http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/ en Copyright 2008 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:00:08 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Jon Jacobs wanted the streetlight in front of his home replaced to ward off vandals. Newsday photo by Thomas Ferrara The streetlight by my home has been out for a month. I reached out to the Town of Huntington, but nothing has been done. Our property has been vandalized three times in the past year. - Jon Jacobs, East Northport The day after we contacted the town, workers repaired the burned-out light. However, officials said they were unable to find any record of Jacobs’ complaint. "This is not to say that it wasn't reported to the town, but the report may have been placed in another department and never got to the street-lighting division," Stephen F. McGloin, director of the town's Transportation and Traffic Safety Office, said in an email response. Huntington doesn’t have an inspection schedule for its 20,000 or so streetlights and relies on residents to call in defective ones. To report a broken light, town residents can call 631-351-3259. MICHAEL R. EBERT]]> http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/07/streetlight_works_again_in_eas.html http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/07/streetlight_works_again_in_eas.html Street Lighting Town of Huntington Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:00:08 -0500 Elaine Lampert was walking along Old Country Road when she tripped and fell on a sidewalk near her home, causing a badly-bruised eye socket. Photo was about a week after her fall in Plainview. Newsday photo by Gwen Young I live at a senior housing complex in Plainview. We’re having a lot of problems with the sidewalks on Old Country Road near Barnum Avenue. I spoke to everybody in the Town of Oyster Bay and nobody has come to check. I fell on the sidewalk by a funeral parlor and got a black eye. We are seniors and we can’t walk anywhere because the sidewalks are pulled up because of the trees. I walk every Sunday to Hicksville and I have to walk in the gutter because the sidewalk is so bad. Our people here are falling here and we can’t even walk to the stores. --Elaine Lampert, Plainview Mrs. Lampert kept calling the town because she wanted an official to see the condition of the sidewalks on the north and south sides of Old Country Road. But the town employee who spoke with Mrs. Lampert a number of times apparently didn’t make it clear that Nassau County has jurisdiction on that road. We talked to Nassau Public Works Commissioner Ray Ribeiro and told him about the problem. He promised to have someone contact Mrs. Lampert and send an inspector to examine the sidewalks next week. Ribeiro said that with miles of roads and sidewalks to oversee, the county doesn’t have a crew dedicated to inspecting them, so the department relies on people calling in problem areas. The county notifies property owners when sidewalks need to be repaired and the owners are responsible for getting them fixed. Once a report is lodged, “We identify what needs to be repaired,” he said. If the complaint involves sidewalks, a tree expert is dispatched to determine whether the tree needs to be taken down before the sidewalk can be repaired. Owners get a notice from the county, which gives them two months to do the required work. After two months, there’s a re-inspection. If the work hasn’t been done, a second notice goes out and the owner gets another two months to complete the work. A third inspection is done and if the sidewalk is still in hazardous condition, the county does the work and bills the owner, Ribeiro said. Ribeiro said Tuesday, “We’ll arrange for a day to have one of our inspectors go out and walk it with her next week. It’s something we would do anyway if she contacted us.” ]]> http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/07/shes_wanted_sidewalks_fixed_ev.html http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/07/shes_wanted_sidewalks_fixed_ev.html Sidewalks & Curbs Suffolk County Public Works Town of Oyster Bay nassau County Public Works Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:00:00 -0500 A reader who signed himself as VINNY MAGRINO posted a comment about the LIRR Hicksville train station issue that addresses a big part of many of the problems across Long Island. He wrote: "STOP POINTING THE FINGER AT EACH OTHER AND GET IT TAKEN CARE OF , PERIOD. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM TODAY, NOBODY WANTS TO TAKE CHARGE. IT'S ALWAYS BLAME THE OTHER GUY." It's not exactly finger pointing, but that's what it looks like to those of us who don't care whose jurisdiction it is, we just want the problem fixed. The Hicksville station has at least three agencies that are responsible for cleaning up the area - the LIRR (for the station and all the platform areas, plus the areas under the trestle), the Town of Oyster Bay (for all the out areas and parking lots) and the state Department of Transportation (for the roadway areaon Route 107). BUT, DO YOU CARE? Apparently, these agencies don't coordinate their cleaning efforts, don't communicate with each other and assume they're all doing what's right and responsible. Long Island is always going to suffer because of "finger pointing" as long as there are overlapping jurisdictions. We're in a maze of taxpayer-supported jurisdictions and we're not about