The credit card surcharge has crept into daily life like rust on a tractor — appearing so slowly that customers hardly notice it until it is, seemingly, all over. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the little signs on cash registers announcing, or acknowledging, that a surcharge of up to 4 percent will be added to the price of any transaction that is paid for with a credit card bother some consumers more than others, but everyone has noticed them.

The card surcharges have become most common at places like delis and small markets and modestly priced retail stores. They’re less common but not unheard of at some restaurants and pizza places. No large grocery or department store chains tack them on — yet — and few of the high-end shops on the main streets of South Fork’s hamlets bother with them.

It is “legal” for stores to charge credit card fees to customers — in case you were wondering, or thought otherwise — and has been for more than a decade.

But last winter, the New York State Legislature and Governor Kathy Hochul approved a new law requiring that merchants do so in a very different way than almost any stores do currently.

“There’s two things at the heart of the rule: merchants and vendors can’t charge more of a surcharge than they are being charged by the credit card companies themselves, and the other is this idea that the consumer has to be aware before they decide to purchase the item what the total price, including the surcharge, would be,” said NYS Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr., who ultimately voted in favor of the bill.

“The debate over the law at the time was between the consumers’ right to know the full price of what they are paying for and not be surprised afterward, and the burden put on small businesses by this mandate.”

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The Springs Historical Society hosts its fourth annual benefit art show and celebration, “Arts & Archives 2024” this weekend beginning today through Sunday. The event features more than 50 contemporary artists from Springs, a curator’s forum, historic tour and opening reception.

The show, organized by the historical society’s Arts & Archives Committee, supports the Springs Community Library, Elizabeth Parker Anderson’s former home donated to the historical society for use as a library to serve the Springs community.

Curated by Teri Kennedy, this exhibition is the only major invitational exclusively for Springs artists. This year’s showcase is inspired by James Brooks’ 1973 Fisherman’s Fair poster from the Springs Historical Society’s archival collection. It features more than 50 contemporary artists from Springs, working in a variety of mediums, from paintings to ceramics, jewelry to glassworks, on display today through Sunday at Ashawagh Hall at 780 Springs-Fireplace Road.

The exhibition “explores the works borne from the unique environment Springs fosters and its creative partnerships that shape a home and artistic legacy,” according to the historical society.

The exhibition will be on view to the public today from 1 to 5 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A reception for Springs Historical Society members will be held today from 5 to 7 p.m. and a public reception will be held tomorrow from 5 to 7 p.m.

For more information about this weekend’s activities and how to support the Springs Historical Society and Community Library, visit springshistoricalsociety.org.

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Shelter Island Friends of Music welcomes back award-winning pianist Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner tomorrow at 6 pm in the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church. Sanchez-Werner previously played for Shelter Island Friends of Music to a standing-room only crowd at the Presbyterian Church in February 2023. The brilliant virtuoso will perform the music of Chopin, Liszt, Beethoven and Gershwin.

Admission is free; donations are...

Customers are returning to the Long Island Rail Road, with ridership up 17% in the first half of 2024 compared with the same period last year and expected to climb even higher now that the summer season is concluding, the LIRR’s president said.

Though still below pre-pandemic levels, MTA officials and experts attributed the railroad’s recovery to the increased capacity and service that came with the completion of two major capacity-expansion projects, the Third Track in Nassau County, and the LIRR’s new Manhattan terminal, Grand Central Madison. Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that the 35.8 million passengers transported by the LIRR in the first half of 2024 was well ahead of its forecasts and about 80% of the total for the first half of 2019 — a year in which the railroad went on to set a modern annual ridership record.

The recovery of the LIRR, whose ridership plummeted to just 3% of 2019 levels at the height of the pandemic, is outpacing all Metropolitan Transportation Authority agencies, including New York City subways, which are around 70% of pre-COVID levels. Metro-North has recovered about 76% of its riders, according to MTA statistics.

LIRR President Robert Free said the railroad’s numbers remained strong even through the summer months, when ridership tends to dip. The 271,784 customers carried by the LIRR on June 25 was the most for any day since the start of the pandemic in 2020. For the month of June, LIRR ridership reached 83% of pre-COVID levels.

