Here's Chris Francescani's excellent summary of the program in the Northfork Sun: https://northforksun.com/how-north-forkers-are-turning-food-waste-into-a-community-resource/

Replay on zoom using passcode: aF62@%*X
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/uU5eXWNQYH3-NsMUIpupMWN1XOUjZSudXTGP3vDrhZjlqUPLqnwKjvTw8H93-JQB.Tj0VK_Pn4Wa137py

Group for the East End’s Jen Skilbred set the tone, stating that the impacts of light pollution are wide-ranging and significant:

Night-hunting animals, migrating birds and mating insects are disoriented by bright lights. Plants rely on changing daylight hours to map the seasons, and these patterns are disrupted by all-night lighting. For humans, nighttime light disrupts our circadian rhythms and sleep.

As for safety — often an argument for installing abundant lighting — such light causes dark shadows, making it more difficult to detect objects and movement. Surprisingly, the bright lighting that we often associate with increased safety may actually have just the opposite effect.

The Southold Town Code, enacted in 2010, prohibits uplighting on residential building and requires warmer-colored lights and shields on motion detectors. Also, light should not cross a property line. Ms. Skilbred also emphasized the importance of talking with neighbors and building community around this issue.

Electrician Ben Doroski of Custom Lighting of Suffolk stressed that certain kinds of lights are allowed by Southold Town code— and some are banned. Only lighting that falls within the Town code should be installed at a residence. Interesting side note: commercial buildings and educational institutions have different requirements set by the insurance industry, so while these properties often appear to be over-lit, they are not subject to the Town code.

So what should you do if you are in compliance with the Dark Sky code but your neighbor isn’t? Jeanine Goodwin (Cutchogue Civic Association) led a lively discussion about how to broach a neighbor about inappropriate lighting. "Put yourselves in their shoes, let them talk first." While talking is the most effective way of dealing with neighborhood issues, such conversations can be challenging and demand patience and understanding. More than one friendly conversation may be needed for your neighbor to alter their lighting approach. And if all else fails, a call to Town Hall to lodge a complaint might just do the trick.

Reach out to us here! https://www.cutchoguecivic.org/contact-8

We were delighted to have three speakers who are all actively engaged in agriculture/horticulture who talked about their response to our changing climate: Ron Goerler, owner of Jamesport Vineyards, Dennis Schrader from Landcraft Garden, and Tom Wickham of Wickham's Fruit Farm.

Ron spoke about how longer autumns allow the grapes more time to ripen, giving a deeper flavor and higher quality product. Also, there is the challenge of the high cost of labor.

Dennis spoke about how variable our winters can be but nonetheless how more and more plants are surviving our Long Island winters. The weather is erratic, no year is identical. He mentioned the importance of honoring the harvest.

Tom described his experience working internationally and gthe challenge we face in growing basic food for all. Agricultural research has provided him with apples adapted to current climatic conditions. He also spoke about "covered agriculture" and the benefits of having access to growing tomatoes, for example, in greenhouses.

Read the Suffolk Times article here: https://suffolktimes.timesreview.com/2025/08/cutchogue-civc-meet-and-greet-with-purpose/

Insights From Five Area Businesses on the Challenges and Joys of Running a Small Business

"The organization sees education as their primary mission. They have hosted talks on land preservation, the town parks, battery storage and there is an upcoming event with the highway department. 'There is an important role for us to play in this community now, [as] a mechanism whereby people can be better informed about the challenges we face here, with respect to over development, climate change, those kinds of issues,' said Barbara Butterworth, chair of the Cutchogue Civic Association’s program committee."