This Morning’s Bulletin — 1.13.15

Good Morning!

• We’re in for some serious cold and wind in the next couple days, with a west wind today 21 to 28 miles per hour, with gusts up to 45. It will be mostly sunny, with a high near 30 degrees but wind chill values between 10 and 15. Tonight will be partly cloudy, with a low around 14. Tomorrow will be partly sunny, with a high near 34 degrees and a west wind 9 to 17 miles per hour, pushing the wind chill down to between 10 and 20 degrees. Friday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 49.

• The endorsement race is on in the Democratic primary for the East End’s congressional district.While both candidates have up until now focused on their philosophical differences with incumbent Lee Zeldin on national issues ranging from gun control to funding for Planned Parenthood, David Calone’s campaign announced this Monday that they’d received endorsements from nearly every Democratic South Fork town board member, many of whom had worked closely with his opponent, Anna Throne-Holst, on local issues here. The Beacon’s full story is online here.

• Riverhead Town’s Industrial Development Agency approved  a 10-year extension of tax abatements on the Long Island Aquarium & Exhibition Center at a special meeting last night. Prior to a Jan. 4 public hearing on the application, the board had estimated the value of the tax benefit at about $1.15 million, but half an hour before the vote last night, they provided figures that showed the value of the benefits at closer to $8 million, after community activist Larry Simms questioned their numbers. Mr. Simms had estimated the value of the abatement at $9.9 million. About 30 members of the public showed up to question the board’s actions, but were told it was too late to speak because the hearing had been closed. The police were called to keep order as a heated discussion ensued, first in the board room and then in the lobby of town hall. The Beacon’s full story is online here.

• In the dead of this winter, board-treaders are bringing some dark tales, designed to toy with the recesses of our minds, to stages all across the East End. Three local theater companies are opening new productions this coming weekend. The Beacon’s full story is online here.

• There are two debates in the upcoming week for the Jan. 26 special election to fill Brad Bender’s Southampton Town Board seat. The first one, sponsored by the Southampton Press, will be held this Saturday, Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill. The second debate, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Hamptons, will be held on Thursday, Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Westhampton Free Library.

• The Southold Town Board of Assessors will be available to assist senior citizens with their tax exemption forms at the Human Resource Center, 750 Pacific Street, Mattituck on Wednesday, Feb. 3 from 10 a.m. to noon. You can contact the Assessors’ Office with any questions at 631.765.1937.

And that’s the way things look at dawn’s light here today.