What seems like perennial roadwork around Sag Harbor from the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike to Route 114 will continue this fall, PSEG Long Island said this month. Elizabeth Flagler, a spokeswoman for the utility, said it had, in fact, stopped work on laying a new power cable from its Bridgehampton transmission site to East Hampton during the busy summer season, but had begun again in earnest earlier this month. “We recently began working on the remaining approximately 3,000 feet of trench work on Route 114 that will be completed at night by roughly the end of September, first week of October,” she said. “That will allow the crews to install conduits and pull the cable to increase reliability for customers.” Stephen J. Kotz reports on 27east.com that motorists driving between East Hampton and Sag Harbor at night have been encountering several lit-up work areas along Route 114. PSEG has also been working on the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike north of Scuttle Hole Road in Bridgehampton and along Jermain Avenue in Sag Harbor during the daytime hours, causing delays for motorists and leaving a bumpy road in their wake. Flagler said relief will come later this year. “We expect permanent restoration to be complete before the holidays,” she said. “This will include not only repaving the work area, the road will be paved from curb to curb.”

***

You are invited to: How to Survive the Change of Life: A Free Symposium on Healthy Aging for Women After 40

Later today from 5 p.m. to 8 pm, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, is hosting a free, informative gathering for women

40 + years of age who are interested in learning how to manage perimenopause and menopause symptoms, as well as how to maintain good health and well-being. The event is sponsored by, and held, at The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Hamptons at 111 St. Andrews Road in Southampton. Leading physicians and experts from Stony Brook Medicine, Meeting House Lane Medical Practice and Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s Wellness Institute will be joined by leaders of local organizations to address the top questions women have about navigating life after 40.

There will be two panel discussions: “What to Expect During Perimenopause and Menopause” which will examine the wide range of symptoms that can occur during this life stage, including irregular periods, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, sleep difficulties, mood changes, brain fog, headaches and skin breakouts, and “How to Manage Symptoms and Thrive” which will provide holistic and medical approaches to managing symptoms and supporting overall well-being, including the role of exercise, nutrition, behavioral health, pelvic floor therapy, and women’s safety.

Following the panel discussions, guests are encouraged to visit information tables featuring Stony Brook women’s health services. Spanish translators will be available onsite to assist attendees. This community event is part of Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s ongoing commitment to empowering women with knowledge, resources, and support for every stage of life.

That’s How to Survive the Change of Life: A Free Event on Healthy Aging for Women After 40…today from 5pm to 8 pm

at The Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 111 St. Andrews Road, Southampton, NY

This evening’s symposium is Free.

***

The Amagansett Life-Saving and Coast Guard Station Museum will host its 34th annual Largest Clam Contest this coming Sunday, October 5, from 12 noon to 3 p.m. at the station on Atlantic Avenue in Amagansett. Sunday’s event will feature live music, a chowder contest, a live marine species exhibit and other activities. Chowder entries must be delivered by 11:30 a.m. Sunday, and clams entered must be dug between September 29 and October 4 from waters in the Town of East Hampton. That’s the East Hampton Town Trustees Largest Clam Contest this coming Sunday from 12 noon to 3 p.m. at the station on Atlantic Avenue in Amagansett. The Amagansett Life-Saving and Coast Guard Station Museum is open weekends from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. through October. More information is available at amagansettlss.org.

***

Solo commuters on the Long Island Expressway should brace for more traffic congestion starting tomorrow while carpoolers can expect faster speeds as the Clean Pass program comes to an end. Peter Gill reports in NEWSDAY that the program, which grants exemptions for zero- and low-emission vehicles in high-occupancy vehicle lanes, stops tonight because the federal government did not renew permission for New York and 14 other states to continue their programs. Beginning Oct. 1…that’s tomorrow…only carpoolers will be able to use the HOV lanes — no matter if they're fuel- or battery-powered.

There are currently over 160,000 electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids on Long Island and in New York City, but about 48,000 vehicles are registered with Clean Pass, according to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the Department of Motor Vehicles. It is unclear how many Clean Pass vehicles regularly use the LIE, which daily handles about 180,000 vehicles across all lanes in both directions at the Nassau County-Queens border, where the HOV lanes begin. The lanes stretch 40 miles east to Medford.

In the short term, the impact on traffic will depend on how strictly the change is policed, but in the long term, it may depend on whether people adapt by sharing rides, according to Michael Shenoda, a professor of traffic engineering at Farmingdale State College. "Over time, "carpooling may start to look more attractive again" if the HOV lanes speed up relative to the regular lanes.

Robert Sinclair, spokesman for AAA Northeast, said except carpoolers, other LIE users should leave extra time to get to work beginning tomorrow.

Some clean-energy advocates said the program's days were numbered anyway, given increasing congestion in the HOV lanes as more electric vehicles used them. Under federal law, once HOV-lane traffic slows past a certain threshold — defined as a 45-mph minimum-average speed 90% of the time over 180 consecutive days during peak hours — the lanes must revert to only carpooling.

