Former Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) Executive Director Ed Renehan, Jr., who is currently charged with three felony counts by Nassau County and still under investigation by federal authorities, revealed information to the public about a past scandal in the TRA that until now was kept secret.
A letter issued by Owen Kelley Publicity Services, a Manhattan based publicity company owned by Renehan and his cousin Owen Kelley, that was emailed to Renehan friends who were aware of the letter investigations, told about an employee’s embezzlement about 15 years ago.
When Bonnie Jean Gable was TRA office manager, during the time that her brother John Gable was the TRA president, she was accused of embezzling more than $100,000 to finance a theater group. Rather than run to the authorities and press charges, the Association decided confront her. Gable admitted the wrong and suggested that the TRA put a lien against trust funds she stood to inherit, since she had no real assets.
Current TRA President Jim Bruns acknowledged the information, “If you were my sister and I was the director of a company and I hired you why would you steal from your own brother? But she did.” However he continued, “Ms. Gable admitted everything, she made no demands on the TRA, and she came up with a credible way of reimbursing the Association for its loss. In doing so, the Association’s leadership at the time believed that she deserved leniency.” He confided that, “They tried to take of it quietly in part for John, but more because it was the right thing to do.”
Before making the Nassau County District Attorney’s office aware of the case surrounding Renehan, the TRA attempted to negotiate a solution with him. According to Bruns, “Mr. Renehan’s recent negotiations with the Association were primarily focused on his attempts to gain the best possible deal for himself, using the historical documents taken from the Association and sold by him to apparently maintain a lifestyle, as well as other Association items still in his possession, as bargaining chips.” Bruns cited, “One particular example of this was Mr. Renehan’s demand that the Association agree to pay for his future legal fees in order to gain his cooperation in recovering or returning what was taken from the Association. This would have caused the Association to be victimized twice. As a result, the Association was forced to pursue another option in addressing such gross misconduct.”
“Deeply Distrubed”
In light of Renehan’s recent disclosure about past TRA business, Bruns released a statement that said, “We are deeply disturbed that Mr. Renehan has misappropriated Theodore Roosevelt Association property and now has inappropriately disclosed confidential information involving a private TRA matter without permission. This was a private information between the Gable family and the Association that he was privy to because of his one-time membership on the Association’s Executive Committee. This is yet another example of his abuse of trust and continuing misconduct. We are deeply troubled by his apparent continuing pattern of misconduct and are exploring further legal options.”
Bruns believes that, “Mr. Renehan and Owen Kelley Publicity Services has grossly distorted the facts to serve Mr. Renehan’s interests.” Owen Kelley Publicity Services was formerly known as Konterra Publicity but had to change its name after Kingdom Goulds of Maryland threatened a lawsuit because they already have a registered trademark on the name.
Both Peter Brill, Renehan’s lawyer and Owen Kelley of Owen Kelley Publicity Services could not be reached for comment.
Renehan was supposed to appear at Nassau County Courthouse on April 21st but his case was adjourned and rescheduled June 13th.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Paterson Turns Down Broadwater
“Broadwater would scar the Long Island Sound,” claimed Governor Paterson as he declared his opposition to the Broadwater Liquefied Natural Gas project proposed for Long Island Sound at a press conference on Thursday, April 10th at Sunken Meadow State Park in Northport.
“One of my goals as Governor is to protect Long Island Sound, by preserving it as a valuable estuary, an economic engine for the region and a key component to making Long Island’s quality of life one o the best in the country,” proclaimed Gov. Paterson. “Broadwater does not pass that test. Shame on us if we can’t develop a responsible energy policy without sacrificing one of our greatest natural and economic resources.”
The Broadwater project would deliver natural gas to fuel electric generating plants and heat homes. The barge would be located in the Long Island Sound, nine miles off the coast of Riverhead, New York and 10.2 miles from the nearest onshore point in Connecticut. The project would include eight Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) storage tanks, a regasification plant and a 21.7-mile long pipeline extending from the LNG terminal to a sub sea interconnection with the Iroquois Gas Transmission System, which will bring the gas onshore.
Governor Paterson’s decision came after the New York State Department of State (NYSDOS) rejected Broadwater’s proposal to construct a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) for imported LNG, in Long Island Sound. The NYSDOS determined that the proposal is not consistent with six out of thirteen Long Island Sound Coastal Management Program (LISCMP) policies.
During his speech, Gov. Paterson cited several concerns with the proposal. First he mentioned that it would be the first time in the history of Long Island Sound that a section of open water this size was handed over to a private company to the exclusion of the public. He believes that privatizing open water would be fundamentally wrong and serves as a dangerous precedent for industrializing a body of water that people have spent years and millions of dollars trying to clean up.
State Senator Carl L. Marcellino, chairman of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee agreed with Gov. Paterson and commented, “Broadwater will not solve Long Island’s energy needs. In fact, Broadwater is a potential environmental disaster, which could erase all the strides we have made cleaning up the Sound.”
Long Islanders pay the third highest energy costs in the nation and their demand for natural gas is growing faster than anywhere else in New York. Broadwater Energy Vice President John Hritcko believed, “the Broadwater project, as proposed, was the best option for New York State to meet its growing demand for clean, affordable, reliable natural gas – and did so with no near shore or onshore impacts. Further, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission have determined that with the mitigation measures proposed by Broadwater and those they have recommended Broadwater can operate safely and securely in Long Island Sound and will have less environmental impacts than any other alternatives.”
Gov. Paterson noted that the project would not guarantee low-cost gas to Long Island, however, it would disrupt commercial and recreational fishing in the Sound, which for many Long Islanders is a way of life and potentially could put families out of business. He also acknowledged that the project does not need to be built in the Sound.
While the NYDOS rejected the proposal to build Broadwater in Long Island Sound, it suggested two alternative sites where Broadwater could construct FSRUs. These FSRUs and their associated facilities, including pipelines, would be consistent with the New York Coastal Management Program. The sites are on the Atlantic Ocean side of Long Island, outside of New York State boundaries. The first site approved by the Department would be south of Long Beach, New York 13 miles offshore in about 80 feet of water, west of Cholera Bank. A submerged offshore pipeline would connect this FSRU to the existing offshore Transco-Long Beach pipeline. The second site would be 22 miles south of Fire Island Inlet in approximately 130 feet of water and would connect that FSRU to the Iroquois Gas Transmission System through offshore and on shore pipelines.
