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- 🐝 Staying in Motion
🐝 Staying in Motion
Housing Future, Chicken Saga, Water Plan Needs More Work
Thomas Loncar
October 02, 2026
Together With Tim O’Keefe
Good Morning, North Fork! Sunday is National Cinnamon Roll Day. We assume the appropriate way to celebrate is fairly obvious.
In today’s North Fork Buzz:
Housing Future
Chicken Saga
Water Plan Needs More Work
Ready, Set, Go!
Sponsored By Timothy O’Keefe Licensed Real Estate Sales Person with Signature Premier Properties
The Local Advantage 🏠
Everyone has that one part of the house.
The attic full of boxes nobody has opened in 20 years. The garage where “we’ll deal with it eventually” became a permanent storage strategy. The basement containing at least three pieces of furniture nobody remembers buying.
And when it’s time to sell, or settle a family estate, suddenly “eventually” has arrived.
Tim sees it all the time. Before the photos, the listing, and the open house, one of the hardest parts can simply be figuring out what to do with everything.
That’s why one of the local numbers Tim keeps handy belongs to Brin at Mr. Cleanout of Greenport.
Whether it’s a single room or an entire house, Brin works throughout the North Fork helping people clear out the things they no longer need. Tim recommends him because he’s reasonably priced, fair, and understands that sometimes he’s not just removing stuff, he’s working in a home filled with decades of memories.
And there’s a real estate benefit, too. A cleared-out home lets buyers see the space instead of everything inside it.
Big job, small job, selling or not, give Mr. Cleanout of Greenport a call at 631-487-3371 and tell Brin that Tim sent you.
And when the house is ready for its next chapter, Tim will be ready too.
The Lowdown
Housing Future 🏘️
Southold is sitting on more than $8.5 million in Community Housing Fund money, and residents have plenty of ideas about how it should be spent.
At a packed Town Hall forum, officials unveiled preliminary maps for new Community Housing Overlay Districts, which would make it easier to build multi-family housing in and around hamlet centers and along parts of Routes 25 and 48. Projects could reach up to 12 units per acre, depending on county septic requirements.
Residents and local leaders pushed for clearer housing goals, public progress dashboards, more accessory apartments, energy efficient homes and better wastewater infrastructure. Several speakers also questioned whether the town's proposed down payment assistance program is the best use of the fund, arguing that the money could go further toward actually creating new housing.
And then there's the North Fork problem hiding underneath nearly every housing conversation: septic systems. Without widespread sewers, adding the density needed for more affordable housing gets complicated fast.
Get the full story 👉 East End Beacon
Chicken Saga 🐓
The controversial plan to bring 6,000 hens to Ackerly Pond Lane in Southold is officially off the table, at least for now.
The 16 acre property’s owner has swapped the chicken farm proposal for an organic fruit and vegetable operation with a 2,100-square-foot barn, which heads to a Planning Board public hearing Oct. 5.
But neighbors aren’t exactly declaring victory.
They’re still pressing Southold Town to reveal the individual owners behind 2340 Ackerly Pond LLC, which bought the property for $650,000 last year.
The Town Attorney says Southold is seeking those records and could potentially go to court to compel their release.
And then there’s the chicken question.
Town officials said approving the organic produce operation wouldn’t necessarily prevent another chicken farm proposal down the road, provided it went through the required approvals. ($)
Get the full story 👉 Suffolk Times
Water Plan Needs More Work 💧
The Group for the East End says the latest plan for a major new North Fork water main is better than the original.
Just don’t call that an endorsement.
The environmental group says the Suffolk County Water Authority’s revised Main Road route is shorter and should mean less construction, noise, dust and disruption, while also being less likely to encourage development on open land.
But the group still has a fairly long punch list.
At the top: water conservation. It wants stronger enforcement of Southold’s irrigation restrictions and a bigger effort to educate residents about water use, arguing that without conservation, the North Fork will become increasingly reliant on water transported from Southampton.
It’s also calling for an independent construction monitor, real time online updates about roadwork and traffic, and better coordination between the Water Authority and local governments.
And before the pipeline eventually makes its way toward Orient, the group wants another environmental review to account for whatever may have changed by then.
