CLOSE
Community

by -
0 196

By Fr. Francis Pizzarelli

Fr. Francis Pizzarelli

As the New Year begins, we are still a polarized nation because of our politics and profoundly disrespectful rhetoric. Racial hatred and violence continues to increase. Concerns about the undocumented and our broken immigration system continue to instill fear and paralyzing anxiety among so many people from so many different ethnicities. Health care is becoming a nightmare, and no one seems concerned enough to challenge the insurance companies that are continuing to sentence so many people to premature death.

The heroin epidemic continues to be a national health crisis that falls on deaf ears. Treatment beds are not increasing and with the anticipated crisis in health care, there will probably be even fewer beds for those afflicted with this life-threatening addiction we call heroin.

Although the present social and political landscape across our nation is in turmoil, there is a profound awareness that we need to live and act differently; the American dream is not dead but truly alive! Hopefully our new president will spend his first hundred days healing and unifying our nation, building bridges and not walls with his message to make “America Great Again.”

For many of us, America is already great and for me that is best seen during the holiday season. This year I was amazed that in spite of all the turmoil nationally, people’s generosity toward others, especially those in need, has been extraordinary. Each day, I see firsthand the generosity of so many talented and gifted people. Local physicians, lawyers, accountants, social workers, psychiatrist, teachers and tradespeople to name a few who volunteered to help those who are trying to navigate the difficult landscape of daily living. Thanks to the generosity of so many hands and hearts, those they touch have a chance to keep their lives on track and move forward. Without this generosity, many people in need would lose their way.

For more than two decades, I’ve been privileged to share my insights and my observations in this space. Every New Year I make a couple of recommendations as the New Year begins. This year begins a whole new chapter for us as a nation! This past election was unprecedented. The future is exciting, challenging and probably a bit frightening — because our newly elected president is not predictable — like most of life!

Probably my most important recommendations are that we reclaim a civil and respectful discourse when discussing any issue; that we work harder at respecting all people no matter what their race, creed, color, sexual orientation or political perspective. Respect costs nothing but shapes everything. It serves no purpose to gossip or malign another person’s character and reputation.

We need to work harder at being less judgmental of human circumstances and situations that we don’t understand. We should never judge another by the color of his or her skin, the clothes he or she wears, the piercings or tattoos he or she displays or the lifestyle he or she embraces. If we judge less and respect more, the violence that is infecting our communities will be substantially reduced.

My final recommendation has to do with risk-taking. Too often we see things that trouble us and we keep silent. Sometimes that silence can be lethal, especially when it comes to our children’s social behaviors. We need to speak up and step out in regards to the reckless decision-making that a number of our young people are engaging: the illegal use of alcohol, prescription medication and illegal drugs. If we care about our children and their future, we must have the courage to risk our own comfort and do the right thing.

As this New Year begins, let us be more vigilant. Let us call our government to greater accountability to be more responsive to the needs of those among us who are less fortunate. The poor and the homeless are not invisible and government should not act as if they are. We are painfully reminded that we are vulnerable and not invincible. All life is sacred but only temporary. Thus, whatever we can do to make life better, we need to do it now for we may not pass this way again.

So, let us think and act more positively with a cooperative spirit in ways that will make our community better. Let us become the change we wish to see in the world (Gandhi). Remember, you can make a difference that really counts!

Fr. Pizzarelli, SMM, LCSW-R, ACSW, DCSW, is the director of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson.

by -
0 365
Police Comissioner Tim Sini speaks at a press conference about the department’s success in 2016. Photo by Kevin Redding

“We are now safer than we have ever been before in Suffolk County and that’s because of the hard work of the men and women of the Suffolk County Police Department,” Police Commissioner Tim Sini announced recently.

Sini reported on the final 2016 crime statistics at SCPD Headquarters Jan. 6, which showed the county ended the year with the lowest levels of crime ever recorded in the history of the department — with the exception of homicides.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) joined the commissioner in presenting the historic crime drop.

