Historic Glenwood Landing Cemetery Landmarked

An historic cemetery in Glenwood Landing, where some 30 members of the Mott family are buried, has been landmarked by the Town of North Hempstead. The Motts settled on the eastern shore of Hempstead Harbor some four decades before the Revolutionary War in the communities now known as Glenwood Landing and Roslyn Harbor.

The application for landmark designation was submitted to the town by long-time Glenwood Landing resident Sally Sotirovich. Mrs. Sotirovich's research shows that the cemetery is the resting place of four generations of Motts.

The oldest surviving marker, above, dated 1817, is the gravestone of Robert J. Ross (photo courtesy Mrs. Sotirovich). Robert Ross was the first husband of Abigail Mott, daughter of Glorianna Coles and Revolutionary War veteran Jackson Mott. In 1776, Jackson Mott signed the Association at Cow Neck, which opposed the “oppressive acts” of the British Parliament, and fought in the Battle of Long Island as a member of the Wolver Hollow Militia. He died in 1828 and is buried at the Glenwood Landing site.

Settled in 1681, Glenwood Landing has a rich history of farming, sand mining, milling, oystering, fishing, boat building, and energy supply and production. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the community was a popular resort destination for celebrities and others, who vacationed at Karatsonyi’s Hotel, below, and similar facilities around Hempstead Harbor (postcard courtesy Gold Coast Public Library).

The Mott Cemetery is the first historic site in Glenwood Landing to be landmarked. Mrs. Sotirovich’s research shows that the Mott family arrived in Glenwood Landing and Roslyn Harbor in 1734 from Motts Point in Port Washington. In 1751, Jacob Mott purchased the “Lower Mott Farm,” which extended from Hempstead Harbor to present-day Cody Avenue and included much of present-day Glenwood Landing.

According to Mrs. Sotirovich, the cemetery was located on the farm. The first interment appears to have been about 1802. It is probable that Jacob is buried in the cemetery, but no headstone remains. Jackson, the Revolutionary War soldier and Jacob’s son, lived on the north shore of Motts Cove in a house thought to have been built about 1700. He operated two mills, one located near the front entrance of the present-day Swan Club and one on the south side of present-day Scudders Lane opposite Vine Street.

Jackson Mott’s grandson, Stephen Mott, who also is buried in the cemetery, was the captain of the steamship Idlewild, below, which regularly sailed from Peck’s Slip, near the present-day South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan, to Glenwood Landing (photo courtesy Port Washington Public Library).


Following a hearing in June conducted by the Town of North Hempstead Historic Landmark Commission, the commission recommended landmark status for the cemetery. On September 14, the Town Board unanimously approved a resolution introduced by Councilman Thomas K. Dwyer designating the cemetery as a landmark.

The cemetery is owned by heirs of the Mott family and is not open to the public. A group of local residents is forming the Friends of Mott Cemetery to help preserve and maintain the cemetery and its gravesites. For more information, contact MottCemetery@aol.com.

Happy 216th Birthday William Cullen Bryant

Saturday, Oct. 30: Friends of Cedarmere, a group incorporated this year, reports progress in partnering with Nassau County to reopen Cedarmere, a county-owned historic site and nature preserve. The group also hopes to restore the legacy of William Cullen Bryant (1794 to 1878), a poet, founder of the Republican Party, confidant of Abraham Lincoln, and editor of New York City's Evening Post for 50 years.

Cedarmere, Bryant's home on Hempstead Harbor in Roslyn Harbor, was the "it" place for the 19th century's most distinguished authors, artists, architects, and landscape designers. The Bryant Library in Roslyn and Bryant Park adjacent to the New York Public Library in Manhattan are named for the 19th century man of letters. A statue of Bryant, installed in 1911 shortly after the New York Public Library was completed, still graces the park. Many people will remember memorizing Thanatopsis, or Meditations on Death, Bryant's most famous poem, in high school—an activity that is still frequently included in the high school curriculum.

If the Friends effort is unsuccessful, Cedarmere could conceivably be sold and developed at some point in the future, and many aspects of Bryant's historic significance could slip into oblivion. The group recently met to discuss developments and plans for the future. The event included a celebration of Bryant's 216th birthday, complete with an appearance and a reading by the man himself, played by Frank Hendricks of Glen Cove, shown above cutting his birthday cake.

