Tags Posts tagged with "Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine"

Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine

Photo from Town of Brookhaven

On May 5, Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine, Councilman Dan Panico and Councilman Kevin LaValle were on-hand at the Brookhaven Landfill’s Residential Drop Off to launch the Habitat for Humanity Donation Program. Habitat for Humanity of Long Island has partnered with the Town to collect new or slightly used furniture, appliances, kitchen cabinets and building materials from Brookhaven residents.

The items collected will be sold at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore to help build affordable housing for low-mid income families on Long Island. The ReStore is a nonprofit home improvement store and donation center whose proceeds contribute to the work of Habitat Long Island. Habitat partners with families to build strength and stability through safe and affordable housing. Items donated to ReStore are sold to the public to support Habitat’s vision – a world where everyone has a decent place to live.

Pictured left to right at the Habitat for Humanity (HFH) Drop Off are HFH Director of Marketing, Maggie Luna; HFH Donations Coordinator, Veronica Golio-Astarita; HFH Donor Relations Manager, Courtney Collins; Town of Brookhaven Department of Recycling and Sustainable Materials Management (RSMM) Commissioner Christine Fetten; CEO & Executive Director of HFH of Long Island, Lee Silberman; Supervisor Ed Romaine; Councilman Dan Panico; Councilman Kevin LaValle and RSMM Chief Deputy Commissioner, Daniel Johnson.

Habitat for Humanity of Long Island, Inc. is an independently operated affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. Since 1988, Habitat Suffolk has empowered hundreds of families to achieve their homeownership dreams through its affordable home ownership program, building 5-8 houses annually. Recognized as a four-star charity by Charity Navigator, Habitat Long Island works in partnership with thousands of Long Island volunteers and responsible, lower-income families of all races, religions, and creeds, to build and renovate homes for those in need.

Starting on May 5, residents can drop-off items at the Town of Brookhaven landfill to donate to Habitat Long Island at no charge. Donations must be dropped-off at the Habitat container on-site. Residents can request an e-receipt for tax-deductible donation by texting DONATE to 631-525-5447. The Brookhaven Town Landfill is located at 350 Horseblock Road, Brookhaven, NY 11719. Drop off hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Monday – Friday) and 7 a.m. to noon (Saturday).

Drop off items accepted Appliances (within 10 years old and in working condition); building materials (uncut and unused); doors and windows (within 5 years old); flooring/tile; furniture; kitchen cabinets; tools/hardware. For more information, please email [email protected].

On April 26, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine and Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich attended the 22nd annual Brookhaven Chambers of Commerce Coalition (BCCC) Awards Night at the Meadow Club in Port Jefferson Station. 

Established in 1992, the Brookhaven Chambers of Commerce Coalition represents more than 16 chambers in the Town of Brookhaven. The awards reception honors members that represent the values and mission of the coalition.

During the evening, Brookhaven Town chamber members were recognized by the Supervisor and Councilmember for their service to the business community. In addition to running their own businesses, members share the understanding that small businesses provide jobs to thousands of people and help create a sense of place in the community. 

“Congratulations to all the award recipients. This recognition of service to the business community is well deserved, especially after the difficulties brought on by the pandemic. Small business was hit hard, but now it’s their time to rebound and get back to business as usual,” said Supervisor Romaine.

“I was so proud to see our own Jennifer Dzvonar from the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce; James Luciano from the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce and Colette Frey-Bitzas from the Three Village Chamber of Commerce be nominated as members of the year,” said Councilmember Kornreich. 

“The town wide winner was our very own Jen Dzvonar. Thank you, Jen and all our Chamber members for everything you do to make Council District 1 a great place to live and do business. Special thanks to Indu Kaur for hosting the event at the elegant Meadow Club, and a shoutout to Barbara Ransome for running a great event,” he added.

On April 10, Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) met with Cub Scouts from Pack 354 and their leader, Rob DeStefano, to present them with a certificate of congratulations for cleaning up the Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway. The supervisor also presented Town of Brookhaven pins to commemorate their efforts.

Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) helped kick off the service project by joining the Scouts along the cleanup — filling a full five-gallon bucket with trash along the way.

The Setauket Port Jefferson Station Greenway is a three-mile-long trail that wanders its way from the east trailhead on Route 112 in Port Jefferson Station to Limroy Lane in Setauket. Parking is available at both locations. Construction was completed in two phases with the first trail section opening in 2009 and the subsequent phase opening in 2014.

A true linear park, the Setauket to Port Jefferson Station Greenway is the longest paved multi-use trail in Suffolk County. The Greenway utilizes land acquired by the NYS Department of Transportation in the 1960s for a planned bypass of Route 25A. This bypass has been re-purposed, and today you can walk or bike through an amazing variety of terrains and landscapes: an old growth forest, rolling hills, rhododendron woodlands, neighborhoods, county parkland, old farmland, etc. With the recent opening of Phase II of the trail, you are now able to pedal from the Setauket Post Office to upper Port Jefferson Station. The path runs approximately four miles and is handicapped accessible.

