The Long Island Daily

A day after the Democratic "bluenami" came the Republican reckoning as party leaders on Long Island and beyond spoke openly yesterday about how to rebuild after stunning losses in Tuesday’s elections.

Laura Figueroa Hernandez reports in NEWSDAY that Republicans, saddled by President Donald Trump’s low approval ratings and voter angst over his economic policies, lost control of both chambers of Congress this election day, lost five governorships in Republican strongholds — and on Long Island, lost five State Senate and Assembly seats and the Hempstead Town supervisor post, among other losses.

While local Republican leaders, in interviews with Newsday, boasted that Nassau and Suffolk fared well compared with other swing districts throughout the United States, several said the party needed to find a new message beyond Trump’s firebrand style of politics.

“The day of Trump is over,” said former U.S. Rep. Peter King, a Seaford Republican.

King — who served as an adviser to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in his unsuccessful bid to unseat Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul — said Trump, who campaigned in New York three times on behalf of Blakeman, failed to “articulate a coherent message” to voters.

Suffolk GOP chairman Jesse Garcia said despite the ground gained by Democrats, local Republicans “stopped that tsunami from hitting our shores here in Suffolk.”

“Listen, did we take a little bit of water in? We did, but we fared better than many localities throughout the state of New York,” Garcia said in a phone interview.

Garcia said he did not blame Trump entirely for Tuesday’s outcome, noting that “midterm elections are always difficult for the party that holds the White House,” and said the local party has always believed its strongest strategy is to focus on addressing hyperlocal concerns.

King, who was a congressman of significant influence while in office from 1993 to 2021, said local Republicans moving forward should continue speaking to voters’ everyday concerns.

“People want their garbage picked up, and the streets to be clean — we attend to that, we keep our eye on both the big picture and the day-to-day picture, and it’s a matter of reminding voters of what we do,” King said of Republicans.

***

Democratic challenger Chris Gallant conceded to Republican incumbent Nick LaLota on Wednesday afternoon in the race for New York’s 1st Congressional District seat.

Brendan J. O'Reilly reports on 27east.com that LaLota currently has 152,546 votes, or 50.01 percent of the ballots counted so far. Gallant is 6,677 votes behind LaLota. Though absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day will continue to roll in, Gallant is apparently not holding out hope that absentees could turn the election in his favor.

In a video posted to his social media accounts, Gallant said yesterday he had just called LaLota and congratulated him.

“Last night, the voters of the First District made their decision, and I fully respect it,” Gallant said in the video.

After thanking people who donated to or volunteered for his campaign and praising his campaign team, Gallant talked of the various people he got to meet while campaigning.

“The things you told me about rent, property taxes, your parents’ healthcare, your kids leaving Long Island because they can’t afford to stay — those are the reasons why I ran, and those problems did not go away last night,” he said. “I’m disappointed. I’m not going to pretend otherwise. But I am also very, very proud of what we accomplished.”

LaLota declared victory late Tuesday night from the stage at Stereo Garden in Patchogue, the venue for the Suffolk County GOP’s election night gathering.

***

There’s still another spooky, smashing good time to be had in the Town of Riverhead. Bring your jack-o-lanterns and pumpkins to the town’s Youngs Avenue yard waste facility in Baiting Hollow this coming Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for Riverhead Town’s Pumpkin Smash — every pumpkin will be composted on site.

No candles, paint or plastic parts.

Saturday’s event is free and open to all ages - rain or shine!

Give them one last smash at this Saturday’s Riverhead Town Pumpkin Smash from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Yard Waste Facility, 532 Youngs Avenue, Baiting Hollow, NY 11933

***

For months, a 4.2-acre parcel of land at the corner of Peconic Road and Montauk Highway in Shinnecock Hills has sat vacant. Not far from a sign that says “Welcome to Hampton Bays, settled in 1780,” is another large sign. On a white background, in bright red letters, it reads “Development Opportunity: For Sale,” with a simple map of four subdivided lots.

Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that until recently, that piece of land, known to some as the Spellman lot, looked like it was going to become yet another tract of open space mowed down to create more houses, likely for people who would not be year-round residents.

But thanks to the hard work of the Niamuck Land Trust and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, that parcel now has a much different fate.

Late last month, the DEC announced that it was awarding more than $25 million in open space conservation grants to 14 projects across the state that will directly contribute to the state’s open space conservation, climate resiliency and environmental justice goals.

The Niamuck Land Trust was awarded $3,093,810, which enabled the nonprofit to purchase the Spellman lot.

The Indigenous women-led nonprofit was founded in November 2021 by members of the Shinnecock Nation Graves Protection Warrior Society. Composed permanently and solely of enrolled members of the Shinnecock Nation, the board members of the Niamuck Land Trust are committed to working to “protect, preserve and purchase burial sites, and other culturally significant sites sacred to the Shinnecock Nation and their (our) neighboring Indigenous communities,” according to the organization’s mission statement.

The land trust works to raise funds and other resources to facilitate land acquisitions and provide continued stewardship of the sites they acquire for preservation, ceremonial, and educational purposes.

Tela Troge, an attorney and enrolled member of the Shinnecock Nation, is one of the land trust’s founding members. She points out that the preservation of the 4.2-acre parcel of land should not been seen solely as a victory for the Shinnecock Nation, but rather for everyone who lives on the East End and cares about the health and preservation of the environment.

“This is something that benefits all of us, and it’s all of our responsibility to care for,” she said. “The area is critical for so many different species, marine life, plant life, the air we breathe, the water we drink. The more we can collectively preserve land, and find shared values, the better. Yes, we’re trying to preserve sacred land, where there were burials, but the impact and unintended consequences is that it’s extraordinarily beneficial to the environment and the ecosystem."

***

Last week, U.S. News and World Report, an independent organization that publishes reports and rankings on a variety of subjects, ranked Quogue School the No. 1 elementary school on Long Island, and No. 25 in New York State.

Hope Hamilton reports on 27east.com that Quogue is a small, prekindergarten-to-sixth-grade school of only 117 students; older students in the Quogue School District are tuitioned out to Westhampton Beach School District. It was ranked against other New York elementary schools based on data from state test scores, particularly reading, math and English language arts. With respect to the statewide ranking, the 24 schools that are ranked above Quogue School are based in New York City.

Quogue School Superintendent Jeffrey Ryvicker said, “I found the report amazing because while there are something like 650 public school districts in New York State outside of the city, there are many, many more elementary schools.”

Ryvicker explained that while the kids aren’t necessarily made aware of their high state-test scores, the ranking is a testament to the families, alongside the faculty and staff, that make up the school district, and Quogue School’s continuous commitment to providing an enriching and “exceptional” education experience.

“Our focus is the same at all times with respect to families, faculty and staff, and that’s to continue to build programs that meet the needs of all of our learners,” Ryvicker said. “It’s definitively not just the work of the school, but the work of everyone in our school community. Our families are such a big reason for our success.”

Malissa Mangogna, the president of the Quogue School PTA, added that if the kids knew about their test scores, it might create a sense of pressure to do even better next year, and they don’t want to put that pressure on their students.

“Without that pressure of saying, ‘Hey, you guys are number one; we have to keep it that way,’ the students just love doing the work,” Mangogna said. “That’s just how they are, and how the school environment is.”

Mangogna added that a balance between academics and fun is incredibly important for the kids; support for that balance is what the PTA is all about.

***

The Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach will host a Kristallnacht commemoration with guest speaker Dr. Jens Jokisch, the consul general of Germany in New York, during Shabbat this Saturday, November 7, at 11 a.m.

Kristallnacht, or Night of Broken Glass, was a state-sponsored pogrom against Jewish people and their homes, businesses and synagogues throughout Nazi Germany that took place November 9 and 10, 1938.

The commemoration is sponsored by Janice and Harris Cutler in memory of Janice’s parents, Judy and Werner Brodman who fled Germany as children in the late 1930s.

Werner Brodman was a founding member of The Hampton Synagogue.

Saturday’s program will also include liturgical music of the prewar synagogues of Germany and Austria.

The Hampton Synagogue is located at 154 Sunset Avenue, Westhampton Beach. For more information, visit thehamptonsynagogue.org.

***

Squint at Tuesday night’s results and it can look a little like the famous map called “View of the World From Ninth Avenue,” in which Midtown Manhattan looms just over the rocky crags of the American West.

Emma Goldberg and Jeffery C. Mays report in THE NY TIMES that for the first time, sons of New York are poised to run both chambers of the U.S. Congress and the White House. Representative Hakeem Jeffries is expected to be the new House speaker, Chuck Schumer will become Senate majority leader and President Donald Trump will remain POTUS.

Meanwhile, Yancy Roy reports in NEWSDAY that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s reelection victory Tuesday was more the result of the national Democratic wave than personal mandate, but it could also give her the chance to lift her standing nationally, experts said yesterday.

Her easy victory erases doubts about the Democrat’s tepid win four years earlier and showed she was correct to campaign by relentlessly tying Republican opponent Bruce Blakeman to President Trump. The outcome demonstrated she could change her fortunes on Long Island, quiet dissension on the left and be a team player with a democratic socialist who happens to be New York City mayor, analysts said.

Even with those benefits, governing at the State Capitol could become harder, where Democratic supermajorities in the Senate and Assembly could embolden the State Legislature.

Nonetheless, "I think it serves to make her to more of a national figure. She has the potential now to be a national figure," said Sag Harbor’s Fred Thiele, who saw governors come and go during his 30-year tenure as an east end state assemblyman before retiring in 2024.

Tuesday’s win "does a lot of things for her," said Neal Kwatra, a veteran Democratic strategist.

"It eliminates any lingering narratives about her mandate. It gives her strong political capital …," Kwatra said. "She very effectively inoculated (herself) and neutralized GOP critiques on utility prices, affordability, crime and housing.

"In terms of a national role, you could see her play a bigger role in the (Democratic Governors’ Association) and, frankly, as the embodiment of a team player with her nascent buddy movie with Mayor (Zohran) Mamdani," he added, referring to Mamdani setting aside differences with Hochul on taxes and instead campaigning with her.

Hochul was headed for an overwhelming, 60% to 40% victory over Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, according to the latest but unofficial results posted by the New York State Board of Elections.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s overwhelmingly victorious reelection yesterday accented a stunning series of Democratic election victories across the nation, a political shift that saw the party capture control of both the U.S. House and Senate.

Billy House reports in NEWSDAY that what was essentially a voter referendum on President Donald Trump personally and his administration’s policies, led to wins by party moderates, as well as Democratic socialists across the country.

In New York, Democrats chalked up victories to take a supermajority in the State Senate, including on Long Island, and a larger majority in the NYS Assembly.

Long Island's targeted Democratic moderates Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) and Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre) won their U.S. House races, despite Republican attempts to tie them to the left wing of their party. Republican Reps. Nick LaLota of Amityville and Andrew Garbarino of Bayport in once-safe Suffolk County districts, declared victory in closely contested battles where their opponents have not yet conceded.

And progressive victories in New York City, while unsurprising, served to remind of a brewing generational shift, as well.

It was the party’s Old Guard, though, personified by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, a New Yorker, that engineered what was only months ago widely believed to be an quixotic if not impossible effort to flip of the U.S. Senate’s GOP majority.

Still, Schumer himself acknowledged last night "a generational remake of the Senate map that is going to change America now and on into the future."

And Governor Hochul last night, in a speech after winning her second full term as governor by defeating Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, offered, "Together, New York Democrats are leading the way for a country that is hungry for progress and we’re giving people a reason to believe again."

***

A Democrat will hold the East End’s seat in the New York State Senate for the first time in 112 years. Maria Moore and Southampton Town Trustees win reelection and NYS Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni and U.S. Congressman Nick LaLota won new terms in office yesterday. However, as reported on 27east.com, even though 1st Congressional District incumbent LaLota…the Republican from Amityville…declared victory in his reelection bid, the Democratic Party challenger Chris Gallant of Amity Harbor has yet to concede, holding out for the final count of absentee ballots.

As of 1:40 this morning, the Suffolk County Board of Elections showed that 6,677 votes separate the candidates. LaLota has 152,546 votes, or 51.09 percent, to Gallant’s 145,869, or 48.85 percent.

At the Suffolk County Democrats’ election night gathering in Holtsville, Suffolk County Democratic Committee Chair Rich Schaffer said that Gallant “absolutely” has a chance to win.

On the flip side, he indicated it was premature to declare Democrat Chris Murray the victor over incumbent Republican State Senator Anthony Palumbo.

Murray’s lead stands at 4,064 votes. He has 62,408 votes, or 51.66 percent, to Palumbo’s 58,344, or 48.3 percent.