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This past weekend, Southampton Village officials sought to set the record straight about the decision to open drainage pipes from Lake Agawam and Old Town Pond that lead into the ocean after record-breaking rainfall and flash flooding that occurred August 18 and 19.

Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that the Village of Southampton defended its decision to drain the overflowing water from the lake and pond into the ocean, acknowledging that while it is not ideal to drain that water — which has been polluted by harmful algae blooms — into the ocean, it is the only option for preventing flooding, and has also been standard practice for years after large rain events that produce the type of flooding seen last month. “While this is not the best solution, it has been done for decades to prevent flooding of these bodies of water into parking lots and roads,” a press release sent out by village officials on Saturday stated. “In the aftermath of the record rainfall, the Lake Agawam parking lot and several roads were flooded, creating stagnant pools of water where people walk, bike and walk their pets. Because of this public safety issue, there was no alternative than to drain the lake and pond through a pipe into the ocean and temporarily close the beaches.” Before taking that step, the village notified the Southampton Town Trustees and the Lake Agawam Conservancy, a nonprofit that raises money and puts together initiatives to help clean up the lake, and posted it on the village website and social media channels, while also putting up signs near the beaches to alert beachgoers that they should not swim in the ocean while the draining was occurring.

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The East Hampton Trails Preservation Society has organized “A Springs Celebration: Pollock-Krasner, Springs Historical Society and Curator’s Tour of Arts and Archives 2024,” a 1.5-mile walk, to take place this coming Saturday, September 7, at 9:30 a.m. Starting at the Pollock-Krasner House, where Director Matt Ward will discuss its mission, the walk will continue to the Springs Library for a talk about the building’s history and to view a “Small Works” show curated by John Haubrich. The walk will conclude at Ashawagh Hall, with a tour of Springs Arts and Archives 2024 with curator Teri Kennedy. Meet walk leader Irwin Levy at Talmage Farm Lane, just off Springs Fireplace Road.

For more information, call Irwin...

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Suffolk officials are projecting a roughly $40 million deficit in sales tax revenue by the end of the year, according to a budget review given to lawmakers yesterday. Tiffany Cusaac-Smith reports in NEWSDAY that the sales tax deficit is a nearly $2 million increase from the $38 million deficit originally projected, said Budget Review Office assistant director Benny Pernice. The sales tax collections, which help fund the county's operating and capital budgets, are expected to be approximately $2 billion.

“With the latest information, we’re increasing that projection to a deficit of a little bit over $40 million,” Pernice said, adding they need to recoup more money in the next two quarters to stay on budget.

Yesterday’s gathering comes ahead of the annual operating budget review process. The Suffolk County Legislature needs to pass the budget by November, which then takes effect in January. In July, Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine approved a 2025-27 capital budget plan that included sewer system upgrades and the improvement of highways.

As for the county sales tax revenue, Suffolk officials note it can fluctuate due to multiple local factors. Between January and July, sales tax revenue in Suffolk was around $1.1 billion, a 0.9% decrease from the same time period in 2023, according to data from State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.

The Suffolk County projected deficit is likely to be offset through funding that includes a contingency account, less workforce hiring and higher-paid workers being replaced by newer ones, officials said.

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Affordable housing took a step forward on both the North and South Fork yesterday. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the Southold Town Board unanimously approved the transfer of seven sanitary flow credits for 12 affordable housing units in a mixed use building that used to house the Capital One Bank branch on Love Lane in Mattituck. A proposal before the Southampton Town Board to purchase two properties in Tuckahoe using Community Housing Fund money passed unanimously, while another resolution to purchase a deed covenant to keep six apartments in Sag Harbor affordable in perpetuity was tabled to the Southampton Town Board’s next meeting Sept. 10.

In Riverhead, a Comprehensive Plan Update is slated for approval next Wednesday Sept. 4, including recommendations for how to deal with sprawling warehouses and downtown development. The plan’s recommendation that the Town of Riverhead consider creating a zoning district to allow for “agritourism resorts” will be discussed at a public forum 2 weeks later Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. in Riverhead Town Hall, where residents are invited to come discuss the legislation with town officials.

