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.