Special Presentation: Ronkonkoma Transit-Oriented Development Project Update presented by the Ronkonkoma Hub Master Developer, Tritec Real Estate Company.
The meeting begins at 7:30 PM at the Ronkonkoma Fire District Building, at the corner of Portion Road and Hawkins Avenue.

Click here to see a map and get directions.

For Brookhaven Town issues, such as potholes, street light repairs, garbage collection, barking dogs, recycling, graffiti, town events, code violations and more, call 451-TOWN between 9 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday except holidays. You can also get information on government and related business services, with no call referrals and limited transfers, and without having to figure out the organization of the Town’s Departments.

Town of Brookhaven Parking Stickers are needed to enter Town Beaches, Parks, and Marinas:
$10.00 for a 1-year sticker. $7.00 for Seniors, Veterans, and Handicap.

- Stickers are available at the Parks Building in Centereach, Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Stickers will be available at the following locations beginning May 11, 2013: Port Jefferson Marina, Sandspit Marina, Mt. Sinai Marina.
- Stickers will be available at the following locations beginning May 25, 2013 (Weekends only until June 29): West Meadow Beach, Corey Beach.
- Stickers will be available at the following locations beginning May 25, 2013: Holtsville Pool Complex.

Note:
License/Registration must have the same name & address.
No P.O. Box – must have two forms of ID of a physical address.
No temporary car registrations.
Seniors, Veterans, and Handicap must show proof. Handicap must be the BLUE permanent placard, not the RED temporary placard.

ALL STICKERS WILL BE PLACED DIRECTLY ON THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE TRANSACTION & WILL NOT BE GIVEN OUT IN INCLEMENT WEATHER.

A summary of some of the activities that the Civic has been involved with recently:
- Members of the civic attended Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine’s recent Civic Roundtable. Representatives from dozens of civic organizations in Brookhaven Town participated in the event, discussing issues affecting their areas. Attendees had an opportunity to speak to both town-wide and neighborhood-specific concerns with the Supervisor and to advocate for ways to improve the quality of life in their respective communities.

- The civic continues to advocate for development in the area that complies with the Land Use Plan. Executive Board members recently met with owners of a local fast food restaurant to discuss proposed improvements to their building and how to comply with the Architectural Guidelines in the Land Use Plan.

- Members of the civic attended the monthly meeting of the Lake Ronkonkoma Advisory Board. The Lake Ronkonkoma Advisory Board, consisting of representatives from the three municipalities that border Lake Ronkonkoma (Suffolk County, the Towns of Brookhaven, Islip, and Smithtown), New York State, the Ronkonkoma Chamber of Commerce, and the Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization addresses issues regarding lake water quality and environmental issues in the Lake Ronkonkoma Watershed.

The Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization is pleased to announce the winner of our 2013 annual scholarship award. From Sachem High School North the winner is Nicole Phillips.
We believe it is important for our youth to be involved in supporting and working with and for their community, and, as Nicole states in her essay, “any act of community service, no matter how big or small, will make an impact on the community.”
There are many ways we can all give back and offer support on many levels. We would like to thank all who submitted entries this year and are looking forward to reading the entries for next year. Check with Guidance and the library Teen Center for details this coming Fall.

New York State has recently launched the http://nysandyhelp.ny.gov website to allow business owners such as yourself to apply for financial assistance. Grants of up to $50,000 to cover as much as 100% of eligible uncompensated losses may be offered. The State may offer additional grant assistance up to an aggregate grant amount of $100,000 for businesses that suffered damage under specified circumstances that can demonstrate that they are at risk of closure. To learn more about this program please go to http://nysandyhelp.ny.gov/sites/default/files/documents/smallbusiness-factsheet_rev_4-25-13.pdf

While applications may be completed online New York State has established intake centers found at http://nysandyhelp.ny.gov/content/resources. New York State also has trained professionals at our local Small Business Development Centers (“SBDC”) located in Farmingdale and Stony Brook ready to answer your questions and assist you in completing this application. The locations are as follows:

Farmingdale SBDC, 2350 Broadhollow Road, Farmingdale, NY 11735, Phone: (631)420-2765, Hours from 8:30am – 4:00pm

Stony Brook University SBDC, Research and Development Park, Development Drive, Building #17, Room 146, Stony Brook, NY 11794, Phone: (631) 632-9837, Hours from 8:30am – 4:00pm

It is highly recommended that you call the SBDC offices to arrange appointments and learn what documents you should bring. As fellow Long Islanders we strongly encourage you to apply for these additional funds.

It's important that businesses register, even if they have questions about eligibility. We can only provide assistance after an application has been filed and processed.

Our fiscal year ends at the end of May and that means it’s time once again to renew your membership. Renewing your membership early helps to save the Civic the cost of repeatedly mailing reminders.
Your membership status is on page 3 of your May newsletter.

