Legislator Judy Jacobs installed the 2006 Oyster Bay Civic Association (OBCA) board. A community activist herself, Ms. Jacobs said to the members: "Our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but how we react to what happens; not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst - a spark that creates extraordinary results." She inducted the members of the civic association and said, "The brightest stars are those who shine for the benefit of others. Thank you for making a difference." She gave each board member, Tim Archdeacon, Fran Leone, Stan Spiegelman, Joe Mimmo, Marie Knight, Judith-Ann Barnett and Louise Rea a personal citation.

On a personal level, Ms. Jacobs said of the legislature's controversy about her appointment as presiding officer, that their charter says they have until Feb. 1 to elect a majority and minority chairperson. She added that in spite of the court issues going on, "We are getting things done."

After the installation OBCA member June London questioned Ms. Jacobs about the litter, garbage and graffiti she is seeing on our major roads. "What are my tax dollars being wasted on?" she asked. Ms. Jacobs said she would make some phone calls to see what can be done.

President Marie Knight also asked Ms. Jacobs for help in determining what happened to about 20 Locust trees that were cut down along Berry Hill Road at the former Berry Hill Field, now known as Ralph Marino Park. It appears that a local resident (unknown) called the county and said the trees were diseased. [Roads in Nassau County belong to the town, state and county. Berry Hill Road belongs to the county.] A Nassau County engineer, told Ms. Knight he investigated and found the trees diseased. Ms. Knight checked with local landscape designer David Lamb and people at Asplundh, who do the tree work for the Town of Oyster Bay and both experts were of the opinion that locust trees are disease resistant, and were "so strong they would outlive most of us," she said.

Ms. Knight said she called Ms. Jacobs asking for her help and added that the town should have been apprised of the plan to cut the trees down. The county intends to replace the trees with one of three types of tree. They will be young trees and not the specimen trees that were taken down, she said. Member Charles Doering asked if sidewalks would be going in? No one had an answer.

Ms. Jacobs invited residents to attend a workshop on how to challenge the assessed value of their property. Residents will be provided with assessment grievance application packets and assistance in filling them out. The deadline for filing a grievance is March 1, 2006. For additional information please call Legislator Jacob's office at 571-6216. The workshop will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 31 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library at 999 Old Country Road, Plainview. She said, "Dolores Sidaka will walk you through the application to file a grievance on your tax assessment. It is very easy. You can do it yourself."

Ms. Knight reported on the OBCA hotline saying they have been getting calls about sanitation, garbage, potholes and curb cuts. She said, "A curb cut is needed on Orchard and Spring Streets for a handicapped resident. They received a few complaints about the garage on the west side of Spring Street that has been severely damaged in a fire and appears to have had no work done to repair the site. The hotline receives calls for information on events happening in town, complaints and requests for direction to the hamlet.

Ms. Knight has been working on the sidewalks in the hamlet for sometime as a result of complaints about cracked cement and brickwork coming up in the downtown area. She said that Councilman Angelo Delligatti said the streets were done in a town project and therefore it is their problem to solve. The town attorney disagrees, she said. Usually sidewalks are the responsibility of the landlords or their tenants according to their leases. That appears to be what is holding up the repairs. A few years ago Ms. Knight walked through the hamlet's commercial district starting at Bonanza's and going up South Street. She and town board staff members were looking at the condition of the sidewalks and some needed curb cuts. Ms. Knight said the civic association was able to get some of the curb cuts and a handicap parking space at the Oyster Bay Post Office.

Tim Archdeacon, the founder of the OBCA has created a newsletter for the group. In it he announced that membership will be expanded to include everyone in the 11771 zip code: "to those who also think of Oyster Bay as their town," he said. "We are expanding our voting membership so they can get involved and join the membership ranks." He said this is a significant change from the original by-laws of the organization which limited voting membership to the hamlet village residents. He also announced a new meeting schedule. The group will meet every other month on the third Thursday of the month: March 16, May 18, July 20, Sept. 21 and Nov. 16.

Mr. Archdeacon quoted new board member Fran Leone as saying, "Membership is so critical because it helps us send a message to our elected officials that the community cares about this town and we are willing to stand together to tackle issues affecting it. And while the OBCA's expenses are well managed, more funding provided by increased membership helps us get the word out about our initiatives."

Ms. Knight said the Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce (OBCC) is restructuring and revitalizing itself. They are holding an open meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at Harbor House from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and she invited members to attend and give their ideas. "We want to work with the chamber. The Civic Association is not just for residents." She said, "I have been told there is an organization in town going around and saying not to join the chamber but to join them. I feel that between the two groups, the chamber and ourselves, we can accomplish more."

The OBCA and the OBCC have been working together on welcoming baskets for new members of the community. Board member Joe Mimmo of Cove Point Realty said they have sent out 87 letters and have gotten back only two or three replies. The group wants to deliver a basket filled with information about local groups as well as coupons for local businesses.

The mention of the chamber prompted Ms. London to say, "If not for the holiday decorations at Woodstock and Dodds & Eder you wouldn't know the holidays were here." She later complimented East Norwich saying the merchants there took pride in the way their area looked. The Blueberry Shopping Center, the East Norwich Commons and the East Norwich Civic Association all made sure the area was well lighted for the season.

Ms. Knight said, "The chamber was in dire straits financially." The OBCA got the town to put the lights up on the Christmas tree at Townsend Square Park, she added.

The OBCA has been involved in trying to solve the parking problems in the hamlet for some time. Ms. Knight hopes to make an announcement shortly on their proposal to the town board. Most recently she has been working with Chris Robinson on the project.

Hal Johnson asked about the AvalonBay proposal. Ms. Knight said AvalonBay came to a board meeting with three representatives, after the scooping session at town hall. She said, "They say they can combat the questions over the statistics. They are meeting with John Collins, architectural historian who is doing their third rendering of the site using material from the Oyster Bay Historical Society on what Oyster Bay looked like in the past. They also endorsed the prospect of having a commuter bus going to the Syosset Railroad station three times, both in the morning and in the evening."

She said when their application to the board is completed the civic will have an official ballot mailed with a return envelope for members to give their opinion on the AvalonBay proposal.

OBCA changed their by-laws because if someone has an agenda they can pack the room at a meeting when a vote is being taken. Andy Areco objected saying he preferred an open ballot at a meeting. Mr. Archdeacon said they would discuss it at a board meeting.

Ms. Knight reported that Island Properties has changed their name to Renaissance Properties. They are now being managed by Walter Imperatore who has a real estate background and Michael J. Picker who is the senior vice president of operations for the Islanders and the Dragons. He is taking Abraham Poznanski's job.

Before Judy Jacobs left she was presented with a framed photograph of herself with Billy Joel and David Gugherty by Kathy Arecco. She said, "It was a surprise to Ms. Jacobs since she thought her photographer missed getting the shot with one of our local residents [Billy Joel], at the unveiling of our Theodore Roosevelt statue ceremony."

Fran Leone said she regularly cleans up litter at the Theodore Roosevelt Park and waters the flowers around the flagpole. She suggested that the town should give the park maintenance work to a private landscape company, that they would do a better job than is being done currently. She said she saw an adult male pulling horseshoe crabs out of the water at the beach and then jumping on them, to crush them, in front of some children. She was appalled by his cruelty.