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🐝 Aquaculture Gets A Bigger Seat

🐝 Aquaculture Gets A Bigger Seat

Aquaculture as Agriculture, A Champion of Community, Drama Over a Stamp

Thomas Loncar
January 19, 2026

Together With

Good Morning, North Fork! Snowy views yesterday, salty shoes today.

In today’s North Fork Buzz:

Aquaculture as Agriculture
A Champion of Community
Drama Over a Stamp

Ready, Set, Go!

The Lowdown

Aquaculture as Agriculture 🦪

Southold is giving aquaculture a bigger seat at the table.

In response to Suffolk County’s new “working waterfront” legislation, the town plans to fold its long inactive shellfish advisory committee into the agricultural advisory committee.

The updated committee would grow from 9 to 11 members and officially recognize aquaculture and mariculture as part of Southold’s agricultural backbone. That means more direct input on town policies, zoning decisions, and legislation that impact everything from traditional farming to shellfish operations.

A public hearing on the proposal is set for February 24 at 6 PM at Southold Town Hall, with a potential Town Board vote to follow.($)

Get the full story 👉 Suffolk Times

The New Rules of Women’s Health 📚

Meghan Rabbitt, a North Fork native and Southold High School graduate, has released a major new book, The New Rules of Women’s Health, a 642 page, research-driven guide commissioned by journalist and women’s health advocate Maria Shriver. The book is the result of three years of reporting, more than 150 expert interviews, and hundreds of hours translating complex medical science into clear, actionable guidance for women.

Rabbitt’s path to the project started with a lifelong love of writing, eventually leading her from national magazines to freelance work focused on women’s health. That focus caught Shriver’s attention after Rabbitt reported on women’s brain health and Alzheimer’s disease.

What sets the book apart is its intentional choice to feature only women experts: doctors, scientists, and researchers, reflecting the growing role women play in shaping medical research. The book is organized into three parts, covering women’s health across life stages, deep dives into major body systems, and practical ways to optimize health through sleep, nutrition, movement, and mental well-being.

Get the full story 👉 Northforker

A Champion of Community 🎉

Charlie Manwaring, owner of Southold Fish Market, was honored by Eastern Long Island Hospital and its foundation for years of generosity, community involvement, and unwavering support of local healthcare. If you’ve ever been to a Lobster Bash, a Fall Fishing Showdown, or just about any community fundraiser on the North Fork, chances are Charlie’s been behind it, or right in the middle of it.

Hospital leaders highlighted Manwaring’s hands on role in events that have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support care on the North Fork, while also praising the spirit behind the work. From charity contests at the fish market to showing up year after year for local events, his approach has always been simple: give back, have fun doing it, and make people smile.

True to form, Manwaring brushed off the spotlight, saying he doesn’t do it for recognition, just for the community he loves.

Get the full story 👉 Patch

Drama Over a Stamp 🎭

The North Fork Community Theatre opened Mauritius on Friday, a sharp, fast paced play that turns a rare stamp collection into the center of a family showdown. Written by Theresa Rebeck and first staged on Broadway in 2007, the story follows two estranged sisters locked in a battle over inheritance, resentment, and a set of stamps that may be worth millions.

What starts as a tense reunion quickly draws in a group of stamp dealers and con artists, all circling with one thing on their mind: who can cash in first. The result is a clever mix of suspense, dark humor, and uncomfortable truths about money, art, and the stories we tell ourselves to justify greed.

Mauritius runs through February 1 at the North Fork Community Theatre, with evening and Sunday matinee performances.

Get the full story 👉 East End Beacon

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Happenings: This Week

Wednesday

🧘 Breathe In Let Go If you’ve been craving a pause that goes deeper than a day off, the Breathwork Healing Session with Mary Cognat at Sound View offers space to slow down, and release what’s been weighing on you. Transformational breathwork, supports clearing stuck energy, deepening intuition, and finding a sense of calm and clarity. More Info

👩‍👧‍👦 Join the SMC If you’ve been looking for a meaningful way to plug in locally the 2026 Southold Mothers Club Board Sign Ups are open, with ways to help that fit every schedule, join the board in any capacity big or small. This year is extra special: SMC is celebrating its 30th Anniversary, and the club is gearing up to make it its best year yet. More Info

Thursday

✍️ Nameless Writers Salon #12 Returning for its twelfth installment at Sound View with an evening centered on New Beginnings. Hosted by bestselling author Isaac Fitzgerald, the night invites writers, readers, and the creatively curious to reflect on what’s ahead, loosen their grip on the past, and make space for growth, hope, and change. More Info

🐟 Pick Your Catch Choose your own seafood experience that’s as fresh and local as it gets. Grace & Grit is teaming up with North Fork Seafood. Pick your seafood to cook at home, hand it over to Chef Adam while you grab a drink and wait, or settle in and enjoy the full dine in experience. More Info

🎸 Beginner Guitar Lessons Always wanted to pick up a guitar and actually know what you’re doing? Beginner Guitar Lessons at the Mattituck-Laurel Library is a four class series led by Adam King of Reprise Music, designed to teach the fundamentals. Move beyond the basics, build real confidence, and work toward playing a full song. More Info

🎨 Intention Setting A little reflection plus a little creativity at Veme Studios’ Tarot / Archetype 2026 Collage Workshop. Pull a tarot card to uncover guiding themes for 2026, then transform that insight into a personal archetype through collage. More Info

^{_{Nothing in this section is sponsored. They’re just fun things you need to know. I’ll always let you know when something is sponsored}}

Local Spotlight

Aquaculture Opportunities Opens 🦪

If growing shellfish is on your long term vision board, this is one to flag.

Suffolk County’s Aquaculture Lease Program has opened its 2026 application cycle, inviting growers to apply for new lease sites, second leases, relocations, and lease transfers. It’s a key moment for those looking to expand or get started in local aquaculture.

Before any application can be submitted, prospective applicants must schedule a required pre-application meeting with program staff. Meetings are held Monday through Friday.

For 2026, Suffolk County has made 60 acres available for new leases (six 10-acre sites) and an additional 30 acres for second leases (three 10-acre sites). All applications must be postmarked by Friday, February 13, 2026.

^{_{Nothing in this section is sponsored. They’re just fun things you need to know. I’ll always let you know when something is sponsored}}

Live Music + Fun Breakdown

Monday

The Watershed | TBA | 6-9 PM
Ram’s Head | Bingo | 6 PM

Tuesday

First & South | Julia King | 5-8 PM
Front Street Station | Music Bingo | 7 PM

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THANKS!

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Tom Loncar- Publisher
Nicole Loncar- Editor + Partnerships