Acknowledging the need for a revised energy policy, Gov. Paterson said, “We must accept the challenge of developing comprehensive alternatives to meet the growing demand for energy on Long Island and throughout the State. One of my other goals as Governor is to address high-energy costs. By both reducing the amount of energy demand, and aggressively pursuing new responsible supply, we can get our State on a path toward lower energy costs, economic revitalization, and a cleaner, healthier environment.”
Robin Kriesberg, executive director of Friends of the Bay, expressed, “We are thrilled with the decision of the State. Their reasons for the decision, that it was the wrong project in the wrong place, as outlined by the department of state really summarized the situation. They rejected it for the right reasons. The NYSDOS took the time to do the analysis and found that this proposal was inconsistent with the state’s LISCMP on six out of the thirteen criteria. We are looking forward to working with Governor Paterson on energy conservation and alternative energy moving forward.”
Broadwater Energy and its supporters were upset by Gov. Paterson’s declaration. “We are disappointed and concerned with the NYSDOS’ decision,” commented Hritcko. “We specifically designed this project to be consistent with the State’s coastal management policies and offered a number of additional commitments that would further enhance the State’s coastal resources.”
Jerry Kremmer, advisory board chairman of the New York Affordable Reliable Energy Alliance was also let down. He uttered, “Governor Paterson’s opposition to the BLNG facility is unfortunate. Ultimately, we hope Broadwater will be approved because this would benefit both businesses and consumers by supplying much needed power to help address the shortages in Long Island and the downstate region.”
Broadwater Energy will review the State’s finding and determine its next move. It has the option to appeal of the decision to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. However, an appeal could also go to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.
-Faith Rackoff reprinted from 4/18/08 Oyster Bay Guardian
“One of my goals as Governor is to protect Long Island Sound, by preserving it as a valuable estuary, an economic engine for the region and a key component to making Long Island’s quality of life one o the best in the country,” proclaimed Gov. Paterson. “Broadwater does not pass that test. Shame on us if we can’t develop a responsible energy policy without sacrificing one of our greatest natural and economic resources.”
The Broadwater project would deliver natural gas to fuel electric generating plants and heat homes. The barge would be located in the Long Island Sound, nine miles off the coast of Riverhead, New York and 10.2 miles from the nearest onshore point in Connecticut. The project would include eight Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) storage tanks, a regasification plant and a 21.7-mile long pipeline extending from the LNG terminal to a sub sea interconnection with the Iroquois Gas Transmission System, which will bring the gas onshore.
Governor Paterson’s decision came after the New York State Department of State (NYSDOS) rejected Broadwater’s proposal to construct a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) for imported LNG, in Long Island Sound. The NYSDOS determined that the proposal is not consistent with six out of thirteen Long Island Sound Coastal Management Program (LISCMP) policies.
During his speech, Gov. Paterson cited several concerns with the proposal. First he mentioned that it would be the first time in the history of Long Island Sound that a section of open water this size was handed over to a private company to the exclusion of the public. He believes that privatizing open water would be fundamentally wrong and serves as a dangerous precedent for industrializing a body of water that people have spent years and millions of dollars trying to clean up.
State Senator Carl L. Marcellino, chairman of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee agreed with Gov. Paterson and commented, “Broadwater will not solve Long Island’s energy needs. In fact, Broadwater is a potential environmental disaster, which could erase all the strides we have made cleaning up the Sound.”
Long Islanders pay the third highest energy costs in the nation and their demand for natural gas is growing faster than anywhere else in New York. Broadwater Energy Vice President John Hritcko believed, “the Broadwater project, as proposed, was the best option for New York State to meet its growing demand for clean, affordable, reliable natural gas – and did so with no near shore or onshore impacts. Further, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission have determined that with the mitigation measures proposed by Broadwater and those they have recommended Broadwater can operate safely and securely in Long Island Sound and will have less environmental impacts than any other alternatives.”
Gov. Paterson noted that the project would not guarantee low-cost gas to Long Island, however, it would disrupt commercial and recreational fishing in the Sound, which for many Long Islanders is a way of life and potentially could put families out of business. He also acknowledged that the project does not need to be built in the Sound.
While the NYDOS rejected the proposal to build Broadwater in Long Island Sound, it suggested two alternative sites where Broadwater could construct FSRUs. These FSRUs and their associated facilities, including pipelines, would be consistent with the New York Coastal Management Program. The sites are on the Atlantic Ocean side of Long Island, outside of New York State boundaries. The first site approved by the Department would be south of Long Beach, New York 13 miles offshore in about 80 feet of water, west of Cholera Bank. A submerged offshore pipeline would connect this FSRU to the existing offshore Transco-Long Beach pipeline. The second site would be 22 miles south of Fire Island Inlet in approximately 130 feet of water and would connect that FSRU to the Iroquois Gas Transmission System through offshore and on shore pipelines.
Acknowledging the need for a revised energy policy, Gov. Paterson said, “We must accept the challenge of developing comprehensive alternatives to meet the growing demand for energy on Long Island and throughout the State. One of my other goals as Governor is to address high-energy costs. By both reducing the amount of energy demand, and aggressively pursuing new responsible supply, we can get our State on a path toward lower energy costs, economic revitalization, and a cleaner, healthier environment.”
Robin Kriesberg, executive director of Friends of the Bay, expressed, “We are thrilled with the decision of the State. Their reasons for the decision, that it was the wrong project in the wrong place, as outlined by the department of state really summarized the situation. They rejected it for the right reasons. The NYSDOS took the time to do the analysis and found that this proposal was inconsistent with the state’s LISCMP on six out of the thirteen criteria. We are looking forward to working with Governor Paterson on energy conservation and alternative energy moving forward.”
