Pope Francis died earlier today at the age of 88. The pontiff’s passing is being mourned by Long Island’s approximately 1.2 million baptized Catholics. This includes the combined populations of Nassau and Suffolk counties. The total population of both counties is about 2.9 million. So Pope Francis' legacy is profoundly felt locally, as well as by the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.

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The most aggressive experiment with alleviating traffic delays along County Road 39 in Southampton in more than 15 years will take place on weekday afternoons over the next two weeks, starting today. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that afternoon commuters should expect to see very different traffic patterns in several places along the roadway between North Main Street in Southampton Village west to Sunrise Highway during the evening rush hours. Starting this afternoon at 4 p.m., the three traffic lights on County Road 39 west of Southampton — at Sandy Hollow Road, Magee Street and Tuckahoe Road — all will be switched to blinking yellow or steady green for the three peak hours of the afternoon commute.

Likewise, the lights at St. Andrews Road and the southern end of Tuckahoe Road along Montauk Highway will be switched to flashing yellow from 4 to 7 p.m.

To safely halt the normal red-green cycle of those lights, all of the intersections will have to be closed to traffic crossing County Road 39 or Montauk Highway, or turning left off either side of the roadways, between 4 and 7 p.m.

Left turns onto County Road 39 also will be prohibited from North Bishops Lane and Tuckahoe Lane.

Southampton Town Police officers will be stationed at all the main intersections to ensure safety and prevent cars from ignoring the turn restrictions; and there will be a police car dedicated to patrolling the road to quickly address accidents and keep travel lanes cleared.

Police also will be using drones to track traffic conditions and spot problem areas that need attention.

Residents of side streets off the main thoroughfares are being warned to plan on taking alternate routes that allow for right turns onto the main roads during the 4 to 7 p.m. hours.

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The Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton invites you to join them tomorrow in Agawam Park for an Earth Day Cleanup!

Starting at 10 am, they will work to prevent plastic and other harmful pollutants from degrading our community. Meet at the Southampton Village monument. Gloves and other cleanup materials will be provided.

That’s tomorrow at Agawam Park in Southampton Village starting at 10 am.

All are welcome!

Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally through earthday.org including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.

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A Westhampton Beach movie theater will reopen on Friday after three years of renovations and planning. Lee Meyer reports in NEWSDAY that the Sunset Theater is the latest in a series of shuttered East End cinemas that have been independently purchased or renovated to serve as cultural hubs for their communities — particularly in walkable villages like Southampton, Sag Harbor and Greenport.

Westhampton Beach resident Inge Debyser bought the theater, which originally opened in 1927, with a small group of investors in 2022 for $1.15 million.

"Small village movie theaters really attribute to the spirit, the heartbeat of a community," she said in an interview with Newsday. "A village cinema has personal ambience and warmth."

The theater is expected to have a positive economic impact on Westhampton Beach, said Kim Clark, the executive director of the Greater Westhampton Chamber of Commerce.

"The community is overwhelmingly happy to have a movie theater back,"...

The long-awaited $7 billion renovation and potential expansion of Penn Station will be overseen by Amtrak after the U.S. Department of Transportation announced last evening the project would be taken out of the hands of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Robert Brodsky reports in NEWSDAY that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said shifting the project from the MTA to Amtrak, which owns the 114-year-old Penn Station, would save taxpayers approximately $120 million.

"President Trump has made it clear: the days of reckless spending and blank checks are over," Duffy said in a statement. "New York City deserves a Penn Station that reflects America’s greatness and is safe and clean. The MTA’s history of inefficiency, waste, and mismanagement also meant that a new approach is needed."

Amtrak has been pushing a plan to expand Penn Station, potentially by acquiring the block south of it and building new tracks underground.

It was not immediately clear how the Trump administration envisions a new Penn Station or which, if any, of several competing ideas for a station expansion and overhaul it would support.

In a statement, Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has been feuding with the Trump administration over the congestion pricing program launched in January, fashioned the change as a policy victory for the state, which would reduce its own investment into the project.

