Many parents showed up at Monday’s board meeting pleading with the administration to reconsider cuts to their favorite programs. So we thought we’d add our own two cents by lobbying for a program that is near and dear to our heart here at the Express — the school newspaper.

Over the course of the last five years or so, readers have come to know a bit about the students and staff at Pierson High School through Folio, the student-produced newspaper that appears occasionally on a full page in the Express (a page which is donated, by the way).

Though the school will offer a new journalism class in the English department next fall, and will likely put student written material online, still up for debate is whether or not there will be a traditional student newspaper.

Learning about journalism is great, but it’s only part of the equation. Without a final product, where is the motivation? Journalism is a great discipline for writers of all stripes – there’s nothing like a deadline to make you focus — just ask us, every week. But without a paper, and more importantly, without a community of interested citizens to read and respond to it, it is simply writing produced in a vacuum. And as far as we’re concerned, kids are in enough of a vacuum as it is, communicating with one another, as they do, in texts and tweets.

Some may say journalism as we know it is a dead medium. But we beg to differ. Community newspapers continue to be the only reliable source of local news. More importantly, papers start dialogues. Whether it is ultimately published by the school or as an occasional offering in the Sag Harbor Express (and quite frankly, we feel the school would be foolish to walk away from this free platform), a school newspaper connects students to the community in which they live. There are very few high school classes that offer this sort of experience. School papers require that students reach out to their audience, be it adults or fellow students, and challenge their thinking on contentious issues or preconceived notions.

Most importantly, writing for school newspapers teaches students real-world values and the skill of knowing how to communicate with their community. In this world of constantly changing modes of communication, what could be more important than that?

We were happy to report several weeks ago that the town was intending to begin a re-design of several hundred feet of the roadway, actually moving a portion of Noyac Road about a dozen feet south of its present location, giving drivers more room and a safer way to enter and exit the parking lot in front of Cromer’s and the Whalebone General Store. In summer months in particular, this can be a treacherous place to get in and out of.

At Tuesday night’s Noyac Civic Council meeting, newly-elected town highway superintendent Alex Gregor reviewed with the audience of Noyac residents the plan that has seen numerous drafts and revisions, and we’d have to say the thirty or so in attendance were happy to see a plan that can move forward.  We heard Mr. Gregor say he hoped to have work begin on the project shortly after Labor Day.

We also heard something else in his voice: a bit of hesitation.

In his presentation, Mr. Gregor appeared less certain the project would actually be started this year. Even civic council president Chuck Neuman appeared concerned, fearing that if the project was passed over, Noyac would again have to wait through another cycle of project funding.

At issue is a piece of land that must first be deeded to the town from a subdivision across the street from Cromer’s, upon which the road would be moved. Mr. Gregor said he has urged town attorneys to push to finalize the deal, but it has not yet been done.

We are incredulous that after so much time, the town may once again drop the ball on a project in the hamlet — and one that clearly has health and safety issues. If they fail to move on Noyac Road this year it will simply underscore that Noyac truly is the town’s poor stepchild.

On Monday night Supervisor Bill Wilkinson of East Hampton and Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst of Southampton made an obvious effort to portray themselves as something new, people who were anxious to work with the public. Both appear to come from the position that the public has been deeply wounded by their predecessors and they have been elected to privide a healing salve. That their predecessors, under pressure from the public, closed up.

Mr. Wilkinson said his first order of business was to live up to a campaign promise to provide open government, and said board meetings would not be “rehearsed.”

This will be a relief, as many times board meetings — whether they are town board, village board or school board — have the air of plays being acted out by a cast that already knows its lines by heart. Hardly the stuff to make us feel like our elected officials are being spontaneous, open or honest about their discussions.

And Ms. Throne-Holst has said local community gropups should feel welcome to bring their concerns to her.

We are happy to say that both Mr. Wilkinson and Ms. Throne-Holst appear to be on the right track. In addition to participating in Monday’s forum, they have both been making good on their promises. The members of the East Hampton Town Board met in an open meeting with their constituents recently and Ms. Throne-Holst has been actively reaching out to, and meeting with, all the local community advisory committees.

