Townsend Park Renovation is Underway in Oyster Bay!

Current state of Townsend Park

Oyster Bay, NY – In cooperation with the Town of Oyster Bay and local merchant Main Street Nursery, the Oyster Bay Main Street Association is pleased to announce the renovation of the public park in between the historic Oyster Bay Post Office and the historic Oyster Bay Town Hall known as Townsend Park.

Originally designated a public park in 1906, when the Townsend Family subdivided their lot and created Audrey Avenue, the area was largely used as a public gathering space and in 1909 a bandstand was erected on the site to suit this purpose.  After the original bandstand was torn down in the 1930s, the park was given fresh life when a replica bandstand was created and dedicated in 1981.

Original Bandstand and Layout of Townsend Park circa 1910
Postcard courtesy of the Oyster Bay Historical Society

In the ensuing 35 years, several piece-meal renovations have been completed in the area.  While originally no trees adorned the public park, over time three Honey Locust trees were added to the west side; approximately 20 years ago, a Christmas tree, originally intended to be temporary, was added to the east side; and most recently, within the last five years, two Purple Leaf Plums were also added to the east side in an attempt to even out the lot.  These mismatched and overgrown trees have severely limited the visibility of the bandstand and the usable space within the public green.

The plans, provided by Main Street Nursery and sponsored by the Oyster Bay Main Street Association, seek to create a uniform and attractive design for an area that has great potential to be the focal point of the downtown once again!  Based off of the assessment of certified arborist, Jason LaMay, the existing trees were recommended for removal to be replaced with six Zelkova Green Vase trees more suited for the area and properly spaced on the property to improve sight lines.  Plans also include improved lighting, the placement of benches, improved landscaping and repair of the brick walkway in the area.  In total, a substantial improvement to a small but important area, resulting in another great asset to the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Community!

With support from the Town of Oyster Bay and other local organizations – including Friends of the Bay, the OB-EN Chamber of Commerce, Oyster Bay Civic Association, Oyster Bay Historical Society, Oyster Bay Railroad Museum, Oyster Bay Rotary Club, OB-EN Youth Athletic Association, Raynham Hall Museum, Sagamore Hill NHS and the East Norwich Civic Association - we are excited to move forward with this renovation and have it complete for the whole community to enjoy during the Old Fashioned Holiday Market and Christmas Tree lighting on Saturday, December 12, 2015!

Project Clean Sweep: Downtown Oyster Bay

Quick Glimpse of Downtown Oyster Bay:

We have all noticed the state of the downtown: the overflowing garbage cans, the loose garbage, and the dirty sidewalks and streets.  Numerous editorials have been written about the state of our downtown, some calling it a "sorry site" and still others comparing parts of it to a third world country.  Letters from concerned citizens have pointed out that "the filth, trash/garbage on the ground [and] under the trash receptacles is prolific"  and that spotted attempts to clean the downtown have not had an impact - as one resident put it, "doing it once is like spit in the ocean."

In response to this, the Oyster Bay Main Street Association is looking to fill a recently created part-time position within the organization through our Clean Sweep Initiative.  We are looking to hire an individual to work twice a week, or as needed, to get the garbage in this downtown under control.  The job description is as follows:

If you, or anybody you know, are looking for a summer job and are interested in learning more please contact Executive Director, Meredith Maus, by phone: 516.922.6982 or by email: mamaus@oysterbaymainstreet.org.

OBMSA Still Accepting Applications

OBMSA is still accepting applications for the third cycle of its privately funded Facade and Sign Grant.  We are currently halfway through the cycle and will be accepting applications on a rolling basis until August 11, 2015.  

The grant is eligible to new and existing businesses in the downtown who are interested in securing a new sign to positively highlight their business in the downtown.  The Main Street Association will work closely with business owners to design appropriate signage and will reimburse owners 75% of their pre-approved sign up to $2,000.  

For more information about eligible participants and for a copy of the application, visit: http://www.oysterbaymainstreet.org/obmsa-facade-and-sign-grant.html.

Since 2013, we have invested over $20,000 into the downtown, assisting 12 new and existing businesses.

