Sanctuary Turns 90

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Sanctuary Turns 90

Written by Pat Aitken oysterbay@antonnews.com Friday, 22 March 2013 00:00

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the Theodore Roosevelt Audubon Sanctuary in Oyster Bay. The Oyster Bay Historical Society hosted Ted Scherff, executive director of the Sanctuary, and Jennifer Zaso of Audubon New York who gave a presentation on the history of the Sanctuary, and the work the sanctuary is doing now to protect birds and advocate for conservation.

The sanctuary is deeply embedded in the Oyster Bay community, both because of its historical association with Theodore Roosevelt, widely respected for his role as a protagonist of the conservation movement in the United States, and as a place so many residents have gone to learn not only about birds, but also about the local environment.

One of the initiatives being undertaken at the sanctuary now is to restore the habitat using plant species that would have been present in the 1920s. Coastal forests are becoming increasingly rare on Long Island due to habitat loss and development. The National Wildlife Foundation is supporting this restoration effort. Hicks Nurseries is assisting the Sanctuary in this effort by finding and supplying the plants. This process is being done slowly, so as to avoid disruption to the birds and wildlife who live there now.

Jennifer Zaso informed the attendees at the lecture that the 2013 Legacy of Conservation Gala will be held on May 4, at Piping Rock Club. The sanctuary will be celebrating Audubon’s long history as a conservation leader on Long Island, and honoring the conservation efforts of the many organizations and individuals that restored and preserved Long Island’s shorelines, its Sound and its land. The theme “1923,” the sanctuary’s inaugural year, marks the beginning of a significant chapter in Long Island conservation history and pays tribute to all that has been accomplished in Long Island’s rich preservation and conservation over the last century.

News

Proposed School Budget Is Under Tax Cap

Wednesday, 15 May 2013 00:00

Declining enrollment and

reserve funds are key factors

As voters in the Massapequa Union Free School District approach the Tuesday, May 21, budget vote, the proposed spending plan retains popular educational programs while keeping the rise in spending to 1.49 percent.

Despite what district officials call unprecedented increases in state-mandated employer pension contributions, as well as rising health insurance costs, the overall budget is up just over $2.7 million.

Rebuilding Together Long Island

Thursday, 16 May 2013 00:00

Rebuilding Together LI volunteers, sponsors from Long Island Board of Realtors and their associates from Albany, working on a home in Cedarhurst damaged by Sandy. After Massapequa resident Sol Goldstein and several friends helped finish building a house for a family 20 years ago for Habitat for Humanity, they had a question: “What do we do now?” They were all retired, had enjoyed working together and accomplishing something for a family in need, and wanted to do more.

“I was looking for something [to do] hands-on,” said Joe Botkin, of Williston Park, a retired principal, who had worked with Goldstein in building the home.

Sports

Coach of the Month: Vinny Zanfardino

Thursday, 16 May 2013 00:00

Vinny Zanfardino started his coaching career in 1997 when he stepped up to coach his daughter’s Little League team.

What started as a hobby turned into a full-blown obsession for Zanfardino, 48. Coaching became an outlet to do some good for children while staying close to the game he loves: baseball.

Golf Course To Be Named In Honor Of Colby

Thursday, 16 May 2013 00:00

On Saturday, May 18, the Town of Oyster Bay will conduct a ceremony to officially re-name its golf course in honor of Joseph Colby, a resident of Massapequa Park who served as the Town of Oyster Bay’s 56th supervisor. The Honorable Joseph Colby was appointed supervisor in 1977 and was elected to that office five times in the following ten years. He was then elected as a New York State Supreme Court Justice in 1988, a post he held through his retirement from public service in 1992. The unveiling will take place at the main entrance of the course off South Woods Road in Woodbury.

“When the sign for Honorable Joseph Colby Town of Oyster Bay Golf Course is unveiled, it will celebrate an outstanding career in public service,” Supervisor John Venditto said. “Joseph Colby has always had the needs of the public as his top priority and has been widely respected for his innovation and responsiveness. This golf course will now forever bear his name as a tribute to his outstanding legacy.”