As the clock struck noon on the sunny Friday, May 10th sleepy Ocean Beach Village Green came alive with camera crews and reporters as Suffolk County Executive Steven Bellone and Islip Town Supervisor Tom Croci assembled at the podium to deliver a simple message: Fire Island is back and ready for the summer. There has been much uncertainty about the viability of the upcoming tourist season as a shadow of Hurricane Sandy’s wrath is still very much evident on Fire Island.

However the message delivered by top elected Town and County officials was very positive as they were flanked by other important men and National Park Service Rangers stood about the outer perimeter, tall and imposing.

“Super Storm Sandy delivered a very tough blow but it was by no means a knock-out blow,” said Suffolk County Executive Steven Bellone. “We are here to say that Fire Island is back, it is open for business and it is better than ever.”

The event was coordinated by the Concerned Friends of Fire Island, a collective of local businesses focused on raising public awareness about and to protect the economic welfare of Fire Island.

Audience questions however, were largely about other aspects of Fire Islands recovery: the fate of the breach at Old Inlet, when would there be access to Field 5 at Robert Moses State Park again, and what would the fate of Verizon’s landline telephone service be?

Bellone skillfully reminded the audience that Fire Island’s economic stability, infrastructure and natural resources are issues very much intertwined. “It is impossible to underestimate the importance of this place to Suffolk County,” he said recognizing the physical role the barrier island played in protecting the shores of greater Long Island form the bulk of Hurricane Sandy’s impact as well as the contribution Fire Island plays in keeping the county coffers in good health.

Steve Bellone – Photo by Tanya Fuchs

At the crossroads of the six-month anniversary of Hurricane Sandy and the eminent launch of the coming Memorial Day Weekend, now is a good time to take a look at the veritable ocean of charitable causes that have washed over Fire Island in the wake of the great storm that rocked our Island and caused heavy damage to many New York Beaches.

While all were born, or at least largely defined by the same bitter seed that came to Fire Island’s shores late last October, this may be the only affinity that the groups share. Each organization has evolved with its own set of target interests. Some of which overlap, others that self-compete and some even contradict with one another. In addition multiple causes are making appeals to the same narrow audience sector of Fire Island residents who have become inundated with requests, which can lead to confusion and a dose of apprehension about the sudden proliferation of start-ups.

As a public service, FireIsland.Com has reached out to a few of the organizations that have come on the scene in recent months. This listing is not intended to endorse nor discourage support towards any of the mentioned groups, but rather clarify who’s who and what they’re about. The summaries include highlights of their mission statements and the positions they take on key issues that effect Fire Island, so that our readers can make educated decisions on where they want their donation dollars to go.

All profiles are based on an identical 19-point questionnaire sent to all organizations that agreed to participate in this article.

Concerned Friends of Fire Island, Inc.: The prevention of economic, rather than coastal erosion is the primary thrust of Concerned Friends of Fire Island, Inc. Also known as Revive Fire Island as a result of its signature red and white logo, the collective “has been formed in order to raise funds that will be used to promote public awareness about the rebuilding and reestablishment of Fire Island’s beaches and communities before the 2013 season” according to their mission statement.

Key directors of this merchant driven organization include James Mallot, Mayor of Ocean Beach and owner of Albatross Restaurant; Scott Hirsch, owner of Island Mermaid Restaurant and Whitney Pantry Market of Ocean Beach; and Tim Mooney, President of Fire Island Ferries of Bay Shore, NY. The organization was founded in January of 2013 and has New York State 501 (c) (3) Type B status. Collected donations are used to fund the PR and advertising campaign to dispel rumors of Fire Island’s demise that Concerned Friends of Fire Island attests were being perpetuated by the local news industry in the moths that followed Hurricane Sandy. Since their inception, the organization has expanded to include the membership of additional business establishments located between Kismet and the Ocean Bay Park communities.