Here are some photos from the previous and current grant cycles:

2013

4-8 Audrey Avenue Before

4-8 Audrey Avenue After

80 South Street After

9 East Main Street After

2014

2015

Oyster Bay Goes Green

Oyster Bay Goes Green with New Rain Garden

by Amy Mandelbaum and Mark A. Tedesco

Originally posted on "Greening the Apple: EPA's New York City Blog"

January 2015

The newly installed rain garden at Oyster Bay’s Western Waterfront will capture, treat, and infiltrate polluted stormwater runoff before entering nearby Oyster Bay, and eventually Long Island Sound. Photo credit: Amy Mandelbaum, New York Sea Grant/ Long Island Sound Study.

Did you ever stop to think where water goes after it leaves your downspout? If you’re like most people, once stormwater is out of sight, it’s out of mind. Most likely, the stormwater rushes down your driveway, onto the street, and to the nearest storm drain. If you don’t live in the Big, I mean, Green Apple, then that drain goes directly to your local waterway, whether it be a lake, creek, river, bay, estuary, or even the ocean. So, what’s the big deal?

Well, that stormwater isn’t so clean by the time it makes it to your local waterway, as it picks up litter, nutrients, and plenty of other things along the way. This polluted stormwater runoff goes directly into the water without having a chance to be cleaned.

So, what can we do about it? That’s where green infrastructure comes into play. Green infrastructure is essentially mimicking what nature did before we started building gray infrastructure, such as gutters, roads, pipes, etc. Out of the many green infrastructure practices, one of the best for filtering polluted stormwater runoff is a rain garden: a shallow, vegetated basin that captures, treats, and infiltrates polluted stormwater runoff within a day. It is designed to treat the first inch of rain, which is the most polluted, and the plants, soil, and mulch filter the polluted stormwater runoff before it enters your local waterway.

The Town of Oyster Bay realized the need to redirect the polluted stormwater runoff from the roadway along the waterfront before going into nearby Oyster Bay, a Long Island Sound Stewardship Area, and eventually Long Island Sound. The Town sought and received a Long Island Sound Futures Fund grant to install a rain garden, all while educating the local community. The rain garden was installed in October, with assistance from other local organizations and volunteers. As part of the project, a corresponding rain garden training program was offered for homeowners, municipal officials, and landscape professionals in November. This rain garden now serves as a demonstration to the local community and its visitors of a green infrastructure practice that can be easily incorporated into the landscape.

So, the next time it rains, I hope you take a closer look at your downspout.

If your town would like assistance mitigating the effects of stormwater runoff, contact your local Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) office in New York or Connecticut.

 About the Authors: Amy Mandelbaum is the New York Outreach Coordinator for the Long Island Sound Study. She works for New York Sea Grant in Stony Brook, NY. She received her Ed.M. in science education in 2012 and a B.S. in environmental science in 2007 from Rutgers University.

Mark Tedesco is director of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Long Island Sound Office. Mr. Tedesco is responsible for supporting implementation of a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Long Island Sound, approved in 1994 by the Governors of New York and Connecticut and the EPA Administrator, in cooperation with federal, state, and local government, private organizations, and the public. Mr. Tedesco received his M.S. in marine environmental science in 1986 and a B.S in biology in 1982 from Stony Brook University.

Editor's Note: The opinions expressed here are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog. 

OBMSA's Adopt-A-Spot Program Continues to Roll Out

Before and After photos of Berry Hill "Spot" adopted by the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce.
Photographs courtesy of the Oyster Bay Main Street Association

The Oyster Bay Main Street Association is pleased to announce that, through the generous support of Mill-Max Mfg. Corp and the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce, two additional locations in the downtown have been improved.  Since August of last year, three participants in the program have adopted and pledged to maintain three high visibility sites, which serve as the gateways to our downtown, including locations on West Shore Road, Cove Road and Berry Hill Road.  For more information about the West Shore Road improvement click here.

These sites, which had largely been ignored over the years, were a high priority for the Main Street Association.  On Cove Road and Berry Hill Road, specifically, the hand-carved “Welcome to Historic Oyster Bay” signs had both disappeared and been replaced with unsightly aluminum signs that did not match the tenor of the downtown.  With their adoption, the Chamber of Commerce and Mill-Max both purchased new welcome signs for their locations as well as new plantings, which will be maintained for two years by the adopters.  The Cove Road location is slated to have a sprinkler system installed with new plantings in the Spring.