"In multiple meetings with President Trump, I requested that the federal government fund the long-overdue overhaul of Penn Station," Hochul said. "Clearly that effort has been successful, and I want to thank the President and Secretary Duffy for taking on the sole responsibility to deliver the beautiful new $7 billion station that New Yorkers deserve. This is a major victory for New Yorkers, and the use of federal funds will save New York taxpayers $1.3 billion dollars that would have otherwise been necessary for this project."

MTA chairman and CEO Janno Lieber in a statement said he's glad the federal government is prioritizing the reconstruction of Penn Station but insists the city's transit agency should continue to play a role moving forward.

"Over a hundred million MTA customers — two-thirds of Penn Station’s total ridership — use the facility every year," Lieber said. "As the major leaseholder in the station, we expect to participate in the administration’s and Amtrak’s efforts to ensure future plans meet the needs of everyone who uses it."

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Rep. Nick LaLota of the 1st Congressional District…which includes the East End…, Rep. Andrew Garbarino of the 2nd Congressional District…also in Suffolk County… and 10 other House Republicans wrote to their leadership Wednesday to express support for Medicaid and object to steep cuts in funding for the healthcare program that serves nearly 80 million lower-income Americans.

“Balancing the federal budget must not come at the expense of those who depend on these benefits for their health and economic security. We cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations,” per the letter from these dozen House Republicans.

Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly approved a budget framework bill that could mean significant cuts to Medicaid. The bill instructed the House Energy & Commerce Committee (which has jurisdiction over Medicaid) to reduce the federal deficit by at least $880 billion over 10 years. Democrats argue that Medicaid is the only place where cuts at that level could be made. GOP leaders have said Medicaid will be reformed to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse, but will not be significantly cut.

On Wednesday, Congressman LaLota stated, “Medicaid is a vital safety net that provides health care to millions of low-income Americans, including children, seniors,...

King Kullen, Long Island's largest family-owned grocery chain, is closing another supermarket, this time a 34-year-old store in Middle Island. The store is located at 1235 Middle Country Rd. in the Strathmore Commons Shopping Center. The supermarket occupies about 45,000 square feet, said Robert Monahan, property manager for Island Associates Real Estate Inc., the Smithtown-based company that manages the center. Monahan confirmed that the store will be closing but said he did not know when or the reason for the impending shutdown. Tory N. Parrish reports in NEWSDAY that the King Kullen in Middle Island opened in January 1991, according to a grand-opening advertisement in Newsday's archives. Headquartered in Hauppauge, King Kullen Grocery Co. did not respond to Newsday's inquiries yesterday about the reason for the store's closing, the timeline for the closing and the number of affected employees. Most of the grocery company's store employees are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. UFCW Local 1500 in Westbury represents 41 part-time and nine full-time employees working in the front-end, grocery, produce, dairy, frozen food, deli, bakery and receiving areas of King Kullen's Middle Island store, said Aly Y. Waddy, secretary-treasurer for the local union. "Local 1500 is working to maintain as many jobs as possible. [There is] no indication of any layoffs yet," she said yesterday. Founded in Queens in 1930, King Kullen Grocery Co. operates 30 stores on Long Island, including 26 King Kullen supermarkets. The other four are Wild by Nature natural food stores. Across eastern Suffolk there are King Kullen Grocery Stores in Bridgehampton, Cutchogue, Eastport, Hampton Bays, Manorville, Center Moriches, Shirley, and for the moment – Middle Island.

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A divided Riverhead Town Board this week took the first step toward selling the historic and blighted Vail-Leavitt Music Hall to The Jazz Loft. Alek Lewis reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the Riverhead Town Board passed a resolution 3-2 authorizing the town attorney “to take all such actions as may be necessary and appropriate to consummate such sale” of the building to The Jazz Loft. The nonprofit organization previously restored a historic building in Stony Brook built in the 1770s and turned it into a performance venue and music museum.

Council members Bob Kern and Ken Rothwell dissented. They tried unsuccessfully to table the resolution, arguing that the town should open the process to other potential buyers. They voiced support for the other pitch to purchase the building made by Ray Castronovo, principal of the Riverhead-based Zenith Group.