As an organization focused on commercial interests, Concerned Friends of Fire Island takes no position on environmental issues such as the breach at Old Inlet. However they do cite lack of beach replenishment as one of the greatest shortfalls of Fire Island’s recovery effort to date. They speak of the rebuilding efforts of Fire Island’s commercial districts in less than seven months as its greatest success.

Visit the website: www.revivefi.com or the Facebook page: Facebook.com/revivefi for further information.

Protect Long Island: Working on the premise that Fire Island is not a standalone issue, but rather its destiny and that of greater Long Island are very much intertwined, Protect Long Island has become a newly prominent voice on the beachfront advocacy issue. This should not come as much of a surprise as Protect Long Island’s President is Susan Barbash. In the early 1960’s her father, the late Maurice Barbash was the Chairman of the Citizen’s Committee for a Fire Island National Seashore, a grassroots organization that helped pave way to the creation of FINS. Thus the Protect Long Island is a direct link to the barrier island’s activist heritage.

The first paragraph of Protect Long Island’s Mission Statement reads:

To advocate for the adoption and implementation of pro-active measures that will protect Long Island from catastrophic storm surges; and to initiate, sponsor, aid and assist the formulation of programs that will stimulate public and governmental interest in this cause.

Components of education, mobilization and lobbying are further outlined in the statement, including raising public awareness about the consequences of inaction, environmental as well as economic factors. Founded in December of 2012, other key people of the organization include Jeanne Edwards, an Agent with Douglas Elliman Real Estate; and James Taylor, a Partner with Rogers and Taylor Appraisers; and J.F. McCarthy, a Real Estate Developer with Site Selection Advisory Group of West Islip, NY.

Protect Long Island is organized as a 501 (c) 4 nonprofit with New York State. Donations are welcome, but not tax deductable. Donations are used for developing a campaign to mobilize support for the restoration and protection of the barrier beach, and lobbying elected officials and agencies for a long-term Coastal Management Plan.

Their logo of a semi-submerged simplified map of Long Island gets their message across in stark terms.

“Wide spread destruction to the south shore of Long Island caused by Sandy which demonstrated the importance of a stable barrier beach,” replied Susan Barbash when asked about the impetus behind Protect Long Island’s formation. “Without Fire Island, much of the south shore of Long Island would have suffered the fate of Long Beach, the Rockaways and Breezy Point.”

Much like The Concerned Friends of Fire Island, Protect Long Island mentions the rebound of merchants on both sides of the Great South Bay as being one of the most encouraging signs of recovery after Sandy. However in contrast, they believe the handling of the mass debris cleanup overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with its numerous delays due to bidding challenges was among the greater shortcomings of the recovery effort so far.

“I am also discouraged by the polarization caused by the Old Inlet Breach debate,” Barbash writes. “Protect Long Island recognizes the benefit of flushing the bay but believes that the ever growing breach is starving the beach to the west of sand… A breach is not a long-term viable solution to pollution caused by mainland runoff.  It is like running toilet – constantly flushing but not addressing the problem at its source.”

Protect Long Island offers are variety of bonus incentive merchandise to would-be contributors. Visit www.protectli.org or checks may be mailed to PO Box 699 Babylon NY 11702.

Save the Great South Bay, Inc.: Founded only months before the storm hit, Save the Great South Bay is not post-Sandy cause by definition. The opening statement marking the organization’s founding on August 18, 2012 reads:

“After 35 years of living away from Long Island, I moved back last year to raise a family in Manhasset. One summer day my son and I were in Sayville, where I grew up. We went to the town beach, as I had at his age, and I was appalled. Dark brown and warm as tea. Nothing much alive here.”

The young organization found itself thrust into the center of one of the most heated of Long Island’s post-hurricane debates when the breach broke through Fire Island National Seashore jurisdiction territory at Old Inlet, separating Smith Point 1 ¼ miles due east from the rest of Fire Island proper.

