2023
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. |