The U.S. Department of Transportation yesterday said it took the extraordinary step of replacing the federal lawyers defending it in a lawsuit over New York City’s congestion pricing program, after accusing them of undermining the department’s bid to end the toll. Stefanos Chen and Benjamin Weiser report in THE NY TIMES that the move came after the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District, which had been handling the case, said it mistakenly filed in federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday night a confidential memo that questioned the department’s legal strategy and urged a new approach.

In response, however, the department raised the possibility that the disclosure attempted to sabotage its efforts to halt congestion pricing. Transportation officials said they would transfer the case to the civil division of the Justice Department in Washington. The memo has since been removed from the public docket.

In the letter, dated April 11, the three assistant U.S. attorneys on the case warned that Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary, was using a shaky rationale to end the tolling plan and was “exceedingly likely” to fail, the lawyers wrote.

The existence of the document was reported earlier by Streetsblog. It’s not unusual for lawyers to advise their clients confidentially in this way. But the filing telegraphed the government’s legal weaknesses in the middle of a tense fight with Gov. Kathy Hochul and transit leaders who have vowed to keep the tolling program running.

In a statement on Thursday, the Department of Transportation called the filing of the memo “legal malpractice.” “Are S.D.N.Y. lawyers on this case incompetent or was this their attempt to RESIST?” a spokeswoman for the department wrote.

Nicholas Biase, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office, said in a statement that the filing “was a completely honest error and was not intentional in any way.” He said that the Southern District lawyers took immediate steps to remove the memo, which is subject to attorney-client privilege, from the docket.

Transit leaders in New York have promised to keep congestion pricing in place, saying it has helped ease traffic and raised much-needed funds for mass transit including the L.I.R.R.

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PSEG Long Island says it earned 68.5% of its potential $22.9 million bonus for 2024, totaling $15.74 million, after a reduction in performance metrics from 93 in 2023 to 52 in 2024. The company scored higher in power supply and clean energy (98%) and electric transmission and distribution (73.2%), but missed key metrics in system reliability, safety, and IT system segregation. PSEG's performance report is under review by Long Island Power Authority and the NYS Department of Public Service, with a final decision on the bonus expected in mid-June. Mark Harrington reports in NEWSDAY that PSEG’s report card for 2024 comes as LIPA’s board is debating whether to turn over control of the management of the electric grid to Houston-based Quanta Services or PSEG. Some on the LIPA board are said to be pushing for PSEG to be awarded the contract, even though Quanta reportedly received high scores from LIPA staff. The LIPA board is meeting in private on Monday to further discuss the contract.

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Basilica Parish of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Southampton will celebrate a Mass of remembrance for Pope Francis this evening at 7pm. Pastor Mike Vetrano invites you to join the parish in prayer at this vigil Mass. Pope Francis’s funeral Mass in Rome is scheduled for tomorrow morning in St Peter’s Square.

The Basilica Parish of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary is a minor basilica of the Catholic Church at 168 Hill Street in Southampton Village. It is also a parish church of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. The Gothic Revival-style edifice was completed in 1908. The exterior is covered in white marble. Pope Benedict XVI...

The best way to minimize damage caused by the southern pine beetle inside Suffolk County's natural spaces is to cut off the insect’s communication, experts say. Jessica Cancelliere, a research scientist with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, described how the insects release pheromones when attacking a tree, attracting other beetles to bring together the thousands required to kill the tree. "Beetles rely on that communication," she said. "They're not successful without it." Joe Werkmeister reports in NEWSDAY that Cancelliere discussed mitigation methods such as "cut and leave," preventive thinning and prescribed fires during a Southern Pine Beetle Symposium yesterday that included representatives of the Central Pine Barrens Commission, Suffolk County Parks Department and various other county agencies tasked with emergency preparedness and fire safety. The destruction left behind by the beetles in the form of dead trees has heightened concerns of adding fuel to future wildfires in the county. More than 100 people attended the three-hour event at Suffolk County Community College in Riverhead.

The notorious southern pine beetle was first spotted in Suffolk County in 2014.

