If Oyster Bay Town Photographer Joe DeSalvo hadn't stayed until the end of the first meeting of the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park Advisory Committee, his official photograph would have been very different. The gathering took place at 5 p.m. April 29, in the Town of Oyster Bay hearing room, prior to the regular town meeting. If taken at the beginning of the meeting, it would have included the newly appointed nine-member commission. Instead the photograph tells the story of the meeting itself, that town appointed chair Councilman Chris Coschignano invited all those attending to be in the picture. It was a statement that the committee would be inclusive and not exclusive.

Councilman Coschignano credited Charles Doering's impassioned speech before the town board on the deteriorated state of TR Park, as the reason for creating the committee. Mr. Doering chairs the Oyster Bay Civic Association Committee to restore the park. It was the members of that committee who were the additions to the historic photograph. Mr. Coschignano indicated that the group would be inclusive to the extent that the public will be invited to their next meeting. That was in response to Friends of the Bay Executive Director Louise Harrison's suggestion that the public come on June 10 for a walk-through of the park while the committee decides what needs to be done. Their suggestions will be welcome.

During the meeting no one on the new TR Park Advisory Committee volunteered to be the group's secretary, except Charles Doering, who was told the secretary had to be a committee member. Mr. Coschignano and the other town representatives, Bob Picken, from the supervisor's staff and Bob Walker from the town's Department of Community Services agreed they would tape future meetings. Mr. Walker volunteered to do the minutes at this meeting.

Later, when Mr. Walker said committee members could be involved in working with the landscaper for the park, committee member Louise Harrrison volunteered as did Oyster Bay Civic Association members Charles Doering, Charles Gaulkin and Maria Bohn. The OBCA members proved they were willing to work to benefit the park even though they had not been named to the committee. For their part, Mr. Coschignano, Mr. Walker and Mr. Picken proved the town was willing to do their part. They have plans to put in 2,500 shrubs to landscape the park and the entrance to the western waterfront and will be spending $3 million to rehabilitate the park. The committee has to submit a capital budget to the town in June so it can be put into the town budget for next year.

Rob Walker reported on what the town has done in the last two months after the supervisor met with the OBCA and talked about improvements to the park. The problems are twofold, he said, beautification and working out security problems. The town has already spent $400,000 on the project, he said. They have worked on the beach and created three new, state-of-the art playgrounds, one of which has a new rubber surface. They will add that surface to the other two small playgrounds in the park in the future, he said. They plan to spend about $2 million on the park although Mr. Walker said the normal amount spent on town parks for the year is $3 million.

"The park is a wonderful asset but it is an expensive asset to maintain," said Mr. Coschignano.

Rob Walker said the park project includes working on the design phase of the replacement of the bulkhead and sidewalks along the marina. He said the Town's Department of Public Works is doing the design work. The third week in May they are going to work on the landscaping. It will be done in three areas: the flagpole area; the ball field near where the new connection to West End Avenue is being created; and a special grassy knoll on the easternmost area where people are now playing soccer. There will be about 25 to 30 trees planted there to stop the games, which are considered to cause a nuisance and a danger to park visitors. Mr. Walker said the bathroom facilities are being overhauled, as part of the Town's complete overhaul of all bathroom facilities in all parks, through the SEA Fund Bond monies; the work on the basketball court was completed. He said the main entrance beautification is in the process of being completed through the Western Waterfront Plan. West End Avenue is being extended to meet the entrance to the park in the area of the boat ramps. Mr. Walker said the town is in the process of cleaning up all graffiti throughout the park. The town is investigating additional security options with Garrison Security, the Town's outside security contractor.

Mr. Walker said several pathways in the park have already been asphalted. That decision was questioned by Charles Gaulkin, one of the members of the Oyster Bay Civic Association park restoration committee. He asked "why such an unsatisfactory arrangement was chosen when the former crushed stone was so much better and practical to maintain." Mr. Coschignano said nothing in the plan is "written in stone."

"The work was just done," said Mr. Gaulkin, adding that "Future plans need to be made in advance and approved by the committee." Mr. Walker said the park was doing maintenance work when it asphalted the paths. OBCA Park Committee Chair Charles Doering said they were concerned with the park becoming an "asphalt jungle," and said, "When I was a kid the paths were white crushed stone edged with metal. No one was allowed on the grass. You pulled up the concrete and put in asphalt. It's like a frying pan for bare feet. We asked what you were going to do on the waterfront. If asked, we would have said no," he added. He also questioned the area around the flagpole which has been severely altered over time. "We are not saying things can't be remedied," said Mr. Coschignano.

