Community Turns Out to Take Back 25

An impressive crowd turned out to Take Back 25 by cleaning up litter and debris along Middle Country Road in Coram and Middle Island.

“It was great to see so many people chipping in to keep their neighborhood clean,” said Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, who joined a number of officials and business owners to give the clean up crew a helping hand. “A community is only as strong as its people and judging from the Take Back 25 turnout, this community is really powerful.”

According to local Realtor Rosalie Hanson, an impetus for the community effort was Legislator Dominick Thorne who was behind the county cleaning up the bus stop near the Route 112 intersection which had become a loitering point and subject of many resident complaints. “Legislator Thorne really turned the tide and got the community behind the effort to take better care of the area,” Hanson said.

Assemblyman Joe DeStefano rallies the Take Back 25 volunteers as they head out to clean up their community. File Photo

Organizing her members in cleaning up the state route was Gail Lynch-Bailey, president of the Middle Island Civic Association. She was joined by volunteers with the Coram Civic, boy and girl scouts and other local groups, in addition to Suffolk Police and the area’s fire and ambulance companies. Carters with Brookhaven Town also helped with the removal effort.

Among the elected officials stuffing garbage bags were Senator Dean Murray, Assemblyman Ed Flood, and Town Council Members Jane Bonner and Mike Loguercio. Everyone rallied around the day’s slogan, “One Longwood Community United.”

“The goal was to make it a cleaner, more presentable, safer community,” Hanson said. “With the help of everyone, we certainly succeeded.”