This Week In Indy, 1998

On May 27, 1998, the Independent celebrated Memorial Day alongside some of the community’s most honored heroes. Memorial Day is a national holiday honoring those who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of our country. To commemorate their service, East Hampton veterans were invited to march down Main Street in East Hampton, an annual tradition for the town.

Despite the rain and poor weather conditions, there was a large turnout and spectators lined the street waving flags and clapping for the veterans as they marched toward the Veterans Memorial at Hook Mill. The parade included a color guard, and local Boy Scouts marched behind their troop banner. James Mackin, the publisher of The Independent, provided the photographs seen here.

Also in the news this week 20 years ago, The Independent covered a story that bore similarities to some of the same issues confronting East End communities today. A report issued by the U.S. Department of Energy that confirmed the contamination of the groundwater, soils and sediment, fish, and people over a more than a 45-year period as a result of discharges into the Peconic River from Brookhaven National Laboratory’s nuclear reactors. The organization Fish Unlimited sought support from public officials to require the lab be held responsible for a major cleanup effort to restore the Peconic River.

justin@indyeastend.com