Thus, three-term New York State Senator Anthony Palumbo of New Suffolk appears to have lost his reelection bid to his Democratic challenger, Chris Murray, an attorney from Setauket.

Murray would be the first Democrat to represent New York State’s 1st Senatorial District…which covers eastern Suffolk County…in more than a century.

Palumbo, who is from the North Fork, has served in the State Senate since 2021, when he succeeded Kenneth P. LaValle, who held the seat for 33 years. A Democrat has not sat in the seat since 1914.

***

Southampton High School social worker Arlette Flores has been named the recipient of the Ruth Schwartz Award by the New York State School Social Workers’ Association, earning recognition as School Social Worker of the Year. The award recognizes her outstanding service, professionalism and dedication to the students and families of the Southampton School District.

Flores has served the district since 2020, helping students and families navigate personal, academic and social challenges. Throughout her six years in the district, she has focused on building meaningful relationships and ensuring students feel heard, understood and supported, noted a press release from the school district.

“I truly value the relationships I have built with students, families and colleagues and feel fortunate to be a part of a school community that recognizes the importance of supporting the whole child,” Flores said.

***

Riverhead Town Supervisor Jerry Halpin won re-election yesterday, defeating Council Member Ken Rothwell 6,779 to 6,152.

Halpin was elected in 2025 to a one-year term, abbreviated by the state’s Even-Year Election Law.

An independent running on the Democratic line, he defeated then-incumbent Republican supervisor Tim Hubbard by 37 votes last year.

Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Halpin said last night he hopes his victory is a reflection of people willing to cross party lines to elect officials who will work together for the good of the town. As Riverhead Town Supervisor, Halpin is a voting member of the Town Board. The other four members are Republicans.

Rothwell, a Republican, was re-elected as councilman in 2025 and was tapped to challenge Halpin this year.

Meanwhile, Jack Motz reports on 27east.com, that incumbent East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez has coasted by a write-in campaign to win a third term in that office. The write-in campaign was backing East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen, who challenged Burke-Gonzalez during a Democratic primary contest earlier this year during which the incumbent supervisor comfortably prevailed. As of last night, Burke-Gonzalez, who was otherwise unopposed, tallied in at 6,664 votes, or 72 percent. Larsen’s name did not appear on the ballot, but there were 2,541 write-in votes — the vast majority of which were presumably for Larsen, given the campaign that his supporters had mounted. This clocks in at 28 percent.

***

Election Day 2026 in New York appeared to be as much a referendum on decisions from the White House as it was on policies from the State Capitol in Albany.

James Barron reports in THE NY TIMES that Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, was elected to a second full term. She defeated her Republican challenger, Bruce Blakeman, who is the Nassau County executive and a longtime friend of President Trump’s. Hochul turned that friendship to her advantage. One of her television ads featured a puppeteer who said, “We don’t need a Trump puppet as governor.”

Blakeman’s campaign focused on blaming Hochul for New York’s affordability crisis and for working with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who endorsed her last winter. Blakeman ran, and defended, campaign ads that were A.I.-generated fabrications — more than 20 since April, including one that appeared to show Hochul and Mamdani walking together in a park.

Hochul wasn’t the only Democratic governor in the tri-state region to be re-elected. Gov. Ned Lamont of Connecticut won a third term. He is only the second Connecticut governor to do that in 200 years.

***

East End Arts in Riverhead holds a Steamroller Printmaking Festival this coming Saturday, Nov. 7 from 12 Noon to 4 p.m. at its community arts school at 206 Griffing Avenue in Riverhead. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that attendees will experience the excitement of large-scale printmaking outdoors, where artists will create giant woodblocks and then use an actual steamroller to press their designs onto paper. There will also be music, local vendors, and ways you can try printmaking for yourself.

Saturday’s event is FREE and open to the public!

You’re invited to come by and watch the artists at work, while celebrating creativity and community.

Whether you’re an artist, a printmaking enthusiast, or you’ve never seen a steamroller make a piece of art before, there’s something exciting about watching these giant prints come to life.

That’s East End Art’s Steamroller Printmaking Festival this coming Saturday from 12 Noon to 4 p.m. at its community arts school, 206 Griffing Avenue in Riverhead.

***

New York Governor Gov. Kathy Hochul sailed to re-election yesterday — decisively defeating the Republican challenger - Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.

Vaughn Golden and Craig McCarthy report in THE NY POST that Governor Hochul is sure to immediately face pressure from the left-wing of the party — including NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his Democratic Socialists of America comrades — to fulfill their “tax the rich” wishes come the new legislative session in January.

Mayor Mamdani endorsed Hochul and stumped with her in New York City in the final days of the campaign, appearing to give her a late boost with his base. “She has embraced new ideas,” the socialist mayor told the crowd, as he lauded his odd-couple “partnership” with the moderate Democrat, who cruised to a second, full four-year term. “She is navigating lawlessness for mass federal agents intent on rolling back our rights,” Mamdani railed, “Cruel budget cuts to Medicaid and SNAP by Republicans who only care about making the rich richer, and threats to the free infrastructure that powers our economy.”

Hochul thanked Mamdani “for standing with me and bringing a whole new energy to New York City” as she took the stage shortly after 10:30 last night to Kelly Clarkson’s pop anthem “Stronger.”

“This is how we take back our country,” she said, as she taunted President Trump.

“He told New Yorkers to pretend he was on the ballot. Well, Mr. President, you got your wish!”

Hochul, the state’s first woman governor, as of 10:42 p.m. Tuesday, had a 25-point lead, 62-38, over Blakeman, with 70% of the vote counted.

“Tonight wasn’t the result that we all wanted,” Bruce Blakeman said to a crowd at his watch party on Long Island, adding that he called Hochul to tell her “she ran a great race.”

“You win some, you lose some,” he said. “The fact of the matter is that now we pull together, we move forward.”

Blakeman, is an ally of Trump’s and was endorsed by the president.

Polls are now open across New York State for Election Day, following a stretch of nine days of early voting.

To find your poll site, click here.

Polls will be open throughout Long Island until 9 p.m., though you can still vote past 9 p.m. if you checked in before closing time and remain standing at a line.

Those who feel they’re being stopped from voting can call a hotline by the New York Attorney General’s Office at (866) 390-2992 or click here to file a complaint.

Across the East End today, American citizens will be voting for:

NYS Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, Senate, and Assembly candidates.

On the federal level – voters will select a representative for the 1st Congressional District.

Also, there are local races for Town Supervisor and various town and Suffolk County offices to be voted upon today.

Meanwhile, Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that early voting in Suffolk County increased 82% over the last midterm election in 2022, according to data provided yesterday by the Suffolk County Board of Elections. More than 178,600 Suffolk residents voted early during the nine-day early-voting period that ended Sunday, compared with the 98,226 people who voted early in 2022.

The increases come amid greater early-voting participation statewide. More than 1.7 million New Yorkers voted during the early-voting period, according to State Board of Elections data. In 2022, the statewide early in-person total was approximately 1.18 million.

***

The Suffolk County Water Authority has accepted a final environmental impact statement for its proposed North Fork water main, moving the controversial project through Riverhead closer to completing environmental review while a legal dispute over local zoning authority remains unresolved in court.

Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the SCWA board accepted the document Oct. 29. The board could adopt a formal findings statement as early as its November meeting, completing the review required under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, according to an Oct. 30 announcement.

The project would carry water from SCWA’s existing supply system in Southampton through Riverhead to serve customers in Southold. No customer connections would be made within the Riverhead Water District service area.

SCWA’s preferred route follows Cross River Drive from the Flanders Road area, passes beneath the Peconic River and turns east along Main Road toward Laurel. The approximately 7.2-mile, 24-inch transmission main would connect to existing SCWA infrastructure near Franklinville Road. A booster station would be built on authority-owned property near the southeast corner of Main Road and Cross River Drive.

The authority announced the shift from Sound Avenue to Main Road in July, following objections from Riverhead officials and residents about traffic, construction disruption and effects on farms and tourism. The revised route is about a mile shorter. SCWA projects completion in 2028, compared with 2030 under its earlier plan.

“This project is a requirement for the long-term sustainability of the North Fork,” SCWA Chairman Charlie Lefkowitz said in the Oct. 30 release.

SCWA operates 60 wells across 18 well fields on the North Fork, serving approximately 9,500 customers. The authority says rising demand and the vulnerability of the area’s shallow aquifer to contamination and saltwater intrusion require a supplemental supply.

Water delivered through the new main would come from existing permitted capacity in Southampton, according to SCWA. The authority says importing that water would reduce pressure on North Fork wells and help protect the local aquifer.

SCWA’s announcement says the Main Road route would lower costs. However, the FEIS says that route is expected to cost more because of nighttime construction and roadway-restoration requirements, while offering hydraulic, operational, safety and water-quality advantages.

***

More than 100 high school students from across eastern Long Island are expected to attend the annual East End Youth Leadership Summit this coming Friday, November 6, at Suffolk County Community College’s Riverhead campus.

Hosted by East End Partnership for Youth, the summit will run from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. this Friday and will feature interactive workshops and activities focused on mental health awareness, healthy relationships, communication, conflict resolution and creative expression.

This year’s summit will also include QPR suicide prevention training.

Organizers hope students will share what they learn with their peers, expanding mental health awareness and support in schools and communities across the East End.

For more information, call 631-702-2425, or email [email protected].

***

Since joining Bridgehampton High School in 2010, math teacher Jeff Neubauer has striven to be the kind of educator he always wanted as a student.

He has made his classroom “a place kids would want to be,” by playing music, offering food incentives around lessons and even creating an algebra-based video game.

“The curriculum that needs to be covered before June can be a little stale so I’ve looked for ways to reach students in fun, creative ways,” Mr. Neubauer said. “When you get to know the kids more, you learn what they really enjoy. They love gaming, they love socializing.”

Kevin J. Redding reports in NEWSDAY that last year, through a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, Neubauer began exploring using AI as a creative tool.

He used ChatGPT and Gemini to turn Regents questions and common exam topics into a competitive trivia game for a history class he co-teaches.

“I’m still a pen and pencil guy in the classroom, but in special education, I’ve found that technology is something they really gravitate to and feel comfortable in,” said Neubauer. “It just needs to be approached the right way.”

Neubauer, 49, of East Quogue, also involved students in a shark-tagging event at the Long Island Aquarium, after which they helped analyze data collected from a recording device attached to a tiger shark for 24 hours.

“Whether it’s a student, teacher or staff member, Jeff Neubauer is always willing to step up, share his knowledge, and find a way to help,” said John Reilly, a social studies teacher at Bridgehampton H.S. “He creates an environment where students aren’t afraid to make mistakes, ask questions, or take chances. Over time, that builds their confidence — not only in math, but in themselves as learners.”

You may nominate the passionate, engaging and innovative educators of Long Island to be featured in NEWSDAY’s Teacher Spotlight series by sending details to [email protected].

***

The broad outlines of a plan to regulate formula and chain retail stores in downtown Sag Harbor have begun to take shape.

Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that at Sag Harbor Village Hall last Thursday, environmental planning consultant Rich Warren of Inter-Science and his colleague Mike Schiano presented recommendations to the Sag Harbor Village Board for regulating such businesses — which many residents believe pose an immediate threat to the character and unique charm of the village center.

The formula store workshop drew a standing-room-only crowd of residents and local business stakeholders, several of whom voiced their perspectives during a public comment period at the end of the session.

After presenting several options the Village of Sag Harbor could pursue, Warren outlined what he views as the most prudent path forward and the municipal steps required to get there.

Warren recommended that the village adopt a concrete definition of a formula business and establish an exclusion overlay district that would prohibit chain retailers on Main Street and Madison Street. Formula businesses seeking to open outside that designated core would be required to obtain a special permit.

“If you’re going to regulate formula stores, you have to know what they are,” Warren said. He added that the village would also need to refine its existing code regarding change of tenancy — a task that Sag Harbor Village Attorney Liz Vail and Building Inspector Bruce Schiavoni would undertake together.

Warren presented a draft map illustrating the boundaries of the proposed exclusion zone. Notably, the map did not include Long Island Avenue — including the parcels at 22 Long Island Avenue and 2 Main Street, which are in the early stages of a redevelopment proposal — nor did it incorporate Long Wharf or Bay Street. During public comment, multiple attendees urged the board to expand the district to cover those waterfront corridors as well.

Next up, Warren will work alongside Vail to draft the precise code language, which is expected to be incorporated as a comprehensive plan amendment.

Warren assured residents there will be ample time for public input before any measures are enacted. The Sag Harbor Village Board is scheduled to discuss the topic again at its November 10 work session. While public comment is not accepted during work sessions, formal public hearings will precede any official code revisions.