Broadwater Energy and its supporters were upset by Gov. Paterson’s declaration. “We are disappointed and concerned with the NYSDOS’ decision,” commented Hritcko. “We specifically designed this project to be consistent with the State’s coastal management policies and offered a number of additional commitments that would further enhance the State’s coastal resources.”
Jerry Kremmer, advisory board chairman of the New York Affordable Reliable Energy Alliance was also let down. He uttered, “Governor Paterson’s opposition to the BLNG facility is unfortunate. Ultimately, we hope Broadwater will be approved because this would benefit both businesses and consumers by supplying much needed power to help address the shortages in Long Island and the downstate region.”
Broadwater Energy will review the State’s finding and determine its next move. It has the option to appeal of the decision to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. However, an appeal could also go to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.
-Faith Rackoff reprinted from 4/18/08 Oyster Bay Guardian
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
George Melillo Honored at NCRC Inaugural Ball
“In life you must realize before it is too late, to give back and enjoy the smiles of those you touched,” are words that the founder of the Melillo Foundation located in Oyster Bay, George Melillo is fond of saying. At the 2008 Nassau County Republican Committee Inaugural Ball, held at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury on the Friday evening of March 14, Melillo was honored with the Senator Norman J. Levy Humanitarian Award, for his work with the autistic community.
Before a crowd of influential Nassau County republicans, that included: New York State Senate Deputy Majority leader Dean Skelos (Rockville Centre), State Senator Carl Marcellino (Syosset), former US Senator Alfonse D’Amato, and former Nassau County Executive Thomas Gulotta; the Hon. Joseph N. Mondello, the Chairman of both the New York Republican State Committee and the Nassau County Republican Committee acknowledged that “[Melillo] has devoted his life to helping families and children touched by autism.”
The Melillo Foundation’s mission is to help children with autism, grow to become socially acceptable adults and work and live within their communities and function on a somewhat independent level. Their funding, which is through donations and the money raised through a consignment shop, helps support educational tools to improve the lifestyles and learning abilities for people with autism to live and learn and adapt to social environments and to adapt to some independence.
Mondello introduced Melillo, a Laurel Hollow resident, as “a successful businessman and real estate investor.” He then explained that how Melillo and his wife Rose founded the Melillo Foundation, which is dedicated to helping autistic adults lead fulfilling lives. “George and Rose joined the fight against autism shortly after their twin boys, Nicholas and Joseph were diagnosed as autistic. Knowing first hand the impact that autism has on tens of thousands of families, George and Rose have committed the Melillo Foundation to besides other lofty goals, to providing safe houses for autistic adults once they have reached the age of 21.”
After recalling what Melillo says about giving back, the Nassau County chairman said, “If I close my eyes I can hear the very same words emulating from Senator Norman Levy's mouth, because he lived his entire life enjoying the smiles of those he touched as well.”
Once Melillo approached the podium to accept the award he modestly confessed, “It gives me great honor tonight to receive the Norman Levy Humanitarian Award, as the founder and chairman of the Melillo Foundation. At the Foundation our goal is very easy, to help the autistic children with the direction they are heading and to help those who need it.”
He continued, “Five years ago my wife and I had a dream that today is finally becoming a reality. We asked ourselves what would happen to the children whose parents are not there to take care of them. We decided that it is important that we start a program for guidance, for safe home to help these children when they hit 21. Our dreams are now becoming a reality. A reality that we never thought would get here. Through hard work and good teamwork we are starting to reach our goal.”
In addition to thanking the Mondello and the Nassau County Republican Committee, Melillo thanked the members of the Melillo foundation, his father Carmine, who flew up from Florida to be at the ceremony, and most of all his wife Rose, for her “great support and for taking care of their sons.”
The Norman J. Levy Humanitarian Award was named after the New York State Senator who was committed to protecting the rights of people with disabilities and their families.
Also honored that night was the Honorable Joseph G. Cairo, Jr. with the President Ronald Reagan Political Leadership Award, Andrew W. Woodstock was awarded the President Theodore Roosevelt Outstanding Business Leadership and the US Secretary of Labor Peter J. Brennan Award was given to Edward J. Malloy.
The Melillo Foundation consignment shop, located at 15 W. Main Street in Oyster Bay, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 AM to 3 PM. Donations can be made to Melillo Foundation, 15 W. Main Street, Oyster Bay, New York 11771. For more information, call the Melillo Foundation at 516-624-2873 or visit www.melillofoundation.org.
-Faith Rackoff reprinted from 3/21/08 Oyster Bay Guardian
FERC Approves Broadwater
Broadwater Energy is one more hurdle closer to the finish line. On March 20th, Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) approved the Broadwater Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project to be built in the Long Island Sound. The terminal is expected to assist in meeting the increasing energy demand in New York and Connecticut.
After reviewing the issue for 38 months and over 25,000 staff hours, FERC approved the project after a thorough environmental, safety and security review and after considering both project and facility alternatives.
The Broadwater project would deliver natural gas to fuel electric generating plants and heat homes. The barge would be located in the Long Island Sound, nine miles off the coast of Riverhead, New York and 10.2 miles from the nearest onshore point in Connecticut. The project would include eight LNG storage tanks, a regasification plant and a 21.7-mile long pipeline extending from the LNG terminal to a sub sea interconnection with the Iroquois Gas Transmission System, which will bring the gas onshore.
“We have reviewed the record in the Broadwater LNG proceeding and have considered carefully the concerns of the many citizens who have commented on the project,” FERC Chairman Joseph T. Kelliher affirmed. “Based on all available scientific facts, we approve the Broadwater project today, subject to rigorous conditions, because it can meet the projected energy needs for New York City, Long Island and Connecticut, and can provide the service safely, securely and with limited adverse impact on the environment.”
However the approval is conditional to mitigation measures. As Kelliher explained, “We have carefully reviewed the information and analysis contained in the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and we agree with the conclusions presented in the final EIS that construction and operation of the Broadwater Project, with the adoption of the proposed mitigation measures, would result in only limited adverse environmental impacts.”