Mr. Doering said they wanted a historic preservation of the park giving it a turn of the century look. "We want to be consulted when things are done. That's why our group is here. You may be rushing things in the park," he said. "It can take three to five years to restore: it took 30 years to do the damage."

Mr. Coschignano said it will take between $3 and $5 million to do the complete restoration job. Mr. Doering said a lot of money has already gone into fixing the parks in the southern part of the town, including having someone walk around and pick up the litter. He added, "No town worker is here on Sunday to enforce the rules of the park."

Mr. Coshignano said he heard Mr. Doering's speech before the town board. He said, "It was passionate. It let us know your feelings. People are waking up all over Oyster Bay to the importance of the turn of the century look." Mr. Walker said there would be a major improvement in the way the park is administered, that the changes would be made with the advice of the committee.

Mr. Doering said some of the problems in the park included; a group of six or seven men drinking in the park on a recent Sunday, in the area next to the soccer field where about 50 small children were at an awards ceremony. He said the open container law is not being enforced in the park; that the refuse receptacles were used as goal posts in a game and that one of the blue plastic trash containers was completely burned as a result of a fire in it. Graffiti has been another problem in the park and Mr. Coschignano said POP officer Janice Boyd is working on the issue. She told this newspaper at a town board meeting, that the perpetrators are not gang members as feared. She said the graffiti is being covered up. Mr. Coschignano invited members of the advisory committee to make comments.

Advisory Committee member Judge John Galasso, agreed the park needs better security. He said he has worked on a graffiti task force. "The profile of the graffiti maker is a frail child, usually one that is made fun of and not accepted by his peers. When you see them, they are pathetic. The graffiti gives them an identity they lack. They can say, 'That's my tag.'"

Dr. John Gable, executive director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association said, "The park is a memorial to TR. It has a great history." He said he would like to see it restored and commented, "the devil is in the details."

Luz Torres of the Cultural Centro Hispano said she would like the park workers to wear uniforms so that people can recognize them as park officials. She also asked if some Spanish people could be hired for the staff. (The town said they have two Spanish speaking park employees.) She said people come to her office and ask where they can have a party. "They use the park because they have no place to recreate and rest. They need the pavilion for parties and they do get the permits," she said.

Committee member Abraham Poznanski, CEO of Northern Bay Management and president of Island Properties said it took 30 years for the park to become rundown. He said, "Plan well before spending $5 million. Do it wisely to last for a long time. Security and modern surveillance tools might work. You need new procedures for better control."

Maria Bohn said although Charles Doering brought up the deed given to the town by the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Committee and brought the need for the new committee to the attention of the town, no one from his committee was chosen for the new advisory board. She said while the choices were valid, she was "disappointed and hurt that no one contacted and asked one of them to be a member of the committee."

Mr. Coschignano said he was lucky enough to be elected to be on the board and took responsibility for recommending the people.

Charles Gaulkin said originally, many years ago, the Theodore Roosevelt Association submitted names to serve on the committee and that they were accepted by the board. "Now that has been changed," he commented.

Mr. Coschignano said he would include on the committee whoever would like to attend the meetings, that he was the kind of person "who sees the glass half full."

Mr. Doering said his committee would remain intact. "We feel we have hands-on use of the park. We're sorry we're not on the committee. We all live in Oyster Bay, and do not have a once-removed relationship with the park.

A former resident of Oyster Bay, Judge John Galasso, is a current resident of East Norwich. He said he's been going to the beach since he was 2 years old. His family came to Oyster Bay in 1962 and they ran the concession stand. "I worked 10 hours a day including cleaning spaghetti out of the water fountains. I even cleaned up the bathrooms," he said.

The meeting ended with an invitation to a meeting to see what the landscapers are planning. Louise Harrison, Charles Gaulkin and Charles Doering will be meeting with the landscaper to see and approve of what he is suggesting for the site.

There has been some question on who should be able to use the park: is the general public, (people from out of the area) to be granted access to the area? Theodore Roosevelt Association Executive Director Dr. John Gable said originally the money for the purchase of the property came from people across the United States. He said, as a result, "People came to the Theodore Roosevelt gravesite in Youngs' Cemetery, and ended up at the park. They came by train and felt entitled to visit the park. That concept was changed when the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Association realized times were different and there was the concern that the park could be overused. Therefore the arrangement was changed and today the town can restrict access to the park," he said.