Press conference with Mark Lesko on Shoreham Beach

[rpsurf5]

All,

Brookhaven Town Supervisor Mark Lesko will be having a press conference at Rocky Point Fishing Stop on Monday August 24th at 1:30 pm. Amongst other things he will be discussing the reopening of Shoreham Beach. As most know Mark was instrumental in reopening Shoreham Beach to fishing.

Also, the owner of Rocky Point Fishing Stop Stan Hentschel was on the forefront of the fight also. Stan is inviting fisherman down to the shop to be a part of this. If you can, stop by and check out Stans store, great shop for surfcasters and Stan has done alot for the surf fishing community over the years.

John

[plugginpete]

:clapping::clapping::clapping: for Lesko, it seems like things are working out now.

[rpsurf5]

Event has been changed to 6pm.

[nitestrikes]

Bump to the top. I can't make it, but thanks for posting.

[stripercrazy]

All,

Brookhaven Town Supervisor Mark Lesko will be having a press conference at Rocky Point Fishing Stop on Monday August 24th at 1:30 pm. Amongst other things he will be discussing the reopening of Shoreham Beach. As most know Mark was instrumental in reopening Shoreham Beach to fishing.

Also, the owner of Rocky Point Fishing Stop Stan Hentschel was on the forefront of the fight also. Stan is inviting fisherman down to the shop to be a part of this. If you can, stop by and check out Stans store, great shop for surfcasters and Stan has done alot for the surf fishing community over the years.

John

:thumbsup:

[DarkSkies]

I know this thread is about Shoreham, but I wanted to put a little plug in for Stan Hentschel.

He was a fixture in that community for many years, through good and bad times, and his business would have gone bankrupt with the Shoreham closure if he didn't have the ability to dip into his retirement fund to keep it going.

Stan's a Vet, and has definitely paid his dues over the years. Anytime you get a chance to fish near that shop, why not stop by and see if there's anything you need in there?

Also, do me a favor and ask if he has any embarassing stories about rpsurf (John), whose first job 26 years ago was workin for Stan. I would love to hear some of those stories. :laugh: :HappyWave:

A little about him:



I wanted to preface this spotlight by saying that I got a chance to meet Stan Hentschel. owner of Rocky Point Fishing Stop, last year when I started reporting on the Shoreham Beach access issues. To me, he seemed a soft-spoken and reasonable guy.

Then they closed Shoreham Beach down and his business suffered greatly. It suffered so much that he had to dip into his retirement savings. Here's a retired guy dipping into his retirement money, the money he needs to sustain him for the rest of his life, and he's doing it anyway.

Why bother, you might ask? Why not just close up shop, board up the windows, and move to Florida???

Answer: Because that's not the kind of guy Stan is! He has roots in Long Island, and he's been up there, and running that shop, for over 33 years.


So instead of lying down and quitting, Stan went to the meetings, endured the empty promises, and ordered tackle and supplies for the 2008 season, having a glimmer of hope that the town would open that beach to fishermen and he could salvage what was left of 2008.

2008 came and left, with no revenue for Stan. http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon9.gif Meanwhile, he had to pay insurance, lighting, heat, and water for a shop that barely had any revenues for 2008. He has 4 or 5 loyal employees that have been with him for years. He could have laid them off and told them too bad, tough break, but Stan's not that kind of guy.

So he cut the shop's hours, reducing his expenses, and kept these employees on the payroll because of their years of loyal service. He didn't have the heart to let them go, so he just sucked it up, and kept paying out money even though he had no appreciable revenue coming in.

Most men would have been angry over this, I know it would get me angry and frustrated.:burn:

When I talked to Stan today, I detected none of the bitterness that one would expect from someone who got shafted like this. He's tough, and passionate about access and his opinions, but not bitter. Stan, you're a better man than I, I salute your sense of serenity. :thumbsup:

Stan just wants to get on with his life, and start selling bait, tackle, and supplies to the fishermen again, and keep busy in his retirement.

I think Stan's the kind of guy who wouldn't enjoy retirement sitting around doing nothing, I think he HAS to keep busy. :D

At least this year, thanks to the new ideas and focus of Mr Lesko and the coordination of the other fishing groups, he will have something to look forward to.

Life is full of sad stories. I know people who are dying right now who would gladly trade places with Stan and the tough times he has faced. Still, he has had a hard 2 years. If anyone is going fishing in that general area, maybe you could think about stopping in Stan's shop and picking up and item or 2?

I know he would be most grateful for your business. Tell all your friends he's open again, and maybe some of them will stop by too.