***

Heart of the Hamptons has received a $125,000 grant from the State of New York through the New York Providing Local Access to Essential Sustenance program, better known as NY PLATES, to fund the purchase of a mobile food pantry truck.

Dan Stark reports on 27east.com that the grant is part of $8.3 million awarded in total to 59 food banks and emergency food assistance organizations across the state. Heart of the Hamptons was one of five organizations on Long Island to be included in the batch of grants.

Heart of the Hamptons provides service to residents within the entirety of Southampton Town. Thus, the need for a mobile food pantry truck.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced in a press release, “New York is stepping up to help the organizations that families depend on every day. These investments will give food banks and pantries the equipment and infrastructure they need to reach more people, reduce food waste and ensure families across our state have access to fresh, nutritious food.”

***

The 2026 fishery for Peconic Bay scallops that opened yesterday is likely to be another sparse one for the scores of baymen who rely on the shellfish for winter income, but signs of a resurgence next year are on the horizon, researchers said.

Mark Harrington reports in NEWSDAY that population surveys by the Cornell Cooperative Extension over the summer and fall months show that adult scallops have once again largely vanished from the 21 sites where researchers have surveyed the bay bottom in recent years.

It’s the seventh year Peconic Bay adult scallops have been largely absent from waterways, likely the result of a parasite that targets the swimming mollusks as well as genetics that make them vulnerable.

But Harrison Tobi, a Cornell Cooperative Extension aquaculture and shellfish restoration specialist who has led research and restoration of the scallops, said that as the season begins, there’s cause for hope for the fishery. That’s because he and others testing bay sites from Flanders to Hallock have found unusually large numbers of juvenile scallops.

Juvenile scallops represent the future stock for next year’s spawning of new scallops and, when they’ve finished breeding, the bulk of the adult scallops that will make up the landings by Long Island baymen from the western Peconic Bay to Shelter Island and beyond.

"There were no adults in our surveys," Tobi told NEWSDAY this past Friday. "They are out there, but I wouldn’t say it’s going to be a bountiful year."

But he added, "We’re founding thousands of juveniles across all surveys." One 50-meter survey line showed 178 juveniles, he said. Some of those survey lines, including one near Robins Island, had no juveniles at all in past years. "We haven’t found juveniles for the last couple of years," so the findings give researchers hope that the population is on the rebound, he said.

What could it mean? "This year may be a bust, but next year could be a boom," Tobi said.

While it’s still too early to say what led to the juveniles' resurgence, Cornell has been increasing the diversity of its spawner sanctuary in Orient Harbor, where long lines of buoyed lantern nets hang with adult scallops that release eggs and sperm into the East End waters. Those spawners are from waters as far away as Martha’s Vineyard as well as nearby Moriches Bay and their home Peconic Bay. All contain variations of genetics that Cornell believes could increase diversity enough to protect future generations from the known parasite. In years past, most scallops for spawning came from Peconic Bay alone, from just hundreds of scallops.

"We’re just trying to create a more resistant fishery that has tolerance to the parasite and anything else that may come their way," said Tobi.

Cornell plans to increase that diversity by hosting at least one other spawner sanctuary to the west in coming months, he said. Plans are underway to determine exactly where and how, he said, but it could move quickly once finalized.

There are just over a quarter million spawners on the long lines in Orient Harbor now, he said, scallops that eventually will be released into the wild before another crop of genetically diverse scallops are set into the lantern nets next year.

Educators and nonprofit leaders on Long Island are working hard to ensure students are fed, amid an increased demand due to soaring grocery prices and tightened eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Darwin Yanes reports in NEWSDAY that approximately 53,000 children on Long Island are currently facing food insecurity — a 20% increase from last year, according to Island Harvest Food Bank.

Gregory May, Island Harvest's director of government and community relations, said the nonprofit saw about 14,000 new visits to its member agencies, including food pantries and soup kitchens, across Nassau and Suffolk counties in June. The prior month, it saw about 10,000 new visits, while earlier in the year it averaged about 6,000 new visits.

One factor is a decline in SNAP participation. Between July 2025 and July 2026, participation in New York dropped by more than 270,000 recipients since eligibility was tightened under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to a New York State comptroller report that cited data from the state's Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.

The federal changes included restrictions for certain legal immigrants and an expansion of work requirements.

"So between the increased cost — obviously Islandwide, nationwide — [and] the limiting of access to SNAP, all contribute to the increased need we’re seeing on Long Island," said May.

Ensuring that students are fed is crucial for their academic success, said Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry New York, a national organization working to end childhood hunger and poverty.

"We know that when children have regular access to meals, they do better in school. They have higher attendance rates. They deal with less chronic health issues," she said.

With grocery prices so high, families sometimes must choose between paying the bills or buying food, she said.

"For many families to be able to provide three nutritious meals a day is hard on their budgets, especially now as Long Islanders face an affordability crisis," Sabella said.

National SNAP rollbacks are threatening school food programs across the country because funding is tied to the number of kids in SNAP and Medicaid, according to reports.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is running for reelection, said in a recently issued news release that the state will continue to fund its universal free lunch program despite the federal cuts. State officials secured $395 million in next year’s budget for universal meals.

***

Early voting is over.

Election Day 2026 is Tuesday, Nov. 3…that’s tomorrow!

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Vote at your assigned polling place tomorrow. (Find your polling place here https://suffolkcountyny.gov/voterinformation.

East end voters will be voting for town supervisors, a representative in Congress, state lawmakers, statewide officials and Suffolk County officials tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the election system in the United States might just prove to be truly resilient after the polls close on Tuesday, two election experts agreed at a recent League of Women Voters forum.

In the Sept. 30 virtual forum, “Voting Rights and the 2026 Midterms: Election Challenges, Threats and Integrity,” two prominent election law experts—David Becker and Jerry Goldfeder — both seemed optimistic about the American election process, which is overseen by individual states and run by local boards of election in what they believe will prove to be a resilient system.

Mr. Becker is the founder and executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research, based in Washington D.C., and Mr. Goldfeder is the director of the Voting Rights and Democracy Project at Fordham Law School.

Mr. Becker said his optimism stems from the fact that courts have already blocked nearly all of the 30 cases the administration has filed challenging the election process.

Since federal law bans massive changes to the voting process within 90 days of an election, Mr. Goldfeder added, it will be unlikely that any major legal challenge to the election process will emerge in this “quiet period.”

Mr. Goldfeder was slightly more cautious.

“Our insititutions are strong, and the reason they’re strong is because Americans are resilient,” he said. “The folks in Suffolk County can rest assured they have a Board of Elections that knows what its doing and has done it well for many years. They’re very professional. But nationwide, there will be problems throughout various polling places… If there’s a huge turnout and the margins are comfortable, there’s very little those who want to challenge elections can do. They can go to court, but they will fail.”

***

The East Hampton Healthcare Foundation will host a free community health fair this coming Friday, November 6, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 18 James Lane in East Hampton.

Services will include flu shots, glucose and blood pressure screenings and applications for colorectal screenings. Appointments for no-cost mammograms and Pap tests will also be available for uninsured women over age 40.

Representatives will provide information on health insurance, Sun River Health Care, OLA of Eastern Long Island, SNAP benefits, mental health resources for children and adolescents, Meals on Wheels, East Hampton Town Human Services and nutrition education through Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Healthy refreshments will be served, and Friday’s event is open to the entire community.

For more information, call 631-329-2425.

***

Immigrant workers…be they documented or not…are the lifeblood of Long Island restaurants, but the Trump administration’s deportation campaign has meant some have left and others aren’t showing up for work. As reported in NEWSDAY, the prospect of deportation also is chasing away customers at some restaurants that cater to immigrants. The loss of both workers and customers has added to the already burdensome business climate causing some Long Island restaurants to struggle.

Since January 2025, ICE has arrested at least 2,980 people on Long Island, part of a mass deportation campaign the Trump administration has said is bringing more jobs and higher wages to American workers.

But that has not happened for Long Island's restaurant industry, which relies on immigrants for customers and workers, and which has lost jobs and restaurants since the start of the crackdown.

The sweeping immigration crackdown is threatening an industry already battling rising costs, labor shortages and a slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. On Long Island, where immigrant workers are essential to restaurant kitchens and immigrant customers sustain countless neighborhood businesses, the consequences range from staffing disruptions to empty tables. Even restaurants not touched directly by ICE arrests are feeling impacts.

Some restaurant workers have left Long Island and the United States.

There have been no published accounts of major raids on Long Island restaurants. Nor, owners and a restaurant industry trade group leader tell NEWSDAY, does there appear to have been a surge in federal audits of the employment eligibility forms known as I-9s, as has happened in recent years at restaurants in cities including Washington, D.C.

In May, the Restaurant Association announced its support for the Dignity Act of 2025, proposed federal legislation which would, among other things, defer removal of some immigrants without legal immigration status who have lived in the United States since 2020, provided they work or attend school, pay restitution and satisfy other conditions. It would not provide a path to citizenship.

Three of Long Island’s congressional representatives — Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre), Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) and Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) — are co-sponsors of the bill. Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) is not. Garbarino chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, which oversees ICE as part of its jurisdiction over the Department of Homeland Security.

***

Jobless New Yorkers will be unable to receive or apply for benefits for a nine to 12-day period beginning today, as the state labor department overhauls its 50-year-old unemployment insurance system.

Starting at 5 p.m. on Nov. 2…that’s this evening…and continuing for that nine to 12-day period, the New York State Department of Labor will pause unemployment services online and by phone.

Tiffany Cusaac-Smith reports in NEWSDAY that during the period, people seeking benefits will be unable to file for unemployment, certify their benefits or access their accounts, officials said in September. Additionally, payments to benefit recipients will be late, though they will receive the back money once the upgrade is finished, officials said. Unemployed individuals seeking benefits are still expected to complete at least three job-hunting activities a week.

The NYS Department of Labor will alert job seekers and businesses when the modernized system is ready and accessible again.

The upgrade will mark a significant disruption in a vital safety net for job seekers, but state officials contend the revamp is needed for a system that "has struggled to meet the needs of the modern customer."

The upgrade, the state said, will simplify businesses’ unemployment requirements, allow users to file claims on their smartphones and increase accessibility for people with disabilities.

Among the changes to come in the upgraded system will be a prompt requiring job seekers to provide necessary documentation before they put in a claim. Missing information is the chief reason why claims are stalled, state officials said.

To ease demand for call assistance, people filing for benefits will be able to use the upgraded system to upload documents, look at their claim status and exchange messages with staff, officials said.

Meanwhile, businesses will be allowed to make 24/7 payments, add third-party representation and better manage their accounts, among other features, officials said.

***

The Suffolk County Water Authority Board announced Friday that it has issued and accepted its own environmental review for its North Fork Water Main Project. The pipeline project — which is slated to run 7.4 miles from a connection site in Flanders up Route 105 to the Main Road, then head east to the Southold Town line, is the largest in the S.C.W.A’s 75-year history. While the Water Authority says the project could be complete by 2028, the Riverhead Town Board declared earlier this month that the town had the right to conduct its own review of the project. Riverhead is already facing litigation from the Water Authority over a prior determination of its right to review the project.

Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the Water Authority currently operates 60 wells in 18 well fields on the North Fork, serving 9,500 customers, but says that water demand in the region continues to increase, despite conservation efforts, “straining existing infrastructure and impacting the local water source.”

Most North Fork wells draw from the shallow Upper Glacial Aquifer, which the Water Authority says is vulnerable to contamination from pesticides, herbicides and rising chloride levels, because “over-pumping to meet this demand carries the risk of drawing saltwater into the freshwater aquifer.”

The Water Authority says the new supply of water will reduce the need to install expensive specialized treatment systems at its existing wellheads and ease the daily pumping burden on local wells, allowing Upper Glacial Aquifer to recover

“We listened to the public throughout the environmental review process and finalized a plan that reflects their input,” said SCWA Chief Executive Officer Jeff Szabo. “The {Final Environmental Impact Statement} FEIS confirms that our preferred route reduces costs and environmental impacts while allowing us to complete construction faster, keeping disruption to the community to a minimum.”

“While the North Fork Water Main Project is critical to the region’s future, it’s not a silver bullet,” said Water Authority Chairman Charlie Lefkowitz. “We need everyone in Southold to adopt water conservation practices, especially during the summer when demand is at its highest. Together, we can protect this precious water supply for future generations.”

Now that it has accepted the FEIS, the Water Authority Board can adopt a formal Findings Statement by resolution as early as its November meeting, completing its State Environmental Quality Review Act review, according to the Oct. 30 announcement.

