Groups to protest Calabro as possible casino site

A group of Brookhaven civic and environmental groups plan to hold a rally in Shirley Saturday to voice their opposition to the prospect of a Shinnecock casino at the nearby Brookhaven Calabro Airport.

The protest, organized by the Affiliated Brookhaven Civic Organization, will be staged outside the Southport Plaza and Floyd Harbor Centre shopping centers at the intersection of William Floyd Parkway and Montauk Highway at 10 a.m.

The rally will be held less than a mile from Calabro, one of the leading sites under consideration for a Shinnecock Indian Nation casino following the tribe’s recent federal recognition.

"If anyone's ever been on William Floyd Parkway, they know that it's completely unsuitable for a casino," said Maryann Johnston, president of ABCO. Johnston is also a member of the Calabro Airport advisory committee. "Calabro is right smack-dab in the middle of a densely populated area, surrounded by residential communities. This location and many of the others they've identified are just inappropriate."

Johnston said 23 civic associations had “overwhelmingly” voted to hold the protest.