“Public safety is my top priority,” Bellone said. “I know I speak for everyone in Suffolk County when I say we are proud of the police, proud of the work they do every day for us, proud of the courage and bravery they demonstrate and proud that they’ve clearly made the county one of the safest places to live anywhere in our country. These statistics speak very clearly about the work they’ve been doing.”

Image by Victoria Espinoza.

According to Sini, who just wrapped up his first year as the youngest SCPD commissioner ever appointed, compared to crime stats in 2015, violent crime (rape, robbery and aggravated assault) decreased by 10.9 percent and property crime went down 5.2 percent, with an overall 5.7 percent reduction of total crime.
“We see the crime going down and enforcement going up and that’s, obviously, not an accident,” Sini said. “We are a problem-solving police department. When [we] came into office here, my leadership team and I made it clear we’re going to be focused on opiate addiction, firearms and gang violence, as well as traffic fatalities.”

Under Sini’s leadership, the SCPD launched several initiatives and utilized 21st century policing methodologies that gave way to precision policing, intelligence-led policing and community-based policing.
In tackling the opiate epidemic sweeping Suffolk the last few years, Sini re-engaged a partnership with federal law enforcement officers, including five detectives, to target high-level drug dealers active in the communities.

He also loaded up on staff in the department’s narcotics section to roll out a hotline (631-852-NARC) where residents can anonymously report drug dealings going in areas where they live and even get cash rewards for any tips that lead to arrests. So far, since launching the hotline, the department has received more than 1,300 tips from anonymous civilians.

In a previous interview with TBR News Media, Sini said the hotline has led to a 140 percent increase in the amount of search warrants issued by August; 400 drug dealers have been arrested; the police department has seized more than $1 million in drug money; and is on pace to confiscate more illegal firearms than ever before.

Additionally, SCPD has saved approximately 779 individuals using Narcan, the anti-opiate overdose antidote.
Narcotics search warrants alone have increased by 118.2 percent — 192 in 2016 compared to 88 in 2015.
Sini said there’s been an initiative in partnership with the Highway Patrol Unit to help reduce distracted driving, aggressive driving and speeding, educate the public about the dangers of distracted and impaired driving and reach out to municipalities in relation to improving conditions on the road.

This has also proved effective.

Image by Victoria Espinoza.

Suffolk has seen a decrease in motor vehicle crashes by 2.5 percent, motor vehicle crashes resulting in fatalities by 29.9 percent and pedestrian fatalities by 29.4 percent.

SCPD Chief Stuart Cameron said the reality of Suffolk today in regards to safety has long been dreamed about.

“Throughout my 33 years with SCPD, I’ve heard people wistfully referring to the olden days of yore where you could leave your doors unlocked and things were much safer … as statistics bear out, we’re living in those times right now,” the chief said. “Not that I’m encouraging anybody to leave their doors unlocked, but crime stats have truly never been better. And without the public, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve these results.”

While homicides have risen, with 34 recorded in 2016 compared to 25 in 2015, Sini said that number can be largely attributed to heavy MS13 gang activity in areas like Brentwood, for which aggressive strategies have been enforced by Sini to “decimate MS13 and these other gangs.”
“We collect intelligence of known gang members in the county, assign gang officers and gang enforcers to particular [communities], and we’ve seen a dramatic decline in crime and gang violence since the initiative,” he said.

Through Sini’s creation of what he calls the Firearms Suppression Team — a mix of officers and detectives who have worked to prevent gun-related violence — SCPD has had a 50.9 percent increase in illegal firearms seizures, 507 recovered in 2016 compared to 336 in 2015, as well as a 4.4 percent decrease in shooting incident and trigger pulls.

By taking away a criminal’s tool of the trade — firearms — the commissioner said “you can make a significant dent in violent crime.”

Despite the uptick in homicides, he said preventing them is a top priority.
“If you look at all the hamlets and overall crime reduction, we’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished but we’re not complacent,” Sini said. “One homicide is one too many and we’re going to keep doing what we have to do to ensure the safety of Suffolk County residents.”

by -
0 444

Reviewed by Rita J. Egan

When Richard Specht lost his son Richard Edwin-Ehmer (Rees) in a tragic drowning accident in 2012, he asked his aunt for advice on how to deal with the insurmountable pain. Having lost two children of her own, she told him he could let the pain consume him, or he could transcend it and find something to keep the darkness at bay. When he and his wife Samantha discovered that those who offered help during their time of need wouldn’t allow the couple to do anything in return for them, the Spechts decided to take the aunt’s advice to heart.