The FEIS is available on SCWA’s website at www.scwa.com/nfp.

***

Early voting is over.

Election Day 2026 is tomorrow when polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

You must vote at your assigned polling place. (Find your polling place here)

East end voters will be voting for town supervisors, a representative in Congress, state lawmakers, statewide officials and Suffolk County officials tomorrow.

Meanwhile, former New York Governor George Pataki urges you to vote like it’s 1994 because the only votes that count are those you, yourself cast.

Carl Campanile reports in THE NY POST that George Pataki, New York’s last Republican governor — who defied scores of polls 32 years ago to win election — said yesterday there’s still time for GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman…who according to recent polls appears far behind…to follow his lead to score the state’s top office in another historic political upset.

Pataki said the only poll that counts is the one from the voters at the actual ballot box.

The former governor defied his own odds, defeating three-term Democratic incumbent Gov. Mario Cuomo in 1994 — even though the final six polls preceding the election showed Cuomo ahead, including four by double digits.

“When I was running the first time [for governor in 1994] … the Sunday before the election … the [New York] Daily News straw poll came out, and it had never been wrong, and it showed me losing by 17 points [to Cuomo],” Pataki said Sunday on 77 WABC radio.

“I was down 17 with two days to go according to a poll that had never been wrong. And I ended up winning by 4. They were off by 21 points.

Blakeman has ripped independent surveys conducted by Siena, Quinnipiac and Marist colleges which indicate Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul has double-digit leads over him.

Still, demographically, the state is different from what it was in 1994. There are more enrolled Democrats today than there were three decades ago, fewer residents in more conservative upstate New York and more people living in deep blue New York City.

But Pataki has a point: Hochul defeated Republican challenger Lee Zeldin by just 6 points in 2022, despite Democrats having a huge 2-and-a-half-to-1 party enrollment advantage.

The real point of this story is that voter turnout is in every American citizen’s best interest regardless of party affiliation, as voting promotes and sustains participative democracy.

Teachers’ union leaders, parents and state lawmakers urged New York education officials to reject Riverhead Charter School’s five-year renewal Wednesday night, filling a Riverhead school board hearing with objections to charter-school funding, governance and the impact on public school district students.

The room overflowed with attendees, many wearing bright yellow shirts imprinted with a “Long Island Against Charter Schools” logo.

Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Riverhead Charter School Superintendent Raymond Ankrum was the only speaker supporting renewal. While no speakers identified themselves as Riverhead Charter School parents, written submissions included parents describing children who were thriving at the school and staff defending its work.

The Riverhead Board of Education was required by NYS law to hold the hearing but it has no authority to approve or deny the charter school’s renewal. The Board of Regents, which originally chartered Riverhead Charter School in 2001, will decide whether it can continue operating beyond June 2027.

The proposed renewal would run from July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2032, authorizing classes from kindergarten through grade 12 and up to 1,244 students each year of the five-year charter. The state’s public notice lists no proposed charter revisions. The enrollment ceiling is the same one approved during the previous renewal.

Yet the district was asked to hold the hearing without receiving the application itself.

District Clerk Dawn Bozuhoski said 338 comments or letters had been received by the start of the hearing and would be submitted to the state with the transcript.

The Riverhead School Board closed Wednesday’s hearing without substantive comment from trustees or the district superintendent.

***

Early voting hours today are from 12 noon to 8 p.m.

This Saturday and Sunday polls are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

No early voting on Monday, November 2.

Election Day 2026 is next Tuesday; November 3, when polls will be open from 6 a.m. - 9 p.m. across Long Island.

Meanwhile, Suffolk County’s new electronic voting machines, which combine digital touch-screen controls with a paper-ballot record, are getting their first major workout this Election Day season with anticipated high turnout for the first election cycle featuring national, statewide and local offices all on the same ballot.

Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the new machines were first deployed by the Suffolk County Board of Elections for the spring primaries and have been in use this week at 28 early voting sites.

The Suffolk County Board of Elections has touted the new machines as a much more user-friendly format than the previous, awkwardly large ballot sheets that had to be marked in pen by voters and then fed into a scanner, which often led to complications when ballots were marked incorrectly and were threatening to become unwieldy with the large number of races now on the ballots since New York State forced town and county elections into the same cycle as state and federal races.

But the new machines maintain a paper ballot that is cast by the voter — though not by hand — which voters have said they trust more than a purely digital tally.

The Suffolk County BOE spent nearly $35 million on the new machines, called the ExpressVote XL, made by Nebraska-based Election Systems & Software.

The county had been using the hand-marked paper ballots and scanners since 2011 and had been on the hunt for updated systems for several years. Elections boards in the state may only purchase equipment from vendors approved by the NYS Board of Elections, of which there are currently only four, according to county BOE Commissioner John Alberts.

“The ES&S XL voting machines offer several significant advantages, including cost savings on preprinted ballots, the ability to accommodate multi-page ballots, and a user-friendly experience for voters,” he said. “These features were important considerations in identifying a modern, efficient, and cost-effective voting solution for Suffolk County.”

***

The Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons is urging pet owners to keep candy and other potentially toxic treats away from their animals.

ARF recommends storing candy and cannabis products securely, keeping trick-or-treat bags out of pets’ reach and disposing of wrappers in secure trash containers. Owners should also be vigilant during walks, particularly in areas where discarded treats may be found.

If a pet is suspected of ingesting chocolate, xylitol, raisins, THC or an unknown substance, ARF advises contacting a veterinarian or emergency veterinary hospital immediately, without waiting for symptoms to appear. Pet owners should not attempt to induce vomiting without veterinary guidance.

“Halloween should be fun for the whole family, including our pets,” said Kim Nichols, executive director of ARF Hamptons. “A little extra vigilance, both at home and on our walks, can make all the difference.”

***

A $50 million plan to raze and replace an overpass bridge in Hampton Bays four years from now, with detours into neighborhood streets, has sparked an uproar in the Town of Southampton over fears of worsening already severe traffic conditions.

Alek Lewis reports in NEWSDAY that Suffolk County is planning to replace the bridge, which is on Montauk Highway in eastern Hampton Bays and carries the road over Long Island Rail Road tracks. The plan would divert traffic for roughly eight months, beginning in the fall or winter of 2030, with the new bridge scheduled to be finished by the following summer.

Suffolk County officials plan to send traffic onto neighborhood roads south of the highway, adding temporary traffic signals along the route.

Hampton Bays residents said the plan is likely to worsen an already difficult traffic situation. Montauk Highway is one of two routes across the Shinnecock Canal that drivers use to travel to and from the South Fork, making it a major artery into the Hamptons. The two-lane road is often congested during peak hours, and residents are worried the 1½-mile detour would bring much more spillover traffic onto their streets.

A civic group has asked the county to consider alternatives to the detour, including construction of a temporary bridge.

"If you have two major roadways and you're removing one of them, the obvious answer is put in a temporary roadway," Michael McCullough, vice president of the Hampton Bays Civic Association, told NEWSDAY.

County officials have said a temporary bridge is too costly and impractical.

Michael Martino, a Suffolk County spokesman, said officials “evaluated a temporary parallel bridge but determined it was not feasible because of limited right-of-way, utilities, nearby homes and the challenges of working over active LIRR tracks.”

County officials hope to minimize the detour’s impact by containing it to the Hamptons' traditional offseason. The demolition and detours are planned for after Labor Day 2030. The plan is to complete the work before the summer crush begins again on Memorial Day 2031. Martino said the project is expected to cost roughly $50 million and be funded primarily by the Federal Highway Administration.

Charlie Bartha, commissioner of the county's department of public works, said in a statement that the project “is moving forward" and design plans are being drawn, which will go to the state and other entities for approvals.

"As the design takes shape, we are listening to the community. Feedback from residents, businesses, and commuters will be reviewed and incorporated wherever feasible and to minimize the project's impact on traffic," Bartha said.

The overpass, built in 1934 and last rehabilitated in 1988, has the lowest condition rating of any county-maintained bridge, officials from Suffolk's department of public works said during a presentation in July. It does not meet current engineering standards — its bearings are dysfunctional and it’s susceptible to earthquake damage, according to county officials.

***

Southampton Town Supervisor Maria Moore agreed this week to discuss a proposed law drafted by Latino advocacy group Organización Latino Americana - OLA of Eastern Long Island guiding how local law enforcement will respond to federal immigration actions.

Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the OLA law was drafted early in 2026 by former New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele, Jr. of Sag Harbor in response to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions on the east end during the second Trump administration.

The law guides how local law enforcement will respond to keep the peace during I.C.E. deployment; outlines a clear chain of command between town leaders and police; and a framework for a local committee that will discuss best practices for towns to respond to immigration raids.

The Town and Village of East Hampton have since both drafted local laws using the OLA law as a template, while the Town of Southold enacted many of the law’s tenets through a resolution in August. The Riverhead Town Board has refused to meet with OLA to discuss the law in a public work session.

Several OLA supporters, staff members and a crew of high school students from the Ross School asked the Southampton Town Board to consider the law — which was first presented by OLA to municipal governments across the East End eight months ago — at the board’s Oct. 27 meeting.

Supervisor Moore said she hoped to meet with OLA Executive Director Minerva Perez and Southampton Town Council Member Michael Iasilli next week.

“It’s not as if we haven’t given it consideration, and had conversations with our police chief. We have,” she added. “Our police do not actively assist [immigration agents]. They do deescalate. We felt they were already doing the things in the law.”

“I would welcome a conversation at a work session, and it would be open to the public as well,” she added.

“The safety of our community is primary for our police, and for the Town Board,” Ms. Moore told him. “Our police chief is always available to Minerva. We don’t want anybody to be afraid to call for help.”

Southampton Town Attorney James Burke added that Police Chief James Kiernan would be interested in talking to the students who spoke at Tuesday’s meeting directly about his department’s work.

***

A History Lecture: “Jefferson & Madison’s Tour of Long Island — 1791” at Cutchogue-New Suffolk Library is scheduled for this Sunday, November 1 from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm.

Join Professor John S. Kneski for an engaging exploration of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison's 1791 journey across Long Island. While officially presented as a scientific expedition, some contemporaries viewed it as a politically significant tour. Discover how Jefferson and Madison...two future presidents...traveled through the East End, met with local residents, and observed the region's landscape, agriculture, and communities. Explore what this remarkable excursion reveals about the early American republic and Long Island's place in its history. This program is a collaborative effort between the Cutchogue New Suffolk Free Library and the Cutchogue-New Suffolk Historical Council and Museum.

Sunday’s lecture is free.

Registration required through the Cutchogue – New Suffolk Library website

***

Eight people were indicted in Manhattan yesterday, accused of stealing more than $7 million in food stamp benefits from thousands of low-income New Yorkers and spending the money on luxury vehicles, while also sending tens of thousands of dollars abroad, including to Yemen.

Caitlyn Freeman and Hurubie Meko report in THE NY TIMES that the group used the names of delis, both existing and fictitious, to open merchant processing accounts and purchase point-of-sale machines, prosecutors said. The accounts allowed them to process Electronic Benefits Transfer, or E.B.T., cards, according to prosecutors.

Then, prosecutors said, the group was able to use stolen information linked to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, better known as SNAP, or food stamps, to create clones of the E.B.T. cards.

The group would track when funds were to be deposited into the accounts, and withdraw the money before the legitimate card holders could purchase food or other necessities, according to prosecutors.

Between April 2023 and September 2025, the point-of-sale machines conducted thousands of transactions, and most of the victims never received reimbursement for the stolen benefits, according to the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

The group was running a “fraud factory from the back room of a Yonkers deli and hotels,” prosecutors said during the arraignment in Manhattan State Supreme Court on Thursday.

Three members of the group, Abdulla Aezah, Belal Hauter and Gregory Fabiani, were arraigned on Thursday and charged with multiple counts, including conspiracy, grand larceny and identity theft. The men pleaded not guilty and were held in custody.

“SNAP and E.B.T. fraud harms New Yorkers in need of assistance and the New Yorkers whose tax dollars fund these essential programs,” said Alvin L. Bragg, the district attorney.

The scheme described by prosecutors on Thursday is similar to other operations that have left some of the state’s most vulnerable residents without the funds they need to buy food and other necessities. Early this year, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the state would upgrade the cards to include encrypted chip-and-pin technology, rather than a magnetic strip, to curb similar frauds.

The problem is not confined to New York. While the full extent of the fraud is unknown, across the country, states reported $320 million in stolen benefits between October 2022 and December 2024, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

AI chatbots will be banned from feigning human emotions in conversations with kids, under a new law signed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Wednesday.

