this week, Foster received some good — and totally unexpected — news.During a press conference and visit to the Southampton Head Start site, State Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni and State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced that the state has pledge $2.25 million toward the building of a new Head Start facility in Riverside.Foster joins the editors to talk about the challenges, the victories and the local Head Start’s new name.
Earlier this month, Karl Grossman retired after a more than six-decade-long career as an investigative journalist and professor at SUNY Old Westbury, where he taught for 47 years and led the development of a comprehensive media and communications major.Throughout his career, Grossman has been inspired by the intersection of investigative and environmental journalism. Understanding the importance of the field, in 1974, Grossman founded the Press Club of Long Island, now one of the largest chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists in the country. This week, Grossman joins the editors to talk about the state of journalism today. Though he’s stepping down from in-person teaching, he will continue to offer remote journalism classes. He will also keep penning his “Suffolk Closeup” column which appears regularly in The Express News Group newspapers, among others.
The Southampton Town Board recently unanimously approved a sweeping rezoning of a swath of Montauk Highway on the edge of downtown Hampton Bays. The move came barely a month after the legislation proposing the change was first introduced, and over the vociferous objections of a businessman who had planned to open a cannabis dispensary that will now be forestalled by the new zoning rules. Reporter Michael Wright joins the editors to discuss the rezoning and the lawsuit that is likely to come as a result.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order on May 1 instructing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease federal funding for NPR and PBS. Then in June, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a rescission package that revokes $1.1 billion that had been budgeted for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on that package as soon as this week. And on July 3, the Senate approved the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which zeros out Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding going forward. Bob Feinberg, the chief legal officer for The WNET Group — which includes WLIW FM, WLIW21 and other New York and New Jersey public media outlets — joins the editors and reporter Stephen Kotz to discuss where public media funding stands, what recourse, if any, is available and what's at stake.
The tenants of Quail Ridge — the two dozen studio and one-bedroom apartments spread over two buildings of a former motel along County Road 39 in Shinnecock Hills — typically pay less than $1,500 a month in rent, some considerably less. The apartments are not luxurious, and as former summer resort “efficiencies” they are not large. But they are fine, residents say, and they are affordable for employees of swimming pool and landscaping companies, delivery truck drivers or those living on a fixed Social Security income. That is about to change.Reporter Michael Wright joins the editors on the podcast to discuss the fate of Quail Ridge and the growing difficulty in finding affordable housing on the South Fork.
Back in the 1970s, things weren’t looking great for osprey populations. There were just 75 known pairs living on Long Island at the time. The widespread use of the insecticide DDT had taken its toll on the birds, who ingested it through the fish they ate, resulting in thinning eggshells that were often crushed during the incubation period.But after the banning of DDT and changes in environmental regulations, the birds’ numbers began to rebound. The Group for the East End had a major hand in helping the ospreys make a comeback through the installation of nesting platforms across the region.This week, Bob DeLuca, president of Group for the East End, joins the editors to talk about the ospreys’ journey back from the brink of extinction and the upcoming monitoring program, where some 500 osprey nests across the East End will be visited.
Lifeguarding was once a male-dominated summer job on the East End, but those days are over. Ann Naughton, the chief lifeguard for Southampton Town beaches, and reporter Cailin Riley join the editors to discuss how lifeguarding has changed since Naughton began lifeguarding in the 1980s.
For the first time since before the pandemic, Guild Hall, which underwent a major renovation in recent years, is fully up and running this season. That includes on the stage where Anthony Madonna is now the theater director and curator of performing arts at Guild Hall.
Roundabouts, traffic lights, stop signs, road work, service upgrades and turn lanes. Spring is the time of year for instituting changes in traffic patterns on the East End. It’s also the time when we most often see the installation of upgraded power cables and other services. The year 2025 has been no exception. This week, the editors talk about what’s been happening (and often been disrupting) on local roadways. So listen in and hear about what’s new on your route to where you need to go.
Nada Barry, owner of The Wharf Shop, is a Sag Harbor fixture. A native of England and a permanent resident of Sag Harbor since 1962, for decades she has been a regular at village meetings, has played a major role in the business community and has advocated for the East End’s youth.Now 94, Barry recently wowed an audience at The Church in Sag Harbor with a talk recounting the many milestones in her life.This week, Barry joins the editors and Bryan Boyhan, former publisher of The Sag Harbor Express, to share memories of her years in Sag Harbor, including her friendship with author John Steinbeck, who lived there with his wife, Elaine, until his death in 1968, and the formation of the Old Whalers’ Festival — which today has been rebranded as HarborFest.
With renewable energy sources like solar farms and windmills gaining traction on the East End, building facilities to store all that energy becomes vital. But battery energy storage systems (or BESS as they are called) are not without critics — especially given that some facilities around the country have experienced fires in the past.The Southampton Town Board recently introduced the fourth version of its BESS code and board members say it will be one of the most restrictive in the state. This week, the editors are joined by senior reporter Michael Wright to discuss the issues surrounding BESS and the details of Southampton’s new code for future such facilities.
Mónica Ramírez-Montagut, the executive director of the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill and, until recently, a member of the Institute of Museum and Library Services board, joins the editors to discuss the federal cuts that downsized IMLS. Due to the gutting of the IMLS budget, the Parrish has lost over $140,000 in federal funding that supported its education and Access Parrish programs, an initiative that creates artistic learning experiences for individuals with special needs, including those with Parkinson’s disease.
The latest in the Express Sessions panel discussion series,“ The South Fork’s Bounty, on Land and at Sea,” was held on May 8 at Inlet Seafood in Montauk.Suffolk County has the fourth-largest agricultural sales in New York State, and it is first in aquaculture. In both cases, the farms and waters of the South Fork play an important role in providing food for the region, state and nation. In March, county officials said they are preparing to seek bids on a new government-supported seafood processing facility — and Inlet Seafood in Montauk is one potential location.The discussion brought together key players in the movement toward more sustainable agriculture and aquaculture based on the South Fork. The conversation focused on the challenges they face, the facilities needed to keep the produce and seafood headed to markets, and the outlook for the region’s continued success as a supplier for dinner tables, not to mention new markets for products such as kelp.The panel included K.C. Boyle, co-owner, Dock to Dish; Layton Guenther, director, Quail Hill Farm; Amanda Merrow, co-owner, Amber Waves Farm; Wes Peterson, owner, Montauk Seafood Company, member, Dock to Dish; and Jason Weiner, co-owner, Almond Restaurant. It was moderated by Express News Group Executive Editor Joseph P. Shaw.Reporter Michael Wright, Co-Publisher Gavin Menu and Shaw share highlights from the Express Sessions conversation and add their analysis.
In the spring of 2008, Amanda Merrow and Katie Baldwin met for the first time as apprentices at the Peconic Land Trust’s Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett. Under the guidance of mentor Scott Chaskey, during their yearlong apprenticeship, they learned all the ins and outs of farming.A year later, Merrow and Baldwin leased a nearby plot of land from East Hampton Town and created their own farm — Amber Waves. Today, Amber Waves has a total of 35 tillable acres and in addition to growing crops, offers CSA membership and educational programming and operates a brick-and-mortar market. Amber Waves also employs 30 people on a year-round basis, and many more as seasonal help.This week, Amanda Merrow joins the editors to talk about the creation of Amber Waves and the importance of fostering the next generation of East End farmers.
East Hampton Town recently found itself in a bidding war with East Hampton Village over an employee — and lost. The incident was indicative of the town's staffing problems, ranging from entry-level positions to leadership. Reporter Jack Motz joins the editors on the podcast this week to discuss the staffing hurdles that the town is struggling to overcome.
In February, The Sag Harbor Express talked to Main Street business owners in the village and made a startling discovery.While the summer of 2024, post-COVID, was generally considered the busiest in Sag Harbor’s history, with crowds of people flocking to the business district daily — the businesses did not experience a similar boost. Sales were largely flat, or even slightly down from historical levels. Even some restaurants are struggling.Foot traffic used to be gold for businesses in a village like Sag Harbor. Why are people not shopping like they used to?It’s a symptom of a larger trend: More and more businesses, including many in Sag Harbor, are moving from a brick-and-mortar retail operation to more of an online presence — in some cases, exclusively. Is that the future of retail in villages like Sag Harbor?Our Express Sessions event on April 24 brought together business owners and others to discuss the trends to make sense of both the future for storefronts and the possible digital future of many businesses.
On Saturday, April 26, the South Fork Natural History Museum (SOFO) and its Young Environmentalist Society will host a screening at Sag Harbor Cinema of “Ivohiboro: The Lost Forest.” The documentary follows Stony Brook University primatologist, anthropologist and biologist Dr. Patricia Wright as she leads a team of scientists to a previously unknown rainforest in southeastern Madagascar where they document all the flora and fauna they can find — including some new speciesThis week, SOFO’s executive director Frank Quevedo joins the editors to talk about the film, the science and the importance of preserving species for a healthy environment, whether that’s in Madagascar or right here on the East End.
Starting April 21, traffic signals on County Road 39 west of North Sea Road will be switched from a red-green cycle to either steady green or blinking yellow between 4 and 7 p.m. on weekdays. The two-week pilot program is designed to alleviate traffic during the afternoon westbound commute and to assess whether it could be a practicable solution to summer traffic. Southampton Town Highway Superintendent Charlie McArdle joined the editors on the podcast this week to explain how the program will work and to discuss Southampton's traffic challenges.
When a series of wildfires swept across the region between Manorville and Westhampton on March 8, among the areas that burned was the Dwarf Pine Plains, a 5,000-acre portion of the Pine Barrens core marked by the prevalence of much smaller pine trees than in the rest of the Pine Barrens. This week the editors are joined by reporters Michael Wright and Jack Motz, and Polly Weigand, the Northeast fire programs manager for the nonprofit Forest Stewards Guild, who talks about this ecologically unique area and sustainable forestry management practices.
At the recent New York Press Association newspaper conference in Saratoga Springs, where the Express News Group won multiple awards, Publisher Gavin Menu, Executive Editor Joe Shaw, Deputy Managing Editor Brendan O'Reilly and Arts and Living Editor Annette Hinkle took time out to discuss the current state of print media.
On March 8, a series of small brush fires hopscotched their way from Manorville east, culminating in an explosive wildfire near Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Westhampton. A massive response led by some 600 volunteers from 80 Long Island fire departments, augmented by another 10 ambulance companies, held the fire at bay, limiting damage to about 420 acres to the west and north of the airport. This week, Rudy Sunderman, the commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services, joins the staff of The Express News Group to talk about the firefighting efforts that kept the wildfires from being far worse.
Registered nurse Melody Butler, the director of infection prevention and control at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and founder of Nurses Who Vaccinate, joins the editors to discuss what people can do to protect themselves and their families from various communicable diseases that are of growing concern.
Journalist Steve Wick recently published his debut novel, "The Ruins," a gripping tale of murder, espionage and Nazis on Long Island inspired by a trial he covered in 1980 as a young reporter at Newsday. Wick joins the editors on the podcast this week to discuss the true crime story and the process of creational a fictional work.
After the Southampton History Museum notified the nonprofit Conscience Point Shellfish Hatchery that it has to vacate its home at the Conscience Point Historic Site in North Sea, there was an outcry from supporters of the hatchery, and a number of museum board resignations. The museum defended the move, asserting that the hatchery was conducting commercial sales and subletting boat slips, which could jeopardize the museum's nonprofit status. However, now the Town of Southampton historian has found documents that question whether the museum actually owns the parcel where the hatchery sits. It could be that hatchery is on town-owned land, and the museum has no right to evict it. Reporter Michael Wright joins the editors on the podcast this week to discuss the hatchery saga.
Sag Harbor's Joe Lauro, whose interests tend toward jazz, blues, jug and country, is a keen collector of music that was marketed by record companies from the 1920s to early 1940s to an emerging Black audience as “race records.” Recently, he acquired an important piece for his collection: a copy of the Reverend W.M. Mosley singing “Oh Death Spare Me Over Till Another Year.” The shellac record was one of more than 800 race records issued by Columbia Records from 1923 to 1932. And for years it was the only one of the Columbia releases that Lauro — or just about anyone else for that matter — did not own. Lauro joins the editors to discuss his collecting journey and the significance of the music.
Jonathan Miller, the president and CEO of real estate appraisal and consulting firm Miller Samuel Inc., joins the editors to discuss the state of the Hamptons market and offers his outlook for 2025.
