The Trail Mix
A newsletter for and about the Setauket to Port Jefferson Station Greenway
The Trail Mix is the monthly newsletter of The Friends of the Greenway. We established this bulletin to keep the Friends and users of the Greenway current on some of the “goings-on” regarding our Trail and to dispense a mix of bits and bytes of flavorful information. Hopefully, The Trail Mix will help to enlighten, inform, and entertain our readers. The Friends of our parent organization – The Three Village Community Trust.
Spring and Summer and Fall Clean-Up Schedule
Spring
- Saturday, April 22nd at 9 am (Trail Steward’s Breakfast Meet Up at 8 am) Starting location: The Port Jefferson Station Trailhead.
- Saturday, May 13th To be held in conjunction with the Town of Brookhaven’s 2022 Great Annual Clean Up) at 9 am, Starting location: The Port Jefferson Station Trailhead.
Summer and Fall
- Saturday, June 17th at 9 am (Trail Steward’s Breakfast Meet Up at 8 pm) Location: The Port Jefferson Station Trailhead.
- Saturday, July 15th at 9 am, Starting locations: The Port Jefferson Station and Setauket Trailhead.
- Saturday, August 12th at 9 am, Starting locations: The Port Jefferson Station and Setauket Trailhead.
- Saturday, September 9th at 9 am, Starting location: The Port Jefferson Station Trailhead
Need more information? Want to become a Trail Steward? Wish to Donate to the Greenway? Want to be on the Friends of the Greenway’s email list?
Email Herb or Charlie:
HJMones@gmail.com or cfmcateer@gmail.com
The ‘Green Team’ at a 2022 Clean up!
Yes, Clean ups are important!
Simply De-Vine
What’s green, spreads rapidly, is found everywhere, and is destructive to trees?
It’s English Ivy. And it’s on the Greenway, it’s in our parks, it’s in your backyard!
Take part in the Three Village Community Trust’s effort to eliminate the spread of English Ivy in our area. This is our first Annual English Ivy Awareness Campaign, and we are calling it “Simply De-Vine.” This program is the first of its kind! (Note: The TVCT is our parent organization.)
Hopefully, you will join us in spreading the word about English Ivy. Together, we can begin to eliminate this creeping menace. Your trees will love you!
Please click here to learn more!
Take a Careful Look at the Trees in our Area. Increasing, they look like this:
The Trust is displaying these lawn signs throughout the community to create awareness of invasive English Ivy.
Greenway Trail Stewards 2023
Orientation/Direction: Setauket Trailhead to the Port Jefferson Station Trailhead
Setauket Trailhead Parking Area –
Stony Brookside Bed & Bike Inn -Marty and Elyse Buchman
Setauket Trailhead to West Road –
Stony Brookside Bed & Bike Inn – Marty and Elyse Buchman
West Road to Gnarled Hollow –
Gnarled Hollow Trailhead, Parking area –
Karen and Brian Cohen
Gnarled Hollow Trailhead to Gnarled Hollow Road –
Boy Scout Troop 354 – Scout Master Robert DeStefano
Stuart and Vivian Fisher
Laura and Joe Rotondi
Gretchen Oldrin Mones
Charlie Kenny
Gnarled Hollow Road to Old Town Road –
Bill and Mary Negra
Susan Colatosti
Old Town Road to Possum Lane –
Laurel Martin
Possum Lane to Lawrence Aviation area
Flockhart Family
Bottom of hill approaching Lawrence Aviation to the top of the hill:
Norman Samuels
Top of the hill east of Lawrence Aviation to ¼ west of Clifton Place:
Charlie McAteer
¼ Mile West of Clifton Place to Clifton Place:
Dianna Nielsen
Trailhead of the Port Jefferson Station area:
Dave Wang
Aaron Hoffman
Stewards: If we left your name off the list, let us know ASAP!!
‘Can’ You Help?
We are fortunate to have the Town of Brookhaven help us with many aspects of the trail. Importantly, they provide the trash receptacles located along the Greenway and supervise the emptying of the trash every week. Sometimes we need to call the Town to alert them when the receptacles are not emptied, and trash is overflowing. The Town is quick to respond!
The trash receptacle at the Trailhead on Gnarled Hollow Road has been a problem lately – often it hasn’t been emptied. The ‘fix’ may now be complete, but we need everyone’s help in the following ways:
Don’t move the receptacle to a place you think is better than the current placement. This will only cause confusion to the carter.
Don’t overstuff the trash can. If you see it is overflowing, notify Herb or Charlie and they will contact the Town.