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The 78th annual Shinnecock Powwow begins this coming Friday at the Shinnecock Nation powwow grounds.

Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that the four-day event is a showcase of Shinnecock culture, heritage and tradition, and is one of the most well-attended powwows in the country, drawing spectators and tribal members from across the Americas, including Canada and Mexico.

Because it is a competitive powwow, representatives from tribes around the region and the country travel to eastern Long Island, making for a rich blend of Indigenous cultural experiences. The four days will be packed with dance competitions for tribal members of all ages, and will showcase singing and drumming groups and other musical performances, as well as displays of indigenous art.

The Shinnecock Powwow has the distinction of being rated as a top-five event by powwows.com.

Shinnecock tribal member and Pow Wow organizer Josephine Smith...

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A married couple whose Noyac rental house didn’t have working smoke detectors when it caught on fire, killing a pair of sisters from Maryland who were vacationing with their family in 2022, pleaded guilty yesterday to charges related to the fire, the Suffolk district attorney’s office said. Nicole Fuller reports in NEWSDAY that Peter Miller, 56, pleaded guilty to two counts of criminally negligent homicide and Pamela Miller, 55, pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless endangerment in connection with the fire that killed Lindsay Wiener, 19, and Jillian Wiener, 21, of Potomac, Maryland, prosecutors said.

"First and foremost, our hearts go out to the Wiener family, who lost these young women in this tragic fire. Such a loss is unimaginable, and our community mourns with them," Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a statement Monday. "We take all matters involving housing regulations very seriously, as they are crucial for public safety. If you have a rental home, you have a duty to make sure that it is safe."

Lindsay Wiener had just finished her freshman year at Tulane University, focusing on marketing and Jewish studies. Jillian Wiener was a rising senior at the University of Michigan who had just "finished a semester studying abroad, studying ocean conservation," according to a 2022 lawsuit filed by the parents against the Millers and other entities.

The origin of the Aug. 3, 2022, fire was an outdoor kitchen, which the Millers constructed on their own without a permit and without an electrical inspection, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said the Millers advertised the rental home as being equipped with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on multiple popular vacation rental sites, but a post-fire electrical inspection report revealed they were not connected properly and there was not adequate fire detection throughout the home.

Miller is to be sentenced to three years probation and must serve 200 hours of community service. Pamela Miller must perform 100 hours of community service, preferably before her sentencing date of November 7, Horowitz said.

T.E. McMorrow reports on 27east.com that the two young women, who were both college students, Jillian Wiener, 21, and Lindsay Wiener, 19, both of Potomac, Maryland, found themselves trapped behind a wall of flames on the second floor of the house at 3 Spring Lane in Noyac.

Pamela and Peter Miller, who currently reside in Westhampton, were eventually charged with 29 counts apiece for various code infractions by the Town of Southampton. The charges alleged that there were multiple nonworking smoke alarms in the house, as well as illegal construction of an outdoor kitchen connected to the house and accused the Millers of illegally renting out the house for short-term rentals. The Millers both admitted to being guilty of those charges Monday as part of entering guilty pleas.

The Southampton case is currently still open, as is the federal lawsuit brought by the Weiner family against the Millers for their role in the death of their two daughters.

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There are few places in the world where one feels safer than on the south fork of eastern Long Island. However, local police are urging residents to be sure not to leave keys or fobs in their vehicles when parked overnight after three cars were stolen from homes in Southampton Village this past Sunday night. Two of the three vehicles have already been recovered, Southampton Village Police say — one thanks to the manufacturer’s tracking service — but all were taken after their owners had left the keys in them and the doors unlocked. As reported on 27east.com, all three thefts occurred in Southampton Village’s...

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President Joe Biden yesterday issued a federal emergency declaration for Suffolk County to aid disaster relief efforts after catastrophic storms hit Long Island last week, the White House said.

Biden’s declaration opened up the pathway for federal money to be available for certain emergency relief efforts.