The bird flu epidemic has reached the East End. H5N1 bird flu avian influenza has been detected at Crescent Duck Farm in Aquebogue. The last remaining duck farm on Long Island was forced to shut down and euthanize its entire flock of roughly 99,000 birds. Whether it will be able to reopen in time is still up in the air. RiverheadLOCAL Co-Publisher Denise Civiletti joins the editors to discuss her coverage of the sudden closure.
South Fork school districts are reporting increased levels of anxiety among students and their families, and schools are planning how to support students while also doing everything they can to prepare for any number of different scenarios and crisis-level situations that could play out as a result of the immigration crackdown. Reporter Cailin Riley joins the editors to share what school administrators are doing to prepare and to assuage student's worries
Southampton High School varsity basketball head coach Herm Lamison joins theeditors to discuss his coaching career on the heels of reaching a milestone that few coaches do: 500 career wins.
A new half percent tax on real estate purchases in Southampton and East Hampton towns went into effect on April 1, 2023, to raise revenue for affordable housing initiatives. Since then, each town has accumulated millions of dollars to combat the region’s housing crisis. At this Express Sessions discussion, a panel of elected officials and housing advocates assessed how successful the Community Housing Fund has been at tackling a seemingly insurmountable task and discuss the promise the fund holds for the future. In this Sessions Report podcast, Express New Group Publisher Gavin Menu, Executive Editor Joseph Shaw and Managing Editor Bill Sutton share the main takeaways from the discussion.
Minerva Perez, the executive director of latino advocacy organization OLA of Eastern Long Island, joins the editors to discuss the challenges the East End's immigrant population faces and how they are bracing for a new presidential administration promising mass deportation.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a debutante? Recently, our reporter Cailin Riley found out for herself when she attended the 70th anniversary International Debutante Ball which was held at the Plaza Hotel in New York City on December 28. Among the several young ladies “coming out” that evening was Southampton summer resident Kelli Ford, daughter of Gerald and Kelli Ford.
The Southampton Village Ethics Board last month found that Southampton Village Trustee Robin Brown violated the village's ethics code on two occasions, each time by attending a fundraiser while not paying her own way. Brown has strongly pushed back on the Ethics Board's dispositions and says the complaints against her were politically motivated. On this week's 27Speaks podcast, the editors discuss ethics in government and journalism, and what constitutes a violation.
Lance Gumbs, the vice chairman of the Shinnecock Nation Council of Trustees, recently spoke to Express News Group Executive Editor Joseph Shaw about the Shinnecock Nation's gas station and travel plaza, which is currently under construction on the Shinnecock's Westwoods property just west of the Shinnecock Canal. While the Shinnecock say Westwoods is aboriginal land and may be developed as they wish, some Hamptons Bays residents say that is not the case and town zoning should apply. In this week's podcast, Shaw shares highlights from the interview and adds context.
A juvenile bald eagle that found itself in a precarious situation experienced a happy ending, thanks to the work of the staff at the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center in Hampton Bays. Executive Director Kathleen Mulcahy and animal care assistant Rose Lynch join the editors on the podcast to recount the rescue, rehabilitation and release of the bird of prey and also discuss the East End's eagle population and the rescue center's important work.
While the commercial harvest of bay scallops from local waters has been all but ended by six years of massive die-offs, the clam population is booming, and local baymen are enjoying a bountiful windfall. The rebound of clams in Shinnecock Bay has been so robust that baymen have asked the Southampton Town Trustees to impose new limits on their harvest to protect the resurgent clams from being overexploited by opportunistic harvesters, and even some rule-breakers. Reporter Michael Wright joins the editors on the podcast to explain how clam restoration efforts have been successful.
As the holiday season approaches, there is an opportunity to take a moment to appreciate — and to support, financially — the many nonprofit organizations that enrich the cultural life of the South Fork, and provide a "Helping Hand" to so many families in need. This special Express Sessions event had multiple purposes: to shine a spotlight on the often underappreciated work of so many local charities and volunteers, to talk about the challenges they face in a difficult economy and a post-COVID world, and to provide an ongoing resource at 27east.com that catalogs the many organizations and shares information about how to support them financially or by volunteering, during the holiday season and all year long. The panel included: Molly Bishop, Executive Director, Heart of the Hamptons; Kasia Klimiuk, Co-Director, Our Fabulous Variety Show; Bonnie Cannon, Executive Director, Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center; Dr. Georgette Grier-Key, Executive Director, Eastville Community Historical Society; Andrea Grover, Executive Director, Guild Hall; Susie Roden, President, Coalition for Women's Cancers; and Christina Strassfield, Executive Director, Southampton Arts Center.
The East Hampton/Pierson/Bridgehampton football team made the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. For a program that more or less didn't exist just seven years ago, it was a huge accomplishment. Gavin Menu, co-publisher of The Express News Group, and sports editor Drew Budd join the editors on the podcast this week to discuss the future of high school football and what surrounding districts struggling in the sport can do to revive their football programs similarly to the Bonackers.
Southampton Town Councilman and State Assemblyman-elect Tommy John Schiavoni joins the editors to discuss the state and local challenges that he will confront — including affordable housing and transportation — when he heads to Albany in January to assume the Assembly seat held for three decades by Fred W. Thiele Jr.
After a woman was found dead last week at a high-end spa and wellness resort in Water Mill — an apparent "victim of violence," according to police — the suspect fled to Pennsylvania and took his own life. On this week's 27Speaks, reporter Michael Wright joins the editors to discuss how the police investigation unfolded, how it was reported by journalists and the sensitive nature of reporting on homicides.
Since the recreational use of marijuana was legalized in March 2021, the rollout of the new industry has been erratic. Today, the state is still struggling with creating a legal network of private shops — though Native American tribes, including the Shinnecock, have successfully operated on their own. The Town of Riverhead is expecting a pair of cannabis shops to open in the months ahead, and plans for multiple locations in Southampton Town are underway. What will the final structure of a legal system of cannabis cultivation and sale in New York State look like? And, in particular, how will all of this affect Southampton Town in 2025 and beyond?The Express Sessions hosted a panel on October 24 at Union Burger Bar in Southampton Village with David Falkowski, founding president, Open Minded Organics; Greg Konner, general manager, Konner Development Corp.; Maria Moore, Southampton Town supervisor; Gahrey Ovalle, president, Long Island Cannabis Coalition; and Fred W. Thiele Jr., New York State assemblyman. In this episode of The Sessions Report, Co-Publisher Gavin Menu, Executive Editor Joseph P. Shaw and Managing Editor Bill Sutton play highlights from the discussion and offer further context.
After months of rumor and speculation, Gosman’s Dock has been sold. What began as a modest chowder house on Montauk Harbor more than 80 years ago has since grown to become a celebrated family-run enterprise with a complex of restaurants, shops and a wholesale and retail seafood business. The sale of the company, Bob Gosman Co. Inc., is expected to be finalized by year’s end. This week, the editors are joined by reporter Christopher Walsh, who wrote about the sale of the property.
As we face ever more severe weather, Long Island is a frontline region in navigating climate change. Flood insurance, agriculture, and more are all at stake. What can Congress do to help Suffolk County move forward sustainably in this new world? Hear 1st District Republican Congressman Nick LaLota and Democratic congressional candidate John Avlon share their views on the issue in their own words, recorded in two separate panel interviews September 2024 at WLIW-FM studios in Southampton. These recordings have been lightly edited without changing the content of the candidates' statements during the panel interviews. Editing of the candidates has occurred only where a music bed is heard, as well as minor editing of the moderators.1st District Matters is part of Your Election 2024, a special collection of programs, series, and resources from The WNET Group to illuminate election issues on-air, online, and on YouTube leading into the November 5th elections.A production of Express News Group and WLIW-FM. For WLIW-FM: Moderator: Michael Mackey; Executive Producer: Diane Masciale; Producer: Delaney Hafener; Production: Kyle Lynch; Senior Engineer: Brian Bannon; Legal Services: Marta Castaing. For The Express News Group: Executive Producer and Moderator: Joseph P. Shaw, Executive Editor; Managing Editor: Bill Sutton; Deputy Managing Editor: Brendan J. O'Reilly; Moderator and Staff Writer: Christopher Walsh; Production Managers: Kerri Cunningham, Sara Mannino Kent; Publishers: Gavin Menu, Kathryn G. Menu. Copyright 2024
The Kmart in the Bridgehampton Commons, the last full-size Kmart store in the continental United States, closed its doors for good on Sunday. But as the South Fork says goodbye to blue light specials, it appears that another big box store, Target, is preparing to take over the 90,000-square-foot retail space. On this week's podcast, the editors discuss the fate of the Bridgehampton Kmart, the reasons it went bust, and the possibilities for the space's future.
Is the health care system on Long Island broken? What can the federal government do to make sure that Suffolk County residents have health care infrastructure that will keep them safe and healthy? What does having a “public option” really mean? Hear 1st District Republican Congressman Nick LaLota and Democratic congressional candidate John Avlon share their views on the issue in their own words, recorded in two separate panel interviews September 2024 at WLIW-FM studios in Southampton. These recordings have been lightly edited without changing the content of the candidates’ statements during the panel interviews. Editing of the candidates has occurred only where a music bed is heard, as well as minor editing of the moderators. 1st District Matters is part of Your Election 2024, a special collection of programs, series, and resources from The WNET Group to illuminate election issues on-air, online, and on YouTube leading into the November 5th elections. A production of Express News Group and WLIW-FM.
There are numerous passionate residents offering input, though the conversations are splintered and many voices are competing. A major proposal by the Shinnecock Nation for a gas station off Sunrise Highway — and, in the longer term, development on the bluff at Westwoods — has sparked concern among Hampton Bays residents. But there are other pressures: a developer has amassed parcels and has a vision for redevelopment. This Express Sessions forum brings together many of the players in one room to search for common ground and try to identify successful strategies for moving forward on the issues affecting Hampton Bays.THE PANEL:Marion Boden, Hampton Bays resident; Ray D'Angelo, President, Hampton Bays Civic Association; John Leonard, Founder, Hampton Bays Alliance; Gayle Lombardi, Director, Hampton Bays Civic Association; Cyndi McNamara, Southampton Town Councilwoman.
For nearly a decade, the Spanish Embassy’s Ministry of Culture, Education and Sports has recognized each of Southampton’s public schools as an International Spanish Academy, which implements a Spanish-English dual language immersion curriculum with the support of the ministry. The dual language program has helped students from Spanish-speaking households become proficient in English, and vice versa, and has had the added effect of bridging social and cultural divides in the schools. This week on the 27Speaks podcast, the editors discuss the origins, purposes and successes of the program.
Women’s rights are under scrutiny in a way they have not been in a generation. What is the federal government’s role in protecting women’s rights? Where do most Americans actually stand on the right to abortion? Hear 1st District Republican Congressman Nick LaLota and Democratic congressional candidate John Avlon share their views on the issue in their own words, recorded in two separate panel interviews in September at WLIW-FM studios in Southampton. These recordings have been lightly edited without changing the content of the candidates’ statements during the panel interviews. Editing of the candidates has occurred only where a music bed is heard, as well as minor editing of the moderators. 1st District Matters is part of Your Election 2024, a special collection of programs, series, and resources from The WNET Group to illuminate election issues on-air, online, and on YouTube leading into the November 5th elections. A production of Express News Group and WLIW-FM.
The feature-length mockumentary “The Premiere,” which was shot on the East End, will have its world premiere at Guild Hall this Thursday, October 10, as part of the Hamptons International Film Festival. Hamptons residents will see many familiar faces on screen, as this film uses true locals in its cast of characters. The premise of the film is a documentary about the debut production of "Scream: The Musical" at Bay Street Theater, but it turns into much more. Co-director and co-producer Miles Anthony joins the editors on 27Speaks to discuss the project.
