After Proposed Ban in County Parks, Skateboarding Comes to Church Street

Lake Ronkonkoma, New York – July 16, 2007 – When residents of Lake Ronkonkoma were informed by Brookhaven Councilman Tim Mazzei (R-CD#5) that the construction of a skateboard ramp was imminent for Waltess Estates Park, the outcry was swift. A petition immediately began circulating and has dozens of signatures from concerned parents and homeowners seeking to prevent the construction.  With some lawmakers looking to ban skateboarding in all Suffolk County Parks, town parks are being investigated as alternative locations.

Lake Ronkonkoma residents are outraged that Waltess Estates Park, which faces busy Ronkonkoma Avenue, has been selected for a skateboard ramp project.  The park is only two blocks from the heavily trafficked L.I.E. North Service Road and just one block from St. Joseph R.C. Church.

To add insult to injury, a Hot Dog Vendor that has been a Lake Ronkonkoma mainstay for twenty years had his permit renewal denied to make way for an expected influx of cars in the Park’s small parking lot. The Waltess Estates Park parking lot is located on the corner of Ronkonkoma Avenue and Church Street.

“We, the residents and taxpayers are highly against this park which will encourage loitering and disturbance of the peace to our neighborhood,” reads part of the petition circulating in the Waltess Estates area. Other concerns being cited include increased traffic, inadequate parking, increased potential for physical injury to neighborhood children and visiting skateboarders, and ultimately, a decrease in property values.

In a November 23, 2006 Newsday article, it was reported that Suffolk County Presiding Officer William Lindsay (D-Holbrook) sponsored a skateboarding bill seeking to prevent damage to county-owned facilities, including parks, by banning skateboards except in designated areas.  Lindsay said he was responding to damage done at recently renovated Raynor Beach County Park in Lake Ronkonkoma. Skateboarding already is prohibited there.

“We just spent $2.2 million to fix up the park and the kids are destroying it,” Lindsay was quoted as saying.

A town meeting is being held on August 9, 2007 at 6:00 PM in Brookhaven Town Hall. Residents are asked to show their solidarity against the park construction by attending.

Lakeside Creative Services is a small public relations firm representing individuals and organizations that seek creative, responsible, and cost-effective image management.

Copyright (c) 2007, Lakeside Creative Services, Lake Ronkonkoma, NY

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Media Contacts:
Patricia Ryder
President, Lakeside Creative Services
631-481-5202

FEMA Public Assistance Grants Top $1 Million In New York’s Suffolk County 

ALBANY, N.Y. – More than $1 Million in grants has been approved for Suffolk County, under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) Program. 

Suffolk was one of 13 counties approved for PA grants for disaster-related damage from the April nor’easter. The program reimburses eligible state agencies, municipalities, and certain private non-profit organizations that provide essential services of a governmental nature.

“The infrastructure in Suffolk County certainly took a beating during the April nor’easter,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Marianne C. Jackson, “With $1,201,733 to date for Public Assistance (PA), recovery is well on its way Suffolk County.”

Of that total, nearly $900,000 has been approved to repair dunes and beach, and to protect private property in the Davis Park area.

The PA program provides eligible applicants with reimbursement for the cost of emergency protective measures taken during the disaster, the cost of debris removal, and for repairs to roads and bridges, water control facilities, buildings and equipment, utilities, parks, recreational facilities and other items. 

FEMA funding represents 75 percent of the approved project cost.  New York State pays the other 25 percent and manages the PA Program.

Altogether, FEMA has approved nearly $4.5 million in PA grants statewide. The Suffolk County amount accounts for more than 25 percent of the total PA grants to date.

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FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without reg

ard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

Local Retailers Can “Go Green” by Keeping Store Doors Closed When AC is Running

Southampton, NY-July 11, 2007-”With energy demands on Long Island hitting record highs last summer, and with new records possible for this summer, conserving energy, becoming more-energy efficient and “going green” have taken on added importance as the demand for energy Island-wide has soared,”  said LIPA CEO Richard M. Kessel. The Long
Island Power Authority (LIPA) today launched a special  Stores…Shut Your Doors-SSYD” campaign to get retail stores across Long Island to conserve energy by keeping store doors shut when using air conditioning.
According to a field survey done by LIPA last summer, as many as 65% of merchants in downtown areas keep their doors wide open during the summer months, allowing air conditioners to wastefully pump cool air right out the door.  That wastes money for the merchant, which could be as much as 25% of their summer electric costs.  It also impacts customers who pay, in higher merchandise costs, higher energy costs to pay for electric system improvements, increased energy supply needs and excess emissions being put into the air and environment.

