2023 Ronkonkoma St. Patrick's Day Parade
24 03, 23 Filed in: Events | General Announcements
| The parade will be on March 26th and will start at 2:00 PM at the Amvets Post 48 at 660 Hawkins Avenue. |
Next Civic Meeting on March 9th
04 03, 23 Filed in: General Announcements | Events
| Please join us Thursday for the March meeting of the Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization which will be at the Sachem Public Library. |
MacArthur Airport: State Superfund Classification Notice
04 03, 23 Filed in: General Announcements
| Please see Public Notice below regarding the classification of LI MacArthur Airport as NYS Superfund Site. Please forward this to others in the community. Thank you. |
LRCO Meeting, February 9th, 7:00
06 02, 23 Filed in: General Announcements | Events
| Please join us Thursday for the February meeting of the Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization which will be at the Sachem Public Library. |
Editorial: The Reawakening of Civic Consciousness
04 02, 23 Filed in: General Announcements
This editorial appeared in a local newspaper on the north shore, one of the Times Beacon Record (TBR) newspapers. Although the editorial is about the Port Jefferson Civic Association, many of the editorial's comments apply to the Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization and other civics on Long Island. If you agree that civics serve a vital function in our communities, please join or renew your membership. You can join online via PayPal or print off a membership form to mail to us.
After over a decade in dormancy, the Port Jefferson Civic Association was resurrected Monday, Jan. 9.
PJCA joins the vibrant civic community throughout the TBR News Media coverage area. From Port Jefferson Station/Terryville to Three Village, Mount Sinai to Sound Beach, Centereach to Selden, and Smithtown to Huntington, civic associations work to improve this area continually.
Civic associations perform a critical public service. We often find powerful and monied interests run roughshod over ordinary folk. With their legal teams, public relations personnel and deep pockets, these special interests often do as they please — with the tacit or even express approval of local politicians.
But who is there to represent the citizens? Who ensures that the people are heard and that their will is implemented by local government? The civic associations.
In our democracy, the people are sovereign. The people empower the politician to carry out their will. But this is often not the case as politicians sometimes advance their own agendas out of a sense of grandiosity and self-importance.
A well-organized civic association serves as a valuable check on power. Through its members, the civic body comes to represent the shared values and interests of the community, directing local officials toward more representative policy outcomes.
Some of the best-informed and most engaged citizens are civic members. For this reason, they offer valuable feedback to local politicians. Civic associations, therefore, benefit and enhance local government.
Moreover, a civic association is a platform for residents to stay up to date and informed on local topics such as future planning, development proposals and redistricting. Through this forum, members can exchange ideas, debate pertinent issues and identify potential solutions.
We hold that a bottom-up approach is necessary. Power, policy and vision should come from the people, not the politicians. Through the discussions at civic meetings, elected representatives can carry the people’s collective vision into fruition. The civic-centric model represents the ideal of local governance.
The staff of TBR News Media congratulates the members of the Port Jefferson Civic Association. We look forward to following their work and the continued successes of civic groups throughout our coverage area.
For those who are not affiliated with a local civic, we highly encourage you to join. Now is your opportunity to get involved, to make your voice heard and to leave a positive mark on your community.
Meet the Candidates for Brookhaven Town Clerk
05 01, 23 Filed in: General Announcements | Events
| Brookhaven residents will be voting for a new Town Clerk on January 17th (the previous Town Clerk retired). Vote that day at your regular polling place or take advantage of early voting. |
Local Holiday Events
02 12, 22 Filed in: General Announcements | Events
| Here are some holiday events that you may be interested in: |
November LRCO Meeting - Here's what you missed...
13 11, 22 Filed in: General Announcements
| If you missed the November meeting last week, here are just a few of the topics we discussed: |
⁃ Proposal to create a "pocket park" on land owned by the Sachem school district. The parcel is located at the corner of Union Avenue and Coates Avenue.
⁃ A proposal off of Union Avenue to build apartments in a residential area will apparently not go forward. However, the property owner has been issued violations by Brookhaven Town related to current use of the property.
⁃ Proposed 7-11 on the corner of Hawkins & Portion.
⁃ Newton's Garage parcel.
⁃ Michael Murphy Park homeless person issue.
⁃ Paring problems at the hub apartments.