Life is harsh sometimes. Not every tackle shop or business will make it, it's a jungle out there.

I do know that when we lose one small tackle or bait shop, that's probably a shop that will never be replaced due to internet competition and the big box fishing retailers out there.

Stop by and say "Hi!" :HappyWave: to Stan, you'll be glad ya did!!


The thread that tells you a little more about his shop:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=3711

[williehookem]

On another site they talked about there being one guy who will run against Bonner in the fall. I hope he wins, she was nothing but a liar in all these hearings.

[hookedonbass]

Stan seems to be a great guy. Someone who has the old time work ethics. Loyalty means everything. Hopefully his business will turn around now.

Thanks for posting the information about him DS.

[rockhopper]

Anyone go to the meeting, what happened?

[Frankiesurf]

I stopped by there today to pick up a yellow deertail and it cost me $55! Only because I decided to stock up on some hooks, jigheads, and a Northbar Bottle Darter.

Any way, after chatting for a while I asked about the Mark Lesko meeting. I was told it was pretty much to introduce and bolster support for John Leonard. The candidate who will be running against Jane Bonner in the next election. He is pro-fisherman and is very concerned about fishermans access in the Town of Brookhaven. A couple of dozen fishermen turned out for the meeting.

I just moved into Brookhaven town so I am not too sure of the system but I believe you must be a resident of the particular area that a representative for the town board is running. So, anyone from the Shoreham area, make sure you get out there and vote Bonner out!

[rpsurf5]

Also, do me a favor and ask if he has any embarassing stories about rpsurf (John), whose first job 26 years ago was workin for Stan. I would love to hear some of those stories. :laugh: :HappyWave:


Ha , ha Rich :)! Stan actually has pictures on his wall from the 70's !! He has a couple of pictures of me, one a 5lb largemouth and a 15 lb bluefish from when I was a kid. My mother actually went there last year, borrowed the picture from Stan, blew it up and gave it to me for my birthday. That picture was from almost 30 years ago, my wife got a big kick out of that.

Embarassing stories, one of my responsibilities was to put line on reels for people with the machine. Spinning reels I was very proficient at , not so much with conventional reels ! I dreaded when people came in with those , most of the time I worked the store myself, so there was no one to help. I am sure putting the line on those reels was a horror show for the people who had to use them :)!

[rpsurf5]

Anyone go to the meeting, what happened?

Very nice turnout by the fisherman, especially on such short notice. Mark Lesko has done what he said he would do, he is a friend of the fisherman for sure and was very appreciative of the support.

John Leonard is running against Jane Bonner, from everything I have heard he stands for the fisherman and has the complete support of Mark.

Mark is up for election again in November, we really need to support him to help keep him in office. Bonner has to go , she has been against the fisherman all along and continues to be. Time to send her packing. If you live in Brookhaven, get out and support the politicians who support the fisherman. Spread the word to all your friends , family and colleagues who live in Brookhaven.

[BassBuddah]

John Leonard is running against Jane Bonner, from everything I have heard he stands for the fisherman and has the complete support of Mark.



If I lived there I would support any candidate opposing Bonner. Bonner has got to go! Vote for Leonard. Thanks for the update.:thumbsup:

[DarkSkies]

Thanks for keeping us posted, guys. :HappyWave:

[Tom Farrell]