“The storm obviously made the breach the chief issue of the moment,” writes Marshall Brown, President of Save the Great South Bay. “[The breach] also gave people on the Great South Bay – people on the South Shore and on Fire Island – a chance to see what the Great South Bay could look like if we started to take care of it. The breach will go, either via nature or via man. In the end it is up to us all to fix this bay, or all that we treasure will go with it.”

Board Members of Save the Great South Bay are a mix of lifelong baymen and fisherman, as well as Marine Biologists, including Dr. Arthur Kopelman, Professor of Science in the Department of Science and Mathematics at Fashion Institute of Technology and Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Marine Sciences at Dowling College. Kopelman is also co-founder of the Coastal Research and Educational Society of Long Island (CRESLI).

Turning the tide of public opinion and policy making in the wake of the storm to keep the breach open in the interests of bay health is what Save the Great South Bay believes is the greatest achievement of the post-Sandy recovery effort, and describes “fear mongering from our leaders” as its biggest downfall.

“Fire Island and The Great South Bay really can’t be separate,” says Brown in his written statement. “[It] is where most of us grew up in a sense… We’ve been studying the science of the breach day by day, and had the data shown that the breach at The Old Inlet / The New Inlet was increasing flooding, all the scientists involved from all the various entities who are in our group would have sounded the alarm. These are scientists who respond only to data, where results are independently verifiable… We are reaching out to other non-profits and research institutions, as well as local groups, in other that we can form a broad coalition through which we can address the bay’s many problems.”

Save the Great South Bay is Incorporated as a New York State Nonprofit and is working towards federal 501 (c) 3 status. Donations are welcome and one can learn more about them by visiting www.savethegreatsouthbay.org as well as their Facebook page.

Keep in Mind: It generally takes over a year for a newly organized New York State Charity to earn their federal 501 (c) 3 status with the Internal Revenue Service. For newly formed organizations to have their applications in a pending state is in no way unusual.

It is interesting to note that while over $70-million dollars has been generated by the well publicized 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief last December, none of it has found its way to the people of Fire Island so far.

“Robin Hood has not provided any grants to organizations on Fire Island directly,” wrote Patty Smith, Managing Director of Marketing & Communications for the Robin Hood Foundation.

As the designated primary recipient of funding from the benefit concert, The Robin Hood Foundation has in turn redistributed that money to over 400 smaller non-profits located to regions throughout the Tri-State area impacted by the great storm.

“We provided a $2.5 million grant to the Long Term Recovery Committee for Long Island which Fire Island could access if they qualify,” Smith’s e-mail continues. “I don’t believe any organizations from Fire Island applied for funding.”

We thank all the organizations that agreed to participate in this article and wish them well.

In a curious story that Susan Barbash told when recalling the life of her father, Murray Barbash found himself showing Willy Stargell the sites of Long Island. The legendary baseball player was in town because he was narrating Joseph Schwatner’s New Morning for the World with the Long Island Philharmonic. In the 1980’s Stargell’s playing days were now behind him, but he often scouted in search of future Major League talent.

“Willy, how do you know if a player has the right stuff?” Barbash asked the two toured one of Barbash’s favorite spots along Long Island’s South Shore.

“A player can have all the lessons and practice in the world,” replied Stargell “but to play great ball you need to be born with bat speed.”

Stargell’s chauffer for the day may have never aspired to be a great baseball player, but it is fair to say that Murray Barbash was a man who had the gift of bat speed with everything he approached in life.

Maurice Barbash passed away some three weeks ago on March 13, 2013 at the age of 88. To the residents of the of Dunewood he was known as not only the Fire Island community’s developing founder, but their neighbor and friend. Fire Island history remembers him as the Chairman of the Citizen’s Committee for a Fire Island National Seashore, the driving grassroots force that stopped master planning giant Robert Moses from building a four-lane highway down the middle of the fragile barrier beach, using little more than guile and a dose of common sense. To his family which includes his wife Lillian to whom he was married for over 65 years, three children and six grandchildren he was a figure of infectious enthusiasm whether it be for his love of sailing, being an sports fan, enjoying and supporting classical music, or being a ski bum – an activity he still actively pursued well into his late 80’s.

