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Sag Harbor Express / Editorials / 2286779

Community Spirit

Editorial Board on Sep 4, 2024
It was just over four months ago when a segment of the Sag Harbor community — mostly longtime locals — gathered upstairs at Baron’s Cove, with the goal of ultimately... more

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Estuaries Are a Bargain

Whichever side of the political aisle you sit on, there’s a reality in play in 2025: Government spending is going to be on the chopping block, and only the most compelling arguments are going to save individual investments. Why, then, does federal spending on estuaries seem so precarious? The argument is rock solid, the benefits are clear and demonstrable, and it seems unlikely that the dollars going to places like the Peconic Estuary are raising ire among voters. If this funding is at risk, nothing is sacred. U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was in Riverhead last week pledging to fight proposed ... by Editorial Board

Rethinking Rentals

East Hampton Town Councilwoman Cate Rogers deserves credit for doing a deep dive into an issue that should be top of mind in both town halls and every village hall on the South Fork: the impact of short-term rentals on the overall housing market. Affordable housing is a constant conversation, but too often the focus is on the price of real estate. That’s clearly a key factor in making communities less affordable to live in, but it’s not the only one. In fact, the impact of short-term rentals, particularly via the explosion of booking websites and apps, arguably has had ... 23 Jul 2025 by Editorial Board

Without Art

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The iconic “Jaws” poster by artist Roger Kastel was not based on a great white shark, but rather a shortfin mako head that Kastel studied at the American Museum of Natural History, where the specimen remains today. Looking back on the artistic choice 50 years after the film first thrashed into theaters, it’s hard to second-guess it. The image is chilling, menacing and easily the most instantly recognizable film poster in cinema history. But the poster, depicting a larger-than-life shark lunging upward, toothy mouth open, toward a woman doing the freestyle stroke, is also one of the ways that “Jaws” ... 16 Jul 2025 by Editorial Board

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Since his swearing-in in January 2023, U.S. Representative Nick LaLota hasn’t faced a series of votes that rivaled the recent domestic spending package, which he played a significant role in pushing through Congress and onto President Donald Trump’s desk. It gave him a notable win: He proudly says he delivered on his promise to 1st District voters that he would get a reprieve on the federal government’s cap on the state and local tax deduction, or SALT. Ultimately, that’s true, with an asterisk. But it’s fair for voters to ask: At what price? Did a single-minded focus on this goal ... 9 Jul 2025 by Editorial Board

Gold Stars and Dunce Caps

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Use Discretion

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Sometimes the hardest thing is to acknowledge when you need a little more help — and to figure out the most cost-effective way to get it. Last week, the Sag Harbor Village Board said it was planning to hire a planner to work with its regulatory boards, rather than relying solely on outside help via contracts. It’ll seek proposals for “professional planning, engineering and on-call consulting services.” There’s no reason to think this is necessarily a reflection on the job being done by Nelson Pope Voorhis, the planning consulting firm from Melville that is contracted frequently by South Fork municipalities ... by Editorial Board