The Friends of the Greenway, a committee of the Three Village Community Trust, maintains the Greenway. Visit www.threevillagecommunitytrust.org for more information.

 

From left, Supervisor Ed Romaine; DIME CEO Kevin M. O’Connor; Town Commissioner of Recycling and Sustainable Materials Management, Christine Fetten; Councilwoman Jane Bonner; Councilman Dan Panico and DIME Executive VP and Chief Banking Officer James J. Manseau. Photo from TOB

On March 22, Supervisor Ed Romaine accepted a $4,000 check from DIME Chief Executive Officer Kevin M. O’Connor to co-sponsor the Town of Brookhaven’s 2022 community recycling events. Each year the Town holds two recycling events in each Council District that include paper shredding, e-waste disposal and a supervised prescription drug drop-off program.

The scheduled recycling events will help residents properly dispose of sensitive documents which, when improperly discarded, can fall into the hands of identity thieves. Residents can also dispose of e-waste including TV’s, VCR and DVD players, fax machines, printers, calculators, modems, cables, routers, copiers, radios/stereos, laptops, keyboards and cell phones as well as expired prescription drugs in an environmentally safe manner. 

Documents brought in for shredding will be fed into an industrial shredder, enabling each participant to witness the secure destruction of sensitive papers. Paper can be brought in boxes or bags. Documents can remain stapled together, but paper clips and other metal must be removed along with any other contaminants such as rubber bands. 

The 2022 schedule of events are as follows:

CD-3 Councilman Kevin LaValle

Saturday, April 2 – 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 

Middle Country Public Library, 101 Eastwood Blvd., Centereach

CD-1 Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich

Saturday, April 23 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station

CD-2 Councilwoman Jane Bonner

Saturday, April 30 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Rose Caracappa Senior Center, 739 Route 25A, Mt. Sinai

CD-4 Councilman Michael Loguercio

Saturday, May 21 – 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Brookhaven Town Hall, South Parking Lot, 1 Independence Hill, Farmingville

CD-3 Councilman Kevin LaValle

Saturday, Sept. 10 – 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Sachem Public Library, 150 Holbrook Road, Holbrook

CD-2 Councilwoman Jane Bonner

Saturday, October 1 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Rose Caracappa Senior Center, 739 Route 25A, Mt. Sinai

CD-1 Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich

Saturday, October 22 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Setauket Fire Department, 394 Nicolls Road, Setauket

The 2022 recycling events are open to all Brookhaven Town residents for their personal, household material. For more information, call 451-TOWN (8696) or visit www.brookhavenny.gov/recyclingevents.

Photo courtesy of Suffolk OTB

Suffolk County Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey and Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine, along with county elected officials, Suffolk OTB President/CEO, Tony Pancella, and executives from Northwell Health, held an emergency aid press conference with Long Island Ukrainian leaders on March 22 at Jake’s 58 Casino Hotel in Islandia.  

Suffolk OTB, which operates the casino, made a $10,000 donation to the Northwell Health Ukraine Relief Fund to send vital medical supplies to hospitals in the embattled nation.  The check was accepted by Donna Moravick, Executive Director for South Shore University Hospital, on behalf of Northwell Health President and CEO, Michael Dowling.

Additional money will be raised throughout the month of April from Jake’s 58’s Donate Your Change for the Ukraine campaign. The program gives casino bettors the option to effortlessly donate excess change while cashing out winnings and funds at kiosks located throughout the casino. “At times like these, people always come together to help those most in need, and the patrons at OTB will undoubtedly do their part,” said McCaffrey.

Pancella hopes to double, or even triple, the initial $10,000 donation. “Our patrons are very generous, and we want to do all we can to help the Ukrainian people during this tragic invasion of their homeland,” he said.

Long Island volunteer firefighters were also on hand to announce a donation of flame-retardant gear to help Ukrainian first responders put out fires left in the wake of bombs and shelling.  The equipment was donated by the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund. “The Fire Service is a brotherhood that takes care of its own,” said Brian Farrell, the organization’s president.

The World Health Organization has verified at least 43 attacks on healthcare facilities in the Ukraine since the Russian invasion. More than 300 healthcare facilities are within the conflict zone and 600 others are within six miles of territory currently under siege. The funds raised at Jake’s 58 will pay for medical supplies that will be transported to Poland and eventually delivered to the front lines.  

“We have a moral obligation to help ease the suffering of the Ukrainian people. This generous donation will help address the immediate needs of individuals, families, and communities by providing medical assistance on the front lines. I want to thank Jake’s 58 for their contribution to the Northwell Health Ukraine Relief Fund,” said Dowling.

