by Jorie Latham APC joined forces with PRFCT Earth Project last April to create a PRFCT Earth Day in Springs which began at the Springs Fire House with presentations on alternatives to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, highlighting the human health and environmental benefits of the toxin-free approach. Talks also included a briefing on water quality concerns on Accabonac Harbor and other local water bodies and what homeowners […]
An Interview with Kimberly Shaw, Director of Natural Resourcesby Nicholas Bryan Five years ago, Amagansett native Kimberly Shaw was appointed—with a unanimous vote of the East Hampton Town Board—to succeed Larry Penny as Director of Natural Resources. Mr. Penny called her “ideally suited for the job.” In recognition of the anniversary, APC interviewed Kim about her remarkable career and the issues we face in protecting and improving […]
by Vay David and Kimberly Barbour, CCESC It’s no secret … excess nitrogen is having a serious negative impact on smaller bodies of water like our own Accabonac Harbor. With this in mind, APC has contributed funding to an important project, “Locating and Quantifying Groundwater-Derived Nitrogen Seeping into Selected Surface Waters of Accabonac Harbor,” being conducted by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. APC was happily able […]
by Jorie Latham There was a real bright spot in November’s election: Proposition 1 passed exuberantly, extending the collection of Community Preservation Funds to 2050 and amending the law to allocate 20% of monies collected in any year to water quality programs. This provides a very exciting opportunity for participating East End Towns to be able to tackle the very serious issues threatening the quality of ground […]
by Michele Carlson, Carlson Design and Planning You may be wondering what’s going on at Pussy’s Pond Park—and why?? Earthwork and materials for erosion control have reshaped the landscape! Strange flags flap in the wind to keep hungry birds from eating recently added native seeds and plants! Fences have blocked it off!No one’s been inside (except some Spring School classes for planting, water testing and learning that […]
by Jorie Latham Never thought we’d be faced with such a dilemma: to be so overwhelmed with great articles, we couldn’t fit them all into one newsletter. But they are all so important, and so full of really solid, interesting information, that we couldn’t leave any out…so we have decided to produce a second edition in the coming months. In addition to our usual authors—mostly members of […]
by Arlene Coulter Ralph Carpentier was a “Man for All Seasons.” We of APC like to claim him as our own because we all loved him; but he was loved — and returned that love —wherever he walked. He was one of APC’s early members but did so much for our town, with so many East Hampton organizations, that we have to share him. In 1955, Ralph […]
by Nicholas Bryan Are you bothered by noise and pollution from gas-powered leaf blowers? You’re not alone. According to The Quiet Communities Hamptons website “…the quality of life in the Hamptons is being degraded by the widespread use of leaf blowers and commercial gas-powered maintenance equipment. There’s no escaping the high-pitched, whining drone of leaf blowers; it penetrates walls and windows and disrupts entire neighborhoods. And furthermore, […]
by Vay David Accabonac Protection Committee’s third IMAGES OF ACCABONAC presented a special showing of art by renowned local artist, Ralph Carpentier, sadly lost to us this past February. Ralph’s work was displayed in a special section, along with a full show featuring many artists’ visions of the beauty of Accabonac Creek and its surroundings. The show was held last October 31 and November 1 at Ashawagh […]
by Cile Downs Experts call our Accabonac Creek “impaired” and for good reason: the coliform contamination is increasing. In October*, areas closed to shellfishing, either seasonally or permanently, became more extensive. The DEC tests for coliform fairly frequently and determines closings based on the data. We wondered if the DNA of the samples was also tested, to indicate whether the source was human (from failing septics) or […]