The Oyster Bay Civic Association plans to have metal trash receptacles installed on the streets of the hamlet by Memorial Day. The announcement was made by OBCA President Marie Knight at their April 18 meeting held in the Italian-American Club on Summit Street. The trash bins cost will be shared by Island Properties, the town and the state at about one-third each, she said.

Ms. Knight said Island Properties gave the OBCA a check for $5,500 for the project. The OBCA has given Forest Iron Works of Locust Valley a down payment of $5,000 for the work.

OBCA member Charles Doering said he visited the shop on April 18. He has been working on the project and designed the baskets and said the balance owed is about $12,000. "They want to make all 40 at one time and I will use the IP building that was the former Commander Oil garage (on the north end of South Street) to store them," said Mr. Doering. He asked if anyone knew how to install the trash cans on the street. It means drilling holes in the concrete. John Walsh and Tullio Donisi volunteered to help.

He said they hoped at least a couple of dozen will be on the streets by Memorial Day. He has been working with the Civic Association, the Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce and the Main Street Association to determine where the trash cans will be located.

"This is the beginning of the citizens of Oyster Bay taking over where we didn't take over before," said Mr. Doering. "We took the initiative," said Ms. Knight.

Mr. Doering said he came to the civic association with a simple design for a trash can. "I am here to get the job done. Let the politics go to someone else. These trash cans will be installed because I think this village needs them."

He said he used maps from the chamber of commerce to decide where the trash cans should be installed. They will start in the hub area around Nobman's, the Coin Gallery, and the Book Mark and from there they will branch out as far south as the former St. Paul's Church; east on Audrey Avenue to the Post Office and the Bonanza stand, north to Oyster Bay Beverage; on West Main Street to Verrelli's Market;

He complimented the Bonanzas saying, "Bonanza does what it needs to do!" They keep their area neat.

The OBCA has asked the Town of Oyster Bay to pick up the trash. Ms. Knight said she has been meeting with DPW Deputy Commissioner Richard Betz about those plans.

She said the original request was for 60 trash cans, but Mr. Betz and the Lake Avenue Yard foreman,"gasped at cleaning out 60 but accepted 40." The ones in place now, are cleaned Monday through Friday and whenever one becomes overflowing, and when the civic association is notified about a problem area.

The metal containers will be dipped in a Rustoleum primer with a gloss black finish coat. They will have 40 insert/liners of galvanized sheet metal to be finished/painted to go against the black rails. The receptacles will cost $225 each, plus $80 for the liners which comes to $305 each.

Inside that goes a plastic trash bin for easy removal by the sanitation workers.

Several groups in town have been working on the project which the OBCA is actually completing. The original maps for the locations of the receptacles were done by Ed Mohlenhoff and Chris Mills of the Main Street Association, said Ms. Knight, but Mr. Doering will make the final decisions himself.

The Town of Oyster Bay Lake Avenue crew cleans up the hamlet at six in the morning, as a special favor to the civic association because of the complaints they have received. "By 11 a.m. there is new trash," said Ms. Knight "We try to keep the streets clean and work with the sanitation department."

Ms. Knight met with Supervisor Venditto's staff and they said the town is willing to take the old stone and metal trash containers away. The new ones will be deeded to the town so there will be no liability, she said.

A woman in the audience commented that there aren't enough trash bins in the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park. "They play soccer and use the receptacles as goal when they play and don't put them back." She said only one team brings its own goalposts.

Charles Doering complimented the woman saying, "I have a boat in the marina and I see you picking up garbage in the park."

Ms. Knight said the OBCA will send a letter to the supervisor telling him that the park needs to be cleaned up. "This is the second or third time it has been brought up at a meeting," she said. The town has been very cooperative, she added. She met with Councilman Angelo Delligatti on Friday, April 19, and left him with a long list of notes on what needs to be done.