The Trail Mix

A newsletter for and about the Setauket to Port Jefferson Station GreenwayVolume 3, Issue

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 the our parent organization – The Three Village Community Trust.

Yes, It’s Bad Out There

Greenways provide an enjoyable and safe way for pedestrians and bicyclists to travel around neighborhoods and communities. It is surprising how few non-motorized corridors exist, particularly in light of the dangers posed to pedestrians using our roadways.
If you missed it, Newsday recently reported that 2022 was the deadliest year for pedestrians in the last four decades. An estimated 7,508 pedestrians were fatally struck by cars across the Highway Safety Association, the national death toll shows a 77% uptick in pedestrian fatalities since 2010. On Long Island, 63 people walking lost their lives.

Pam Fisher, the senior director of external engagement at the Governors Highway Safety Association gave this grim assessment of our dangerous roadways: We’re talking about 20 people on foot being killed every day in the country. It’s just not acceptable. Nobody should die because they walked out the door that morning to go wherever they needed to go and they were struck by a driver.
Speeding cars, reckless behavior, impaired driving, distracted drivers, lack of sidewalks – all play a role in the unnecessary deaths of so many innocent people. Pam Fisher notes: People are still getting in their cars and really behaving badly in some cases, and driving at high rates of speed, impaired, distracted and so forth.

Greenways are safe corridors that save lives, and when combined with common sense traffic legislation and enforcement can make a big difference in protecting our loved ones.

We Love Box Turtles

File this under FYI – We recently wrote to the Long Island Department of Transportation to say:

“The Three Village Community Trust, and its committee The Friends of the Greenway, is requesting your help in protecting the box turtles that have been sited along the Setauket to Port Jefferson Station Greenway. A concentration of these turtles have been seen in the area adjacent to the trail near the Lawrence Aviation property.

We are hoping that the LI-NYSDOT would not mow the area by Lawrence Aviation in the future. This would help protect the habitat the turtles are using in their foraging. A un-mowed corridor in this location would have little impact on the walkers, runners and bicycle riders using the trail.

Thank you for your help throughout the year, and for your consideration in this request.”

So, if you see the grass a bit high in this area, just know we want to protect our turtles!

Found on the Trail

Chicken Hill Country Picnic

Want to support the Greenway? Please buy tickets to the Annual Chicken Hill Country Picnic held in August on the grounds of the Three Village Community Trust’s Headquarters!

This event is a major fundraiser for the support of the Trust’s properties and projects – including the Setauket to Port Jefferson Greenway! We guarantee you a great time! Please join us!

CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets!

PS: ‘Chicken Hill’ was the name used in the late 1800’s for the neighborhood surrounding our Headquarters.

Call Herb at 631-942-4558 for more info!!

Our July Cleanup

On Saturday, July 22nd, we continued our cleanup efforts on the trail. The Port Jefferson Trailhead section has been transformed due to the work our volunteers over the past two years. A tremendous amount of litter and debris has been removed from the woodlands surrounding the trail, and now, the vistas are simply – beautiful!! Congratulations to All!!

Our Summer and Fall Clean Up Schedule

Summer and Fall

• Saturday, August 12th at 8:30 am, Starting locations: The Port Jefferson Station and Setauket Trailhead. Note: This is an early start time – to beat the heat!
• Saturday, September 9th 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

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 – 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, 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 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.

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