This Morning’s Bulletin — 7.22.15

Good Morning!
• Today will be sunny, with a high near 85 degrees and a west wind 11 to 13 miles per hour, and tonight is expected to be clear, with a low around 56 degrees and a west wind around 9 miles per hour. Thursday through Satuday are expected to be sunny, with a high near 82 degrees and Sunday is expected to be partly sunny, also with a high near 82 degrees.
* Critically acclaimed author E.L. Doctorow of Sag Harbor died yesterday at the age of 84. Known for his innovative historical fiction, he’s best known for his novel “Ragtime,” which became a motion picture and musical of the same name. He died of complications from lung cancer, his son told The New York Times.
• During the years that sculptor Arden Scott built her schooner Annie in Greenport, her work was the talk of the town. Late last month, Annie’s departure from Greenport was a much quieter affair. The Beacon’s full story is online here.
• The Southold Town Board has been in the midst of juggling a planned summer ban on bicycling and running events, along with proposed local laws regarding aquaculture and short-term rentals, in the past few weeks. The Beacon’s full story is online here.
• Community Preservation Fund revenue is up 5.5 percent in the first half of 2015 over the first half of 2014, State Assemblyman Fred Thiele reported this week, with $48.28 million collected so far this year for land preservation through the 2 percent real estate transfer tax. But the figures weren’t all rosy throughout the East End. In the first half of the year, East Hampton Town collected $13.87 million, a 6.5 percent increase over the same time period last year. Southampton Town collected $26.79 million, a 5.8 percent increase. Shelter Island Town collected $1.1 million, down 11.8 percent. Southold Town collected $2.21 million, a 24.9 percent increase. Riverhead Town collected $1.79 million, a 20.7 percent decrease.
• The Peconic Estuary Program is hosting a second ludwigia removal project on the Peconic River tomorrow, July 23, after a very successful effort in June. Volunteers are needed to meet at the Upper Mills Dam, 1129 West Main Street in Riverhead (across from the Snowflake Ice Cream shop) at 9 a.m. More information is online here.
• Amagansett Square hosts a free outdoor screening of “The Princess Bride” at 9 p.m. tonight. More information is online here.
And that’s the way things look at dawn’s light here today.