According to Mr. Kessel, on the South Fork alone, energy demand has risen an astounding 101% in the past nine years.  Keeping up with increasing energy demand has required LIPA to secure new sources of supply and make significant upgrades to the transmission and distribution system.

“Unnecessarily wasting energy pollutes the air and our environment,” said Mr. Kessel.  “We estimate that stores that allow air conditioned air to escape by leaving doors open wastes about 20 to 25% of the electricity they consume.  That is a waste of electricity, money and infrastructure resources.

“Local retailers can ‘Go Green’ right now by keeping their doors shut when the AC is on,” said Mr. Kessel.

“Needlessly wasting energy is like littering: it unnecessarily puts pollutants into the air and our environment. But it’s even worse, because these pollutants harm our health and cause global warming and climate change,” said Gordian Raacke, Executive Director of East Hampton-based Renewable Energy Long Island (RELI). “When it comes to solving our energy problems, everyone can do something and the least we can do is to stop wasteful energy use at our homes and workplaces.”

“I want to commend LIPA and our local merchants who have agreed to work together to lower energy demands here on the East End,” said Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr.  “It’s important that during these hot and humid days we as consumers do all we can to conserve energy which will, in the long run, cut down on consumer costs.”

“As the Village of Southampton expands it’s policy on using green products to protect our environment, we encourage our residents and businesses to think Green,” said Mayor Mark Epley. “LIPA’s “Stores….Shut Your Doors” campaign is a step in the right direction and the Village applauds LIPA as they move to preserve our national resources.”

Mr. Kessel noted that as of last year, peak summer demand on the South Fork had increased an astounding 101% from 117 megawatts (MW) in 1998 to the new record of 236MWs, set on August 3, 2006.  To deliver that increased amount of electricity, LIPA has invested over $90 million for new transmission lines, substations and substation upgrades on the South Fork since 1999, and an additional $32.5 million in upgrades are scheduled for 2007 and 2008.

“Keeping up with growing demand requires LIPA to secure new sources of supply, like the newly commissioned Neptune Cable and the Caithness power plant,” said Mr. Kessel.  “It also requires significant upgrades to the transmission and distribution system on the South Fork to be able to deliver record amounts of electricity safely and reliably during peak summer demand periods, especially during periods of extreme heat when everyone wants to blast their air conditioners.”

Mr. Kessel is calling on merchants to shut their doors and customers to make a point of commenting to a store’s management when they enter a store with the AC on and the door open. “Show support for LIPA’s Stores…Shut Your Doors” campaign, it will save money and help preserve Long Island’s precious resources.”

In addition to the villages in Southampton and East Hampton, the SSYD campaign will also focus on retail stores in Great Neck and Huntington villages, and the Woodbury area, which were the locations surveyed by LIPA last summer.

For information on how to become a SSYD patrol volunteer and to receive your free SSYD stickers, visit www.lipower.org.

LIPA, a non-profit municipal electric utility, owns the retail electric Transmission and Distribution System on Long Island and provides electric service to more than 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens.  LIPA is the 3rd largest municipal electric utility in the nation in terms of customers served and the 6th largest in terms of electricity delivered.  In 2006, LIPA outperformed all other overhead electric utilities in New York State in all three major reliability categories.  LIPA does not provide
natural gas service or own any on-island generating assets. More information about LIPA can be found online at: http://www.lipower.org.

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LIPA Contact Information:
Media Relations: (516) 222-7700
Media Pager: (516) 525-LIPA
media.relations@lipower.org

LIPA News Center
www.lipower.org/newscenter

LIPA Has Adequate Resources to Meet Demand

Customers Should Use Electricity Efficiently to Keep Bills Down as the Heat Goes Up

Garden City, NY - July 9, 2007 - As Long Island enters a two-day period of high temperatures and humidity, the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) reminds its customers to use electricity efficiently as a way to conserve energy and keep bills down.

