Roundup: New Port Washington LED lights to cut utility costs

North Hempstead Town workers will install brighter, more energy-efficient LED lights in Port Washington, replacing older incandescent light fixtures, officials said.

The cost of the project in the New Salem area of Port Washington is $93,750. The town has not previously funded LED or light-emitting diode lights on streets, officials said.

Town spokeswoman Carole Trottere said workers will replace 125 of the old lights she described as old and unreliable.

"LED fixture will provide a more reliable system and improve the lighting in the neighborhood," Trottere said, adding that the new lights use less energy and will result in lower utility bills for the town. -- SCOTT EIDLER

AMITYVILLE

Trustees: $223G deal to help with tax relief

At least half of a $223,000 settlement Amityville received from Suffolk County for a piece of land making up part of Nautical Park will go toward tax relief, village trustees said.

The remainder will go toward infrastructure projects including a parking kiosk system near the village's Long Island Rail Road station, trustee Nick LaLota said at Monday's board meeting. Road repair along Bayview Avenue between Merrick Road and Oak Street, and municipal parking lot upgrades are also being considered, he said.

"We've got some extra money and we think we're doing a smart thing with it," LaLota said.

Suffolk County legislators approved the payment to Amityville earlier this month in exchange for full ownership of Nautical Park, a 1.7-acre greenway at Merrick Road and Ocean Avenue.

The park is managed by Amityville but was created from land acquired by the county and the village in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Amityville officials for years complained that Suffolk had agreed to reimburse the village for acquisition costs but didn't make the payment. The settlement amount represents what Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory (D-Amityville) said was a portion of the market value of land the village acquired for the park in 2001.

-- NICHOLAS SPANGLER

MINEOLA

Residents invited to join holiday toy drive

Sen. Jack M. Martins (R-Mineola) is inviting residents and community organizations to participate in his annual holiday toy drive.

Donations of new and used toys are welcome, he said in a news release. All toys collected will be given to children in Winthrop-University Hospital's Hagedorn Pediatric Inpatient Center.

"Nothing brings a smile to a child's face like the gift of a new toy, and that's even more important for children in the hospital who are going through tough times," Martins said in the release. "I invite residents to participate in this program and help bring some extra holiday cheer into a child's life."

For more information, call Martin's office at 516-746-5924 or deliver toys to his district office at 252 Mineola Blvd., Mineola. -- LISA IRIZARRY

OCEANSIDE

Councilman to host meeting with residents

Hempstead Town Senior Councilman Anthony Santino plans to host a town hall-style meeting for Oceanside and Island Park residents Tuesday at Oceanside Middle School. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m.

Santino said in a news release that residents should attend to "learn about all of the excellent programs and services offered by the town."

Representatives from several town departments will answer questions about building permits, sanitation, parks, events and other town programs and services.

Residents also will have an opportunity to tell town officials about any of their community concerns, Santino said.

Oceanside Middle School is at 186 Alice Ave. -- SID CASSESE

HEMPSTEAD

Banking groups donate $25G for food programs

The charitable foundations of two national banks have donated a total of $25,000 to the Long Island Council of Churches for emergency food and family support programs, the council announced.

The Hempstead-based council received a $15,000 grant from Bank of America Charitable Foundation for its Emergency Food and Family Support Programs operated at the Freeport Emergency Food Center -- the largest on Long Island. The programs also operate from a smaller facility in Riverhead and a satellite facility in Hempstead.

Council executive director Rev. Tom Goodhue said the group was "deeply grateful" for the grant to help support "Long Island's most vulnerable individuals and families."

And demand is growing, he said. The Freeport center fed 1,709 people in October, compared with 1,657 for October the previous year, the council reported.

The group also received a $10,000 grant from the TD Charitable Foundation to support the programs.

Wally Merna, who manages the Freeport center, said that without the grants, "we would have had either to reduce what we could give . . . or eliminate the program."

For more information, contact Goodhue at 516-565-0290, ext. 206 or tomgoodhue@optonline.net. -- SID CASSESE

ROCKVILLE CENTRE

Free weekend parking to promote shopping

Parking will be free in Rockville Centre on Saturdays in December as a way to promote local shopping, Mayor Francis X. Murray announced.

"When you buy local you support local families, promote employment and add to our tax base," Murray said in a news release. "Buying locally sustains the unique character and quality of life that exists in Rockville Centre."

Murray cited e-commerce research in noting that "if the citizens of an average American city were to shift 10 percent of their spending to local businesses, it would bring an additional $235 million per year to that community's economy."