Is the 1st District safer now than it was a year ago? How can the federal government address such a localized issue as criminal justice? How does the Second Amendment come into play in conversations around public safety?Hear 1st District Republican Congressman Nick LaLota and Democratic congressional candidate John Avlon share their views on the issue in their own words, recorded in two separate panel interviews in September 2024 at WLIW-FM studios in Southampton NY. These recordings have been lightly edited without changing the content of the candidates' statements during the panel interviews. Editing of the candidates has occurred only where a music bed is heard, as well as minor editing of the moderators.1st District Matters is part of Your Election 2024, a special collection of programs, series, and resources from The WNET Group to illuminate election issues on-air, online, and on YouTube leading into the November 5th elections.A production of Express News Group and WLIW-FM.For WLIW-FM:Moderator: Michael Mackey Executive Producer: Diane MascialeProducer: Delaney Hafener Production: Kyle Lynch Senior Engineer: Brian Bannon Legal Services: Marta CastaingFor The Express News Group: Executive Producer and Moderator: Joseph P. Shaw, Executive EditorManaging Editor: Bill Sutton Deputy Managing Editor: Brendan J. O'Reilly Moderator and Staff Writer: Christopher Walsh Production Managers: Kerri Cunningham, Sara Mannino Kent Publishers: Gavin Menu, Kathryn G. Menu
Westhampton resident Jack Weber is 100 years old and the subject of “Lessons From 100,” a forthcoming short documentary that will feature Weber in conversation with his grandson as they explore his life, how the world has changed over the last century and what has led to his incredible longevity. Joining the editors this week to talk about his life and the film are Jack Weber, his grandson, filmmaker Matthew Floyd, and his daughter, Barbara Weber-Floyd, the film’s producer.
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joins the editors on 27Speaks this week to discuss the status of the Equal Rights Amendment, which could have implications on reproductive rights, as well as her push for more funding to combat tick-borne illnesses, particularly Lyme disease, and legislation to address and prevent traumatic brain injuries among members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Much of the economy of the 1st Congressional District on Long Island depends on immigrant laborers, making immigration a key issue in the race for the congressional seat between 1st District Republican Congressman Nick LaLota and Democratic candidate John Avlon.Hear them share their views on the issue in their own words, recorded in two separate panel interviews in September 2024 at WLIW-FM studios in Southampton, NY.These recordings have been lightly edited without changing the content of the candidates' statements during the panel interviews. Editing of the candidates has occurred only where a music bed is heard, as well as minor editing of the moderators.1st District Matters is part of Your Election 2024, a special collection of programs, series, and resources from The WNET Group to illuminate election issues on-air, online, and on YouTube leading into the November 5th elections.A production of Express News Group and WLIW-FM.For WLIW-FM:Moderator: Michael MackeyExecutive Producer: Diane MascialeProducer: Delaney HafenerProduction: Kyle LynchSenior Engineer: Brian BannonLegal Services: Marta CastaingFor The Express News Group:Executive Producer and Moderator: Joseph P. Shaw, Executive EditorManaging Editor: Bill SuttonDeputy Managing Editor: Brendan J. O'ReillyModerator and Staff Writer: Christopher WalshProduction Managers: Kerri Cunningham, Sara Mannino KentPublishers: Gavin Menu, Kathryn G. MenuCopyright 2024
For the residents of a smattering of streets that can only get out of their neighborhoods via accessing County Road 39, the South Fork traffic situation far transcends inconvenience. Terrifying, nerve-wracking and life-threatening are the terms many use to describe their predicament. A group of residents of the Greenfield Road neighborhood join the editors and reporter Michael Wright on the podcast this week to share their experience.
Miniature whaleboats have been a hallmark of HarborFest in Sag Harbor going back to the 1960s, when author John Steinbeck and others founded the annual event, originally known as the Old Whalers Festival. The whaleboats went under a long-overdue restoration this year to keep them afloat for many HarborFests to come. HarborFest Whaleboat Committee leader Gavin Menu, who is also a co-publisher of The Express News Group, joins the editors on 27Speaks this week to talk about the history of whaleboat racing at HarborFest, which returns September 14 and 15.
A replica of the Amistad docked in Montauk in August, during the same week in 1839 when the original Amistad came aground at Culloden Point in Montauk. The schooner became famous after the Mende people onboard, who had been abducted in Africa to be sold into slavery, revolted against their captors. The ship was seized, and the Mende were put on trial in Connecticut for mutiny. Ultimately, the court sided with the Mende and defended their actions to secure their freedom. Brenda Simmons, the executive director of the Southampton African American Museum, Mia Certic, the executive director of the Montauk Historical Society, and Paula Mann-Agnew, the executive director of Discovering Amistad, join the editors on the podcast to discuss the significance of the Amistad and the planning that went into bringing the replica to Montauk for the first time.
The Express News Group and WLIW-FM are collaborating on separate, issues-based interviews with incumbent Republican U.S. Representative Nick LaLota and Democratic challenger John Avlon. The interviews serve as a way to drill down on topics of importance to the East End and the entire 1st Congressional District and get the candidates on the record about their plans and positions. Diane Masciale, the vice president and general manager of WLIW21 and WLIW-FM, and Gavin Menu, a co-publisher of The Express News Group, join the editors on the podcast this week to discuss the project.
Express News Group interns Hope Hamilton and Dan Stark join the editors to discuss their experience this summer.
Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League President Sandi Kruel and Tom Gleeson, the league's director of development, join the editors on 27Speaks to discuss HCBL's history and the current season.
When Aby Rosen, a billionaire real estate mogul, and his son, Charlie, decided to add the Southampton Village movie theater to their extensive portfolio of properties, they weren’t seeing dollar signs. Instead, they say, they were drawn to the historic but rundown theater — which went dark and has stayed that way since the start of the pandemic — for more personal reasons. During a recent exclusive tour of the theater, reporter Cailin Riley learned about the Rosens' vision for the Hill Street theater, which was originally built in 1932, and purchased by them for $8 million in late 2022. This week Riley joins the editors to share what she’s learned about what’s next for the theater.
East Hampton Town is considering a proposal for the site of the former Stern’s department store to be redeveloped with 48 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, which will then be sold to local employers to house their employees. Kirby Marcantonio, the publisher of Montauk Life and Hamptons Life magazines, and a group of investors is pitching the novel solution to East Hampton’s workforce housing crisis. Reporter Christopher Walsh joins the editors on the podcast to discuss these plans and other affordable housing solutions.
Roundabouts and other measures to help move traffic along are being explored at difficult intersections and chronically backed-up roads across the South Fork. Reporters Stephen Kotz and Michael Wright join the editors on the podcast this week to discuss specific proposals.
East Hampton Village recently banned late-night restaurant clubs and prohibited all restaurants in the historic districts from staying open past 11:30 p.m. The village's moves were designed to head off rumored plans to turn the Hedges Inn into an exclusive club akin to Manhattan's Zero Bond. Reporter Christopher Walsh, who has written on the topic, joins the editors on the podcast to discuss.
Father Alexander Karloutsos, the protopresbyter of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese's representative to the White House, joins the editors on the podcast to discuss his relationship with President Joe Biden and past presidents going back to Jimmy Carter. In 2022, Biden presented Father Alex with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian award.
Launched in 2017, The Gates Scholarship, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is based on evidence that “by eliminating the financial barriers to college, a last-dollar scholarship can enable high-potential, low-income minority students to excel in their course work, graduate college, and continue to be leaders throughout their lives.” It becomes evident early on during a conversation with the 17-year-old Sa'Naya Morris why she was chosen to receive the scholarship, which has a rigorous application process, and which is awarded to fewer than 800 students out of the more than 53,000 who apply. Morris joins the editors on the podcast this week to discuss her academic career and plans.
In Shinnecock Hills, an ancestral Shinnecock burial ground is back in the hands of the Shinnecock Indian Nation. The site is adjacent to the summit of Sugar Loaf Hill, land that has been used by the Shinnecock and other Indigenous people from as far away as New England for cremation and interment. A house deemed historic, but not yet landmarked, sits on the land, and the question of what to do with the house remains. Shinnecock Indian Nation tribal attorney and Niamuck Land Trust Executive Director Tela Troge, Peconic Land Trust President John v.H. Halsey and Express News Group reporter Cailin Riley join the editors on the podcast to talk about the significance of the site and the effort by others to preserve the house there.
Rex Heuermann, who is suspected of being the Gilgo serial killer, was charged last week with two more murders, including one victim who was discovered in North Sea in 1993. Reporter Michael Wright joins the editors on the podcast this week to discuss the new charges and the case's new connection to Southampton.
After a long wait — and several complications — Heart of the Hamptons, the community nonprofit food pantry that also provides other services to families in need, has moved from its long-time home in the basement of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Roman Catholic Church on Hill Street into its new headquarters in the old ambulance barn on Meeting House Lane in Southampton Village. Heart of the Hamptons Executive Director Molly Bishop talks with the editors about the pantry’s mission, the big move and a new distribution locationthat was added at the Stony Brook Southampton campus a little more than a month ago.
Thanks to a $125,000 grant from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, the East Hampton Historical Society has launched a new “augmented reality” app at Mulford Farm that gives users an interactive way to learn about the history of the American Revolution. The app, 1776AR, features a 3D avatar of Hugh King, the East Hampton Town and Village historian, sharing the history of the Mulford family before, during and after the American Revolution. Stephen Long, the executive director of the Historical Society, and King joined the editors to talk about the new app and its mission.
Since 1974, the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, also known as ARF, has placed over 30,000 cats and dogs with loving families across Long Island and beyond, changing their lives one connection at a time, according to Kim Nichols, ARF's executive director and CEO. Nichols joins the editors on 27Speaks to talk about ARF's work and the nonprofit's 50th anniversary.
On this week's edition of 27Speaks, reporter Cailin Riley and co-publisher Gavin Meny join the editors to offer a preview of The Summer Book, the name given to the issue of The Express Magazine that drops just in time for Memorial Day weekend each year.
As far as Anita Fuellbier is concerned, Stage 4 lung cancer picked the wrong body. She is a fighter. She takes risks. She has fierce love for her two daughters, her job and her place in her community. And she is currently six months into her projected year and a half to live — though, following an experimental clinical trial, that timeline may have shifted. Anita joins the editors on 27Speaks this week to discuss her cancer journey and share her positive outlook.
New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. joins the editors on 27Speaks to discuss a range of issues, including the fate of the historic windmill on the Stony Brook Southampton campus, affordable housing initiatives, water quality, school aid and his last budget process before retiring.
John Reilly, a physician assistant from Shelter Island, spent the first half of March on a medical aid mission to Ukraine. As a volunteer with Global Care Force, for two weeks Reilly was part of a medical team that traveled to small towns and tiny villages, delivering routine health care to Ukrainian citizens in the midst of the war with Russia. The experience deeply affected him, and this week, Reilly joined the editors and senior reporter Stephen J. Kotz to talk about what he witnessed during his time in Ukraine and share his insight into what he learned from his first-hand visit to the war zone.
Rock Steady Boxing is a non-contact, boxing-inspired fitness program for people with Parkinson's disease to improve balance, gait and quality of life. Michelle Del Giorno, the owner of Epic Martial Arts in Sag Harbor and the head coach at Rock Steady Boxing Sag Harbor, joins the editors on the podcast to share how, over the past seven years, more than 250 students have passed through the program, a national affiliate taught locally through Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s Center for Parkinson’s Disease at Del Giorno’s dojo and in Hampton Bays with Seth Greiner and Breahna Arnold, as well as on Zoom.
The first 2024 issue of The Express Magazine hits newsstands today. On this week's podcast, the editors and reporter Cailin Riley discuss the stories they worked on for this Home & Garden-themed issue.
To preserve both open space and the South Fork’s tradition of farming, East Hampton Town has made preserved farmland available to budding farmers at an affordable rate. Farmers Isabel Milligan and Nick Collins of Feathertop Farm and reporter Michael Wright join the editors on 27Speaks this week to discuss Feathertop Farm’s first growing season and the benefits of the town’s program.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently completed an $11 million project that widened the beach to protect Montauk properties from rising oceans. Dredging and dumping sand on beaches is expensive, and it’s only a temporary measure — but it remains the preferred strategy, despite the costs. This Express Sessions event on April 4 featured a discussion of beach nourishment, its application on beaches throughout the South Fork, the pluses and minuses, and how regular replenishment can be used both as a short- and long-term strategy, as well as buying time for other approaches, such as coastal retreat.
The Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center in Hampton Bays, the only wildlife hospital on Eastern Long Island, has a new executive director, Kathleen Mulcahy, the former mayor of Sag Harbor. Mulcahy joins the editors on 27Speaks this week along with rescue center board member Jane Gill and Director of Development Noelle Dunlop to talk about Mulcahy's new job there, the mission of the center and what some of the nonprofit center's needs are.
Giuseppe “Joe” Sciara, the namesake of Uncle Joe's Pizzeria in Hampton Bays, has sold his business — after more than half a century making pizza — to Tana Leigh Gerber and Scott Gerber of Hamptons Brands, who have reopened the Hampton Bays flagship location after an extensive renovation, rebranded a Wading Rover pizzeria as a second Uncle Joe's location and have plans to continuing expanding the Uncle Joe's brand at "red sauce joints." The Gerbers join the editors on the podcast this week to share their vision for continuing Sciara's legacy.
