Editorial Board CANDY CANE: To East Hampton Town and state officials, for taking steps to address troublesome intersections — adding turn lanes at the Route 114 and Stephen Hands Path intersection, a turn lane into the Ross School from Route 114, and roundabouts at Two Holes of Water Road and Three Mile Harbor/Springs-Fireplace Road. It’s not just about traffic flow; there are safety concerns at some of these locations that should make them priorities. They seem to be, and for that residents should be grateful.
CANDY CANE: To Guild Hall, for completing a massive renovation and its decision to preserve the design of the beloved circus tent theater, while making upgrades to improve the facilities. Anytime you upgrade, or update, a treasured location, you have to do it carefully and consider public reaction. Guild Hall’s leadership did, and the result is truly something to celebrate.
CANDY CANE: To the office of Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, for his dogged pursuit of the Gilgo Beach killer, which has begun to connect the case to bodies that turned up on the South Fork in recent years. His Gilgo Beach task force, formed shortly after his election in 2022, took over an absolute mess of an investigation, with undercurrents of something more sinister; within a year, he’d cracked the case with modern technology and dedicated police work, and seems firmly on the path to bringing justice on behalf of so many murdered men and women when, not long ago, it seemed beyond reach.
LUMP OF COAL: To the gridlock of 2024, certainly the worst summer (and beyond) for local residents to simply move around without delay. It seems insurmountable, but most problems do at first. It’s time for the town, village, Suffolk County and New York State to come together in search of long-term solutions, with getting more people out of cars and onto public transportation as a primary target. Let’s not accept the status quo.
CANDY CANE: To local and state officials, and owners Eversource and Ørsted, for staying the course and completing the South Fork Wind farm off Montauk Point, which is now producing enough electricity to power 70,000 homes. Simply put, had the work spilled into 2025, it might well have fallen prey to a very different set of priorities in Washington, D.C. Instead, it will be a shining beacon to a green future where offshore drilling for fossil fuels is relegated where it belongs — to the 20th century.
CANDY CANE: To Minerva Perez and the staff of OLA, who do an amazing job protecting and advocating for our Spanish-speaking neighbors — and who will no doubt have difficult challenges to face in 2025. Support them.
CANDY CANE: To Anthony Allison and Mark Crandall, whose Hoops 4 Hope organization makes the world smaller, connecting local kids with their counterparts in South Africa and other parts of the globe. It’s a long way from just gathering sneakers and sports equipment — they have built an entire curriculum that, among other things, helps youth with mental health issues. That curriculum is likely to be picked up by a school in the Boston area, so it’s a wonderful idea that’s catching on. They deserve much, but let’s start with a candy cane here.
CANDY CANE: To the Sag Harbor Whaling & Historical Museum, for giving Canio’s Books a home for a holiday pop-up. Canio’s is such an integral part of the fabric of Sag Harbor, it is hard to imagine the village without them. It was lovely not to have to this holiday season.
CANDY CANE: To the East Hampton Town Board, for tightening up its zoning code to limit the supersized houses that have become more and more common with each passing year. In limiting the gross floor area of a home to 10,000 square feet, and adding language to prevent homeowners from effectively developing three-story structures, among other changes, the Town Board following its own Comprehensive Plan and closing loopholes that should have been closed long ago. Big task, big accomplishment.
CANDY CANE: To the Southampton Town Board, for not allowing the privatization of a portion of town-owned land on Quiogue. While the offer by the Westhampton Mallet Club to construct three croquet courts on the 4.6-acre parcel of land at the corner of Alden Lane and Main Street may seem harmless, and even appealing, on the surface, the caveat that two courts would be reserved for club members during most daytime hours in the summer makes it a Pandora’s Box not worth opening when it comes to land purchased with the Community Preservation Fund. Not only does it fly in the face of the basic rules regarding property purchased with the CPF, it could set a dangerous precedent for private development on public land.
CANDY CANE: To the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center, for all the work they do caring for our injured local wildlife. Recently, they had a big save, with the release of a bald eagle that had been nursed back to health. But beyond our national symbol, they are saving animals, big and small, every day, and responding to a remarkable number of calls from concerned citizens. Let’s not make that a thankless job.
CANDY CANE: To the local Korean War veterans who chose to close their chapter, with class and grace, when membership began to dwindle. They decided to pay it forward by passing along what was in their account to local organizations. It wasn’t a king’s ransom, but the gesture was priceless — and those veterans of what is sometimes lamented as a “forgotten war” should know: Nobody’s forgetting them for their sacrifice, and for their bittersweet gesture.
CANDY CANE: To all the local food pantries. We won’t waste their time with a long message — they don’t have time to read it. Just: Thank you. You are absolutely invaluable. People survive here every day because of what you do. If you agree, please be generous to our neighbors through them.
