July 4 Main Newsletter

Accused of Kidnapping and Robbery, Petty Strikes a Deal

July 04, 2025

July 4, 2025

Today: Sunny, high 83, winds northwest at 5 to 10 miles per hour. Tonight: Clear, low 61. Tomorrow: Mostly sunny, high 79, winds southeast at 5 to 10 m.p.h. Sunset tonight: 8:23. Sunrise tomorrow: 5:23. Three Mile Harbor tides today: Low, 11:46 a.m.; high 6:25 p.m..

As Independence Day weekend approaches, locals and visitors from all over the world are getting ready to pack together onto narrow strips of coveted coastline to partake in the time-honored tradition of the East End’s annual fireworks shows, each of which features the work of Fireworks by Grucci, the sixth-generation family-owned company based in Bellport.

By Bettina Neel

Early Sunday morning, it looked as if a small tornado had torn through the Montauk Green and the Montauk Artists Association Art Show. Instead, East Hampton Town police say the destruction — which wiped out the inventory of some participating artists — was caused by a drunken driver.

By Christopher Gangemi

Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei approved a plea bargain on June 25 in the case of Darius Petty, 35, an East Hampton man accused of kidnapping and robbing three young men at knifepoint in the parking lot of the East Hampton Town Senior Center on Springs-Fireplace Road in September.

By Bettina Neel

East Hampton Town has ordered Christopher Winkler, a Montauk fisherman who was convicted in 2023 of falsifying records in order to sell fluke and black sea bass in quantities that vastly exceed legal limits, to vacate the slip at the hamlet’s commercial dock where his trawler, the New Age, has been docked for around 40 years.

By Christopher Walsh

“I think this is the most concentrated spot for bluebirds in all of New York State,” said Joe Giunta on a drizzly Saturday morning as he walked along a segment of a bluebird trail on Daniel’s Hole Road, adjacent to 600 acres of relatively open space.

By Christopher Gangemi

Recent roadwork on the shoulder of Route 114 between East Hampton and Sag Harbor has highlighted a truth long known to cyclists on the South Fork: Biking here can be terrifying.

By Christopher Gangemi

A private developer's plan to build 47 two and three-bedroom units on Pantigo Road and sell them as condominiums to local businesses for work-force housing “deviates from nearly every affordable housing development that exists in the town,” said Eric Schantz, a principal planner for the East Hampton Town Planning Department.

By Christopher Gangemi

“You, the class of 2025, hold a special place in my heart, and in my career,” Sara Smith, the principal of East Hampton High School, told the graduating seniors as they sat together under a large white tent on the school’s lawn for their commencement ceremony last Friday evening. “You entered ninth grade as I entered as principal, and in many ways we grew into our current positions together.”

By Bettina Neel

It may be bittersweet for Lee and Barbara Oldak of Amagansett Beach and Bicycle, which for three decades has met the outdoor recreation needs of South Fork residents and seasonal visitors, but this summer will be their last at the sales, rental, and repair shop at 1 Cross Highway.

By Christopher Walsh

Concerned Citizens of Montauk announced the election of Jessica James as the new board president at its annual meeting last month. Ms. James succeeds David Freudenthal, who has led the organization’s mission to protect Montauk’s unique environment through education, advocacy, and citizen action since 2021.

By Christopher Walsh

A discussion of the prosecutorial process and enforcing legal limits on the Trump administration will introduce a new era for the Hamptons Institute discussion series at Guild Hall in East Hampton on Monday at 7 p.m.

By Christopher Walsh

Collage by Stephanie Blank

Just as victory gardens brought fresh-grown produce to Americans during World War II, the East End Community Organic Farm and Bridge Gardens are two South Fork gardens offering a victory garden vibe.

By Sarah Alford

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church will hold its Summer Fair — now in its 110th year — on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

By Star Staff

Will Darrell, a former East Hampton High School pitcher who was Vassar’s number-one starter during the college season, is now in his second year playing summer ball with the Sag Harbor Whalers.

By Jack Graves

When it comes to competitive sailing, the 18-year-old Venetia Satow is a late bloomer, having taken up the sport three years ago, when her family moved full time during the pandemic from England to Sag Harbor, where previously they had spent only summers.

By Jack Graves

On the local fishing scene, things are heading into summer mode, but the fishing has been productive on many fronts.
By Jon M. Diat

This letter from Joseph Anthony & Co. to Henry Packer Dering exemplifies some of the responsibilities held by the customs master in Sag Harbor.

By Megan Bardis

“The End Is the Beginning” is an eloquent and moving account of the life of Jill Bialosky’s mother, Iris. Recalled backward, it is also a nuanced examination of aging and of the mother-daughter bond.

Reviewed by Hilma Wolitzer

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