Get the full story 👉 North Fork Sun
Top Stories From The Week 📖
🦪 Oysters Meet Bubbles Sparkling Pointe’s annual Local Oyster Showcase returns Oct. 4, pairing six Long Island oyster farms with six East End restaurants, plus plenty of sparkling wine.
🇺🇸 When the Revolution Came to Cutchogue After the Battle of Brooklyn in 1776, British forces occupied Long Island and roughly three quarters of Southold’s population fled across the Sound to Connecticut. Those who stayed behind dealt with British and Hessian troops taking supplies, dismantling churches for firewood and generally making everyday life pretty complicated.
🧬 A Lock of Hair For most of her early life, Greenport resident Dorothy Westerinen knew her family was somehow related to Thomas Jefferson.
🍸 A North Fork Weekend Plenty of North Fork weekends involve wineries, oysters and a hotel room. Leslie Merinoff decided to connect all the dots.
Stories with a ($) require a third party subscription
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Photo of the Week
📸 submitted by David Kilbride
Tag @NorthForkBuzz or email us at [email protected] to get your photos in The Buzz!
Local Spotlight
A Week for Staying in Motion 🧘
Peconic Landing is putting healthy aging front and center next week.
From October 5–9, the Greenport community will host Active Aging Week, with a lineup of free activities open to the public focused on staying active, connected and healthy at every age.
The week is built around Peconic Landing’s approach to “successful living,” with activities centered on natural movement, social connection, positive outlook, healthy eating and brain health.
And they know a thing or two about wellness.
Peconic Landing was named the #1 Senior Living Community for Wellness in North America in 2024 by the International Council on Active Aging and followed that up with a Top 5 finish in 2025.
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
Foodie Friday 🍽
🍴 To Do List
Usually, Foodie Friday means we’ve gone somewhere, eaten more than was probably necessary, and come back with a full report.
This week, we’re doing things a little differently.
There are a handful of restaurant specials around the North Fork that keep catching our attention.
So consider this less of a review and more of our Foodie Friday to do list.
We haven’t personally tried any of these yet, which means we can’t tell you which burger deserves a standing ovation or whether a lunch special is secretly the best deal on the North Fork. But we can tell you they’ve all made it onto our radar, and, eventually, we fully intend to eat our way through the list.
Lunch decisions get easier when $18 gets you a little bit of everything.
Ellen’s on Front is running a weekday lunch special where you can grab a half sandwich, a cuppa chowda, and your choice of fries or greens.
And these aren’t exactly boring sandwich options. Choose from the Jewsian Fusion Reuben, crispy chicken thigh sandwich, crab cake sando, classic BLT, or grilled cheese.
Every Wednesday, all fall and winter, The Old Mill Inn is serving up a Caesar salad, burger, fries, and a beer for $39, available from open to close.
You can stick with their Classic Double Burger, or make things interesting with a different Chef’s special burger every week, which gives us a pretty good excuse to come back more than once.
And if a burger and glass of wine sounds more your speed, you can swap the beer for wine for $5 more.
Southold Social’s Supper Sundays feature a two-course dinner plus a glass of select house red or white wine for $45 per person.
Dinner starts with a Caesar salad, followed by your choice of pasta: Gnocchi, Cacio e Pepe, Homemade Cavatelli, Fresh Squid Ink Linguine, or Orecchiette.
A bowl of pasta, a glass of wine, and nowhere to be except your table sounds like a pretty solid way to close out the weekend.
Every Thursday from 4–9 PM, Alpina is giving you 90 minutes of all you can eat cheese and charcuterie for $35 per person.
Yes, 90 minutes. All the cheese. All the charcuterie.
And because a table covered in cheese without wine would just feel incomplete, they’re also running wine bottle specials all night.
We’re not entirely sure how much cheese one person can responsibly consume in 90 minutes, but we’re willing to find out.
Now comes the hard part: deciding which one we need to try first.
Have a weekly restaurant special we should add to our Foodie Friday to do list? Send it our way at [email protected]. Bonus points if you’ve already tried it and can tell us exactly what to order.
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
🍽 Foodie Friday Wants Your Recommendations
Had an incredible meal on the North Fork recently? Don't gatekeep it.
Maybe it was a standout lobster roll, an unforgettable dessert, a hidden gem, or a dish you're still thinking about days later. Whatever it was, we want to hear about it. Send us a quick blurb about your experience, what you ordered, and why it's worth trying. Your recommendation could be featured in an upcoming Foodie Friday edition of North Fork Buzz.
