Beach Cleanup Scheduled; Town Votes to Refinance $24 Million in Bonds

Register to Clean Up Huntington Beaches

Volunteers helped to clean up and beautify and Gold Star Battalion Beaches this past week as part of the town's annual "Keep Huntington Beautiful" campaign.

The cleanup effort will continue on Saturday, June 2 as volunteers are encouraged to register for the 7th annual Clean Beaches Day from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at either Centerport Beach, Crab Meadow Beach or Gold Star Battalion Beach. In addition, volunteers can register to be part of the “Clean Beaches Bus Tour” which takes them to clean Hobart Beach, and . All clean-up supplies and water for volunteers will be delivered to each beach prior to the event.

Following the clean-ups, a special luncheon will be held beginning at noon at the Town of Huntington Senior Beach House at Centerport Beach, at which time volunteers can relax, enjoy refreshments and play a game of volleyball. The luncheon will also feature presentations from Mark McGowan on the importance of a clean water ecosystem and local marine life and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Unit.

For more information on Clean Beaches Day or to register to volunteer, please contact Allison Jones in the Department of Citizen Services at (631) 351-3018 or visit the Town’s website at http://www.huntingtonny.gov/cleanup to register online for Clean Beaches Day. Click the Clean Beaches Day icon and complete the form with your name, contact information, and beach preference.

Town Refinances $24 Million of Bonds

The Huntington Town Board, at its May 22 meeting, approved refinancing up to $24 million of Town bonds, a move projected to save the Town an estimated $700,000 in interest costs. Read the full story .

The resolution allows the refinancing of bonds issued from 2002 to 2005 to achieve a lower interest rate. The refinancing was recommended by New York Municipal Advisors Corporation, the Town’s fiscal advisor for bonding issues. NYMAC projected the refinancing would save taxpayers an estimated $100,000 a year for the remainder of the life of the bonds, or more than $700,000 overall. The term of the bonds remains unchanged.

In 2009, NYMAC recommended a similar refinancing of $13 million of other Town debt that also saved taxpayers about $700,000

The Board’s vote was unanimous.          

In other action, the Town Board: 

            -- appropriated $535,000 to develop Coral Park in Greenlawn, including a parking area, sidewalk, playground, basketball court, plaza/sitting area with picnic and chess/checker tables, large open lawn/play area and fitness/cardio stations. Plans for the park are being developed with input from the community. The appropriations are coming from the Neighborhood Parks Fund, the EOSPA Park Improvement Fund and the EOSPA Neighborhood Enhancement Program.

            -- approved a decrease in fees for the Parks and Recreation Department’s evening leisure program and craft workshops to restore them to their 2010 levels. The increase, imposed to more accurately reflect the cost of the programs, resulted in a 70 percent decline in attendance and 50 percent decline in revenues. It is anticipated that the fees generated by increased participation will return revenues to their previous level. 

            -- authorized the Supervisor to execute a license agreement with the Cow Harbor Warriors to use Crab Meadow Beach for a four-mile warrior run and Sunset Clambake on Sept. 8, as part of a weekend of events for members of the military injured in the line of duty.

            -- repealed Chapter 40 of Town Code, which required the Huntington Housing Authority to file reports with the Town Board. Legal opinions concluded that because the Housing Authority does not report to the Town Board, the requirement was unenforceable.  

            -- appointed Edward A.T. Carr as director of the Department of Maritime Services

            -- changed the dates of the July, August and December Town Board meetings. The meetings will be held on July 24, August 14 and December 18, all starting at 7 p.m.

            -- scheduled a June 19 public hearing on a proposal to acquire the Park Avenue Dairy property for parkland.

No Town Trash Pickup on Memorial Day

There is no scheduled trash pick-up on Monday, May 28, due to the Memorial Day holiday. All scheduled pick up days have been moved back one day.

If your trash is normally collected on Mondays and Thursdays then your collection days this week will be Tuesday, May 29 and Friday, June 1.

If your trash is normally collected on Tuesdays and Fridays then your collection days this week are Wednesday, May 30 and Saturday, June 2.

Bottles and cans recycling will be picked up in all areas on Thursday, May 31.

There is no yardwaste collection scheduled this week. Yardwaste will be collected during the week of June 3.

If you have any questions please call the Department of Environmental Waste Management at 631-351-3186 or visit the Huntington @ Your Service website

First Annual 'Cow Harbor Warrior Weekend' Honors Veterans

The inaugural Cow Harbor Warrior Weekend event is scheduled to take place Friday, September 7 through Sunday September 9 in and around the surrounding area of Northport. Those participating in the event will be feted in a welcoming parade down Main Street, Northport Village, on Friday evening. Following remarks from local dignitaries, the Wounded Warriors and their families will enjoy a dinner at the Northport Volunteer Fire Department.

“When men and women join the U.S. military and serve in our Armed Forces, they vow to uphold our Constitution, defend the values it represents and protect all who live under its freedoms,” said Rocco Donnino, president, Cow Harbor Warriors.  “This is an opportunity for our community to thank, serve and enable our Wounded Warriors through a weekend of recreational activities and family events, dedicated to those who have given so much of themselves for our freedom.”

Read the full story .