DEC forester Robert Cole said prescribed fires are key to clearing out the underbrush and results in a "much greener, healthier" forest. He described how thinning the forest ground can allow wind to blow through and spread out the pheromones and "the beetles don’t know where to go." It also removes fuel that can help ignite a brush fire, allowing flames to shoot up higher into the canopy where embers can more easily spread, the experts said.

Jason Smith, science and stewardship manager for the Central Pine Barrens Commission, said "fire will fix a lot of our problems" and "brings us back to a healthier system."

In 2015, the beetle damaged about 34,000 acres in Suffolk County. Mitigation methods have helped lessen the damage in recent years to about 4,900 acres in 2023, according to the DEC. Those figures include "very light," and "light" damage all the way to "very severe."

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The first two days of Southampton Town’s experiment with bypassing traffic signals on County Road 39 in Southampton during the afternoon rush hour presented a stark contrast in impacts on how traffic flowed westward. Southampton Town Highway Superintendent Charles McArdle assessed Monday’s first run thusly: “If 10 was perfect, I’d give it a 2.”

Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the new traffic patterns caused near gridlock congestion in Southampton Village, long backups between Noyac Road and Sandy Hollow Road, and only improved the flow of traffic on County Road 39 west of Southampton west of Sandy Hollow Intersection. But on Tuesday, after making adjustments to how personnel were stationed to direct traffic at conflict points, and dropping restrictions on the use of some residential back roads in North Sea, McArdle said the program, which he conceived, worked almost exactly as hoped. “We moved up to a strong 8 today,” McArdle said of Tuesday’s flow after the program ended at 7 p.m. with open traffic lanes on County Road 39. The traffic experiment, which is running on weekdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday, May 2, was similarly successful last evening. The Town of Southampton has approved $60,000 for the manpower needed to run the test for two weeks.

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Beth Young of EAST END BEACON reports on two community gatherings of interest this evening.

The Mattituck Park District will be holding a Special Meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers on “Mattituck Harbor, NY – 2025 Maintenance Dredging” this evening at 6 p.m. in the Conference Room at Veterans Memorial Park. The Army Corps will be participating by Microsoft Teams. The discussion will focus on the project and Army Corps access to Bailie Beach.

Also, the Calverton...

Local officials and community members on Long Island said they will continue to fight a state mandate requiring schools eliminate Native American mascots and team names, a day after their cause received support from President Donald Trump. Darwin Yanes and Gregg Sarra report in NEWSDAY that on Monday, Trump posted on Truth Social that he had asked U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon “to fight for the people of Massapequa” as the school district seeks to keep its sports nickname, the Chiefs. School officials had publicly called on the Trump administration to step in shortly after a federal judge last month ruled against them and three other districts — Connetquot, Wyandanch and Wantagh — that had challenged the mascot ban.

"I love that he's supportive of our schools keeping their nicknames," said Pat Pizzarelli, executive director of the governing body for Nassau athletics and a Massapequa High School graduate. "There is so much history and tradition in those schools and they're proud to be Warriors, Indians and Chiefs. They feel it's an honor to wear those uniforms and use those names."

Jennifer Keane, the director of athletics for the Wantagh school district, said, "Our student-athletes and school community take great pride in being a part of the Wantagh Warriors tradition. We are continuing to explore all options to keep the name as the student-athletes, school and community take great pride in being representative of a Wantagh Warrior. A mascot is more than a symbol or nickname, it's a tribute to the values that drive success in sports and life."

The NYS Board of Regents issued guidance in 2023 banning the use of Native American mascots, team names and logos in public schools. Districts that do not comply by the June 30 deadline risk losing state aid.

The ban affected 13 school districts on Long Island, including nine that have complied.

The high cost of rebranding is often cited ranging from $450,000 to more than $1 million for some schools.

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A Riverhead woman was arrested for allegedly dumping household items, including furniture, in the Pine Barrens, Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. announced yesterday. Toulon said a trail camera captured images of a U-Haul truck dumping the items “in a secluded section of the Pine Barrens in Manorville.” The illegally dumped items included mattresses, box springs, dressers and a television. The incident took place on March 13, according to Suffolk County court records. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the sheriff’s office arrested Jeanne Rodriguez, 41, on April 2. She was charged with Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, a Class D felony, and with one count of violating a local law, a Class A misdemeanor.

