Small Town Values

04/21/2026

This is exactly why the North Fork needs to wake up—NOW.

Greenport is proposing a tax increase.

Why?

Because revenues aren’t where they need to be—and when that happens, the burden shifts. 

And let’s connect the dots…

We have vacant storefronts.
We have stalled projects.
We have underutilized properties sitting in prime locations.

And when businesses aren’t producing…

Residents pay the difference.

⸻

This is the moment for our community to understand something very real:

Our business community is not separate from us.
They ARE our economy.

Along with our farmers, they are the backbone of everything that keeps this place alive.

When storefronts sit empty, it doesn’t just look bad.

It reduces tax revenue.
It weakens foot traffic.
It creates a ripple effect that leads to decline. 

And eventually

It hits your tax bill.

We say we want to preserve the character of the North Fork.

But stagnation doesn’t preserve anything.

It causes decay.

Right now, too many businesses are hanging on—hoping for a good season.

Hoping the weather cooperates.

That’s not a strategy.

It’s time for residents and business owners to come together.

Support local.
Demand smart decisions.
Push for projects that create energy, not stall it.

Because if we don’t…

We won’t just lose businesses.

We’ll all pay for it. Literally.

02/25/2026

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said:

“I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

Watch children play.

They don’t ask about race.
They don’t ask about politics.
They don’t divide themselves.

They laugh.
They share.
They include.

In this video, these children are asking a simple question:

Judge us by who we are.
Not by labels you give us later.

They don’t need to be taught division.
They don’t need to inherit resentment.
They don’t need to be told who to hate.

They are already living the message.

Maybe unity isn’t something we have to create.

Maybe it’s something we have to stop destroying.

No More Labels.
One Race. Human.

Wear The Movement
(Link is below or in Bio)

02/19/2026

NO MORE LABELS.
ONE RACE, HUMAN.

The No More Labels campaign is a movement built to bring people back together in a world that profits off division.

For too long we’ve been separated by:
race, gender, sexual orientation, politics, uniforms, income, background, and stereotypes.

But the truth is simple:

We are ONE race: HUMAN.

This movement is about replacing confrontation with communication, replacing division with unity, and using negotiation—not conflict—to solve the problems that are tearing communities apart.

Our first initiatives are focused on real solutions, including:

✅ Meet Respect with Discretion
A program designed to help repair the relationship between the community and law enforcement—starting with traffic stops.

✅ Work Visas Now
A practical solution for the East End of Long Island to protect our workforce, our farms, our trades, and our small businesses.

This is not about politics.
This is about people.

🧥 Every hoodie and t-shirt purchased supports the movement.
Every dollar goes toward building these programs, spreading the message, and creating real action—not empty talk.

We’re the movement.
Wear the movement’
Support the mission.

Join the movement.

NO MORE LABELS. ONE RACE. HUMAN.

Shop now https://fromnegotiatortohostage.com/no-more-labels

02/17/2026

🛍️ Retail Therapy Available

Selling… not buying… for a change.

There are retail job openings right here on the North Fork — and this might be the opportunity someone who didn’t know what they’re looking for.

Are you:
• Recently retired but not ready to slow down?
• Looking for something part-time to stay active and social?
• A young person who wants to learn real sales skills and earn a solid income?

Retail isn’t just folding shirts and ringing registers.

It’s:
✔ Learning how to communicate
✔ Understanding sales strategies
✔ Building confidence
✔ Connecting with people
✔ Earning while you sharpen skills that translate to any business

For retirees, it’s engagement and purpose.
For younger folks, it’s training in social behavior, service, and professionalism — skills that pay dividends for life.

There’s something powerful about helping a local business grow while earning your own way.

Retail therapy isn’t always about spending money.
Sometimes it’s about learning how to make it.

If you’re interested, comment below or send us a message and we’ll point you in the right direction.

— Small Town Values

02/07/2026

💧 Saltwater Intrusion, Water Use & Property Rights — Let’s Talk Solutions

Last week I attended the Saltwater Intrusion meeting hosted by the Town of Southold, where the U.S. Geological Survey presented on how our aquifer system works.

I asked a question that I believe matters:

It was acknowledged that agriculture is using far less water today than it did decades ago — mainly because potatoes were a water-dependent crop, and potatoes are no longer a major part of our local farming economy.

Historically, agriculture today is using roughly 90% LESS water drawn for irrigation. And even then, much of that water cycled back into aquifer recharge. Today, agriculture uses only a fraction of what it once did.

Since the 1980s, we’ve added thousands of homes, and with that comes lawn irrigation — often unnecessary and wasteful, especially when people water while it’s raining. That isn’t conservation. That’s laziness.

What was most interesting is that the town’s Upper Glacial Aquifer doesn’t appear to be the issue. The saltwater intrusion concerns are largely tied to deep wells.

We asked what the Upper Glacial levels were in the 1980s. The USGS team couldn’t provide the numbers at the time, but we were told they may be able to follow up.

Here’s where I stand:

I am all for conserving water. We should absolutely stop wasteful watering and protect our resources. But we also need to be careful about overreaching policies that infringe on property rights when there are better, smarter solutions.

One of those solutions is simple: stop pushing chemical-dependent lawns.