For all of us, we hope they continue this openness, even when the inevitable public pressure comes upon them.

This new arrangement is clearly beneficial to both sending and receiving schools. Now the parents have options and this is a great opportunity to realize some much needed revenue at the receiving school districts. As an added bonus, both Bridgehampton and Sag Harbor’s out-of-district tuition rates are significantly cheaper than East Hampton’s tuition. Sure, East Hampton will miss out on some revenue if children decide to attend Bridgehampton or Sag Harbor, but perhaps this will encourage some competition amongst the districts in our area. By creating a competitive environment, schools must keep their prices relatively reasonable while also providing an excellent, or specialized, education both for residents and non-residents. It is a win-win for local school districts, and will perhaps force East Hampton to appeal to a broader range of students.

And we tip our hat to Bridgehampton, a district that has come an enormously long way to offer a high quality and sought after education. We are thrilled to see the school continue to grow and thrive, despite the naysayers who seek to shut down the institution. Bridgehampton continues to carve out a niche for themselves in the community and Sagaponack’s decision underscores what a wonderful district Bridgehampton has become.

Heeding this advice, teacher Kryn Olson and parents Ed Bruehl and Sam Panton have put together a commendable project. With this plan, they will turn an area that is now an eyesore at the elementary school campus into an interactive, engaging, and eco-friendly outdoor classroom. Anything that helps students understand the natural world around them is extraordinary, and anything that gets kids outdoors is a plus. The motivation displayed by Olson, Bruehl and Panton reminds us of another episode in which the citizens of the village took it into their own hands to beautify Sag Harbor.

Under the auspices of the village government, several years ago a group of about a dozen locals created the Sag Harbor Village Tree Fund. Over the years, the village had lost many of its street trees to disease, storms or old age. Seeking to diversify the village’s tree stock while ensuring the beauty of the streetscape for years to come, this group fundraised and went out to secure discounted prices on trees from local vendors. They also asked people to donate their time to plant the saplings and even provided water sacks to keep them healthy. The financial commitment to the government was minimal.

This along with Olson’s project in the pipeline, are two great examples of what committed groups of people can accomplish when focused in a common cause for the good of all. We think there is a greater place for these kinds of works to occur, as long as we have a willing government that will support the efforts. Especially in these economically strapped times, there are projects which the government simple can’t afford, and maybe shouldn’t be spending money on. But we still have a committed collection of citizens with vision and ideas. Right now, we think the government should focus on their core chores, and when these committed individuals get together as a highly skilled an organized group with an eye on an end goal that will benefit us all, they should give their blessing.

In Sag Harbor, about 15 percent of the students are classified for special education. It should be noted that Sag Harbor does have a comparatively high rate of classified students, and, over the years, the district nurtured a reputation for helping those students who required special education. But all local districts, along with Sag Harbor, regularly wrestle with the changing diagnoses and classifications for special education students.

And there is a wide range of students with a wide range of disabilities: from those who have difficulty hearing and need to be placed close to the front of the room to those who are profoundly reading disabled to those who cannot learn in a conventional classroom and must be placed in classrooms in other learning environments.

The challenges for the student and the teacher are daunting. For the parent, those challenges can be confusing and worrisome.

Navigating the world of special education for the uninitiated is full of terminology and practices that, at first blush, are disconcerting and possibly frightening. The advantage of having a PTA dedicated to those parents struggling with special education issues is they will be able to share with other parents who may have similar problems and to work through those problems together. Also, this gives the parent and the teacher an opportunity to meet and discuss issues in a more relaxed and informal way.

Special education or handicapped students are entitled to the same benefits and quality of education as non-handicapped students. We’re happy to see their parents will now be getting the benefit of their own organization.

But just because this is a special election for one seat does not diminish its importance. As in any board of elected officials, a single voice can have a profound influence. A single vote can change policy, law or the direction the town may take.

Convenient to many of our readers, on Wednesday night, February 24, the League of Women Voters of the Hamptons will host a debate at the Southampton Cultural Center. That evening both Bridget Fleming, the Democratic and Independence Party candidate, and Bill Hughes, who has been endorsed by the Republican Party, will square off.