Sheriff Toulon also announced the arrest of Joao Abreu of Port Jefferson. Abreu was charged with felony criminal mischief for allegedly dumping 24 tons of concrete in a remote wooded area off Long Island Avenue in Yaphank. Abreu is the owner of Chase Construction Enterprises, the sheriff said. Abreu, 60 was arrested on April 11 in connection with the Feb. 23 dumping incident and charged with Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, a Class D Misdemeanor according to court records. Abreu’s arrest came after a six-week joint investigation by the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Bureau and the District Attorney’s BEAST Unit, which included license plate checks, vehicle tracking, background checks, and witness interviews, the sheriff said. “The Sheriff’s Office has been patrolling the Pine Barrens for over 30 years and we take our role very seriously,” Toulon said. “These arrests are a direct result of enhanced surveillance, interagency teamwork, and the diligence of our environmental enforcement units. Both individuals could have disposed of their waste legally—but they chose not to. Illegal dumping is lazy and harmful to our island’s environment and...

As Long Island Catholics looked ahead to Pope Francis’ funeral and wondered who the next pope will be, they remember him for his welcoming spirit, his kindness toward the poor, and his willingness to push the boundaries of what was acceptable to the traditional faithful. As reported in Newsday, Bishop John Barres, head of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, who leads 1.2 million Catholics on Long Island, stated yesterday that "Pope Francis’ passionate love for the Church and the world ... will continue to inspire us as the Holy Spirit leads us further into the 21st century."

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul directed flags to be lowered to half-staff. Francis’ "leadership transcended religious boundaries," Hochul said in a statement. "He embodied the values Christ taught us every day: helping the less fortunate, calling for peace, and ensuring every person is treated as a child of God. As a Roman Catholic, I join billions across the globe as we mourn the passing of a true spiritual leader.”

"Compassion, not doctrine, was his ministry," said Richard Koubek, who previously served as public policy administrator for Catholic Charities of Long Island and now coordinates faith-based justice advocacy for Long Island Jobs with Justice. "As a result, he suffered more criticism from within his church than any pope in memory. It did not deter him. He was unwavering in carrying out Christ’s original message: 'love one another as I have loved you,' especially the 'least of my brothers and sisters.'"

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Southold’s Economic Development Committee (EDC) is holding a “Synergy Summit” this morning, the first of quarterly meetings it’s expecting to hold in the future.

Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the Synergy Summit is a leadership-focused event designed to bring together organizations that support the vitality of the community, with the objective of knowledge sharing, addressing community needs, and collaboration for efficiency and effectiveness, according to the EDC.

Southold’s Economic Development Committee plans to spur the group to develop and implement an Action Plan, with the goal of economic sustainability.

The summit, which is open to leaders of organizations that make an impact in the Town of Southold, is today from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Raphael Vineyards in Cutchogue. Light bites and coffee will be served.

The meeting will begin with introductions from organizations, and a discussion of the group’s mission, purpose, initiatives and programs, followed by a Roundtable Discussion and the creation of an Action Plan.

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Today is Earth Day, and there are numerous local events celebrating the occasion including this evening's panel discussion at the Unitarian Universalists of Southold…where they will explore Gardening for Change…from 6:15 pm – 8:00 pm. at the UU Meeting House, 51900 Main Road, Southold.

Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that April’s social action event at the UU Meeting House is all about nature, climate change, and practical things we can do (or advocate for) to help improve our environment, water, air – and potentially calm our nerves along the way. Several North Fork environmental groups will give an elevator pitch, followed by a panel of experts.

Expect practical advice on how homeowners can transform their piece of earth into a home for birds and pollinators. Panelists will discuss why each environmental choice we make creates a ripple effect, influencing friends and neighbors.

This evening’s theme revolves around gardening, landscaping and commercial plant growing.

That’s today at 6:15 pm (starting with a demo outside) at the UU Meeting House, 51900 Main Road, Southold.

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The Trump administration renewed its threats against New York over congestion pricing yesterday, demanding that the state halt the tolling plan or risk the loss of federal funding...