“Thank you to Northwell Health and Jake’s 58 for their efforts to help the people of Ukraine by funding and facilitating the delivery of critical medical supplies,” said Legislator Al Krupski, whose office has been active in collecting provisions for the St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Riverhead. “I also want to thank the members of our firefighter community for donating gear to help firefighters and first responders in Ukraine.  Despite the dreadfulness of this war, it is heartening to see communities and institutions from across Long Island come together to help a country and a people in desperate need.”

“I commend Michael Dowling, President and CEO of Northwell, and Tony Pancella, OTB President and CEO, for creating this team effort to provide essential medical supplies to Ukraine. I believe the patrons at Jake’s 58 will be generous and compassionate in supporting this endeavor,” said Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta.

“The situation currently unfolding in Ukraine is horrifying to say the least,” said Suffolk County Legislature Minority Leader Jason Richberg. “We need to do anything and everything we can to support the innocent people being affected and displaced every day. Thank you to Northwell Health and Jake’s 58 for your leadership and efforts in raising funds for much-needed medical supplies that I have no doubt will have an impact and help support countless individuals and families in Ukraine.”

Legislator Nick Caracappa said, “It is inspirational to see how our community, in both the public and private sectors, are working together to assist the people of Ukraine. This besieged nation needs our support, and I was pleased to attend the press conference. I applaud Jake’s 58, Northwell Health, and all who coordinated this fundraising effort.”

Legislator Dominick Thorne stated, “It is my honor and privilege to stand with the people of the Ukraine. Their bravery in the face of reprehensible attacks is inspirational.”

Photo from Town of Brookhaven

Supervisor Ed Romaine (pictured with “Curby,” the Town’s recycling mascot) has announced that registration for the 14th Annual Great Brookhaven Clean Up is now open. The event, which is co-sponsored by the Town of Brookhaven’s Department of Recycling and Sustainable Materials Management and TEACHERS Federal Credit Union, will be held on Saturday, May 14th at various locations throughout Brookhaven Town. It is part of a national effort by Keep America Beautiful, Inc. that draws over 500,000 volunteers in more than 15,000 communities across America who come together to pick up litter and clean miles of roadway, rivers, lakes, and more. In 2020 the Great Brookhaven Clean Up drew approximately 2,000 residents.

Supervisor Romaine said, “Keeping Brookhaven clean is a top priority of my administration and this is a great opportunity for people to do their part and make a difference in their community. I thank TEACHERS Federal Credit Union for their co-sponsorship, and I look forward to working with our residents on May 14th to help make Brookhaven a cleaner, greener place to live.”

Free gloves, trash bags and t-shirts will be provided by the Town for the Great Brookhaven Clean Up volunteers. The supplies will be available for pick up at the Department of Recycling and Sustainable Materials Management’s third floor office at Town Hall by appointment only. Brookhaven Town Hall is located at 1 Independence Hill in Farmingville. Individuals or groups can register online for the Great Brookhaven Clean Up and get more information at the Town website or by calling 451-TOWN (8696).

Supervisor Ed Romaine has announced that the Yaphank Fuel Cell Park at the Brookhaven Landfill is now fully operational, generating 7.4 megawatts of energy from three SureSource 3000 carbonate fuel cell power plants. The fuel cell facility will provide continuous reliable electricity to the growing area of the LIPA system in Yaphank and will provide sufficient power for 7,500 homes.

Supervisor Romaine said, “The Yaphank Fuel Cell Park is the Town’s first step in our transition from landfill to an energy park. The fuel cells, along with solar fields and harvested methane gas, will repurpose the landfill when it stops accepting waste after 2024 and is capped and closed. Our forward-looking plan will establish Brookhaven Town as a municipal leader in alternative energy sources.”

In its simplest form, a hydrogen fuel cell creates electricity by combining hydrogen gas and oxygen to form water. The electricity is then used to power the grid. Electricity, clean water and warm air are the only byproducts, making hydrogen fuel cells a sustainable form of energy. The Yaphank Fuel Cell Park power generation facility is located on approximately 0.93 acres in the southern portion of the landfill. FuelCell Energy, Inc. developed, installed and will operate the facility.

Fuel Cells are an electrochemical power generation technology that convert the energy in directly to electricity without combustion. There are no combustion-related pollutants such as NOx, SOx and particulates. The project will be interconnected to LIPA’s existing transmission system via a new dedicated distribution feeder from the site. The electrical connection is being provided by PSEG- LI and natural gas is being served by National Grid. Electric and gas service to the site by the utilities is complete.