The Commission’s approval of the project is subject to the operator adopting more than 80 mitigation measures to enhance safety and security and to ensure it has limited environmental impacts. Among the measures that were part of the final EIS include requirements that Broadwater submit, at least 60 days before construction, plans detailing how the FERC order will be implemented. The Director of FERC’s Office of Energy Projects will review the implementation plans before construction can commence. Another mitigation condition requires that Broadwater develop an Emergency Response Plan and coordinate procedures with the Coast Guard; state, county, and local emergency planning groups; fire departments; state and local law enforcement; and appropriate federal agencies. In addition, prior to installation activities in Long Island Sound, FERC also will require Broadwater to file the New York State Department of State determination of the project’s consistency with the New York Coastal Management Plan, under the applicable provisions of the Coastal Zone Management Act.
Broadwater LLC, a joint venture between TransCanada and Shell US Gas is pleased with the FERC decision. John Hritcko, senior vice president of Broadwater LLC, stated, “This decision is an important step forward in bringing new clean, reliable, affordable natural gas supply to a region where prices are volatile and climbing. Without new energy supply, energy consumers will continue to face volatile and increasing natural gas prices in New York and Connecticut.”
Robin Kriesberg, executive director of Friends of the Bay took the news in stride. “They generally approve all these proposals so it is not surprising at all,” she shrugged. “It was expected.”
Local Politicians Not Happy
Local politicians seem to up in arms over FERC’s decision. Suffolk County Legislative Majority Leader Jon Cooper (D-Huntington) issued a statement that expressed, "I am deeply disappointed that FERC, which is funded with taxpayer dollars, instead chose to ally itself with the Big Energy conglomerates on this action," said Cooper. "The feds promised this decision would not be made without first getting feedback from the millions of citizens who would have to live up close and personal with the Broadwater barge. But now it seems as if all the hearings and comment periods on Broadwater were nothing more than window dressing on a backroom deal that was decided by lobbyists in Washington from the very beginning."
Agreeing with Cooper, State Senator Carl Marcellino (R-Syosset) said, “FERC’s unfortunate approval of Broadwater is ill-conceived and illogical. The fact is Broadwater will not solve Long Island’s energy needs and is a potential environmental hazard, which could erase all the strides we have made cleaning up the Sound. Governor Paterson needs to stand up now and say no to this proposal instead of being silent regarding the folly of Broadwater.”
Kriesberg noted that “part of the Anti-Broadwater Coalition and along with a number of groups from Long Island were going to get in touch with the governor to make sure he understands our position and that he has all the information he needs so he can make the right decision.”
The New York State Department of State can still block the project by refusing to issue an operating permit. And while former Governor Spitzer had set an April 12th deadline for the State's final decision, newly sworn in Governor David Patterson said last week that he might seek a postponement for further study. To that end, Cooper has sent a letter to Patterson commending him for his judicious decision to postpone state action and urging him to direct his State Department to deny application of the permit.
"In courtroom circles, they say it's a good thing for the defense when the jury asks for more time to deliberate," Cooper commented. "I hope that Governor Paterson will use this extra period to decide to defend the millions of people who intimately relate living on the Long Island Sound to being integral to their quality of life."
If the NYSDOS approves the Broadwater permit the next action opponents will consider is a lawsuit.
-Faith Rackoff reprinted from the 3/28/08 Oyster Bay Guardian
After reviewing the issue for 38 months and over 25,000 staff hours, FERC approved the project after a thorough environmental, safety and security review and after considering both project and facility alternatives.
The Broadwater project would deliver natural gas to fuel electric generating plants and heat homes. The barge would be located in the Long Island Sound, nine miles off the coast of Riverhead, New York and 10.2 miles from the nearest onshore point in Connecticut. The project would include eight LNG storage tanks, a regasification plant and a 21.7-mile long pipeline extending from the LNG terminal to a sub sea interconnection with the Iroquois Gas Transmission System, which will bring the gas onshore.
“We have reviewed the record in the Broadwater LNG proceeding and have considered carefully the concerns of the many citizens who have commented on the project,” FERC Chairman Joseph T. Kelliher affirmed. “Based on all available scientific facts, we approve the Broadwater project today, subject to rigorous conditions, because it can meet the projected energy needs for New York City, Long Island and Connecticut, and can provide the service safely, securely and with limited adverse impact on the environment.”
However the approval is conditional to mitigation measures. As Kelliher explained, “We have carefully reviewed the information and analysis contained in the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and we agree with the conclusions presented in the final EIS that construction and operation of the Broadwater Project, with the adoption of the proposed mitigation measures, would result in only limited adverse environmental impacts.”
The Commission’s approval of the project is subject to the operator adopting more than 80 mitigation measures to enhance safety and security and to ensure it has limited environmental impacts. Among the measures that were part of the final EIS include requirements that Broadwater submit, at least 60 days before construction, plans detailing how the FERC order will be implemented. The Director of FERC’s Office of Energy Projects will review the implementation plans before construction can commence. Another mitigation condition requires that Broadwater develop an Emergency Response Plan and coordinate procedures with the Coast Guard; state, county, and local emergency planning groups; fire departments; state and local law enforcement; and appropriate federal agencies. In addition, prior to installation activities in Long Island Sound, FERC also will require Broadwater to file the New York State Department of State determination of the project’s consistency with the New York Coastal Management Plan, under the applicable provisions of the Coastal Zone Management Act.
Broadwater LLC, a joint venture between TransCanada and Shell US Gas is pleased with the FERC decision. John Hritcko, senior vice president of Broadwater LLC, stated, “This decision is an important step forward in bringing new clean, reliable, affordable natural gas supply to a region where prices are volatile and climbing. Without new energy supply, energy consumers will continue to face volatile and increasing natural gas prices in New York and Connecticut.”
Robin Kriesberg, executive director of Friends of the Bay took the news in stride. “They generally approve all these proposals so it is not surprising at all,” she shrugged. “It was expected.”
