Library Closed - Thursday December 11th

The Library will be closed Thursday December 11th for Staff Development Day and will reopen Friday December 12th.

December 2025 Board Meeting

The Board of Trustees monthly meeting will be held on Monday, December 8 at 6:00pm in the Library's Meeting Room.

Willmot's and Why-Nots

Willmot's and Why-Notes by David J. Willmott, Editor

About

Editorials written by David J. Wilmott the editor of Suffolk Life Newspapers. The Library has a hard copy archive of the North Fork edition of this iconic local newspaper.

Suffolk Life Covers

Covers

Download the PDF of Suffolk Life Covers 1964-1969

"David J. Willmott was the fiery publisher and editor of Suffolk Life, a Riverhead-based, free weekly newspaper that wielded wide political clout in the county for a half century until it closed in 2008.

A one-time Kennedy Democrat but later a conservative voice, Willmott wrote often-scathing editorials that ended with a trademark "And why not?" He built a paper that started in 1961 with about 9,000 readers into a weekly that eventually reached more than 535,000. At one point, it even came out twice a week.

He was an ardent taxpayer advocate, which stance will always find a following. He often crossed party lines with endorsements. Born and raised in Riverhead, Willmott was the son of a gas station owner. "

Willmot's and Why-Nots Preview

Title Date File
December 1999 View Document - December 1999
November 1999 View Document - November 1999
October 1999 View Document - October 1999
September 1999 View Document - September 1999
August 1999 View Document - August 1999
July 1999 View Document - July 1999
June 1999 View Document - June 1999
May 1999 View Document - May 1999
April 1999 View Document - April 1999
March 1999 View Document - March 1999