Vaughn Golden and Kevin Sheehan report in THE NY POST that Governor Hochul approved a series of measures regulating how artificial intelligence chatbots interact with minors and implementing safety requirements on baby monitors that are connected to the internet.

“I’m not sure why we have to pass a law against something so obvious, but no longer will minors have access to chatbots that may in any way encourage thoughts of suicide,” Hochul told reporters.

The incumbent Democrat touted the measures meant to put safeguards on AI and rein in other “big tech” concerns, in a conspicuous move made less than a week before her election against Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman.

The two bills, Hochul said, would prevent “horror stories” like the case of Adam Raine, a California 16-year-old who was allegedly driven to kill himself by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which even offered to help him write a suicide note.

The other bill Hochul signed on Wednesday demands manufacturers of internet-enabled baby monitors implement safeguards so creeps can’t use them to spy.

Governor Hochul was quickly blasted by Tech:NYC, a group repping Empire State technology companies, for signing what it called a √ bill on the chatbots.

“This bill could force companies to restrict minors’ access to tutoring tools, homework help, coding assistants, and, arguably worst of all, career platforms — cutting our youngest New Yorkers off from resources that support their education and prepare them for the workforce,” the group wrote.

Hochul has signed several measures meant to rein in how social media companies and tech interests gear their products towards children, such as limiting “addictive” algorithms.

***

Suffolk County Transit has launched a weekday express bus route between Riverhead and Hicksville, offering riders limited-stop service along the Long Island Expressway for $2.25 per one way trip.

The Long Island Express began operating this past Monday, with westbound trips during the morning peak period and eastbound return trips in the afternoon. Buses use the expressway’s HOV lane.

Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that morning trips begin at the Riverhead Long Island Rail Road station and end at the Hicksville LIRR station. Afternoon trips depart from Hicksville and conclude in Riverhead. The service does not operate on weekends or holidays, according to the announcement by Suffolk County.

The route includes stops in Medford, Farmingville, Ronkonkoma, Islandia and Hauppauge, as well as the Route 110 park-and-ride and Broadway Mall, according to Suffolk County Transit’s route information.

County Executive Ed Romaine announced the route is intended to help ease traffic congestion and give East End residents another commuting option.

“With the Long Island Express, motorists now have another sensible option to commute from the East End to the west in a simple and convenient manner,” Romaine said.

The $2.25 fare is Suffolk County Transit’s standard full one way fare. Bus and LIRR fares are paid separately, with no transfer fare arrangement between the two systems. Riders can purchase mobile tickets through Suffolk County Transit’s FastFare app.

Schedules and route details are available at sctbus.org/Route-HOV.

***

Suffolk County Legislator Ann E. Welker presented a proclamation to Southampton Village Police Department K-9 Topper in recognition of his retirement after eight years of service.

Topper, a German shepherd-Belgian Malinois mix born in the Czech Republic, completed extensive training with Officer James Moore through the Suffolk County Police Department’s K-9 section.

As the only police K-9 serving the East End, Topper and Moore assisted law enforcement agencies from Manorville to Montauk. Their work included apprehending suspects, locating missing people, finding evidence and contributing to significant narcotics discoveries.

Beyond his police work, Topper also makes public appearances and interactions with community members.

“It is my honor to present Southampton Village Police Department’s K-9 Topper with this proclamation on the occasion of his retirement,” Welker said, recognizing his dedication and positive impact on the community.

***

Latino voters on Long Island are divided on immigration and deportation tactics, with some supporting Republicans for their strict immigration policies, while others are turning to Democrats due to concerns over aggressive deportation efforts under President Donald Trump. Joe Werkmeister and Bart Jones report in NEWSDAY that with early voting underway ahead of Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, the fight to secure Latino votes remains central in the gubernatorial race between incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul and Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County executive.

In interviews with a dozen people in Long Island's largest Latino neighborhoods, many Democratic-leaning voters cited the deportation tactics of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and immigration as a top issue alongside affordability in the runup to the election, while some residents who previously supported Trump — who made gains with Latino voters when he won the White House in 2024 — say they still do support the president.

Hochul has maintained the Trump administration’s illegal immigration enforcement approach is over the top, while Blakeman says federal cooperation — including an agreement he signed last year with ICE that's since been terminated — is needed in areas where immigrants are found to commit crimes.

Luis Montes, a Brentwood-based political analyst and a Democrat, said he expects Democrats to make gains among Latino voters, but it may not be as big of a wave as some party leaders hope.

"I think that [Trump] has lost a lot of the support" of Latinos on Long Island, especially among Central Americans since they have been hit particularly hard by the Trump administration's deportation campaign, Montes said.

Walter Mejia, a Patchogue resident who heads New York Republican Latinos, said he thinks support for Trump and Republicans will remain strong among Latinos on Long Island largely because Trump has cracked down on illegal immigration.

"I think a lot of people feel it is unfair that undocumented migrants come to New York State especially, and the country in general, and our tax dollars go to them," he said.

He and his parents came to the United States legally from El Salvador and, like other Latinos who did so, resent people coming here illegally, he said.

Early voting hours today and tomorrow are from 12 noon to 8 p.m.

This coming Saturday and Sunday polls are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

No early voting on Monday, November 2.

Election Day is Tuesday; November 3, 2026 when polls will be open from 6 a.m. - 9 p.m. across Long Island.

***

The affordable housing development on Northville Turnpike planned by Georgica Green Ventures in partnership with First Baptist Church in Riverhead has been awarded $3.67 million through the state’s Long Island Investment Fund, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced yesterday.

Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that plans for Northville Commons call for approximately 80 subsidized rental apartments, five owner-occupied condominiums, a community center, and other uses on a 12.5-acre site adjacent to the church.

The development, which carries an approximately $56 million price tag, would provide rental housing for households earning between 50% and 80% of the area median income. Twenty apartments would be reserved for individuals with disabilities.

The project includes more than $7 million in infrastructure improvements, including sewer and water service, parking and lighting, the announcement said. Georgica Green Ventures {GGV} in July 2025 received a $1 million state infrastructure grant awarded in July 2025.

Northville Commons has a change of zone application pending before the Town of Riverhead, seeking application of the Community Benefit Zoning Overlay District to its Northville Turnpike site.

The developer filed the application on Oct. 22 and filed the required Environmental Assessment Form Tuesday, Riverhead Town Senior Planner. Greg Bergman said yesterday. The application is under review by the town.

The overlay zoning district was adopted in 2016. It specifies eligibility criteria for the overlay. The Riverhead Town Board on Sept. 3, 2025 approved changes to the overlay district requested by the developer in June 2023, after GGV joined the project as developer.

The current award to GGV is part of more than $32 million awarded to six housing developments across Nassau and Suffolk counties. Together, the projects would create 899 housing units, including 482 affordable units, and represent more than $529 million in total investment, according to the state.

***

A local tradition brings residents together in the Springs community for breakfast. The Springs Fire Department’s weekly Sunday morning breakfast is back, offering the tight-knit Springs community a chance to connect and reset before a busy week ahead while also supporting the local fire department’s ongoing needs.

Running from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m., the Sunday morning breakfasts continue through March, providing locals with a regular gathering place during the colder months. Breakfast is priced at $15 per person. Many regular attendees join week to week, but the Fire Department hopes to galvanize even more individuals to join them in their Sunday morning tradition.

According to Ann Glennon, a Fire Police lieutenant and member of the Springs Fire Department for 23 years, the breakfasts are more than just a meal — bringing members of the community together during a time of year when opportunities to see one another become less frequent in the quiet season.

“It’s so nice to see all the smiling faces each Sunday morning. I know that that is the one thing each person on the breakfast staff looks forward to the most,” Glennon said. “It truly is all about the community. That is how this breakfast all really came to be in the first place.”

***

Voting is a bedrock of democracy. But getting an "I Voted" sticker depends on where you vote.

Matthew Chayes and Maureen Mullarkey report in NEWSDAY that New York City and Nassau’s boards of elections produce millions of stickers. Some voters in those places and across the country don the stickers with pride, affix the stickers to the back of their cellphones and post images on social media, a souvenir of enfranchisement.

But not so much in Suffolk, where the board has decided it’s a waste of money.

"It’s everybody’s God-given right to vote in this great country, but unfortunately it’s just not prudent to use taxpayer money to buy stickers for what we're calling a participation trophy," Now-U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) told a radio interviewer in 2018 when he was a Republican elections commissioner for the county.

The cost then was $20,000, LaLota said.

The precise origins of the "I Voted" sticker are unknown but some sources attribute a modern version that became popular to a woman named Janet Boudreau. In the late 1980s, she drew up a rough draft of what would become the "I Voted" sticker for her family-owned company, according to an account in AARP’s magazine.

And less than 15 years later, the company was selling stickers — 100 million of them — in every state, in every election, including the midterms.

According to a federal Election Assistance Commission report, "During elections, these stickers remind us of our important right to vote ... They are displayed on items like clothing, laptops, water bottles and social media profiles, serving as a powerful symbol."

It's not all sticker-free in Suffolk, where some private civic organizations distribute stickers to voters commemorating having cast a ballot.

Some of the four chapters of the League of Women Voters of Suffolk County distribute the stickers and have for years and maybe even decades, said Janalyn Travis-Messer, a member and former president.

An official at county Board of Elections, Gail Lolis, said there was no cost estimate but noted there are more than 1 million voters in Suffolk. She said the cost would be too great on top of other expenses such as stamps for absentee ballots.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has asked the Trump administration to approve financial aid for Long Island municipalities slammed by last month's nor’easter, which caused widespread flooding and disrupted travel and utility services in both Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Nicholas Grasso reports in NEWSDAY that Governor Hochul requested for President Donald Trump to declare the Sept. 26 and 27 storm a major disaster so local governments and nonprofits can apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal funds “for debris removal, protective measures, and repairs to public buildings and infrastructure, including roads, bridges, water and wastewater treatment facilities, critical infrastructure sites, schools, parks and other facilities,” the governor’s office said in a news release.

Working with both counties, FEMA and the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services determined the storm, which coincided with a full moon, wrought enough damages to warrant Hochul to seek federal aid, according to the release.

The National Weather Service recorded 3.32 inches of rain on Sept. 26 and 27 at Islip. Isolated areas received more than 6 inches of precipitation, causing “flash flooding in low-lying areas and exacerbated the coastal flooding and wind impacts,” according to Hochul's office.

Winds in excess of 50 mph blew through Nassau, while gusts stronger than 65 mph battered Suffolk, Newsday reported at the time. Aggressive waves that delighted surfers carved sand from South Shore beaches. Flooding suspended Long Island Rail Road service. Ordinary streets were more easily passable by kayak than Cadillac. Downed trees and power lines cut off roadways as well as power for more than 124,000 PSEG Long Island customers, according to the utility provider.

Hochul, who declared a state of emergency on the eve of the storm, said the fall weekend nor'easter was the “latest in a series of severe weather to impact downstate, and I thank our first responders and emergency management officials for their efforts to keep New Yorkers safe throughout the storm.”

Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine told Newsday federal dollars would help repair hard-hit areas like Smith Point County Park in Shirley and Dunne Road in Southampton Town.

“This is an important step to help people address any damage that was caused by yet another punishing storm,” Romaine added in a statement shared through spokesperson Mike Martino.

***

A federal grant worth over half a million dollars that Southampton Village received through FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is now in flux after the Village Board identified what board members described as language that was unacceptable to them and in violation of New York State law. Dan Stark reports on 27east.com that the board previously voted unanimously at its October 8 meeting to accept the $560,000 grant, but reversed course at its October 20 meeting and voted unanimously to reject the grant. Mayor Bill Manger said that this vote was taken ahead of the village’s original deadline of Thursday, October 22.

But since last week, the Village of Southampton received an extension from the federal government and now has until December 15 to decide whether it will accept or reject the grant, which was intended to fund the purchase of 56 new tri-band portable radios that will be equipped in the emergency vehicles of the Southampton Fire Department and the Southampton Village Volunteer Ambulance.

Manger said that there were conditions of accepting the grant that the village did not see until they got the final documentation, upon which Southampton Village Attorney Eileen Powers looked at it and said that there may components of it that are not legal under New York State law.

“It had to do with that the police department would have to cooperate on federal matters within the village,” he said in a follow-up call. “And it was Eileen’s understanding that maybe that had been prohibited by New York State law, so that was the main component that there was some concern.”

Manger did not specify what state law Powers thought that accepting the grant would violate but in August, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the “Local Cops, Local Crimes Act” into law, which prohibits local law enforcement agencies from entering into arrangements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to have local officers perform the duties of federal immigration officers. So, is this the issue causing the Southampton Village Board to hesitate accepting a $560,000 federal grant?

