Here are a look at some of the most gripping stories on the North Fork in 2013, stories that brought out fierce emotion, from compassion to outrage, among residents.
1) Missing Teen Ashley Murray Returns Home Safely: The community came together in an unheralded show of support when a Peconic teen, thought to have left a suicide note, went missing in February. Search parties were organized and thousands sent messages of love and support to the teen on a Facebook page. Police worked tirelessly round the clock.
From the moment her anguished mother, Charlotte Murray, described the fear during dark nights when she did not know where her daughter could be, friends and concerned residents from near and far rallied, handing out flyers, and doing whatever they could to bring her home.
In Southold Town, the school district and local elected officials pledged their support in doing whatever necessary to bring Ashley home.
Find out what's happening in North Forkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
As days passed without a word, speculation spread as to what could have happened to the missing teen.
Since the moment she went missing, the Southold Town police department launched a widespread investigation that was aided by outside agencies including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Suffolk County police department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The Southold Police Department conducted scores of searches, utilizing aviation, K-9 and marine units, pursued investigative leads and interviewed numerous individuals.
Find out what's happening in North Forkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Ashley returned home one day after her mother sent out a heartfelt plea through Patch and on Facebook, asking her daughter to let her know that she was safe.
"I love you, Ashley," the letter said.
2) Police Chief On Vineyard 48's Liquor License Revocation: 'We Will Prevail': After months of public outcry, the Cutchogue winery lost their liquor license, sparking relief amongst some residents who'd decried the noise, parking, and "sex acts" some said took place in the vines.
3) Deer Lovers Demand Sharpshooters Stay Away: A plan to institute a sharpshooter program aimed at culling the deer herd on the East End has incited outrage amongst animal advocates and local hunters alike.
Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell recently announced at a meeting in Orient to discuss the deer problems plaguing the area that the sharpshooter program could be instituted as soon as January.
One online petition urges elected officials on all East End town and village boards to put the brakes on a plan by the Long Island Farm Bureau and United States Department of Agriculture to hire federal sharpshooters to inhumanely slaughter 5,000 deer in Suffolk County beginning in January or February.
4) Local Mom Elizabeth Toy Loses Brave Cancer Fight: Sadness cloaked the North Fork community as friends confirmed that a brave Cutchogue mom lost her fight for life in September. Elizabeth Toy, 29, had told Patch that she would do anything to fight and stay alive for her son Matthew, 11.
Donations are still being accepted in Elizabeth Toy's Suffolk County National Bank account, friends said, to help give Matthew a secure future.
5) Hundreds Turn Out to Help Firefighter in Need: In a moving show of fierce hometown support, hundreds turned out at a fundraiser in August to help a member of the Southold Fire Department as he faces the greatest challenge of his life.
The Southold Fire Department came together to help help Frank Locrotondo — a 20-year veteran of the department who is battling frontal lobe dementia, said Southold Fire Department First Assistant Chief Peggy Killian.
The grounds of the Southold Fire Department were packed with people who attended the country barbecue; families feasted on chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, salads, and corn.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
