Week in Review: Here, There & Everywhere

On the Waterfront, in the Community, in the Meeting Rooms and Backstage

Author

Beth Young
October 12, 2025

On the Waterfront

Rallying for Horseshoe Crab Protection Bill

An effort is afoot for the second year in a row to get New York Governor Kathy Hochul to sign a bill banning the harvesting of horseshoe crabs for bait and biomedical purposes.

Ms. Hochul vetoed the bill last year, after some legislators, including State Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio, expressed concern that fishermen would no longer be able to use horseshoe crab meat to catch conch and eel.

Riverhead Finds North Fork Pipeline Not Exempt from Local Review, as Water Authority Conducts Its Own Legal Analysis

As the Riverhead Town Board on Tuesday evening issued its finding that the Suffolk County Water Authority is not exempt from local review of its proposed 8.5-mile North Fork Pipeline, the Water Authority continued public hearings this week on its own analysis of whether it is exempt from review, setting the stage for a potential showdown in court.

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Pushing DEC to Study Expanded Mattituck Inlet Dredging

An effort is on to convince the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to fund a study needed for a major Army Corps of Engineers dredging project at Mattituck Inlet.

Community

Bracing for This Weekend’s Storm

We’re following the storm slated to hit the East End today closely. The latest: Expect sustained winds 25 to 40 miles per hour, with gusts to 60 mph, moderate coastal flooding of 1.5 to 2 feet near the shore this afternoon, overnight and into Monday and 1.5 to 3 inches of rain before it’s done.

Arts

Photos: A Few Good Men takes the Stage in Mattituck

Yes, the actors in the North Fork Community Theatre’s new production of “A Few Good Men” can handle the truth. You can stop asking them.

Aaron Sorkin’s iconic courtroom drama about the moral conflicts inherent in military service comes to the Mattituck stage Oct. 10, and this production has drawn a cast of great actors out of the woodwork.

Fall Theater Season is Coming Together Nicely

In addition to “A Few Good Men” opening in Mattituck and “Vanya and Sasha and Masha and Spike” opening in Southampton this weekend, the fall theater schedule is picking up steam on the East End in the upcoming weeks, giving theatergoers a cornucopia of choices for a great night out.

Honoring “The Worker” in Greenport

OLA of Eastern Long Island is partnering with the North Fork Arts Center on a new art exhibition, The Worker, which “honors the humanity, dignity, diversity, and resiliency of workers, in all forms, across communities.”

On The North Fork

Ruthie’s Gone

A tribute to Ruth Ruffner — a photograph by Faces of Greenport photographer Jeremy Garretson — outside the Greenport IGA this week.

by David Berson

Our friend Ruth Ruffner, Ruthie, nee Dean, born and raised in Greenport, died last week. She was 80 years old and was found in her car, parked on South Street, Greenport, outside the IGA where she worked for 38 years.

Elections

AS RIVERHEAD GOP SKIPS CANDIDATE FORUMS, DEMOCRATS SINK THEIR TEETH INTO THE ISSUES

The incumbent Riverhead Republican candidates for Town Supervisor and Town Board declined to appear at two candidate forums in Jamesport and downtown Riverhead this past week, giving Democrats a chance to hone their pitches for why they would be better leaders for the town.

All six candidates from both parties have agreed to participate in a forum sponsored by the Greater Calverton Civic Association and the Wading River Civic Association on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. at the Riley Avenue Elementary School, 374 Riley Ave. in Calverton.

WATCH: OUR COVERAGE OF THE NORTH FORK CIVICS’ MEET THE CANDIDATE FORUM TUESDAY

The North Fork Civics will hold a candidate forum for Southold Town candidates in this fall’s election on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the Peconic Lane Recreation Center.

Candidates for the three seats on the Southold Town Board, including the Fishers Island Council/Justice seat, will participate in the forum. Candidates for Southold Town Trustee will also briefly explain their platforms.

