GOOD NEWS! The
"Friends" are pleased to
announce the receipt of a GET READY grant to help the organization begin
its strategic
planning process. Click here to read the details.
Subscribe to the Friends'
Email Newsletter
Sign up for the Friends
of Connetquot
email newsletter to receive notifications of upcoming events,
notices and other news related to the community and our organization.
The Friends of Connetquot
is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the
preservation, conservation and continuation for
future generations of the Connetquot River State
Park Preserve. In order to maintain the
environmental, ecological, cultural and historical
integrity of the 3,473 acre preserve, the groups’
initiatives are:
•
To help preserve the pristine
environment
•
To lend support to the management
•
To help support the fishing
habitat, woodlands, flora and fauna, hiking and
bridle trail facilities and the educational programs
•
To help protect and restore
historic buildings
The Friends of
Connetquot believe that the act of preservation is
best accomplished when we keep an eye on the past, a
foothold in the present, and our arms outstretched
for the future.
Friends of Connetquot's
13th Annual Fun Trail Ride - May 2nd, 2010
Come
join us May 2nd, 2010 at Noon for our 13th annual
fun filled ride/hike through beautiful Connetquot
Park Preserve. Enjoy the peaceful beauty of the
trails & woodlands of the first N.Y.S. Preserve. The
clubhouse will be open for tours. A leisurely ride
or hike of a few miles will take you through some of
the most historic trails on Long Island. There will
be a Chinese Raffle for many wonderful prizes
donated by generous friends.
Everyone receives 5
raffle tickets to start. The last riders will go out
by 2:00 p.m. so we can draw the winners at 3:30 p.m.
The Friends of Connetquot 2009 Holiday Appeal is
Now in Progress
Have you sent in your
contribution? There is still time to help.
Connetquot River State Park Preserve needs the
support of ALL who enjoy its breathtaking natural
beauty and evocative historic buildings. Every
dollar the Friends receive is applied toward
enhancing your experience of this magnificent place.
In 2010, the Friends will be working diligently to
re-open the Hatchery and complete the restoration of
the historic Grist Mill. Your support makes these
important projects possible, and we hope you will
join us by supporting these efforts.
Although generous gifts are always welcome,
please remember that no amount is too small to show
that you care. Please send your gift today.
Friends of Connetquot, Inc.
P. O. Box 472
Oakdale, NY 11769
Friends of Connetquot is a 501(3) (C) non-profit
corporation.
Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent the law
allows.
A
sun-warmed, radiant day greeted the guests of our
12th annual Gala on October 4, 2009. Over one
hundred Friends and supporters enjoyed the beautiful
surroundings of the Connetquot Preserve.
Overall the Gala was a success and we'd like to
thank everyone who participated. Click here to read the recap
and a list of those who donated money, food,
beverages, prizes or their valuable time.
IPN and Trout Hatchery News
UPDATE:SIGN OUR PETITION! Here's how you can
help try to re-open the Connetquot Hatchery as soon
as practical.
Please print, sign and circulate
this petition among your neighbors and friends.
When completed, please return it to:
Friends of
Connetquot
Box 472
Oakdale, NY 11769
Thank you for your help.
UPDATE:
The Fisherman's Angelo Peluso has written an
article titled "Requiem for a Trout Stream."
The title says it all. If you don't understand
the widespread ramifications of the closing of the
hatchery, this article will open your eyes.
Click here to download the PDF or read the
article on our "In the News" page.
UPDATE:
The Fisherman's Fred Golofaro has written a
passionate and detailed article outlining the entire
hatchery situation...it's a must read. Mr. Golofaro has generously given us permission to
display the article on this website and also
supplied a PDF.
Click here to
download the PDF or read the article on our
"In the News" page.
UPDATE:
Newsday's Jennifer Maloney has covered the hatchery
closing with a story that ran on page A24 on Sunday, August 23,
2009.
Click here to read the article.
UPDATE:
The Long Island Press has the first story following
the Phil Nolan press conference regarding the
hatchery.
Click here to read the article.UPDATE:
Dr. Richard Steinberger extensively researched the
issue of the hatchery closing for the
Idle Hour Fly
Fishers titled, Connetquot River State Park Trout
Hatchery: Victim of Nature and Dysfunctional
Government.
In this Newsday video,
Chart Guthrie, the DEC Regional Fisheries Manager of Long Island discusses Electrofishing in the Connetquot
River, part of which includes testing for IPN in the
river. Also, please visit the new Video Gallery page
which includes a terrific tour of the park from Gil
Bergen.
Chairman’s Letter, FOC Newsletter,
Fall 2009
The Chairman's Letter for Fall 2009 has been
released. Chairman Bob Labuski shares good
news on the grant that will be used toward the Grist
Mill restoration and there's more in the works,
including one to be used for the hatchery. The
bad news is that there is no progress on any front
regarding the IPN issue. Plus there's a recap
of the Gala and many thanks to those who helped make
it a success. Please visit the
Chairman's Letter page to read the full letter.
Friends of Connetquot Shop Now Online!
Show
your pride in Connetquot State Park while helping
support the efforts of the Friends of Connetquot.
The Friends of
Connetquot store is now online featuring
terrific items as our Canvas Tote or T-Shirt proudly
displaying a printed image of the Nichols Gristmill.
Also available are our forest green Cotton Golf/Polo
Shirts and Heavyweight Crew Neck Sweatshirt.
All proceeds go toward supporting the Friends of
Connetquot and all major credit cards and PayPal are
accepted.
Help
the Friends of Connetquot Raise Funds to Restore the
Grist Mill
The
Friends of Connetquot is presently working with the
State of New York to restore the grist mill,
which
is a landmark of the Preserve and a registered
National Historic structure. It is the only
surviving "tub wheel"
mill on the east coast. With your support we can
make this structure a working mill and preserve it
for generations to
come. Plans have been prepared and work has started
but we need money to complete the mill restoration
and to
continue funding improvements to maintain and
enhance the Park.
Please click here to read
more about our effort and how you can help.