The couple began performing small acts of kindness for others and set out on a mission to honor their son by making the world a better place. Their efforts soon turned into the ReesSpecht Life Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes the importance of compassion and respect. The foundation has become known for its ReesSpecht Life cards that are used by those who perform random acts of kindness to pass on to the receiver in hopes that they will turn around and also carry out a kind act.

Rees Specht

The success of the foundation inspired Richard to leave teaching in 2015 and travel to schools with his presentation Cultivate Kindness. His hope is to teach youngsters the importance of compassion and deliver an important anti-bullying message to them as well.

When talking to children in grades K to 2, he uses the first book he has written, “A Little Rees Specht Cultivates Kindness.” Specht said he encountered many road blocks when he first approached publishers, but he eventually self-published it in 2014. The result of his determination is the heartwarming story of a little boy who performs one kind act that plants a seed that cultivates a chain reaction of compassion in his community. Complemented with vibrant illustrations by Adam D. Smith, the book is one that will teach children a valuable lesson in a delightful way and even inspire adults to stop and lend a helping hand.

To date the book, which is sold exclusively through the foundation, has sold over 10,000 copies and all proceeds go to fund the nonprofit’s scholarship fund. Recently, Specht answered a few questions about the book via email.

The main character in “A Little Rees Specht Cultivates Kindness” is based on your son who died tragically. How do you describe Rees to people?

This is a tough question because we only had 22 months with Rees. What 22-month-old isn’t sweet, loving, mischievous and full of energy? Rees was all of these things with every new day revealing a little more about him to us. When I wrote the book, I took those qualities I saw in him and tried to project what I felt Rees would be when he reached the age of the character in my book. The Rees in the book is the manifestation of the little boy I always envisioned him to be.

The book is an extension of your ReesSpecht Life movement. What does your organization do and how did it start?

The formation of the ReesSpecht Life Foundation is very similar to the concept of the book: It started with a little idea, a seed that kept growing with each kind act my family and I received in the wake of Rees’ death. My wife and I wanted to repay those acts of kindness, and no one would let us. We felt this obligation to do more than simply say “thank you” and grew frustrated that no one would let us pay them back. So, instead of paying people back, we decided to “pay it forward.”

The idea was to do 500 random acts of kindness and give each recipient a “ReesSpecht Life” card that had Rees’ caricature on the front and a little about his story on the back. We didn’t expect that once people received the cards they would want their own. Before we knew it, people were ordering cards from us, and we very quickly went through those 500 cards. That was almost four years ago.

Today, we have distributed 395,000 cards to every continent on Earth. In addition to the cards, the foundation now provides $1,000 scholarships for graduating high school seniors who show a commitment to kindness, grants for teachers to incorporate kindness into their lessons, meals and sundries for families suffering hardship, and we perform school assemblies to grades K to 12 to remind students of the importance of kindness.

What made you decide to write the book, and how would you describe it to those who haven’t read it yet?

Believe it or not, the idea for the story actually came about because of a problem we had with our original logo for the foundation. The first 20,000 cards we printed had a picture of Rees dressed like Superman on the front. We were informed that using the image of Superman, regardless of who was in the costume, was a trademark infringement and could cause legal issues.  We were devastated by this, and I struggled with how I could come up with a new logo that so perfectly fit our mission like the “Superman Rees” picture did. Then, out of the blue, the idea hit me: Rees loved tractors. It was one of the very few words he could use, and every time he saw one he would get excited and yell out “TRAKTA!!!” So, I realized that should be the focus.