Cleanup To Begin on Sunoco Property in Glen Head

The Town of Oyster Bay and Sunoco appear to have agreed on a price for the town to purchase the recently closed gas station on the southeast corner of Glen Head Road and Glen Cove Avenue, where another potential buyer had been considering opening a 7-Eleven. A contract has been reviewed by attorneys for the town and Sunco. An environmental review has been completed. The review found "minor" contamination. Sunoco has agreed to conduct the cleanup, which is expected to begin within the next two weeks. The process will probably take about a month and will conclude with an inspection by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. It appears that the town and Sunoco will not sign a contract to transfer ownership until the middle of January.

Gubernatorial Debates 2010 at Hofstra

According to a press release from Hofstra University, seven candidates for Governor of New York State will appear together in a debate at Hofstra on Monday, October 18, at 7 p.m. The debate will be broadcast live by News 12 and several other cable or Internet outlets. An excerpt from the press release is below.

NEWS 12, NEWSDAY, AND HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY
PARTNER TO BRING THE FIRST GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE TO NEW YORK

News 12 Networks, Newsday, and Hofstra University have partnered to present the first New York State Gubernatorial debate on Monday, October 18 at 7:00 p.m. On television, the cable-exclusive event will air live on News 12 Long Island, News 12 Westchester, News 12 Hudson Valley, News 12 The Bronx and News 12 Brooklyn. It will also be carried on Time Warner Cable’s NY1 and YNN, providing coverage throughout the state.

The debate will be held in front of a live audience of invited guests, including community members, local leaders, and Hofstra students. All seven candidates in the race have been invited to attend, and have confirmed:

Charles Barron (Freedom Party)
Andrew Cuomo (Democratic Party)
Kristin Davis (Anti-Prohibition Party)
Howie Hawkins (Green Party)
Jimmy McMillan (Rent is too Damn High Party)
Carl Paladino (Republican Party)
Warren Redlich (Libertarian Party)

In addition to airing on cable, News 12 and Newsday, as part of their commitment to serve as leading resources of news and information in New York, are streaming the event live on www.news12.com and www.newsday.com, making the debate available to anyone with Internet access.

Scudders Pond Restoration Plan Unveiled

Learn about the important quality improvements planned for Scudders Pond and the Scudders Pond Watershed at a public meeting on Wednesday, May 26, at 7 P.M. at North Shore Country Club.

The Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee has secured multiple grants to upgrade storm drains and make other improvements in and around Scudders Pond and to prepare a restoration plan. At the meeting, Cashin Associates, the consultant on the project, will present the plan and take public comments.

The Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee is an inter-municipal organization made up of the nine municipalities surrounding Hempstead Harbor. The Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Association and the United Civic Council of Glen Head and Glenwood Landing serve as technical advisors.

The project is funded by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund administered by the New York State Department of State and by the Nassau County Environmental Bond Act, with the Village of Sea Cliff administering the funding.

The meeting is hosted by North Shore Country Club, 500 Shore Road, Sea Cliff.

What's Your Vision for Muttontown Preserve?

Let Nassau County know how you think Muttontown Preserve—and all the nature preserves in Nassau County, Long Island, New York—should be managed at a public planning meeting on Saturday, May 22, from 9:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.

Identify and explore community ideas and desires for the Muttontown Preserve Master Plan currently being drafted for the county by Saratoga Associates, a consulting firm.

According to county staff, the Muttontown plan will be used as a prototype for creating other master plans for other preserves throughout the county.

This is the second community meeting held to obtain community input for the Muttontown plan. A standing-room-only crowd turned out for the first meeting in March.

The May meeting will be held at The Hoffman Center, 6000 Northern Blvd.m East Norwich, NY 11732. RSVP.

Hempstead Harbor Highlights Water Quality Improvements in New York State

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis, right, with Glen Cove Mayor Ralph Suozzi, visited Hempstead Harbor yesterday, kicking off a state-wide tour of sites that showcase the most significant environmental improvements achieved in New York State since the first Earth Day was celebrated 40 years ago.

Commissioner Grannis announced the anticipated opening of Hempstead Harbor to shellfishing, an activity that has been prohibited in Hempstead Harbor for decades owing to poor water quality. State studies show that the water is now clean enough for the ban to be lifted. If federal data confirm state findings, shellfishing soon will be permitted in certain designated areas.

Much of the improvement in water quality is due to the work of the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee, an inter-municipal organization made up of the nine municipalities surrounding Hempstead Harbor, as well as local community groups and state agencies that serve as technical advisors.

Each municipal government—Nassau County, the towns of Oyster Bay and North Hempstead, the City of Glen Cove, and the villages of Sea Cliff, Roslyn Harbor, Roslyn, Flower Hill, and Sands Point—appoints a representative and pays modest dues to participate in the committee.

