Southold News

WHERE North Fork PHONE 631-765-4689. WHEN Year-round, by appointment COST $65 weekdays; $75 weekends, depending on availability and four-passenger minimum.

Maybe the plumber parked illegally in a fire lane yesterday doesn't match Starbucks' preferred hip and globally conscious image, or maybe sweeping views of a packed Graniteville strip mall parking lot didn't ...

Of the 600 stores Starbucks announced it would close, only three are in New York State .

The city will lose barely a drop when Starbucks closes some 600 stores nationwide.

A Staten Island location was the only NYC Starbucks listed on the company's first round of store closings.

Today we put the LENNDEVOURS Q&A questions in front of Jared Skolnick, president and co-founder of Grand Cru Classes, in Mattituck.

Want to wake up to fresh local duck eggs at a farmhouse that is surrounded by a vineyard? Spend the night at a working fruit farm and gather raspberries after breakfast? Bring your dog to spend the night? Stargaze from a backyard observatory?

All these adventures and more await you at bed and breakfasts on the North Fork of Long Island. (There are unique stays on the South Fork, too, but we couldn't cram everything into one story. More later.) Though many of the bed-and-breakfasts are in handsomely restored farmhouses, they often offer the usual Wi-Fi service and other modern embellishments. Summer is, of course, high season on the East End - many B&B's have a two-night minimum stay on the weekends. Still, many are happy to accommodate guests for a single night, particularly during quieter times of the year.

JONES BEACH: Fireworks dazzle 100,000 They ooh-ed and aah-ed -- watching shells burst in the air, happy to have escaped the thunderstorms.

From spending a day grilling in the park to watching a parade to enjoying a fireworks display on the beach, patriotic fervor spread across Long Island yesterday as residents celebrated the nation's 232nd birthday.

Declaring the Declaration in Merrick Before e-mails, telephones and instant messaging, the way to share important information was by holding a meeting in the town square.

The Historical Society of the Merricks gave its 30th annual reading of the Declaration of Independence Friday morning at a gazebo on Merrick Avenue north of the railroad tracks. Similar to when it was first proclaimed throughout small towns and larger cities in 1776, local citizens gathered together for the reading. But unlike 232 years ago, every participating person took turns reading one sentence each of the 1,375-word document.

Standing in the mist with a bright eye, the Southold Town lighthouses are more than just bearers of light - they are bearers of history.

Shortly after Tuesday's Town Board work session adjourned, LIPA crews were repairing downed lines on North Ferry Road between Manwaring and West Neck roads.

Bedell Cellars jump-starts holiday fireworks with its own sparkler: the 2004 B3 Blanc de Blancs . Small bubbles, big result. The single-block chardonnay has a lemony, appley accent; the label, an evocative image by artist April Gornik. The limited-production, $48 wine is available online from bedellcellars.com ; and at the winery, 631-734-7537.

Get the picnic basket ready. The 2007 Macari Vineyards RosA© deserves space in the cooler. Fruity, plum to cherry, with an eye-catching coral hue. Good with chili, cold cuts, ham, grilled salmon, Southeast Asian and Mexican fare. The Mattituck producer's rosA© is mostly cabernet franc. About $15.

WALK's Pat Pagano is calling for a possibility of a strong thundershower or two Monday night.

SOUTHOLD Suffolk County Executive Steven Levy Friday announced the county has closed on the acquisition of a 45-acre property along Corey Creek and Hogs Neck Bay in the Town of Southold.

Two town houses in gated Smithtown communities offer similar features and amenities such as a pool and clubhouse - but one costs less than half as much in property tax as the other.

Having access to her own retirement account with the click of a browser was convenient for a Wading River retiree.

Held every year since 1955, the Strawberry Festival has become an annual staple of North Fork culture, and the tradition will continue this year when the Mattituck Lions Club sponsors the 54th festival.

Joseph Patrick Hoey, a former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York and special prosecutor who investigated allegations of corruption in Suffolk County law enforcement, died Thursday after a brief ...

North Fork Table & Inn 57225 Main Rd. , Southold 631-765-0177 The husband-and-wife team of chef Gerry Hayden and pastry chef Claudia Fleming offer the best of what's local and seasonal at their simple yet ...

VOTING 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Southold Junior-Senior High School Gym.