You can pay for your renewal online, safely and securely, by using your credit card or PayPal account. Just visit the Civic membership page:
http://www.lakeronkonkomacivic.org/membership/membership.html

You will be automatically transferred to a secure PayPal-hosted page where you can complete the payment for your membership using American Express, Discover, MasterCard, or Visa, or if you have a PayPal account, you can use that too. Your credit card information remains safe and secure with PayPal's encrypted website; the Civic does not store, nor have access to, your credit card data.

If you are interested in helping the Civic, especially with membership growth, please contact Gregg at (631) 471-7405.

Starting time will be 9:00 AM in Cunningham Park. Mark your calendar, SAVE THE DATE!
For more information contact the Lake Ronkonkoma Heritage Association at thelakeheritage@aol.com

The Civic is looking for volunteers to march in this year’s Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 27. Show your support and help us remember our brave veterans by marching along with other Civic members.
No sign up is necessary; just meet us in front of the American Legion Hall, 115 Church Street, at 9:00 AM

For more information on the parade, contact the Memorial Day Parade Chairman at post155@verizon.net.

The Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization is compiling a list of street name signs and traffic control signs that are missing, or vandalized or in generally bad condition. We're asking our members to keep an eye out for signs that are candidates for replacement and to send us their list. We will verify all submissions and compile them and send to the appropriate town departments for review and possible replacement. Members can share this information with the civic in one of two ways:
➢ Mail the list to the civic at P.O. Box 2916, Lake Ronkonkoma, 11779
➢ E-mail the list to information@lakeronkonkomacivic.org

35th Anniversary Gala
A Mirror to the Past
Lake Ronkonkoma in Historic Photographs
Sachem Public Library
April 1st through May 3rd

Reception and Slideshow Presentation
April 6th, 2:00 PM

Tuesday February 26th, 2013
Tuesday April 16th, 2013
Tuesday June 11th, 2013
Tuesday August 13th, 2013
Tuesday October 15th, 2013
Tuesday December 10th, 2013

Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Rose Y. Caracappa Legislative Auditorium at the William H. Rogers Legislature Building (Bldg. No. 20), 725 Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge.

On Friday January 11, members of the civic's Executive Board met with representatives from the Long Island Rail Road regarding the "Double Track Project" from Ronkonkoma to Farmingdale. The project will establish two continuous railroad tracks from Farmingdale to Ronkonkoma. The LIRR states that this project, along with other projects in various stages of planning (mainly associated with Long Island MacArthur Airport), will improve service, spur economic growth and provide many construction-related jobs. Read more...

Below is the Civic's meeting schedule for 2013. All meetings are at 7:30 PM, at the American Legion Hall, 115 Church Street, Lake Ronkonkoma.

If you use Google Calendar, you can subscribe to the Google's LRCO Meeting Calendar by clicking on this link:

Thursday, February 14th, 2013: General Membership Meeting
Thursday, March 7th, 2013: General Membership Meeting
Thursday, April 11th, 2013: General Membership Meeting
Thursday, May 9th, 2013: Annual Civic Meeting
Thursday, June 13th, 2013: General Membership Meeting
Thursday, September 12th, 2013: General Membership Meeting
Thursday, October 10th, 2013: "Meet the Candidates"
Thursday, November 14th, 2013: General Membership Meeting
Thursday, February 13th, 2014: General Membership Meeting

Waiting until the day you may have to evacuate your home, due to a power outage or a natural disaster, is the worst time to discover that you are unprepared. We encourage our members to take an hour one evening to review the list below and plan ahead. It is up to us to be prepared!

Read more...

Stock your home with emergency supplies that you and your family may need during the emergency period.Read more...

The Annual Fall Festival, held September 29th at the Michael P. Murphy Beach, was a huge success. The weather cooperated and a fun time was had by all.

To open the festival, after the Pledge of Allegiance, Stephanie Ross beautifully sang our national anthem. For the children there were the pony rides and petting zoo as well as the bouncy activities. There were many vendors who offered a large variety of goods to keep shoppers happy. Lots of holiday shopping was accomplished!

Special thanks go to Ann Zapata for help with “paint a pumpkin,” Andy Glut for his help with set up and so much more, as well as to our board members who volunteered their time and energy. A big thanks goes to Chester’s for once gain providing us with worms for our DEC Fishing Clinic. The Events Committee also thanks Legislator Tom Muratore for the Corrections Dept. display. We also thank the Ronkonkoma Fire Department for providing a fire truck and a stand-by ambulance, and the DEC for their fishing clinic instructions. Our lake is our biggest asset and it is a wonderful way to enjoy a fall day---the beauty of our lake, fun, food and shopping---and being with others who are also having a great time.