The new logo was developed with Rees riding a tractor called Trakta, and the back-story just flowed from there. Rees, driving on Trakta, would cultivate kindness just like a farmer cultivates his crop. People responded so positively to the new logo that I realized there was something more there and I wrote the outline of a story focusing on Rees who discovers that kindness, just like the seeds he plants, can only grow if you do the things necessary to cultivate it. The book takes this idea that every kind act we do helps that “seed of kindness” grow. As the story progresses, we witness each kind act causing that seed to grow.

You use the book in your K to 2 presentations. What kind of feedback have you gotten from the children about the book?

The book is the backbone of our K to 2 presentations. I actually learned how to do 2D animation and developed an animated version of the book with sound effects that I use. When I present it, the children in the audience get to follow along as each kind act helps the seed of kindness to grow. There is nothing like hearing 200 5- to 8-year-olds exclaiming in unison, “grow seed grow!” Children seem to love it as they get to see that seed grow with each kind act.

In the book, Rees encounters other children. Are they based on people that were in his life?

Actually, the children in the book are indeed based off of real children, but they are not children Rees knew in his lifetime — but I hope he knows them now. All of the children in the book are actually based off the real life child-angels from parents who shared our pain and helped us through this difficult journey. Their particular stories in the book are actually based on their real life personalities and interests. For instance, the reason Kaylee is dressed similar to Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz” is because that was her favorite movie. The same holds true for each of the children in the book.

Is this your first book? How long did it take to develop? 

Yes, this is the first book I have ever written. I actually wrote the outline for the story over the course of several nights while on a family vacation in Berlin, Germany. When we got home, I started writing the actual book right away. It took me about two months to get the story completed. Since I couldn’t draw, I wrote the book more like a novel, describing every scene as well as the dialogue. Once that was completed, I handed off the book to my illustrator Adam, who took my descriptions and turned them into the pictures you see in the book. All in all, the process took about 10 months from concept to our first printed copy.

Do you plan to write any more books in the future?

Originally, I had no concrete plans for any sequels. That changed when I got a call from a pair of Hollywood producers who got a copy of the book and asked me if I was interested in turning the ideas from the book into an animated series. They asked me if I had ideas for further stories, and I told them, “Of course!” They asked me if I could send them those ideas, and I got right to work developing a series of stories that build on the original premise of the first book.

Before I knew it, I had around 14 stories that would serve as the outline for the TV series, as well as my books. As of now, I have two more books completely written, and I am getting ready to send them to Adam for illustration.  In addition to those two books, I just completed the script for the pilot episode of the TV series, which is its own, stand-alone, story.

For more information about “A Little Rees Specht Cultivates Kindness,” the ReesSpecht Life Foundation, and its school programs, visit www.reesspechtlife.com or www.cultivatekindness.org.

by -
0 491

MAKING THE SEASON BRIGHT Over 70 members of the Centerport Garden Club gathered at the Harborfields Public Library in Greenlawn before the holidays to make Christmas wreaths for the community. Handmade with evergreens from the members’ gardens, the completed wreaths adorned the local post office, library, town memorials and historic homes. Members also created holiday centerpieces for donation to local veteran’s homes.

by -
0 375
Wookie
Wookie

HELP BRING WOOKIE HOME! In the late evening of Nov. 11, 2016 there was a house fire on Minto Court off of North Howell Avenue in Centereach. The family and the family’s dogs escaped the fire. However, one of the dogs, Wookie, went missing after escaping the fire.

Wookie is a 10-year-old female shih tzu, beige in color. She is spayed and microchipped. This family has two small boys who desperately want their family to be complete again. The area is near Nicolls Road and Middle Country Road around the powerlines. No tip is too small.

Please call April at 631-278-4932 or join the Facebook group Finding Wookie.

by -
0 299
Leisure Village residents listen to Suffolk County Legislature Sarah Anker as she voices their frustrations and worries regarding the recent PSEG rate hike. Photo by Kevin Redding

Local seniors are getting the cold shoulder from PSEG Long Island electric rate increases, which have forced those on fixed incomes to make difficult and dangerous living decisions  — and they’re not going to take it anymore.

Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) led a protest against the rate hikes with vocal seniors from Leisure Village, Leisure Glen and Leisure Knoll at the Leisure Village clubhouse in Ridge Jan. 10.