Share the good stuff and help fellow food lovers in the Buzz fam discover their next great meal!
Live Music + Fun Breakdown
Friday
Peconic Bay Vineyards | Ahmad Ali | 3-6 PM
Corey Creek | Haig Mathosian | 4-8 PM
Main & Mill | Michael Also | 5-7 PM
Rooted North Vineyards (formerly Suhru & Lieb) | Roberta Fabiano | 5-7 PM
Billy’s By the Bay | Sahara | 5-8 PM
Tucker’s Taproom | Erin Chase | 5-8 PM
Island’s End Bar & Grill | Unrelated Cousins | 5 PM
Jamesport Vineyards | Maye & Paulie | 6-8 PM
First Fridays on Love Lane | MJT | 6-9 PM
Little Fish | George Tebbitt | 6-9 PM
*One Woman Winery | Tim Siciliano Trio | 6-9 PM
First & South | The Libations | 6-9 PM
Southold Social | K + R Music | 6-9 PM
Andy’s | Sonic Gumbo | 7-10 PM
North Fork Resort | Route 48 | 7-10 PM
Clam Bar at Alize Brewing | Chloe Halpin | 7-10 PM
The Watershed | Jay Shepard | 7-10 PM
Lucharitos | Karaoke with DJ Henry Eau | 9 PM
*Reservations Required
Saturday
Jamesport Farm Brewery | DJ POB | 1-4 PM
Corey Creek | Matthew Miniero | 1-5 PM
Osprey’s Dominion | Gene Casey & The Lone Sharks | 1-5 PM
Duck Walk | TBA | 1-5 PM
Pugliese Vineyards | Acoustic Groove | 1-5 PM
Clovis Point | Mike Taylor | 1-5:30 PM
Terra Vite Vineyard | Christiaan Padavan | 1:30-4:30 PM
Pindar | Route 48 | 1:30-5:30 PM
Jason’s Vineyard | Logan Whaley | 1:30-5:30 PM
Bridge Lane Wine | Brandon Gurba | 2-5 PM
Peconic Bay Vineyards | Ben Clark | 2-5 PM
Greenport Harbor Brewing (Pec) | Greg McMullen Fiasco | 4-7 PM
Billy’s By the Bay | Sitting Ducks | 4-7 PM
Hotel Moraine | Como Brothers | 5-7 PM
Tucker’s Taproom | King Bees | 5-8 PM
Jamesport Farm Brewery | Evan & James | 5-8 PM
Treiber Farms | Deadwood & Friends | 5 PM
Little Fish | Frank Palmeri | 6-9 PM
The Watershed | Dean Silva | 6-9 PM
On the Docks | Sahara | 6-9 PM
Taps & Corks | Newgrange Stone | 7-10 PM
Clam Bar at Alize Brewing | Jay Shepard | 7-10 PM
Sunday
North Fork Roasting Co | Greg McMullen | 9 AM-1 PM
Jamesport Farm Brewery | Papa Joe | 1-4 PM
Osprey’s Dominion | Yellow Fly | 1-5 PM
Corey Creek | Gene Casey | 1-5 PM
Pugliese Vineyards | Alex Alexander | 1-5 PM
Jason’s Vineyard | The Atlantics | 1-5 PM
Duck Walk | TBA | 1-5 PM
Bedell Cellars | Jason Dorsa | 1-5 PM
Clovis Point | Wineasaurs | 1-5:30 PM
Pindar | Hot Flash Duo | 1:30-5:30 PM
Jason’s Vineyard | Haig Mathosian | 1:30-5:30 PM
Bridge Lane Wine | Taylor Thomas Lane | 2-5 PM
Tucker’s Taproom | George Tebbitt | 2-5 PM
Peconic Bay Vineyards | Alien Surfdogs | 2-5 PM
Floyd Memorial Library | Deni Bonet & Chris Flynn | 3 PM
Smuggler’s Cove | Dinny Keg | 4 PM-7 PM
PORT | The Realm | 5 PM
Treiber Farms | Deadwood & Friends | 5 PM
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THANKS!
Thanks for reading the North Fork Buzz today. Like what you read? Send it to someone who loves a good cinnamon roll.
Tom Loncar- Publisher
Nicole Loncar- Editor + Partnerships