Remember, it is always best for trail and park users to “Carry In and Carry Out” – meaning take ownership of your trash and bring it home for collection on your neighborhood’s scheduled trash days.
We thank the office of Councilman Jonathan Kornreich and his attentive staff in helping with issues involving the Greenway!
Supervisor Ed Romaine is another ‘best friend’ of the Trail!
News Update
As many of you remember, in 2021 a man was killed at the Port Jefferson Trailhead.
Last month, Newsday reported arrests were made in this case. We are thankful to the Suffolk County police force for their pursuit of justice.
Here is the Newsday article written by John Valenti, with Matthew Cheyes:
Updated March 6, 2023, 11:25 pm
Police arrested a Port Jefferson Station couple Sunday, charging them with murder in the stabbing death of a man whose body was found on June 17, 2021, on the Greenway Trail in Port Jefferson Station.
Suffolk County Police said Jose Martinez-Vazquez, 24, was arrested at the corner of Crystal Brook Hollow Road and Hallock Avenue in Port Jefferson Station at about 2 p.m., while Tiffany Diaz-Cabrera, 20, was arrested at the Crystal Brook Hollow Road residence where both suspects live at 9:18 p.m. Police said the two are boyfriend and girlfriend.
Each was charged with second-degree murder in the death of Benjamin Flores-Mendez, 39, of Port Jefferson Station, whose body was found in 2021 on the Greenway Trail, near Clifton Place, at about 1 a.m.
Port Jefferson Station Kiosk
You’ll notice the doors are missing on the PJS kiosk at the Greenway Trailhead. Not to worry. The doors are undergoing repair and will soon be reinstalled. The plexiglass was marred, and some of the door framing was coming apart.
We thank the NYSDOT for their help in getting the repairs underway! Hopefully, by Summer, we will have the kiosk in tip-top shape for you to enjoy our the informational postings.
Don’t Forget ….
Remember -Trail Stewards are meeting up at 8 am on Saturday, April 22nd – Earth Day. Following noshes, we’ll be doing a trail cleanup!
Our Special Friends
Keep in mind, these special friends of the Greenway who support our efforts throughout the year! Please consider giving them your business, and mention you saw them in The Trail Mix.
Bagel Express at 15-5 Bennetts Road in Setauket. Owned and operated by David Prestia, Bagel Express generously donates the catering of our Trail Steward breakfasts. Delicious bagels, hot, steaming coffee – so good! For the third year in a row, The Trail Mix has voted Bagel Express #1 for breakfast and lunch, and all of your catering needs. Call 631-675-2770 or check the website at Bagel Express – New York | View our menu, and reviews & Order food online (bagelexpressli.com)
A Big Friend of the Trust is Swan Cove Landscaping. Swan Cove does a whole line of services – lawn maintenance, pruning, stone walls, and firewood. Dave Fortuna, the owner/operator, donates many, many of his services to the Trust. The result – our properties always look great! Thank you, Dave! Call 631-689-8089.
Emerald Magic Lawn Care’s horticultural consultant, Craig den Hartog has been providing flower bulbs for the Greenway for many years at “no cost.” We planted a big bulk of these bulbs at the kiosk on Gnarled Hollow Road, Setauket. Craig’s generosity is part of his beautification effort known as Old Town Blooms. And, Craig was a driving force behind the recent Great Daffodil Dash benefiting the Port Jefferson Station-Terryville community! Why not support Emerald Magic who supports us? Call 631-286-4600, 631-804-9205.
For your yard’s beautification look to Setauket Landscape and Design. Steve Antos can help you plan and design unique surroundings to make your property the envy of your neighborhood. His company has helped us with many large and small projects on the Trust’s historic properties. Call 631-882-7190.
Shown above is Dave Prestia, owner/operator, of Bagel Express
And lots of thanks to Bove Industries and Skyline Industries for their generous support of the Trust’s projects – they have been instrumental in our grounds restorations at the Smith/deZafra House! Bove Industries and Skyline Industries are leaders in producing materials for roads and construction products.
Randall Brothers Tree Service is always a big help and big-hearted in helping the Trust! Call 631-862-9291. Marty is the Man!
Jos. M. Troffa Materials Corporation at 70 Comsewogue Road in Setauket is a very special friend. The company has every conceivable item to beautify your yard. Mulch – they got it. Grass seed – yes! Soil, gravel, shovel, – everything. Forget the big box stores – You gotta go to Troffa!
Editor in Chief – Herb Mones