Before and After photos of Cove Road "Spot" adopted by Mill-Max Mfg. Corp.  Complete plantings and an installation of a sprinkler system for the location will be completed in the Spring.
Photographs courtesy of the Oyster Bay Main Street Association 

About the Adopt-A-Spot Program

The Main Street Association’s Adopt-A-Spot program was designed to help enhance the overall appearance of the downtown.  The program invites community groups, downtown businesses, or professional landscapers who are interested in beautifying the downtown to adopt a spot for a minimum of two years.

How to get involved

If you are interested in adopting a spot or if you want to recommend a location for adoption, please contact Meredith Maus, Executive Director of the Oyster Bay Main Street Association, at 516.922.6982 or mamaus@oysterbaymainstreet.org for more information.

Before and after of West Shore Road "Spot" adopted by Forest Iron Works of Locust Valley.
For more information about this Adopt-A-Spot click here.
Photographs courtesy of the Oyster Bay Main Street Association

Thank you for making Our End of the Season Benefit a Success!

On the night of September 17th the Creek Beach Club was hopping with supporters of the Oyster Bay Main Street Association as sponsors, guests, and board members got together for the Association's second End of the Season Benefit.  The benefit - organized by board members Tracy Dellomo, John Bonifacio, Henry Clark, Kyle Piechucki and Alex Urdea with support from Executive Director Meredith Maus - sought to raise funds for OBMSA's programs and initiatives in the year to come.

In his welcome to the crowd, the President of OBMSA, John Bonifacio, highlighted some past initiatives of the organization including the design, purchase, and installation of 120 new street signs for the downtown; beautification efforts including the purchase of 16 new street lamps for South Street; and our successful advocacy and fundraising for the preservation of the Trousdell House.  After thanking the crowd for their support he highlighted some new initiatives the organization is trying to fund, including: 

• hiring an individual to pick up loose debris in the downtown to combat the growing problem of garbage;
• incorporating new neighborhoods and streets with a second wave of our newly designed street signs; and
• continuing to advocate for historic buildings in the downtown, with a specific focus on the Mill Pond House and Snouder's Corner Drug Store.

We cannot thank all of our supporters enough - for those who were able to join us and those who sent their well wishes.

As is the case with everything we do, we could not have done this without you!

Thank you!

Hand-stitched Hamlet picking up steam!

The Hand-stitched Hamlet, the fiber art installation slated for installation in the downtown of Oyster Bay in Spring 2014, is making headway with sponsorships and making headlines in Newsday!  Articles, videos and galleries are available on the Newsday website.

Starting this Sunday, December 8, 2013 the Knitted Purl will be hosting crochet boot camps for those interested in volunteering their time to make the crochet panels that will adorn our streets! Learn how to do simple crochet stitches for free on needles and yarn provided for you!

You can learn more about the event by visiting the Hand-stitched Hamlet Facebook page or by contacting Patti McSkane at 516-558-7800.

Get excited and get involved!!

Knitting project will put a sweater on Oyster Bay

Originally published: November 29, 2013 6:07 PM
Updated: December 2, 2013 1:21 PM
By BETH WHITEHOUSE  beth.whitehouse@newsday.com

Patti McSkane is undertaking a challenging yarn project. A complicated sweater, you say? A matching hat and booties for a baby?

Ha!

Think muuuuuch bigger.

McSkane, owner of The Knitted Purl yarn shop in Oyster Bay, wants to see crocheted or knitted panels decorate all of Oyster Bay's downtown. She envisions colorful bands wrapping the trunks and lower branches of 48 trees, the poles of 45 lampposts, the sides of four informational kiosks, plus the hamlet's gazebo and three ceremonial cannons.

McSkane has partnered with a professional fiber artist to get the installation -- dubbed "The Hand-Stitched Hamlet" -- in place for public viewing by spring.

They've wrapped four "sample" trees downtown to show locals what an ambitious installation could look like. Their quest elaborates on the worldwide trend of "yarn bombing" -- which is creating clusters of woven graffiti-esque art on public objects.

"Already people stop I don't know how many times a day to take pictures," says Catherine Drabin, owner of Chrison & Bellina on Audrey Avenue, which has a decorated tree in front. "I've got a burst of color right outside my door."