In 2023, Suffolk County granted $250,000 for the restoration of the Vail-Leavitt, which Riverhead Town officials say will be transferable to The Jazz Loft when it takes possession of the building. The Vail-Leavitt is in need of extensive repairs, according to officials.

Supervisor Tim Hubbard and council members Joann Waski and Denise Merrifield backed The Jazz Loft, citing its year-long collaboration with the town and commitment to restoring the Vail-Leavitt.

The Jazz Loft could start renovations on the Vail-Leavitt…built in 1881 as an upstairs opera house…at the beginning of this summer and be open by November, depending upon how quickly the transaction occurs according to Jazz Loft President and Founder Thomas Manuel.

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The Southampton Village Police Benevolent Association will hold its annual Easter Egg Hunt on Friday, April 18…that’s tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. in Agawam Park in Southampton Village. All kids age 10 and younger are invited to participate but should bring a receptacle to pick up eggs. The Easter Bunny will be on hand for photo opportunities. There will be a great prize egg among the thousands scattered on the field at Agawam Park in Southampton tomorrow at 10...

After weeks of infighting and political grandstanding, Democratic leaders in New York said yesterday that they had reached agreement on a contentious issue holding up this year’s state budget negotiations: criminal discovery.

For years district attorneys have pushed for changes in state law governing the timing and scope of what evidence prosecutors must produce, which is known as discovery, before a trial. Prosecutors argued that they lacked the staffing and resources to comply with the demands and deadlines laid out in the law, resulting in serious cases being dismissed. Benjamin Oreskes and Grace Ashford report in THE NY TIMES that the D.A.’s campaign was backed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, who spent considerable political capital pushing to loosen the rules for prosecutors — even going so far as to refuse to sign any budget that would not reduce the number of criminal cases that are dismissed on procedural grounds.

On Tuesday, the NYS Legislature passed Hochul’s fifth emergency spending measure to keep the state operating until a 2025-26 budget is adopted.

The "extender" measure authorized $437.7 million in spending to fund state government into tomorrow. Since the 2025-26 fiscal year began, Hochul and the Legislature have approved $6.6 billion in emergency extenders to keep programs funded and most state workers paid.

Michael Gormley reports in NEWSDAY that the latest pressure to seal a deal is the need for most school districts to know state school aid figures so local school district budgets can be finalized on April 22 before district votes on the budgets are held statewide on May 20.

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Another federal deadline is approaching this Sunday for New York to take down congestion pricing, but MTA officials say the program is here to stay — offering new data showing a 13% reduction in cars in Manhattan’s toll zone that they say shows the program is working. Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that after Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials blew off the Trump administration’s March 20 deadline to cease charging vehicles for driving at or below 60th Street in Manhattan, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Patrick Duffy gave the MTA a 30-day extension, with the warning that "continued noncompliance will not be taken lightly."

With the matter tied up in courts, MTA officials have said they won’t take down the tolls unless ordered to do so by a judge.

New data released by the MTA shows that 82,000 fewer cars a day entered Manhattan’s congestion relief zone in March as compared with the historical average for the month — a reduction of 13%. That’s more than the 8% reduction when the tolls started in January.

MTA figures indicate that for the full month of March, there was a reduction of 2,544,945 cars in the toll zone below 60th Street in Manhattan as compared with the historical average.

MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said, “"Congestion pricing is working. It’s an extraordinary success ... It is a generational change. Traffic is down. Quality of life is up all across the city."

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Friends of The Big Duck, a nonprofit organization, celebrates the arrival of spring with the 12th annual Easter Duck Egg Hunt at Big Duck Ranch, 1012 Flanders Road (Route 24), Flanders. The free event is this coming Saturday, April 19, 12 noon sharp, so families should arrive by 11:45 a.m. Participating children must bring their own basket to carry eggs.

The grass field behind The Big Duck will be dotted with filled plastic “duck eggs” that children 2 to 9 years old can easily find. To make it a safe event, the children are grouped into three separate age groups. A prize basket is awarded to “The Good Egg” in each group who discovers the special egg. The family fun will include games and a visit from the Easter Bunny.