LIPA CEO and President Richard M. Kessel said that LIPA has 6,460 Megawatts (MW) of electricity available this week to meet the projected peak demand forecast for today and tomorrow of about 5,000 MW.

With a supply margin of approximately 1,400 MW more than anticipated peak demand for the next two days, LIPA will have more than an adequate power supply to meet demand. Mr. Kessel noted that LIPA has added some 1,860 MW of new supply in the past few years, including the newly commissioned Neptune cable that can carry 660MWs of power. He noted that while supplies are sufficient, customers should use electricity efficiently to help keep bills down as the temperatures go up.

“We’re in very good shape with our supply, and the transmission and distribution system is in excellent condition too,” said Mr. Kessel. “But, it’s always a good to use electricity efficiently and not squander our resources.

“Should we have any heat-related outages on circuits that experience an increase in demand from previous years, we have a well-trained and highly experienced work force that will be ready to get customers back in service as quickly as possible,” Mr. Kessel said. “Doing little things to conserve can add up to significant savings, especially during the peak demand hours that run from 2PM to 8PM on most summer days.”

Overall, LIPA will have as much a 6,830 MWs of supply from all on- and off-island resources to meet demand this summer. During extended periods of extreme heat and high humidity, LIPA anticipates that peak summer demand could reach 5,963 MWs, which would exceed last year’s peak summer record of 5,792 MWs that was set on August 3.  Last year’s peak demand exceeded the previous year’s demand by 525 MWs, a 10 percent jump, which was the largest year-to-year increase in Long Island’s history.

To use energy efficiently during periods of high heat and humidity, LIPA customers should:

*       Minimize the use of non-essential electric consumption;
*       Put air conditioners on timers, don’t let them run when not at home;
*       Set air conditioners at 78 degrees;
*       Use fans to circulate cool air, which helps cut air conditioner use;
*       Set refrigerators and freezers at most efficient temperatures; and
*       Run major appliances such as clothes and dishwashers in the morning or late evening to avoid the peak demand hours of 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

“Using electricity wisely saves resources, saves money and saves the environment,” said Mr. Kessel. “Everyone can ‘go green’ today by being more energy efficient.”

High temperatures and high electric demand can sometimes cause scattered heat-related outages. LIPA advises that conserving electricity will help reduce the potential for outages.  Customers who experience an outage should call 1-800- 490-0075.

Additional energy efficiency tips can be obtained from LIPA’s Web site, www.lipower.org, or by calling its Energy Infoline at 1-800-692-2626.

LIPA, a non-profit municipal electric system, owns the retail electric Transmission and Distribution System (T&D) on Long Island and provides electric service to over 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens.  In terms of customers served, LIPA is the 3rd largest municipal electric utility in the nation and the 6th largest in terms of electricity delivered. LIPA does notprovide natural gas service or own any on-island electric generating assets.

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LIPA Contact Information:
Media Relations: (516) 222-7700
Media Pager: (516) 525-LIPA
media.relations@lipower.org

LIPA News Center
www.lipower.org/newscenter

Over 50 Hamptons Artists to Open Their Studios to the Public 

Tour Benefits the Artists Alliance of East Hampton

Special Preview Reception July 6    Tour Set for July 12, 13 and 14 

For over two decades, the annual Artists Alliance Studio Tour has provided art lovers and collectors with the unique opportunity to view the creative work spaces of the artists who practice their craft on the South Fork of Long Island. The annual Summer Tour, an eagerly anticipated highlight of the Hamptons’ art scene and long recognized as the best art event of the year, will take place this year Thursday, July 12 to Saturday, July 14 from 10am to 5pm each day. A special advance Preview Exhibition and Reception showcasing

the works of all participating artists will take place Friday, July 6, 5pm to 8pm at the historic Ashawagh Hall where Jackson Pollock, Ibram Lassaw, Willem de Kooning and Lee Krasner exhibited at 780 Springs Fireplace Road, East Hampton. The artworks will be on view and available for sale throughout the week.

