A large group of federal, state, county and local officials huddled Friday in the small wooden building that once was the Flanders Club, keeping out of the rain and praising 20 years of work in protecting the Peconic Estuary.
As the officials spoke, the rain did what it always does in Flanders, washing down on the lands around Peconic Bay and gently working its way into the water.
The group included County Executive Steve Bellone, Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton), state Sen. Kenneth LaValle (R-Port Jefferson), Assemb. Fred Thiele Jr. (I-Sag Harbor), Legis. Jay Schneiderman (I-Montauk) and four East End town supervisors. Also on hand were Joan Leary Matthews, regional director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Peter Scully, regional director...| read more ››