Representatives from the senior communities gathered to voice their concerns that the recent revisions to the rates have been harmful and “debilitating” to them. Some residents, of which a large majority are in their 70s and 80s, have to debate whether or not to heat their homes and pay for food or heat their homes and pay for their prescription medications because they just can’t afford all three.

Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker protests the PSEG rate hike. Photo by Kevin Redding

Carole Leonard, president of the board of directors at Leisure Village, said it’s “insane” seniors have to live this way.

“They’re absolutely freezing. They keep electric so low and some are still seeing [up to] $600-$700 electric bills each month,” she said. “There are residents who sit in their house with blankets on them because they’re cold and they’re afraid to turn the heat up because of the rates.”

Mike Elkins, a retired resident, has been reduced to turning the heat on in just one room in his condo.

“It’s really bad,” he said. “As you get older, you get more pains and aches and with [these bills], you just can’t make the house comfortable and affordable at the same time.”

The revisions from PSEG at the start of the new year have made rates higher than the originally announced $3.50 increase; so now the average customer using 775 kWh of energy in a month will see an increase of $7.57, or 5.4 percent, in their total energy bill. Customers who use 762 kWh will see their bills increase by $6.44. Because residents living in Leisure Village, Leisure Glen and Leisure Knoll rely on electricity for everything, even cooking, their use of kilowatt-hours in the winter is projected to double and even triple the average 775 projected by PSEG, which would bring their increases to $15-$22.

The LIPA bill also includes a decoupling charge and delivery service adjustment fees, all implemented in 2016 giving LIPA permission to recoup revenue that fluctuates due to weather, green energy and labor agreements. The energy costs hit seniors the hardest.

At the protest, Anker, with full support of the residents as well as AARP, pushed for the PSEG board to revisit the rate increases and consider the impact the hikes have on the overall senior population.

“As you get older, you get more pains and aches and with [these bills], you just can’t make the house comfortable and affordable at the same time.”

—Mike Elkins

The legislator also called for New York State to create an independent utility consumer advocate — a special department that will provide oversight and accountability and possibly challenge heightened rates and fees. There are only 10 states in the country that don’t have this department, and New York is one of them.

She said California saved consumers $4 billion since establishing its own advocate agency.

“Having the consumer advocate would level the playing field between the consumer and the utility companies and we’d be in better shape,” Anker said. “The most important thing we can do is communicate.”

Anker said she hopes the message reaches PSEG Long Island, the New York Public Service Commission, the New York Department of Public Service and Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), who was speaking in Farmingville the same day calling for 30 miles of wind turbine farms in Montauk, as part of his initiative to have 50 percent renewable energy by 2030.

“How dare Gov. Cuomo,” said Leonard. “We’re gonna pay for something vacationers will have when we can’t, at this moment, pay for our food, medication and keep warm? Something has to be done. We need a senior advocate on the Public Service Commission who’s going to speak for us. We are tired of these rate heights pushed on us.”

by -
0 226

Just in time for the holidays, Suffolk County has received a gift that will keep on giving.

Suffolk is slated to receive funding through New York State’s Regional Economic Development Councils for the creation of a countywide Blueway Trail.

According to the National Park Service, a blueway trail is a water path that provides recreational boating opportunities along a river, lake, canal or coastline.

The application submitted by the county earlier this year was based upon a recreational water trail plan Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) was developing for her North Shore district.

When Hahn took up paddle boarding about three years ago, she said it was a transformational experience.

“I was so excited to get a whole new perspective of our community,” she said, adding that although she grew up in the area, she only recently discovered water sports that provide a view of the shore.

“As more and more tourists seek out off-shore recreational activities … there’s no reason why Suffolk County’s lure should end at the water’s edge.”

— Kara Hahn

Reading an article about an established trail in Nassau County gave her the impetus to get a working group together, she said.

After evaluating the economic benefits and increased tourism a more comprehensive blueway trail would bring to the region, the preliminary plan was expanded to include all of Suffolk.

In June, Hahn sponsored bi-partisan legislation authorizing the county to pursue state funding, which resulted in the awarding of a $60,000 grant. She is hoping the seed money will give the county access to other grant funding.

