Port Jefferson may be cold, but it’s already getting ready for spring.
“The Port Jeff chamber, with the support of a grant for beautification from PSEG for $2,000, was able to purchase 5,000 Dutch Master daffodil bulbs,” said Barbara Ransome, director of operations of Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce.
The grant she mentioned comes from PSEG Long Island as part of the company’s Main Street Revitalization Program that has been helping small businesses during these tough pandemic times.
Funds for the Plant Port Yellow program came from a new concept that was introduced by PSEGLI earlier this year.
John Keating, manager of economic development with PSEGLI, previously told TBR that the company added a new category to their revitalization program to help beautify local villages and towns. They were awarded up to $5,000 for items like outdoor lighting, seating and heating, but for 2021 the company added an extra $2,000 to spruce things up even more.
“We added the beautification piece of it,” Keating said. “So, anything else that they might have wanted to do, like landscaping or planters and things like that, they could do a separate application and be eligible for another $2,000 — a total of $7,000.”
Port Jefferson Village was one of the several areas whose chamber took advantage of the opportunity.
Ransome added that just last weekend, volunteers gathered together to plant those 5,000 bulbs, specifically thanking Rich Degnan and his staff from Central Outdoor Services who helped plant 750 of the bulbs Saturday.
According to the Long Island Association, roughly 90% of the Long Island economy comes from small businesses, so the pandemic caused stress for the smaller shops. Keating said that between 2020-21, PSEGLI has provided about 36 chamber of commerce grants — some $80,000 in total.