Candidates for the Suffolk County Legislature’s First Legislative District seat will also be given an opportunity to speak.

Shelter Island

Heights Pharmacy No Longer Filling Prescriptions

Despite the community’s effort to rally to delay the end of prescription drug services at the Shelter Island Heights Pharmacy, the pharmacy portion of the business closed on Oct. 7.

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The Government Beat

This Week on the East End

Sunset over Dam Pond in East Marion, which has been added to the water bodies on which docks could be prohibited.

DOCK DEBATE CLOUDS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AT HEARING ON SOUTHOLD WETLAND CODE UPDATE

When members of the Southold Town Trustees first approached the Southold Town Board in July to propose changes to its wetlands code to better protect the shoreline, their suggestions — to define several innovative, environmentally friendly construction practices and move the setback for pools 10 feet further away from wetlands — were met with enthusiastic support.

But numerous residents who showed up for an Oct. 7 public hearing on the changes raised objections to a section of the updated code that adds new fresh and brackish water bodies to the town’s already long list of areas where new private docks are prohibited.

Stephanie Hall testing waters off of Fishers Island.

FEATURED LETTER: SEAGRASS IN THE SPOTLIGHT ON FISHERS ISLAND

To The Editor:

I co-chair the Fishers Island Seagrass Management Coalition (FISM) with Elizabeth McCance and our coordinator, Hannah Vagts. It is a community-based organization founded in 2017 and consisting of 20 local stakeholder groups, with a shared mission of protecting Fishers Island’s seagrass meadows which are the last healthy meadows left in Long Island Sound.

Letters to the editor may be emailed to [email protected] with the subject line “LTE” or sent via U.S. Post to P.O. Box 665, New Suffolk, NY  11956. The Beacon will print all letters that are deemed to not be defamatory, obscene or advertisements, and may edit submissions for clarity and grammar. See full guidelines here.

The site of the proposed sewage treatment plant. Here’s the QR link from the sign.

COURT THROWS OUT RIVERHEAD’S LAWSUIT OVER RIVERSIDE SEWER DISTRICT

A Suffolk County Supreme Court judge has thrown out Riverhead Town's 2024 lawsuit against Southampton Town over the creation of a sewer district in the hamlet of Riverside, just across the Peconic River from downtown Riverhead.

The Vail-Leavitt Music Hall, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, has played host for nearly a century-and-a-half to music, theater, and community groups.

PUBLIC HEARING THURSDAY ON JAZZ LOFT’S BID TO RUN VAIL-LEAVITT MUSIC HALL

The Riverhead Town Board will hold a public hearing at Town Hall this Thursday, Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. on whether to deem The Jazz Loft qualified and eligible to purchase and redevelop the historic Vail-Leavitt Music Hall, which the town recently reacquired from the non-profit that had been responsible for its care.

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Featured Events

Monday, Oct. 13

Civics 101 at Borghese Vineyard

This refresher talk on the U.S. Constitution by retired Mattituck High School History Teacher Jack Gibbons is designed to give community members an accessible and engaging overview of the foundation of American democracy

Saturday, Oct. 18

Shelter Island 5K Run/Walk

The annual Shelter Island 5k Run/Walk in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month will take place Saturday, October 18 at 11 a.m., beginning at Crescent Beach

Saturday, Oct. 18

The Joni Project at Bay Street Theater

The Joni Project is a tribute in sound and spirit to Joni Mitchell, one of music’s greatest and most innovative artists.

They bring fresh interpretation to Joni’s legendary tunes from their many eras and genres – particularly from the time of her stunning and dynamic collaboration with Jaco Pastorius, Pat Metheny and Michael Brecker.

Keep Independent News on the East End

The Beacon is able to provide all of our content online free of charge thanks to support from our readers. Be a vital part of keeping our community informed!

Words

“Evil has only the power that we give it.” — Ray Bradbury

See you next Sunday,

Beth