Gold Stars and Dunce Caps

⭐️ : To Cami Hatch, for reminding everyone why learning to swim and lifeguard training are important. The East Hampton graduate, now a University of Tennessee student, has been studying in Italy and was visiting Malta recently when she heard a fellow beachgoer whistling. “That whistle unlocked a new mode in my brain. For lifeguards, when you hear a whistle it means, ‘Heads up — get ready to go,’ as Big John and Johnny Ryan have instilled in us over the years,” she said, shouting out her lifeguard instructors. She dove in and saved a foundering Englishman, who was in his 60s. Winning swimming meets and lifeguard competitions are great, but it’s a reminder: Those skills are literally lifesaving.

⭐️: To Anita Boyer and other community activists, for bearing the slings and arrows of social media to stand publicly against the recent ICE raids, and on behalf of her neighbors who are living in fear. The backlash has been severe on some platforms for Boyer and others who took to the streets in peaceful protest. That hasn’t stopped her, and others, from continuing to rally, making clear that this is an area where masked ICE agents will not be welcomed with open arms by everyone in the community. Failing to speak up in the face of oppression is un-American.

⭐️: To the Southampton Animal Shelter, for continuing its good work while undergoing major renovations. Despite working out of temporary facilities, the shelter continues unabated in its mission to find “forever homes” for the animals in its care. That’s not easy, but it’s definitely appreciated.

⭐️: To the East Hampton Town Board, which continues to demonstrate commitment to addressing its share of the region’s affordable housing shortage. The town, working with the governor’s office, is finding solutions — and the state has some good, sensible programs in place to help, such as offering manufactured housing at a reduced price to spread affordable housing dollars further. While other municipalities talk, East Hampton has been taking real action. And while we’re at it …

⭐️: To Tom Flight, more specifically. The East Hampton Town Board member has been doggedly pursuing a plan to update the town’s policies on accessory dwelling units, or ADUs. It’s a deep-in-the-weeds aspect of affordable housing that, in reality, can have a major impact on making life in East Hampton more affordable, for property owners and renters alike. Flight is proposing changes that would allow attached ADUs on smaller lots, would open the ADUs up to second-home owners, and increasing the cap on parking to a more realistic five cars. “ADUs are one of the cheapest, lowest-impact ways to add housing without major infrastructure,” Flight said in a recent release — and he’s correct. So far, residents have been slow to embrace ADUs, but this is a practical solution that might wilt on the vine without attention. Kudos to Flight for fanning the flames.

⭐️: To the Sag Harbor Village Board, for joining the “Skip the Stuff” movement, officially, this month. The measure requires restaurants that offer delivery or carryout service to ask customers if they want plastic utensils and other small items, like ketchup packets, that often become garbage the moment they’re in a customer’s hands. It’s wasteful — and there’s nothing easier than simply asking if they’re needed, and defaulting to not including them. Simple step, major effect on the waste stream.

⭐️: To Shawn Sachs, Laney Crowell, Fitzhugh Karol and Lyndsay Caleo Karol, and to the owners of Kidd Squid Brewing Company in Sag Harbor, for organizing a food pantry benefit earlier this month that supported both the Springs Food Pantry and the Sag Harbor Food Pantry. The effort raised thousands of dollars and filled a van with nonperishable food that will be distributed to neighbors in need this holiday season. Being part of a community means supporting the whole community — and these individuals clearly understand that.

⭐️: To Chris and Elisa Carney, Jeff and Erin Tupper, Adrienne Posillico and Jeff Payne, and Scott and Rebecca Rubenstein, for organizing a fundraiser in support of Rob Balnis, a beloved member of the East Hampton community who is recovering after a stroke in August. Balnis is a true pillar of East Hampton, the kind of person always looking for ways to help others. When it became his turn to need support, the community responded in force: Hundreds filled The Clubhouse in Wainscott on November 15 to stand with him. Many people talk about how much East Hampton has changed over the years, but one thing has remained constant: It is a community that takes care of its own. That spirit was unmistakably on display that night.

⭐️: To Bonac football and coach Joe McKee for giving fans a season worth cheering for. The team capped a historic run with a loss to Sayville on November 14 — but there should be nothing but praise for McKee, his coaching staff, and the players who brought so much heart and grit to the season.

DUNCE CAP: To Southampton Village leadership, for mishandling an important document that the public has every right to see. Despite what they keep saying, state law is clear on this point: A “draft” document is still a public document, especially when it contains factual information. A plan for the expansion of the village’s historic district — a move that will have significant impact on property owners — is being withheld illegally from those property owners, as Trustee Ed Simioni has maintained. This draft will change, the argument goes, so it shouldn’t be released until it’s finished. But the public has a right to see the entire process, not just the result. A village dedicated to transparency would not be afraid to show its work as it proceeds to a solution that’s meant to benefit its constituents. Instead of digging in, Mayor Bill Manger should demonstrate his commitment to transparency by admitting an error, and simply release it. It’s the right thing to do. And it’s the law.

⭐️: To Evelyn Ramunno, the longtime director of the Sag Harbor Food Pantry, who is retiring at the end of the year after 25 years of volunteering, the last 15 as the pantry’s director. And another star to Terie Diat of North Haven, who has stepped in to replace Ramunno as the pantry’s executive director. Over the years, the local pantries have become increasingly important to more of our neighbors. It takes generous souls to keep them operating, and their efforts should be applauded.

⭐️: To Gerald Schwenk, who chose to sell his Redwood Anchorage Marina to Southampton Town, instead of to private bidders. As a result, local residents will continue to be assured of having a place to dock their boats. Such individual transactions go a long way in charting whether a community is getting a little better, or a little worse. Schwenk assured that this will be a small change with big benefits.

⭐️: To Southampton Town Highway Superintendent Charles McArdle, who has been out, until after dark, helping his Highway Department crew members direct traffic during construction work on County Road 39 in Southampton. It’s further evidence that McArdle has made it his personal mission to find effective ways to manage the daily backups, and he’s not merely shouting out orders from behind a desk. He’s on the front lines, where he can both help and see the problem firsthand. That’s leadership.

DUNCE CAP: To U.S. Representative Nick LaLota, for taking a break from patting himself on the back for being “bipartisan” to lash out at Democrats in a most deplorable way. President Donald Trump last week accused six U.S. senators and representatives of an act of sedition, saying that it was “punishable by death.” The six, all veterans of the military or intelligence communities themselves, reminded members of the military and CIA that the Constitution says they “can refuse illegal orders.” It’s just a factual statement, and the inclusion of the word “illegal” is key: We should all expect that servicemen and women will refuse manifestly unlawful orders, such as targeting civilians. LaLota, in an embarrassing example of hyperbole and hysteria, labeled it a “CIA-style influence video,” saying the six’s message was “edging toward outright sedition.” On yet another occasion when the president’s reckless rhetoric has led to a deluge of death threats against Democratic elected officials, LaLota could have thrown water on the flames. Instead, he threw another log on the fire. In the wake of the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September, LaLota stated, “Leaders of both parties must work to lower the temperature and end political violence.” It’s time for LaLota to take his own advice.