Community Watchdog: Hole stymied mail carrier

The day before Thanksgiving last year, a Verizon employee began work on the main line that runs into our small development. The utility right of way is adjacent to our property. The access points are just in front of and behind our mailbox. He finished work on Monday, Dec. 6. No one has responded to our repeated pleas to come and finish the job. There's a big hole in front of our mailbox, and we were told that the post office will be holding our mail because the mail carrier doesn't have safe access. This is completely unacceptable to us. We're not even Verizon customers.

- Janice and Jim Rohlf, Port Jefferson

No more trips to the P.O. to pick up your mail, Mr. and Mrs. Rohlf.

The hole was fully repaired within a few days after we called Verizon spokesman John Bonomo, who always manages to resolve issues quickly for us.

Bonomo explained in an e-mail that the right of way was torn up to fix a bad cable.

"The job took several days evidently," he wrote. "And when the job was completed, there was a heavy load of digging/blacktopping, so we were unable to get there as soon as we should have."

The Rohlfs were pleased with the work that was done and said they had been told the job would take a little longer because the permanent blacktopping needed to be scheduled. Mrs. Rohlf said they were pleasantly surprised when the blacktop was installed almost immediately after the cable work was done.

Anyone with problems involving Verizon should call 800-VERIZON.

The intersection of St. Johnland and Birch roads in Kings Park is a hazard to residents. Traffic needs to be slowed by installing a stop sign or traffic light. I live on Birch and every day I try to make a left turn onto St. Johnland. It's very scary. There was a bad accident there recently and maybe with a little help we can save someone's life, because eventually there will be a fatality.

- Vicki Ruther, Kings Park

Town of Smithtown officials said after we called that they'll conduct a traffic study on St. Johnland Road to see if additional traffic safety devices are needed at the intersection with Birch Road.

Traffic Safety Director Mitch Crowley said the inspection will consist of crash data, traffic volume, speed stats, an evaluation of the intersection's angles - how the roads line up - and sight lines.

Crowley said his department is "a little backed up right now" with traffic studies, but he expects to have it done within the next few months. Once it's complete, he'll share the findings.

Town of Smithtown residents with traffic safety concerns on local roads should call Traffic Safety at 631-360-7635.

- Michael R. Ebert

There is a stretch of Vineyard Road in Huntington between Baywood Place and Cove Road that is becoming less safe by the day. There is an "S" curve on the road and not a single "Hidden Driveway" sign. The Town of Huntington told my neighbor they would put up one of those signs, but never did. It's near impossible to stop before you're upon these driveways. I've had numerous close calls and there's going to be a serious accident one day.

- Al Gabrielli, Huntington

You're not the only one who's asked for signs to alert drivers about hidden driveways on Vineyard, Mr. Gabrielli. And the town apparently intends to take care of the problem, though it's taken a while to do it.

We're told that two signs will be installed.

"Depending on weather, they should be up in the next couple of weeks," town spokesman A.J. Carter wrote in an e-mail. One will be placed on the northbound side about 200 feet north of Bialla Place and the second will be by the southbound side near Russet Lane.

The town's highway department last year determined the signs are needed to increase safety. The department was alerted to the problem by a resident who made a similar request for signs in late 2009, Carter said.

Anyone with concerns about signs on Huntington Town roads should call the highway department at 631-351-3076.

- Michael R. Ebert