The Hampton Bays School District has partnered with Teachers Federal Credit Union to launch the Baymen Financial Center at Hampton Bays High School. The financial center on school property will provide students with access to an array of resources, including financial literacy, banking services for savings, deposits and withdrawals, and possible career pathways. Hampton Bays Superintendent of Schools Lars Clemensen joins the editors on the podcast this week to discuss the benefits of bank access and financial literacy.
With 10 acres of tribe-owned land off Sunrise Highway being cleared for a possible travel plaza, which would feature a retail shop and tax-free gasoline pumps, the Shinnecock Nation continues forward with a list of economic development activities. Not far away are the two "monuments" — roadside electronic billboards bringing in advertising revenue. Little Beach Harvest recently opened the first nation-owned marijuana dispensary on Shinnecock territory. Other developments on the table include a cannabis growing facility, and perhaps a spa, as well as a gaming facility. Shinnecock business leaders speak on their vision of the future, and the impact the new revenue is having — and with local leaders speak on their response to a new era for the Shinnecock Nation.
Scammers are constantly changing their tactics and finding novel ways to rip people off. To alert South Fork residents about common scams — over the phone, via email and social media and more — Southampton Town Police Chief James Kiernan joins the editors and reporter Tom Gogola on the podcast this week.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently completed the bolstering of downtown Montauk’s oceanfront beaches with more than 500,000 tons of sand after just under three weeks of 24/7 work by crews aboard the giant hopper dredge Ellis Island and dozens of on-shore engineers. Reporter Michael Wright joins the editors to discuss the scope of the project and what to expect now that it's complete.
New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. of Sag Harbor will retire at the end of his term, which means he will have represented the South Fork in Albany for just shy of 30 years when he's done. He also served time in office as Southampton Town supervisor and Suffolk County legislator. Thiele joins the editors and reporter Stephen J. Kotz on the podcast this week to discuss what he's accomplished during his time in public service and the challenges that the East End continues to face.
Real estate market analyst Jonathan Miller of appraisal firm Miller Samuel Inc. recently joined editors to discuss the state of real estate in the Hamptons and where it’s headed in 2024. Miller, the author of the Elliman Report for Douglas Elliman, has long watched the Hamptons market as well as New York City and many luxury markets across the United States. He noted trends seen nationally and on the East End specifically.
This school year, Pierson High School instituted a new cellphone policy that requires students to put their phones away in locked bags, called Yondr pouches, at the beginning of the school day. The phones stay in the pouches until the security team unlocks them at the end of the day. On this week's podcast, report Cailin Riley joins the editors to discuss how the policy is working out, what other school districts are doing, and the benefits and detriments of no-phone policies in schools.
More than a quarter million people crossed the southern border into the United States in December 2023, a new record. Among the volunteers who were on the American side to provide aid to new arrivals were Elissa McLean and Andy Winter of Noyac. This week, the editors talk to the couple to learn about their experience and interaction with migrants at the border.
The Express News Group hosted its latest Express Sessions live event, "Can the Winter Be Brisk for Businesses in East Hampton?" on February 1 at Rowdy Hall in Amagansett with East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen, The Anchor Society founder Bess Rattray, Honest Man Restaurant Group owner Mark Smith and Hal Zwick, the director of commercial real estate at Compass Hamptons.Traditionally, merchants in East Hampton Town and its villages make their money in the busy summer season, then have various strategies for riding out the other half of the year — some stay open to serve locals, others close up shop altogether. But the town has a healthy full-time community, has become more of a year-round destination for part-time residents and the newly formed Greater East Hampton Chamber of Commerce has emerged to help serve and unite the town’s business community. Filling the empty storefronts in the winter could be good for shoppers — and possibly for business owners as well. 'Another part of this conversation is exploring new ideas to replace pulling up the stakes in winter, with a special focus on a new charitable organization, the Anchor Society, and its vision of creating “winter shops” in the typically vacant storefront spaces.
At least two dozen applications for cannabis licenses for retail dispensaries in Southampton Town, mainly along Route 27 and Country Road 39, have been filed with the New York State Office of Cannabis Management. Most of these locations are likely placeholders for applicants who don’t need to have a lease or own a prospective building in order to apply for a license. This week, the editors and reporter Tom Gogola discuss what it all means, what might happen next in the process and how many of these applicants might be successful in their efforts.
Brenda Simmons and Dr. Georgette Grier-Key of the Southampton African American Museum and reporter Cailin Riley join the editors on the podcast this week to discuss the Hamptons Civil Rights Back Story audio tour, which includes four “stops,” each with a narrated audio segment, as well as photos, exploring an aspect of Black history in the area. The project is available on the TravelStorys app.
A proposed senior center for the Town of East Hampton comes with a $31.6 million price tag, and the Town Board is considering exercising its right to exempt itself from zoning and move the senior center forward without regulatory review. Some skeptics have spoken up recently to urge the town to take a more measured approach, legally and financially, and make sure everything they are proposing is justifiable and done smartly. Reporter Michael Wright joins the editors on the podcast this week to discuss the project and where it stands.
Since 1963, a sprawling 84-acre stretch of Shinnecock Hills has had a college presence, first as Southampton College, then, starting in 2006, as the Southampton campus of Stony Brook University. Over the years, some things have stayed the same — the campus is a focal point for marine science and a bastion of the arts — but the vision for its future has varied. Today, Stony Brook has plans to build a new $300 million hospital on the site, which could spark a new era for the campus. In the meantime, the condition of some buildings have critics crying foul and worrying about Stony Brook's vision — or lack thereof. Several key leaders from the Stony Brook University administration joined Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr., a key critic of the state of the campus, State Senator Anthony Palumbo, and former U.S. Representative Tim Bishop, a former Southampton College provost, to discuss the present and future of Stony Brook Southampton.
Reporter Stephen Kotz joins the editors to discuss the first in a three-part series appearing in Express News Group newspapers looking at the college campus in Shinnecock Hills once known as Southampton College and now known as Stony Brook Southampton.
The first offshore wind turbine to power New York State went into service on December 6, and 11 more turbines are slated to be completed soon, bringing the long-aborning South Fork Wind project to fruition. Reporters Michael Wright and Tom Gogola join the editors on the podcast to discuss South Fork Wind and the future of wind power for Long Island.
In this week's edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk about organized retail and car thieves targeting the South Fork, a home being built in Riverhead for Habitat for Humanity using insulated concrete forms, the arrest of a man accused of defacing sites in Montauk with antisemitic graffiti, and Kidd Squid’s new Brew for The Bay Sag Harbor, a limited edition beer that, in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension, will be sold to raise funds and awareness for eelgrass revitalization and oyster bed restoration.
The Rolling Stones and Rowdy Hall are on the same page: "I must have it painted black." On this week's 27Speaks podcast, reporter Michael Wright joins the editors to discuss the saga of Rowdy Hall facade at its new Amagansett location. After the East Hampton Town Architectural Review Board refused to approve a black facade, the owners of Rowdy Hall had it painted black anyway and are taking the town to court to defend the move.
The editors discuss how the Southampton Fire Department made birthday wishes come true for an 11-year-old boy with autism, the public's right under the Freedom of Information Law to access elected officials' writings, a fentanyl-smuggling scheme at the Suffolk County jail in Riverside and two films that will screen at Hamptons Doc Fest — “26.2 to Life” by Christine Yoo about prisoners running a marathon at San Quentin, and “999: The Forgotten Girls of the Holocaust” by Heather Dune Macadam.
Maria Moore, the current mayor of Westhampton Beach Village and the supervisor-elect of Southampton Town, joins the editors on 27Speaks to discuss the 2023 election and her plans when she assumes office in January 2024.
Sag Harbor Village, with a new mayor at the helm, appears poised to tackle an important planning project, including an update to its zoning code and the potential for the creation of a comprehensive plan, which would serve as a blueprint for the village’s development future. Considering the various pressures the village faces, including a proposal for a new residential and commercial development that could transform the west side of Sag Harbor behind Main Street, continuing concerns about water quality and the need for more affordable housing, a master plan conversation would set the stage for Sag Harbor in the 21st century. What, exactly, should the master plan say? This week's Sessions Report podcast looks back at an Express Sessions event on November 16 at The American Hotel in Sag Harbor.
Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, the longtime East Hampton Town councilwoman elected town supervisor on November 7, joins the editors on 27Speaks to discuss her agenda as she prepares to take the helm in January.
This week on 27Speaks, the editors each bring a recent news story to the table for discussion: antisemitic graffiti in Montauk and the community's reaction, the ideas that came out of an Express Sessions panel on solving the South Fork's traffic's woes, and the third-quarter market reports for Hamptons real estate.
For 14 months straight, Heart of the Hamptons has seen a monthly increase in the number of people coming to the food pantry it operates out of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Roman Catholic Church on Hill Street, and that streak shows no signs of ending, especially as the organization heads into what are typically its busiest months of the year. Executive Director Molly Bishop joins the editors on the podcast this week to discuss the underlying causes of the growth in need and to share how Heart of the Hamptons staff and volunteers are working to keep up with the demand.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone visited Southampton in late August to announce that the county plans to seek proposals for “innovative traffic solutions” for a seven-mile stretch of County Road 39 from Hampton Bays to Southampton Village. He joined also the Express Sessions conversation on October 26 at Union Sushi & Steak in Southampton, with panel of local and county public officials exploring what those innovations might entail.The addition to Bellone, the guests included Suffolk County Department of Public Works Assistant Chief Engineer Alex Prego, Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming, Southampton Village Police Chief Sue Hurteau, Southampton Town Highway Superintendent Charles McArdle and Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman.
The editors lift the veil on the endorsement process — how the editorial board interviews candidates for village, town, county and higher office then decides the best candidates to endorse.
The new issue of The Express Magazine has a special focus on local food by East End growers, producers and chefs. Reporter Cailin Riley joins the editors to discuss the stories appearing in the Harvest issue.
There is no easy solution for the South Fork’s affordable housing crisis, which is striking schools, police departments and volunteer emergency corps hardest. A new idea is to use some of those same properties where men and women are employed, or where they volunteer, to build affordable housing and to give them an inside track at a place they can truly call home, in exchange for their employment or volunteering. Sag Harbor Village Mayor Tom Gardella floated the idea as a Village Board member to use the Sag Harbor Firehouse property in that way, and a similar plan has been pitched to East Hampton schools. Is it one possible answer?On October 12 for the latest Express Sessions discussion The Express News Group assembled Tim Fromm, assistant superintendent of East Hampton School District; Tom Gardella, Sag Harbor Village mayor; Curtis Highsmith, executive director, Southampton Town Housing Authority; Kirby Marcantonio, owner of Hampton Life; and Tommy John Schiavoni, Southampton Town councilman; at the American Hotel in Sag Harbor to discuss these innovation solutions.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney joins the editors and reporter Tom Gogola on the podcast to discuss how his office is confronting crime in Suffolk County, including on the East End.
A proposal unveiled in August would transform Lake Agawam in Southampton Village, making it into a destination garden designed by artist and landscape designer Peter Marino. This comes as village officials have worked in recent years to try to reclaim the lake — one of New York State's most polluted water bodies — in part with a major new plan to use an algae skimmer to filter the lake water. Restoring Lake Agawam to its rightful place as a centerpiece attraction of the village is a major undertaking across several administrations: What will the final result be?Joining the Express Sessions panel are David Bohnett, board member, Lake Agawam Conservancy; Dr. Christopher Gobler, professor, Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences; Michael Irving, former Southampton Village mayor; Bill Manger, Southampton Village mayor; Janice Scherer, Southampton Town planning director; and Shannon Willey, owner, Sea Green Designs in Southampton Village.
In a new series of articles, The Express News Group is highlighting former residents of the South Fork who have gone on to live in interesting places and work in exciting careers. On the 27Speaks podcast this week, the editors and reporters discuss some of the people covered so far and the plans for the series as it continues.
The 11th annual SouthamptonFest is this weekend, Friday, September 29, to Sunday, October 1, in Southampton Village, bringing family friendly fun with arts, entertainment, food and more. On this week's podcast, Southampton Village Deputy Mayor Gina Arresta and SouthamptonFest organizer Nancy Kane join the editors to discuss the festivities planned.
The U.S. General Services Administration has postponed its planned auction of 14 acres north of Stewart Avenue in Westhampton with 24 duplexes, two single-family units and a workshop to give Southampton Town, a private developer and other partners time to come up with a plan to acquire the property for affordable housing opportunities. However, neighbors south of Stewart Avenue are urging the town not to turn the units into affordable homes and to step aside while the GSA auctions off the surplus property as planned. Reporter Tom Gogola, who has been reporting on the attempts to direct the property toward affordable housing, joins the editors on the podcast this week.