The Summer Studio Tour is a self-guided, convenient excursion across the bucolic landscapes that have inspired artists for decades. The tour will take attendees into the work spaces of artists living from Southampton to Shelter Island to East Hampton where they will meet the artists in their studios, discuss their work and find unique original art available for purchase. With one ticket Studio Tour goers can go at their own pace, for one day, or all three, check out the studios of most interest and in any order that is convenient. Studios open each day 10am to 5pm.

This year’s Tour will also feature a special focus on Shelter Island where 14 studios will be open to visitors. Shelter Island Studios are open Friday and Saturday only. Special discount fares are available from the Shelter Island ferry for Tour Goers. 

“For our 2007 Summer Tour, we have many returning favorites with new work developing in the Studio.  But just as importantly, there will be a number of artists whose studios have never, or rarely, been open to the public before,” notes Rich MacDonald, Chair of this year’s Tour. ”Finally, we are also excited to have a thrilling number of Studios from the growing Art Scene on Shelter Island”.

A highlight of the week’s activities will be the Sizzling Salsa! a festive mid-Tour cocktail party also at Ashawagh Hall, Friday, July 13th, 5:30-8:00PM, exclusively for artists and patrons. The Latin beat of Mambo Loco will heat up the evening to benefit the Artists Alliance of East Hampton. The sunset affair includes Tapas-style hors d’ouevres, complimentary cocktail and a special performance of a new work by Pat Oleszko, a ribald performance artist whose work charms as it disarms using satire, subversion and unabashed silliness. Artists Alliance member Lynn Matsuoka will also do Quick Portraits of guests.

In a new collaboration with the Parrish Art Museum, the Artists Alliance Studio Tour will also include a talk by Alicia Longwell, The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Chief Curator, Art and Education on The Parish’s acclaimed current exhibition “Studio as Muse” Sunday July 15, 2pm. The talk plus admission to the Museum for a week following is included with the Studio Tour Ticket.

Among the artists from Southampton to Amagansett who are participating in the Tour are: Ruth Rogers Altman, Ted Asnis, Rosalind Brenner, Hal Buckner, Michael Cardacino, Casey Chalem Anderson, Marilyn Church, Rolande Cicurel, Stephen Clarke, Judy Clifford, James DelGrosso, Daria Deshuk, Ellen Dooley, Joe  Eschenberg, Tapp Francke, Alexander Gianis, Barbara Groot, Mary Stern Grossman, Salvatore Gulla, Phyllis Hammond, Jana Hayden, Jim Hayden, Scott Hewett, Phyllis  Hirschberg, Arthur Jacobson, Ursula Jacobson, James Kennedy, Michael Knigin, Joan Kraisky, Rick Krieger, Lynn Matsuoka, Norman Mercer, Nova Mihai Popa, Mark Mulholland, Carol Saxe, Christine C. Smith, Frank Sofo, Lounah Starr, Tom Steele, Linda Stein, Elizabeth Sloane Tyler, J.J. Veronis, Margaret Weissbach, Athos Zacharias

The Shelter Island studios open for the Tour are those of: Jacquelyn Black, Rafael Bueno, Janet Culbertson, Richard F. Denning, Roz Dimon, Victor Friedman,

Margaret Garrett, Jerry Glassberg, John Pagliaro, Olive Reich, Eric Slayton

Gavin Zeigler, Mike Zisser.

Sponsors for this year’s Artists Alliance Studio Tour are: Boltax Gallery, Mixed Media Artists Materials, Sylvester & Co at Home, Applied Arts, Hamptons L&A Builders,

Onshore Restaurant, Effects Of Color, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Hamptons Luxury Liner and Plum TV.

“The Tour, which has a number of innovations, is an important fundraiser for the Artist Alliance and the tax-deductible ticket helps fund art classes and scholarships for local students among other good causes” said Tom Steele, President of the Artists Alliance.  “It is also a perfect way to discover and enjoy the beauty of the Hamptons”.

The Artists Alliance of East Hampton was formed in 1984 as the Jimmy Ernst Artists Alliance by close friends of Jimmy Ernst, the internationally acclaimed abstract painter. Bill King, Connie Fox, Ralph Carpenter and Leif Hope were among the founders. It was formed in memory of Jimmy Ernst to carry on his vision of an artists’ community. Its mission is to strengthen and support the interests of the creative community living and working on the East End of Long Island. The Artists Alliance accomplishes this through networking opportunities for artists, artist lectures and presentations. The Artistos Alliance Business of Art programs address practical issues for working artists and its community outreach programs include high school scholarship programs and art workshops for middle school. The membership of the Artists Alliance is primarily professional working artists. It is a registered 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation supported through community and business contributions, membership dues, fundraisers and State, County, and Local grants.