Pope Francis died earlier today at the age of 88. The pontiff’s passing is being mourned by Long Island’s approximately 1.2 million baptized Catholics. This includes the combined populations of Nassau and Suffolk counties. The total population of both counties is about 2.9 million. So Pope Francis' legacy is profoundly felt locally, as well as by the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.

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The most aggressive experiment with alleviating traffic delays along County Road 39 in Southampton in more than 15 years will take place on weekday afternoons over the next two weeks, starting today. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that afternoon commuters should expect to see very different traffic patterns in several places along the roadway between North Main Street in Southampton Village west to Sunrise Highway during the evening rush hours. Starting this afternoon at 4 p.m., the three traffic lights on County Road 39 west of Southampton — at Sandy Hollow Road, Magee Street and Tuckahoe Road — all will be switched to blinking yellow or steady green for the three peak hours of the afternoon commute.

Likewise, the lights at St. Andrews Road and the southern end of Tuckahoe Road along Montauk Highway will be switched to flashing yellow from 4 to 7 p.m.

To safely halt the normal red-green cycle of those lights, all of the intersections will have to be closed to traffic crossing County Road 39 or Montauk Highway, or turning left off either side of the roadways, between 4 and 7 p.m.

Left turns onto County Road 39 also will be prohibited from North Bishops Lane and Tuckahoe Lane.

Southampton Town Police officers will be stationed at all the main intersections to ensure safety and prevent cars from ignoring the turn restrictions; and there will be a police car dedicated to patrolling the road to quickly address accidents and keep travel lanes cleared.

Police also will be using drones to track traffic conditions and spot problem areas that need attention.

Residents of side streets off the main thoroughfares are being warned to plan on taking alternate routes that allow for right turns onto the main roads during the 4 to 7 p.m. hours.

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The Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton invites you to join them tomorrow in Agawam Park for an Earth Day Cleanup!

Starting at 10 am, they will work to prevent plastic and other harmful pollutants from degrading our community. Meet at the Southampton Village monument. Gloves and other cleanup materials will be provided.

That’s tomorrow at Agawam Park in Southampton Village starting at 10 am.

All are welcome!

Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally through earthday.org including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.

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A Westhampton Beach movie theater will reopen on Friday after three years of renovations and planning. Lee Meyer reports in NEWSDAY that the Sunset Theater is the latest in a series of shuttered East End cinemas that have been independently purchased or renovated to serve as cultural hubs for their communities — particularly in walkable villages like Southampton, Sag Harbor and Greenport.

Westhampton Beach resident Inge Debyser bought the theater, which originally opened in 1927, with a small group of investors in 2022 for $1.15 million.

"Small village movie theaters really attribute to the spirit, the heartbeat of a community," she said in an interview with Newsday. "A village cinema has personal ambience and warmth."

The theater is expected to have a positive economic impact on Westhampton Beach, said Kim Clark, the executive director of the Greater Westhampton Chamber of Commerce.

"The community is overwhelmingly happy to have a movie theater back,"...

The long-awaited $7 billion renovation and potential expansion of Penn Station will be overseen by Amtrak after the U.S. Department of Transportation announced last evening the project would be taken out of the hands of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Robert Brodsky reports in NEWSDAY that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said shifting the project from the MTA to Amtrak, which owns the 114-year-old Penn Station, would save taxpayers approximately $120 million.

"President Trump has made it clear: the days of reckless spending and blank checks are over," Duffy said in a statement. "New York City deserves a Penn Station that reflects America’s greatness and is safe and clean. The MTA’s history of inefficiency, waste, and mismanagement also meant that a new approach is needed."

Amtrak has been pushing a plan to expand Penn Station, potentially by acquiring the block south of it and building new tracks underground.

It was not immediately clear how the Trump administration envisions a new Penn Station or which, if any, of several competing ideas for a station expansion and overhaul it would support.

In a statement, Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has been feuding with the Trump administration over the congestion pricing program launched in January, fashioned the change as a policy victory for the state, which would reduce its own investment into the project.

