In last week's report on the Town of Oyster Bay's approval of six cell tower sites, we omitted mention of Councilwoman Bonnie Eisler's input into the process. We were late in arriving and missed her part of the discussion. She explained in a telephone interview that she got the town consultant's report the Friday before the meeting and that he recommended that the town do testing on the cell sites.

"I called the town attorney, Anthony Sabino (who unfortunately is leaving) and he said it is self regulated by the carriers. That doesn't seem like a very good idea. It's the fox guarding the hen house. I asked if it was possible to buy the equipment and set up an independent testing schedule," said Ms. Eisler.

She talked to Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto and he agreed. The town will do its own testing of the sites.

Ms. Eisler was also not happy with the town's choices of cell tower sites. "There were originally eight sites and the only one dropped from the plan was for Massapequa because they had public pressure. When I asked for Goat Hill to be taken out, they wouldn't.

"Syosset also was not eliminated," she said.

When we said the Massapequa location was near a school, and that was why it was eliminated, she said "Yes, Massapequa was close to a school, but the locations in Hicksville and Syosset have schools that are closer. I have it in the consultant's report."

Her take on it was "The board acted in a very NIMBY way."

No board members have backyards in Hicksville, Syosset or East Norwich.

Well, our take? We are lucky to have Ms. Eisler going the extra mile for residents. She tried. She managed to find a way to help residents.

Someone else is going to go that extra mile. Charlie Doering is not happy with the town's approval of the Hess station proposal. He has an additional 334 names on a petition that don't want the mini mart concept there.

The proposal was approved at the last town board meeting as well as Hess minimarts for Hicksville and Massapequa. We remember seeing the resolution approving the Hess proposal and just feeling sad about it, and a bit surprised that it passed as it did.

Mr. Doering put it succinctly: "Today, individuals feel they are at the mercy of others." Things happen and they can't control them. Cell towers and mini marts happen over the objection of residents. "Maybe the town board wasn't aware of how many people were against the Hess decision," he said.

We are on a march to the future and it's hard to stop.

The problem, as Mr. Doering put it is the rules the town board are following were made in the past. How can we preserve the uniqueness of this area when it keeps being chiseled away?

That's the question for us to address in 2002. Maybe we need a new batch of laws or maybe we need an incorporated village. Actually the Village of Muttontown is looking at a proposal for three cellular monopoles to be erected on their village property. Upper Brookville is considering a tower behind the Old Brookville Police Station and Oyster Bay Cove one behind their police booth. Even closer control doesn't make the issues go away.

"As for the Hess proposal," said Mr. Doering, "This is the one I am going to fight." He has picked his battle. We wish him great good luck. The more of us who get personally involved in our governing, the better off we all will be. It's not easy, but that isn't a reason not to try.

Here's to a Happy and Involved New Year!

- DFK