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Week in Review: All for the Earth
Celebrating Trees, Land Use and Cleaning Up the Bays
Beth Young
April 26, 2026
On the Forks
Dr. Gobler Highlights Expanded Grants for Upgrading Septic Systems
Dr. Christopher Gobler at the April 21 press conference on the Peconic riverfront. |. Denise Civiletti photo/Riverhead Local
In what’s become an annual warning to Long Islanders about the health of Long Island’s waters, Stony Brook Chair of Coastal Ecology and Conservation Dr. Christopher Gobler is again asking for the public’s help in addressing one of the greatest threats to coastal ecosystems — on-site septic systems.
East End
Kids Celebrate the Earth
Climate Local Now
From Environmental Education to Action: Three East Hampton Students Reflect
East Hampton High School’s Environmental and Garden Clubs have been important gateways to student environmental activity, both on and off campus. When the South Fork ReWild LI chapter ran its inaugural Summer Volunteer Program “to further biodiversity, climate resilience, and food security in our communities,” its first eager student volunteers came from these school clubs. Three years later, three graduating seniors look back on what they have learned.
 Advice from the Southold YETI*Don’t Cut Down That Tree!by Phoebe Faint Spring is here, and it is a great time for everyone to start considering ways to be more environmentally friendly this season! As a young person, it is very important to us that everyone plays their part in keeping Southold as beautiful and healthy as possible for our community and the future of our town. *Youth Environmental Taskforce Initiative |  Southold Celebrates Arbor DayThe Southold Town Board celebrated Arbor Day at its Tuesday evening meeting, honoring the student winners of the town Tree Committee’s annual Arbor Day Poster Contest. The contest, which includes the display of the posters at Town Hall, was founded and had for many years been organized by longtime Tree Committee Chair Peggy Murphy, who passed away last year. |
North Fork: The Business Accelerator
Brokers Outline Plan to Bring New Businesses to Greenport
A large retail space (with the green awning) across Front Street from Mitchell Park, is currently seeking pop-up businesses for the coming season, while the property is in probate.
The Greenport Village Business Improvement District has called in some big guns to help get the word out about available business properties in the center of the village, where many storefronts are currently vacant.
The firm Helmsley Spear, based in Manhattan, has volunteered its services to a new BID effort to work with owners of commercial property in the village to find prospective tenants.
North Fork
Southold To Break Zoning Update into Smaller Pieces
Town Council members Anne Smith and Brian Mealy heard from Planning Director Heather Lanza at the Town Board’s April 21 work session.
One year after Southold Town released a first draft of a massive overhaul of the town’s zoning code that received massive amounts of public feedback last summer, the town is now planning to make the changes incrementally.
   | PhotosSpring Awakenings at LongHouse ReserveThis spring’s ritual of the reopening of LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton took place on a half-warm, half misty day April 18, a shock after a week of sun and summerlike heat that had awakened unique bulbs and spring-budding trees. But the landscape continued to welcome visitors in an exploration of the intimate and intricate interweaving of art and nature throughout this 16-acre natural treasure. “Spring Awakenings,” the title of this year’s annual opening day celebration, was LongHouse’s second year participating in International House Museum Days, which connects historic house museums around the world. |
South Fork
Southampton Village Lays Out Sewer Plan
The Southampton Village Dog Park, which would be moved to make way for the leaching field for the sewage treatment plant.
After more than 20 years of searching for a site to build a sewage treatment plant, Southampton Village representatives told a crowd at Village Hall April 18 that its current plan is the final chance to find a place to treat the waste generated by the village’s business district.
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North Fork
Hinckley Yachts Buys Port of Egypt Marine
Port of Egypt Marine, a marina that was established as a fishing station by the Lieblein family 80 years ago on a stretch of Route 25 between Southold and Greenport, has been sold to Hinckley Yachts.
Watch
North Fork Environmental Council on “Rising Rents, Rising Tides”
How can the North Fork solve its severe housing crisis while also preserving our unique environment? That was the question at hand in a panel discussion organized and moderated by Liam Rue and Anne Murray of the North Fork Environmental Council on April 17, 2026
On the Air
Behind the Headlines: Unpacking the State of the Bays
On this week’s Behind the Headlines on 88.3 WLIW-FM, we discussed a whole lot of septic issues, spurred on by Dr. Gobler’s State of the Bays (and had a few words about flesh eating bacteria that we hope won’t go viral). First and foremost, Suffolk County is revamping and relaunching its Septic Improvement Program, with a big new bucket of money for people to upgrade their septic systems. If that’s not enough to entice you to listen in, we also talked about the proposed Southampton Village sewage treatment plant, and changes to Southold Town’s Zoning Update plan. You’ll have fun! We promise!
UPCOMING EVENTS
 Wednesday, April 29 Riverside Wastewater Forum Southampton Town representatives will discuss the latest on Riverside’s Water Resource Recovery Facility in this informational program for the community, at 7 p.m. at the Flanders Community Center. |  May 1 - May 3 Opera Days in the Hamptons Next weekend, the Rites of Spring Music Festival holds three days of opera performances at the Bridgehampton Museum and Stony Brook Southampton |  Sunday, May 3 Dandelion Festival at KK’s The Farm KK’s Dandelion festival is on a mission to spread the word about the benefits of the dandelion leaf, flower and root, and its vital role as early season food for bees and other pollinators. The day’s events include workshops, music, farm tours, kids crafts and hula hooping. |
Our May 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
“Many a wishes that I blew, finding myself was the one that came true.”
See you next Sunday,
Beth
