Long Island briefs

RIVERHEAD

Sober house plan draws much support

A proposal to open a sober house in a building across from Riverhead's Town Hall drew nearly 20 people to Tuesday's town board meeting, almost all of them speaking in favor of the plan.

Most, including Greg Conrad of Riverhead, spoke of problems with addiction and how it harms families, and praised Mainstream House and its founder, Robert Hartman, for turning around their lives.

Hartman, a former potato farmer who runs several other sober houses in Riverhead, is seeking a special permit to allow a now-closed building at 755 E. Main St. -- originally built as a house and later rezoned as an office building -- to again be used as a residence. He plans to run it as a seven-bedroom sober house.

"It's a family atmosphere that is needed. This house would be given a real meaning once again," he said.

Only one man spoke against the plan, saying it could increase crime downtown.

In contrast, Larry Oxman, who owns and rents several downtown buildings, said he supported the proposal. "I don't see any kind of detriment at all. I would be happy to show property next door," he said.

The Riverhead Town Board kept its hearing open for written comments until Feb. 14, and Supervisor Sean Walter said the special permit request would come up for a vote at the regular town board meeting on Feb. 19. He said he expects the board to approve it.

GLEN COVE

Hearing on cleanup at Superfund site

The state Department of Environmental Conservation has scheduled a second meeting to hear public comments about a proposed $5.5 million amended remedy to address contamination at the Powers Chemco site under the state's Superfund Program.

The meeting has been set for Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. at Glen Cove City Hall.

The agency will accept written comments through Feb. 17 about the plans for the property at 71 Charles St.

The DEC is proposing to remove about 10,000 cubic yards of contaminated subsurface soils and replace it with clean fill, followed by chemical oxidation of residual contaminated groundwater.

After a 1991 cleanup, some contaminants remained, including toluene, xylene, ethyl benzene, methyl ethyl ketone and benzene. Groundwater samples also detected several metals, including arsenic, chromium, lead and mercury.

The plan can be reviewed at the Glen Cove Public Library or at content.govdelivery.com /attachments/NYSDEC/2014 /02/04/file_attachments /267935/PowersChemco SecondPublicMeeting.pdf

ROSLYN

Meeting on plans to address fouled well

The Roslyn Water District plans to hold a public meeting next week on its plans to build a facility to address contamination in one of its wells.

The meeting is scheduled for 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Park at East Hills' Theater Building, 209 Harbor Hill Rd., East Hills.

The district last week agreed to hold the meeting at the request of the North Hempstead Town Board, after a three-hour public hearing during which the district presented its plans to address the Freon 22 contamination at its well on Diana's Trail in Roslyn Estates.

The district had asked the town board to approve a $20.9 million bond measure for 11 projects, including building an air stripper that would remove the Freon from the water and send it into the air.

District officials said the bond needed to be approved last week to begin construction on the air stripper in time for the shuttered contaminated well to be back on line in the summer, when demand for water peaks.

But residents in the district argued against the cleanup plan, citing concerns about environmental impacts and what they characterized as a lack of communication about the project from the district.

The town board, which is the only entity that can bond on behalf of the district, decided to put off its decision on the bond proposal until its Feb. 25 meeting, giving the district time to meet with residents.

The Roslyn Water District serves about 5,800 residential and commercial customers.

ISLIP TOWN

Two NY Rising events coming to Islip

Two New York Rising events are to be held in Islip next week.

On Tuesday, a meeting for West Sayville and Oakdale residents is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. at the St. John's University's Oakdale campus, 500 Montauk Hwy.

Next Thursday, a meeting is to be held from 5 to 7 p.m. for the West Islip community at the West Islip Fire Station at 309 Union Blvd.

Both meetings are open-house-style, with residents encouraged to drop by anytime during the time period. The Oakdale and West Sayville meeting will have a presentation of priority projects.

The New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program is a state program that provides assistance to residents of areas damaged by natural disasters such as superstorm Sandy.

The community meetings are designed to collect public input and recommendations on how the communities can rebuild.

For more information, email info@stormrecovery.ny.gov or visit stormrecovery.ny.gov /nyrcr.

EAST MEADOW

Parking problem

to be discussed

Daytime residents-only parking permits on about a dozen streets near the Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow are to be discussed at a Town of Hempstead public hearing on Feb. 18, the town board has announced.

The volume of residential complaints about a lack of available parking in the area has steadily risen since the hospital closed a parking garage in mid-2011.