With the declaration, Biden specifically enabled the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency "to coordinate all disaster relief efforts, which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population," and to provide "appropriate assistance for required emergency measures," the White House said in a statement. Tiffany Cusaac-Smith reports in NEWSDAY that the emergency relief can go toward protecting vulnerable infrastructure, as well as generally buttressing state and local endeavors, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul's office. The federal government can reimburse up to 75% of certain expenses under a FEMA program.

Last week’s storms caused severe damage in portions of northern Suffolk County, flooding homes and destroying other infrastructure. Suffolk County said there were 2,441 reports of damage to roads and dams as of Saturday. The county's updated figures as of that day show 72 homes sustained major damage. The county has estimated that the total damage sustained from the flooding could be as high as $100 million.

Hochul had issued an emergency declaration for the county on Friday.

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Gov. Kathy Hochul will meet virtually with New York college presidents today as officials try to prevent more campus chaos after spring anti-Israel protests descended into vandalism and violence. Carl Campanile reports in THE NY POST that the “super Zoom” meeting is scheduled for this afternoon and will include presidents from both public and private universities across New York State to discuss safety plans for the new academic year, The Post has learned.

Classes begin this week or after Labor Day for most colleges and officials are on high alert after "Pro-Hamas" demonstrations since October 7th have made many Jewish students concerned for their safety.

“Governor Hochul is committed to ensuring every single college student can learn in a safe environment,” Hochul spokesman Avi Small told The Post yesterday. “To that end, she is convening public and private college presidents from across New York to discuss their safety plans for the upcoming semester and reiterate that there is no place for hate, bias or antisemitism in New York.”

The governor’s office has developed an inter-agency plan to address campus safety, which includes representatives from the executive chamber, New York State Police and the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.

Governor Hochul directed her team to work with colleges to ensure a safe return to campuses this term, previously deploying the director of State Operations, Kathryn Garcia, to meet with school leadership to discuss their action plans.

“We want to know your safety plans. What are you doing to get ready to protect your students on campus? Because every student has a right to walk and go to class freely and not be harassed,” Governor Hochul said last week, in anticipation of today’s meeting.

Jewish advocacy groups — the Secure Community Network and Hillel International — recently announced campus safety measures to help protect Jewish students and staff at more than 50 colleges and universities across the country for the fall semester. The training will instruct Jewish students on what to do when confronted by protestors and how to report incidents to police.

The number of new court cases involving immigrants lacking permanent legal status has plummeted on Long Island and around the country since President Joe Biden's June order restricting entry into the country for most asylum-seekers, according to a new federal data analysis. Robert Brodsky reports in NEWSDAY that Biden's presidential proclamation, issued amid a record increase of illegal border crossings, stated that migrants who cross the border without authorization — absent exceptional circumstances — wouldn't be eligible for asylum and would be subject to expedited deportation. It didn't affect immigrants who previously filed legal claims for asylum.

In New York State, new case numbers dropped 74% from December to July, while cases fell by 68% nationwide and nearly 61% on Long Island during that same time frame, according to the analysis from Syracuse University-based Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse or TRAC.

The policy is a change from the previous practice of letting most people who sought asylum after crossing the border illegally be freed from custody and live in the U.S. while awaiting court proceedings.

Under Biden’s order, migrants can be returned into Mexico or their country of origin when the 7-day average of daily border crossings exceeds 2,500 people. The restrictions remain in place until 14 days after the 7-day average drops below 1,500 people.

The rule allows unaccompanied children, victims of a severe form of trafficking and other noncitizens with a valid visa or other lawful permission to legally enter the U.S. People deemed ineligible for asylum still can apply for protection under terms of an anti-torture international human rights treaty.

The restrictions also don't apply to immigrants who present themselves at official border crossings with an appointment provided through a U.S. Customs and Border Protection mobile app known as CBP One.

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East Hampton Town has issued a public alert stating that pieces of a 300-foot, fiberglass and foam turbine blade from the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm, situated 15 miles south of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, may wash up on the shores of Montauk.

“The debris has been described as ‘non-toxic fiberglass fragments’ and is deemed ‘not hazardous to people or the environment,’” according to a statement the town disseminated via social media on Wednesday. Nonetheless, the statement continues, Vineyard Wind is asking that “only their recovery team handle this material.” A team is being deployed to “clean up the affected areas.”

