Good Morning,

A hometown athlete is headed to the national stage, and a rare red moon will soon light up our sky. Local leaders are weighing new plans, including a natural food market and a skating rink in Shirley. A local nonprofit is restoring centuries-old gravestones, while new art shows, films, live music, and community events fill the calendar. Here’s what you need to know today across Patchogue, Medford, and our nearby towns.

Brian Grant

Editor

Ben Katz of Medford, N.Y., qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships at 285 pounds.

Learn how to watch the upcoming total lunar eclipse on Long Island, where the moon will turn a blood red color. Find out the best viewing times and locations for this rare celestial event.

The Patchogue Community Development Agency will meet on March 2, 2026 at 6:00 PM to review and approve its FY2026 budget and consider submitting $150,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding requests to the Town of Brookhaven and public hearing on the proposed Public Authority Budget for fiscal years 2027 to 2029.

A Patchogue nonprofit is restoring dozens of 18th-century gravestones. They are cleaning the stones to preserve their historical significance.

A former wholesale warehouse on Waverly Avenue could soon transform into Barn and Basket Eatery, a specialty natural foods market proposed for Patchogue.

The property owner plans to demolish an existing home and convert the warehouse at 154–164 Waverly Avenue into the new market, according to applications now before the Village Zoning Board of Appeals.

The site includes approximately 1.55 acres and would house a 19,920 square foot store with 74 parking spaces—well below the village’s requirement of 133, prompting a request for parking relief.

The project also seeks a variance for a front yard setback along West Fifth Street, as plans currently offer no setback instead of the required 10 feet.

Residents can view updated building renderings and attend the public hearing at Village Hall or online, ensuring their voices shape this key Patchogue development.

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The Town of Brookhaven will hold a Planning Board hearing on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. to discuss a major new recreational project for Shirley, New York.

The proposal, led by Hampshire Venture Partners, LLC, seeks to turn the former Dowling College aviation campus into a state-of-the-art ice skating rink and a sprawling warehouse complex.

Plans include a two-sheet hockey rink with bleachers, locker rooms, concessions, and substantial parking, located at the corner of William Floyd Parkway and Flower Hill Drive.

About 600,000 square feet of warehouse space will rise on sixty acres, while the remaining forty-five acres, holding existing athletic fields and the rink, would become town property managed as a public park.

Residents have voiced both excitement and concern over traffic and the rink’s proximity to neighborhoods.

The hearing invites public feedback, in person or via live stream, as the town weighs final site plans and variances.

MoCA L.I. unveils a fresh series celebrating artists who create together, kicking off with Occupying Space: 9 @ BAT this spring.

This new exhibition opens March 7 and runs through May 10, 2026, offering locals a unique chance to experience the energy of artists who inspire one another daily.

Occupying Space: 9 @ BAT is the first in MoCA L.I.’s Art from the Hive series, shining a light on creatives who share not just proximity, but vision.

The show features nine artists linked to ChaShaMa’s Brooklyn Army Terminal residency, each bringing their own approach to painting, sculpture, and mixed media.

Visitors can meet the curators during a special event on April 11, or simply drop by during extended weekend hours.

Admission is free, with opening night bites and local coffee on select days, making this a can’t-miss Patchogue experience.

• Discover the top Irish pubs and restaurants on Long Island including a few local ones with authentic Irish cuisine and lively atmospheres.

• Plaza Cinema & Media Arts Center is bringing the 2026 Oscar Nominated Shorts to Patchogue. The program runs from February 27 through March 5.

• Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts is welcoming Samantha Fish to town for her Paper Doll Tour on Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at 8:00 pm.

• Join an all-level Yoga class at the Henrietta Acampora Recreation Center in Blue Point, running Mondays from March 2 to April 13.

• Lighthouse Mission is hosting a free Easter art contest for local artists of all ages, with every entry set to be displayed in an art gallery at the mission’s main building in Bellport. The contest is open now and runs through Friday, March 6.