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🐝 Long Night Under The Stars

🐝 Long Night Under The Stars

Stargazing Marathon, Chickens vs. the Cul-de-Sac, Private Cooking Parties

Thomas Loncar
March 17, 2026

Together With

Good Morning, North Fork! Happy St. Patrick’s day! Today we celebrate Irish culture, good friends, and the magical ability of a pint to solve most problems.

In today’s North Fork Buzz:

Stargazing Marathon
Chickens vs. the Cul-de-Sac
Private Cooking Parties

Ready, Set, Go!

The Lowdown

Stargazing Marathon 🌌

Southold’s Custer Institute & Observatory is preparing for a very long night under the stars.

On Saturday, March 21, the observatory will host its first ever Messier Marathon, an overnight stargazing challenge where participants attempt to locate all 110 objects in Messier’s Catalog, a famous 18th century list of galaxies, nebulae and star clusters compiled by French astronomer Charles Messier and his assistant Pierre Méchain.

March is the only window when all 110 objects can potentially be seen in a single night from the Northern Hemisphere.

The idea was inspired by two things: the marathon’s reputation as a bucket list challenge for amateur astronomers and the realization that one of Long Island’s oldest observatories had never hosted one before.

Even seasoned observers know the full 110 object sweep is a stretch. Spotting 70 to 80 objects in one night is still an impressive run, and plenty to keep stargazers busy until dawn.

Custer staff and experienced docents will be out on the lawn with telescopes trained on key targets to help participants stay oriented as the night unfolds.

Get the full story 👉 Northforker

Chickens vs. the Cul-de-Sac 🐔

A quiet Southold block where neighbors know each other, kids set up lemonade stands and bikes still rule the cul-de-sac is suddenly at the center of a debate involving 6,000 chickens.

Residents of Jasmine Lane have been pushing back against a proposed egg farm planned for land at the end of their street. Since the project surfaced, neighbors have spoken at public hearings, launched a Facebook campaign and circulated a petition opposing the plan.

The proposal comes from 22 year old NYU real estate student and aspiring farmer Grant Callahan, who wants to raise roughly 6,000 hens on a 15.9 acre property using mobile chicken shelters and a barn for equipment, egg washing and packing.

For neighbors who have lived on the block for decades, the concern isn’t just chickens, it’s what they fear could come with them: odor, pests, traffic, water use and possible impacts on property values.

Planning Board chairman James Rich said the board cannot deny an application simply because it’s controversial. Its role is to review whether the proposal complies with applicable laws and assess its impacts.

Town Supervisor Al Krupski echoed that sentiment at a recent Town Board meeting, noting that the town purchased development rights on the property in 2007 specifically to preserve it for agriculture. ($)

Get the full story 👉 Suffolk Times

Citizen of the Year 🏅

If it flies, crawls, swims or nests on the North Fork, there’s a good chance Jennifer Murray is already keeping an eye on it.

The longtime Mattituck resident was named the Mattituck-Laurel Civic Association’s 2025 Citizen of the Year, with about 50 community members gathering at Veterans Beach Park on March 12 to celebrate her conservation work across the North Fork.

Murray is best known locally for her tireless advocacy for shorebird populations, especially endangered species like piping plovers, least terns, common terns and American oystercatchers. During shorebird season, she often spends 12 to 14 hours a day on local beaches, monitoring nests, repairing fencing and coordinating volunteers.

Her dedication has become the stuff of legend among fellow environmentalists. But shorebirds are only part of the story.

She has helped the Mattituck Park District identify locations for new osprey platforms, organizes the annual Return of the Osprey celebration each March and runs a summer nature camp to introduce local kids to the natural world.

She also monitors bald eagle populations for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, leads the annual Bald Eagle survey each January and coordinates the Christmas Bird Count in Mattituck, Laurel and Jamesport.

And when it comes to hands-on work, Murray is often the one leading the charge, organizing beach cleanups, dune restoration projects and grass plantings, and even helping rescue cold-stunned endangered sea turtles from Mattituck Inlet. ($)

Get the full story 👉 Suffolk Times

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Happenings: Upcoming Events

😂 Comedy Night Sometimes the only thing better than a cold beer is laughing hard enough to forget what day it is. Comedy Night lands at Eastern Front Brewing Co. on Saturday, March 28, bringing stand-up that feels tailor made for people who like their punchlines with a pint. More Info

🚤 Boating Safety Course Before you throttle up for the season, it might be a good idea to learn what all those buoys actually mean. Southold Library is hosting a New York Boating Safety Course on Saturday, March 28, covering the essentials of responsible boating and basic skills every captain should know. More Info

🌾 North Fork Farmers Stories Pull up a chair and hear the stories behind the soil. Hallockville Museum Farm hosts this special gathering on Saturday, March 28, where North Fork farmers from multiple generations share what it was like growing up on the land, carrying on family traditions, and adapting as agriculture here continues to evolve. More Info

🥞 Breakfast Buffet Coffee’s hot, and pancakes are stacked. The 22nd Annual East Marion Fire Department Breakfast Buffet returns Sunday, March 29 with a hearty spread plus raffles, horseradish sales, and a 50/50 benefiting the Oysterponds 5th/6th Grade trip to Washington, DC. More Info

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

Local Spotlight

Private Cooking Parties 🍽

If you’ve ever wished you could skip the crowded restaurant and just take over a kitchen with your friends instead, Flavor Fork has the answer. The North Fork cooking studio now offers private group classes and custom culinary events, giving you and your crew the run of the space for a hands on food experience led by Chef Sarah.

Perfect for birthdays, girls’ nights, team-building outings, family gatherings, or even bachelorette weekends, these private classes can be tailored to fit the vibe of your group. You can choose from one of Flavor Fork’s existing class menus or collaborate with Chef Sarah to build something totally custom.

It’s a fun, memorable way to celebrate something special, or just gather around the kitchen with the people you like most.

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

Live Music + Fun Breakdown

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Tom Loncar- Publisher
Nicole Loncar- Editor + Partnerships