Destructive southern pine beetles have been sweeping through the South Fork for several years, killing pitch pine trees. Standing dead trees are ideal fuel for wildfires, and they may also topple or drop branches onto roads and people. Southern pine beetle management has involved cutting down affected trees and often leaving them in place, but despite these efforts, the infestation continues to spread. To discuss how East Hampton Town is combating southern pine beetles and the risks, reporter Michael Wright and East Hampton Town Councilman David Lys join the editors on the podcast this week.
The number of COVID cases has ticked up in recent weeks, just as flu and RSV seasons approach. To discuss what East End residents should be doing to protect themselves and others from communicable diseases this fall and winter, Melody Butler, the director of infection prevention and control at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, joins the editors on the podcast this week.
East End Food, a nonprofit that exists to promote local growers and food producers, has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years and expanded its reach. This summer, it introduced the East End Food Passport, and work on the new East End Food Hub in Riverhead, with a commercial kitchen for producers and farmers market stalls for vendors, is underway. Kate Fullam, the executive director of East End Food, joins the editors on 27Speaks this week to discuss the organization's roots and its plans for the coming years.
On August 10, Water Mill resident Judith Sherman looked through her binoculars at a bird in a distant tree. The bird, an osprey, was in distress and hanging from a branch, its leg tangled in a mass of rope and fishing line. So Sherman called the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center in Hampton Bays, and before long, wildlife rescue volunteer Missy Hargraves was on the case and ready to help. In this week's podcast, the editors and reporter Tom Gogola talk with Hargraves about the harrowing scene, the effort it took to free the osprey, and the good work of the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center.
Each summer, The Express News Group brings interns into the fold to help produce the content that fills the newspapers' pages. As August winds down, we often like to get the perspective of interns and find out what they learned during their time with us, what stories they found most compelling to cover and if journalism might be a field they will pursue in the future. This week, 2023 Arts & Living intern Caitlyn Foley of Westhampton Beach, who will soon start her senior year at Villanova University, joined the editors to talk about her time at The Express News Group.
In recent weeks, developer Adam Potter announced new plans for a 1.4-acre site he owns in Sag Harbor Village, bounded by Rose and Bridge streets. Saying he had learned from criticisms of earlier proposals, Potter’s somewhat scaled-back plan includes retail space, 39 apartments, some of which would be designated as affordable housing, a community center, a performance venue, classrooms and a small park. This week, the editors and reporter Steve Kotz discuss the details of the new proposal and consider what might happen going forward.
The Suffolk County Water Authority has for years dubbed private properties that consume millions of gallons of water per year “superusers” and has tried appealing to owners and property managers to do more to reduce the amount of water they draw in through the SCWA mains, which taxes the authority’s ability to maintain water pressure at peak usage times, posing a threat to firefighting capabilities. The Express News Group has tracked the growth of superusers and how much water they draw from the SCWA wells since 2010, labeling top users as “the Water Hogs of the Hamptons.” Reporter Michael Wright and SCWA director of external affairs Dan Dubois join the editors on the podcast this week to discuss the concerns and what SCWA is doing to alleviate them.
Goats don't actually eat tin cans, as cartoons would have you believe, but they do have voracious appetites and eat plants that other ruminants leave alone — making goats excellent at controlling unwanted plants. East Hampton Town and the Concerned Citizens of Montauk are planning to use goats in their effort to restore the coastal shrublands along the southern edge of Old Montauk Highway just west of downtown Montauk, and in Southampton Town, the highway department is already employing goats to remove overgrowth and invasive plants on medians and road ends. Southampton Town Highway Superintendent Charlie McArdle and reporter Michael Wright join the editors on the podcast this week to discuss the many benefits of using goats for ecological management.
Fighting Chance, the Sag Harbor-based cancer support organization founded more than 20 years ago, recently distributed an educational insert in the Express News Group newspapers about living with cancer diagnoses, and it did so in collaboration with the American Cancer Society. This week, the editors and intern John Paul Ferrantino were joined by Duncan Darrow, founder of Fighting Chance, and Kathleen Mulcahy, its executive director, as well as Katie Goepfrich Schafer, executive director of American Cancer Society Long Island, to talk about the history of Fighting Chance and the new partnership between the two organizations.
This week, Westhampton Free Library adult reference librarian Sara Zarowin, who took the lead in the installation of a small pollinator garden in Glovers Lane Park in Westhampton Beach Village, joins the editors on the 27Speaks podcast. The garden, originally intended to be installed in 2020, was delayed for several years, first due to the pandemic, and then as the village worked on its Main Street revitalization project and sewer project, but finally came together on June 4. The library, in partnership with the village, hopes the garden will not only help improve the environment, but also be a model and educational tool for the community.
This week, the editors, Express News Group publisher Gavin Menu and director of events Ellen Dioguardi talk beer — the art of brewing it, the joy of drinking it. Kidd Squid Brewing Company, which opened just last year in Sag Harbor, is already a community institution. On Thursday, July 13, from 4 to 6 p.m. The Express Magazine will host “The Next Generation of Craft Beer,” an afternoon of beer tasting at Kidd Squid as part of its "Sips of Summer” series. Rory McEvoy, owner of Kidd Squid, will join representatives of Übergeek Brewing and the North Fork Brewing Company to explain how the brewers are using locally grown and made products to produce a new generation of craft beer.
With more wind and solar power coming on the grid in the near future, infrastructure plans call for battery energy storage systems where excess electricity can be stored at times of peak production and then withdrawn overnight and at times of peak demand. But in communities where a BESS is proposed, neighbors are concerned about fire and environmental risk. To assuage those concerns, Southampton Town Councilman John Bouvier and sustainability consultant Lynn Arthur join reporter Kitty Merrill and the editors on the podcast this week to discuss how a BESS works, how the batteries differ from other lithium batteries and the safety protocols that are put in place.
The East End's wine industry got its start in 1973 in Cutchogue, when Alex and Louisa Hargrave planted the first Long Island vineyard. Today, the North Fork has many stops on its wine trail, and the South Fork boasts Wölffer Estate Vineyard, Channing Daughters Winery and Duck Walk Vineyard. On this week's 27Speaks podcast, the editors discuss the 50th anniversary of the Long Island wine region and how it has evolved into an agritourism destination.
On this week's 27Speaks, the editors discuss a selection of some of the top stories locally: air alerts due to wildfires in Canada, a deceased humpback whale in Shinnecock Bay, lights for East Hampton High School's athletic field, and the recent death of well-known local photographer Tom Kochie.
Local government officials recently joined East End charter boat captains in voicing objections to a decision by federal fisheries managers to impose strict new limits on the harvesting of striped bass. It's a move the fishermen say will hamstring their business and is counterproductive to conservation goals. This week, senior reporter Michael Wright joins the editors in a discussion of the new federal limits on striped bass and the reasoning behind them.
The Southampton Village Board is deeply divided in a way village residents have not seen before, with the four trustees in one camp and the mayor alone on an island. Each side is accusing the other of acting with political motivations in the weeks prior to the village election on June 16, as incumbent Mayor Jesse Warren and Trustee Bill Manger face off for the mayor’s seat and incumbent Trustees Roy Stevenson and Robin Brown face challengers Greg Centeno and Palmer Hudson, backed by the mayor. In this week’s 27Speaks, the editors comment on a recent Village Board meeting in which the conflict was on full display
Sag Harbor Village will celebrate the official opening of John Steinbeck Waterfront Park, named for the author of "The Grapes of Wrath" among other acclaimed works, at 11 a.m. on May 25, just in time for Memorial Day weekend. On this week's podcast, reporter Stephen J. Kotz joins the editors to discuss how the 1.25-acre parcel, once host to derelict buildings, was preserved for $10.5 million and turned over to a public use. The episode also includes landscape architect Ed Hollander's comments about designing the park from a recent Express Sessions.
Chairman of the Shinnecock Nation Council of Trustees Bryan Polite and attorney Tela Troge, a member of the Shinnecock Graves Protection Warrior Society, join the editors on 27Speaks this week to discuss the unmarked graves protection legislation that recently became law through the New York State budget process.
As Memorial Day weekend fast approaches, Sag Harbor Express publisher-emeritus Bryan Boyhan joins the editors to discuss the summer 2023 outlook, including events, traffic, real estate and more.
The New York State Board of Regents voted this month to ban the use of Native American names and imagery for school mascots. Shinnecock Council of Trustees Secretary Germain Smith sits on the Department of Education advisory council to address Indigenous education needs, and he joins the editors on 27Speaks this week to discuss the new mascot ban, why Native Americans like himself advocated for this change and how school districts can more effectively honor Long Island's Native American people.
At the age of 4, Water Mill's Rowland Egerton-Warburton became one of just 54 people in the world diagnosed with a rare neurodevelopmental genetic disorder. ADNP (Activity-Dependent Neuroprotective Protein) syndrome is a form of autism that can cause problems with neurological, cardiovascular, endocrine, immune, musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal systems. Rowland, now 10, is nonverbal and receives interventional services while his mother, Genie Egerton-Warburton, has become her son’s biggest champion. April is Autism Awareness Month and as vice president of ADNP Kids Research Foundation, Genie joins the editors on 27Speaks this week to talk about her son’s condition and the importance of education and honest communication when it comes to addressing all forms of autism.
This week on the podcast, the editors discuss New York State's Open Meetings Law, a sunshine law designed to ensure that all levels of government, from the State Senate down to local village boards, land-use boards and school boards, conduct the public's business out in the open, where citizens can observe the deliberations behind the decisions that affect their wallets and quality of life. The editors explain the narrow instances in which boards may meet privately, and they raise concerns about when the Open Meetings Law is subverted.
This week on 27Speaks, the editors are joined by senior reporter Stephen J. Kotz and Frank Quevedo, executive director of the South Fork Natural History Museum and Jake Kushner, the reptile/amphibian specialist at the museum, to talk about a $30,000 grant the museum received from the Hollomon Price Foundation, which will be used to track the movements of endangered eastern tiger salamanders around confirmed breeding pools in the Long Pond Greenbelt Preserve.
Carl Johnson was a point guard for the Bridgehampton boys basketball team when it won three state championships in a row from 1978 to 1980. He went on to lead the Killer Bees to four more state championships as head coach, and last month was inducted into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame during a ceremony in Glens Falls, inside the same arena where his teams won all seven of their state titles. This week, Johnson joins the editors along with former player Nick Thomas to discuss their careers, what it was like to play basketball in Bridgehampton and which players make up the all-time Killer Bees starting five.
With the passage of the three-year mark since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in New York State and changed life on the East End forever, the editors reflect on what the early days were like, how individuals coped and how institutions adapted.
New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. joins the editors on the podcast this week to respond to a previous "27Speaks" episode on which the editors discussed the Community Preservation Fund's impact over the past 24 years and the present deficit of attainable housing. Thiele defends the CPF and also explains Governor Kathy Hochul's New York Housing Compact, a plan that includes growing the number of housing units on Long Island by 3 percent every three years,
This week, the editors talk with East Hampton resident Susan Stout, a certified end-of-life doula who helps terminally ill people and their families find peace with dying. Death doulas are not medical personnel and don’t replace hospice care. Instead, doulas like Stout step in close to the end of life or after someone receives a terminal diagnosis to offer nonmedical, holistic support and comfort in a patient’s final days. As Stout herself says, “We only die once, so it should be as beautiful as we can make it.”
As Southampton Town officials and Sag Harbor School District consider a way forward for the acquisition of properties on Marsden Street near Pierson Middle-High School for the development of athletic fields, reporter Cailin Riley joins the editors on the podcast this week to discuss all of the considerations: the use of Community Preservation Fund money, how the ownership might be structured, public access to the fields, grass versus artificial turf, and more.
Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman, discussing the town's zoning laws and the dearth of affordable housing, observed during a recent interview: “We did a great job protecting the environment, but we can’t really function if there’s no one to pick you up in an ambulance when you have a heart attack.” In this week's podcast, the editors and senior reporter Stephen J. Kotz discuss how preservation and zoning designed to limit density has butted heads with a need for attainable housing that lifelong residents and local workers can afford.