7:33am - 7:34am

More than 100 high school students from across eastern Long Island are expected to attend the annual East End Youth Leadership Summit on Friday, November 6, at Suffolk County Community College’s Riverhead campus.

Hosted by the East End Partnership for Youth, the summit will run from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m…a week from this Friday…and will feature interactive workshops and activities focused on mental health awareness, healthy relationships, communication, conflict resolution and creative expression.

With a grant from Paddlers for Humanity, this year’s summit will also include QPR suicide prevention training. The program teaches participants to recognize warning signs, offer support and connect people who may be struggling, with appropriate resources.

Organizers hope students will share what they learn with their peers, expanding mental health awareness and support in schools and communities across the East End.

The East End Partnership for Youth is a coalition of organizations focused on positive youth development. Participating groups include Family Service League, i-tri, HUGS Inc., the Town of Southold, Riverhead CAP, Southampton Youth Bureau, Paddlers for Humanity and Our Fabulous Variety Show.

For more information, call 631-702-2425, or email [email protected].

***

An independent political committee is mounting a campaign to write-in Jerry Larsen for East Hampton Town supervisor, months after the East Hampton Village mayor lost a Democratic primary to Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez.

Alek Lewis reports in NEWSDAY that the write-in bid aims to capture the votes of Larsen-supporting Democrats, as well as Republicans and independents who were unable to vote in the June 23 primary. Burke-Gonzalez, the incumbent, defeated Larsen with 61.7% of the 3,426 votes cast.

Burke-Gonzalez is the only candidate on the ballot for East Hampton Town supervisor. Republicans declined to name a candidate.

Larsen said he is not actively campaigning and is not coordinating with the committee. He said he would serve if elected.

"I'm humbled by it," Larsen, 62, told NEWSDAY. "I think it's a very uphill battle to try to do this, but I have to commend the people for trying."

Burke-Gonzalez, 65, did not address the write-in campaign in a text to NEWSDAY. She said she is "eager to earn every vote in November as the Democrat and Working Families-endorsed candidate this general election."

The campaign has become increasingly visible in recent weeks, with signs urging voters to write in Larsen popping up along roads and ads appearing in local newspapers ahead of this coming Tuesday's general election.

Jacki Esposito, a Springs resident and founder of the Write-In Jerry Larsen Committee, said the bid will "give voice to the thousands of residents who have yet to cast a vote in the supervisor race."

"We are targeting every voter because the premise here is the current town government is broken, and we believe, that regardless of party affiliation, people recognize that here," Esposito said.

***

Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul has increased her lead to 14 points over Republican Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, according to a new poll today, and has improved her standing in key categories, including independents and upstate voters.

Yancey Roy reports in NEWSDAY that with a week to go in the campaign for governor, Hochul leads Blakeman, 54% to 40%, the Siena University poll said, an increase from her 9-point margin in the university’s poll a month ago. That margin matches a Quinnipiac poll from last week.

Besides the overall number, there were some notable shifts within the trend.

Regionally, the poll shows Hochul’s lead has grown in New York City’s five boroughs from 34 points last month to 44 now (67%-23%), while little has changed in the metropolitan suburbs (Hochul leads by 2).

But in Republican-rich upstate — which analysts have said Blakeman needs to win by 15 percentage points — Hochul has moved from 3 points down to 1 point up (49%-48%).

Also, independent voters would appear to have shifted to Hochul in the final month: From favoring Blakeman by 5 points to favoring Hochul by 11 (51%-40%).

"Heading into the final stretch, Hochul has a 14-point lead, with Blakeman quickly running out of time to close a gap that is growing rather than narrowing," Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said.

Siena surveyed 807 likely voters across the state from Oct. 19-22. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points, meaning the answer to each question could vary that much.

In another shift, Hochul received a better than 50% "favorability rating" from New York voters for the first time since she ascended from the lieutenant governor post in 2021 after Andrew Cuomo resigned as governor. The poll said 51% of those surveyed had a favorable opinion of the governor and 45% unfavorable.

By 48% to 28%, voters said President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Blakeman has been a negative for the Nassau Republican’s campaign.

Democratic incumbents lead the other statewide contests as well, according to Siena.

Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, now in his 20th year in the state’s top financial post, leads Republican Joseph Hernandez, 59% to 32%.

Attorney General Letitia James, seeking her third term, leads Republican Saritha Komatireddy, 54% to 39%.

• Early voting days and hours in Suffolk County:
• Today, Oct. 28, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 29, noon to 8 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 30, noon to 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 1, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Election Day: Tuesday; November 3, 2026. Polls open 6 a.m. - 9 p.m. across Long Island.

***

Several months after hosting the U.S. Open for the sixth time, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club has a new course superintendent.

Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that the club announced recently it has hired Peter Barnaby to replace Jonathan Jennings, who signaled earlier this year that he would be retiring.

In a statement, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club President Julie D. Frist spoke about the hiring of Barnaby.

“We are delighted to announce the appointment of Peter Barnaby as Shinnecock Hills Golf Club’s next Head Superintendent,” Frist said. “Following an extensive national search that attracted an exceptional field of highly accomplished candidates, we are especially proud to have selected one of our own, raised in Southampton...Peter’s relationship with Shinnecock began as a young caddie,” she continued. “And his deep understanding of our golf course, exceptional work ethic, leadership, and genuine passion for Shinnecock make him ideally suited to this important role. We have tremendous confidence in Peter and look forward to an exciting new chapter with his leadership.”

Barnaby, 32, is a local product. He graduated from Southampton High School in 2012 and began caddying at Shinnecock in 2008. He continued caddying there through 2022, while also juggling school and other jobs.

Barnaby transitioned from the caddy staff to the maintenance staff in the spring of 2021 when he went to work for Jennings. He earned his two-year certificate in Turf and Turfgrass Management from Rutgers University’s Professional Golf Turf Management School in 2023.

Barnaby becomes just the fifth superintendent at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club since 1954.

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club will be in the national spotlight again in 2036, when it will host both the U.S. Open and the U.S. Women’s Open on consecutive weeks in June. It will be the first time the club hosts the women’s open and the seventh time it hosts the men’s U.S. Open Golf Championship.

***

Ed German has a sharp memory for sound — whether it’s the jazz music embedded in his childhood, an ice cream truck melody echoing off his Brooklyn block, or the rapid fire of a machine gun in the jungles of Vietnam.

The G-Man’s keen ear and cool cat personality has allowed listeners to his “Urban Jazz Experience” and “Friday Night Soul” programs to accrue an immense amount of joy and knowledge the past three decades.

As a host and producer on the east end’s public radio voice – WLIW FM - since 1997, Ed has developed a loyal following…on the air and off.

German’s one-man show, “Deep Down in Brooklyn,” a production based on his eponymous memoir that was staged for a single night at Guild Hall in East Hampton was performed to a sold-out house 10 years ago and now it is back.

The work, which chronicles German’s childhood, the changing cultural landscape of his neighborhood, and his military service, will run for a pair of performances on Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 8, at the Southampton Cultural Center. “This is probably the last time I’m going to do this,” the 76-year-old who looks 20 years younger told Michelle Trauring of THE SOUTHAMPTON PRESS yesterday. Ed emphasized, “…it does take a lot out of me to remember and relive certain events.”

“Deep Down in Brooklyn,” starring Ed German and directed by Bonnie Grice of Boots on the Ground Theater, will be staged on Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 8, at 6 p.m. at the Southampton Cultural Center. Tickets are $25, and admission is free for veterans and their families. For more information, visit scc-arts.org.

Be there or be square!

Typical natural gas customers on Long Island can expect only a marginal increase in their winter heating bills this year, but hundreds of thousands of fuel oil users are in for sticker shock, experts said yesterday.

Mark Harrington reports in NEWSDAY that last month, National Grid, the region’s primary natural gas supplier, released a projection that its Long Island customers could see a seasonal decline of $120 in the supply/commodity portion of their bills through the November to March heating season. The catch: the delivery portion of bills is projected to rise about $125 during the same period. In all, average customers who use around 720 therms during the winter can expect a net seasonal increase of $5, National Grid said.

Heating oil customers won’t be so lucky. The average price of a gallon of heating oil across Long Island last week increased from already staggering highs of more than $6 a gallon, settling in at $6.37. That’s an increase of 67% from a year ago, when customers paid $3.82 a gallon, according to a state database.

For the nearly 400,000 Long Island customers who heat their homes with oil, the impact will begin to be felt this month with dropping temperatures.

Industry experts say the price of home heating oil, like its diesel fuel cousin, is tied directly to the global cost of oil, which hit highs last week of more than $110 a barrel. War with Iran is a major factor but winter supply constraints could also play a role.

National Grid customers saw the commodity portion of their bills decline through the summer and fall, from a high of 70.76 cents a therm in June to 44 cents in October. Average customers use around 720 therms a month.

National Grid’s projection of a total $5 increase this winter, based on “current market conditions,” was that customers who use that average therm number would see total winter bills of around $1,461 for the November through March season.

For heating oil customers, filling a 250-gallon tank just once (from empty) would cost $1,592.50.

“People are going to be shocked,” said Michael White, vice chairman of the Long Island Regional Planning Council, a strategic planning group for Nassau and Suffolk. “It’s going to be a real problem this winter. In the next month there are going to be thousands of people who cannot afford to fill their tank again.”

***

The electric vehicle chargers in Southampton Village that have sat dormant and covered in burlap may be operational again soon.

Dan Stark reports on 27east.com that the Southampton Village Board voted unanimously last week to authorize Mayor Bill Manger to execute an agreement with Matcha Labs Inc., a Boston-based company that specializes in electric vehicle charging, to assume ownership and operate the chargers located throughout the village. Manger said that the contract has not been finalized yet, but the vote was taken so that the village could move forward with the agreement.

Mayor Manger said that the plan is for Matcha, who also owns and operates the electric vehicle chargers in Babylon Town, to come in and use Southampton Village’s existing chargers. He noted that after representatives from Matcha came to the village to inspect the chargers, all but one of the chargers appear to be compatible with Matcha’s system. If all goes according to plan, the chargers could be flowing with electricity by the end of the year.

Currently, there are chargers located at the Long Island Rail Road station, in the West Main Street parking lot and at the Jobs Lane parking lot adjacent to Agawam Park. There were originally eight chargers, though one charger at the train station was stolen. Manger said that the village could have the capabilities to carry up to 13 chargers.

“All of a sudden, if there was a huge demand, we could consider adding more in other locations or to the same locations, but this was what was established thus far,” said the Southampton Village Mayor.

***

The Southampton Town Board is scheduled to hold public hearings at its 6 p.m. meeting this evening on use of Community Housing Funds to acquire and rehabilitate property at 34 Good Ground Road in Hampton Bays, on penalties for fishing and shellfishing offenses, on the town’s preliminary 2027 budget and on overriding the state tax levy cap with that budget. Beth Young of EAST END BEACON also reports that supporters of OLA’s Public Safety Law are expected to turn out to urge the town to adopt the law.

This evening’s Southampton Town Board Regular Meeting begins at 6 p.m. in Town Hall, 116 Hampton Road, Southampton, NY 11968.

The meeting can be viewed live on Sea-TV’s YouTube channel.

***

It’s one of the most persistent and intractable problems on the East End.

No, we’re not talking about traffic or affordable housing.

We’re talking about deer.

Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that this was the topic of conversation at the American Hotel in Sag Harbor last Thursday, as local politicians, a doctor and a deer management expert gathered together with members of the public for the first Express Sessions event of the season, titled “Out of Control: How the East End Can Get a Grip on Deer and Tick Populations.”

The conversation, moderated by Express News Group Consulting Editor Joe Shaw, was centered on identifying the many problems caused by deer overpopulation, with healthy debate around the merits and drawbacks of different approaches for controlling it, and what needs to be done at a more regional level to bring about meaningful and lasting results.

Getting the deer population under control on the East End is a top priority for elected officials and other stakeholders for a number of reasons.

Deer are the main vector for ticks, meaning that the tick population will continue to grow as long as the deer population does.

Dr. Sandeep Gandhi, from the Tick-Borne Disease Resource Center at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital pointed out that while the deer are the main vector for the spread of ticks and tickborne disease in the area, there are other factors at play that raise the stakes even higher. Dr. Gandhi addressed those factors while also discussing what has led to the emergence of tickborne diseases that are newly rising in the area. “They have been here before, but there is an evolving situation in ecology with global warming, climate change, but the number one cause is deforestation,” he said. “When there is deforestation, humans are interacting with the wilderness. That’s how we get exposed to it. So that would be the number one.”