Friends of The Big Duck is the Southampton Town-appointed...

New York State leaders say environmental projects and policies will remain on track, despite an order from President Donald Trump attempting to undo state climate laws. Trump signed an executive order last week directing the U.S. attorney general to identify "illegal” state and local climate, energy and environmental justice laws that "impede” domestic energy use and production. The U.S. attorney general could then take action to try to stop the enforcement of the laws found to be illegal. Keshia Clukey reports in NEWSDAY that NYS Attorney General Letitia James, Gov. Kathy Hochul and other state leaders pushed back, saying efforts will continue, including electrifying vehicles and buildings, and building out renewable energy sources, as the State of New York aims to get all electricity from emission-free sources by 2040 and reduce economywide emissions by 85% from 1990 levels by 2050. "We are a nation of states — and laws — and we will not be deterred,” Hochul said in a joint statement with New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who together co-chair the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of 24 governors. The executive order itself has "no legal effect,” said Michael Gerrard, professor of environmental law at Columbia Law School. "The issue will be whether the Department of Justice will actually bring any lawsuits.” Environmental advocates, however, say the order, along with actions of the administration, may give investors pause in financing new projects and delay new environmental legislation as state and local lawmakers consider legal challenges.

New York Republicans and gas and oil industry leaders applauded the president's order, stressing the importance of affordability — a major issue in elections last November.

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A co-founder of the California laboratory whose new nuclear DNA extraction method is at the center of an ongoing hearing to determine its admissibility in the criminal case against alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex A. Heuermann is scheduled to testify in Riverhead today. Grant Parpan reports in NEWSDAY that Astrea Forensics co-founder Richard E. Green will be the third prosecution witness to testify during the hearing when it resumes at 10 o’clock this morning, per Suffolk Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei.

Green, a professor of biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics at the University of California at Santa Cruz, is expected to speak to how Astrea recovers genetic profiles from rootless hair samples using ancient DNA methods and whole genome sequencing.

Suffolk prosecutors have said Astrea used highly degraded hair samples found with or near six of the seven Gilgo victims and linked it to the DNA of Heuermann or his family members.

Heuermann defense attorney Michael J. Brown, of Central Islip, has argued the DNA technique used to develop the evidence should be deemed inadmissible at trial because it has not been sufficiently tested and accepted in the scientific community.

The Frye Standard for admissibility of scientific evidence tests novel scientific evidence — like the DNA evidence that prosecutors want to use in their case against Heuermann — and "requires that before being admitted, the prosecutor must prove the evidence's general acceptance by the scientific community," according to the federal National Institute of Justice.

Prior witnesses in the hearing have testified to the effectiveness of the methods used by the lab and its acceptance.

Heuermann, 61, of Massapequa Park, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the killings of Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Lynn Costello, Megan Waterman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Valerie Mack and Sandra Costilla. He has denied any involvement in the deaths since his arrest in the decades-old case in July 2023.

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Southold’s Economic Development Committee (EDC) is holding a “Synergy Summit” next Tuesday, April 22,...

Leaders of the Long Island Science Center are urging Riverhead officials to drop efforts to seize their planned future headquarters, arguing they have the resources to open up and play a key role in the town square revitalization project.

Tara Smith reports in NEWSDAY that officials from the nonprofit science museum made their case at a town meeting this past Thursday, arguing they have the funding to redevelop the Main Street property and play a pivotal role in the project.

Riverhead has already taken steps to seize the property, arguing the space is a key part of the planned town square development. The Riverhead Town board will hold a hearing on May 21 to condemn the building as "not safe or habitable," and a flood risk, according to town documents.

The town also plans to seize by eminent domain a bar on Main Street, Craft’D, and convey the property to a private developer to build a hotel there.

The nonprofit science center bought the vacant building — a former Swezey's Department Store — in 2020. It currently operates a pop-up in Tanger Outlets. Initially, the center planned a $15 million facility with a rooftop deck overlooking the Peconic River.