State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. recently put Stony Brook University on blast for the sorry state of the Stony Brook Southampton campus, charging that by failing to meet its stewardship commitment to the 80-acre site, the state university had become “the biggest slumlord on the East End” and was squandering an opportunity to use the campus as an economic engine for the region. Thiele joins the editors on the podcast this week to elaborate on his concerns, including about several dormitories that have been condemned and the condition of Southampton Hall, which once served as the center of campus life dating back to the days when Southampton College, a satellite of Long Island University, occupied the site.
Convincing more East Hampton homeowners to invest in creating affordable rental accessory apartments on their properties has proven daunting for East Hampton Town officials. This week’s discussion focuses on the Town Board’s latest tweaks to boost financial incentives.
The number of South Fork home sales plummeted by around 50 percent in the fourth quarter of 2022, when compared to the same quarter a year earlier, but that data point hardly tells the whole story of what's happening in Hamptons real estate. Chronically low inventory of homes for sale is restricting the number of closed homes sales while also bolstering prices even as mortgage rates have doubled. And sales were bound to look low when compared to the peaks reached during the height of the pandemic-driven buying frenzy. To help interpret the data, Jonathan Miller of Miller Samuel Real Estate Appraisers & Consultants joins the editors on the podcast this week.
Ospreys, the large, fish-eating birds of prey once listed as endangered in New York State, have had a miraculous rebound since DDT was banned and initiatives were put in place to provide nesting sites where development has encroached on their habitat. On the East End in particular, the osprey population has grown from around 100 individual birds in the 1980s to more than 350 nesting pairs, according to the Group for the East End, which monitors osprey nests. To discuss the species's reversal of fortune, Group for the East End President Bob DeLuca joins the editors on the podcast this week.
Southampton Village Mayor Jesse Warren and the village trustees have been at odds lately, and both sides have made their views very public. Much of the divide is due to the trustees appointing their pick for the next chief of the Village Police Department over the mayor's objections. Warren did not hold back in criticizing the choice, and the trustees' chief pick ultimately reversed course and turned down the job. The trustees went on to accuse the mayor of undermining the hiring process and seeking a compliant chief "who would accede to his wishes, with blind loyalty to him, irrespective of the wisdom or propriety of the Mayor’s position." Watching the events unfold has been remarkable. On this week's podcast, the editors discuss the controversy over the police chief situation and the acrimony at Village Hall in general.
This week, with the recent news that Friends of Bay Street has put the property at 22 Long Island Avenue in Sag Harbor on the market, the editors discuss what might come next, not only for the Bay Street Theater, which had hoped to build a new permanent home on the site, but the surrounding area as well.
The Maidstone Gun Club voluntarily closed its rifle range after a bullet struck a house nearby and a judge has ordered the whole facility to remain closed as the neighbors argue in court that the range should be shuttered permanently. In this week's podcast, senior reporter Michael Wright joins the editors to discuss where the court battle stands, the police investigation's conclusions and the fate of the gun club.
Sagaponack Village Mayor Bill Tillotson came under fire from some residents after the village placed a porta-potty on the roadside this past summer to accommodate laborers who work at estates in the village. Tillotson defends the move, saying it's about human dignity. The mayor joins the editors and reporter Cailin Riley on the podcast this week to discuss the controversy and the importance of public restrooms.
Throughout 2022, The Express News Group has presented a monthly series on climate change, The Rising Tide, which concludes this week with a look back on the threats that have been identified and the mitigation measures being proposed or implemented right now. On the podcast, the editors discuss the biggest takeaways from the series and the ongoing challenges climate change will present for the East End.
Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming, the chair of the Legislature’s Transportation Working Group, joins the editors on the podcast this week to discuss the redesign of the Suffolk County Transit bus network, including a new on-demand bus service connecting the Southampton and Sag Harbor areas for the same price as a regular bus fare.
Suffolk County's Septic Improvement Program grants and similar grants issued by Southampton and East Hampton towns to subsidize nitrogen-reducing innovative/alternative septic systems will no longer be subject to federal income tax, a change that provides long-awaited relief to grant recipients and perhaps encouraging more participation in the future. The IRS announced the move this month in light of the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently determining that the grants should be exempt from income tax because they are primarily for the purpose of environmental protection. To discuss the history of the controversy and the implications of the outcome, senior reporter Michael Wright joins the editors on the podcast this week.
Crime is happening here on the East End, especially crimes involving the theft of luxury vehicles. But did you know that these thefts are occurring because owners are leaving their key fobs in the car? Common sense goes a long way in reducing opportunity. This week, police reporter Kitty Merrill and special guests Captain James Kiernan of the Southampton Town Police Department, Chief of Police Christopher Isola and Lt. Daniel Hartman of the Quogue Village Police Department, and (by text message) Det. Sgt. Herman Lamison of the Southampton Village Police Department join the editors to discuss how to avoid being a victim of this and other crimes and scams.
Jay Schneiderman, the current Southampton Town supervisor and a former Suffolk County legislator and East Hampton supervisor, has long had a passion other than politics: music. Recently, a song that Schneiderman wrote in collaboration with Grammy nominee Matt White debuted on an episode of “The Bachelorette” and was heard by some 25 million viewers of the ABC reality show. Schneiderman and White join the editors and reporter Kitty Merrill on the podcast to discuss their musical careers and how they came to work together, and they share a few original songs as well.
Listen to the 27Speaks podcast to whet your appetite for The Express Magazine before digging in to the new issue. It’s the holiday issue, and this week the editors discuss many of the articles and themes within it: heirloom cookie recipes, Greek pastries to raise funds for the Orthodox Church’s philanthropic initiatives, the secret to good gravy, cooking an extra turkey the night before the Thanksgiving feast so there are leftover ready to go for guests, and more.
Residents of the Sag Harbor School District approved, in a 638-521 vote on November 3, a plan to expend $3.28 million in capital reserve funds toward the purchase of five lots on Marsden Street for athletic fields directly across from Pierson Middle High School. But the deal also hinges on the Southampton Town Board agreeing to contribute $6 million from the Community Preservation Fund to the deal. In this week's podcast, the editors and reporter Cailin Riley discuss questions of whether it is an appropriate use of CPF money, why Sag Harbor needs more public recreational space and what would happen if the Town Board does not agree to allocate the funds. While the district has yet to make a decision regarding whether the athletic fields will be grass or artificial turf, the editors discuss the benefits of artificial turf as well as the concerns some parents have about their children using the playing surface.
A decade ago, Superstorm Sandy roared through the New York region. This week, the editors share what it was like to ride the storm out on the East End and share some thoughts on how infrastructure has improved in the region in the years since — or not.
Commuters who are subjected to snail's pace stop-and-go eastbound traffic on the South Fork in the morning and westbound traffic in the p.m. hours got some relief, sporadically, over the past few months with the introduction of blinking yellow light programs that allowed cars to flow through main arteries with fewer red lights to cause backups. Southampton Town Highway Superintendent Charlie McArdle joins the editors on the podcast this week to discuss the methods his department and partner agencies have used to alleviate traffic congestion and the challenges they must overcome to sustain these programs.
Doctors at some of the region's top health networks offered a promising diagnosis of the state and future of treatment for women's cancers on the East End at the first in a series of discussions about the changing face of health care. The Express News Group's Innovating Health Care on the East End series kicked off this month with "Gaining Ground: The Innovations in the Fight Against Women’s Cancers," a Zoom event with Peconic Bay Medical Center Chief of Breast Surgery Dr. Susan Lee, Stony Brook Cancer Center medical oncologist Dr. Jules Cohen, NYU Langone Health medical oncologist Dr. Frances Arena and Coalition for Women's Cancers President Susie Roden. On this week's podcast, the editors share the highlights from the discussion and offer additional context and insights.
The fate of the late Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck's Sag Harbor home hangs in the balance as it sits on the open market. However, an informal coalition of individuals and groups that want to preserve the home as a historic site and writers' retreat is endeavoring to raise the funds to purchase the waterfront property where Steinbeck wrote his final novel, “The Winter of Our Discontent," before a private buyer does. Nada Barry, the proprietor of The Wharf Shop, joins the editors on the podcast this week to share memories from her friendship with Steinbeck and to highlight the significance of his former home.
The massive 185-foot steeple of the First Presbyterian (Old Whalers’) Church in Sag Harbor was the tallest structure on Long Island when built in 1844. But the steeple came down in the Hurricane of 1938 — the victim of a well-intentioned but ill-fated attempt in the early 1900s to shore it up. Now, there’s a vision to rebuild the steeple, this time, with cell towers within that would help pay for its reconstruction and improve communication networks for miles around. Architect Randy Croxton, a member of the church’s Session, joins editors and reporter Stephen J. Kotz to talk about the church’s history, the need for improved cellular service on the East End and the vision for rebuilding the iconic steeple.
In this week's 27Speaks podcast, Express News Group mothers compare notes on the first few weeks of school, the transition from summer fun to fall homework, the many challenges of school day lunches, and the general ups and downs of parenting in the digital age.
After a months of opinion gathering, Southampton Village is close to adopting its first village-wide comprehensive master plan update in more than 20 years. Southampton Village Mayor Jesse Warren joins the podcast this week to discuss the scope of the plan and its purpose, plus SouthamptonFest coordinator Nancy Kane and the mayor share what to expect during the festival weekend kicking off Friday, September 30.
New York State's Freedom of Information Law is designed to protect the public's right to know and to enable journalists and members of the public to obtain records from municipalities, police departments and other government agencies. However, the law is often vague and lacks teeth, which makes it easy for agencies to turn down, ignore or slow walk valid FOIL requests while rarely facing consequences. Journalist Charles Lane of the Institute for Access to Public Information joins the editors this week to discuss his recent FOIL lawsuit against Southampton Village, why FOIL is important to government transparency and accountability, and how the law could be improved to make it more effective and difficult to circumvent.
With Labor Day now in the rear-view mirror and cooler, shorter days on the horizon, this week our editors discuss the season that was and take a look ahead to the fall festivals that will soon give us all reason to celebrate.
With Labor Day now in the rear-view mirror and cooler, shorter days on the horizon, this week our editors discuss the season that was and take a look ahead to the fall festivals that will soon give us all reason to celebrate.
For the fourth year in a row, researchers who monitor the bay scallop population in the Peconic Estuary say there are clear signs of a massive die-off of the valuable shellfish unfolding on local bay bottoms. Biologists from the Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program say that they have seen almost 100 percent mortality of adult bay scallops at monitoring sites in Northwest Harbor and Orient Harbor. A parasite is likely contributing to the scallops' demise, but record-high water temperatures in the bays caused by climate change are also adding to the stresses the dwindling population faces. Senior reporter Michael Wright joins the editors on the podcast this week to discuss the plight of Peconic bay scallops and what's being done in an effort to reverse the trend.
Real estate appraiser and market analyst Jonathan Miller of Miller Samuel Inc. joins the podcast this week to share his insights on the state of the Hamptons real estate market, how it has behaved throughout the pandemic and what he's looking out for to get a sense of where it is headed next.
The editors discuss the "Summer of the Shark." Shark sightings and bites have caused beach closures on Long Island this summer, and two deceased juvenile white sharks washed up on South Fork beaches. The increased presence of sharks nearshore is the result of conservation efforts and a sign of a healthy marine ecosystem.
Organización Latino Americana (OLA) of Eastern Long Island is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Founded in 2002, the nonprofit organization offers advocacy and crisis management to Latino residents across the East End, as well as health and wellness education in English and Spanish, and art and cultural events — all in the name of inspiring systemic change. Joining the editors on the podcast this week is OLA’s associate director, Sandra Dunn, who talks about OLA’s history, the strides that have been made in the past two decades and the challenges that remain for all East End residents.
The Shinnecock Nation recently broke ground on a 5,000-square-foot cannabis dispensary on its territory in Southampton as it looks forward to the economic development New York's decriminalized cannabis industry will bring to the tribe. Chenae Bullock, the managing director of Little Beach Harvest, the tribal cannabis business; Bryan Polite, the chairman of the Shinnecock Nation Council of Trustees; and Express News Group senior reporter Stephen Kotz join the editors on the podcast this week to discuss the origins of the dispensary, how the business will operate and what it will mean for the nation's future.
The East End's food pantries are a lifeline for people in need, and with the rising costs of food, fuel and other essentials, need is rising. At the same time that inflation is causing greater demand at food pantries, the food pantries themselves are combating rising costs for the goods that they buy for distribution. The ongoing pandemic has also exacerbated need while causing supply chain problems. Reporter Cailin Riley joins the editors on the podcast this week to discuss the struggles food pantries are facing.
