In the Know Archives | Page 5 of 15

In Feature Story

Spill the Tea with Allura and Skyler Johnson, Candidate for State Senate

June 18, 2020 In Feature Story 2 Mins Read

Hamptons Mouthpiece; Spill the Tea – Allura Leggard speaks with New York State Senate candidate, Skyle r Johnson to discuss the upcoming election.

Johnson ‘Spills the Tea’ on his plans for healthcare; the environment; education; Police Reform and that was only a fraction of the Bold Plans he has for the future.

Unlike many of the other candidates who have other full-time jobs, Johnson tells us that his full-time job is being a student, continuing to learn more about how he can bring about change and focus on the many issues that concern Americans in the 1st district.

19-year-old Johnson is this year’s youngest candidate running for State Senate.

Johnson expressed that his use of social media and his command for the facts is important to discuss issues that many people in Suffolk County are concerned about.

Johnson is one of five Democratic candidates running this year for Senator Kenneth LaValle’s NY State Senate seat in the First District in Suffolk County. Senator LaValle has held this position for 43 years and decided he will not be running for reelection this year.

Johnson says, one of his most important issues for his campaign is providing everyone in the state with free and quality healthcare. Johnson says this can be achieved by “rebuilding our healthcare system by passing the NYHA, New York Health Act-Including: free testing, treatment, and telemedicine for everyone.”

You can read more about Johnson’s Bold Plans for a Bright Future on his website. https://skylerforsenate.com

Election day is June 23; (Voting polls).
After June 16th, voters may apply in person (over-the-counter) through June 22nd or by Early Voting from June 13-21. Primary Elections POLLS OPEN AT 6 AM – CLOSE AT 9 PM

Register to Vote or update your voter information online: Click here:

In Hamptons Happenings

On The Other Side of Covid19

April 15, 2020 In Hamptons Happenings 3 Mins Read

Hamptons Mouthpiece: On The Other Side of Covid19

Can you see the future? It is daunting. I see a change in some privacy protections regarding Covid19 status. Pre or Post Covid19 infection certifications. A loss of some HIPAA protections in the guise of Public Health prerogatives. Let the lawsuits proceed! What will be the civil liberty concerns as this pandemic changes the social structures of our future. Before going into a restaurant will you have to show your Covid19 certification? When you enter a hospital or go to an Emergency Room, will your Covid19 status dictate which door you enter. As a Black man who understands the ramifications of bias, my experiences extend to the general public: will my Covid19 status determine my access to jobs, travel, opportunity. Will dating apps now reveal the Covid19 status of the prospective date?

I know this seems absurd on the face of it but you would be surprised what fear will do to a society (see the Red Scare period of our country’s history). If and when a vaccine is developed, will the anti-vaccine crowd be denied access to public schools upon refusing to use it. Will you be able to refuse the vaccine based on religious grounds? There are public health laws that allow the incarceration of individuals that pose a threat to the general public, will this happen here if an individual is presenting symptoms but refuses to self-isolate? Get used to proximity tracking of your travel in cities based on your Covid19 status. Our days of innocence are over. We will not be able to look down on the political decisions of the leadership of China in their authoritarian way of governance to control their populace. Can that happen here? And be cautious America, be on guard for the hardline, authoritarian political leaders who will want to control many aspects of your life based on your Covid19 status. Any excuse for power-grabbing is fair game in the post Covid-19 age.

Will Covid19ism become the new racism? Or will all this fade as we get accustomed to this new reality. Our norms will change, are changing already.

Handshakes are a thing of the past, doorknobs will disappear (who wants to touch those anymore?). We will wash our hands more as a result which is a good thing and anyone entering our homes will be expected to wash their hands immediately (I suspect there will be a decrease in seasonal Influenza). We have to be alert to the possible erosions to our privacy and freedoms. I am all for testing , but please maintain my privacy. I know that a balance will have to be found to protect my individual privacy and the protection of the public and my neighbors. I just want to give you some food for thought.

We continue to pray for your safe travels!

We can do this !!!

Together

In Beach Information

Hamptons 2019 Beach Information

February 23, 2019 In Beach Information 3 Mins Read

Hamptons 2019 Beach Information- It’s that time of the year again to start thinking about summer vacations and Hamptons Mouthpiece is all about keeping you in the know. The Hamptons is a quick 1 day getaway from all areas in Connecticut, Westchester, NYC, LI(Nassau & Suffolk) and New Jersey. Renting in the Hamptons is an option that many people tend to do, it can be affordable you just need to do your homework to find those places. Remember when renting to always ask about a beach pass for many of the local beaches, the daily rates can add up and become expensive. If you are visiting for a day, there are some beaches where the fee is affordable but you might want to bring a couple of friends to share the expense.