to escape anytime soon. http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/07/finger_pointing_a_long_island.html http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/07/finger_pointing_a_long_island.html LIRR Litter Overlapping Jurisdictions Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:31:56 -0500 comments posted with the story readers want to let off steam or just rag on other bloggers. We appreciate feedback, but we''re also hoping to hear from commuters who have real issues with the LIRR station they use every day. That means we'd need your name, address and day phone number. The best way to do that is by email. Our address is watchdog@newsday.com. Let us know which station you use and what the problem is. Thanks. ]]> http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/readers_comment_on_lirrs_hicks.html http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/readers_comment_on_lirrs_hicks.html Eyesores Garbage Cans LIRR Litter Watchdog Issues Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:43:28 -0500 The state DOT's plan to make changes to the intersection of Sound Avenue and Route 25A is not a good idea according to Ed Goldstein of Baiting Hollow. Newsday photo by Daniel Goodrich Ed Goldstein of Baiting Hollow says changes to the Wading River intersection of Sound Avenue and Route 25A featured here June 15 are unnecessary. The traffic signal on Sound Avenue will be rebuilt to control vehicles heading both west and east onto 25A and a Stop Here on Red sign and Stop Line will replace a Yield sign for drivers heading west on 25A. That means they will no longer be able to roll through a red light. The Yield sign will be moved to help merge westbound traffic safely onto 25A, state Department of Transportation spokeswoman Eileen Peters said. In an email, Goldstein wrote, “The present Yield sign does not require a full stop when \[the light is\] red \[and\] speeds up traffic on both roads. It is entirely safe.” On busy days, the Stop Here sign will back up traffic to Baiting Hollow, he stated. “We’re very sorry Mr. Goldstein is not happy with this,” Peters said, “but the changes will help improve everybody’s safety in that area.” ]]> http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/he_opposes_dots_plans_for_wadi.html http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/he_opposes_dots_plans_for_wadi.html LI Intersections NY Dept. of Transportation Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:36:15 -0500 Doug Plotz says he and hundreds of other commuters who use the LIRR train station in Hicksville have to dodge dead pigeons and swaths of pidgeon droppings daily. Newsday photo by Gwen Young The Hicksville train station is a disgusting mess. Beyond all the new issues and problems regarding the loss of the parking garage, the conditions are beyond horrible. The station and outer parking lots have been overrun by garbage and pigeons. On any given day, countless commuters have to walk over and under multiple dead pigeons and layers and layers of bird droppings. The town blames the LIRR, the LIRR blames the town. Can you help? Doug Plotz, Woodbury We called the LIRR Tuesday afternoon and showed them the video we’d taken the Friday before with Doug Plotz. On Wednesday, LIRR spokesman Salvatore Arena said, “After watching Newsday’s video, we dispatched a spray-wash team to the Hicksville station at 8 a.m. this morning to address the problem. We will also be increasing our inspections at Hicksville and performing additional spray washings as needed.” The Hicksville station is supposed to be powerwashed once a week, Arena said. "The problem perhaps got away from us a little bit." Unfortunately, the pigeon mess in the overhead netting that’s designed to keep them away from the ducts poses a bigger problem, Arena said. The power washers can’t be used there because the pressure would ruin the ductwork. That job will most likely be hired out to a contractor because it has to be done by hand, he said. During the past two years, the LIRR has spent more than $200,000 on pigeon deterrents, such as the netting, and plan to do more pigeon-proofing work in Hicksville. “It is a persistent problem,” Arena said, “and the solution is something we haven’t figured out yet exactly.” Commuters can report station and train-related problems to the LIRR by calling the public affairs office at 718 558 8228. Anyone with computer access can also send an email about the complaint. Plotz also complained about parking lot areas that are under the Town of Oyster Bay's jurisdiction. Town spokeswoman Marta Kane said, "There's an effort to clean the lots on a regular basis." But after viewing the video, she said, "a full crew will go out to clean out every nook and cranny of the lots" at about 3 a.m. on Friday. Kane said the town's superintendent of highways would accompany workers to determine whether there were any problem spots that needed to be addressed. Commuters with complaints about problems in town parking lots at the train stations can call 516 677-5757. Watchdog reader Jonathan Slomka emailed us a copy of a letter he sent to the Nassau Department of Health about the pidgeon problem. Based on his email, department officials were scheduled to investigate the area on Thursday or Friday, spokeswoman Cynthia Young said. Anyone with concerns about health issues at LIRR stations in Nassau can call 516 227 9715. Related sites on this issue:

MTA phone numbers

Facts about pigeon-related diseases: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Nassau Suffolk Pigeon Fanciers Club

Newsday: "Can RoboHawk solve NYC’s pigeon problem?" – May 15, 2008

Hicksville Southwest Civic Association]]> http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/lirr_dispatches_power_washes_t.html http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/lirr_dispatches_power_washes_t.html Commuter Woes Town of Oyster Bay Thu, 26 Jun 2008 01:00:08 -0500 A reader who saw that the Town of Islip town board recently passed restrictions on when garbage cans and how long they can stay at the curb, wrote this comment: "No one listens to the Town of Hempstead codes...no full trash cans at the curb before 7pm the day before...cans must be removed no more than 3 hrs after being collected." it's about enforcement. The towns can have all the codes they want, but if their not enforced, what good are they? Of course, it's a double-edged sword. We all want enforcement because they're directly related to our quality of life. But it's the same with traffic laws - there are so many drivers who violate them because there isn't enough personnel to enforce them. Long Island has changed over the years and so have the people. There was a time when people were considerate of their neighbors, when they didn't throw garbage from their car windows, when they didn't run stop signs and red lights. It seems that many "newcomers" have changed the rules. Better enforcement might help. But adding more personnel on the state, county or town level to make a real difference almost always means higher taxes. http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/reader_has_a_pointenforcement.html http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/reader_has_a_pointenforcement.html Babylon Brookhaven Eyesores Garbage Cans Hempstead Town of Huntington Town of Islip Town of North Hempstead Town of Oyster Bay Town of Smithtown Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:32:34 -0500 Business partners and neighbors Doug Wise and Michael Sweeney worked together to get an old utility pole removed from their street in Blue Point. Newsday photo by Gwen Young We try to help readers who have trouble getting quality-of-life issues resolved despite multiple tries, and who often end up in a bureaucratic tangle. But Mike Sweeney and Doug Wise of Blue Point didn't need our help to fix their neighborhood problem. Maybe their story will help you solve an issue on your own. If you’ve been able to solve a neighborhood problem yourself, tell us how you did it. Write to Newsday’s Community Watchdog, 235 Pinelawn Rd., Melville, NY 11747, or email watchdog@newsday.com with the details. * * * It took Wise and Sweeney 40 days to get this damaged pole removed from their street corner. Photo by Michael Sweeney Accidents happen. This one was at the corner of Eatondale and Park Avenues in Blue Point a few months ago, when a car slammed into the utility pole by Michael Sweeney’s house. A new pole was quickly installed but the splintered pole was left there. Sweeney and his business partner, Doug Wise, who lives across the street, started a marathon of calls to get the damaged pole removed but were stymied. Sweeney contacted us for help, but ultimately, the two-man team got the job done within 40 days. “Persistence wore down their resistence,” Wise says. And they used a non-hostile approach. “We were nice,” Sweeney said, “very nice.” They’d faced frustrations early. Whenever a repair crew arrived from LIPA, Verizon or Cablevision, workers ended up leaving the broken pole. “They’d say it’s the other’s responsiblity,” Sweeney said. When a utility pole is replaced, all three companies have to move their wires to the new pole before the old pole can be removed. The last utility company to move its wires is supposed to take away the old pole. But travel around Long Island and you’ll see plenty of forgotten old poles next to new ones. “Basically, you have to coordinate between LIPA, Verizon, Cablevision and the towns,” Sweeney said. “They don’t talk to each other.” The partners were polite but relentless. “You gotta be nice. You gotta be persistent - no screaming, no yelling and just don’t give up,” Sweeney said. Recording information is essential, said Wise. “Everybody I speak to, I make sure I get their names, the correct spellings...I speak to their supervisor, find out what their job entails and what they’re responsible for,” he explained. When crews showed up, “We made sure we met them here, and we coerced them into doing their job. Had we not been here when they came, the pole would never have been taken care of.” Related sites on this topic:

Cablevision Customer support

LIPA Customer Care

Verizon Customer Support

The Blue Point Community Civic Association

"The fine art of complaining," Newsday, May 13, 2007 ]]> http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/teamwork_and_vigilance_gets_ut.html http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/teamwork_and_vigilance_gets_ut.html Cablevision LIPA Problem solvers Utility Poles Verizon Repair Request Fri, 20 Jun 2008 01:00:18 -0500 Kenneth Kmetz wouldn't give up his quest to get the memorial brick he'd paid for to honor his deceased parents. Newsday photo by Gwen Young Every week, we try to help readers who have trouble getting quality of life issues resolved, people who have been unsuccesful despite multiple tries and who end up in a bureaucratic tangle. This week’s column on Sunday will feature two problems that were solved by readers without our help. The key to their victories can be summed up in one word: PERSISTENCE. We hope their stories will give inspiration to readers who are trying to resolve issues on their own. Today’s blog is about Kenneth Kmetz of Mattituck. If you’ve been able to fix a problem yourself and think your story can help others, tell us how you did it and what it took to get the issue resolved, leave a comment here or email details to watchdog@newsday.com. * * * In December 2006, Kenneth Kmetz of Mattituck, paid $50 for a memorial brick to honor his deceased parents. Kmetz bought the brick after seeing a sign at a local park that read “Help support Pike Street Park. Extended buy-a-brick program.” He called the telephone number, paid by check and waited. After a few months, he called the contact person who told him to wait three months. After three months, Kmetz called again and was told to wait another three months. That scenario was repeated several times, but Kmetz wouldn't give up. In April this year, Kmetz wrote to us for help. He felt he'd waited long enough. We asked him to call one more time. Finally, he was told the brick was ready to be picked up at a local store. When he went there, he was told the bricklayer had retired and another mason would have to be found before the brick could be laid at the park. Kmetz read the three engraved lines stamped in black on the brick: IN MEMORY OF STEPHEN J. KMETZ DOLORES KMETZ He made a decision. Instead of finding someone to install the brick at the park, he took it home and placed it in a special front yard garden. Despite the long wait, Kmetz is pleased with the result. “The moral is, even though you have an obstacle thrown in front of you, and you feel like you’re never going to see the end of the tunnel, there is an end to the tunnel,” he said. “You just have to pursue it and keep going after it, and don’t let it get you down.” Related links to this topic:

Town of Southold Parks & Beaches

Town of Southold directory

Mattituck Chamber of Commerce ]]> http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/longawaited_memorial_brick_mak.html http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/longawaited_memorial_brick_mak.html Problem solvers Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:41:52 -0500 Jennifer Washburn says she hears two loud bangs from LIPA equipment and then her area of Levittown loses power. Newsday photo by Gwen Young My neighbors and I have a problem with our LIPA service. Fifty-one customers on the east side of Ring Lane, the west side of Saddle Lane and the north side of Prairie Lane in Levittown experience frequent power outages due to LIPA’s defective equipment. It happens day or night throughout the year. I estimate we have lost power over 22 times since moving here in 2000. I have called and written to LIPA with no assistance or reply. It is frustrating because our neighbors across the street have power when we do not. We pay the same rates and should have the same service. We’ve ruined dinners because we’ve lost power while cooking, and I’ve lost income because I work from home and can’t access the Internet when we lose electricity. A major concern is that I have a bone disease and am afraid of falling or tripping over a pet when the power cuts off. — Jennifer Washburn, Levittown Within the next few weeks, after Long Island Power Authority crews have completed storm and heat-related work, someone will be sent to Washburn’s area to troubleshoot the problem, spokeswoman Elizabeth Flagler said. In the past 12 months, the cluster of homes mentioned in Washburn’s e-mail has had five power failures, three caused by trees, and nine “momentary outages,” Flagler said, “so it’s not like an abundance of outages.” She was unable to immediately provide comparison figures for other areas on Long Island. “We will have to go to each backyard to see if there’s something causing a problem at this address,” she said.]]> http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/she_wants_to_cut_her_power_los.html http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/she_wants_to_cut_her_power_los.html Hempstead LIPA Mon, 16 Jun 2008 02:38:02 -0500 The state Department of Transportation agrees with Frank Stocks that this Yield sign has to go. Newsday photo by Gwen Young I’ve been trying to get this problem solved since 2006. A YIELD sign in the right turn lane on Sound Avenue at the intersection of Route 25A in Wading River should be changed to a “Stop Here on Red” or “No Turn on Red” because cars ignore the red light and coast through the turn, creating a dangerous traffic situation. The state Department of Transportation investigated my request and agreed with me. I was sent a letter saying the problem would be rectified. That was Feb. 21, 2007. Nothing’s happened since then. — Frank Stocks, Calverton You’ll get no argument from the DOT, Mr. Stocks. But while the DOT’s Regional Traffic Engineer Frank Pearson penned a letter to you more than a year ago to tell you about the work that would be done based on your complaint, he apparently didn’t mean the work would be done quickly. As Pearson’s letter states, the project will include a painted STOP line, removal of the YIELD sign and a new Stop Here on Red sign. DOT spokeswoman Eileen Peters said the work will be completed this fall. Asked why it takes so long to get work done after it’s been investigated and approved, Peters said, “Our requests far exceed our resources. Everything is scheduled as soon as we have the resources available...We’ve made it clear to the contractor that this is a priority location. The work should not take that long after it gets started.”]]> http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/intersection_to_be_fixedeventu_1.html http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/intersection_to_be_fixedeventu_1.html Brookhaven LI Intersections NY Dept. of Transportation Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:00:29 -0500 Denise Scollo and other Town of Islip residents would like her neighbors to take in their garbage cans instead of leaving them at the curb. Newsday photo by Michael R. Ebert Why doesn’t the Town of Islip have any regulations that prevent residents from leaving their garbage pails at the curb everyday? It’s an eyesore. It seems other towns have time restrictions. Hypothetically, residents can leave trash at the curb all the time under the town’s current system. -- Denise Scollo, Bayport Other Islip residents have contacted us about this same issue. Islip town code doesn’t have time restrictions for removing empty garbage cans left at the curb, but trash-filled pails can’t be left there “for days on end” under the town’sDepartment of Environmental Control guidelines. Officials said if filled cans are left curbside for days and neighbors complain, the town’s DEC investigates the matter and follows up on a random basis to ensure the trash isn’t left at the curb indefinitely. In 2007, a total of 10 litter-related fines were issued to homeowners. “The town finds this to be the most effective solution,” said Chris Andrade, commissioner of Islip’s Department of Environmental Control. “At this time, the Town Board believes that amending the town code to place time restrictions on the curbside placement of garbage cans is an inefficient modification.” By comparison, a number of local towns - including Babylon and Huntington - place time restrictions on the curbside placement of garbage pails. The Town of Babylon, for example, prohibits placing full cans at the curb before 1:00 p.m. the day before collection, while Huntington prohibits curbside placement before 6:00 p.m. Islip residents with concerns or complaints about garbage cans in their neighborhood can call 631-224-5640. Calls can be anonymous. Michael R. Ebert UPDATE: In our June 15 column, we reported the Town of Islip had no time restrictions on placing garbage cans at the curb. However, town spokeswoman Catherine Green said that based on our inquiry on behalf of some homeowners, the town