Tickets are $100 for the Studio Tour and Sizzling Salsa!

Individual tickets for Studio Tour are $65.00 and $45.00 for the Sizzling Salsa Party

Buy Tickets Online!
Learn About the Artists
Find Ticket Locations
www.ArtistStudioTour.org
 
For further information, you may contact Artists Alliance of East Hampton

P.O. Box 2242, East Hampton, N.Y. 11937, Tel 631-324-2225, Fax 631-324-1922 or

For a complete list of artists go to www.ArtistStudioTour.org

Retail Ticket Locations

East Hampton

Artists Alliance Office 324-2225

BookHampton 324-4939

East End Books 324-8680

Golden Eagle 324-0603

Bridgehampton

Hamptons Photo-Arts 537-7373

Amagansett

Gone Local Gallery 267-5315

Sag Harbor

BookHampton 725-8425

Shelter Island

Boltax Gallery 749-4062
Southampton

Bookhampton   283-0270
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
ALCHIMIA
Edward Callaghan – John Wegorzewski & Associates
Public Relations & Marketing
New York (212) 689-4831
Southampton (631) 283-9130

Historic Southampton Church Celebrates

100th Anniversary of Cornerstone Laying

Sacred Hearts of Jesus & Mary Church’s

Annual Tent Party has Special Meaning This Year 

Parish Grounds, 168 Hill Street, July 28, 2007
 
Always one of the most festive events of summer, the Annual Tent Party on the grounds of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Church in Southampton has a very special significance as this year marks the 100th Anniversary of the cornerstone laying of the historic church dedicated on July 28, 1907. The magnificent church is located at 168 Hill Street.

The party, a major event on the summer social calendar, also kicks-off the Centennial Year of special programs culminating with a grand celebration in 2008 to mark the beloved Church’s anniversary. There will be a special Mass preceding the Tent Party celebrated by The Most Reverend Bishop William Murphy at 5 PM.

Heading up the effort for this gala kick off to a year long celebration of the revered Southampton landmark are: Pat Corrigan, Joan Heinz, Patricia Jordan, Peg Jordan, Michael Kent, Mary Steinbrecher, Fred Weinfurt and pastor Father Jeff Madley.

The cocktail reception will include abundant hors d’ouvres by Two Brothers Catering and dancing to the music of the popular East End group, Vivian and the Merrymakers. Proceeds from the fete will go to SHJ & M special programs. Generously supported by the local community both private and business, this year’s sponsors for the event are:  Herbert & Rist Liquors, Peconic Beverages, Topiaire Flowers, Berkoski Ice Company, P. J. McBride Tents and Southampton Publick House.

As is long tradition and a result of the underwriting from the community, ticket prices are modest so that young people and seniors can all participate. Tickets are $25.00 in advance; $30.00 at the door. To purchase tickets please call: 631-283-0097 or e-mail at sacredheartsofjesusmary@verizon.net  Sacred Hearst of Jesus & Mary Lawn, 168 Hill Street, Southampton.  For more information go to www.sacredheartsofjesusmary.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:
ALCHIMIA
Edward Callaghan-John Wegorzewski & Associates
Public Relations & Marketing
New York (212) 689-4831
Southampton (631) 283- 9130

New Studies: Medical Marijuana Laws Don’t Increase Use; Weak Marijuana Works as Well as High-Dose THC Pills

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two just-published scientific studies provide further evidence that medical marijuana laws do not increase marijuana use, and that even weak marijuana works as well as (and in some ways better than) high-dose Marinol, the THC pill sometimes touted as a substitute for marijuana.

In a study published online by the International Journal of Drug Policy, researchers from the Texas A&M Health /Science Center analyzed two sets of data designed to monitor emerging drug-use trends, the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring System (ADAM) and the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), from locations where medical marijuana laws have been put into effect. ADAM is based on urine tests of adult and juvenile arrestees, while DAWN tracks mentions of drug use in records of hospital emergency departments. Both sets of data, from before and after implementation of the medical marijuana laws, were looked at in a “time-series analysis” based on the premise that “if the law in question has an impact (either positive or negative) then the series of observations that follow its implementation will have a different slope or trend than those that occurred before.”