⁃ Hawkins Avenue bridge over the Expressway - why has one lane been closed for months? Is the bridge sound?
⁃ Proposed 7-11 on the former miniature golf parcel.
⁃ Union Avenue paving project.
• The Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Society will be holding their annual Holiday Party on December 11th at Trio's from 1 PM to 5 PM.
• The civic organization, the chamber and the historical society meeting will be meeting to discuss ways to integrate residents of the hub into the Hawkins Avenue business corridor.
Next Civic Meeting on November 10th
06 11, 22 Filed in: Events | General Announcements
| Please join us Thursday for the November meeting of the Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization which will be |
Brookhaven Special Recycling Events
30 10, 22 Filed in: Events | General Announcements
| Please see click on link for special recycling days for electronics, pharmaceuticals and paper shredding in the Town of Brookhaven. The next event for 2022 is on Saturday in Bellport. This is the last event for 2022; the town will schedule additional events starting in the spring of 2023. |
Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Society Annual Holiday Party
08 10, 22 Filed in: General Announcements | Events
The Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Society presents their annual Victorian Tea
08 10, 22 Filed in: General Announcements | Events
Meet the Candidates at Sachem Library!
16 09, 22 Filed in: General Announcements | Events
September LRCO Meeting - Here's what you missed...
16 09, 22 Filed in: General Announcements
| Please join us at our monthly civic meetings, you don't need to be a member to participate (but it would be great you did become a dues-paying member). We are back to having in-person meetings at the Sachem Library. Please share this email with others in the community who may be interested. If you missed the September meeting, here are just a few of the topics we discussed: |
| Brookhaven Town Councilman Kevin LaValle attended the meeting and provided a number of community updates including: |
The proposed restaurant on the corner of Hawkins & Portion, and the dead Christmas tree on that property. The proposed Popeye's on Portion Road. A proposal off of Union Avenue to build apartments in a residential area will apparently not go forward. An update on the proposed 7-11 on the corner of Hawkins & Portion. Plans for the old Chase Bank building on Portion Road. The Dunkin Donuts drive-thru. The Midway Crossing proposal Newton's Garage parcel Re-districting, i.e changes to council district boundaries in Brookhaven Proposed 7-11 on the former miniature golf parcel Plans for the Smithhaven Mall Upcoming recycling event at the library
| Kevin Hyms, Ronkonkoma Chamber of Commerce President, announced that the Chamber and the Civic will be holding a joint Meet the Candidates event in October, details to follows. |
Planned Development Informational Meetings
30 06, 22 Filed in: General Announcements | Events
Suffolk County is hosting informational open house sessions on the planned development project being proposed just south of the Ronkonkoma LIRR Station, called Midway Crossing.
The meetings are scheduled to take place at the Lakeland Fire Department, 929 Johnson Ave, Ronkonkoma, on 7/11 and 7/21 from 2pm to 8pm.
Both meetings will feature the same information so you do not needed to attend both nights.
The meetings are scheduled to take place at the Lakeland Fire Department, 929 Johnson Ave, Ronkonkoma, on 7/11 and 7/21 from 2pm to 8pm.
Both meetings will feature the same information so you do not needed to attend both nights.
May LRCO Meeting - Here's what you missed...
20 05, 22 Filed in: General Announcements | Events
| If you missed the May meeting, here are just a few of the topics we discussed: |
| The civic has started planning for this summer's concerts at Raynor Park. The concerts will be held on the first three Thursdays in August. Rusty Spur will be on August 4th. Pure Joy will be on August 11th. Just Sixties will be on August 18th. All start at 7 PM. |
We discussed proposed development for the old plumbing supply site on Portion Road and also plans for the new building at the corner of Hawkins and Portion. We also discussed the old Newton's Garage parcel.
Bob Martinez, Legislative Aide to Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa, spoke to the civic about a number of issues including the South Hub project, helicopter activity in the area, the renaming of Farmingville Hills County Park in honor of the late Legislator Tom Muratore and proposed improvements to County Road 83.
Kevin Hyms, Ronkonkoma Chamber of Commerce President, announced that the Chamber will be holding two street fairs in 2022: the first on Sunday May 29th and the second on Sunday September 4th, both on Hawkins Avenue.
