Weird News: Locals Fuming Over Foul Smells, Poop on Beaches

As a local news organization, Patch covers stories of all kinds, from heartbreaking tragedies to inspiring tales of community brotherhood. But some stories are just plain weird. Here are some of the stranger headlines from the past seven days.

Watching Where You Step

Matt Norklun — who, in recent years, has earned a bit of reputation, leading the charge against "dog poop" — lodged a complaint at a recent East Hampton village board meeting.

"I stopped in disgust after picking up 15 bags of dog poop on the beach at Georgica. It was more than that, but I stopped counting," he told the board.

He blames the increase in dog droppings to more people bringing their dogs to the beach.

"It's now fashionable to walk your dog on the beach. People saw a Viagra commercial, a Cialis commercial, and they say, 'I want to be that lifestyle. It's a mindset," he said, to which he got some chuckles from the audience. "I know there's a difficulty in enforcing the law, but we have to change the mindset," he said.

Kings Park Stinks?

Kings Park and Commack residents packed the Smithtown Town Board meeting on Thursday night to complain about ongoing odor issues that have become nearly unbearable.

"The area has become a dump and I'm sure it is hazardous to people's health, which we will find out down the road," said Kings Park resident Michelle Garry. "All summer long, in the early spring and fall, I keep all my doors and windows closed because the smell was so horrifying."

While Town attorney John Zollo said his office has not received many complaints from residents about odors in Kings Park, Smithtown Planning Director Frank DeRubeis has first-hand experience.

"I will acknowledge having been in that area there are odors – I acknowledge that – but where they are coming from, I don't know," DeRubeis said.