If you would like to save on Parking Fees here are some suggestions:

Park outside of the beach Parking lot…Caution make sure you can park there legally, the tickets will cost you more than the daily beach pass and in the town of Southampton your car might be towed.
Biking to the beach is always an option and it is free
Go after 5pm when parking is free….NOTE*Lifeguard duty might be over
Hamptons Free Ride (Southampton and East Hampton)
Walk
Have someone drop you off

The Free Ride is an alternative to driving if you want to go to a beach in East Hampton, Montauk or Southampton. Service begins Memorial Day to Labor Day.

I asked my network for their opinions on the their favorite Beaches in the Hamptons…and I thought I would share the top 10 Favorites…These are all public beaches….For more information on these beaches SEE INFO LISTED BELOW*** Coopers Beach in Southampton and Main Beach in East Hampton made Town & Country Magazine 2019 once again “Top 15 Beaches on the East Coast”

Hamptons 2019 Beach Information

Main Beach **East Hampton
Coopers Beach**Southampton “Village Beach”
Sagg Main**Sagaponack
Ditch Plains**Amagansett/Montauk
Wainscott Main**Wainscott
Scott Cameron**Bridgehampton
Indian Wells**Amagansett “Village Beach”
Peters Pond Beach, Sagaponack
Flying Point Beach, Watermill
Mecox Beach, Bridgehampton?

Click on Links below: For 2019 Updated information on beaches in the Hamptons and beach passes.

Hamptons Mouthpiece, Hamptons Happenings — Photo credit: Photography by Kurt

SOUTHAMPTON TOWN BEACHES INFORMATION

SOUTHAMPTON VILLAGE BEACHES

WESTHAMPTON VILLAGE BEACHES (2019 info to be posted soon )

EAST HAMPTON TOWN BEACHES INFORMATION

EAST HAMPTON VILLAGE BEACHES

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In EDITORIAL

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. Be Grateful.

September 11, 2018 In EDITORIAL 3 Mins Read

On this anniversary of 9/11, I’m reminded how easily we get wrapped up in things that truly don’t matter. We hold onto anger with loved ones. We sweat the small stuff. We assume tomorrow is guaranteed. It isn’t. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. Be Grateful.

September 11, 2001 is a day I will never forget. It was horrific. It is etched into our collective memory and into my own like it happened yesterday. I take comfort in knowing that the innocent lives lost that day will never be forgotten. I still have not visited the 9/11 Museum, but it is on my list the next time I’m in New York City.

All we can really do is live. Fully. Gratefully. Without losing ourselves in things that don’t deserve our energy. Life is a gift, and it should never be taken for granted.

When I first moved to Sag Harbor 17 years ago, I had an 8-year-old and a 2-year-old. Kurt was working in New York City, and I was suddenly in a new place, without friends or family, feeling overwhelmed and alone. I was still commuting to Brooklyn for work that first month.

On the morning of 9/11, I had just dropped Dani off at school and was preparing to drive into Brooklyn with Allura. Kurt called me first because he had just learned that his father was diagnosed with cancer. He was devastated. I talked him through it so he could continue his drive into the city.

About an hour later, he called again and said, “Ness, turn on the news. Do not drive into the city today.”

I turned on the TV and felt frozen. Many of my friends worked in the World Trade Center buildings. A deep, overwhelming grief set in. I am grateful that my friends made it home, but so many parents did not return to their children that day.

Kurt once shared a poem with me called “Just for Today” by Sally Meyer, written from a mother to a child. It stayed with me. It put everything into perspective. It reminded me to slow down. To be present. To appreciate the moments we so often rush past.

Although my children are now grown, 25 and 18, I still catch myself getting wrapped up in work and distractions. I have to remind myself to pause and really listen. To turn off the phone. The television. The computer. When we’re together, we sometimes play a simple board game of Sorry. Phones away. Just being together.

I am deeply grateful for my daughters. There is not a single day that I don’t say thank you for the privilege of raising them, loving them, guiding them, and learning alongside them. They are no longer children. They are women. And I still make time every day to talk to them, to show up, and to share in the things they enjoy.