Operators of the science center say it can open by August 1. Developers would then start work on a second phase — adding a planetarium and rooftop greenhouse.

Town officials have questioned whether the science center can afford to develop the site and expressed skepticism about the plans during Thursday’s meeting.

Supervisor Tim Hubbard said Thursday there’s “no better place” for the science center than in the town square, but he wants assurances the museum can open and renovate the building.

On Friday, Hubbard said the town could halt eminent domain proceedings if the science center makes a strong enough case.

“We can pull the plug on that … if what they’re showing us can be a viable development,” he said.

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The Nassau County Police Department recently joined New York's interagency joint task force combating "ghost vehicles" that use hidden, defaced, or obstructed license plates to avert cameras. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said the county will focus enforcement efforts near the Nassau-Queens border, and that the county's first operation as part of the task force last month resulted in five arrests and 12 impounded vehicles. Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that toll evasion costs the Metropolitan Transportation Administration about $50 million in lost revenue annually and state officials said the problem presents an existential threat to faith in the tolling system. That concern has been heightened with the implementation of congestion pricing, which since January has charged drivers for entering 60th Street and below in Manhattan.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina told Newsday that his department is "certainly open to" conversations about joining the task force. But, Catalina also pointed out that his county doesn’t have the same financial incentive to crack down on ghost vehicles as other jurisdictions.

"I think the NYPD is particularly interested because it’s a revenue source. We don’t have the tolls out here that New York City does. We don’t even have a red light camera anymore," Catalina said. "We’re interested in the way it would affect Suffolk County. And that would be if these cars are committing crimes in Suffolk County, and the license plates are preventing us from solving those crimes."

After being in place for 14 years, Suffolk's red light camera expired in December. However, the county still has a school bus camera program that collected about $45 million in ticket revenue in 2022 and 2023, according to annual reports.

In 2023, when Suffolk still had a red light camera program, police ticketed more than 5,200 vehicles for fake, obscured or covered plates.

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The long-anticipated...

Riverhead’s next superintendent of schools got a warm welcome from the Board of Education and Riverhead school district community Wednesday night when the board voted unanimously to approve the appointment of Robert Hagan to the post, effective July 1. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Hagan, 51, of Rocky Point, is currently the assistant superintendent for human resources in the Longwood Central School District, a position he’s held since September 2020. He has 26 years experience as an educator, working as a middle school and high school social studies teacher, before becoming an administrator in 2007. Hagan said he realizes he’s coming into the district at a critical time, taking the reins from Interim Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich, who came to Riverhead after it went through a period of turmoil.The district has its challenges, he acknowledged. “I think that’s exciting. Having challenges is certainly exciting, because now we’re working together.” Hagan said his goal is to “listen and learn and see where people are at and just build on a great foundation that has been put in place.” Hagan grew up in Sayville. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at Fordham University, Master of Science in secondary education at Dowling College and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Administration at Fordham University. He is married and the father of two daughters, ages 16 and 13. Hagan will be paid $260,000 annually, plus benefits. He has signed a three-year contract with the Riverhead Central School District, commencing July 1.

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A plane carrying several members of the U.S. Congress, including 1st Congressional District Rep. Nick LaLota, was bumped by another plane’s wing on a taxiway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport yesterday. LaLota (R-Amityville) posted on the social media website X that he was departing from the airport in Arlington, Virginia, on Thursday afternoon when the collision occurred. LaLota wrote, "Serving in Congress has come with some once in a lifetime experiences ... like just now while stationary on the runway at DCA, another plane just bumped into our wing. Heading back to the gate, but thankfully everyone is O.K.!," John Asbury reports in NEWSDAY that the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the collision. No injuries were reported. FAA officials said, "The wingtip of American Airlines Flight 5490 struck American Airlines Flight 4522” on a taxiway at about 12:45 p.m. Thursday. Officials said LaLota and other congressional representatives were traveling on an Embraer E175 heading to Kennedy Airport when it was clipped by a Bombardier CRJ 900 heading to Charleston. LaLota's office issued a statement that both planes returned to the terminal for safety inspections. "The Congressman is grateful for the swift and professional response by the flight crew, who prioritized the safety and well-being of everyone on board," his office said in a statement. "Congressman LaLota intends to bring this firsthand experience to his work in Congress, advocating for stronger aviation oversight and enhanced public safety to help prevent similar incidents in the future."