Rob Wiesenthal, the CEO and founder of aviation company Blade Urban Air Mobility, which operates shared helicopter and seaplane flights to the East End, joins the editors and reporter Michael Wright to discuss his company’s origin, how the service works and the plans that Blade has in store for the future on the East End and elsewhere, including electric, emission-free aircraft that are much quieter than the helicopters that are a point of contention in many East East communities that are under flight paths or near airports.
Hampton Bays School Superintendent Lars Clemensen, a member of the New York State Council of School Superintendents Executive Committee and an author of the 2018 Blueprint for School Safety, joined the editors this week to discuss what school districts and the state are doing to address safety in light of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24 and other school shootings. Clemensen was present for Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent signing of Alyssa’s Law, which requires school districts to consider the use of silent panic alarm systems in their safety plans. The law is named for Alyssa Alhadeff, a 14-year-old who was one of 17 killed in the Parkland, Florida, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.
The Express News Group recently published a series of articles commemorating the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark legislation, passed in June of 1972, that ensured equal access and opportunity for women in education. While the law applies to all areas of education, one of its biggest legacies has been how it changed for landscape for female athletes, in the high school, college and even professional ranks.
Reporter Cailin Riley, who put together the series, spoke with several local coaches and administrators as well as current female high school athletes to discuss the way things were before the law, the progress that has been made in the 50 years since and the work that still needs to be done.
Adam Potter, the face of Friends of Bay Street Theater, has been buying up properties on Bridge and Rose streets in Sag Harbor Village for some time, and this month, he revealed why: He is proposing a mixed-use development with 79 units of affordable housing and 30,000 square feet of commercial space. Senior reporter Stephen Kotz joins the editors this week to discuss the plans, the obstacles and the process ahead.
The inaugural Hamptons Pride Parade was held in East Hampton Village on June 4 in celebration of Pride Month. Co-grand marshals Robert S. Chaloner, chief administrative officer of Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, and Kathryn Szoka, co-owner of Canio’s Books in Sag Harbor, join the conversation this week to talk about their experiences as long-time members of the East End’s LGBTQ community, how attitudes have evolved and changed, and where improvement is still needed in terms of support and acceptance.
Joining the editors on the podcast this week are former News 12 Long Island anchor and reporter Drew Scott and Sag Harbor Express publisher emeritus Bryan Boyhan, who were inducted into the Press Club of Long Island's Long Island Journalism Hall of Fame this month. Scott and Boyhan discuss their careers, how the journalism industry has changed over the years and the public's perspective of the media.
A coalition of airport users is attempting to use the courts to stop East Hampton Town's plan to briefly shut down East Hampton Airport and then reopen it as a private-use facility with more restrictions on aircraft and flights. Meanwhile, the shared flight booking service Blade has suspended its regularly scheduled seaplane trips to Sag Harbor after running afoul of the village. Reporters Michael Wright and Stephen Kotz join the editors this week to discuss where both issues stand.
Many East End towns and villages have adopted more stringent restrictions on gasoline-powered leaf blowers in recent years and in some cases outright bans seasonally or year round. Noise pollution, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions are among the concerns that advocates for the bans raise, while members of the landscaping industry say battery-powered blowers are inadequate replacements and more time is needed for a transition. Joining our editors to discuss the merits of the arguments over leaf blowers are Ivan Roman, the owner and founder of landscape design, install and maintenance company Heirloom Gardens, and Andrew Messinger, the writer of the Hampton Gardener column for more than four decades.
With Roe v. Wade under serious threat at the federal level and already all but dead in many states across the country, many women in the U.S. face the real possibility of seeing their reproductive rights evaporate all together. Fears of a return to the days of illegal, unsafe abortion is looming large. This week, our editors are joined by some of our female reporters who look at the issue and discuss the ramifications that may lie ahead for American women if abortion rights erode and the clock is turned back 50 years.
This week on 27Speaks, 2021 New York Press Association Writer of the Year Annette Hinkle, past Writers of the Year Stephen J. Kotz and Michelle Trauring and past Sports Writer of the Year Cailin Riley discuss the craft of feature writing — its methods, its challenges and how it differs from typical newswriting.
Ticks and, more specifically, tick-borne diseases are a concern all over the South Fork but particularly in North Haven Village, where deer and ticks flourish. The village government is working on ways to make it easier to place 4-Posters, which are bait stations that rub tick-killing permethrin on the necks and ears of deer as they eat corn. This week on 27Speaks, North Haven-based journalist Peter Boody joins the editors to discuss the effectiveness of 4-Posters and spraying tickicides, the public concerns about using these methods, and the steps residents can take to protect their families from ticks.
Members of the Express News Group team recently traveled to Saratoga Springs to attend the New York Press Association's spring convention. While they were there, editors Annette Hinkle and Joe Shaw and publisher Gavin Menu sat down with Michelle Rea, NYPA's executive director, to discuss the state of the community newspaper business today.
Nantucket, Sedona, Vail — resort communities all around the country struggled with a lack of affordable housing prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pandemic only exacerbated the issue. A growing problem became a full-blown crisis almost overnight as shutdowns and the possibility of remote work led to unprecedented sales to wealthy second-home buyers and displaced the local, year-round working families who help those communities function. Express News Group features editor Michelle Trauring, who recently asked a number of affordable housing officials from communities that are similar in nature to the East End how they are tackling the crisis, joins the podcast this week to discuss the challenges and the solutions.
Public transit has always underserved local commuters on the East End, contributing to the much-loathed traffic on Montauk Highway and County Road 39 and making it difficult for businesses to retain workers. Innovative solutions to the region's transportation woes are on the table, and some are being tested right now. In this week's edition of 27speaks, the editors discuss the Long Island Rail Road's South Fork Commuter Connection and Suffolk County Transit's pilot program to replace fixed bus routes with on-demand buses that can be called via an app.
In light of the Express News Group's recent Express Sessions event that brought together a panel of South Fork lawmakers and affordable housing leaders to discuss solutions to the housing crisis, the editors discuss the scope of the housing challenges that the region faces and the ideas that the panelists and audience members brought forward.
To examine the challenges Southampton Village faces as it approaches another high season with unprecedented crowds expected, the Express News Group hosted “Southampton 2022: A Summer Like No Other” with a panel of local government, nonprofit and business leaders. In this week's 27Speaks, the editors talk about what is being done to shape the village's future and analyze the panelists' concerns. Read about the Express Sessions panel here: https://www.27east.com/southampton-press/express-sessions-anticipating-summer-2022-in-southampton-and-the-villages-future-1916742/
The South Fork's towns, villages and hamlets are proud of the long tradition of volunteerism — neighbors helping neighbors in a time of need. But changing demographics are making it harder for volunteer companies to find men and women who are able to donate time and energy. In this week’s podcast, reporter Stephen Kotz joins the editors in discussing issues raised at "Sustaining The South Fork,” a recent Express Session event focused on the current state of our region's volunteer emergency service organizations.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. This week, the panel is joined by East Hampton native Kristofer Kalas, owner of the Hello Oma bakery, who has spent the past weeks on the front lines in Ukraine, helping victims of the Russian invasion and collecting supplies for victims in the war-torn country. Senior reporter Michael Wright discusses an article he wrote about Kalas.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. This week, the panel is joined by staff writer Kitty Merrill for a discussion about a change in course for the municipal leaf pickup program in Southampton Town, and the ongoing debate on the East End regarding gas leaf blower bans.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. This week, the panel is joined by Sports Editor Drew Budd and reporter Cailin Riley for a discussion about high school basketball playoff season and an article Riley wrote about the late Hampton Bays surfer Eric Penny, who was recently posthumously inducted into the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. This week, the panel is joined by veteran reporter Stephen J. Kotz for an update of efforts to preserve Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck’s waterfront home in Sag Harbor, which was put on the market last year for nearly $18 million, motivating individuals and organizations to call for the home’s protection.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. This week, the panel is joined by Westhampton Beach Village Board member Brian Tymann, for a discussion about efforts to save the Governor John Dix Windmill, a historic structure the village hopes to move to the Great Lawn and restore to its original splendor.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. This week, the editors are joined by reporter Cailin Riley for a discussion about Governor Kathy Hochul maintaining the mask mandate in schools and discussions about the mandate at local school districts.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. This week, the editors are joined by veteran reporter and former Sag Harbor Express Publisher Bryan Boyhan for a discussion about a new trend in real estate, fractional ownership, as modeled by the firm Pacaso, and efforts by some local municipalities to regulate the trend.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. This week, the panel is joined by Associate Editor Michelle Trauring, who launched a new 12-part series on climate change, The Rising Tide, in the group’s Residence section, for a discussion about the series and the effects of climate change on the East End.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. This week, the panel is joined by senior reporter Michael Wright for a discussion about the East Hampton Airport, and the East Hampton Town Board’s plan to close the airport and then reopen it as a “private” prior-permission required facility.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. This week, the panel is joined by veteran journalist and former Sag Harbor Express Publisher Bryan Boyhan for a discussion abut an article he wrote about birding on the East End in the wake of changes caused by climate change.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by reporter Alec Giufurta for a discussion about efforts by local police agencies to implement body camera programs.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by reporters Michelle Trauring, Stephen Kotz, Cailin Riley and Desiree Keegan, who wrote profiles of The Express News Group’s people of the year for 2021.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors look back on 2021 and discuss their picks for the top 10 stories of the year.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by Jean Behrens, the adult bereavement coordinator at East End Hospice, for a discussion about dealing with grief through the holidays.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk about the newspaper group’s holiday fundraising effort, the Holiday Express, which will help to support four local organizations, Heart of the Hamptons, Help for Local Families Fund, Sag Harbor Helpers and the Springs Food Pantry.
Matthew O'Grady, a friend of the late "Rent" and "Tick, Tick... Boom!" writer Jonathan Larson, discusses their friendship and the history behind the musicals.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by reporter Cailin Riley for a talk about Thanksgiving traditions in general and on the East End.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by Co-Publisher Gavin Menu and Sports Editor Drew Budd for a talk about local high school sports teams that competed in the recent New York state championships, and sports in general on the East End.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks.The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island.In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by Co-Publisher Gavin Menu and senior reporter Stephen J. Kotz for a talk about the return of The Express Sessions to live and in-person events, as they discuss the topic of last week’s event, a proposed new waterfront overlay zoning code in Sag Harbor Village.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks.
The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island.
In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors catch up with cannabis advocate David Falkowski, president of Bridgehampton-based Open Minded Organics, for a discussion on recent developments in the state’s plan to legalize the sale of adult use recreational cannabis.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors reminisce about Halloween traditions growing up and reflect on holiday happenings on the East End this year.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks.
The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors look back on a virtual Express Sessions event held on October 14 in which East End employers discussed the trials they are facing hiring and retaining employees post-pandemic.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by correspondent Alec Giufurta for a discussion about the process of redrawing congressional district lines, following last year’s U.S. Census.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks.
The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island.
In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk about the recent implementation of a COVID-19 vaccine mandate at hospitals, as well as the Shinnecock Nation’s recent vote to allow recreational cannabis sales on the territory.
The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify Podcasts and Google Podcasts. Be sure to subscribe today.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by senior reporter Michael Wright for a discussion about the ongoing debate on how to manage noise from flights to and from the East Hampton Airport.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by senior reporter Michael Wright for a discussion about the resurgence of the voracious southern pine beetle on the East End.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors discuss the start of the new school year, and the issues teachers and administrators are facing in the continuing wake of COVID, and the extra help students need after remote learning for portions of the past two years.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by veteran Long Island reporter and columnist Karl Grossman for a discussion of the ongoing debate about burying electric power lines on the East End to better prepare for hurricanes and tropical storms.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by Chris Paparo of the South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center’s Shark Research Team, and Express News Group intern Zoe Kava for a discussion on an article Ms. Kava wrote on the local shark population.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk about a new version of the popular board game, Monopoly. The game’s distributors are planning a “Hamptons” edition of the game, due next summer. Hasbro is asking for suggestions of what properties should be included in the game, and the editors offer their suggestions.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk about a recent Express Session virtual event, “Getting The Facts On The COVID Vaccine,” in which local leaders and medical experts offered facts about the vaccine in an effort to urge the unvaccinated reluctant to get the shot.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks.
The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island.
