Friday, November 8, 2024
Vol. 84, No. 45
$1
SERVING BETHPAGE, OLD BETHPAGE, AND PLAINVIEW
Free golf for veterans, military
The Town of Oyster Bay will offer free golf to veterans and active military members on Veterans Day at the town's golf course. The Town of Oyster Bay will honor veterans and active duty military personnel for their service to our nation with a free day of golf at the Hon. Joseph Colby Town of Oyster Bay Golf Course, located at 1 South Woods Road in Woodbury on Veterans Day, Monday, November 11. “The brave men and women of our United States Armed
Forces put their lives on the line and sacrifice their time to protect our freedoms and democracy,” said Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino. “This is an important way of saying ‘thank you’ and we’re pleased to be able to offer this free round of golf in recognition of Veterans Day as a small token of appreciation for all they’ve done and continue to do for our
nation.” To qualify for this Veterans Day offer, golfers must present proof of Town residency and either military identification or discharge papers (DD Form 214). For additional information, including to reserve a tee time, please visit www.oysterbaytown.com/golf.
The Bethpage Newsgram is published every Friday by Litmor Publishing Corp. Periodical Postage paid at Hicksville, N.Y. 11801 Telephone 931-0012 - USPS 3467-68. Postmaster: Send Address Change to: The Bethpage Newsgram, 821 Franklin Ave., Suite 208, Garden City, N.Y. 11530 • Meg Norris Publisher
Town extends pause on battery storage systems The Town of Oyster Bay has extended by an additional sixmonths the construction moratorium on Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in the Town of Oyster Bay. The moratorium was first approved in April 2024. “While battery energy storage systems can help us make a greener earth, they pose potential safety risks for the community,” said Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino. “Multiple fires at these facilities in New York State have highlighted the dangers and raised concerns over public safety and the risk to our first responders.” Town officials have met with residents and attended local meetings to listen to concerns over BESS systems, which have been populating New York State in recent years. BESS facilities utilize rechargeable batteries that can store energy from different sources and discharge it when needed. They consist of one or more batteries that can be used to balance the entire grid, provide backup power, and/or improve grid stability. The recent public concern regarding the volatile nature of lithium ion batteries and the potential threat to the health and safety of communities sur-
rounding these facilities have led the Town Board to put a pause in place for approving them. With reports of fires at BESS locations over the past two years, there are also concerns related to the impact to the environment, as well as the stress put on roadways and local infrastructure. Following the recent fires, New York State is also currently considering pending updates to New York State Fire Code following a preliminary investigation performed on BESS facilities. These concerns, coupled with the Town’s desire for additional information and assurance about the safety of these type of facilities, as well as allowing New York State time to finalize its report, have all led to the determination that a moratorium be put in place while these issues are further considered. “While a recent report from New York State indicates initial findings that show BESS facilities have limited long-term impacts to health, safety and the environment, it’s prudent for additional investigations and reviews be conducted before considering any applications for such a facility in the Town of Oyster Bay,” added Supervisor Saladino.
POB board sets vote on bond issue PAGE 3 Horror House contestwinners named PAGE 10