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Happy New Year! I would like to wish everyone a
healthy and prosperous 2010. Great news, the check
for the $50,000 grant, sponsored by Assemblywoman
Ginny Fields, has been received. It will be used
toward the Grist Mill restoration. Ginny, her staff
and Richard Remmer deserve a great deal of thanks
for all their efforts in ensuring that the Friends
received the grant. Speaking of the Mill
restoration, the next phase has begun. New York
State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic
Preservation (NYSOPRHP) is supplying the materials
and labor to restore the timber and hurst frames and
will also reapply the red cedar siding and roof.
Upon removal of some old shingles it was discovered
that the damage by powder beetles was more severe
than had been anticipated. An order for additional
materials has already been placed to avoid any delay
in completion. It has been a year since the
hatchery was closed. Little effort has been made by
the State toward rectifying the Infectious
Pancreatic Necrosis (IPN) problem. Ginny Fields and
her staff have been working diligently to enlighten
the powers that be as to the significant negative
impact of this action: a great reduction in the
number of visitors to the Preserve and the resulting
loss of revenue. On December 3rd, at Belmont Lake
headquarters, Ginny made a presentation to the Long
Island State Parks Commission during their quarterly
meeting. She cited facts and figures from the last
two years to verify the financial damage to the
Preserve. She has also secured a $250,000 grant to
be used for ground water and environmental studies
for implementing solutions to the problems. Let’s
hope we will see some progress in the near future.
On Saturday, December 12, 2009, members of the board
met with Jackie Day of the Museums at Stony Brook
who, funded by the Get Ready Grant previously
awarded to the Friends, acted as a facilitator of a
discussion intended to show the board the necessary
steps for developing a strategic plan. Many topics
concerning the Preserve and the Friends’ efforts
toward preservation were discussed. We have not yet
received Jackie’s evaluative report. Some
suggestions for changes that emerged during our
meeting will be followed up in the near future. I
would like to thank all who have responded to our
recent fund appeal. We are encouraged by your
support as we forge ahead with the projects you help
us realize and challenges you help us overcome.
Please continue to remember the Friends whenever
possible. Visit the Preserve; take a walk through
a landscape that evokes a gentler time. Observe the
interesting wild creatures, among them waterfowl and
other birds that only visit here in winter. Sincerely,
Bob Labuski
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