9/11 reminds us of this truth: tomorrow is not promised. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Say the kind words. Hold the hug longer. Be present.

Life is precious. Let’s live like we know that.

photo credit inhabitat.com — 9/11 Memorial photo credit: inhabitat.com

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In Adolecent Health

CALL ME OLD-FASHIONED, but I’m Just a DAD

May 1, 2018 In Adolecent Health 5 Mins Read

Hamptons Teen: CALL ME OLD-FASHIONED, but I’m Just a DAD
I have become increasingly aware and worried about the relaxed attitude of illicit drug use among teens in the Hamptons and beyond. But what are our teenagers to think? They see a more relaxed and accepting attitude regarding the use of marijuana due to the reduction of legal penalties and the sale of marijuana for recreational use in multiple states. This is in the news and has become a part of their realities.
What our teenagers do not realize is the increased documentation about the effects of marijuana on the teenage brain. We know that the development of the brain is very fluid until or between the ages of 21-25 years old. The way in which the brain is wired is open to impact by this and other drugs. I am not a prude nor am I unaware of the opportunities, interest, curiosity and pressure to smoke weed. A lot of us did it when we were young. But this isn’t our father’s (and mother’s) weed no more. Things like the juicy fruit strain are a lot different to what was being smoked back in the day. The THC (active ingredient that produces the high) content is many times more concentrated in today’s marijuana than in the weed our generation smoked. Many ‘brands’ of weed are genetically improved to the form of designer status. I’ve also recently heard that there are different ways that you can smoke weed these days, like through a helix pipe for example. Apparently it’s a cool thing to do. Consenting adults should have the option of doing whatever they want to do but it is imperative to fully inform our teenagers of the risks inherent in smoking pot. If you want to know more on marijuana from a dispensary with the opportunity to see their deals as well, you can Get info here from Rocky Mountain Blaze, who list all their pricing for you to get an idea of. I’m not saying weed is a completely bad thing. As I said, a lot of us used to smoke weed as teens and obviously there are many reported health benefits of smoking weed if it’s done responsibly. It is also doing good things for the economy; there are many new cannabis jobs saturating the employment market and it is raising millions of dollars in tax.
I have the same concerns about smoking cigarettes and underage drinking that I have towards smoking weed and I feel to some extent, these are a more insidious and risky behavior that is impacting our teenagers. I cannot tell you what is the percentage of teenagers smoking and drinking but I feel it is over 50% of the population. Maybe I’m old-fashioned but if you were to ask both of my daughters (18 and 25), I still harp on the need to show restraint and to use some forward thinking concerning their future plans and how use and abuse can derail their goals. Believe me, they get tired of ‘the talk’ but I continue just the same. Am I being successful… I don’t know but I hope so. They lead their own lives, much of the time out of my view but I do what I do anyways because I must! I have no illusions, I can’t protect them all the time, nor should I or will I try. I will tell them the real deal, give them the tools to make good decisions and pray for the best.
EVERYONE has my permission to warn me if they think my child’s behavior is a risk to them and I do not care if they don’t like it. If your kids have come to my house, they may have heard some rendition of ‘the talk’ as a natural inclination of mine to be protective and proactive towards the friends of my children. My kids have probably warned them to expect it sometimes. AGAIN, I don’t care. I will not preach or teach but this is a part of the way we conduct business in our home. I will not stop!
Now don’t get me wrong, I remember being a teenager and doing LOTS OF STUFF. I will not be a hypocrite and tell them to ‘do as I say and not as I do’. But the risks of life long impacts secondary to social media and ‘selfies’ of illicit behavior that can follow them FOREVER…there are no do-overs anymore. Society can be very unforgiving. We did not have to face these risks. Remember, the definition of a teenager is filled with doing DUMB THINGS. But it is this risk taking and feelings of invincibility that makes them so powerful and dynamic. It will be hard to convince them of the dangers because they LIKE danger!
One more trend that I am seeing; the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs (PED’s). The use of Human Growth Hormone and steroids among teenage athletes has increased exponentially. Kids want to look better and perform better and they are getting access to and using these drugs more and more. The lifelong effects of these PED’s and the health impacts are so pronounced and damaging that it is imperative that parents and adults of teenage athletes inform them of the risks. Encourage your school teams to educate their athletes of the dangers and make it part of their athletic curriculum.
From me to you….JUST BEING A DAD

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