President's Letter Sept. 2023
I remember when I was growing up my elders would always say time goes by faster, and the older you get the faster it went. Well, I just sat back and chuckled to myself. Now my kids are the ones laughing as I can’t believe how fast time is going since it feels like our Spring Brunch was just a short time ago. But now school is back in session, we are at the advent of fall, with Halloween and the FSA Pumpkin Carving event a short distance away with Thanksgiving following on its heels.
We had a great time at the Spring Brunch with a wonderful turnout. The only negative was the lack of participation by our elected officials, from both Huntington and Smithtown. Legislators Trotta and Bontempi attended, but we hope this will change next year as there are a lot of questions Fort Salonga residents would like answered, including the proposed railyard, the battery storage facility and when Callahan’s Beach will reopen.
Next was our annual Spring Egg Hunt at the Fort Salonga Elementary School. This was a new location for us as Callahan’s Beach is STILL closed. In our opinion, we wish we had thought of holding the Egg Hunt at the elementary school years ago. The kids are well familiar with the grounds and based on what I saw, I think the parents had just as much fun. We’re hoping to continue here for years to come.
Now on to the proposed rail yard, the Townline Association, supported by many FS residents and the FSA, is doing a great job in the fight to prevent the rail yard from ever being built, as it would be a serious detriment to ALL residents of Fort Salonga, Commack, Kings Park, East Northport and Northport. Having trucks and trains working theoretically 24 hours a day, added additional truck traffic on our roads and the potential for a hazardous materials spill into our drinking water supply is totally unacceptable. Please read pages 14 & 15 for information from the Townline Association. We need support from every Fort Salonga resident, whether financially, writing letters and/or volunteering.
On to the battery storage facility. On Sept. 12 the Huntington Town Council held a public meeting on a proposal to halt any applications for such a facility for 6 months. In recent months there have been a number of fires at facilities of this type, including 2 in each Southampton and Massachusetts. I believe they are justified and necessary, in part due to an ever-growing population, as well as an increase of storm strength which could knock out power for days at a time (remember Hurricane Gloria?). The opposition is to the proposed location, near homes and schools. I am confident that the Town Council will vote to at least put a hold on any application for 6 months. As well, I am confident that our Smithtown elected officials will see the reasoning and trend, and wait. Please, read the clipping from the Smithtown News, both in our newsletter and .
You will notice that we have the return of our local businesses advertising in our newsletter. They pay good money to promote their businesses here, so I hope you will honor them with your business. The last 2 years has really hit their bottom line and your support will be our community’s way of saying “we care about you”.
To wrap things up, the board members of the Fort Salonga Association work hard in order to protect your families, your homes and your way of life. We ask in return for your support in the way of becoming a board member yourself. I have to admit, the pay really stinks, but the satisfaction of knowing you’ve helped your neighbor is really great. Think about it.
Hoping you have a happy fall,
Keith Macartney
President