Clover requires about one-third of the water, needs little to no chemicals, and stays green. Conversations with sod farmers suggest we could realistically shift toward clover as a standard option instead of grass seed.

Maybe it’s time we ask:
Why are we regulating homeowners harder than we’re challenging chemical companies and outdated lawn standards? PFAS anyone? Aquaculture anyone?

This is a conversation worth having.

02/03/2026

🤝 Community First. Always.

Last night, held a meeting at the Universalist Church in Southold — and the turnout was incredible. It was encouraging to hear OLA’s position on working with local law enforcement and understanding the real limitations officers face when dealing with .

The meeting was informative and focused on reactive steps — how to protect our community if ICE were to conduct operations in our area.

At Small Town Values, we believe that’s important — but it’s not enough.

We also need to be proactive.

The same community turnout we saw last night should be used to demand the attention of our elected officials — not just to prepare for the “big bad wolf,” but to fix the problem at its source.

The people we are trying to protect — are essential to our community. They bring culture, language, work ethic, and family values that strengthen the East End. Oh, are also Tax Payers.
99.9% are respectful, law-abiding, hardworking, and deeply rooted here.

It’s time to demand:
• A real path to citizenship
• A modern work visa system inclusive of families.
• Federal leadership that reflects the reality of our communities

There is enough national momentum and concern for this to become a federal conversation.

At the same time, we must be honest about border and immigration policies, because the horror and financial torment created by forcing people into dangerous crossings with coyotes harms the very people we claim to care about — including those living and working here in our own town.

Protecting our neighbors means more than reacting in fear.
It means leading with humanity, policy, and courage.

— Small Town Values

11/01/2025

🌾 The Real Cost of Southold’s Hotel Moratorium

For anyone who’s ever farmed on the North Fork, this hits close to home. Farming here isn’t just hard work — it’s survival. Wholesale is dead. Our farmers now rely almost entirely on direct retail sales to stay afloat.

That’s why policies that restrict tourism — like Southold’s hotel moratorium and the enforcement of a two-week minimum rental rule — are so damaging. These decisions choke off overnight visitors, the very people who spend money at our farm stands, vineyards, and local businesses.

Projects like The Enclaves in Southold, which took nearly ten years to get approved, highlight how broken the process has become. And now, with a total freeze on new resorts and hotels, the agricultural economy faces an even deeper blow.

Tourism and agriculture aren’t opposing forces — they’re partners. Visitors who stay overnight sustain local farms by buying local produce, attending tastings, and dining in our restaurants. Remove that connection, and you remove one of the last safety nets keeping farming alive on the East End.

This is exactly what Small Town Values stands for — building communities that support sustainable agriculture, small businesses, and smart tourism that keeps our towns thriving.

📰 Read the full article on the Perimeter Agency blog:
👉 https://perimeteragency.com/hotels-vital-for-southolds-agricultural-sustainability/

It’s time to start a real conversation about balance — because without thoughtful hospitality, there’s no sustainable farming future for Southold.

In Southold, agriculture isn’t just a livelihood—it’s a way of life. The flat, rural landscape of the North Fork has long been synonymous with farming, attracting both residents and visitors alike. However, as the challenges facing modern agriculture continue to mount, the need for innovation ...

10/01/2025

🏌️‍♂️🍻🎨 The North Fork Cup was more than just golf — it was competition, camaraderie, community, art, and friendship all coming together for one unforgettable event.

Southold and Greenport battled it out over two days, with Southold edging Greenport 12–10, but the real win was the friendships formed, the conversations shared, and the community brought closer together.

From the artistry of Cindy Pease Roe, who created our trophy from reclaimed materials, to the vision of Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, who started it all, the Cup has become a true celebration of what makes the North Fork special.

This is only the beginning — and it’s clear this event needs to keep going.

👉 Click the article to Read the full story on our blog:

https://perimeteragency.com/bringing-worlds-together-art-community-the-north-fork-cup/

Community isn’t built overnight — it’s woven through moments of competition, conversation, and creativity. This past Thursday and Friday, the North Fork Cup reminded us of just that.Southold and Greenport each fielded eight players in a spirited two-day match. After Day One, Southold led 9–3...

08/29/2025

🇺🇸 Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness 🇺🇸

At the heart of our community’s debates — whether it’s rezoning, hotel moratoriums, short-term rentals, or small business survival — lies a bigger question: are we still protecting the principles this country was built on?

Some argue restrictions are needed to “protect community character.” Others believe short-term rentals like Airbnb open opportunities. Big business, meanwhile, thrives on exploiting loopholes that eliminate competition.

But when you take a step back, every major decision made by our local government in recent years has tilted against Our Farners, Small Businesses, against Working Families, and against the basic right to build a better life.

👉 Hotels and resorts? Blocked.
👉 Short-term rentals? Unenforced, fueling housing costs to levels working families can’t reach.
👉 Rezoning? Cutting commerce by 50%, strangling local opportunity.

The result? A housing crisis, property values out of reach, seasonal costs that force families out, and small businesses left to carry an impossible burden.

At what point does this stop being about politics and become about principle?
If life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are being smothered by anti-capitalist policies, whether through neglect or by design, we have to ask: is this just bad governance — or is it unconstitutional?

The American Dream wasn’t meant to be reserved for the few. It belongs to all of us. And it’s time we spoke up to protect it.