In both sets of data — from California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington — the researchers found no change in the trend after medical marijuana laws went into effect. “Consistent with other studies of the liberalization of cannabis laws,” they wrote, “[the results] indicate that medical cannabis laws do not increase use of the drug.”

A second study, in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes and also published online ahead of its appearance in print, compared the THC pill marketed as Marinol to smoked marijuana supplied by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. While both medications proved effective at stimulating appetite, reducing the need for other medications to combat gastrointestinal problems, and helping patients sleep, it took eight times the recommended dose of Marinol to roughly equal the efficacy of weak marijuana, with 3.9 percent THC, supplied by NIDA. According to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the average THC content of marijuana seized by law enforcement during the first quarter of 2007 was 8.5 percent.

The study’s “double-dummy” design successfully prevented patients from identifying which active treatment they were receiving at any given time, overcoming a common problem with marijuana and THC studies. Although researchers characterized the efficacy of Marinol and whole marijuana in the study as “similar,” only whole marijuana produced statistically significant improvements in patients’ levels of hunger,desire to eat, and quality of sleep. Marijuana also produced a higher daily caloric intake than even the highest Marinol dose, although in this small and relatively brief study, that difference did not reach statistical significance.

Neither treatment produced significant negative side effects. Strikingly, when patients were given a series of tests measuring learning, memory and other cognitive functions, neither marijuana nor oral THC produced any significant changes in performance.

“Science continues to demolish the objections raised by opponents of medical marijuana,” said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. “The U.S. House of Representatives will soon be voting on an amendment to stop federal arrests of patients in states with medical marijuana laws, and thoughtful House members should base their votes on science rather than myth and superstition.”

With more than 23,000 members and 100,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.MarijuanaPolicy.org.

REFERENCES:
Gorman DM and Huber J Charles Jr. Do Medical Cannabis Laws Encourage Cannabis Use? International Journal of Drug Policy, 2007 Vol. 18 no. 3, pp. 160-7.
Haney M, Gunderson EW, Rabkin J, Hart CL, Vosburg SK, Comer SD, and Foltin RW. Dronabinol and Marijuana in HIV-Positive Marijuana Smokers: Caloric Intake, Mood, and Sleep. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2007 Jun 21; [Epub ahead of print]

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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Bruce Mirken,
MPP director of communications    
202-215-4205 or 415-668-6403

50 Smithtown Residents and Taxpayers Band Together

July 2, 2007– (Smithtown, NY) After just one week of campaigning, nearly 50 Smithtown residents and taxpayers have banded together to express their dissatisfaction with the Town of Smithtown’s dismal efforts to fix broken curbs in front of their homes.

According to James P. Lamb, a local private investigator-turned-community-activist who organized the campaign, the Town of Smithtown recently released data in response to Lamb’s Freedom of Information Law Request, showing that there are currently about 1200 residents on the “Town’s Curb Repair List.”  Accordingly, each resident was mailed a notice last week, which encourages residents to sign lamb’s online petition at www.fixsmithtown.com.

“After less than one week, 48 residents have already signed the petition and it appears the numbers are growing by the day. Based on online comments posted at www.fixsmithtown.com, it would appear that Smithtown residents are tired of waiting years-in some instances over 10 years-for curb repairs. They are ready to let the Town know just how they feel,” Lamb said.

Lamb recently received a call from a Town Council Representative in response to the petition, which he indicated appeared to be somewhat intimidating in nature. “The Town Council Representative who called my home indicated that there might be “problems” for me because my work email was used in connection with the petition. Since I own my own company, the apparent inference that I might lose my job over the petition was laughable. It’s clear the Town doesn’t want to spend its time fixing our curbs. If that’s the case, as the July 4th Holiday approaches, they might consider spending that time reading the U.S. Constitution,” Lamb said.

For more about the Petition and the “Fix Smithtown” Campaign, contact James P. Lamb at (800) 215-4213 or via james@jplinvestigations.com. Or, visit www.fixsmithtown.com.