“For generations, Long Island has attracted visitors from around the globe and international acclaim because of its shoreline of world class beaches,” she said. “However, as more and more tourists seek out off-shore recreational activities like canoeing, windsurfing and stand-up water paddling, there’s no reason why Suffolk County’s lure should end at the water’s edge. Once completed, this project will help drive new opportunities for regional tourism and serve as a catalyst to the local economy as our residents — and those vacationing here — discover Suffolk is amazing both on and off shore.”

According to the proposal, during its first phase, Suffolk County — in collaboration with its towns, villages and paddling organizations — will develop a blueway trail plan for the north and south shores as well as the Peconic Estuary in Riverhead. A schematic design of the trail route will include potential launch and landing locations, and there will be signage drafted and project identification for public access and facilities — an implementation plan will complete this phase.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) sees the project as an economic win.

“The funding for the blueway trail plan is a significant breakthrough for Suffolk’s local economy and its regional tourism industry,” he said.

Kristen Jarnagin, formerly of the Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau in Hauppauge, and now president and CEO of Discover Long Island, a marketing website that facilitates the booking of vacation plans, envisions an increase in tourism.

“Tourism is a $5.5 billion industry on Long Island, which translates to more than $356 million in local and state tax revenues for Suffolk County,” she said. “We applaud Legislator Hahn’s effort to develop the new Blueway Trail that reflects the beauty of our destination and will assist in meeting the demand of our 9.1 million annual visitors.”

Jarnagin is one of many supporting the project.

Long Island Paddlers, Inc. President Steve Berner echoed her sentiments.

“Tourism is a $5.5 billion industry on Long Island, which translates to more than $356 million in local and state tax revenues for Suffolk County.”

—Kristen Jarnagin

“The Suffolk Blueway Trail will be a real benefit to prospective, novice and experienced kayakers alike,” Berner said. “The Long Island Paddlers commend legislator Hahn for spearheading the effort, and New York State for recognizing the economic potential of such a plan.”

George Hoffman, a founder of the Setauket Harbor Task Force, said he doesn’t forsee any downsides to the plan.

“It gets you out on the water,” he said in a phone interview, “and in addition to the environmental aspects, you get to see colonial history from a different vantage point. There should be markers to flag what you’re looking at.”

He mentioned the Nassau County south shore blueway trail that opened last June.

Ann Strong, of Strong’s Neck, who is on the board of Strong’s Neck Civic Association, is a member of the Three Village Historical Society and is a real estate broker whose family has been in the Setauket area for over 350 years, said she thought it seemed like a good thing for a lot of people.

“I can’t see it would be anything but favorable,” she said, adding that she looks forward to learning more about it. Upon hearing that Hahn was the prime mover of the project, she said she felt heartened that it would be done well.

A total of 10 Regional Councils were established by the state — including the Long Island Regional Council — to assist the regions in jumpstarting their economies. The Councils empower businesses and leaders, as well as citizens to develop strategic plans tailored to their region’s unique strengths and resources.

During the most recent round of funding, the Long Island Region awarded $62 million in grants to support 101 projects, which includes the Suffolk County Blueway Trail Plan.

by -
0 334
A rendering of the Gateway Plaza development on the left, and on the top right, the envisioned artist residences on the corners of New York Avenue and Church Street. Image from Renaissance Downtowns

The effort to revitalize Huntington Station got out of the gutter this week, as Suffolk County approved $1.25 million to study the possibility of extending the Southwest Sewer District to cover part of Huntington Station, which would help push the area’s plan along.

Local officials, community residents, and organizations have been collaborating to improve Huntington Station and bring new life to the area.

The lack of sewers is one of the areas desperately in need of improvement to make revitalization possible, as the land north of the Long Island Rail Road train tracks in Huntington Station is served by the town’s sewer district, but the south side is not, which limits development and economic opportunities.

Suffolk County Legislator Steve Stern (D-Huntington) said he was pleased with this development at a press conference Jan. 9 at the Huntington Opportunity Resource Center.