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An angel has found the Greenport Skate Park, after years of searching for funding to restore the village-owned park on Moore’s Lane.

Rena Wilhelm, President of the non-profit Greenport Skate Park Inc., announced on the group’s Facebook page in early April that Dominick Marcoccia of Marco Masonry Corp. in Aquebogue, has agreed to rebuild the nearly three decades old park which has fallen into disrepair. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that Marcoccia met earlier this year with board members, and said he could do the work for not too much more than the $100,000 the group had raised.

“He’s really doing this out of the goodness of his heart,” said Ms. Wilhelm. The next step will be to present their plans to the...

President Donald Trump’s 90-day pause on his global tariff plan sparked mixed reaction on Capitol Hill, with Long Island’s congressional Democrats blasting the president for recent market turmoil while Republicans praised Trump for seeking new trade deals. Laura Figueroa Hernandez and Candice Ferrette report in NEWSDAY that U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Senate minority leader, said at a news conference after Trump’s announcement yesterday that the president was "feeling the heat" from those opposed to his tariff agenda.

"This is chaos. This is government by chaos," Schumer said. "He keeps changing things from day to day. His advisers are fighting among themselves, calling each other names. And you cannot run a country with such chaos."

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), appearing alongside Schumer, said Trump’s approach was a "manufactured crisis" that was causing companies to reconsider their expansion plans.

"Businesses will now not invest in new products or expand their workforce, because they have no idea of what is coming next," Gillibrand said.

However, U.S. Congressman Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) who represents the east end, called Trump's pause a "smart, strategic move," saying it put "tougher pressure on China" for "using slave-like labor and stealing our intellectual property."

"In a time of economic uncertainty, the pause, and focus on China’s bad trade practices, has brought clarity and renewed confidence in the fight to make America’s economy work for Americans," LaLota said.

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Disruptions in the state's testing system persisted in schools on Long Island and statewide for the second consecutive day yesterday, a situation that education officials in Albany called "unacceptable." John Hildebrand and Robert Brodsky report in NEWSDAY that the issues were being felt in elementary and middle schools that had scheduled computerized English Language Arts testing this month for tens of thousands of students. Glitches first broke out Tuesday morning, in some cases leading to postponements for students either in the midst of testing or waiting to be assessed.

NYS Department of Education spokesman JP O'Hare issued a statement Wednesday apologizing to schools, students and families and acknowledging that some systems had suffered "the loss of two testing days." O'Hare placed the blame on the state's testing vendor, NWEA, a private nonprofit testing agency based in Portland, Oregon.

"We have been in contact with NWEA leadership to demand answers for why this situation has occurred and solutions to ensure that students will not be impacted any further during the spring 2025 testing window," O'Hare said. The window for this year's tests has now been extended by one week, to May 23, a state education department spokesman said.

In Suffolk County, problems were reported in Bayport-Blue Point, Brentwood, Shoreham-Wading River and South Huntington school districts.

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Applications are open for ReWild Long Island’s South Fork summer program to Fight Hunger and Climate Change in East Hampton. Students in 8th-12th grade are eligible to sign up as interns or volunteers now and get experience in environmental stewardship at a dozen non-profit organizations in and around East Hampton including: Share the Harvest Farm, the Village Green, Methodist Lane Bioswales, LongHouse Reserve, East Hampton Compost and the Matthew Lester Memorial Garden at the East Hampton Historical Farm Museum.

All students earn community service credits, get training, and if they contribute over 60 hours in the summer, a $300 intern scholarship from ReWild Long Island. Hours and days are flexible with 2-hour shifts at each location, giving students the opportunity to fit in summer jobs, summer school or family vacations. The program will run from June 26 to August 31. Students can opt to continue on weekends after Labor Day,