You owe it to yourself to hear what they have to say.

That being said, this past Saturday’s public session with the town board was the kind of outreach and communication we think is necessary for residents if we are to regain any faith in our local leadership.

The reality is the demographics of our communities are shifting, and in addition to the local, year round population, there is a group of residents – second homeowners and part-time residents – who should have a voice in government as another group of stakeholders in East Hampton. Saturday’s meeting provided an opportunity for all residents – including those unable to make regular town board sessions – an opportunity to be heard. For this kind of inclusiveness, the new town board should be commended.

This board has been saddled with a fiscal mess – nearly $30 million of debt – and as a result will face challenges, particularly in what it cannot afford to do. It will have to strike a balance between getting East Hampton’s spending back in line, and wrestling with what programs and services are expendable. These are not easy choices, and often when saddled with easy choices, decisions can begin to be made in the back room.

It appears, following Saturday’s meeting, the new board does in fact intend on returning the dialogue about the future of the East Hampton back into the hands its residents. We hope they continue these kinds of meetings, fleshing out what people need from their government through communication rather than agenda bullet points, and providing real information rather than talking points.

So far, so good. 

Although the Southampton Animal Shelter does a wonderful job in accommodating their brood of cats and dogs, these animals still need the one-on-one love provided by a family unit, even if that unit is made up of one person. There are limitations to how much intimate contact the shelter employees can have with the over-100 cats and dozens of dogs currently housed at the shelter. There are cats and dogs to meet every specification at the shelter, from small to big to outgoing to mellow. Although you might not be able to find the exact breed you had set your heart on, you are likely to find in these animals unconditional love.

The current economic conditions on the East End and around the country have exacerbated the vulnerability of animals and reduced the adoption chances of those already in shelters. Back in April 2009 in an article with the Detroit News, Allie Phillips, the director of public policy at the American Humane Association estimated 15,000 to 26,000 “foreclosure pets” were at risk of being abandoned every day in this country due to the economic constraints of their owners.

This means the need for loving homes is more acute today than ever before. We hope you, or your friends, family and loved ones, will adopt a shelter animal either today or in the future. Adopting an animal does take a bit of opening of one’s heart, but in doing so the owner expands their capacity to love by sharing their home and caring for an animal. For those interested in taking a look at the animals at the Southampton Shelter please visit http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NY48.html.

The three local hospitals which have joined together under the banner of the East End Health Alliance have been in and out of talks with the area’s largest insurer, Empire BlueCross BlueShield, since last summer. The benefits and the ability to receive reimbursement for hospital stays for thousands of local residents hang in the balance.

Then there is the struggle between the Sag Harbor School District and the Teachers Association of Sag Harbor. This has been going on for two years and the peace of a community rubbed raw is at stake — not to mention salary and benefits packages for teachers and future bills for tax payers.

While the debate between hospitals and insurer goes on behind closed doors, the discussion between the teachers and the district has been, in many ways, very public. We haven’t been privy to what actually is discussed, but speculation and posturing from both sides occurs regularly in school board meetings and on the letters to the editor pages.

There is another difference here, and that is there appears to be an end in sight for the former. An Empire spokesperson this week ebulliantly suggested their might be an agreement within the next few weeks.

While we are encouraged by the announcement this week that the teachers and the school board are hoping to meet in the next few weeks, there is little evidence that either side is prepared to budge from their dug in positions (although we do note the board sending all of its members to a sit down — something the teachers have been requesting all along).

But what has struck us is a comment made by Paul Connor, president of Eastern Long Island Hospital and spokesperson for the Alliance. For the first time in more than five months both sides in the negotiations seem to making real progress.  When asked what the turning point was, after months of a stalemate, Connor said simply both sides began to find plaves where they could compromise.

In Sag Harbor, someone is going to have to take the first step. Both sides have claimed they are willing to compromise in certain areas and are not wedded to any position. But, acknowledging we simply don’t know what is said behind closed doors, it does not appear there is any real effort to compromise from either side. We suspect, if there was, we would have moved forward by now.