The NYS Department of State, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, United Civic Council of Glen Head and Glenwood Landing, New York Sea Grant, Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor, and Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Association serve on the committee as technical advisors.

Since the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee was established 15 years ago, it has completed water quality improvement and harbor management plans and has secured nearly $3 million in grants to implement plan recommendations.

“The projects the committee undertakes—like storm drain inserts or water quality testing—may not always seem terribly exciting, but they are awfully important, ” Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Association President Patrice Benneward said.

“Progress is often painstakingly slow, but the local and state commitment to the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee has been tenacious. We appreciate all that our state agencies and municipal governments have done and look forward to continuing to work together on many projects that continue to improve and protect Hempstead Harbor.”

Other speakers included Department of Environmental Conservation Regional Director Peter Scully, Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto, Town of Hempstead Councilman Fred Pollack, Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee Chairperson Bill Clemency, Glen Cove Mayor Ralph Suozzi, Village of Sea Cliff Mayor Bruce Kennedy, Village of Roslyn Harbor Mayor Yvette Edidin, Carol DiPaolo of the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor, and Pat Aitkin of Friends of the Bay (see photos below).

The civic association has supported the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee since the committee's early days by providing letters of support for grant applications, assisting with public outreach, and helping to set the environmental agenda. The Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor has been testing water quality in the harbor for more than a decade in partnership with the committee, Nassau County, the Town of Oyster Bay, and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.

Among the activities that have contributed to the overall environmental improvement of Hempstead Harbor are an upgrade in wastewater treatment at Glen Cove, conversion of Roslyn’s wastewater treatment facility to a pump station, designation of a no-discharge zone for watercraft, closure of two incinerators and a landfill, implementation of a nitrogen limit for Long island Sound, removal of rotting barges from a nearby sand mining operation, and wetland restoration.

In addition to many grants aimed directly at water quality improvement, the municipalities on the committee have recently obtained grants to construct canoe and kayak trails in Manhasset Bay, Hempsead Harbor, Oyster Bay, and Cold Spring Harbor.

Peter Scully, Director, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Long Island Region, flanked by Carol DiPaolo, Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor (right), Oyster Bay Town Councilwoman Rebecca Alesia, and Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto.


Bill Clemency, Deputy Mayor, Village of Flower Hill, and Chair, Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee.


Carol DiPaolo, Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor.


Eric Swenson, Director, Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee, left, and GeesePeace founder David Feld.


Fred Pollack, Town of North Hempstead Councilman and Representative, Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee.


Sea Cliff Mayor Bruce Kennedy and Roslyn Harbor Mayor Yvette Edidin.


Pat Aitken, Director, Friends of the Bay.


Members of the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor, a non-profit organization made up of concerned citizens that is a technical advisor to the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee, an inter-municipal organization made up of local government representatives.

NYS DEC Commissioner to Visit Hempstead Harbor

Mark the 40th anniversary of Earth Day by celebrating the environmental improvements that have been achieved in Hempstead Harbor at a media event with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis and the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee.

The event will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 18, at Morgan Park, Glen Cove. All those who enjoy and care about Hempstead Harbor and invited to attend.

The anticipated opening of a portion of the harbor to shellfish harvesting for the first time in more than 50 years and the important role that citizens can play in bringing about environmental improvements will be emphasized.

The Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee (HHPC) is an inter-municipal organization made up of the municipalities surrounding the harbor. HHPC has obtained grants to create harbor management and water quality improvement plans, improve conditions at Scudders Pond, and begin development of a canoe/kayak trail in Hempstead Harbor, Oyster Bay, and Cold Spring Harbor—among many other important environmental projects.

The Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Association is a technical advisor to HHPC and a strong supporter of the committee's work, as is the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor, a non-profit organization.

DIRECTIONS TO MORGAN PARK from Glen Cove Fire House at northern end of NYS Rt. 107: Turn right onto Brewster Street. At first light, make a left onto Mill Hill Road (take the fork going UPHILL). At the top of the hill bear left onto a street called The Place. Make the third left onto McLoughlin Street (you will see a sign for Morgan Park there). Follow McLoughlin Street almost to the end, and make a right onto Germaine Street. The entrance to the parking lot will be on the left.

Appraisals Obained for Former Sunoco Station in Glen Head

Reliable sources report that discussion is underway between the Town of Oyster Bay and the owner of the lot on southeast corner of Glen Head Road and Glen Cove Avenue for town purchase of the property, that both parties have obtained appraisals, and that there is a significant difference between the two appraisal figures.

