Brookhaven Notebook: Operation Clean Sweep, Recycling Rates Increase

Town of Brookhaven held its first “Operation Clean Sweep” last week in the neighborhood surrounding Pamela Lane Park, located in Town Council District 3.

Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko said over the next six months, the town’s Quality of Life Task Force is going to work in partnership with the Highway Department to give communities all across Brookhaven a make-over. Town employees will sweep streets, fix streetlamps, pick up litter, install new street signs, clean catch basins, and conduct other activities to help clean up the neighborhood, according to the town.

In the months ahead, there will be an “Operation Clean Sweep” in each Town Council District, including:

• May 2011: Council District 1 
• June 2011: Council District 2
• August 2011: Council District 6
• September 2011: Council District 5
• October 2011: Council District 4  

Town’s Recycle Rate Increases

Lesko announced last week that the town’s recycling rate for the first quarter of 2011 increased by almost 10 percent compared to 2010.  In the first quarter of 2011, the percent of the waste stream that was recycled was 12.5 percent, compared to 11.4 percent in 2010, which equals an almost 10 percent jump in household recycling, according to the town.

The town also said it saw dramatic increases in the following locations: the Center Moriches- Moriches area increased recycling efforts by 38.8 percent, Farmingville area increased recycling by 35.6 percent and the Coram area’s recycling rates jumped 23.4 percent.

Town Hosts Pir-A-Palooza

The town held its First Annual “Pit-A-Palooza” last week at the Brookhaven Animal Shelter & Adoption Center.

The event was designed to promote a new program, “Spay it Forward,” created to help Brookhaven residents receive free spaying/neutering for their Pit Bulls and Pit Mixes, the town said.

“There’s nothing quite like the unconditional love that you get from a dog and there are so many ready to be adopted.” said Councilwoman Jane Bonner, Town Board liaison to the Animal Shelter. “Dori is doing great things at the shelter and Pit-A-Palooza is another example of how much she cares about the animals of Brookhaven.”