"In multiple meetings with President Trump, I requested that the federal government fund the long-overdue overhaul of Penn Station," Hochul said. "Clearly that effort has been successful, and I want to thank the President and Secretary Duffy for taking on the sole responsibility to deliver the beautiful new $7 billion station that New Yorkers deserve. This is a major victory for New Yorkers, and the use of federal funds will save New York taxpayers $1.3 billion dollars that would have otherwise been necessary for this project."

MTA chairman and CEO Janno Lieber in a statement said he's glad the federal government is prioritizing the reconstruction of Penn Station but insists the city's transit agency should continue to play a role moving forward.

"Over a hundred million MTA customers — two-thirds of Penn Station’s total ridership — use the facility every year," Lieber said. "As the major leaseholder in the station, we expect to participate in the administration’s and Amtrak’s efforts to ensure future plans meet the needs of everyone who uses it."

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Rep. Nick LaLota of the 1st Congressional District…which includes the East End…, Rep. Andrew Garbarino of the 2nd Congressional District…also in Suffolk County… and 10 other House Republicans wrote to their leadership Wednesday to express support for Medicaid and object to steep cuts in funding for the healthcare program that serves nearly 80 million lower-income Americans.

“Balancing the federal budget must not come at the expense of those who depend on these benefits for their health and economic security. We cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations,” per the letter from these dozen House Republicans.

Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly approved a budget framework bill that could mean significant cuts to Medicaid. The bill instructed the House Energy & Commerce Committee (which has jurisdiction over Medicaid) to reduce the federal deficit by at least $880 billion over 10 years. Democrats argue that Medicaid is the only place where cuts at that level could be made. GOP leaders have said Medicaid will be reformed to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse, but will not be significantly cut.

On Wednesday, Congressman LaLota stated, “Medicaid is a vital safety net that provides health care to millions of low-income Americans, including children, seniors,...

King Kullen, Long Island's largest family-owned grocery chain, is closing another supermarket, this time a 34-year-old store in Middle Island. The store is located at 1235 Middle Country Rd. in the Strathmore Commons Shopping Center. The supermarket occupies about 45,000 square feet, said Robert Monahan, property manager for Island Associates Real Estate Inc., the Smithtown-based company that manages the center. Monahan confirmed that the store will be closing but said he did not know when or the reason for the impending shutdown. Tory N. Parrish reports in NEWSDAY that the King Kullen in Middle Island opened in January 1991, according to a grand-opening advertisement in Newsday's archives. Headquartered in Hauppauge, King Kullen Grocery Co. did not respond to Newsday's inquiries yesterday about the reason for the store's closing, the timeline for the closing and the number of affected employees. Most of the grocery company's store employees are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. UFCW Local 1500 in Westbury represents 41 part-time and nine full-time employees working in the front-end, grocery, produce, dairy, frozen food, deli, bakery and receiving areas of King Kullen's Middle Island store, said Aly Y. Waddy, secretary-treasurer for the local union. "Local 1500 is working to maintain as many jobs as possible. [There is] no indication of any layoffs yet," she said yesterday. Founded in Queens in 1930, King Kullen Grocery Co. operates 30 stores on Long Island, including 26 King Kullen supermarkets. The other four are Wild by Nature natural food stores. Across eastern Suffolk there are King Kullen Grocery Stores in Bridgehampton, Cutchogue, Eastport, Hampton Bays, Manorville, Center Moriches, Shirley, and for the moment – Middle Island.

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A divided Riverhead Town Board this week took the first step toward selling the historic and blighted Vail-Leavitt Music Hall to The Jazz Loft. Alek Lewis reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the Riverhead Town Board passed a resolution 3-2 authorizing the town attorney “to take all such actions as may be necessary and appropriate to consummate such sale” of the building to The Jazz Loft. The nonprofit organization previously restored a historic building in Stony Brook built in the 1770s and turned it into a performance venue and music museum.

Council members Bob Kern and Ken Rothwell dissented. They tried unsuccessfully to table the resolution, arguing that the town should open the process to other potential buyers. They voiced support for the other pitch to purchase the building made by Ray Castronovo, principal of the Riverhead-based Zenith Group.