We are looking forward to your attendance at the Ninth Fall Festival, September 28, 2013.

Also mark your calendars for December 8, 2012 for Breakfast With Santa at the Fire District Building at 10 a.m. Reservation forms can be found in future newsletters and on our website.

Thanks to a grant arranged by Suffolk County Legislator Tom Muratore, the Civic was able to buy two new welcome signs and install them at the south and north ends of Lake Ronkonkoma.

Read more...

(The following is from a press release issued by the Town of Brookhaven Division of Public Information * Office of the Supervisor)

On August 28, 2012, the Brookhaven Town Board approved the Master Developer Designation Agreement (MDDA) with TRITEC Real Estate Company, LLC (also Trec Ronk Hub, LLC) for the 50-acre Ronkonkoma Hub redevelopment. This is the first time in the Town’s history that it has entered into a formal partnership with a master developer to create a vibrant new community in the Town. Read more...

(The following are excerpts from a press release issued by the Suffolk County Legislature Office of the Presiding Officer)

Doing its part to pave the way for the most important pending economic development project in Suffolk County, the Suffolk County Legislature has included funding in its 2013 capital budget to create sewers to serve the Ronkonkoma Hub project.
The proposed $350 million redevelopment project will transform the Ronkonkoma Long Island Rail Road station into a 50-acre, mixed-use, transportation-oriented, pedestrian-friendly centerpiece of the community.Read more...

On Tuesday, May 8th, there was a Town Board Hearing at Brookhaven Town Hall to re-zone 15 parcels within the area of the 2010 Portion Road Corridor Land Use Plan. The Civic supported this series of re-zonings because it changed the zoning of specific parcels where the current use of the property matched the Land Use Plan, but not the current zoning. This was be the third hearing held for re-zoning; the Town was successful in re-zoning 78 parcels presented at a hearing in June 2010, and 31 parcels in March 2012.

The Easter Bunny made a special trip back to Lake Ronkonkoma to remind us we forgot to thank one of his biggest helpers during our Bagels With Bunny! Suffolk County Legislator Tom Muratore and his aides put together special Easter eggs filled with candy for the Easter Bunny to hand out to all the children. It made the Bunny's visit so much easier knowing we have elected officials who care about our events and give a hand to help. So, from the Civic and the Easter Bunny, we extended a heartfelt thank you.
See everyone at “Breakfast With Santa” on December 8th. Check the webpage and newsletter for details and reservations forms this Fall.

On Thursday, March 1st, there was a Special Town Board Hearing at Brookhaven Town Hall to re-zone 31 parcels within the area of the Portion Road Corridor Land Use Plan. The Town adopted the Land Use Plan in 2010. The Civic supported this series of re-zonings because it changed the zoning of specific parcels where the current use of the property matched the Land Use Plan, but not the current zoning. The hearing also resolved “split-zoned” properties, where one parcel straddles the line between two zoning areas. The re-zoning removed the burden of a Change of Zone application from the property owner who may want to develop a parcel in compliance with the Land Use Plan, and protected residential parcels from inappropriate development. This was be the second special hearing held for re-zoning; the Town was successful in re-zoning 78 out of the 86 parcels presented at a prior hearing in June 2010.

"Mirrors of the Past" Photographic Exhibit Opens at the Port Jefferson Village Center
Exhibit traces the history of Lake Ronkonkoma with 120 enlarged photos
Now through February 29, 2012

Reception - Sunday, January 15, 2012, 1 - 3 pm
Meet the Lake Ronkonkoma Historical SocietyRead more...

Here on are some recent news items regarding the proposed transit-oriented development of the 50 acres around the Ronkonkoma Train Station:Read more...

On July 28, 2011, members of the Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization attended a Public Information Meeting hosted by the Town of Brookhaven at the Middle Country Public Library in Centereach. Read more...

Thanks to a grant by Suffolk County Legislator, Tom Muratore, in 2010, the Civic was able to buy park benches for the bus stops along the new Portion Road where bus shelters were not feasible. The benches were fabricated on Long Island and were installed this past Spring by Civic volunteers.

Vision Long Island honored the Town of Brookhaven’s Portion Road Land Use Plan with a Smart Growth Award at a ceremony on Friday, June 17th, at the Crest Hollow Country Club. The Plan was recognized for “Certainty & Predictability” which are essential attributes for a successful land use plan. The Civic worked tirelessly alongside the Town’s Planning Department to craft a land use plan that implemented the community’s vision.
Watch the video about the award: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65Yb-R03UHw

The Smart Growth Award for the Portion Road Land Use Plan at the Vision Long Island luncheon: (L to R) Vision LI Executive Director Eric Alexander, Town of Brookhaven Planning Commissioner Tulio Bertoli, Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Kathy Walsh, Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization President George Schramm, Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization Recording Secretary Pat Duffield, Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization Vice-president Dawn Hopkins, Town of Brookhaven Joseph Sanzano.