Photo from Town of Brookhaven
Donated toys surround a holiday tree at Town Hall. Photo from TOB

On December 6, Supervisor Ed Romaine and Councilman Neil Foley visited the “North Pole” at the Town of Brookhaven’s INTERFACE Program headquarters in Patchogue to accept gift donations from NY State Senator Alexis Weik. The Senator collected dozens of toys in her district to help needy families have a happy holiday season. The “North Pole” facility is used to store and distribute toys donated during the Town’s INTERFACE Toy Drive. Pictured left to right are Supervisor Ed Romaine; INTERFACE Coordinator Josephine Lunde; Senator Alexis Weik and Councilman Neil Foley.

The INTERFACE Toy Drive is sponsored by the Town of Brookhaven Youth Bureau. Through raising donations, they will provide presents for thousands of children in need, ranging in age from infant to 15 years of age. Donations can be dropped off at the following Town locations now through December 17:

  • Brookhaven Town Hall, One Independence Hill in Farmingville
  • Brookhaven Highway Department, 1140 Old Town Road in Coram
  • New Village Recreation Center, 20 Wireless Road in Centereach
  • Brookhaven Calabro Airport, 135 Dawn Drive in Shirley
  • Rose Caracappa Senior Center, 739 Route 25A in Mount Sinai
  • Moriches Bay Recreation Center, 313 Frowein Road in Center Moriches
  • Brookhaven Town Parks & Recreation, 286 Hawkins Road in Centereach
  • Brookhaven Town Vehicle Control, 550 North Ocean Avenue in Patchogue

For more information, please call the Town of Brookhaven Youth Bureau at 631-451-8044 or visit the Town website.

Photo from TOB

Representatives from Macy’s Smith Haven visited the Dress for Success Boutique at Brookhaven Town Hall recently to present a donation of $5,000 in Macy’s gift cards and a selection of women’s blouses. Macy’s Smith Haven has been a generous supporter of Dress for Success Brookhaven for many years. In 2020, the store donated 1,800 prom dresses to the Dress for Success Prom Boutique. 

Pictured from left are Supervisor Ed Romaine; Sharon Boyd, Executive Director, Dress for Success Brookhaven; Michelle Young, Director at Macy’s Smith Haven Mall; Lisa Keyes, Town of Brookhaven Commissioner of General Services; Councilwoman Jane Bonner; Arlene Famoso, Stylist at Macy’s Smith Haven and Councilman Kevin LaValle. For more information about Dress for Success Brookhaven, visit the Town website or call 631-451-9127.

Pictured with the West Meadow beach clean-up volunteers are, from left, co-founder of the Pollution Prevention Passport program, Cayla Rosenhagen; Town of Brookhaven Department of General Services Executive Assistant, Frank Petrignani; Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich; program co-founder, Iris Rosenhagen; Brookhaven Town Youth Board Chair Charlotte Pressley (third from right); Supervisor Ed Romaine (second from right) and Town of Brookhaven Environmental Educator, Nicole Pocchaire (right). Photo by Raina Angelier

By Cayla Rosenhagen

Cayla Rosenhagen

In the words of Dr. Jane Goodall, “Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, we shall be saved.”

Environmental awareness is critical in creating widespread care for the nature that surrounds us. And when we care, we are driven to protect.   

A press conference was held on August 18 at West Meadow Beach in Stony Brook to announce the launch of Brookhaven Town’s new environmental conservation program for all ages. The event, preceded by a beach clean-up with over fifty volunteers, celebrated a novel way for locals to get involved in protecting and appreciating the natural beauty our town has to offer. 

Members of Brookhaven’s Youth Board, including myself, joined Town Supervisor Ed Romaine, Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, and town environmental educator Nicole Pocchiare at the beach to kick off the Pollution Prevention Passport initiative.

The Passport program encourages community members to visit Brookhaven’s many parks and beaches and record their travels in their very own document of travel. Additionally, it fosters environmental stewardship by supporting and suggesting eco-friendly decisions and collecting litter. 

Inside the passport, participants will find pages to tally the kinds of litter they have found, to document and illustrate their experiences, and record the conservation efforts they have made during their outings. A map featuring an inspiring list of Brookhaven’s abundant parks and beaches can be found in the back of the passport. 

After filling in the passport, it can be submitted to the Town for a “Stamp of Stewardship,” as recognition for the participant’s contribution to protecting Brookhaven’s green spaces.   

To download and print a passport of your own, or to find out more about the program, please visit brookhavenny.gov/passport.

Cayla Rosenhagen is a local high school student who enjoys capturing the unique charm of the community through photography and journalism. She serves on the board of directors for the Four Harbors Audubon Society and Brookhaven’s Youth Board, and is the founder and coordinator of Beach Bucket Brigade, a community outreach program dedicated to environmental awareness, engagement, and education. She is also an avid birder, hiker, and artist who is concurrently enrolled in college, pursuing a degree in teaching.