Local Politicians Not Happy
Local politicians seem to up in arms over FERC’s decision. Suffolk County Legislative Majority Leader Jon Cooper (D-Huntington) issued a statement that expressed, "I am deeply disappointed that FERC, which is funded with taxpayer dollars, instead chose to ally itself with the Big Energy conglomerates on this action," said Cooper. "The feds promised this decision would not be made without first getting feedback from the millions of citizens who would have to live up close and personal with the Broadwater barge. But now it seems as if all the hearings and comment periods on Broadwater were nothing more than window dressing on a backroom deal that was decided by lobbyists in Washington from the very beginning."
Agreeing with Cooper, State Senator Carl Marcellino (R-Syosset) said, “FERC’s unfortunate approval of Broadwater is ill-conceived and illogical. The fact is Broadwater will not solve Long Island’s energy needs and is a potential environmental hazard, which could erase all the strides we have made cleaning up the Sound. Governor Paterson needs to stand up now and say no to this proposal instead of being silent regarding the folly of Broadwater.”
Kriesberg noted that “part of the Anti-Broadwater Coalition and along with a number of groups from Long Island were going to get in touch with the governor to make sure he understands our position and that he has all the information he needs so he can make the right decision.”
The New York State Department of State can still block the project by refusing to issue an operating permit. And while former Governor Spitzer had set an April 12th deadline for the State's final decision, newly sworn in Governor David Patterson said last week that he might seek a postponement for further study. To that end, Cooper has sent a letter to Patterson commending him for his judicious decision to postpone state action and urging him to direct his State Department to deny application of the permit.
"In courtroom circles, they say it's a good thing for the defense when the jury asks for more time to deliberate," Cooper commented. "I hope that Governor Paterson will use this extra period to decide to defend the millions of people who intimately relate living on the Long Island Sound to being integral to their quality of life."
If the NYSDOS approves the Broadwater permit the next action opponents will consider is a lawsuit.
-Faith Rackoff reprinted from the 3/28/08 Oyster Bay Guardian
Former TRA Executive Under Federal Investigation
The Theodore Roosevelt Association’s former executive director is being federally investigated by the National Park Service in connection to the theft and sale of property owned by the TRA.
The NPS is looking into Edward Renehan, Jr. who served as the executive director of the TRA from 2005-2006, and his involvement in three letters that were stolen from the vault at Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site in Manhattan. The three letters in question are one written by Abraham Lincoln to his law partner in 1840 and two by George Washington. The letters were sold through Swann Galleries, a Manhattan auction house.
Renehan has been under investigation by the Nassau County district attorney’s office since last fall for the theft and attempted sale of a 1918 letter written by Roosevelt about his son Quentin in World War I. The National Park Service became involved with the latest investigation because the papers were removed from a national historic site.
The initial investigation started after Swann Galleries received the 1918 Roosevelt letter and questioned its ownership. Once the auction house realized that the document belonged to the TRA it returned the letter and authorities were notified. The auction records have been subpoenaed.
TRA President Jim Bruns could not talk about the investigation but did affirm that the TRA’s main objective “at this point is to recover the stolen property and to get back any additional items [Renehan] has in his possession.” Norman Parsons, immediate past president of the TRA acknowledged that, “We don’t know how many documents are missing. It is still under investigation.”
Bruns also explained, “The theft was internal. In many cases internal theft is hard to safeguard anything-documents, cash. We do have stronger procedures in place now to secure our historic items.”
Renehan, who grew up in Valley Stream but now resides in Wickford, Rhode Island, is the author of The Kennedys at War: 1937-1945, The Lion’s Pride: Theodore Roosevelt & His Family in Peace and War, The Secret Six: The True Tale of the Men Who Conspired with John Brown, John Burroughs: An American Naturalist, Dark Genius of Wall Street: The Misunderstood Life of Jay Gould and Commodore: The Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt.
On his blog, located at renehan.typepad.com, Renehan mentions that he was diagnosed bi-polar/manic depressant during the summer of 2007, but makes no mention of ever having any association with the Theodore Roosevelt Association. Before being appointed as executive director for the TRA, Renehan was a member of it Board of Directors for six years.
-Faith Rackoff reprinted from 3/28/08 Oyster Bay Guardian
The NPS is looking into Edward Renehan, Jr. who served as the executive director of the TRA from 2005-2006, and his involvement in three letters that were stolen from the vault at Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site in Manhattan. The three letters in question are one written by Abraham Lincoln to his law partner in 1840 and two by George Washington. The letters were sold through Swann Galleries, a Manhattan auction house.
Renehan has been under investigation by the Nassau County district attorney’s office since last fall for the theft and attempted sale of a 1918 letter written by Roosevelt about his son Quentin in World War I. The National Park Service became involved with the latest investigation because the papers were removed from a national historic site.
The initial investigation started after Swann Galleries received the 1918 Roosevelt letter and questioned its ownership. Once the auction house realized that the document belonged to the TRA it returned the letter and authorities were notified. The auction records have been subpoenaed.
TRA President Jim Bruns could not talk about the investigation but did affirm that the TRA’s main objective “at this point is to recover the stolen property and to get back any additional items [Renehan] has in his possession.” Norman Parsons, immediate past president of the TRA acknowledged that, “We don’t know how many documents are missing. It is still under investigation.”
Bruns also explained, “The theft was internal. In many cases internal theft is hard to safeguard anything-documents, cash. We do have stronger procedures in place now to secure our historic items.”
Renehan, who grew up in Valley Stream but now resides in Wickford, Rhode Island, is the author of The Kennedys at War: 1937-1945, The Lion’s Pride: Theodore Roosevelt & His Family in Peace and War, The Secret Six: The True Tale of the Men Who Conspired with John Brown, John Burroughs: An American Naturalist, Dark Genius of Wall Street: The Misunderstood Life of Jay Gould and Commodore: The Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt.
On his blog, located at renehan.typepad.com, Renehan mentions that he was diagnosed bi-polar/manic depressant during the summer of 2007, but makes no mention of ever having any association with the Theodore Roosevelt Association. Before being appointed as executive director for the TRA, Renehan was a member of it Board of Directors for six years.