Dunewood

The youngest of the Fire Island communities to be included in Fire Island National Seashore’s recognition clause, Dunewood was the development enterprise of Mr. Barbash and then business-partner Irwin Chess. Sunny, spacious, modern – the perfect summer home for carefree vacation days read the promotional literature offering 100 modest homes, none exceeding 1000 square feet, were offered for sale to the public in 1958. It was the only fully planned community on Fire Island and some would give Dunewood the moniker of “Levittown by the Sea.”

While it’s true Barbash took cues from building trends that were sweeping post-war Long Island, other concepts were ahead of their time including sequential floor-plan rotation to minimize the cookie-cutter appearance of the neighborhood. In the years prior to the debut of Dunewood, Murray and Lillian would sometimes vacation in nearby Ocean Beach. He took the experience as a lesson in what not to do and decided against having a commercial district in this new community, a situation he viewed as an irreconcilable conflict.

“Murray understood the importance of wetlands,” said his brother-in-law Irving Like, an attorney and fellow longtime Dunewood resident.  “Some developers might be concerned about being inundated with complaints if they lived in the community they developed, but Murray had no fear because he was beloved.”

A Fire Island National Seashore

In the early 1960’s the concept of highway construction at one point felt all but inevitable on Fire Island as the idea had been endorsed by newspapers and politicians that were under the influence of the powerful Long Island State Parks Commissioner, Robert Moses. Four men including Murray Barbash and Irving Like sat one morning in a diner trying to figure out what to do. A basically ignored proposal for declaring Fire Island a National Seashore caught their attention. It had been done in Cape Cod and the model was possible. They reached out to fellow Fire Islanders who were having the same concerns.

“You can’t just oppose, you have to have a better alternative and some losing causes are worth fighting for,” explained Irving Like reminiscing of those days.

At 9 years old Susan Barbash recalls accompanying her parents to protests and rallies. “It was quite the adventure Moses was our first villain,” she recalls. While Irving Like the attorney put the petitions and legal briefs together, Murray Barbash the building developer made slide show presentations to local Long Island Chapters of the Rotary Club, the Audubon Society and the League of Women’s Voters as well as tirelessly lobbying Congressman in Washington D.C. to promote the cause of the Citizen’s Committee for a Fire Island National Seashore. He would recall the figures he met vividly in his travels decades later, including New York State Governor Nelson Rockefeller, a man of such privilege he did not even take off his own coat.

Now is the time… The Fire Island National Seashore must be approved by Congress during this session – next year may be too late, warns Citizen’s Committee literature produced by Barbash and illustrated with a Dana Wallace photograph.

“The Secret of our success was that most of our members were not Fire Islanders,” said Barbash in an interview three years ago. “We shifted the fight from Moses versus Fire Island Residents to Moses versus conservation.”

On September 11, 1964 the cause prevailed as United States President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Fire Island National Seashore enacting legislation as the law of the land. However there was still much work to be done.

Barbash was appointed to be part of a newly formed Fire Island National Seashore Planning Commission the following year by the U.S. Department of Interior. This unsalaried advisory committee comprised of over a dozen men and women was created to envision how this new national treasure would be managed. They soon learned that vocal Fire Island residents would not always agree with the proposals the FINS Planning Commission brought fourth. One proposal strongly supported by Barbash was the construction of a bicycle path to connect the Fire Island communities. The concept was eliminated from the preliminary draft of the maiden Fire Island National Seashore General Management Plan.

“My father would still get upset about it like it happened last summer,” his daughter Susan explains. “He felt that the public was not given enough access to Fire Island and considered that a failure.”

Beyond Fire Island

Barbash’s construction business remained ongoing and produced successful building ventures that left their imprint on greater Long Island over the decades. They include The Harbour Club in West Babylon, Willow Like in Smithtown and the Villages at Huntington in Melville just to name a few. However just as Fire Island National Seashore had past their first decade of existence and was coming into its own, a new controversy was on the horizon on Long Island’s North Shore with the Shorham Nuclear Power Plant.