Spokespersons for the Nassau and Suffolk County police departments told Newsday they plan to enforce the new HOV lane rules.

***

Surrounded by shellfish growers, representatives from the fishing industry and local elected leaders, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine signed a bill creating a county Working Waterfront Protection Program by the Greenport Village Commercial Dock yesterday.

Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the legislation will enable owners of commercial waterfront property to seek easements ensuring that their property remains used in perpetuity for a variety of water-dependent business purposes, at a time when many commercial waterfront properties are being sold off and converted to large homes for the wealthy.

Capital funding for the program, which was approved by the Suffolk County Legislature earlier this year, includes $2.5 million in 2026, with a total commitment of $9.5 million between 2026 and 2028.

Mr. Romaine said the program is modeled on the county’s successful Farmland Preservation Program.

“Fifty years ago, the second Suffolk County Executive, John V.N. Klein, looked and began to see farmland disappear, and he understood the necessity of trying to save farmland,” said Mr. Romaine, adding that Mr. Klein then helped develop the farmland development rights purchase program that has now preserved “well over 12,000 acres of farmland.”

“We began to look at our waterfront, and began to see that a lot of our working waterfront was disappearing, because of the attraction of real estate to build condos, restaurants, etcetera, on our waterfront,” said the county executive. “If we let that continue, we might not have as successful a working waterfront as we have today. The largest fishing fleet in the State of New York comes out of Montauk, the second largest out of Shinnecock and the third largest out of Greenport…. If we do not have a working waterfront… we’re going to miss out on one of the heritage industries in our county.”

“Today marks a turning point,” said Bonnie Brady, Executive Director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, at Monday’s bill signing. “This legislation is an investment in our economy, our maritime traditions and the future of the East End,” she said. “For generations, families have made their living on the water — fishing, aquaculture, boatbuilding and marine repair, all have been essential to our way of life.”

She said these industries support the jobs of 38,000 county residents and 3,000 businesses, generating more than $3 billion in revenue each year, half of which is for salaries.

The bill was passed unanimously by the Suffolk County Legislature on Sept. 3.

***

Long Island’s largest and most controversial zoo is set to close its doors and ship all its animals off to rescue facilities, as the sanctuary prepares to “wind down” by early next year, officials confirmed yesterday.

Brandon Cruz and Nicole Rosenthal report in THE NY POST that the Holtsville Ecology Center’s zoo, a taxpayer-funded animal refuge will be phased out after more than 40 years in operation as Brookhaven town officials look to cut costs and shift focus and funding.

“The operations at the Holtsville sanctuary are going to wind down,” Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico revealed at a special town meeting Monday. Brookhaven Town leaders said there is no official closing date at the moment, but they are aiming to empty and close the zoo by the end of March 2026 and relocate each animal to various “SPCA approved and accredited” rescue facilities.

Having opened its doors in 1979 on a reclaimed landfill, the Holtsville zoo grew into one of the most prominent free attractions across Long Island — drawing families from all over Suffolk County and beyond.

The refuge houses roughly 100 animals, a majority of which were rescued or donated and can’t survive in the wild on their own anymore, ranging from bald eagles and bobcats to buffalo and farm livestock that patrons are allowed to feed and pet.

Animal advocates have long argued the town lacked the veterinary expertise and resources to properly care for such a wide range of species, and hailed yesterday’s announcement as long overdue.

***

The transformation of historic Montauk Playhouse into a community hub, in the making for nearly three decades, is nearly complete.

The property at 240 Edgemere St. in Montauk was built as part of a resort in the 1920s, then donated to the Town of East Hampton in 1999. Renovations began soon after, as a new gym, basketball court and day care center opened as part of the first half of the project in 2006.

Sam Kmack reports in NEWSDAY that the final portion of the multimillion-dollar initiative is now set to open before the end of the year, concluding what East Hampton Councilman David Lys described as “the most complex and perhaps most costly project within the township ever accomplished.”

It includes a new aquatic center with an indoor swimming pool — one of the only in East Hampton open to residents during the winter — and a cultural center for events like concerts, art shows and TED Talks to keep the community alive after Labor Day.

Specific opening dates for the new facilities have not yet been set but are expected to be determined soon, according to Jennifer Carney-Iacono, president of the nonprofit Montauk Playhouse Community Center Foundation.

“Our teens and our seniors and all of us need a place to gather,” Carney-Iacono said of the cultural center. “We now have a space for the community to come together, learn, enjoy performances and even break bread.”

The new additions cost about $16 million. The Town of East Hampton contributed about $5.6 million, New York State put $1.75 million toward the effort, and private donations totaled about $8.25 million, according to the Montauk Playhouse Community Foundation.

The aquatic center will be opened this fall after it receives permits from Suffolk County and other minor “punch-list items” are complete, Carney-Iacono told Newsday. Access will be membership-based, and residents will be able to sign up closer to opening day. A company called Imagine Swimming will operate the aquatic center. The organization runs four other pools in the metropolitan area and offers a slew of swimming programs, including lessons for both kids and adults.