Manor of St. George Property Woes

The property belonging to the Manor of St. George has been facing some problems over trash! The shopping center at the south side of the Manor's property has not installed a fence, allowing litter and debris to accumulate along the wooded area belonging to the Manor. Volunteers have been trying to keep the area clean, but without that fence, more garbage will continue to collect there. Another area of concern is their property along the Talmage Trail. Brookhaven Highway department was called in this past week to clear out mulch and brush that was dumped behind the snow fence along the Manor property outside of the Golden Gate community. That area of the Manor has long been a feeding site for the local wildlife. Let's be good neighbors to our Manor of St. George. Please, NO DUMPING BY THE MANOR!

Mastic Beach Village Exploratory Committee

Our neighbors to the east have taken steps for creating an incorporated Village of Mastic Beach. (Note: no decision has been made yet regarding the village name) Two community organizations, Concerned Citizens of Mastic Beach and Pattersquash Creek Civic Assocation have been actively raising money and have retained municipal attorney Joseph Prokop to begin the process. The exploratory committee includes members of Concerned Citizens of Mastic Beach, Pattersquash Creek Civic, Mastic Beach Property Owners and other local organizations and churches.

Mastic Beach is our neighboring beautiful waterfront community who have had the lion's share of problems with absentee landlords, lack of enforcement of zoning, housing and rental codes in recent years. Their main street, Neighborhood Road, is in the beginning stages of a revitalization and the proposed Village could possibly be just the stimulus needed for investment in the business districts of the Mastic Beach community.

The attorney, Mr. Prokop will be setting up an escrow account for the group to continue raising the funds needed as they move forward with this project. We wish them all the best.

Smith's Landing, Once Again

At the urging of Smith Point community residents, Councilman Keith Romaine and the Brookhaven Town Board passed resolution 379-08, renaming Shirley Beach to the historic name "Smith's Landing". The resolution states this will properly identify and preserve the historic accuracy of the Town facility which is located on Grandview Drive. The issue of recognizing and preserving the rich history of the waterfront communities of Smith Point and Mastic Beach were brought to Councilman Romaine's attention during his 2007 campaign.

7th Precinct Hosts Open House for Community

Residents from the many hamlets located in the 7th Police Precinct gathered at the William Floyd Parkway facility on Thursday April 17th for an Open Community meeting. The meetings which will be held monthly on the 3rd Thursday of each month from 7pm to 8:30pm are aimed at giving the residents a better understanding of the Police Department, its duties and responsibilities and keep a dialogue going with the communities they serve. Inspector John Meehan and several of his officers talked to community members from Rocky Point, Shoreham, Ridge, Manor Park, Mastic and Shirley. They tackled issues from traffic violations to sex offenders, even touching on topics like gangs, drugs and other criminal activity. The good news was that overall, crime is down. But there is still plenty of work and the men and women of the 7th are up to the task. Residents are encouraged to participate and bring their police issues to the next meeting. The Inspector and his staff are eager to assist us.

Fire Island National Seashore News

The following press release was issued by the Fire Island National Seashore regarding several upcoming activities:

National Park Week/Junior Ranger Day Programs at Fire Island National Seashore:
Variety of Activities Planned for April 19 - 27, 2008 Patchogue, NY—

Fire Island National Seashore and its partners and volunteers are providing several opportunities to help you celebrate National Park Week this year. As part of an annual nationwide event, National Park Week 2008 is being held from April 19 to April 27. The theme this year is Kids in Parks. Across the country, National Park Service (NPS) sites will celebrate the natural and cultural history preserved in these treasures by promoting active learning, recreation, inspiration, and stewardship. Long Island’s local national parks offer a chance to explore and learn about the significance of national treasures close to home.

Fire Island National Seashore will launch National Park Week with a March for Parks 2008 event at the Fire Island Lighthouse on Saturday, April 19 at 8 a.m. The annual Fire Island Lighthouse Area Trek is a special 2- hour guided tour of the grounds of the historic Fire Island Light Station and beyond, to the site of the Surf Hotel and the former Fire Island State Park. A $10 program fee includes light refreshments and commemorative T- shirt. Reservations are required. Call the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society at 631- 661- 4876 to sign up.

National Park Week coincides with Earth Day (April 22). This year special Earth Day Hikes into the Fire Island Wilderness are scheduled to honor the event. Three- hour programs will leave the Wilderness Visitor Center on Sunday, April 20 and Tuesday, April 22 at 10 a.m.

Fire Island National Seashore’s National Junior Ranger Day activities on Saturday, April 26, include Orienteering at the Fire Island Lighthouse and at the Wilderness Visitor Center, both available from 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., along with a new program at the Wilderness Visitor Center. Ocean Discovery is offered from 1 – 2 p.m. on April 26 at the Wilderness Visitor Center. This program includes a craft activity for kids as they learn about waves, tides, marine life, and how people have had an influence on the marine ecosystem.
Finding Your Way around the Park is an orienteering/mapping program developed for children and their families to learn more about Fire Island National Seashore. Site specific programs provide an enjoyable way to explore the grounds around the historic Fire Island Lighthouse or the Wilderness Visitor Center, gateway to New York State’s only federally designated wilderness area, the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness. Kits include a guide booklet, clipboard, compass, work booklet, and a park map. Children must sign out a kit with their parents. Participants in this program on Saturday, April 26, 2008, will receive a Junior Ranger patch. The activity may also help local girl scouts and boy scouts earn their orienteering badges. Call Irene Rosen at 631-687- 4765 for more information.

To learn more about National Park Week 2008 and March for Parks and National Junior Ranger Day, visit the National Park Week website at www.nps.gov/npweek/.

For more information about the Junior Ranger Program and Webrangers, visit their websites at www.nps.gov/webrangers/ and http://www.nps.gov/learn/juniorranger.htm.

For more information about Fire Island National Seashore, visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/fiis.

Keeping the Smith Point Peninsula Clean

Weather permitting, the Smith Point Homeowners Association is joining with other local civic organizations to participate in the townwide community clean-up on Saturday, April 5th. The clean-up effort is part of the Keep America Beautiful/Keep Brookhaven Clean Program. Members will meet to don their gloves and safety vests by Shirley Beach at Smith Landing. They will proceed from there to their assigned locations in the neighborhood picking up trash and debris. Volunteers from Brookhaven Town's Highway Department will be on hand to assist with collecting the trash and carting it away.

Each year the Smith Point community hosts hundreds of visitors to our beaches and historic sites. What better way to prepare for our summer tourist season than by taking pride in our neighborhood and making it litter-free.

Shirley Beach Stewardship

As many of you know, our Homeowner's Association began a stewardship with the Town of Brookhaven Parks Dept. to keep Shirley Beach at Smith Landing open during the winter season. SPPHOA President Vinny Albino and Vice President Frank Lombardo have opened and closed the beach EVERY DAY for the residents to enjoy the playground, the park, the sunshine, watersports or just watching the beautiful sunsets. The residents near Shirley Beach are thrilled that not only have our Association members been opening the gates, but more important they've been keeping it CLEAN~ The last storm brought quite a bit of debris and working alongside the Parks Department, our members cleared away the mess in record time. Please enjoy your beach!