The Trail Mix

A newsletter for and about the Setauket to Port Jefferson Station Greenway

Volume 4, Issue 4, April 2024

The Trail Mix is the monthly newsletter of The Friends of the Greenway. We established this bulletin to keep you 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 the Greenway is part of The Three Village Community Trust. The Trust was established more than twenty years ago to “Protect the Places You Love.” Support the Greenway today by joining the Trust today!

Our Spring and Summer Clean Up Schedule

Our monthly clean ups on the trail are always fun and interesting events. Not only do you get to meet community leaders, elected officials, and fellow Greenway enthusiasts, you have the opportunity to make a difference by sprucing up everyone’s favorite recreational corridor. The Greenway – a linear park – depends on people like you to help maintain and enhance the ‘trail experience.’ Join us!

Spring

Saturday, April 27 th at 9am An Earth Day Clean Up Event – Starting location: The Port Jefferson Station Trailhead.
Saturday, May 18th – To be held in conjunction with the Town of Brookhaven’s 2022 Great Annual Clean Up, at 9am, Starting location: The Port Jefferson Station Trailhead.

Summer

Saturday, June 15th at 9am – (Trail Steward’s Breakfast Meet Up at 8pm) – Starting Location: The Port Jefferson Station Trailhead.
Saturday, July 20nd at 8:30am, Starting locations: The Port Jefferson Station and Setauket Trailhead.
Saturday, August 17th at 8:30am, Starting locations: The Port Jefferson Station Trailhead.
Saturday, September 21th at 9am, 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
cfmcateer@gmail.com

To All Greenway Users

The Three Village Community Trust’s 2024 Membership Drive Continues!

The Trust now enters its twenty-first year of “Protecting the Places You Love!” The success of the Trust, and the Friends of the Greenway, over the past decades has only been possible because of people like YOU! At this time, we hope you will continue your support us by renewing your membership, and if you are not a member – please join us!

The Smith/deZafra House in Setauket. Brookhaven’s first Town Hall.

Our all-volunteer organization relies heavily on memberships for the funding needed to protect our “museum collection” of historical homes and improve sites like the 3.2 mile Setauket to Port Jefferson Greenway and Patriots Rock Historic Site. In 2023, your membership fees enabled us to complete a major restoration of the grounds at the Smith/deZafra House in Setauket – Brookhaven’s first Town Hall, as well as many repairs at the historic Tyler House!

Join today by clicking here.
Zelle users can go to tvcommtrust@optonline.net to make their membership payment.

Help the Greenway! Community Yard Sale 2024

On Saturday, May 18th the Trust will have a table at the Three Village Historical Society’s Annual Community Yard Sale.

This yard sale is a large, popular, and fun event. We are happy to have the opportunity to see so many of our friends and neighbors visiting the grounds of the Historical Society throughout the morning and early afternoon. You’ll find this is a wonderful opportunity to shop the different booths and tables for that very special ‘find.’

And we can use your help!

We are collecting items for our table. If you have gently used bric-a-brac, knickknacks, curios, or choochkies of reasonable size and in good condition. Simply box them up and leave them on the porch of our Bruce House Headquarters (148 Main Street, Setauket) anytime between now and Friday, May 17th. We’ll take it from there. Leave us a note with your name and email so we can thank you!

All profits go to our all-volunteer, not-for-profit dedicated to “Protecting the Places You Love.” That includes our beloved Greenway – always in need of items like paint, trash bags, litter ‘grabbers,’ tools, etc.

Need more information: Call 631-942-4558

2024 Trail Stewardship Program

Enjoy the Greenway? Like to ‘give back?’ Want to be part of a larger community of trail enthusiasts? Do you want to improve your neighborhood and community?

If so – it may be time for you to become a Trail Steward by joining the Adopt-A-Trail Program sponsored by The Friends of the Greenway. As a Trail Steward you will be part of a team of volunteers that help to maintain the Setauket to Port Jefferson Station Greenway. Your work will assure that the Greenway remains a popular and well-used recreational resource for young and old.

The Adopt-a-Trail Program allows YOU to select a portion of the trail and maintain it throughout the year. And, you can work according to your own schedule and at your own pace.

Some very general guidelines for Trail Stewards:

Select a portion of the Greenway – it can be a small or large section. It is best to select an area that is close to your home or is an area you enjoy visiting. It can be fun to adopt an area with a friend or two!
As a Trail Steward of the Greenway, visit your section as often as your schedule allows. Maintain the area much like you would your own backyard. Keep the area free of litter and debris.
Keep a log of your time/date and activities on the trail. Email your log to the Friends of the Greenway in September.
Alert the Friends of the Greenway of any problems or issues. (For example: downed tree or branches on the trail.)
You can make recommendations to the Friends of the Greenway for the enhancement of your section.
As a Trail Steward, you are encouraged to involve your friends, family, and neighborhood in the maintenance of your section. Community participation is an important part of preserving and protecting the Greenway.
Please note: Any major physical changes to the Greenway – benches, tree planting, etc. – needs the approval of the Friends of the Greenway, the Three Village Community Trust and the New Your State Department of Transportation.
We often assign two or more groups to a section. This helps make trail maintenance easier for everyone!
Help with the scheduled Monthly Volunteer Clean-ups whenever possible.
The Adopt-A-Trail Program is a one-year commitment running through the calendar year. We will ask if you wish to renew your participation at the end of the year. (If you are unable to remain active in your service to the Greenway, simply contact the Friends of the Greenway.)

Participants in the Adopt-a-Trail program are recognized by a posting in our kiosks and are invited to our Annual Membership Meeting in March for special recognition. We recommend that you become a member of the Three Village Community Trust.

Friends of the Greenway contact information:

tvcommtrust@optonline.net
HJmones@gmail.com Herb Mones
cfmcateer@gmail.com Charlie McAteer

You Never Know What You’ll See On The Greenway

Norm Samuels is one of our Trail Stewards. He can often be found cleaning up the eastern portion of the Greenway. He sent the photo above. Yes, that’s Norms electric scooter, its handlebars loaded with bags of litter. Way to go Norm!

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.

Shown above is Dave Prestia, owner/operator, of Bagel Express

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 – sooo 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 website at Bagel Express – New York | View our menu, 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, firewood. Dave Fortuna has recently retired, but his longtime employee Wander Aleman is now the new and capable owner/operator. Swan Cove donates many, many of 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 over many years at “no cost.” We planted a big bulk of these bulbs at the kiosk on Gnarled Hollow Road, Setauket. Craig 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 the 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.

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!

Maeder Landscaping and Snow, Ltd. is a really great choice for your all of your yard’s needs. Rest your back, spend more time with your friends and family – give them a call at 631-988-9211.

Editor in Chief – Herb Mones