Constructed by the Long Island Lighting Company between the years 1973 – 1984, the question loomed how would millions of Long Island residents be evacuated in the event of nuclear disaster? He founded Citizens to Replace LILCO, a group that used many of the same inclusive principals utilized with the Citizen’s Committee for a Fire Island National Seashore to wage this new battle. This cause would also in time prevail, but had been a much longer haul. The Shorham Plant was never put into operation due to the public outcry. However the entity that replaced LILCO, known today as Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) would fall short of expectations in the years to come.

Legacy

Maurice Barbash played stickball in the Bronx at 15 years old with his boyhood friend Irving Like. He served in the Second World War and then went on to court and marry Irving’s sister, Lillian. He wanted to go skiing this winter, but his doctor advised against it. He passed on several weeks after undergoing heart surgery.

Barbash is his wife and three children. Their son, Shepard is a published author who has written extensively about Mexican crafts and woodcarving among other subjects. Cathy is a specialist in the performing arts, cultural policy and creative industry development in the People’s Republic of China; while Susan who worked by her father’s side in the construction industry is manager of several properties they developed together and is now President of Protect Long Island.

“Protect Long Island was really his last cause,” says Susan. “He was featured on News 12 Long Island’s ‘The Next Big One’ only about a month before going into the hospital. So he really went down with guns blazing.”

After Hurricane Sandy, Fire Island was left with leveled dunes and a bay more prone to flooding than ever. Protect Long Island’s mission statement reads:

To advocate for the adoption and implementation of pro-active measures that will protect Long Island from catastrophic storm surges; and to initiate, sponsor, aid and assist the formulation of programs that will stimulate public and governmental interest in this cause.

Not unlike the grassroots campaign that was implemented half a century ago, it does not loose sight that Fire Island is the barrier beach that buffers greater Long Island in the face of natural events and therefore is part of a greater whole.

“He inspired my daughter to pursue a career in environmental law, policy and natural resource management,” wrote Cathy.

In his progeny, Murray Barbash will live on.

Murray Barbash, baseball in hand, 2010 Brightwaters, NY.

Now with spring officially in the air the prospect of summer is a satisfying reality. For the already bustling town of Ocean Beach, summer dreaming hit full blast for the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Though the weather slightly cooler than years past, the ferry delivered plenty of warm, anxious faces. With St. Patrick’s Day falling on a weekend again, a day at the beach was an ideal retreat.

Though the bars did not open until noon, many came early to check out the beach and stroll the familiar walks. As always The Albatross opened for it’s first day of the season, a tradition for long over a decade. Jimmy Mallot, owner of the Albatross, and Mayor of Ocean Beach, set out his customary corn beef, cabbage, and Irish soda bread for his patrons. Son James Mallot and son-in-law Peter Hasemann worked the bar for an eager crowd.

Across the green, Castaway turned up the cheer for the long awaited celebration. Castaway, open year round, with much to accomplish, was able to reopen their doors six weeks after the storm. Anxious as always to have his friends at his bar, owner Jon Randazzo, was especially thrilled to see so many familiar faces who journeyed out for the St. Patrick’s Day tradition. Jason Bendicksen and Rachel Sherman sported their green Ocean Beach Fire Department tees behind the bar. Castaway remained open for dinner and drinks long after the last boat for all those still in The St. Patty’s mood.

Besides the usual Ocean Beach goers, The Riverview of Oakdale chartered a private ferry for their yearly Fire Island field trip. In for a more exclusive and scenic celebration many familiar faces bar hopped around Ocean Beach enjoying the sand and sun as well. Though always an anticipated occasion, the guests and bar-staff alike were overjoyed in being reunited with spring’s presence once again, looking forward to another summer season at the beach!