LUMP OF COAL: To the Southampton History Museum, for evicting the Conscience Point Shellfish Hatchery. So far, whatever justification they’ve tried to give has fallen on deaf ears — the move has virtually no support within the community, and it’s led to the resignation of several museum board members. If the message hasn’t been received yet, here it is clearly: Bad move — take it back before a very worthy institution, the museum, begins to pay a painful price.
LUMP OF COAL: To Southampton Village Trustee Robin Brown, for going scorched earth on the village’s Ethics Board. Honestly, the allegations themselves are less concerning than her response when questions were raised. Brown has the right to defend her reputation — but excoriating the volunteer members of the Ethics Board is not the way to do that. The Ethics Board has the most thankless of thankless jobs, and Brown would have done herself a huge favor by actually answering all the questions that the Ethics Board had for her in the first place, especially if this is all just a big misunderstanding. She had the opportunity to share favorable facts with the board, but instead she responded with ire. It’s a bad look.
CANDY CANE: To Fred W. Thiele Jr. After a lifetime of notable public service, Thiele deserves a candy cane here, and so much more. Enjoy retirement — you have more than earned it.
CANDY CANE: To the Southampton School Board and Dr. Fatima Morrell, for the Shinnecock Infusion Project, an initiative that is long overdue. It’s never been clear why the district has ignored such a rich history in our midst, a perfect opportunity to build bridges and to let every Southampton student learn more about the Indigenous culture that thrived here, and continues today. Perhaps there can be an adult education component, allowing even more local residents to learn more about this community’s long, remarkable past.
CANDY CANE: To Kayla Kearney, a 20-year-old Springs resident who is far from alone as she recovers from a rare brain tumor — her family and an entire community are right there with her, cheering every small step and yearning for those to come. It’s a long road, but she won’t travel it by herself. #KKStrong.
CANDY CANE: To the Animal Rescue Fund, for 50 years of helping animals find their forever homes. The anniversary this year was a chance to take a step back and marvel at the nonprofit’s successes. May it continue to unite humans and companion animals for another 50 years, and beyond.
LUMP OF COAL: To tax officials — probably the all-time easiest recipient of a lump of coal — for coming down so hard on New Moon Cafe in East Quogue, refusing to work with Ron Campsey and his wife, Shana, on a viable payment plan to allow the popular locals haunt to remain open. A Vietnam veteran who regularly raised funds for charity deserves better, as does a longtime business owner who is much beloved, and whose quirky restaurant will be much mourned.
LUMP OF COAL: To the Maidstone Gun Club, which stubbornly fights for another sweetheart deal to operate with East Hampton Town’s blessing. Town officials can share the lump, for appearing, in far too much secrecy, to be enabling the club despite a troubling record of putting neighbors within a rifle shot’s distance in danger. To the occupants of the scores of houses within range, we recall the words of a celebrated victim of gun violence: “A very Merry Christmas/And a Happy New Year/Let’s hope it’s a good one/without any fear.”
CANDY CANE: To Jaine Mehring, Kirby Marcantonio and East Hampton Town’s Community Housing Advisory Board, for their myriad efforts to address interrelated problems on the South Fork: a too-much-is-never-enough ethos among builders and real estate agents that has transformed the town into a series of McMansions, while crowding out housing opportunities for the 99 percent. These committed citizens are standing up and fighting for a rational approach to development and housing, one in which year-round residents, to quote George Bailey in the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” might have “a couple of decent rooms and a bath,” and not have to scramble to find another place to rent every six months at a rate they can’t reasonably afford.
CANDY CANE: To all the civic groups, nonprofits and chambers of commerce, along with all their volunteers and the businesses who contribute to all the holiday decorating across our downtowns. Much of the trees and lights you see along our village main streets are put there every season by an army of volunteers who take great pride in the beauty and holiday spirit of their communities. It’s quiet work — but it’s not done by elves. There are real people behind it, and they deserve our thanks.
CANDY CANE: To Al “Big Time” Daniels, for dedicating 36 years to writing a regular outdoors column in The Sag Harbor Express, and in recent years in all The Express News Group newspapers. Daniels and his wife, Sue, are moving to Greenport to be closer to family, and while Al will continue to be out fishing on the water every day, he’s decided to retire his column. He will be missed.
CANDY CANE: To the Sag Harbor Lions Club, for holding a toy drive to benefit the families of patrons of the Sag Harbor Community Food Pantry. It’s a season of light, and there’s nothing better than a child’s face lighting up when they get a surprise gift — something fun — at the holidays. Spreading that kind of light is a Lions Club mission, and it should be applauded. Ditto the East Hampton Kiwanis Club, which also organizes a huge holiday toy drive for needy children in East Hampton.
CANDY CANE: To the Springs School Journalism Club, for regularly filling our Community page with news of, and from, the student body. Budding young journalists should be nurtured — it’s a tough job, and most who do it fall in love with the profession early. We are grateful for their dedication, and we hope one day they’ll become our colleagues! Source: https://www.27east.com/southampton-press/candy-canes-and-lumps-of-coal-5-2320246/
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