board adopted a resolution June 10 that states cans must be placed at curbs no earlier than 4 p.m. the day before collection and removed no later than noon the next day. Penalties start at $50. Michael R. Ebert]]> http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/empty_garbage_cans_at_curb_247.html http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/empty_garbage_cans_at_curb_247.html Babylon Garbage Cans Town of Huntington Town of Islip Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:12:27 -0500 The Middle County Central School District moved quickly to repair a hole in a fence after Community Watchdog called about Dennis Fiorentino's complaint.Photo by James Carbone I need help with a situation on Harriet Street in Centereach, a dead-end street that borders the playing fields of Oxhead Road Elementary School. For the last six months, teenagers have started entering the fields through a hole in the chain-link fence and have been harassing residents and vandalizing property. The police suggest that having the school repair the fence should eliminate the problem. For two months now, I’ve been told a work order is in to fix it, but nothing has been done. -- Dennis Fiorentino, Centereach Within 24 hours of our call, Middle Country Central School District sent workers to temporarily rejoin the broken fence using metal ties until fence contractors can make a more permanent fix. District officials and Fiorentio have sharply different views on the fence repairs. Fiorentino said the hole had not been repaired once since he moved to Harriet Street six years ago, but Frank Fiorino, director of building and grounds, said that same hole had been fixed at least 30 times in the last four years. There are parents who liked the hole because it offered easy access to school grounds.“Some mothers were disappointed I was going to fix it again,” said Fiorino, “About five families walked their kids to that spot and then watched them go the rest of the way to school.” However, Fiorentino said those parents are in the minority and noted his problem is not with elementary-age kids but with teens who have damaged property. “I’ll fix it one more time,” Fiorino said. “But if the fence is snipped and peeled back again, we’ll have to get more creative.” MICHAEL R. EBERT]]> http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/centereach_man_wants_closure_t_1.html http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/centereach_man_wants_closure_t_1.html Broken Fences Middle Country Central School District Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:15:00 -0500 Graffiti on a vacant building was painted over after Anthony Persico complained about the neighborhood eyesore. Newsday photo by Karen Wiles Stabile live in Bohemia and there’s a large amount of graffiti at an unoccupied store along the south side of Sunrise Highway. It’s an eyesore and is visible from the busy road. The owner has been notified, but the graffiti is still there. Is there anything we can do? --Anthony Persico, Bohemia Within a week of our call, the property owners - Sid Farber Enterprises Medford - sent a crew to paint over the graffiti facing Sunrise Highway. The property has been a magnet for graffiti since the store became vacant last year, officials said. They said they’ve covered up the spray paint multiple times. “I’ve honestly lost count already,” said property manager John Donnelly of the paint jobs. “We cover it up and a few weeks later it’s back. I blame the parents. They don't teach their children respect for other people’s property.” Although the owners have been attentive to the problem, there is no town code requriing storeowners to clean graffiti because that would “punish owners who are victims of a crime,” town officials said. Instead, the town “encourages” owners to clean affected areas as soon as possible. Michael R. Ebert]]> http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/bohemia_resident_tired_of_seei_1.html http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/bohemia_resident_tired_of_seei_1.html Eyesores Graffiti Town of Islip Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:17:43 -0500 Eric Tennenbaum says a new No U-Turn sign is making his optical store lose business. Newsday photo by Bill Davis A few months ago, a “No U-Turn” sign was installed just west of my office on Sunrise Highway at the Unqua Road intersection in Massapequa. This has caused a situation where it’s difficult to reach my business if you are heading west. Normally, drivers could make a U-turn and pull into our parking lot. Now, they must drive two more traffic lights to our nearest competitor’s lot. We are losing business. --Eric Tennenbaum, Massapequa After our call, the New York State Department of Transportation reviewed the new traffic flow configurations. One week later, DOT officials informed us that the “No U-turn” sign would have to stay. According to DOT spokeswoman Eileen Peters, the northbound section of Unqua Road has an extremely heavy volume of right turns onto Sunrise. In order to keep traffic moving, the DOT chose to program the traffic lights so that Unqua’s right-turners and Sunrise’s westbound left-turners are both given green lights at the same time. This means U-turners would be an interference. “We’re sorry to hear stores have been affected, but our priority needs to be moving people as efficiently and safely as possible,” said Peters, noting the changes are part of a recent $6.8 million project aimed at improving traffic flow and reducing accidents on Sunrise Highway. In total, more than 50,000 Long Islanders travel on the Sunrise Highway-Unqua Road intersection daily, Peters said. Residents with concerns about traffic flow on state roads can contact the DOT’s Regional Traffic Engineering & Safety Office at 631-952-6020. Michael R. Ebert]]> http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/no_uturn_sign_must_stay.html http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/citizen_watchdog/blog/2008/06/no_uturn_sign_must_stay.html Sunrise Highway Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:16:06 -0500