The author of one of the foremost cotemporary primers of Fire Island history died this past week at the age of 88. Madeline C. Johnson’s Fire Island: 1650s – 1980’s has been a fixture on the bookshelves of Fire Island cottages and most anyone else who takes an interest in the barrier island since its initial release 30 years ago.

Johnson passed away on March 15th at Shell Point Pavilion of Fort Meyers, FL due to complications from lung cancer. Her husband of 64 years, William Johnson survives her, as well as sons Clark, Robert, and five grandchildren.

“Mandy wrote the best history of Fire Island that exists,” said Dr. Robert Sayre, a fellow author as well as her longtime friend and summer neighbor in the community of Point O’ Woods. “She was only called ‘Madeleine’ by her husband Bill if she was out of order in any way.”

Johnson grew up spending her summers on Fire Island and sailing the Great South Bay. She was also an avid tennis and bridge player, Girl Scout Troop Leader as well as a proudly self-proclaimed lifelong Democrat. Born as Madeleine Clark, the daughter of a prominent patent attorney, she attended Smith College and subsequently earned her Masters of Library Science through Rutgers State College. Johnson worked as a librarian in the education field through her entire working career, and become founding President of the Point O’ Woods Historical Society. In retirement she continued to support charitable causes including Habitat for Humanity.

“The storm broke her heart,” said her daughter-in-law Kathryn Johnson speaking of Hurricane Sandy’s assault on Fire Island as her mother-in-law struggled with frail health in her final months. Several years ago, Johnson signed over the rights of her book over to the Point O’ Woods Historical Society. Now in its fifth printing, Fire Island: 1650’s – 1980’s sold over 7,000 copies and it continues to sell strong.

In lieu of flowers the Johnson family ask that donations be made to one’s preferred local hospice organization in Madeleine’s name.

“It is crucial that the work on the beach is finished before piping plover breeding season begins and restricts the movement of the debris removal vehicles,” said Lt. Col. John Knight, New York Recovery Field Office commander. “The barge operations carrying debris off the island start
continuous operations Friday.”

The crews will work 24 hours a day, seven days a week transferring debris collected during daylight hours to barges after dark. Daily, barges and trucks haul debris from the island for disposal or recycling. Sifted sand and chipped vegetative debris will remain on Fire Island.

“We’re going to get this done as quickly and safely as we possibly can,” said Lt. Col. John Knight, commander of the Corps’ New York Recovery Field Office. “Our goal remains to finish by the end of March.”

The Corps awarded a $10.1 million task order for the project to Environmental Chemical Corporation of Burlingame, Calif., Feb. 27 under the advance contracting initiative. The ACI allows the Corps to pre-award contracts for major emergency response missions to put contractors to work.
Under the ECC task order, at least 82 percent – about $8.3 million – of the contracted work must go to local businesses. Cleanup work was delayed by more than a month by an atypical series of contract protests.

The task order includes removing debris from right-of-way and eligible private property, transporting it off the island and disposing of it in a safe and environmentally-sound manner. It also requires the separation and disposal of construction and demolition debris, segregation of “white goods”
such as refrigerators and other appliances, disposal of e-waste such as televisions and computers, disposal of vegetative debris and sifting sand that presents a public safety hazard.

Fire Island is a remote barrier island with limited vehicle access. Travel is mostly limited to small boardwalks or sand pathways, and driving on the beach is required to access several Fire Island communities. Hauling debris on the beach will be restricted after March 15 due to the nesting season of
the piping plover.

Nearly 1,600 Fire Island homes damaged by the storm are currently eligible for debris removal assistance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency tasked the Corps Nov. 24 to assist with removing debris on Fire Island as part of the federal Hurricane Sandy response and recovery efforts for New York. An estimated 62,000 cubic yards of debris is eligible for removal – enough to cover a football field up to three stories high.

