Tap Streets Lose Out In Wading River

Some time ago we reported on the concerns raised by many Wading River residents over the plan to include tap streets from a new sub division (Spring Meadow) into two existing sub divisions. Sound familiar? Well the residents complained, wrote letters and were quite vocal in their opposition to the tap streets. On November 20, the Brookhaven Planning Board approved the new sub division which will not include tap roads into neighboring sub divisions. It pays to fight!

Schumer Says Heating Oil Prices May Rise

Sen Chuck Schumer is predicting a rise in fuel oil prices this winter because tanker barges can't navigate the Rockaway Inlet which is desperately in need of dredging. No comments as yet from the fuel oil industry.

..meanwhile....in Alaska

Four towns, desperately in need of fuel oil for the winter, turned down Hugo Chavez' (and Citgo) offer of cheap oil for the winter. One town, populated by just 83 families, and their fuel storage tanks on empty, decided that the South American dictator had insulted the country and the President and his cheap oil wasn't welcome. When their story became known to the rest of the country, donations poured in to the tune of $30,000 (enough to keep the home fires burning for a while). 147 other Alaskan towns did accept the offer however. No American should ever be cold or hungry for that matter and our own oil barons should have stepped up.

Gas Prices, Election Day.........Related?

A few weeks before Election Day 2006, gasoline prices at the pump began to slide downward. Local stations had dropped their regular to 2.25 and we were smiling. (Don't smile too broadly cause many in the rest of the country were paying 1.99 or better). We were told by the pundits that the slide had nothing to do with the elections but simply a result of supply and demand and if you suspected that prices would go up after November 7 ....you were being very cynical. On November 7, local stations went to 2.27, then 2.29. Held at 2.33 for a while and then climbed steadily, 2.34, 2.35, 2.37 and 2.39. Then ...What the heck...Went to 2.45 today. Cynical? Nah!

Tax Abatements....Do they help?

The Suffolk County IDA has granted a tax abatement to the Culinary Institute now being constructed in downtown Riverhead. 100% of the taxes are being excused on any assessment above the land value of $14,000 (at least for five years and then graduated thereafter). The Town stands to lose approximately $105,000 over 7 years and the school district will lose somewhere in the neighborhood of $273,000 in the same period. It is very nice to have a new entity in Town and may bring some business with it but that's a whole lot of tax money to say goodbye to. Shouldn't we have known about the abatement beforehand?

Meetings

Town Board, December 5, 7:00 pm at Town Hall

Planning Board, December 7, 7:00 pm at Town Hall