"HOG" Motorcycle Club Mounts 4th Annual Ride For Ronald McDonald House

New Hyde Park, NY (December 10, 2022) - Approximately 200 members of the Suffolk County “HOG” (Harley Owners Group)

Motorcycle Ride to bring toys and cheer to families staying at the Ronald McDonald House here today. 

The ride delivered dozens of toys that were given out by Santa Claus and raised more than $6,000 for the construction of a new Ronald McDonald House to be located in Suffolk County to serve families there. 

The event is the biggest of the year for the Suffolk County HOG group. 

“These kids in the hospital are very sick and their families are under a lot of stress,” said Nicholas Nigro, Organizer of the Annual HOG ride. “They should be able to celebrate for a day. If it brings a smile to their face for one day, that’s all we want to do.” 

The event started with a gathering of the riders at the Suffolk County Harley Davidson, located at 4020 Sunrise Hwy, Oakdale, NY 11769. Members packed the toys on a three-wheeled motorcycle “sleigh” and in a group of Jeeps and the convoy of riders departed at approximately 11 a.m. The group traveled along Sunrise Highway and Ocean Parkway, with a scenic view of the beach, before turning north toward the Ronald McDonald House, located at 267-07 76th Ave, Queens, NY 11040, arriving at approximately noon.  Riders disembarked and distributed toys to the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House. 

“Events like today put smiles on the faces of the families that stay here and its just so special,” said Matt Campo, CEO of RMHC NYM. “We will collect enough toys in the last 30 days of the year to last us all of next year. Every time a child comes back to their room there’s something waiting for them.” 

The Nissequogue River State Park Master Plan Is Available For Public Viewing

Nissequogue River State Park Draft Master Plan is available for viewing. The public is once again being called on to participate in its presentation December 13th.

A public meeting on the Draft Master Plan and DEIS will be hosted online Tuesday, December 13, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will be recorded and made publicly available. During the meeting, a presentation will be made about the Plan and DEIS and presenters will be available to receive verbal comments after the presentation. Free registration in advance of the online meeting will be required in order to attend. To register, please fill out the registration with this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrc-Guqj8vH9Hf_nvXa8vUD3aW2IERh-Dm

Link to Master Plan:https://parks.ny.gov/documents/inside-our-agency/Masterplans/NSRP/NSRPDraftMasterPlan.pdf

On February 3, 2021, OPRHP hosted a virtual Public Information Meeting. Attendees viewed a presentation on site resources; were provided an overview of the planning process; and encouraged to share with OPRHP staff the issues, impacts, and alternatives they would like explored in the Master Plan.

A month-long public comment period followed the event, and a recreational needs assessment was conducted between February 3 - 17, 2021. More than 1,600 respondents, 76% of whom live within 10 miles of the park, participated in the assessment. Four virtual focus group meetings were hosted throughout March and April 2021 which enabled the public to participate in targeted discussions on ecology, active recreation, historic preservation, and programming at the site.

An additional public information session was hosted outside at NRSP on October 27, 2021.

This meeting, while not the final step in the process, is the culmination of two years of outreach to the public, listening to concerns and incorporating ideas.  ”Guiding principals were set at the outset of the process to ensure the development of the master plan meets the needs of the local community and aligns with the overarching mission of OPRHP “to provide safe and enjoyable recreational and interpretive opportunities for all New York State residents and visitors and to be responsible stewards of our valuable natural, historic and cultural resources.” (pg.7, Draft Master Plan for Nissequogue River State Park)

OPRHP encourages the public to participate in the online public meeting and welcomes all comments on the draft documents. An online version of the Draft Master Plan and DEIS is available at the following publicly accessible website: https://parks.ny.gov/inside-our-agency/master-plans.aspx. Non-digital copies of the documents can be obtained from the Agency Contacts listed below. The documents are also available for review at the Long Island Regional Office, 625 Belmont Ave, West Babylon, NY.

To participate you MUST pre-register.

FYI: The Average NY Man Spends 29 Minutes Getting Ready For A Night Out

Submitted by Tools of Men

Manscaping Minutes: The average New York man spends 29 minutes getting ready for a night out, reveals survey. 

• … and 1 in 5 pluck their eyebrows.
• 10% said they would be prepared to go into debt buying grooming products.
• Interactive map included showing how long men across the country spend grooming.

