Week in Review: Across The Forks

Regional Issues at the Forefront

Author

Beth Young
March 22, 2026

On the Forks

As New York Mulls ICE Restrictions, OLA Pares Back Public Safety Resolution

OLA of Eastern Long Island has completed a third draft of its proposed Public Safety Resolution, designed to provide a road map for local town and village leaders to handle public safety issues caused by federal immigration enforcement actions on the East End.

On the Forks

A League of the East End

It’s been nearly 110 years since woman fought for and attained the right to vote in New York State, and out of the movement that gave women a place at the polls has grown an organization committed to principals of democracy that are as relevant today as when it was founded more than a century ago.

On the Forks

No Kings Events To Be Held in Five East End Towns March 28

The No Kings movement, which began in June of 2025 as a series of rallies across the country coinciding with a military parade held on President Donald Trump’s birthday, is rallying across the country for the third time on Saturday, March 28.

Local organizers are holding No Kings 3 events on the East End in Riverhead, Hampton Bays, Greenport, Sag Harbor and East Hampton.

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Towns

An Array of Housing Initiatives Explored in East Hampton

It was All Hands on Housing at the East Hampton Town Board’s Tuesday morning work session, as the board discussed several proposed workforce housing ideas, comments on changes to the town’s accessory dwelling unit code and a market study prepared as part of the town’s Route 114 workforce housing development near the Sag Harbor village boundary.

Riverhead Casts Wary Eye on Pulaski Street Battery Storage

The Riverhead Town Board is apprehensive of a special permit request for a 5MW/20MWh Battery Energy Storage System on the corner of J.T. Boulevard and Pulaski Street, in an area near many modest homes.

North Fork

State Urges Calm After Suspending Greenport FD Advanced Life Support License Due to Failure to Maintain Medications

The Greenport Fire Department’s Rescue Squad is currently without Advanced Life Support certification, after inspectors from the New York State Department of Health suspended the squad’s ALS certification last week, but the Rescue Squad is continuing to respond to calls in partnership with medics from Stony Brook Emergency Medicine, as has long been the practice on the North Fork.

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Dave Davis

Dave’s Desk@Ditch

I must say, the response to last month’s column, “Loyal to Your Journey,” which highlighted the recently concluded cross-country ‘Walk for Peace,’ conducted by a group of venerable monks and their canine mascot, brought such warmth to my heart, that I felt compelled to parlay it into a somewhat related theme of ‘collective consciousness.’

On the Air

Behind the Headlines

This weekend on Behind the Headlines at 88.3 WLIW-FM, Beacon editor Beth Young joins a panel discussing the avian flu affecting wild bird populations, affordable housing initiatives in East Hampton, a lawsuit over a fatal fire in Riverhead in 2021 and the the state of paramedic services on the East End.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Thursday, March 26

NASA’s Mission: Exploring the Universe

Hamptons Observatory and co-host Suffolk County Community College will present a free, VIRTUAL lecture by Dr. Margaret Dominguez, a NASA engineer since 2008.

Saturday, March 28

Peconic Community School Maker Fair

Peconic Community School will host its 7th Annual Maker Fair on Saturday, March 28th, 2026 at the school’s newly acquired Cutchogue campus from 10 am to 2 pm.

Saturday, March 28

North Fork Farmers’ Stories

This engaging program at Hallockville Museum Farm brings together North Fork farmers from multiple generations to share personal stories of growing up on the land, carrying on family traditions, and adapting to a changing agricultural landscape.

Our April print edition will be on newsstands throughout the East End later this week.
All words in and on The Beacon are always generated by human beings. Guaranteed.

Words

“The world is full of talkers, but it is rare to find anyone who listens.”

— E.B. White, “The Trumpet of the Swan”

See you next Sunday,

Beth