August 18th, 2023 - Seaon's Final "Alive On 25" Tonight In Riverhead

Yes, traffic really has been that bad in Sag Harbor this summer.Stephen J. Kotz reports on 27east.com that northbound traffic on Route 114 is often backed up to Burke Street, and southbound traffic is frequently backed up all the way to the North Haven roundabout. That volume converges at a natural chokepoint at the north end of Main Street and west end of Bay Street, often causing tie-ups. Meanwhile, southbound traffic on Main Street, westbound traffic on Jermain Avenue, and eastbound traffic on Brick Kiln Road is often so backed up that motorists have to wait through two stoplight cycles to get in or out of the village on its south side. It doesn’t help that the Village of Sag Harbor is short traffic control officers, and many drivers seem to think it is okay to make a U-turn on Main Street in the business district, or to double park while waiting for that elusive parking space in front of them to become available. “The Hamptons are just extremely popular, and coming out of this COVID era, things have just exploded,” said Sag Harbor Mayor Tom Gardella. “It’s difficult to manage. Other than putting up a roadblock at the Shinnecock Canal, how are you going to do it?” “I’ve never seen so much traffic in my career,” added Lieutenant Rob Drake of the Sag Harbor Police Department, who said new monitors, which count the number of vehicles traveling in both directions, had produced some mind-boggling numbers. Police have placed one of the monitors at the foot of the Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter Veterans Memorial Bridge. In July, a total of 353,791 vehicles were counted. A second monitor was placed at Brick Kiln Road, where 221,743 vehicles were counted in July. “On every major artery coming into Sag Harbor Village or exiting the village, the volume is incredible,” Lt. Drake said. ***The Suffolk County resident who died after contracting a rare bacterial infection was a man over the age of 55 from Brookhaven Township, officials said yesterday. He had underlying health conditions and a wound on his leg, they said. Lisa L. Colangelo reports on Newsday.com that it’s still unclear how he became infected with Vibrio vulnificus, which led to his death from sepsis in late July, according to the Suffolk County Department of Health. There have been 18 cases of Vibrio infections in Suffolk County so far this year, but fatalities are rare. Suffolk Health officials are investigating the cases in conjunction with the NYS Health Department. Vibrio bacteria live in coastal waters and can be found in higher concentrations during the warmer months of May to October. People can become infected after eating raw or undercooked seafood or exposing an open wound to salt water or brackish water, said Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott. “Brackish water is where fresh water meets salt water,” said Pigott. “We want to reassure people this is not something you're going to worry about at Smith Point Beach or Robert Moses Park or Jones Beach, the ocean beaches…maybe something calmer like in the Great South Bay or in coves in the North Shore where streams or stormwater runoff meets salt water. That's where Vibrio might be in larger numbers.” People who have compromised immune systems or cirrhosis of the liver are particularly vulnerable, experts said. The Suffolk County man had underlying health conditions and a wound on his leg, officials said.***The final Alive on 25 of the season in Downtown Riverhead, a street festival with live music on multiple stages, local craft beverages, food trucks, vendors, artisans and family activities, will be held this evening from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Admission is free. Alive