Overpopulation of deer also creates life-threatening situations on the roadways, as more and more people end up in car accidents resulting from deer running out in the road.

Aside from the significant impact on human health, the out of control deer population has an environmental impact as well. Large herds of deer have destroyed the forest undergrowth in many areas, which has a negative chain-reaction impact on other plant and animal species in the area. The deer also routinely destroy farmers’ crops and homeowners’ landscapes and gardens.

There are some promising solutions and scientific advancements, such as work being done on a Lyme vaccine. Dr. Gandhi noted there are currently six candidates for a Lyme disease vaccine, with research ongoing at Stony Brook University Hospital. He also reminded those in attendance that for most people, if a tick is removed soon enough, it won’t transmit disease, so personal vigilance is always the first line of defense.

But the area is still a long way away from a comprehensive and effective regional plan for managing deer and tickborne illnesses.

Part of the problem is the need for certain legislative changes at the state level. But another persistent issue is the inability of people within single communities to come to a consensus on the proper approach.

***

More than 88,000 Long Islanders turned out during the first two days of early voting this past Saturday and Sunday — nearly double the number compared with four years ago — with Democrats showing up in higher numbers than Republicans, according to unofficial numbers as of Monday morning from election boards in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Candice Ferrette, Bahar Ostadan and Keshia Clukey report in NEWSDAY that at the start of the nine days of early voting, registered Democrats outnumbered Republicans at the polls in both counties, particularly in Suffolk, but a sizable number of voters unaffiliated with a political party turned out in Nassau. Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, is the Republican candidate seeking to unseat Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat serving her fifth year in office. Candidates for U.S. House, state, county and town races also are on the ballot.

Democrats in Nassau and Suffolk counties outnumber Republicans, according to state registration data.

Statewide, more than 485,200 people have already voted, according to unofficial numbers released early yesterday from the NYS Board of Elections.

In Suffolk, the total number of early voters this weekend was 41,865.

Forty-seven percent — or 19,647 — came from registered Democrats. Registered Republicans cast 29% — 12,227 — of the total early votes in Suffolk, with another 21%, or 9,166, from unaffiliated voters. The remainder, 825, came from other minor parties.

***

Philip Freedman turned 90 this year, but he continues to volunteer at the East Hampton Food Pantry, where he has served since 2016. His giving spirit has earned him Volunteer of the Month status by the organization.

A retired anesthesiologist, Freedman began volunteering after looking for a way to give back to the community. He initially helped distribute food, unload deliveries and perform other tasks at the pantry.

Today, Philip Freedman helps bag donated bagels from Goldberg’s, which he brings in during the summer and fall before heading out of town for the winter.

“I admire the spirit of this place and how open and inspiring the people who work here are,” Freedman said.

Kathy Green, who has volunteered alongside Freedman for nearly a decade, praised his dedication and willingness to take on a variety of responsibilities declaring, “He’s an awesome human being.”

If you've got the giving spirit visit The East Hampton Food Pantry website.

***

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has nearly 10 times more cash on hand than GOP rival Bruce Blakeman going into the final week of the campaign, according to the candidates’ latest campaign finance reports.

Both candidates got millions of dollars from party committees, as they spent millions on television ads over the past several weeks, hammering home their messages to voters.

Steve Hughes reports in NEWSDAY that Hochul, the incumbent and a Democrat, had $12.3 million on hand as of Friday after spending $14.2 million since late September. She raised just over $1 million in contributions and received a transfer of $6.5 million from the state Democratic Party, which had $9.5 million on hand.

Blakeman, the Nassau County executive and a Republican, had $1.2 million on hand after spending $4.3 million over the last several weeks. He raised more than $5.4 million including $2.4 million from the Nassau County Republican Party. The county party committee is one of Blakeman’s biggest donors, giving him $8.3 million since he launched his campaign. It had $2.4 million on hand.

Party committees are proving a valuable fundraising tool for candidates because they can accept contributions of up to $138,000, versus the $9,000 general election limit for contributions to a candidate’s committee.

Hochul spent nearly $12.5 million on ads, including $10.8 million on television ads and $1.6 million on online ads. Blakeman spent over $3 million on television, radio and online advertisements.

Now their attention will turn to the final push, using their remaining money and the field operations to turn out as many voters as they can, said veteran political consultant Hank Sheinkopf.

"The last week, it's all about voter turnout, social media and television ads," he said. "There is nothing else."

Sheinkopf said a statewide campaign could expect to spend up to $400,000 a day in the last week.

Early voting days and hours in Suffolk County:

• Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 27 and 28, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 29, noon to 8 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 30, noon to 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 1, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Election Day: Tuesday; November 3, 2026. Polls open 6 a.m. - 9 p.m. across Long Island.

The state of New York is planning to phase out Regents exams as a requirement for high school graduation starting next school year.

Dandan Zou reports in NEWSDAY that under the proposed vision of a yearslong initiative known as New York Inspires, seniors in the Class of 2028 would instead be asked to demonstrate proficiency in ways beyond standardized tests — including, possibly, capstone projects, industry-recognized credentials, work-based learning experiences and Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses.

State officials have said high-stakes exams like the Regents block students who may not be good test-takers from graduating. They argued the change is about creating a system that is more equitable and relevant to what students will need to succeed after high school.

But in interviews with more than two dozen educators, students and experts about the state’s ambitious plan to reshape secondary education, reaction has been mixed.

Many expressed excitement and said they believed it would benefit students and open space for more creativity and innovation in the classroom.

“It's a transformation,” Brentwood schools Superintendent Wanda Ortiz-Rivera said. “It just feels like a different era.”

Others, however, said they worried poor execution of the state's lofty goals could end up lowering academic rigor and widening inequity.

Individual districts have been told by the state to begin "immediately" drafting assessment plans. But some educators expressed reluctance to do so without first knowing what the state will require for graduation.

Many have also expressed confusion over what the new graduation measures would look like across districts — Would a diploma from Buffalo, for example, carry the same weight as one from Babylon?

“How are they going to make sure that [students] are accountable for what they know?” said Gloria Sesso, president of the Long Island Council for the Social Studies. “They tore down the system without a substitute for accountability.”

State officials said more guidance will be rolled out in the coming months and have pushed back on critiques that decoupling Regents exams from graduation would lower academic expectations or weaken standards.

***

A 48-year-old fisherman drowned early Saturday morning after taking off his life jacket to retrieve gear from a sunken boat off Southold Town Beach, according to Southold Town Police.

Edward Glazarev reports in THE SUFFOLK TIMES that Luis Alciviades Encalada Ojeda, of Corona, Queens, and two other men had spent much of Friday night fishing from the beach before launching a 10-foot aluminum skiff around 4 a.m. Saturday,.

Southold Town Police Chief Steven Grattan told The Suffolk Times that about 50 yards offshore, the boat began taking on water. All three men were wearing life jackets when they abandoned the skiff and swam safely back to shore.

“They were at least somewhat prepared,” he said.

But Mr. Ojeda went back out for his fishing equipment and removed his life jacket, Chief Grattan said.

“It’s not clear if he was actually trying to dive down to the bottom to get the gear or if the boat was submerged and there was stuff underneath that he was trying to reach,” he said.

The water in Long Island Sound was “a little choppy,” Chief Grattan added, and the current was running.

Mr. Ojeda became separated from the small skiff and yelled to his friends for help. One swam out to reach him, but by then he was unconscious, Chief Grattan said. His companion brought him back to shore.

The drowning happened around 4:30 a.m., but the men’s wet phones delayed their efforts to summon help, Chief Grattan said. A nearby resident eventually called 911 around 7:10 a.m. On Saturday.

Emergency personnel found Mr. Ojeda on the beach and pronounced him dead at the scene, police said. His fishing buddies were treated but were not injured.

“I mean, I can understand fishing gear can be expensive but it’s not worth your life,” he said.

The Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office responded to assist with the investigation.

***

The Mattituck-Laurel Civic Association hosts an “Update on the North Fork’s Aquifer” this evening at 6:30 p.m. at Veterans Beach in Mattituck. Frederick Stumm, research hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski will discuss recent U.S. Geological Survey {USGS} work to examine the state of the groundwater on the North Fork including updated results of the recent well drilling, 5 new monitoring wells which have been dug, and the extent and depth of saltwater intrusion into the north fork water system.

That’s the MLCA Forum: Update on the North Fork’s Aquifer, this evening from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at Veterans Beach, 11280 Peconic Bay Blvd, Mattituck, NY 11952.

***

The landmark $800 million settlement between 1,300 clergy sex abuse victims and the Archdiocese of New York came partly because of a similar legal battle with the Catholic Church on Long Island, attorneys for victims in both cases said yesterday.

Unlike in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, the Archdiocese of New York never declared bankruptcy, the attorneys said. And in New York, attorneys were able to obtain an agreement from the church to release a trove of internal files on the abuse that have been kept secret for decades. The Rockville Centre diocese hasn't released internal files of abuse involving its accused clergy.

"A lot of this was trying to learn from what didn’t go right in Rockville Centre," said Jordan Merson, a Manhattan-based attorney who represents victims in Rockville Centre and New York.

Bart Jones reports in NEWSDAY that the Rockville Centre Diocese and victims engaged in a four-year battle after the diocese declared bankruptcy in October 2020. The diocese reached a $323 million settlement in December 2024 with about 600 victims. Legal fees combined for both parties surpassed $100 million — money that advocates and attorneys said could have gone to the victims.

"I think all the parties wanted to avoid a multiyear, very expensive bankruptcy," Merson told Newsday, referring to the New York settlement. "Here we really wanted it [the money] all to go to survivors."

Paul Mones, a Los Angeles-based attorney who represented victims in both cases, said the yearslong Rockville Centre Diocese court case taught that "it will take years for bankruptcy to unwind, during which period of time the claimants suffer even further emotional damage."

The Diocese of Rockville Centre said through a spokesperson, the Rev. Eric Fasano: "The greed and intransigence of certain plaintiffs' lawyers is what drove costs, prolonged the process, and ultimately took monies from survivors. We are grateful that our process concluded nearly two years ago and pray that society seeks to prevent and end child abuse everywhere."

He added that "bankruptcy is a public process, handled by a federal court. All documents and proceedings are open to the public and subject to public scrutiny. The Diocese concealed nothing."

Settlement negotiations with the Catholic Church in New York State were spurred by a 2019 law that allowed childhood victims of sex abuse to sue their abusers regardless of how long ago the alleged abuse happened.

***

New York Governor Kathy Hochul brushes off a federal investigation into a Long Island Democratic Party boss accused of trying to buy votes as a “political hit job.”

Brandon Cruz reports in THE NY POST that the governor, speaking to reporters in Midtown Manhattan recently, stood up for Suffolk County Democratic Party Chairman Rich Schaffer after The Post reported that he was being probed by the FBI over alleged strongarm tactics to secure his reelection.

“Anything coming out of the Trump administration days before an election… is calculated as a political hit job,” the governor said — despite the fact the accusations against the boss coming from fellow Democrats.

“I don’t believe you can presume what the feds are alleging is true — you need to know the context of who’s doing it, [and] what their record is of using their investigatory powers to harass political opponents,” Hochul added.

Though the governor admitted she didn’t know the details of the allegations against Schaffer…who is also Baylon Town Supervisor…or what allegedly transpired, she said she believes there is “a cloud” over the investigation. But when asked whether Schaffer’s alleged behavior was appropriate for an elected official, Hochul said she would “wait for the investigation” to review the findings and make a decision.

“It was clear that she was caught off guard and hasn’t been briefed on the matter,” Leigh-Ann Bard, former longtime ally of Schaffer-turned-whistleblower, told The Post.

“I have full faith in [Attorney General Letitia James’] office and the FBI doing their due diligence,” Bard added.

Schaffer, who has been the Suffolk County Democratic Party boss for over 26 years, was reelected to the top party post last month despite being hit with accusations that he tried to threaten party members and even offered money to some if they voted for him to keep the crown.

Schaffer has denied all allegations of wrongdoing and called them “baseless.”

***

Early voting in New York began this past Saturday, and continues through Sunday, November 1.

There is no early voting on Monday, November 2…Polling sites across Long Island are open on Tuesday November 3 - Election Day 2026 – from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The NYS Board of Elections has an online portal where a registered voter may look up early polling sites.

By clicking on an early voting site, the portal provides the days and times during which ballots can be cast at each polling place.

The portal also provides a voter’s assigned polling site for Nov. 3.