The hearing, at 10:30 a.m., moves forward following a state law sponsored by state Sen. Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City) and Assemb. Thomas McKevitt (R-East Meadow), passed last month, allowing such permits for two areas, including all or parts of Roosevelt Avenue, First Street, Second Street, Third Street, Franklin Avenue and Nottingham Road; and Florence Court, Jane Court and Erma Drive. Town spokesman Michael Deery said restrictive time differences were because of the preferences of most residents in each of the two areas.

AMITYVILLE

Free HIV testing offered tomorrow

Free HIV testing will be available in Amityville tomorrow as part of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

The AIDS awareness event is sponsored by the Long Island Association for AIDS Care Inc., and is being hosted by Walgreens. LIAAC, a nonprofit based in Hauppauge, plans to have representatives on site offering free HIV testing, as well as blood pressure checks, flu shots and other health screening tests.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day was first observed in 1999. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African-Americans are the racial/ethnic group most affected by HIV and accounted for 44 percent of all new HIV infections among adults and adolescents in 2010, despite representing only 12 percent to 14 percent of the U.S. population.

The testing is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Walgreens at 275 Broadway. For more information, contact LIAAC at 877-865-4222.

RIVERHEAD

Town board hires law firm to aid borrowing

Saying that Riverhead could face a multimillion- dollar shortfall next year when the town's reserve fund runs out, the town board has hired a law firm to take the steps needed to borrow up to $6 million to keep that from happening.

"I hope we don't have to do it," said Supervisor Sean Walter. "But I have to have a budget [for 2015] by Sept. 30."

For the past several years, Riverhead has been able to use about $3 million a year generated from the sale of property at its Enterprise Park at Calverton and from options to buy land there as a way of holding tax levy increases to the state-mandated 2 percent cap.

But that fund runs out this year, and Riverhead could face a high double-digit tax hike next year unless it finds the money to replace it.

Walter said that there is a chance the town can sell off some of its land at EPCAL once environmental and planning studies are completed, and he held out hope that a proposal to sell or lease 90 acres for a solar power plant could be approved as early as next month. But, he added, it is important to be able to borrow money if those plans fall through.

The town board on Tuesday, acting under its power as the Community Development Agency, voted unanimously to hire Harris Beach PLLC, a law firm with offices throughout the tri-state area, to prepare required loan documents. Any money borrowed could only be used to keep 2015 and 2016 tax increases under the 2 percent cap.

BROOKHAVEN

Black history event to honor students

About 70 Brookhaven high school students will be honored for their academic achievement at a black history ceremony Friday at Town Hall. Brookhaven's Black History Commission is sponsoring the annual event, which will celebrate civil rights and bridging the gaps between older and younger African-Americans.

This year's theme is "A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins With a Single Step," honoring in part the late Nelson Mandela. All students being recognized have a 3.0 or above grade-point average and will have the opportunity to recite a poem or give remarks about their academic success. They represent school districts such as William Floyd, Bellport, Longwood and Centereach, town officials said.

M. Jamal Colson, a William Paca Middle School assistant principal, and an author and founding member of the South Shore Scholars Association, is the featured guest.

Leah Jefferson, chairwoman of the history commission, said Colson's 2013 book, "Raising Scholars from Infancy to Adulthood: Preparing Our Children for College and Demolishing Prison Walls," is an inspiration to students. The program will feature African-influenced performances, drum playing and choir singing. It is scheduled to be held from 6 to 9 p.m.

LONG BEACH

Contract OKd to remove 1,000 trees

Long Beach approved a contract to have a Brooklyn firm remove trees that died due to salt water intrusion because of superstorm Sandy.

Dragonetti Brothers Nursery and Landscaping, of East New York, will be paid $638,000 to remove about 1,000 trees, the City Council voted on Tuesday night.

The vote was unanimous, with one council member not present.

The ruined trees are located on city streets and rights-of- way and "pose potential hazards," according to a resolution the council approved on Tuesday.

The city will also pay LiRo Engineers of Syosset $14 per tree to conduct an inventory of trees on residential streets and right-of-way areas.

LiRo also worked on the city's boardwalk replacement project. That project is finished.

BABYLON

Request for photos taken at town parks

The Town of Babylon Parks Department said Tuesday that it was seeking family-friendly photos for use in this year's parks and recreation guide, which it usually releases in the spring.

The photos should have been taken at a town park or recreational activity, such as a beach, pool, day camp, swimming lesson or concert.

The town said that participants should include the name of anyone in the photo, where they live, as well as the town park where the photo was taken.

Photos should be emailed to tobparks@townofbabylon.com.