-Faith Rackoff reprinted from 3/28/08 Oyster Bay Guardian
What To Do From Here: Community Leaders React to Dan Burden
Stop complaining about the problems and start exploring the solutions. Over 100 people and various local organizations joined together at the meeting held on March 14th and 15th, which was sponsored by Oyster Bay Main Street Association, Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce and Oyster Bay Civic Association, that was facilitated by Dan Burden of Walkable Communities. Concerns pertaining to the Theodore Roosevelt Museum and Research Center brought people in the door. However, Burden was able to help the community identify deep-rooted problems and gave advice on how to move forward.
After pointing out that, “Unfortunately, there’s a lack of vision in Oyster Bay for its future,” Burden helped the crowd get “to the heart of what the key issues are which is critical to move forward.” He had two primary recommendations. First was to call for a steering committee to advise the Theodore Roosevelt Association’s museum proposal. Second, he suggested recruiting a “highly competent architectural team” to listen and respond to community concerns about the site and other critical issues in the community such as traffic, managing parking and accommodating special events.
Burden may have struck the match but it is up to the community leaders to carry the torch. This is what some of the community leaders had to say.
Matt Meng- President, East Norwich Civic Association
Matt Meng, president of East Norwich Civic Association admitted, “There is good synergy between all of the different organizations. We can use this opportunity to get the town to do the right thing when we are all on the same page. We should be embarrassed and we should be mad if we cannot get all the groups on the same page and go to Town
Hall and give deliver a time line for immediate changes.” Meng realizes that the pressure of some of the community problems should not fall on the shoulders of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA). As he explained, “Parking has been an issue for 25 years. Parking is an issue that needs to be resolved before a shovel is broken into the ground to build a museum. Let's not wait and say the museum will solve the parking problem because that's ass backwards!”
Meng has an idea about setting the one of the issues about the museum being built at Firemen’s Field. He said, “We need a visual to understand what the current proposal of 35,000 square feet footprint looks like. All the stakeholder groups come together and agree to put up a fence that frames in 35,000 square feet within Fireman's Field somewhere. Let’s put up a temporary fence, like any one that you see at the any gas station that is closed up so people can see it for the next 6 months.” Meng believes we would be able to “see how it impacts the baseball games at Roosevelt or anything else. What that does, it gives you a real visual. It is not a picture or a conceptual thing that can be bantered back and forth. Why not get a clear and concise understanding”
As far as Meng is concerned, “We have to move things along. We have to have some real hard things that we can see, touch and feel.”
William Von Novak- President, Oyster Bay Civic Association
Oyster Bay Civic Association President William Von Novak was encouraged by the town
meeting. He expressed, “Burden obtained a thorough view of the issues and concerns of the citizens of Oyster Bay. He expanded on these concerns and offered a focus and a strategy on how they might be addressed including the creation of a steering committee.” In addition, be Burden’s insight Von Novak believed, “the reaction of the people who attended the entire program was positive. The potential of a united community working cooperatively to solve problems is a good thing.”
Nevertheless Von Novak is aware that, “We must be sensitive to the issue of time. The first question should be which issues must be successfully addressed by the time the Theodore Roosevelt Association presents a proposal for a museum?”
To sum it all up he noted, “Dan Burden did a wonderful job for our town, we now have to continue the dialogue.”
Alex Gallego- President, Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce
Alex Gallego, president of Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce shared that he was “grateful to all that attended, I know this effort required considerable time and energy. Our coming together to speak with one another and to develop a common vision will go a long way in shaping our town's future.” It is his hope that, “the idea's we shared will help foster a climate in which retail shops, restaurants, and other businesses can thrive. Let's take on this challenge and continue to build on the positive momentum we created.”
Gallego acknowledged, “All of the issues are important. They are all concerns but we prioritize and look at which are the ones that are most important and achievable. It's ok to have concern about it but if you can't do anything about it then you are spinning your wheels.”
In reference to the meeting and the suggestion of the community forming the steering, Gallego replied, “We all care for one another and we all care about the town what this allowed us to do was have an outside source catalog all the different issues so we can now begin approaching or working to try and solve these things. I think we have a very special opportunity that if we take it and embrace it, we do the right thing it can help or it can be another meeting that goes nowhere.”
Jack Bernstein- Board Member, Oyster Bain Main Street Association
Jack Bernstein, board member of the Oyster Bay Main Street Association, stated, “I don’t think there is any real question as to whether the community wants a Theodore Roosevelt museum. He even believes that “In the hamlet, most people want it Fireman’s field or at least they want something done with Fireman’s field rather than keeping it in its current state. Firemen’s field has to be fixed up one way or another.”
Bernstein noted, that the information from the meeting “gives the TRA something to work with. They know what they have to do, the things they have to satisfy. I think they already knew it but now it is in writing.”
He also pointed out, “Some things that they talked about at the meeting, like fixing up 106, should not be something that makes or breaks a TR Museum. I think 106 is a mess, but that is something the town or state has to do something about.” He also believes “that the periods of peak usage for the museum and for the road are totally different things. However, I think that the museum can open up the traffic and the parking issue and solve many of those things. It will also open up access to the waterfront.”
John Specce- President, Oyster Bay Railroad Museum
President of the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum John Specce thought that the meeting was a great steppingstone. He said, “I think anyone who took the time to come to that meeting obviously has an expressed interest in it. Dan Burden brought people together in a way that they have not been brought together before. As a facilitator, he did his job very well. There is always a benefit to having an outsider looking in acting as a middleman.
Specce put the pressure on the steering committee. “Now it is up to the folks who are going to be on the steering committee to try and come up with some resolution to the issue of the museum at Firemen’s field. I just hope something comes out of it through the steering committee. Hopefully it will be a diverse group that represents various viewpoints and they will be able to come to some sort of consensus as to what the residents of Oyster Bay want at Firemen’s field,” he stated.
Knowing that it will take more effort than just the actions of the meeting, Specce said, “Unless the steering committee can come together and work together as a team nothing will happen.”
Caroline DuBois- Spokesperson, Save Firemen’s Field
Contrary to the popular opinion Caroline DuBois, spokesperson for the organization Save Firemen’s Field was not satisfied with the meeting. She contests that “they did not address some of the most important questions.” DuBois is concerned about “the actual traffic that will come into Oyster Bay during the peak visitation months, which will be summer weekends” as well as “the impact congestion pricing in NYC will have on local train stations.”