Times have changed. Only a few years ago, the idea of a man spending more than a few minutes on his grooming regime - a dab of deodorant, a squirt of hair gel - would have been laughable. But - some might say thankfully - attitudes have changed. Perhaps it’s the boom in social media, making it acceptable for people to portray themselves more and more on camera, or the rise in US reality shows. All this has required the average male to up his game, knowing that he might be compared to what others see on social media or TV - and encourage him to make the most of himself. 

Grooming advice website, Tools of Men, wanted to see how this trend has translated to American men, and polled 3,000 of them to find out just how long they spend getting ready for a night out. The results showed that the average New York man spends a not-insignificant 29 minutes getting ready (not including showering) - fairly long, we can all agree, considering they (mostly) won’t be applying make up or spending time drying long hair. But maybe they’re just enjoying the process of a little self care and pampering - after all, feeling good is an overall part of looking good, as they say.  The national average is 27 minutes.

Perhaps surprisingly, it is Delawarean men who take the longest preparing before a night out – a full 35 minutes on average! Conversely, Montanan men are less bothered about their appearance, spending only 10 minutes getting ready.

Interactive map showing how long it takes men in each state to get ready for a night out

The survey also found that men say that the element that takes up most time while getting ready for a night out is choosing their outfit (69%), doing their hair takes second (23%) while 8% said it is skin prepping - moisturizing, toning, shaving etc. Nearly a quarter of men (22%) confessed they actually pluck their eyebrows, while 10% said they would be prepared to get into debt buying grooming products such as razors, moisturizers, or teeth whitening products, which don’t come cheap. And in a sign that times really have changed, over 1 in 10 heterosexual men admit they take longer to get ready than their partner.

‘People’s views on male grooming have shifted significantly in recent years,’ says Adam Williams of Tools of Men. ‘Our survey shows that that men are actively looking after their appearance and enjoying taking care of it, which is very encouraging to see.’

Karla Iwanejko Troop 539G Kings Park's Newest Eagle Scout

Legislator Rob Trotta with Eagle Scout Karla Iwanejko(Smithtown, NY)…Since being sworn in as a Suffolk County Legislator in January 2015, Legislator Rob Trotta has attended numerous ceremonies where boy scouts have been recognized for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest award in scouting. Recently, Legislator Trotta had the opportunity to attend his first Court of Honor for Karla Iwanejko of Kings Park who had attained the rank of Eagle Scout with Troop 539G, which was formed in 2019. Karla is a graduate of Kings Park High School and is a freshman at Suffolk County Community College.

For her Eagle Scout project, Karla obtained permission from the Kings Park High School Superintendent Dr. Timothy Eagen and Principal Dr. Karen Lessler to create a recycling bin at the high school to collect water bottles and soda cans. Karla worked with the late Dr. Lessler to design and plan the recycling unit, which Karla and her fellow scouts built andpainted the school’s logon on it. She dedicated it to Dr. Lessler, who passed away before the project was completed. The bin is located in the lobby of the high school. Various school clubs receive the deposit refunds from this recycling program.

“I wouldn’t miss this event for the world. I am so proud of Karla for completing the requirements for the rank of Eagle Scout and for being the first female in her troop to do so. It is important that she remembers that this achievement will be with her for the rest of her life,” said Legislator Rob Trotta.

Legislator Rob Trotta presented a proclamation to Karla Iwanejko at her Eagle Scout Court of Honor.

Can You Help? Legislator Trotta Is Hosting A Coat Drive

Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta Holds Winter Coat Drive with SMM Advertising and RSVP

(Smithtown, NY)…For several years, Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta has been working with Smithtown based SMM Advertising and the Retired Senior Volunteer Programs (RSVP) to conduct a winter coat drive to benefit the residents of Suffolk County who are in need of warm winter clothing. They are collecting gently used or new coats, jackets, hats, gloves, mittens and new socks for infants, children, teens and adult men and women.

“As people prepare for the winter and clean out their closets or plan to give a new coat as a holiday gift, it is important for all of us to help our fellow neighbors who need warm coats by contributing to this event,” said Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta.

Donations of coats and other outerwear may be dropped off at Legislator Trotta’s district office, located at 59 Landing Avenue, Suite 1, (Blue Door) in Smithtown from 9am – 4pm, Monday through Friday. The coat drive ends Friday, January 6, 2023. For directions or questions, please call Legislator Trotta’s office at 631-854- 3900.