In 2023, Suffolk County granted $250,000 for the restoration of the Vail-Leavitt, which Riverhead Town officials say will be transferable to The Jazz Loft when it takes possession of the building. The Vail-Leavitt is in need of extensive repairs, according to officials.

Supervisor Tim Hubbard and council members Joann Waski and Denise Merrifield backed The Jazz Loft, citing its year-long collaboration with the town and commitment to restoring the Vail-Leavitt.

The Jazz Loft could start renovations on the Vail-Leavitt…built in 1881 as an upstairs opera house…at the beginning of this summer and be open by November, depending upon how quickly the transaction occurs according to Jazz Loft President and Founder Thomas Manuel.

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The Southampton Village Police Benevolent Association will hold its annual Easter Egg Hunt on Friday, April 18…that’s tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. in Agawam Park in Southampton Village. All kids age 10 and younger are invited to participate but should bring a receptacle to pick up eggs. The Easter Bunny will be on hand for photo opportunities. There will be a great prize egg among the thousands scattered on the field at Agawam Park in Southampton tomorrow at 10...

After weeks of infighting and political grandstanding, Democratic leaders in New York said yesterday that they had reached agreement on a contentious issue holding up this year’s state budget negotiations: criminal discovery.

For years district attorneys have pushed for changes in state law governing the timing and scope of what evidence prosecutors must produce, which is known as discovery, before a trial. Prosecutors argued that they lacked the staffing and resources to comply with the demands and deadlines laid out in the law, resulting in serious cases being dismissed. Benjamin Oreskes and Grace Ashford report in THE NY TIMES that the D.A.’s campaign was backed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, who spent considerable political capital pushing to loosen the rules for prosecutors — even going so far as to refuse to sign any budget that would not reduce the number of criminal cases that are dismissed on procedural grounds.

On Tuesday, the NYS Legislature passed Hochul’s fifth emergency spending measure to keep the state operating until a 2025-26 budget is adopted.

The "extender" measure authorized $437.7 million in spending to fund state government into tomorrow. Since the 2025-26 fiscal year began, Hochul and the Legislature have approved $6.6 billion in emergency extenders to keep programs funded and most state workers paid.

Michael Gormley reports in NEWSDAY that the latest pressure to seal a deal is the need for most school districts to know state school aid figures so local school district budgets can be finalized on April 22 before district votes on the budgets are held statewide on May 20.

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Another federal deadline is approaching this Sunday for New York to take down congestion pricing, but MTA officials say the program is here to stay — offering new data showing a 13% reduction in cars in Manhattan’s toll zone that they say shows the program is working. Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that after Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials blew off the Trump administration’s March 20 deadline to cease charging vehicles for driving at or below 60th Street in Manhattan, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Patrick Duffy gave the MTA a 30-day extension, with the warning that "continued noncompliance will not be taken lightly."

With the matter tied up in courts, MTA officials have said they won’t take down the tolls unless ordered to do so by a judge.

New data released by the MTA shows that 82,000 fewer cars a day entered Manhattan’s congestion relief zone in March as compared with the historical average for the month — a reduction of 13%. That’s more than the 8% reduction when the tolls started in January.

MTA figures indicate that for the full month of March, there was a reduction of 2,544,945 cars in the toll zone below 60th Street in Manhattan as compared with the historical average.

MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said, “"Congestion pricing is working. It’s an extraordinary success ... It is a generational change. Traffic is down. Quality of life is up all across the city."

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Friends of The Big Duck, a nonprofit organization, celebrates the arrival of spring with the 12th annual Easter Duck Egg Hunt at Big Duck Ranch, 1012 Flanders Road (Route 24), Flanders. The free event is this coming Saturday, April 19, 12 noon sharp, so families should arrive by 11:45 a.m. Participating children must bring their own basket to carry eggs.

The grass field behind The Big Duck will be dotted with filled plastic “duck eggs” that children 2 to 9 years old can easily find. To make it a safe event, the children are grouped into three separate age groups. A prize basket is awarded to “The Good Egg” in each group who discovers the special egg. The family fun will include games and a visit from the Easter Bunny.

Friends of The Big Duck is the Southampton Town-appointed...