Montesano Is Glen Head's New State Assemblyman

The Associated Press reports that Mike Montesano (R) won yesterday's special election in New York State Assembly District 15, which includes much of Glen Head.

According to the Associated Press, Mr. Montesano received 72 percent of the vote in the special election against Matt Ming (D). He will finish the term of Rob Walker (R), who resigned to accept a position in the administration of Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, and will be required to run again this November.

Candidates for NYS Assembly District 15

The candidates for the New York State Assembly seat in District 15 are Matt Meng (D) of East Norwich and Mike Montesano (R) of Glen Head.

A special election will be held on February 9 to fill the seat vacated by Rob Walker, who resigned to become Chief Deputy County Executive in the Mangano administration. Ed Mangano (R) was sworn in as Nassau County Executive on January 1.

The 15th Assembly District includes part of Glen Head and Glenwood Landing. Other communities in the district are Bethpage, Brookville, East Garden City, East Hills, East Meadow, East Norwich, Greenvale, Hicksville, Jericho, Lattingtown, Laurel Hollow, Levittown, Locust Valley, Matinecock, Muttontown, New Cassel, Old Brookville, Old Westbury, Oyster Bay, Oyster Bay Cove, Plainview, Salisbury, Syosset, Upper Brookville, and Westbury.





To learn whether you live in the 15th Assembly District, contact the Nassau County Board of Elections (516-571-2411) or consult the interactive map maintained by the New York State Board of Elections.

THE CANDIDATES

Mr. Ming operates The Little Garage, a BMW specialty shop, in Huntington. Mr. Montesano, an attorney, maintains an office in Glen Cove.

Both men have run for other offices: Mr. Meng for Oyster Bay Town Clerk and New York State Senate; Mr. Montesano for Nassau County Legislature

A former New York City Police Detective and Emergency Medical Technician, Mr. Montesano has been Acting Justice in the Village of Roslyn Harbor since 2003. He was a prosecuting attorney in Roslyn Harbor from 1998 to 2003, has taught law courses at the New York Institute of Technology, and received the Practitioner of the Year award from the Nassau County Criminal Court’s Bar Association.

Mr. Meng has been active in civic affairs for many years. He has been a member of the Nassau County Dept. of Parks, Recreation & Museums Advisory Board and president of the East Norwich Civic Association and served on the board of the Friends of the Bay. He helped to found and has served on the boards of the Long Island Drinking Water Coalition, United Civic Associations of North Oyster Bay, Long Island Environmental Voters Forum, and STOP Avalon Coalition.

Travel Back in Time with the Glenwood Landing Historical Society

The recently formed Glenwood Landing Historical Society will hold its inaugural event on Saturday, January 23, at 7 P.M. at Glenwood Community Church, 71 Grove Street.

The evening will focus on Glenwood Landing during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Historical photographs, postcards, articles, atlases, censuses, and other memorabilia will be displayed.

There also will be an opportunity to learn about Glenwood Landing celebrities and some of the nation's oldest sailing vessels in continuous services.

Light refreshments will be served.

Special Election to Fill Assembly Seat in Part of Glen Head

Rob Walker (R) has resigned the New York State Assembly seat he first won in a special election in 2005, succeeding Assemblywoman Donna Ferrara (R).

Mr. Walker and Ms. Ferrara represented the 15th Assembly District, which includes some of Glen Head and extends northeast to Oyster Bay and southeast to Hicksville and East Meadow.

Mr. Walker resigned to join the administration of Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano as Chief Deputy County Executive. Ms. Ferrara resigned to accept an appointment to the New York State Workers' Compensation Board.

A special election to fill the 15th Assembly District vacancy left by Mr. Walker's resignation will be held on Tuesday, February 9. According to the Nassau County Board of Elections, the names that will appear on the ballot will be finalized on January 15 and available on January 16. The names will be posted here, on The Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Spot.

Whoever wins the special election will be required to run again in November, when the Assembly term normally expires.

Mr. Walker, 34, was Mr. Mangano's campaign manager. In 1996, he was a legislative intern in Mr. Mangano's office and has served as the Town of Oyster Bay’s Deputy Commissioner of Parks, helped to implement the town’s environmental bond program, and was assistant to Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto.

Before his election as County Executive in November 2009, Mr. Mangano was a Nassau County Legislator representing the 17th Legislative District, which includes Hicksville, Bethpage, and Plainedge. Mr. Walker's mother, Rose Marie Walker, replaces Mr. Mangano as Legislator in the 17th Legislative District. Mrs. Walker had served on the Oyster Bay Town Council since 2003.