DuBois went on to describe the whole process of choosing a committee “bogus.” She explained, “People such as me who have strongly expressed opinions, that are negative about using Firemen’s Field or building the museum are being excluded from the advisory committee. At the same time, people who expressed themselves in favor of the museum being placed at Firemen’s Field are being invited onto the advisory committee. If you are going to have strong opinions on one side, you have to have the strong opinions from the other side. Either that or put the oatmeal mush people who do not know what their opinions are.
Jim Bruns- President, Theodore Roosevelt Association
TRA President Jim Bruns was satisfied with the meeting’s outcome. “I thought it was extremely positive, “ he said. In addition to having a better grasp as to what the community concerns are he believes, “the community has a clearer understanding that we are not trying to cram this down their throats. We are trying to listen to the community, get the community's input and be responsive.”
While members of the community will be participating in the steering committee, according to Bruns, the next step for the TRA is “to continue to move forward on the studies and to begin to look at architectural models.”
-Faith Rackoff reprinted from the Oyster Bay Guardian from 4/11/08
After pointing out that, “Unfortunately, there’s a lack of vision in Oyster Bay for its future,” Burden helped the crowd get “to the heart of what the key issues are which is critical to move forward.” He had two primary recommendations. First was to call for a steering committee to advise the Theodore Roosevelt Association’s museum proposal. Second, he suggested recruiting a “highly competent architectural team” to listen and respond to community concerns about the site and other critical issues in the community such as traffic, managing parking and accommodating special events.
Burden may have struck the match but it is up to the community leaders to carry the torch. This is what some of the community leaders had to say.
Matt Meng- President, East Norwich Civic Association
Matt Meng, president of East Norwich Civic Association admitted, “There is good synergy between all of the different organizations. We can use this opportunity to get the town to do the right thing when we are all on the same page. We should be embarrassed and we should be mad if we cannot get all the groups on the same page and go to Town
Hall and give deliver a time line for immediate changes.” Meng realizes that the pressure of some of the community problems should not fall on the shoulders of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA). As he explained, “Parking has been an issue for 25 years. Parking is an issue that needs to be resolved before a shovel is broken into the ground to build a museum. Let's not wait and say the museum will solve the parking problem because that's ass backwards!”
Meng has an idea about setting the one of the issues about the museum being built at Firemen’s Field. He said, “We need a visual to understand what the current proposal of 35,000 square feet footprint looks like. All the stakeholder groups come together and agree to put up a fence that frames in 35,000 square feet within Fireman's Field somewhere. Let’s put up a temporary fence, like any one that you see at the any gas station that is closed up so people can see it for the next 6 months.” Meng believes we would be able to “see how it impacts the baseball games at Roosevelt or anything else. What that does, it gives you a real visual. It is not a picture or a conceptual thing that can be bantered back and forth. Why not get a clear and concise understanding”
As far as Meng is concerned, “We have to move things along. We have to have some real hard things that we can see, touch and feel.”
William Von Novak- President, Oyster Bay Civic Association
Oyster Bay Civic Association President William Von Novak was encouraged by the town
meeting. He expressed, “Burden obtained a thorough view of the issues and concerns of the citizens of Oyster Bay. He expanded on these concerns and offered a focus and a strategy on how they might be addressed including the creation of a steering committee.” In addition, be Burden’s insight Von Novak believed, “the reaction of the people who attended the entire program was positive. The potential of a united community working cooperatively to solve problems is a good thing.”
Nevertheless Von Novak is aware that, “We must be sensitive to the issue of time. The first question should be which issues must be successfully addressed by the time the Theodore Roosevelt Association presents a proposal for a museum?”
To sum it all up he noted, “Dan Burden did a wonderful job for our town, we now have to continue the dialogue.”
Alex Gallego- President, Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce
Alex Gallego, president of Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce shared that he was “grateful to all that attended, I know this effort required considerable time and energy. Our coming together to speak with one another and to develop a common vision will go a long way in shaping our town's future.” It is his hope that, “the idea's we shared will help foster a climate in which retail shops, restaurants, and other businesses can thrive. Let's take on this challenge and continue to build on the positive momentum we created.”
Gallego acknowledged, “All of the issues are important. They are all concerns but we prioritize and look at which are the ones that are most important and achievable. It's ok to have concern about it but if you can't do anything about it then you are spinning your wheels.”
In reference to the meeting and the suggestion of the community forming the steering, Gallego replied, “We all care for one another and we all care about the town what this allowed us to do was have an outside source catalog all the different issues so we can now begin approaching or working to try and solve these things. I think we have a very special opportunity that if we take it and embrace it, we do the right thing it can help or it can be another meeting that goes nowhere.”
Jack Bernstein- Board Member, Oyster Bain Main Street Association
Jack Bernstein, board member of the Oyster Bay Main Street Association, stated, “I don’t think there is any real question as to whether the community wants a Theodore Roosevelt museum. He even believes that “In the hamlet, most people want it Fireman’s field or at least they want something done with Fireman’s field rather than keeping it in its current state. Firemen’s field has to be fixed up one way or another.”
Bernstein noted, that the information from the meeting “gives the TRA something to work with. They know what they have to do, the things they have to satisfy. I think they already knew it but now it is in writing.”
He also pointed out, “Some things that they talked about at the meeting, like fixing up 106, should not be something that makes or breaks a TR Museum. I think 106 is a mess, but that is something the town or state has to do something about.” He also believes “that the periods of peak usage for the museum and for the road are totally different things. However, I think that the museum can open up the traffic and the parking issue and solve many of those things. It will also open up access to the waterfront.”
John Specce- President, Oyster Bay Railroad Museum
President of the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum John Specce thought that the meeting was a great steppingstone. He said, “I think anyone who took the time to come to that meeting obviously has an expressed interest in it. Dan Burden brought people together in a way that they have not been brought together before. As a facilitator, he did his job very well. There is always a benefit to having an outsider looking in acting as a middleman.