Photos of the debris removal operation:

Fire Island Clean Up

Fire Island Clean Up

Fire Island Clean Up

Fire Island Clean Up

Fire Island 2013

Fire Island Clean Up

Army Corp of Engineers Fire Island

Army Corp of Engineers

Fire Island Sandy 2013

“It is crucial that this work get under way before environmental restrictions prohibit debris removal and halt the recovery for thousands of Fire Island homeowners,” said Sen. Charles Schumer. “The work will not only speed up the recovery process for homeowners but will put local businesses to work.”

The Corps awarded a $10.1 million task order for the project to Environmental Chemical Company of Burlingame, Calif., Feb. 27 under the advance contracting initiative. The ACI allows the Corps to pre-award contracts for major emergency response missions to put contractors to work. Under the ECC  order, at least 82 percent – about $8.3 million – of the contracted work must go to local businesses. Cleanup work was delayed by more than a month by an atypical series of contract protests.

The task order includes removing debris from right-of-way and eligible private property, transporting it off the island and disposing of it in a safe and environmentally-sound manner. It also requires the separation and disposal of construction and demolition debris, segregation of “white goods” such as
refrigerators and other appliances, disposal of e-waste such as televisions and computers, disposal of vegetative debris and sifting sand that presents a public safety hazard.

“We’re going to get this done as quickly and safely as we possibly can,” said Lt. Col. John Knight, commander of the Corps’ New York Recovery Field Office. “Our goal remains to finish by the end of March.”

Crews will work 12 hours a day during daylight hours, seven days a week. Debris will be transferred by barge and truck from the island for disposal or recycling. Sifted sand and chipped vegetative debris will remain on Fire Island. Contract work crews began hazardous waste inspections of the debris
March 2. Chipping trees began March 4.

Fire Island is a remote barrier island with limited vehicle access. Travel is mostly limited to small boardwalks or sand pathways, and driving on the beach is required to access several Fire Island communities. Hauling debris on the beach will be restricted after March 15 due to the nesting season of the piping plover. (Continues)

Nearly 1,600 Fire Island homes damaged by the storm are currently eligible for debris removal assistance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency tasked the Corps Nov. 24 to assist with removing debris on Fire Island as part of the federal Hurricane Sandy response and recovery efforts for New York. An estimated 62,000 cubic yards of debris is eligible for removal – enough to cover a football field up to three stories high.

Photos of the debris removal operation are available for download here:

“There has been a lot of sensationalized media coverage about the devastation Hurricane Sandy brought to Fire Island, but very little about our progress and restoration efforts since then,” explains Laura Mercogliano, proprietor of The Palms Hotel in Ocean Beach, NY. “This is a disservice to small business owners as well as the public who come to enjoy Fire Island.”

If there is anyone who knows about restoration efforts, it may very well be Laura Mercogliano. She and her husband Chris purchased and renovated aging economy lodgings in the center of Ocean Beach and founded The Palms Hotel in 2005. Over the next five years their thriving business grew to include satellite establishments on the east and western ends of Ocean Beach that included a range of luxury suites and cottages, and in short order The Palms gained the reputation of being one of the premier resort hotels on Fire Island.

They have no intention of allowing the storm to interfere with their plans for the summer of 2013. These plans include the unveiling of the Presidential Penthouse Suite, their most palatial unit to date at 1200 square feet, with four bedrooms and amenities that include a personal attendant. They also have undertaken their first restaurant venture with the acquisition of CJ’s, a legendary bar and casual eatery in the heart of downtown Ocean Beach. The institution that is CJ’s almost ceased to be with the onslaught of Hurricane Sandy, as would-be purchasers backed out of the deal upon assessment of the damage. However where one party saw loss, the Mercoglianos recognized new possibilities. CJ’s is now scheduled to open its doors next May.

Fire Island may be many things to different people, but when all is said and done Fire Island is a barrier beach, which by definition means it is constantly developing and rebuilding itself. Fire Island weathered the storm, and its cherished heritage has emerged stronger than ever.