The public is asked to not handle any found debris, rather to contact Marine Patrol at 631-537-7575. Christopher Walsh reports on 27east.com that Councilman David Lys, the East Hampton Town Board’s liaison to the Recreation Department, which oversees beaches and lifeguards, said yesterday that to his knowledge there have been no sightings or recovery of any such debris on town beaches or waterways.

A blade of an 853-foot-tall turbine at the 62-turbine wind farm, which delivers electricity to Massachusetts, collapsed on July 13. According to Engineering News-Record, the chief executive officer of Massachusetts-based GE Vernova, which designed the wind farm’s turbines, said that the collapse was due to a “manufacturing deviation” and not engineering or design.

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Two baymen pulled a coin minted in 1736 — a duit, or one-cent piece, stamped with the crest of the Dutch East India Company, the currency of record in the years before the British colonies began minting their own money — out of the mud of Shinnecock Bay last week. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that Westhampton bayman John Gillin and his cousin E.J. were digging clams together in eastern Shinnecock on August 13 when they dug up the coin, worn down at its edges but still clearly displaying an etching on one side and three words on the other and

With Election Day less than 11 weeks away, Republican U.S. Representative Nick LaLota and John Avlon, his Democratic challenger for New York’s 1st Congressional District seat, continue to needle one another over their residency and, by extension, their fitness to represent the district. Christopher Walsh reports on 27east.com that LaLota, a first-term Republican, has relentlessly portrayed his Democratic challenger as a wealthy Manhattanite who is out of touch with the district. Avlon, an author, columnist and former CNN anchor who lives in Sag Harbor and Manhattan, counters that LaLota himself does not live in the 1st Congressional District. The congressman, born and raised on Long Island, lives in Amityville Village, outside of the district boundaries, but emphasizes his lifelong ties to Long Island. While members of the House of Representatives typically live in the districts they represent, they are not required to do so. They are required to be an inhabitant of the state they represent at the time of their election. Last week, LaLota publicized an August 13 New York Post article that asserted that Avlon was “apparently netting more than $2,000 per year in abatements by claiming his primary residence is in Manhattan.” The Post article said that the tax abatements are eligible only to units designated as a primary residence. Avlon cited “numerous fundamental inaccuracies” in the Post article. “The co-op in which I have an apartment filed for that abatement without consulting any of us individually,” he said this week. He said that he had been unaware that the abatement had been filed, but since he entered the 1st Congressional race this year, “the key point is whether the abatement will be filed in this calendar year, which it will not.” The Cook Political Report puts the 1st District race in its “likely Republican” column.

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Southampton Village announced a new measure intended to mitigate the traffic nightmare that has plagued the area. Effective Wednesday, August 21, only right turns will be permitted from Lee Avenue and Captains Neck Lane onto Hill Street from 4 to 7 p.m. during that dreadful westbound trade parade traffic. Cones will be placed down the center of Hill Street to prevent U-turns. As reported on 27east.com, Hill Street residents will be able to access their residences, a village alert noted. The Southampton Village Police Department will be monitoring the pilot program, using daily motor patrols and drones. The pilot program will run through September 13.

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Elementary school and pre-kindergarten playground expansion projects are in the works in the Hampton Bays School District. Desirée Keegan reports on 27east.com that Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Larry Luce said during Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting that plans for both have been approved by the state Education Department, with purchase orders going out this week or next. “We will start to see actual construction happening on both of those playgrounds in the next month or so,” he said of the projects, both of which are on state contract. “We don’t even need to bid them because of this, so that helps move things along a little quicker.” Also at the Hampton Bays Elementary school is a plan to upgrade the south-facing windows along the 1998 wing, and replacing the toilets in the 1957 and 1968 wings.

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For Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s new chief administrator, Emily Mastaler, the shift from working in a rural, remote hospital system near the Canadian border, to the South Fork of Long Island, with its mind boggling array of diversities, personalities and logistical challenges is a learning experience that she is still just beginning to get her arms around eight weeks into the job.

Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that Mastaler, 43, who grew up in Vermont and spent most of her career there working...