L.I. Pine Barrens Society February Update

From: Pine Barrens Society victoria@pinebarrens.org>

Date: February 16, 2011 5:52:06 PM EST

Subject: [PineBarrens] February Update!

Long Island Pine Barrens Society – February Update

The Carmans River Protection Plan: What Is It? What’s In It?

Good news for the future of the Carmans River and its surrounding community! A draft of the Carmans River Watershed Comprehensive Protection and Management Plan has been submitted to Brookhaven Town Supervisor Mark Lesko and the Town Board for approval (Click here to see the draft plan on the Town’s website). This undertaking to prevent further degradation of the river concludes over three months of work by an appointed Study Group composed of leading environmentalists, builders, town government and Pine Barrens Commission. The plan seeks to protect 9,100 acres of the Carmans River Watershed, and redirect development to areas away from the river and residential communities. In addition, it would preserve water quality, save natural habitat, reduce impacts of current land use, remediate contaminated groundwater and allow monitoring of possible future degradation of the river and the surrounding land.

What Happens Next? How the Public Can Participate.

To help ensure that the Town Board votes to formally adopt the current plan, it’s important for residents and concerned parties to remain informed and stay involved in the process. There will be three public information forums held, prior to a public hearing on March 29^th, 6 PM, at Brookhaven Town. The first forum will be hosted by the Carmans River Partnership on Saturday, February 19, 12:00 PM, at Longwood Public Library in Middle Island. Brookhaven residents are encouraged to attend.

For more information on the Carmans River protection plan, please visit the Town’s website for more information:

Below are links to recent press:

Newsday Article from 2/8/11

Newsday Editorial from 2/9/11

News 12 TV coverage from 2/9/11

Sunday Newsday- Rick Brand column 2/13/11

Town of Brookhaven’s Carmans River Protection Plan press conference coverage from 2/10/11

As always, we’ll continue to keep you updated and strive to do our part to help keep Long Island healthy and clean!

In Memory of a Friend and Environmentalist

On a very sad note, Dan Morris, an ardent and effective environmental advocate has died of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma at the age of 63. He and his wife, Marilyn England, created and led the Open Space Council to a long series of environmental victories and made enormous contributions to the enactment of the Pine Barrens Protection Act of 1993. He will be sorely missed.

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School of Documentary Filmmaking to be named for local Brookhaven resident George Stoney

SPECIAL EVENT SPONSORED BY THE PLAZA MEDIA ARTS CENTER

ALL MY BABIES Screening & ceremony naming of a new School of Documentary Filmmaking after local Brookhaven resident George Stoney

DATE: February 23, 2011 — TIME: 7-10 PM

PLACE: Brick House Brewery, 67 West Main Street, Patchogue

THE FILM: In 2002 the Library of Congress deemed All My Babies a "culturally, historically and artistically significant work" and included it in the National Film Registry. Shot in 1952 in the deep south amidst racial tensions, George Stony ventured in with a camera crew to follow the practices of midwife "Miss Mary" Coley, an African-American, as she delivered babies. Screened as a landmark film for its realistic artistry this film has also been used around the world by UNESCO.

THE FILMMAKER: George Stoney has made over 1 00 documentaries. As an advocate of video as a tool for social change, he was one of the leading figures behind the creation of Public Access Television, a "free-speech forum" for ordinary people to create and broadcast content on cable television systems. By 1969, having secured broadcasting rights for citizens, Stoney went on to co-create the Alternate Media Center to train people in video production. Mr. Stoney was recently appointed Emeritus Professor at NYU's Kanbar Institute of Film & Television, where for forty years he has inspired and mentored generations of new filmmakers.

THE PLAZA MEDIA ARTS CENTER: Following in George Stoney's footsteps, The Plaza Media Arts Center will be offering classes geared towards helping participants write, film, direct and edit quality short films, narratives and documentaries, that merge social activism, the art of filmmaking and journalism, to make proactive change in their community. Spring classes start March 21 and are taught by filmmakers and experienced teachers.

Collaborating with Huntington's Cinema Arts Centre, The Plaza MAC will resume screening the latest independent and foreign films by summer 2011. A special Italian Film Festival is slated for fall 2011.

The Plaza MAC team is currently working with politicians, developers, community organizations and businesses to renovate the old Plaza Theater and to build a Media Arts Center that will become the creative media arts hub with studios and equipment for classes and film production.