FILM FEST II • “The American Lawn” and “Organic Lawn Care,” from the original LTV series “Long Live Accabonac,” were shown at our second annual “Film Fest” on April 13 at Ashawagh Hall. The first examines the impact on the environment of our national obsession with lawns. The second explains and illustrates in detail how to begin and maintain an organic lawn. In October, we had a […]
by Anita Wright Students from Project MOST, an after-school program at Springs School, took water protection into their own hands this past fall. Using an interactive stormwater model, Group for the East End educators helped students see how pollutants enter our waterways and pointed out the dangers of dumping chemicals and other hazardous materials into storm drains, many of which lead directly to Accabonac Harbor. Guided by […]
by Ralph Carpentier I’ve lived in Springs for over fifty years and learned much history and lore about this place from friends and neighbors and from my own experiences and observations. Springs is, in my view, the most interesting hamlet – primarily because of the marine environment that surrounds it on the north and Gardiners Bay on its eastern side. But mostly it’s because the hamlet has […]
by Jorie Latham This year may well be the “make or break” year for the Barbara Barnes Hale Refuge meadow restoration. It has certainly been an uphill battle to have the grasslands brought back in at least some portions of the Refuge. Lately, it has been more of a roller coaster… In spite of APC obtaining broad consensus from all members of the last two Town Boards, […]
by Cile Downs In case you haven’t heard of it, this is a good time to learn about phytoremediation: from phyto (plant) and remediate (fix or cure) — it means using plants to clean up pollution. The most amazing things can be accomplished by green, growing plants, which can collect or even actually digest a great variety of pollutants, from radioactive substances, petroleum and heavy metals to […]
by Arlene Coulter There has been a great deal of concern expressed lately about East Hampton’s Solid Waste Treatment Facility on Springs Fireplace Road. There has not been nearly as much discussion, although there should be, regarding the problems produced by over-burdened septic systems, and the impact of an ever-increasing number of septic systems on our fragile ecosystem. The members of the Accabonac Protection Committee believe that […]
by Nick Bryan APC invited Bob DeLuca, President of Group for the East End, to speak to our Steering Committee about our groundwater and our harbor waters. He feels that the East End’s focus now desperately needs to be: • WATER PROTECTION• WATER DISTRIBUTION• WASTE MANAGEMENT He said that, at best, 25-40% of nitrogen in our septics goes into the ground and therefore our water. It’s a […]
One of the most moving presentations we have ever witnessed occurred at a Town Board “Brown Bag” meeting in 2009 when a group of fifth graders from Springs School did an impressive show-and-tell of two designs for a bridge they had developed with input from volunteer architects to replace the footbridge across Pussy’s Pond. They were assured that whichever design was chosen would be built. Although Town […]
From Baykeeper Kevin McAllister: “Nitrogen-enriched groundwater from household cesspools (onsite wastewater treatment systems) is a substantial pollution problem. Signs of excessive nitrogen loads – algal blooms, fish kills, and the explosive growth of invasive weeds already dominate many ponds and bays… “Nutrient pollution from the tens of thousands of cesspools in our region is a monumental threat to our waters, yet it has been largely ignored. Suffolk […]
In our continuing campaign to restore the Barbara Barnes Hale Refuge to its old meadow condition, we’ve noticed a very interesting thing: the neat dovetailing of meadow restoration with Town Councilman Stanzione’s Open Vistas Program. We entirely agree that open vistas were the rule in Springs from the time of the first white settlers and possibly before that. We’re deprived of an important community value when we […]