“This funding marks an important first step in the long-awaited revitalization of Huntington Station,” he said at the event. “Sewer infrastructure is important not only for economic development, but also to support small businesses, expand opportunity and improve the quality of life for all of Huntington. It is also critical to preserving our environment and protecting water quality.”

The fund will include a comprehensive report with an engineering and design plan to add sewer coverage along New York Avenue south of the train station by hooking up to the county’s Southwest Sewer District.

Town Supervisor Frank Petrone (D) said reconfiguring the sewer lines is crucial to the success of Huntington Station.

“As we continue to build momentum in Huntington Station’s revitalization, it is important that we identify and address possible impediments,” he said. “The lack of sewers … is one of those impediments, and this grant will start the ball rolling toward solving the issue.”

The resolution was originally sponsored by County Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport).

“Investing in sewers is the foundation of advancing the revitalization and will open the door to a bright future for the community,” he said. “With engaged partners in the town and community moving this forward, the sewers will enable Huntington Station to once again reclaim our strong sense of place and become an attractive downtown.”

According to the Town, the investment is the roadmap for the larger $20 million project included in the 2017 capital budget for the construction of sewers in subsequent years. The project is expected to lift the local economy, provide new housing opportunities, create jobs and increase property values.

Andrea Bonilla, community liaison for Source the Station, a group working to ensure the future of Huntington Station’s downtown is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable, echoed the importance of this fund.

“Source the Station has been collaborating and working with the Huntington Station community for over four years,” she said. “We understand the importance of sewers for a sustainable revitalization of our community, and are excited to see this component come to fruition as we all continue to strive for a better future for all Huntington Station stakeholders.”

by -
0 285
A view of the downtown Kings Park area. File photo by Victoria Espinoza

The Kings Park revitalization effort received inspiring news this week, as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced his intention to invest $40 million to build sewers in Smithtown and Kings Park.

“These major, transformative investments in Long Island’s core infrastructure invest in the future resiliency and strength of the region,” Cuomo said. “Vital water infrastructure projects will support environmental sustainability and bolster economic growth. With these projects, we equip Long Island with the tools and resources to drive commercial activity, create jobs and build a stronger Long Island for generations to come.”

Sean Lehman, president of the Kings Park Civic Association, said before the governor’s announcement that revitalization of the Kings Park downtown seemed impossible without enough money to build a sewer system there.

“Any movement depends on [Kings Park] getting sewer money,” Lehman said in a phone interview. “Everything hinges on it.” Lehman estimated the hamlet would need “between $16 and $20 million just to bring sewage to the business district in Kings Park.”

Kings Park Civic Association Vice President Linda Henninger said this money marks a new chapter of the revitalization effort.

“This is really the beginning of not only revitalization of our hamlet, which holds so much potential, but we shouldn’t forget the positive impact it will have on the environment,” she said in an email. “Sewering is not only important for economic reasons, but also environmental. We’re very happy and look forward to rolling up our sleeves and continue to work hard for and with the community.”

Supervisor Pat Vecchio (R) agreed hearing of the possibility of receiving funds is a step toward bettering the Kings Park and Smithtown communities.

“It’s a great thing,” he said in a phone interview. “I’ve been asking the county for the last three years for sewers in Kings Park and Smithtown.”

At a recent civic association meeting, the group was also enthused by news that Suffolk County put forward an economic stimulus package including $200,000 in grant money for Kings Park revitalization efforts.

“We’re excited by this,” Lehman said. “Anything that can help us move forward is good, and we appreciate the county’s effort.”

Vecchio said the town has not yet drafted a specific plan on how they will use the $200,000 grant from the county, intended to study traffic impacts and parking for revitalization, since no real specifics have been given to the board yet.

In November of last year, the civic association presented the Smithtown board with its plan for revitalization, created by Vision Long Island, an organization that works to create more livable, economically stable and environmentally responsible areas on Long Island. The plan studied the demographics, and commercial areas of Kings Park, and includes recommendation and suggestions from the many meetings the organization had with Kings Park residents.

Prev1...1,000933934935...1,034Next Page 934 of 1,034
TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©