News Nearby: Judges Recuse Themselves In Diner Case

Here’s a look at some of the top news stories that made headlines in and around your community this past week.

East Hampton

Tuskegee Airman Lee A. Hayes, of East Hampton, Dies at 91

Lee A. Hayes, a Tuskegee Airman and bomber pilot during World War II and an East Hampton resident most of his life, died at home on Wednesday. He was 91. Hayes was among the group of African-American pilots who broke through the military’s color barrier during World War II. In 2012, theSuffolk County Historical Societyhonored Hayes during a photo exhibit celebrating the contributions of Hayes and the Tuskegee airmen.

Southampton

Big Decisions Loom in Bridgehampton Fire District Election Tuesday

Voters in the Bridgehampton Fire District will be making some key decisions on Dec. 10, including who should sit on the board of commissioners and a referendum that would transfer the treasurer from an elected position to an appointed post.

According to the district’s newly hired attorney Brad Pinsky, the referendum would shift the treasurer position from a three-year, elected term to a one-year appointed term.

Riverhead

All For the East End Concert Raises Over $70K for East End Charities…

Four months after the All for the East End Concert rocked Martha Clara Vineyards, the dust has settled and the receipts have been tallied, with the show bringing in over $70,000 in proceeds for local not-for-profits.

AFTEE organizers and Bridgehampton National Bank presented checks this week to the Long Island Community Foundation, AFTEE East End Fund and to WPPB radio. 

Kevin O’Connor, President and CEO of BNB, along with outgoing AFTEE president Myron Levine distributed proceeds from the AFTEE Presents Nile Rodgers Dance Party. 

The event, which featured headliners Avicii, Rodgers and Adam Lambert, was organized to raise funds for East End not-for-profits.

North Fork

Questions Swirl Over Einstein At Unearthed Observatory

Questions have been swirling on the North Fork about an observatory unearthed in New Suffolk in recent years — and whether or not Albert Einstein could have spent time inside.

Sag Harbor resident Bryan Downey, who has been restoring old homes across the East End with his business, Bryan Downey Restorations, since he arrived in the area from England in 1986, said he was hired by clients in New Suffolk to restore a shed.

Westhampton-Hampton Bays

Southampton Justices Recuse Themselves from Diner Case

A hearing on a near 8-year-old criminal case involving code violations at the Hampton Bays Diner and a $25 million civil suit filed by owner Frank Vlahadamis has been stymied after four judges recused themselves from hearing the case.