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Meanwhile, McSkane needs help to make the 500 panels of macramé nylon cord in nautical colors such as aqua and royal blue as well as raspberry, green and purple. She's enlisting all interested crocheters and knitters on Long Island and is even hosting free knitting/crocheting "boot camps" to instruct volunteers how to make the 18-inch-high panels -- the first is 2 p.m. Sunday at her store on South Street. Even kids ages 8 and older can participate with an adult. Yarn and needles will be provided -- crochet hooks the size of tapered candles and knitting needles the size of drumsticks.

"You pay nothing. It's your sweat we're looking for," McSkane says. Other local businesses will sponsor upcoming crochet/knit nights.

Groups or organizations also can sponsor items to be wrapped in yarn, which will get them a sign or tag next to their object. A lamppost is $50, a cannon is $75, trees run $120-$200 and the gazebo is $500. Proceeds will go to the Youth and Family Counseling Agency of Oyster Bay and East Norwich.

GERM OF PROJECT

McSkane and her husband, David, opened The Knitted Purl last December in a blue house downtown. The shop sells yarn and offers lessons. "One of the things I really wanted to celebrate was the artistic side of fiber art," Patti McSkane says.

McSkane called Carol Hummel of Ohio, who has designed and executed fiber installations in Norway, India and cities in the United States, to ask permission to hang photos of her works on the walls of The Knitted Purl. She told her, 'We'd love to have you come to Oyster Bay.'"

A few months later, Hummel did, installing the four sample trees. Once the 500 panels are finished, Hummel will return. "What I like to do with my projects is involve communities in creating art that is their art," Hummel says. She says it will take about two weeks to stitch the completed panels to the trees, poles and other objects around town.

TOWN PROJECT

The project has become a group effort, with the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce, its Friends of the Hamlet group and the Oyster Bay Main Street Association getting onboard.

"It's infectious," says Walter Imperatore, Chamber of Commerce vice president. "Just the idea of knitting all these things is going to bring people in and get them talking to each other."

Meredith Maus, executive director of the Oyster Bay Main Street Association, crocheted one of the panels for the four sample trees. "It's really simple; it's very straightforward," she says.

The goal is to have the project finished in time to complement Oyster Bay's Sunday Art Walks. One Sunday a month in the summer, artists line the streets of Oyster Bay, showcasing their work, drawing tourists from across the Island. Visitors can have brunch at one of the hamlet's restaurants, then peruse the art on the streets and in the galleries around town. The Art Walks culminate in a weekend Family Arts Festival in September.

"When you come into town, it's going to be transformative," McSkane says. "When the whole town is done, it's going to be amazing."

CROCHET/KNIT BOOT CAMP FOR 'THE HAND-STITCHED HAMLET'

WHEN|WHERE 2 p.m. Sunday at The Knitted Purl, 80 South St., Oyster Bay. Advance registration required.

Hand-Stitched Hamlet in Oyster Bay!

Adopt-A-Spot Initiative: Beautification of the Downtown Spot by Spot

Have you noticed something different as you enter Oyster Bay via West Main Street?  The Oyster Bay Main Street Association is pleased to announce that due to the generous help and support of Board member Mario Gallo, the once uninviting gateway to our historic hamlet has been adopted and transformed by Forest Iron Works of Locust Valley.  The entrance is now one that all of Oyster Bay should be proud of!

Entrance from Bayville prior to adoption.  Sadly the metal greatly detracted from the beautiful carved sign and was the not the inviting look we wanted the downtown to give

Thanks to Mario Gallo and Forest Iron Works the spot is now bright and welcoming
The new fence and garden will be maintained by Forest Iron Works for a full year.

The Board of Directors of the Main Street Association noticed a few months back that unsightly metal brackets cluttered the welcome sign.  They immediately reached out to the Chamber of Commerce who owns and maintains the beautiful wood carved welcome sign and worked together with their President, Dottie Simons and the Town of Oyster Bay to come up with a plan of action.

Mario Gallo offered his assistance and came up with a beautiful design that all parties agreed would be a more fitting entrance.  His company will maintain the plantings throughout the year through the Main Street Association’s Adopt a Spot Program. 

Thank you for all your hard work!

Those interested in adopting a spot should contact Meredith Maus, of the Oyster Bay Main Street Association, at 516-922-6982 for a list of locations throughout the Hamlet of Oyster Bay.