Specce put the pressure on the steering committee. “Now it is up to the folks who are going to be on the steering committee to try and come up with some resolution to the issue of the museum at Firemen’s field. I just hope something comes out of it through the steering committee. Hopefully it will be a diverse group that represents various viewpoints and they will be able to come to some sort of consensus as to what the residents of Oyster Bay want at Firemen’s field,” he stated.
Knowing that it will take more effort than just the actions of the meeting, Specce said, “Unless the steering committee can come together and work together as a team nothing will happen.”
Caroline DuBois- Spokesperson, Save Firemen’s Field
Contrary to the popular opinion Caroline DuBois, spokesperson for the organization Save Firemen’s Field was not satisfied with the meeting. She contests that “they did not address some of the most important questions.” DuBois is concerned about “the actual traffic that will come into Oyster Bay during the peak visitation months, which will be summer weekends” as well as “the impact congestion pricing in NYC will have on local train stations.”
DuBois went on to describe the whole process of choosing a committee “bogus.” She explained, “People such as me who have strongly expressed opinions, that are negative about using Firemen’s Field or building the museum are being excluded from the advisory committee. At the same time, people who expressed themselves in favor of the museum being placed at Firemen’s Field are being invited onto the advisory committee. If you are going to have strong opinions on one side, you have to have the strong opinions from the other side. Either that or put the oatmeal mush people who do not know what their opinions are.
Jim Bruns- President, Theodore Roosevelt Association
TRA President Jim Bruns was satisfied with the meeting’s outcome. “I thought it was extremely positive, “ he said. In addition to having a better grasp as to what the community concerns are he believes, “the community has a clearer understanding that we are not trying to cram this down their throats. We are trying to listen to the community, get the community's input and be responsive.”
While members of the community will be participating in the steering committee, according to Bruns, the next step for the TRA is “to continue to move forward on the studies and to begin to look at architectural models.”
-Faith Rackoff reprinted from the Oyster Bay Guardian from 4/11/08
Ex-TRA President Charged With 3 Felonies
Edward Renehan Jr., former executive director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association from March 2005 to July 2006, turned himself in Wednesday, March 26th to the Nassau County Courthouse in Garden City after a grand jury indicted him on three felony charges.
The Valley Stream native who now lives in Rhode Island was charged grand larceny and criminal possession of a stolen property in the theft of a letter written by Theodore Roosevelt in 1918 about his son Quentin’s death in World War I, was stolen from the TRA and was sent to an auction house in Manhattan to be sold.
Renehan was also charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree; he is accused of forging a letter purporting to be signed by his predecessor, John A. Gable, giving Renehan ownership of the letter.
The Roosevelt letter was returned to the TRA after the auction house, Swann Galleries, questioned the ownership, prompting the investigations. However, investigators are probing whether any other items were taken.
TRA Immediate Past President Norman Parsons acknowledged, “We don’t know how many items are missing. It is still under investigation.”
Renehan is also under federal investigation by the National Park Service for the theft of three letters: two by Abraham Lincoln and one by George Washington, from the vault of the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site in Manhattan.
Nevertheless Renehan’s lawyer Peter Brill was clear to point out that, “They are two separate investigations. One is focusing solely on the so-called Quentin that is the only one that can definitively be proven to have come from the Muttontown office. That is only one that Nassau County has jurisdiction over.”
Brill expects the prosecutors to present "the auction records, which have been subpoenaed, and will indicate that Ed Renehan was the consignor."
However Brill reasoned that his client was diagnosed being bipolar in the summer of 2007. “He hadn’t been diagnosed bipolar until after the fact. When you are bipolar you get these feeling of grandiosity and self-importance. I am sure that he felt that he was not only invincible but that he was doing the right thing in some twisted way, “ Brill said. “Later on, having been medicated and treated, he realized that his actions were not appropriate and that at least some of the self-justification of when that happened had to do with those feelings. He thought he was smarter, better and more intelligent that everybody else.”
Brill does not believe this will go to trial. “It would be our hope that we would not have to litigate,” he stated.
Renehan was released without bail pending an April 21 court date.
-Faith Rackoff reprinted from Oyster Bay Guardian 4/11/08
The Valley Stream native who now lives in Rhode Island was charged grand larceny and criminal possession of a stolen property in the theft of a letter written by Theodore Roosevelt in 1918 about his son Quentin’s death in World War I, was stolen from the TRA and was sent to an auction house in Manhattan to be sold.
Renehan was also charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree; he is accused of forging a letter purporting to be signed by his predecessor, John A. Gable, giving Renehan ownership of the letter.
The Roosevelt letter was returned to the TRA after the auction house, Swann Galleries, questioned the ownership, prompting the investigations. However, investigators are probing whether any other items were taken.
TRA Immediate Past President Norman Parsons acknowledged, “We don’t know how many items are missing. It is still under investigation.”
Renehan is also under federal investigation by the National Park Service for the theft of three letters: two by Abraham Lincoln and one by George Washington, from the vault of the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site in Manhattan.
Nevertheless Renehan’s lawyer Peter Brill was clear to point out that, “They are two separate investigations. One is focusing solely on the so-called Quentin that is the only one that can definitively be proven to have come from the Muttontown office. That is only one that Nassau County has jurisdiction over.”
Brill expects the prosecutors to present "the auction records, which have been subpoenaed, and will indicate that Ed Renehan was the consignor."
However Brill reasoned that his client was diagnosed being bipolar in the summer of 2007. “He hadn’t been diagnosed bipolar until after the fact. When you are bipolar you get these feeling of grandiosity and self-importance. I am sure that he felt that he was not only invincible but that he was doing the right thing in some twisted way, “ Brill said. “Later on, having been medicated and treated, he realized that his actions were not appropriate and that at least some of the self-justification of when that happened had to do with those feelings. He thought he was smarter, better and more intelligent that everybody else.”
Brill does not believe this will go to trial. “It would be our hope that we would not have to litigate,” he stated.
Renehan was released without bail pending an April 21 court date.
-Faith Rackoff reprinted from Oyster Bay Guardian 4/11/08
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