27Speaks

For the fourth year in a row, researchers who monitor the bay scallop population in the Peconic Estuary say there are clear signs of a massive die-off of the valuable shellfish unfolding on local bay bottoms. Biologists from the Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program say that they have seen almost 100 percent mortality of adult bay scallops at monitoring sites in Northwest Harbor and Orient...

Real estate appraiser and market analyst Jonathan Miller of Miller Samuel Inc. joins the podcast this week to share his insights on the state of the Hamptons real estate market, how it has behaved throughout the pandemic and what he's looking out for to get a sense of where it is headed next.

The editors discuss the "Summer of the Shark." Shark sightings and bites have caused beach closures on Long Island this summer, and two deceased juvenile white sharks washed up on South Fork beaches. The increased presence of sharks nearshore is the result of conservation efforts and a sign of a healthy marine ecosystem.

Organización Latino Americana (OLA) of Eastern Long Island is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Founded in 2002, the nonprofit organization offers advocacy and crisis management to Latino residents across the East End, as well as health and wellness education in English and Spanish, and art and cultural events — all in the name of inspiring systemic change. Joining the editors on the podcast this...

The Shinnecock Nation recently broke ground on a 5,000-square-foot cannabis dispensary on its territory in Southampton as it looks forward to the economic development New York's decriminalized cannabis industry will bring to the tribe. Chenae Bullock, the managing director of Little Beach Harvest, the tribal cannabis business; Bryan Polite, the chairman of the Shinnecock Nation Council of Trustees...

The East End's food pantries are a lifeline for people in need, and with the rising costs of food, fuel and other essentials, need is rising. At the same time that inflation is causing greater demand at food pantries, the food pantries themselves are combating rising costs for the goods that they buy for distribution. The ongoing pandemic has also exacerbated need while causing supply chain proble...

Rob Wiesenthal, the CEO and founder of aviation company Blade Urban Air Mobility, which operates shared helicopter and seaplane flights to the East End, joins the editors and reporter Michael Wright to discuss his company’s origin, how the service works and the plans that Blade has in store for the future on the East End and elsewhere, including electric, emission-free aircraft that are much quiet...

Hampton Bays School Superintendent Lars Clemensen, a member of the New York State Council of School Superintendents Executive Committee and an author of the 2018 Blueprint for School Safety, joined the editors this week to discuss what school districts and the state are doing to address safety in light of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24 and other school shootings. C...

The Express News Group recently published a series of articles commemorating the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark legislation, passed in June of 1972, that ensured equal access and opportunity for women in education. While the law applies to all areas of education, one of its biggest legacies has been how it changed for landscape for female athletes, in the high school, college and even...

Adam Potter, the face of Friends of Bay Street Theater, has been buying up properties on Bridge and Rose streets in Sag Harbor Village for some time, and this month, he revealed why: He is proposing a mixed-use development with 79 units of affordable housing and 30,000 square feet of commercial space. Senior reporter Stephen Kotz joins the editors this week to discuss the plans, the obstacles and...

The inaugural Hamptons Pride Parade was held in East Hampton Village on June 4 in celebration of Pride Month. Co-grand marshals Robert S. Chaloner, chief administrative officer of Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, and Kathryn Szoka, co-owner of Canio’s Books in Sag Harbor, join the conversation this week to talk about their experiences as long-time members of the East End’s LGBTQ community, how at...

Joining the editors on the podcast this week are former News 12 Long Island anchor and reporter Drew Scott and Sag Harbor Express publisher emeritus Bryan Boyhan, who were inducted into the Press Club of Long Island's Long Island Journalism Hall of Fame this month. Scott and Boyhan discuss their careers, how the journalism industry has changed over the years and the public's perspective of the med...

A coalition of airport users is attempting to use the courts to stop East Hampton Town's plan to briefly shut down East Hampton Airport and then reopen it as a private-use facility with more restrictions on aircraft and flights. Meanwhile, the shared flight booking service Blade has suspended its regularly scheduled seaplane trips to Sag Harbor after running afoul of the village. Reporters Michael...

Many East End towns and villages have adopted more stringent restrictions on gasoline-powered leaf blowers in recent years and in some cases outright bans seasonally or year round. Noise pollution, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions are among the concerns that advocates for the bans raise, while members of the landscaping industry say battery-powered blowers are inadequate replacements and...

With Roe v. Wade under serious threat at the federal level and already all but dead in many states across the country, many women in the U.S. face the real possibility of seeing their reproductive rights evaporate all together. Fears of a return to the days of illegal, unsafe abortion is looming large. This week, our editors are joined by some of our female reporters who look at the issue and disc...

This week on 27Speaks, 2021 New York Press Association Writer of the Year Annette Hinkle, past Writers of the Year Stephen J. Kotz and Michelle Trauring and past Sports Writer of the Year Cailin Riley discuss the craft of feature writing — its methods, its challenges and how it differs from typical newswriting.

Ticks and, more specifically, tick-borne diseases are a concern all over the South Fork but particularly in North Haven Village, where deer and ticks flourish. The village government is working on ways to make it easier to place 4-Posters, which are bait stations that rub tick-killing permethrin on the necks and ears of deer as they eat corn. This week on 27Speaks, North Haven-based journalist Pet...

Members of the Express News Group team recently traveled to Saratoga Springs to attend the New York Press Association's spring convention. While they were there, editors Annette Hinkle and Joe Shaw and publisher Gavin Menu sat down with Michelle Rea, NYPA's executive director, to discuss the state of the community newspaper business today.

Nantucket, Sedona, Vail — resort communities all around the country struggled with a lack of affordable housing prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pandemic only exacerbated the issue. A growing problem became a full-blown crisis almost overnight as shutdowns and the possibility of remote work led to unprecedented sales to wealthy second-home buyers and displaced the local, year-round working...

Public transit has always underserved local commuters on the East End, contributing to the much-loathed traffic on Montauk Highway and County Road 39 and making it difficult for businesses to retain workers. Innovative solutions to the region's transportation woes are on the table, and some are being tested right now. In this week's edition of 27speaks, the editors discuss the Long Island Rail Roa...

In light of the Express News Group's recent Express Sessions event that brought together a panel of South Fork lawmakers and affordable housing leaders to discuss solutions to the housing crisis, the editors discuss the scope of the housing challenges that the region faces and the ideas that the panelists and audience members brought forward.

To examine the challenges Southampton Village faces as it approaches another high season with unprecedented crowds expected, the Express News Group hosted “Southampton 2022: A Summer Like No Other” with a panel of local government, nonprofit and business leaders. In this week's 27Speaks, the editors talk about what is being done to shape the village's future and analyze the panelists' concerns. Re...

The South Fork's towns, villages and hamlets are proud of the long tradition of volunteerism — neighbors helping neighbors in a time of need. But changing demographics are making it harder for volunteer companies to find men and women who are able to donate time and energy. In this week’s podcast, reporter Stephen Kotz joins the editors in discussing issues raised at "Sustaining The South Fork,” a...

Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. This week, the panel is joined by East Hampton native Kristofer Kalas, owner of the Hello Oma bakery, who has spent the past weeks on the front lines in U...

Welcome to the latest edition of The Express News Group’s podcast, 27Speaks. The Express News Group editors Kathryn Menu, Annette Hinkle, Joseph P. Shaw, Brendan O’Reilly, and Bill Sutton discuss the week’s news on the South Fork of Long Island. This week, the panel is joined by staff writer Kitty Merrill for a discussion about a change in course for the municipal leaf pickup program in Southampto...