Monday, July 29, 2013

Newsday Article about Thursday's Carmans River Meeting

 

Residents praise plan to preserve Carmans River

Originally published: July 28, 2013 6:14 PM
Updated: July 28, 2013 7:22 PM
By CARL MACGOWAN  carl.macgowan@newsday.com

Photo credit: Carl Corry | A view from Indian Landing in the Carmans River in Shirley. The stop-off, now part of the Wertheim National Widllife Refuge, once served as a meeting place for native Americans. (Sept. 09, 2012)

Brookhaven Town's revamped plan to preserve the Carmans River received generally positive reviews from residents last week.

Residents questioned some details of the Carmans River Conservation and Management Plan during an informational meeting at Town Hall on Thursday. But they said the proposal -- which the town board is expected to vote on in the fall -- is better than a plan that was withdrawn last year because it lacked support.

"I think it's an improvement over the last one," said Jim Gleason, vice president of the East Moriches Property Owners Association. He was among about 20 people who attended the informational meeting in Farmingville.

"I think it's a step in the right direction," Gleason said. "I don't think the last one was ready for prime time the way it was put together."

The new plan, backed by Supervisor Edward P. Romaine, calls for the town to purchase vacant private land and impose new zoning to restrict development along the 10-mile river.

A key element of the proposal is state legislation expanding the protected Central Pine Barrens region to include 3,875 acres along the river; the bill is awaiting approval by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.

The previous plan, proposed by then-Supervisor Mark Lesko, was criticized by residents and officials for allowing high-intensity development elsewhere in exchange for conserving the river. Lesko withdrew the resolution last year.

A public hearing on Romaine's plan is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday at Town Hall.

Romaine, in remarks on Thursday, said he will ask the town board to accept written comments about the plan through August. Another public hearing will be held in September or October, and the board will vote before Election Day in November, he said.

Preserving the river is "absolutely critical" for conservation of the Great South and Moriches bays, Romaine said. "I don't think anyone wants to see Brookhaven overdeveloped," he said.

Richard Amper, executive director of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society, attended the meeting and warned that development would increase "tenfold" if the plan is not adopted.

Andrea Spilka, of Eastport, said she was "cautiously optimistic" after hearing town planners describe the proposal. She said it is a "big improvement" over the previous one.

"I was pleased to hear more about the process [and] that there will be another public hearing prior to the approval of the final version," she said.

 

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Woodruff Cemetery Restoration completed

From: Martin VanLith Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 12:51 PM
Subject: Woodruff Cemetery Restoration completed
 More information on the Woodruff Private Family cemetery and the folks interred there  may be found here:  http://brookhavensouthhaven.org/HamletPeople/tng/showmap.php?cemeteryID=17&tree=hamlet
 Dear All,
 As usual, Hollis and George did a nice job repairing this cemetery. Thanks to all who helped clear the brush from the cemetery so that Hollis could do the repairs. Here are pictures taken at noon today.

   
Note pieces of stone behind first headstone (Matthew Woodruff)-

 This is the headstone I mentioned in a previous e-mail in which we weren't sure if it could be repaired. Hollis did a lot of bench work in his shop to make it one piece. The dates are missing but the pieces with the dates on them are behind the stone- 
  
If one tries to find out the dates can be deciphered from these pieces -








--Marty

Azel Hawkins Cemetery headstones repaired. Azel Hawkins Cemetery

From: Martin VanLith
Subject: Azel Hawkins Cemeterry headstones repaired


More on Azel Hawkins Cemetery here:  http://brookhavensouthhaven.org/HamletPeople/tng/showmap.php?cemeteryID=16&tree=

Pix: Hollis and George at the Azel Hawkins cemetery this morning -

 Note the good job the Town is doing in maintaining the grass -

 This is Matthew Woodruff's headstone (from Woodruff Family Cemetery, see later post). The middle section had disintegrated. We were going to lay the pieces flat in gravel like we did at the Rose cemetery but Hollis bought it back to his shop, cut and glued the two solid pieces together to make it like this-  

The crumbled mid-section of the stone will be left at the base of the headstone.

 More pictures of the repaired Woodruff cemetery to follow later today when Hollis is done. 

--Marty