The annual Memorial Day Parade will be on May 30th at 10 AM.
The Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent of Sachem School District (Christopher Pellettieri and John O'Keefe, respectively) attended the civic meeting to present information on the upcoming budget vote on Tuesday May 17th . The tax levy will be increasing by 2.07%, within the NYS tax cap. The main driver of the increase is the extension of the middle and senior high school class day from 8 periods to 9 periods. Details on the budget can be found at this link: https://www.sachem.edu/Assets/2223_Budget_and_Financial/050622_Sachem_22-23_Budget_NL-FINAL.pdf
School board elections will also be on May 17th. A candidates forum by the Sachem PTA Council can be viewed on YouTube at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlWuXUnAekY
The Great Brookhaven Cleanup
29 04, 22 Filed in: General Announcements | Events
Volunteer to Keep Lake Ronkonkoma Clean!
Join the Annual Great Brookhaven Cleanup on
Saturday, May 14, 2022
The Town of Brookhaven will once again participate in Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup and Ronkonkoma residents can participate and help keep the Lake Ronkonkoma shoreline clean and beautiful.
Meet up with the Lake Ronkonkoma Improvement Group (LRIG) at Brookhaven’s Michael P. Murphy Beach on Lake Shore Road at 9:30 am and walk the shoreline of the lake picking up litter and garbage.
The town will supply gloves, bags and t-shirts. LRIG will supply grabbers and buckets. Community service letters will be available.
For details, visit www.brookhaven.org or call 631-451-6222
March LRCO Meeting - Here's what you missed...
17 03, 22 Filed in: General Announcements
Please join us at our monthly civic meetings, you don't need to be a member to participate (but it would be great you did become a dues-paying member).
If you missed last week's meeting, here are just a few of the topics we discussed:
If you missed last week's meeting, here are just a few of the topics we discussed:
- The civic has started planning for this summer's concerts at Raynor Park. More info to follow on dates & performers.
- The civic's board met with the owners of a vacant strip shopping center on Ronkonkoma Avenue that will be converted into a house of worship. We provided input on the proposed changes to the building.
- A developer is proposing a fast food restaurant on Portion Road. The civic's board reviewed the plans for the new building and provided feedback.
- We had an update from the Sachem Library director on events and programming: The monthly newsletter will be smaller in size starting with the May issue so keep an eye out for it. The annual library budget vote will be on Tuesday April 5th from 9:30 AM to 9:00 PM. A new community garden will be open in May. A book drop will be placed at Brookhaven Town Hall in Farmingville sometime in April. The library will have three outside summer concerts on June 24, July 22 and August 19.
- Bob Martinez, Legislative Aide to Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa, spoke to the civic about the Downtown Revitalization Grants being administered by the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning. We discussed possible grant projects for downtown Lake Ronkonkoma and the process to obtain the grant funding.
Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Society presents The First Noel by Maude Adams
15 11, 21 Filed in: General Announcements | Events
Meet the Candidates
13 10, 21 Filed in: General Announcements | Events
Please join us for the October meeting of the Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization which will be via Zoom.
This is our annual Meet the Candidates forum. Candidates for local elected positions have been invited. Please attend and ask questions!
In addition, we will discuss local development projects and other community news.
Date: Thursday, October 21st
Time: 7:00 PM
Click on: https://zoom.us/join
You will be asked to enter a meeting ID, that is: 565 452 7222
Type that in and then click on Join.
You will then be asked to enter a passcode. Enter: 901462 and click to Join the Meeting. From there it should be self-explanatory.
Thank you and feel free to share this info with others who may be interested in joining the meeting.
This is our annual Meet the Candidates forum. Candidates for local elected positions have been invited. Please attend and ask questions!
In addition, we will discuss local development projects and other community news.
Date: Thursday, October 21st
Time: 7:00 PM
Click on: https://zoom.us/join
You will be asked to enter a meeting ID, that is: 565 452 7222
Type that in and then click on Join.
You will then be asked to enter a passcode. Enter: 901462 and click to Join the Meeting. From there it should be self-explanatory.
Thank you and feel free to share this info with others who may be interested in joining the meeting.
