The Syosset Chamber of Commerce has been in existence just over a year and has already become a very active presence within the community.

The main goal of the chamber, at their start in October 1998, was to give the local merchants the opportunity to have an organization that would be working in their best interest.

"Our goal is to add charm to the already existing town and enhance the business," said chamber President Frank Urso. There are currently about 135 members involved with the Chamber.

Over the past year, the chamber has been responsible for many activities and improvements throughout the community. They've added 40 decorative wooden planter barrels throughout the downtown area. Also following the tradition of keeping the downtown area clean, large trash receptacles were placed throughout town which cost the chamber over $670 each.

The chamber organized a holiday lighting ceremony in 1999 which drew approximately 500 people. The Christmas Tree and Menorah lighting was a crowd favorite. The holiday music that was installed downtown was also a result of the chamber's efforts.

A web site, www.syossetchamber.com, was set up to assist existing and potential residents and merchants become familiar with what Syosset has to offer them.

There are meetings of the Syosset Chamber of Commerce held on the second Thursday of every month at which important community issues are discussed. There is usually a guest speaker present and a chance for residents and merchants to express their concerns in an open forum.

Traffic issues were the main item on the agenda at the June 8 meeting of the Chamber of Commerce. Traffic has been a main concern of the C=chamber and community for some time now and different methods of alleviating that problem were discussed.

Many tickets have been issued to cars that were parked illegally thanks to the chamber. Members of the chamber are also trying to raise the fine of a parking ticket. Some residents find it cheaper to pay the daily parking tickets and park illegally than to try and obtain a parking sticker.

The train ride from the Oyster Bay line takes an hour and a half and some find that too long, so they drive to Syosset since the train ride is shorter. These people park illegally and most are unfazed by the minimal fine.

The chamber is looking for suggestions on how to handle this growing problem. There have been talks of reopening the Landau, Robbins Lane, train station and constructing a parking garage to ease the traffic congestion in Syosset. This station and parking situation will be the topic of a future meeting and article.

Martha Offerman, Town of Oyster Bay Clerk, was the guest speaker at the recent meeting. "It is very hard for small businesses," said Offerman. "There is no place to park. I hear so many complaints from local commuters." She has been working on the train station, parking and parking tickets for some time and plans to continue her efforts.

Offerman encourages the community to voice their opinion and make suggestions on how to help solve the traffic issues in town. Please call her office at 624-6331 with any suggestions.

For more information about the Syosset Chamber of Commerce, or information about becoming a member, please call Frank Urso of L.I. Village Realty at 921-0220.