Helping Those Who Came To Help

First Presbyterian Church shelters Canadian crews

Long Islanders welcomed the crews from all over the United States and Canada who came to turn the Island’s lights back on. Working for LIPA, was an invasion of crews of men, with equipment and trucks and it took time to organize and as a result many of the crews were forced to sleep in their trucks out in the cold and get food on the run. Here in Oyster bay, Steve Wasilchuk spotted the men and set about organizing things to see that they would be cared for. The First Presbyterian Church and the Rev. Jeffrey Prey and his parishioners welcomed them. They invited 14 men to stay in their parish hall from Monday, Nov. 5 through Friday, Nov. 16.

On Election Day, Nov. 6 another team showed up saying they heard they were hosting people. Rev. Prey told them, while they could help them, it might be nicer for them if they asked another group to host them, and they went to Christ Church. There the Rev. Peter Casparian hosted 12 of them. “It only seemed fair to let them each have adequate space to live, bathe and sleep. I don’t know why LIPA couldn’t find lodgings for them instead of letting them sleep in their trucks, out in the cold,” he said.

OBHS Gospel Concert and Exhibit

Learn about the connected Roosevelt clan, at the Koenig Center

Gospel singing and hand clapping will be heard along South Street on Dec. 8 as the Oyster Bay Historical Society (OBHS) hosts their annual concert. Come enjoy the free concert by the Hempstead A Cappella Ensemble at 4 p.m. at the Hood A.M.E. Zion Church, 137 South Street, at the corner of Summit Street. It will be followed by refreshments at an open house at the Earle-Wightman House at 20 Summit Street from 7 to 9 p.m. The one-hour gospel concert is a not to be missed event. Think toe-tapping and hand clapping.

The OBHS is also opening their new exhibit: “Miniatures: Doll Houses, Little Rooms and Childhood Treasures” at the Koenig Center. Featured will be the model of the North Room of Sagamore Hill; a model of the two period rooms in the Earle-Wightman house; and a 1922 dollhouse that belonged to Polly Weeks of Oyster Bay that was donated by her daughter Ellen Nicoll who grew up here.

Ratner, Wang Tapped To Help County Solve Coliseum Conundrum

Renaissance Downtown chosen as master developer

The owner who decided to move the New York Islanders off Long Island once its lease expires in June 2015 may play a role in filling the potential void left by the teams’ departure. County Executive Edward P. Mangano, developer Bruce Ratner, Isles owner Charles Wang and Don Monti of Renaissance Downtown think they have a plan in place to solve the developmental conundrum that is the Hub, which includes Nassau Coliseum.

The group announced a strategic “Reuse Plan” on Tuesday, Nov. 20 that reportedly will transform the Coliseum within the first half of 2013. Others have tried and failed where Ratner is venturing and the 77-acre site in Uniondale could become barren in three years once Wang departs for Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

Church Partners With Teams For Sandy’s Cleanup

Volunteers from the Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief teams (SBCDR) from Kentucky and Illinois as well as two people from upstate New York were thanked at a dinner on Monday, Nov. 11. It was hosted  by their partners at the North Shore Community Church of Oyster Bay (NSCC). They had joined with them, right after Hurricane Sandy, as the teams volunteered to help with the cleanup — offering their services free. The church provided support services for the volunteers.

Dr. John Yenchko, NSCC pastor said, “Since Hurricane Sandy’s devastating blast across Long Island, the NSCC was trying to do its small part to help in the recovery effort.

LVCSD Throws Bayville Residents A Hurricane Sandy Recovery Party

Free food event at the Bayville Firehouse

The Locust Valley Central School District (LVCSD) administrators and staff braved the gas lines and the weather, and ignored their own hurricane related problems, to help the residents of Bayville, part of the district, who were hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy.

A barbecue with hot dogs, hamburgers, clam chowder and chicken soup provided hot food to residents who were cleaning out their flooded homes, sleeping in cold houses and waiting for normalcy to return.

Science Vs. Sandy — Science Wins!

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) survived Sandy thanks to a lot of well laid preparation plans and hard work before, during and after the storm.  Being on the shores of Cold Spring Harbor since 1890, the institution has learned a few things, especially after Hurricane Gloria in 1985.  Now, as one of the largest employers on Long Island, CSHL President Bruce Stillman has made preparedness a priority.

“Keeping the world’s leading cancer and autism research going has to be our number one priority,” said Dr. Stillman, “and CSHL’s scientists were kept in business during Sandy by extremely smart and dedicated facilities, information technology, and other support staff who developed and executed an emergency plan like we’ve never seen.  Our people saved science.”

West Shore Road Situation, LIPA Response Questioned

As we were warned would happen eventually during a storm, West Shore Road has been destroyed.  On top of dealing with the stress of power outages and gas lines, residents in that area have lost their main artery.

I am glad that the county honored my request to close the road prior to the storm. I will continue to urge County Executive Ed Mangano, and to fight our Legislative majority - who have been causing an unnecessary delay- to get repairs started.

Hurricane Sandy Blows Out Power

Oyster Bay groups help residents cope with storm power outages

The Oyster Bay-East Norwich area is recovering from Hurricane Sandy feeling for the most part grateful. Once again neighbors helped neighbors and made everyone appreciate living here even more. Trees suffered the most in the devastating winds of Sandy. Power outages all over Nassau County kept people challenged in how they would cope with the lack of electricity. For those with gas service, there was warmth and good food. Communicating was a problem for a community that is used to being well-connected.

Western Waterfront Survives Hurricane Sandy Winds

The best news after Hurricane Sandy is that the Oyster Festival location in Theodore Roosevelt is still pristine. The Town of Oyster Bay recently over-hauled the drainage system in the park as part of the Phase I renovation and it worked amazingly well. While the park was inundated with water during the storm, by Wednesday, Oct. 31 the water had drained off the streets and was flooding the recharge basin, which then looked like a lake, and the swales were all filled to the brim, but draining. It should be mentioned that Sandy was a lot of wind but not water. The turf field did not do as well because the rubber particles floated out and were scattered around the park.

Election Results

(Unofficial Results)
* winner

U.S. President:
* Barack Obama (D)
Mitt Romney (R)