Join us for our Halloween Pet Parade 🐶 👻
06 10, 21 Filed in: General Announcements | Events
Date: Saturday October 23rd
Time: 11am to 11:45am
Location: Lake Shore Plaza Parking Lot on Portion Road at the Chase Bank parking lot (bank now closed) in front of Mattress Firm and Shop Rite.
• Pet Supplies Plus donating goodie bag to all participants
• Three top prizes to be given out for costumes that are scariest, original and cute. (Prizes to be determined)
• 50/50 raffle
Basic Rules:
• All pets must be on a leash.
• Kindly clean up after your dog.
• Be mindful of smaller pets and those pets with a higher energy levels.
• Have some outdoor fun as we bring our community together 👻😊
See you there!!!
• Pet Supplies Plus donating goodie bag to all participants
• Three top prizes to be given out for costumes that are scariest, original and cute. (Prizes to be determined)
• 50/50 raffle
Basic Rules:
• All pets must be on a leash.
• Kindly clean up after your dog.
• Be mindful of smaller pets and those pets with a higher energy levels.
• Have some outdoor fun as we bring our community together 👻😊
See you there!!!
A MESSAGE FROM MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY MARK SALZANO
28 09, 21 Filed in: General Announcements
To our valued civic members,
We would very much appreciate your continued support of the Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization! Due to the COVID pandemic, we did not press for dues payments as a courtesy to our members because of the hard times we all experienced. We ask that you remit your annual dues payment before the end of the year. Throughout the pandemic, the civic continued to advocate for our communities so we can be proud to live here. If you have any questions or concerns, please call me anytime at (718)509-7465.
Membership Dues are $10 Individual, $15 Family, $25 Business, $10 Non-Resident, $5 Senior (65-75) and free for those over 75
Mail payment to:
Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization
P.O. Box 2916
Lake Ronkonkoma, NY 11779
Please include your email address and phone number on your check.
OR
You can pay via PayPal here: http://www.lakeronkonkomacivic.org/membership/membership.html
FOR THOSE OF YOU NOT YET MEMBERS...
Please join us! Even though we are the Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization, our civic boundaries include parts of Holbrook, Farmingville and Holtsville.
You can be an active, involved member. Or just stay up-to-date and informed about the future planning of our community.
Your choice, but please support us.
We are an all-volunteer organization and operate on a shoestring budget. But we do need your dues to pay for operational expenses (printing, mailing, insurance, website, etc.)
Visit our website to learn more about us; you can join online using PayPal or print off a membership form to mail in:
http://www.lakeronkonkomacivic.org/membership/membership.html
If you have any questions, please email us at: information@lakeronkonkomacivic.org
Thank you all for your continued support and be well!
Sincerely,
Mark Salzano
Membership Secretary, Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization
We would very much appreciate your continued support of the Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization! Due to the COVID pandemic, we did not press for dues payments as a courtesy to our members because of the hard times we all experienced. We ask that you remit your annual dues payment before the end of the year. Throughout the pandemic, the civic continued to advocate for our communities so we can be proud to live here. If you have any questions or concerns, please call me anytime at (718)509-7465.
Membership Dues are $10 Individual, $15 Family, $25 Business, $10 Non-Resident, $5 Senior (65-75) and free for those over 75
Mail payment to:
Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization
P.O. Box 2916
Lake Ronkonkoma, NY 11779
Please include your email address and phone number on your check.
OR
You can pay via PayPal here: http://www.lakeronkonkomacivic.org/membership/membership.html
FOR THOSE OF YOU NOT YET MEMBERS...
Please join us! Even though we are the Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization, our civic boundaries include parts of Holbrook, Farmingville and Holtsville.
You can be an active, involved member. Or just stay up-to-date and informed about the future planning of our community.
Your choice, but please support us.
We are an all-volunteer organization and operate on a shoestring budget. But we do need your dues to pay for operational expenses (printing, mailing, insurance, website, etc.)
Visit our website to learn more about us; you can join online using PayPal or print off a membership form to mail in:
http://www.lakeronkonkomacivic.org/membership/membership.html
If you have any questions, please email us at: information@lakeronkonkomacivic.org
Thank you all for your continued support and be well!
Sincerely,
Mark Salzano
Membership Secretary, Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization
LAKE RONKONKOMA Watershed Management Plan
26 07, 21 Filed in: General Announcements
See below presentation from the Public Information meeting given on July 22.