Let some little blizzard wipeout a good time? We don’t think so. Fire Islanders are made of tougher stuff than that! While the party itself actually took place in Bay Shore’s Nutty Irishman, the Fire Island Restoration Project, Inc. benefit was a huge success and the Fire Island feel good event of the winter season. Folks who had not seen each other since before Hurricane Sandy hit warmly embraced. Bands that play the Fire Island music circuit like Winston Irie, Tom Campo of Cravin’, and Illimanjaro rocked the place. Businesses sponsors both from the mainland as well as Fire Island communities donated goods and services to the Chinese raffles and silent auctions that raised even more money towards the cause.

“I was very amazed with the amount of love and support of people that came out to the February 10th event,” stated Fire Island Restoration Project’s President/ Founder Tanya Fuchs. “The Nutty Irishman is a big venue, and was packed pretty much the entire time. This event clearly showed the public that people are very optimistic that there will be a summer 2013 and Fire Island will rebuild and be stronger than ever!”

Under the slogan “Got Dunes?” social network momentum built up to the point where Facebook rated it top talked about event. Still some people quietly questioned who is behind the organization, what is their mission, how will they deliver on the momentous task of restoring the dune crossovers, fencing, and grass from Kismet to Davis Park as their mission promises? As start-up charities have proliferated since the Hurricane Sandy disaster, such concerns are only prudent.

While the Fire Island Restoration Project’s 501 © 3 status with the Internal Revenue Service is still pending, they are a registered Not For Profit with the State of New York. Board members are in the process of being elected and Fuchs encourages any interested volunteers to apply. She plans to work directly with the respective Fire Island community associations for execution of the project. (Fair Harbor Community Association, OBA and Davis Park Homeowners Association are some possible examples.) Any and all community associations that accept Fire Island Restoration Project funding must abide by the terms of using said monies for “replenishment purposes” which may include purchase of dune fencing, lumber to construct new overpasses, as well as dune grass so that glorious protective dunes that define Fire Island will become stable once again.

Note: While interviewing Tanya she wanted to be certain that we mentioned certain people.  Tanya wants to thanks everyone who donated, all of the sponsors and everyone who came out to support the event.  She wants to give a special thanks to Rich Mahagony , one of the bands as well as their front man Greg Rabin organizing the other bands.  She also wanted to thank DJ Chris Kenny and DJ BK for adding to the music.  Many of the volunteers (kids in orange shirts) were from the local high school and year round Fire Island residents, she wants to thank you for your support.

Donations can be sent to:
Fire Island restoration project
Po box 237
Ocean beach

Bryan Winter, winner of one of the Chinese Raffle baskets with his sister, Carin owner of Embrace Yoga Studios in Islip, NY and one of the many proud supporters of the event.

What would a Fire Island fundraiser be without a Red Wagon of Cheer?

OB resident Patti Ann Billings toasts with J.J., longtime bartender at the legendary CJ’s

Dressed for Success.

Fire Island Restoration Project Founder / President Tanya Fuchs with boyfriend Mark Cherveny

This striking image by Rick Hoberg were just some of the items up for silent auction.

Full House at the Nutty Irishman

Tanya Fuchs “got dunes” the Nutty Irishman in Bay Shore.

Tanya Fuchs “got dunes” the Nutty Irishman in Bay Shore.

Tanya Fuchs “got dunes” the Nutty Irishman in Bay Shore.

Tanya Fuchs “got dunes” the Nutty Irishman in Bay Shore.

Tanya Fuchs “got dunes” the Nutty Irishman in Bay Shore.

Tanya Fuchs “got dunes” the Nutty Irishman in Bay Shore.

Tanya Fuchs “got dunes” the Nutty Irishman in Bay Shore.

Tanya Fuchs “got dunes” the Nutty Irishman in Bay Shore.

Tanya Fuchs “got dunes” the Nutty Irishman in Bay Shore.

Tanya Fuchs “got dunes” the Nutty Irishman in Bay Shore.

Tanya Fuchs “got dunes” the Nutty Irishman in Bay Shore.