Early voting days and hours in Suffolk County:

• Monday Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 27, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 28, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 29, noon to 8 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 30, noon to 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 1, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Any site in Suffolk County may be used by a registered Suffolk County voter for early voting. The county website here provides times and locations. https://suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/BOE/2025-General-Locations-and-Timings

On the East End, early voting sites are at the Shelter Island Community Center at 1 Bateman Road on Shelter Island, Southold Town Recreation Center at 970 Peconic Lane, Riverhead Town Hall at 4 West Second Street, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church at 40 Main Street in Westhampton Beach, the Stony Brook Southampton gym at 70 Tuckahoe Road in Southampton, and Windmill Village 219 Accabonac Road in East Hampton.

***

Suffolk County Landbank will receive $4.8 million from New York State to cover the purchase of 11 manufactured homes that will be sold for less than the cost of construction.

Suffolk was one of four counties statewide selected to receive funds through the state's MOVE-IN NY program. The state selected East Hampton Town in May as the first Long Island recipient, awarding the Town of East Hampton $7 million to build 16 manufactured homes.

Jonathan LaMantia reports in NEWSDAY that Long Islanders have looked to factory-built housing, which is built offsite and shipped to its final destination, as a potential lower-cost alternative to traditional new construction and the region's pricey resale market. Single-family home prices reached all-time highs this summer before declining in September, when the median prices were $860,000 in Nassau and $740,000 in Suffolk.

But the cost of acquiring land on Long Island is one of the greatest hurdles for first-time buyers looking to save money through factory-built housing.

The program aims to use the benefits of factory-built housing to create opportunities to purchase affordable single-family homes, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement this past Friday.

The Landbank, a nonprofit created in 2013 in coordination with the county government, acquires tax-delinquent, abandoned or brownfield properties in need of environmental clean-up, according to its website.

Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine chairs its board of directors.

The MOVE-IN NY program "will help address Suffolk County's need for affordable single-family homes," Romaine said in an emailed statement to Newsday. "Expanding homeownership opportunities will help families build stability, strengthen neighborhoods, support the local workforce and thrive on Long Island."

Prices will be set to meet federal affordability standards for buyers earning between 70% and 130% of area median income, according to New York State Homes and Community Renewal.

That's between $80,500 to $149,500 for an individual and $131,450 to $213,600 for a family of four based on this year's federal guidelines. Those income levels are updated annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Two Long Islanders are among those who must forfeit millions in profits reaped from an international cryptocurrency scam that targeted Haitian communities and defrauded hundreds of thousands of victims, including more than 11,000 New Yorkers, Attorney General Letitia James announced in a Thursday news release.

Nicholas Spangler reports in NEWSDAY that Frantz Ciceron, of Farmingdale, James Corbett, of Mastic Beach, Ricardo Roy, Sr., of Ridgewood, and Martin Zizi, a Queens native who resides in Kennesaw, Georgia, must pay a combined $6 million in separate settlements for their roles in what constituted "an illegal pyramid scheme,” James’ office said. The defendants, "acting as unregistered brokers,” made "false and misleading statements in the offer and sale of securities” for a pair of crypto firms, the release said. They are all barred from "participating in the securities, commodities, and cryptocurrency industries.”

The settlement stems from A.G. James’ June 2024 lawsuit against cryptocurrency trading company NovaTechFx and cryptocurrency mining company AWS Mining Pty Ltd.

On Thursday James asked the New York State Supreme Court to order two other defendants, NovaTech founders Cynthia and Eddy Petion — who court documents identify as a husband and wife who last year fled the country — to pay $1.3 billion in damages and unjust enrichment.

The Petions were among the promoters of AWS Mining who "promised investors 15 to 20 percent monthly returns, 200 percent returns on investments within 15 months,” according to James’ office. The company failed to generate returns to fulfill those promises and collapsed in 2019.

The couple then started NovaTech, which hooked investors with similar promises of high profits through trades. The company misrepresented that it was a licensed crypto trading platform and "targeted minority and religious communities, particularly Haitian communities, in prayer groups and WhatsApp group chats with advertisements in Haitian Creole and religious messages that appealed to their faith,” the release said.

Less than $26 million of the more than $1 billion worth of crypto deposited with NovaTech was ever traded, according to James’ office. The platform collapsed in May 2023, and investors could not recoup their funds.

***

It’s been an existential question in Sag Harbor for months — how to address the proliferation of chain retail or “formula” stores that have had an increasing presence in the village’s downtown over the last few years, in order to preserve the charm, feel and character of a village that has always prided itself on being unique.

Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that this conversation, and the debate that often accompanies it, will return to the public stage for the first time since June when Sag Harbor Village hosts a formula store workshop at Village Hall on Thursday, October 29, at 4 p.m.

Members of the public can attend in person or via Zoom for the conversation.

The last community forum on the topic, held in June, was heavily attended and there was a lively conversation about different ways to curb or regulate formula stores.

Environmental planning consultant Rich Warren of Inter-Science presented several different options, along with the pros and cons of each, at that meeting. He will be on hand on October 29 with another presentation.

The Sag Harbor Partnership, the nonprofit focused on cultural and environmental preservation and advocacy on behalf of locally owned small businesses, has taken an active role in the conversation and debate around the proliferation of chain retail stores, and has worked with village officials on various ways to address the issue.

This week, the partnership formally announced that it has launched a new initiative focused on preserving the unique character, diversity and long-term vitality of Sag Harbor’s Main Street Business District.

The partnership also announced that it will host a public meeting related to its Main Street initiative on Sunday, November 8, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at The Church on Madison Street.

At that public meeting, members of the Sag Harbor Partnership-led task force will present the initiative’s objectives and explore opportunities for community participation and public-private collaboration.

***

Early voting starts tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 28 locations across Suffolk County. Voters registered in Suffolk can vote at any of these locations at specified hours from Oct. 24 through Nov. 1, ahead of the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election. No early voting on Monday, November 2.

On the East End, early voting will be held at the Shelter Island Community Center at 1 Bateman Road on Shelter Island, Southold Town Recreation Center at 970 Peconic Lane, Riverhead Town Hall at 4 West Second Street, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church at 40 Main Street in Westhampton Beach, the Stony Brook Southampton gym at 70 Tuckahoe Road in Southampton, and Windmill Village 219 Accabonac Road in East Hampton.

***

A new tactic the Trump administration says will be a net positive for taxpayers by using the IRS to track down immigrants in the country illegally has outraged advocates who say it violates federal law and will take billions from the financially struggling Social Security system. Bart Jones reports in NEWSDAY that the federal government last year started trying to locate immigrants who use Individual Tax Identification Numbers, or ITINs, by getting the IRS to turn over their names and addresses to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to court papers.

The government obtained information on about 47,000 undocumented immigrants before a judge put a halt to the practice in November. Several high-level IRS officials resigned last year in protest of the agency’s data-sharing agreement with ICE.

Millions of immigrants who work while living in the United States illegally use ITINs to pay taxes on their wages because they cannot obtain Social Security cards. These immigrants pay about $59 billion a year into federal programs including Social Security and Medicare but never get a penny back because they are not eligible for the programs, said Ben D’Avanzo, a senior policy strategist at the National Immigration Law Center.

Immigrant advocates say the Trump administration's tactic could funnel off billions of dollars in federal tax revenue meant to fund Social Security and other programs. A federal report released in June warned that Social Security’s primary trust fund was expected to run out in late 2032 unless Congress steps in to shore up the program's financial health, according to a Newsday story at the time.

"I think it’s outrageous," Patrick Young, a longtime immigrant advocate on Long Island and a professor of immigration law at Hofstra University Law School, told Newsday of ICE using the IRS.

"The whole purpose of" ITINs "is to have people pay as much tax as they owe," Young said, "not to try to track people down for expulsion from the United States."

Immigrants pay taxes through ITINs because it shows good moral character and can help their case when they try to legalize their status and become U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, D’Avanzo said.

Immigrants in the United States without legal authorization who use ITINs pay $25.7 billion a year into the Social Security system, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C.

The Department of Homeland Security defended the practice of using the IRS and ITINs to locate people in the United States illegally.

"Under President Trump’s leadership, the government is finally doing what it should have all along — sharing information across the federal government to solve problems," DHS said in a statement to Newsday. "With the IRS information specifically, DHS plans to focus on enforcing long-neglected criminal laws that apply to illegal aliens but which the Biden Administration ignored."

The agency did not respond to questions about the lost revenue for Social Security and other programs that could result from the crackdown.

***

The Southold Town Board decided on one of the final pieces in its proposed sweeping overhaul of its short-term rental code at its Code Committee meeting this week, paving the way for upcoming public hearings.

Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that board members agreed, at least initially, to cap the total number of permits issued at 1 percent of the housing stock in each hamlet, for a total of 119 rentals.

The cap would not apply to Fishers Island, where there are no hotels and people often rent property to their relatives during the summer season.

The Southold Town Board is expected to schedule public hearings on the proposal later this year, and town planners have posted the proposed local law, and the per-hamlet breakdown of the cap on southoldzoningupdate.com.

Short-term rentals of less than 14 days are currently prohibited in the Town of Southold, but this law has proven difficult to enforce, and the town estimates nearly 1,000 of them are operating here. The town is now proposing to change the definition of short-term rentals to less than 30 days.

Southold is planning to strengthen its code enforcement department with new hires, including a Director of Code Enforcement and issue a limited number of short-term rental permits through a lottery.

If the proposal is adopted, people who wish to rent their property short-term must first apply for a regular two-year rental permit, which costs $300. After that they would apply separately to be entered into the lottery for a short-term rental permit, which is also valid for two years. The price of that permit would be established by a town board resolution, and has not yet been set.

At the Oct. 21 Code Committee, planners, the Town Board and members of the town’s Short Term Rental Task Force proposed a start date for short-term rental permits of January of 2028.

Under this timeline, they would begin to accept applications in June of 2027 and hold the lottery in the fall of 2027. The town would contract with an outside agency to conduct the lottery.

Once the program is established, planners said they may set a different timeline for the lottery process.

The next step for the Southold Town Board would be to schedule a public hearing on the draft local law.

***

The annual Sag Harbor Ragamuffin Parade which has been spooking villagers of all ages for over four decades, is returning this coming Sunday afternoon from 1 to 3:00 pm.

A Halloween celebration, hosted by Bridgehampton School’s Drama Club, will be held at the Sag Harbor Whaling Museum at the end of the 2026 Raggamuffin Parade. After children, adults, and even pets parade down Main Street to the Whaling Museum in their Halloween costume best, family fun on the Museum’s lawn will include games, activities and music, so dress to impress!

Parade participants should line up on Nassau Street (near the laundromat) this Sunday at 1p.m. for the annual Sag Harbor Ragamuffin parade up Main Street to The Whaling Museum.

Festivities continue in the village on Halloween Day itself – Saturday, October 31 - with the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce’s Pumpkin Trail, scheduled for 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Families can stroll through the village, visit participating local businesses and enjoy an afternoon of Halloween activities while supporting merchants.

For more information, go to sagharborchamber.com.

***

Long Island employs nearly 90% of the highest-paid government employees in the state outside of New York City, with virtually all working in law enforcement, according to new data analyzed by a conservative-leaning Albany think tank.

The annual What They Make report, released this week by the Empire Center for Public Policy, found of the 400 local government employees paid more than $300,000 in fiscal 2025-26, 350 worked on Long Island.

That's down from 382 Long Island employees earning more than $300,000 in 2024 and 363 in 2025, Empire Center president Zilvinas Silenas said.

Robert Brodsky reports in NEWSDAY that Suffolk County, per the data, employed 211 of those top earners last fiscal year while another 101 worked for Nassau County. Long Island's remaining top earning employees worked for local cities, towns and villages, the report said.

The reports measure total reportable compensation, including base salary, overtime and retirement payouts for unused vacation and sick leave. The figures do not include city employees and exclude fringe benefits such as health insurance and employer pension contributions.

"Taxpayer-funded six-figure average wages are not sustainable in the long run, especially in New York, which is losing population — and taxpayers — to other states," Silenas said. "New York needs to take a serious look at how much it pays government employees and what quality of services taxpayers receive in return."

Long Island's police and fire personnel averaged $167,646 annually — the highest of any region in the state, the group found.

Suffolk County had the largest county payroll in the state — totaling $1.08 billion for its 11,085 employees — although it ranked third in highest salaries, at an average of just under $97,000, the data shows.

Suffolk’s 2,643 police personnel averaged $170,077 in earnings.

Suffolk also accounted for 21 of the 30 correction officers statewide that were paid more than $300,000, figures show. Suffolk correction workers averaged $141,576, the highest in the state, the data shows.