In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons Executive Director Karen Testa for an in-depth look at her Jamesport organization, which rescues, rehabs and releases injured turtles on the East End.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by reporter Alec Giufurta for a discussion about the Big Duck in Flanders, which celebrated its 90th birthday last week.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by reporter Kitty Merrill for a discussion about traffic woes on the East End, and efforts local officials are taking to try to ease the gridlock.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele for a discussion on work he’s doing to reform the state’s Open Meetings law to include language that could require local municipalities to utilize video conferencing to provide greater access and remote participation in board meetings.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors discuss the latest developments on a state eviction moratorium that was enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a few East End cases where the moratorium has allegedly been abused by local renters.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk about a variety of South Fork issues, including the paid parking program on Long Wharf in Sag Harbor; new Sag Harbor Mayor James Larocca’s vision for the future of the village; high COVID-19 vaccination rates on the South Fork; efforts to build a visitors center at the Pyrrhus Concer homestead in Southampton; and a group of bicyclists who rode across the country to raise funds to build workout stations for people fighting addiction.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by senior reporter Stephen J. Kotz for a talk about the recent village elections in Southampton and Sag Harbor, how they were different from previous elections, and it what they say about future elections.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by senior reporter Michael Wright for a discussion about the protected piping plover, and the havoc the birds have created for beach drivers on the “Picnic Area” and at the Shinnecock East County Park campgrounds in Southampton.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks.The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island.In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by Stony Brook Southampton Hospital Chief Administrative Officer Robert S. Chaloner and pediatrician Dr. Allison H. Eliscu of Stony Brook Medicine, for a discussion about the recently opened Edie Windsor Healthcare Center in Hampton Bays, which focuses on treatment for the LGBTQ+ community, and a survey available to members of that community intended to help improve care.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by Photo Editor Dana Shaw and reporter Kitty Merrill for a discussion about the declining population of horseshoe crabs and efforts to save the prehistoric creatures.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by Dr. Christopher Gobler of Stony Brook University for a discussion about East End water quality.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk about the much anticipated reopening of the Sag Harbor Cinema, and the opening of theaters in Hampton Bays and East Hampton, as well as muse on how the public will react to the theaters post-COVID.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks.
The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island.
In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by reporter Cailin Riley for a discussion about news this week that the Sag Harbor School District had informed the Mashashimuet Park Board that the district had declined to renew its contract with the board to have school sports teams play at the park, as they have for generations.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks.
The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island.
In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by senior reporter Michael Wright for a discussion of the conversation around closing East Hampton Airport in an effort to curtail excessive noise from airplanes and helicopters.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by reporter Kiity Merrill for a discussion of the plethora of false unemployment claims during the pandemic, and an article Ms. Merrill wrote about the growing crime.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by The Accidental Beekeeper columnist Lisa Daffy for a discussion of the upcoming emergence of the Brood X cicada, which she wrote about in this week’s edition of the newspapers.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by David Falkowski, the owner of the Open Minded Organics farm in Bridgehampton and OMO Apothecary on Long Wharf in Sag Harbor, for a discussion on legalized recreational marijuana, and a rally he hosted on April 20 in John Steinbeck Waterfront Park.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by senior reporter Michael Wright for a discussion about how East End restaurants survived the winter in the pandemic and how they are looking forward to the upcoming summer season.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk about Bay Street Theater’s recently revealed plans for its new theater in Sag Harbor, and plans to purchase the adjoining “Fort Apache” building and plans to demolish it and add it to the John Steinbeck Memorial Park.
In this week's edition of 27Speaks, Express News Group editors Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw and Brendan J. O’Reilly discuss the mandatory police reform plans that were due April 1 statewide.
Town and village police departments on the East End, just like every other police agency in New York State, were required to seek community input and then submit a reform plan, or risk state funding. Whether these plans will result in meaningful change remains to be seen.
27Speaks is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify Podcasts and Google Podcasts. Subscribe today to never miss an episode.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks.
The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island.
In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by East End singer-songwriter Inda Eaton and Nick Kraus, the managing partner of the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, and Express News Group Director of Events Ellen Dioguardi (a live music super-fan) for a discussion about live music on the East End in the wake of the pandemic, and looking forward to new performances this spring as COVID recedes.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by Express News Group senior writer Michael Wright for a discussion on the current state of COVID-19 vaccine distribution on the East End, and the opening of a New York State mass vaccination site at the Stony Brook Southampton college campus.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by book reviewer and former educator Joan Baum, who penned a Viewpoint column in this week’s paper on the controversy surrounding the decision to stop publishing six Dr. Seuss books, for a discussion on the books and the so-called cancel culture.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by reporter Desirée Keegan and Sports Editor Drew Budd for a discussion about the upcoming “fall” sports season (which will be played in the spring), including football, volleyball and cross country. County rules will allow limited spectators at the matches for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by veteran reporter Stephen J. Kotz and Kathryn Szoka, the co-owner of Canio’s Books, for a discussion about the Steinbeck House in Sag Harbor, which hit the market last week for $17.9 million. An emerging community movement would like to see the property preserved.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by veteran reporter Stephen J. Kotz for a discussion on plans by the Shinnecock Nation to build a 76,000-square-foot casino on the Shinnecock Territory, just west of Southampton Village.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by veteran sports reporters Cailin Riley and Desirée Keegan for a discussion about the resumption of high-risk high school sports — basketball, wrestling and cheerleading — earlier this month. The Sag Harbor School District, due to safety concerns, is not participating in the sports season.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by East Hampton Town Councilman David Lys and Express Group senior reporter Michael Wright for a discussion about “Truck Beach” in Amagansett, which was the subject of a recent Appellate Court ruling that the beach was privately owned, and that the Town Trustees can not allow trucks to drive and park on the popular beach.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by former Sag Harbor Express Publisher and Editor Bryan Boyhan and naturalist and South Fork Outdoors columnist Mike Bottini for a discussion on the migration of the eastern coyote to the East End of Long Island.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks.
The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island.
In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by Co-Publisher Gavin Menu, who also serves as president of the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce, for a discussion about proposed paid parking programs in the villages of Sag Harbor and East Hampton.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by senior reporter Michael Wright for a discussion about the ongoing rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, and the questions, confusion and anxiety about getting vaccinated.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by former U.S. Representative Tim Bishop, who shares his unique perspective on the events in Washington, D.C., this week and the future of our democracy.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by reporters Stephen J. Kotz and Michelle Trauring, as well as Sag Harbor Express Publisher Emeritus Bryan Boyhan, and the group discusses The Express News Group’s Persons of the Year selections for 2020.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by reporter Kitty Merrill and Heart of the Hamptons Executive Director Hilton Crosby in a discussion about the success of this year’s (virtual) Polar Bear Plunge and the great work that the organization is doing to meet the needs of the food insecure in Southampton.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors discuss the spike in COVID-19 cases, and predictions of what the next couple months might bring as the country — and world — await the much promised vaccine.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by reporter Michelle Trauring and talk about the upcoming holiday season and how East End houses of worship are planning for the holidays in the wake of increased COVID-19 numbers.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk about their Thanksgiving plans and relate stories about Thanksgivings past, holiday traditions and the different foods that have been part of their holidays throughout the years. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by reporter Cailin Riley, who penned a wonderful column in the spring on parenting during the pandemic. The podcast explores the trials and tribulations of taking care of kids during coronavirus, what’s going on with the schools, and hopes for eventually getting back to normal
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk about villages on the East End, revitalization efforts, how they are dealing with the pandemic and how they envision the future of their communities.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by Bay Street Theater Executive Director Tracy Mitchell and Express reporter Stephen J. Kotz to talk about a recently announced deal in which the theater has purchased the Water Street Shops in Sag Harbor for a new, permanent home for the theater.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors, who are joined by senior staff writer Michael Wright, talk about voting — early voting, their first times voting, the voting process and all other things voting.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks.
The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island.
In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk about ghouls, ghosts and goblins! With Halloween on the horizon, the editors recount their own personal ghost stories and Ms. Hinkle talks about an event she held at the Sag Harbor Whaling Museum, where she told ghost stories from the museum’s front porch. Boo!
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by reporter Kitty Merrill and Leon Goodman, who is walking from Manhattan to Montauk in a silence protest of police brutality and to draw awareness to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk about an interview published this week with Gopal Char, a 61-year-old Southampton Village resident who was diagnosed with COVID-19 in March. Mr. Char spent months recovering from the illness, including four different stints in Stony Brook Southampton Hospital totaling 10 weeks. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google. Be sure to subscribe today.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk about the iconic Stargazer sculpture on County Road 111 in Eastport, which was damaged in August during Tropical Storm Isaias. Discussions are underway on whether to repair the sculpture, which would come with a hefty $100,000 price tag.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk about East End restaurants, how they survived the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how they hope to fare in the weeks and months to come.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by Sag Harbor Express Publisher Emeritus Bryan Boyhan to discuss an article he wrote on the 50th anniversary of the tragic flight of The Free Life, a hot air balloon that was launched from Springs in an unsuccessful attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors reflect on the past six months dealing with the coronavirus epidemic on the East End, and look forward to changes that may take place on the South Fork due to the pandemic.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk about a variety of recent stories and topics, including the change of seasons in the time of COVID, East End School enrollment and space, beach capacity and drive-in movies!
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk about a variety of recent stories and topics, including extending the summer tourism season into the fall and winter, property tax abatement, empty storefronts, schools reopening and school consolidation, the Westhampton Beach sewer project, drive-in concerts — and cereal choices!
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors are joined by features reporter Michelle Trauring and Sag Harbor Express Publisher Emeritus Bryan Boyhan to talk about their coverage of the 25th anniversary of the Sunrise Wildfire in 1995.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk to a group of dedicated young journalism interns who volunteered their time this spring and summer to work for the newspaper group in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk about the East End real estate market, which has seen a boom following the global COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss the effects of a growing population on the community and question whether the changes will be permanent. The discussion highlights a virtual Express Sessions forum held this week on the real estate industry.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors talk about a Chainsmokers concert in Water Mill last Saturday that drew heavy criticism from Governor Andrew Cuomo and other state officials for infractions of the state’s COVID-19 rules. Intern Alec Giufurta, who attended the concert, shares his observations of the event and the subsequent controversy.
The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, Sag Harbor Express Publisher Emeritus Bryan Boyhan discusses an article he wrote this week about a "lost" trove of art pieces "discovered" at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. The editors also talk about a new trend of New York City-based art galleries setting up shop on the East End.
The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, former Press Editor Peter Boody joins the editors to discuss a Q&A article he wrote this week about Lucian K. Truscott IV, a Springs resident and the great-great-great-grandson of Thomas Jefferson. Mr. Truscott recently called for the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. to be torn down in light of Mr. Jefferson being a slave owner.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week’s edition of 27Speaks, the editors discuss potential plans to reopen schools on the South Fork and in the state. Hampton Bays School Superintendent Lars Clemensen joins the editors to offer his perspective on efforts to prepare to reopen.
The Express News Group editors Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O'Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week's news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week's edition of 27Speaks, the editors discuss nationwide efforts to reform policing and the defund police movement. The editors talk about an interview published this week with former Southampton Town Police Chief William Wilson, and his thoughts on the reform movement.
The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O'Reilly, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week's news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week's edition of 27Speaks, the editors discuss the region entering into phase three of the NY Forward reopening plan, outdoor dining, the move to indoor dining, and a pilot program in Southampton Village to promote business reopening.
The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, and Bill Sutton, discuss the week's news on the South Fork of Long Island. In this week's edition of 27Speaks, the editors discuss a statement made by Governor Andrew Cuomo on Sunday that "The Hamptons" was the scene of many social distancing violations at area bars and restaurants, which has been disputed by local lawmakers.
The Express News Group Editors Annette Hinkle, Brendan O'Reilly, Joe Shaw, Kathryn Menu, and Bill Sutton discuss the week's events, focusing on the decision by The Express News Group to eliminate article comments on its website 27east.com in the weekly edition of 27Speaks.
The Express News Group Editors Annette Hinkle, Brendan O'Reilly, Joe Shaw and Kathryn Menu, as well as reporter Alec Giufurta, discuss the week's news, focusing on the many protests happening on the East End of Long Island against racism and police brutality in the weekly edition of 27Speaks. Guest Willie Jenkins, one of the organizers of Tuesday’s Bridgehampton protest, talks frankly about racism and the protest movement.
The Express News Group Editors Annette Hinkle, Brendan O'Reilly, Joe Shaw and Bill Sutton discuss the week's news, the coronavirus, the impact on the East End Rental Market, and other topics in the weekly edition of 27Speaks.
The Express News Group Editors Annette Hinkle, Kathryn Menu, Joe Shaw and Bill Sutton discuss the week's news, home schooling, Memorial Day weekend and the struggling restaurant industry.