Cherry Grove, Fire Island, has been a symbol of the historic gay civil rights movement and the advancement of post-Stonewall LGBTQ rights. However, an overlooked advancement within the community is that the Grove’s volunteer fire department is the first in New York State to break down gender barriers.  Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, all New […]

The year 2026 marks the 115th anniversary of Tennessee Williams‘ birth. Known for his groundbreaking plays that combined symbolism, metaphor, and realism to create works such as The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Suddenly Last Summer, he left an undeniable mark on the craft. However, Williams’s success […]

This week’s edition of Fire Island News arrives as August begins, a time that often brings thoughts of fresh starts and reminds us of the moments and people who continue to shape our communities. From stories that reflect on the past to features celebrating those making an impact today and looking toward the future, this […]

As a lover of nature, sightseeing, and hiking, I enjoy exploring the parks and beaches on Long Island during the summer. This week, I visited all the state parks in the Great South Bay area. As a lifelong Bay Shore resident, I’ve been to most of them at least once, but I set aside time […]

For nearly three decades, the Symphonic Band of Bay Shore-Brightwaters has brought live music to the community each summer. I had the opportunity to attend one of the band’s concerts on July 22 at the Kenneth Turrisi Community Band Shell in Bay Shore. It was a warm summer evening as lamplight illuminated the band shell […]

On the hottest, most patriotic day of the year, the Fire Island Pines was celebrating something much closer to home — and much more sentimental. The Pines community celebrated the 50th annual Invasion of the Pines celebration on the Fourth of July, marking half a century of fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and preserving the safe […]

Over 500 people packed at 401 West Main St., Islip Town Hall, on July 21, to express concern over the newly proposed Muslim boarding school in Bay Shore. Unlike the prior resistance to the site being sold to Sunrise Senior Living, the Town Hall meeting attracted members from all corners of Islip Town. The vacant […]

It the last week of July , and summer is in full swing across Long Island, and the week ahead is packed with ways to soak up the season. From waterfront concerts and lively street festivals to family-friendly movie nights, comedy shows, and cherished community traditions, there’s no shortage of reasons to get out and […]

The Town of Brookhaven has placed an 18-month moratorium on approving new data centers after public hearings that ran nearly six hours on the evening of July 16. Residents were nearly unanimous in their support for the moratorium, citing the energy demands of these facilities, noise, and other impacts on nearby neighborhoods, as well as […]

Petty Officer 1st Class Gabrielle Darlington continues an 18-year career in the U.S. Navy, serving with the “Sea Knights” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22 at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. The Shirley native is a 2005 graduate of William Floyd High School and serves as a personnel specialist with HSC-22. The squadron flies and maintains […]

Fire Island is home to 17 distinct communities strung along 32 miles of barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great South Bay. Each has developed its own character over generations, shaped by the people who live there, the environment, and the construction constraints of building on an island. The homes that populate these […]