This Morning’s Bulletin — 6.10.14

Good Morning!

• The Suffolk County Health Department is urging people to keep their pets and children away from Lake Marratooka in Mattituck, Lake Agawam in downtown Southampton and Big Reed Pond near Shagwong Point east of Lake Montauk, which have all recently tested positive for high levels of toxic cyanobacteria by the New York State Department of Environmental Concentration. The Beacon’s full story is online here.

• Congressman Tim Bishop was at the White House yesterday to participated in a ceremony at which President Obama signed a presidential memorandum aimed at making a college education more affordable for millions of American students. The memorandum directs the Department of Education to permit five million student borrowers to cap their student loan payments at 10 percent of their discretionary income. Mr. Bishop, the former provost of Southampton College, has been an advocate in Congress for higher education reform.

“Access to higher education should be as easy as possible for all Americans,” said Mr. Bishop.  “Allowing graduates the opportunity to cap their loan payments based on their level of income will reduce the burden for many young adults just entering the workforce.”

• The Southampton Town Board meets at 1 p.m. today. They’re continuing the public hearing on the proposed Sandy Hollow Cove planned development district, and have a resolution approving the PDD on their agenda. They’re also expected to agree to apply for a state grant for a bicycle path on the eastern portion of Noyac Road from Long Beach Road east to the Sag Harbor village line. The project is expected to cost $800,000. If the grant is approved, the state will pay for 80 percent of the work and the town will pay for 20 percent. The Southampton Town Board’s full agenda is online here.

• The East Hampton Town Board will discuss the Lake Montauk study and First Coastal’s analysis of the Army Corps’ plan to shore up downtown Montauk at their 10 a.m. work session today at the Montauk Firehouse. First Coastal’s analysis calculated the project’s total economic benefit to Montauk to be more than double the amount presented by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, lending support for the argument that Montauk should receive significantly more relief than what the Army Corps has already committed to the hamlet. The town board’s full agenda is online here.

• Seventh graders in the Shelter Island School are on a trip up to New Bedford, Mass. on the schooner Alabama. The school has created a Facebook page to keep their families and friends updated on their journey.

• The Shelter Island Town Board will discuss their May 30 wetland hearing and a Friends of the Shelter Island Library volleyball tournament at their 1 p.m. work session today. Their full agenda is online here.

• Longtime Stephen Talkhouse and Blue Parrot bartender Michael Farrell, who is struggling with Alzheimer’s Disease and cancer, needs help to cover his medical expenses. Paddlers for Humanity is hosting a benefit at The Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett tonight from 6 to 9 p.m., featuring music by Nancy Atlas, Klyph Black and many other artists.  The suggested donation is $25 and there will be a silent auction, raffle and food donated by East Hampton restaurants.

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