On March 7, 2011, the Town of Brookhaven issued a Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) for developers to present the Town with a concept plan for the Ronkonkoma Hub transit-oriented development, which is one of the most significant opportunities in the region to create a beautiful new transit-oriented downtown.
Read more at the Brookhaven website: http://www.brookhaven.org/PressRoom/tabid/56/newsid970/985/Default.aspx

Brookhaven Town and the Ronkonkoma Cenacle have signed a conservation easement agreement that will protect approximately 12 acres of the over 40-acre estate once owned by the famous 19th century stage actress, Maude Adams.
According to the agreement, the purpose of the easement is to forever conserve the property to “assure the sustained, natural capacity and the ecological integrity of the Protected Property and its soils and vegetation and limit adverse aesthetic, wildlife and ecological impacts, particularly in public vistas.” Some of the land uses that are prohibited by the agreement include housing, camp grounds, golf courses, recreation fields, hotels, antennas, and equipment for telecommunication.
Maude Adams, who famously portrayed Peter Pan in 1905, donated her estate to the Cenacle Sisters in 1922. In 2007 the sisters decided to replace the 1927 Retreat House with a smaller, greener building scheduled to be complete in September 2011.

By George Schramm, Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization President

The year 2010 saw the loss of one of our community’s greatest assets: Bob Molinari, who passed away in November.Read more...

New York State Governor, David Paterson, signed legislation sponsored by Assemblywoman Ginny Fields and Senator Brian X. Foley officially designating Lake Ronkonkoma as an inland waterway. Recognition as a state inland waterway will enable Lake Ronkonkoma to receive new streams of funding and expedite economic development in the surrounding communities.

Every first Saturday of the month volunteers like you help keep Lake Ronkonkoma clean.
Saturday, April 3, 9:00 AM will be our next Portion Road & Hawkins Avenue Clean Up, weather permitting.
Read more...

A Neighborhood Watch program has proven to be a successful method of reducing the risk of crime. But don’t wait until your neighborhood has problems to participate; establishing a Neighborhood Watch now can prevent those problems from occurring.The Civic can assist your neighborhood in establishing a Neighborhood Watch.Read more...

Congratulations to Civic Vice-president, Dawn Hopkins, who was appointed as Brookhaven Town’s representative on the Suffolk County Parks Board of Trustees. Read more...

Becoming a member of the Civic is now just a click away, and renewing your membership couldn't get any easier.

The Civic now accepts credit cards, so now you can pay your membership dues online, safely and securely.Read more...

Lake Ronkonkoma residents, community groups, and Civic members participated in this year’s Great Brookhaven Plant-In by planting flowers and trees in the new Arrowhead Community Park.Read more...

Suffolk County Homemakers, Unit 38, will be meeting every Friday, from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM, at the Ronkonkoma Fire District Building, on the corner of Portion Road and Hawkins Avenue, in Lake Ronkonkoma.
Suffolk County Homemakers is an organization that hosts local community service projects, donates to scholarships, worthwhile charities and organizations, and provides a social atmosphere where members can share talents and skills.
New members, and those who are interested in finding out more, are welcome to attend.

Lake Ronkonkoma is stocked and ready. Are you ready for the challenge of largemouth and smallmouth bass, Walleye, Chain Pickerel, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black Crappie, Yellow Perch, White Perch, Carp, and Brown Bullhead?Read more...

The WS Commerdinger, Jr. County Park is open.Read more...

"Traffic does not yield to simple, appealing solutions. Adding lanes or roads is a short-lived fix. Widen one highway, and drivers from another will defect. Soon that road is worse than it was before." - Tom Vanderbilt, in his new book, "Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (And What It Says About Us)."Read more...

Navy Names New Ship and Town Dedicates “Serenity Plaza” for “Medal of Honor” Recipient Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy

On Wednesday afternoon, May 7th, on the shore of Lake Ronkonkoma, U.S. Navy Secretary Dr. Donald C. Winter, Brookhaven Supervisor Brian X. Foley, 5th District Councilman Timothy P. Mazzei, and 1st Congressional District Representative Tim Bishop today joined the Murphy family to honor Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy of Patchogue. Lt. Murphy, who was killed in action in Afghanistan June 28, 2005, received the nation’s highest military medal, The Congressional Medal of Honor, for his courage, sacrifice, and heroic efforts to save the Navy SEALs under his command.Read more...

You can support your Civic and buy get some great stuff at the same time.
We have hats, shirts, mugs, tote bags, and more with the Civic logo and other neat Lake Ronkonkoma artwork.Read more...