Mastic, NY - September 17, 2013 - The Tri-Hamlet Stewardship Beautification Program was unveiled last month, and is quickly picking up momentum. Legislator Kate Browning (WF-Shirley) is urging residents, businesses and community organizations to attend an important meeting next Thursday, September 26 at 6:30pm in the Mastic-Moriches Shirley Community Library to learn about how they can become stewards of the community and help beautify their neighborhoods. The Department of Public Works will be in attendance to provide a presentation on how the County’s “Adopt-A-Spot” program works and to answer questions from interested parties.
Stewardship programs are nothing new to Suffolk County. Legislator Browning first got the idea from the late Presiding Officer William J. Lindsay, who started a successful one in Holbrook several years ago, and the program continues to keep County roadways like Patchogue-Holbrook Road beautiful today. Legislator Browning is confident that the residents and businesses of the third legislative district will get involved and help the program succeed.
“We have a strong beautification committee chaired by Pat Matthews with the William Floyd Community Summit, but they cannot do it alone,” stated Legislator Browning. “If we all take ownership of our area and commit to making it more beautiful, this can become one of the best looking communities in all of Suffolk County. I am hopeful this program will lead us towards that goal.”
The program will empower organizations, businesses and families to adopt areas as their own. In return they will be recognized for their efforts as stewards of our neighborhood with signs at the locations they choose to maintain. By entering into an agreement with Suffolk County to adopt a location, it becomes the responsibility of that party to maintain the site. Anyone passing the site will know who is helping to make their neighborhood a better place to live.
“It is win-win for everyone involved,” stated Legislator Browning. “The community is cleaner, the County can better utilize limited resources and volunteers are recognized so that everyone knows who is contributing the beautification of our area.”
There is a fee for the cost of the sign that is posted, but the fee is waived for non-profit organizations. The Department of Public Works does provide safety vests and other items, as well as safety classes for sites along busy roadways. The department will also collect any garbage bags left at the sites by volunteers. Legislator Browning is urging anyone seeking to participate to attend the next stewardship program meeting at that MasticMoriches-Shirley Library on Thursday, September 26 at 6:30pm. For more information you can contact the legislator’s office at 631-852-1300.