New York Coalition for Recreation Fishing


NEWS RELEASE

Fishermen Boost Economy of Rocky Point’s Downtown
ROCKY POINT – Thirty fishermen joined John Leonard, the Democratic nominee for the Second Council District, at a rally Monday to underscore how the fishing industry benefits the economies of North Shore downtowns.
When a local beach was closed to fishermen last year, Rocky Point Fishing Stop had to lay off three employees. Two adjacent - and empty – storefronts couldn’t find new tenants. When the beach reopened a few months ago to fishermen under a compromise brokered by new Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko, business at remaining shops and restaurants improved, staffing levels increased and more people strolled down Broadway.
“In Rocky Point, the downtown and the fisherman are symbiotic,” said Leonard, standing with the fishermen and Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko in front of Rocky Point Fishing Stop. “Fishermen from across Long Island who fish at our beaches frequent our bait and tackle shops. They eat at our downtown restaurants and buy their gas here. They invigorate the local economy.
“The opposite is also true: When fishermen are discouraged from visiting, downtown and area shops struggle – and it isn’t just the bait and tackle stores. The delis suffer. So do the convenience stores and gas stations. The trickle-down affect is immediate and deeply felt.”
Stanley Hentschel, owner of Rocky Point Fishing Stop, was semi-retired with a staff of five when Jane Bonner and the Town of Brookhaven closed Shoreham Town Beach to fishermen.
“The Town used the lame excuse that it was never a fishing beach,” said Hentschel, at a rally for fishermen Monday in front of his shop. “That’s nonsense and everyone knows it. I’ve been fishing there since 1962.
Closing the beach to fishermen prompted an immediate collapse in the local fishing economy, devastating Rocky Point’s already hurting downtown. Hentschel had to cut into his retirement account to maintain his staffing levels. He loaned his company $165,000. But by year’s end, Hentschel again couldn’t support five employees. So he had no choice but lay off three workers and returned to work full-time.
Hentschel and area fishermen banded together to lobby the Town to reopen the outer edges of the beach to fishermen. But they couldn’t even get the Town to hear them out.
“Jane said at a meeting that she was in contact with me. Not true. She never made the effort,” said Hentschel, a Republican supporting John Leonard for Town Council.
But Lesko brokered a solution: Require beach visitors to get a parking pass, enabling greater enforcement of users of all kinds – and, at the same time, help the businesses in for Rocky Point’s downtown.
“The road to a solution was a simple one: convene the affected parties and talk out the problem,” Lesko said. “That’s the best way to a solution, and that happened here. Brookhaven is no longer the ‘Town of No.’ Brookhaven is now the ‘Town of Solutions.’”
“Mark Lesko is a friend of fishermen for life,” said Tom Farrell, vice president of New York Coalition for Recreational Fishing, Inc. “He understood our interests, Rocky Point’s rich fishing history and how we benefit local business. I look forward to working with Mark Lesko and John Leonard. They deserve Rocky Point’s vote. It doesn’t matter if you are a Republican, Democrat or Conservative.”
Business at Hentschel’s bait and tackle shop has improved, and he boosted his staffing levels. He isn’t the only businessman seeing better revenues since the beach reopened.
Phil Romano treks to Rocky Point occasionally from his home in Flushing, Queens – when the local beach is open to fishermen. “When you finish fishing at noon after starting at 4 a.m., you need to eat, you need to drink,” said Romano, who attended Monday’s rally. “So you stop downtown, find a place to get lunch. You gas up before going home.”
:fishing:

[blitzhunter]

I read on another site how Tom contacted Jane Bonner about the Fishing Advisory Board. I have been following this issue quite closely. In my opinion the only reason she wants to lead the committee is so that she can choose people whom she personally knows hoping they will make unfavorable decisions towards fisherman. The sooner she is voted out the better off we all are.

[rpsurf5]

I read on another site how Tom contacted Jane Bonner about the Fishing Advisory Board. I have been following this issue quite closely. In my opinion the only reason she wants to lead the committee is so that she can choose people whom she personally knows hoping they will make unfavorable decisions towards fisherman. The sooner she is voted out the better off we all are.

Here is what Tom posted :

<<Well the Town of Brookhaven has had several months now to establish the Fishing Advisory Board. As per Supervisor Lesko Jane Bonner wanted to lead the committee. As of today the Board has not been established. I sent Jane Bonner and email asking the reasons why. She did call me back and left me a voicemail explaining that she has been waiting on other Council people to name who they want on the Board. This is not acceptable after all of this time. She has had the names of the recreational anglers that Mark would like to have on the Board for quite awhile now. It sadly looks like a case of the dragging your feet syndrome. I left Miss Bonner a message at her office this evening regarding this issue so I hope to hear from her soon. One thing I urge all of you to do is call Miss Bonner yourselves and ask her to please speed up the process. The 2010 season will be here before we know it. You can reach Jane Bonner at:

One Independence Hill
Farmingville, NY 11738
(631) 451-6964, phone
(631) 451-6447, fax>>

[rpsurf5]

Looks like still to this day Jane Bonner is trying to impede the fisherman. She really should just give it up already, she was wrong when she started this crusade against the fisherman, we got our access back yet she still is working against us.

Enough already, she needs to be voted out of office, the election is in November, anyone who lives in her district or knows people who live in her district, do everything you can to have her voted out.

[Tom Farrell]

I read on another site how Tom contacted Jane Bonner about the Fishing Advisory Board. I have been following this issue quite closely. In my opinion the only reason she wants to lead the committee is so that she can choose people whom she personally knows hoping they will make unfavorable decisions towards fisherman. The sooner she is voted out the better off we all are.


Jane is far from a friend of fisherman. Why would she want to be the head of the board? I think everyone knows why and it is not good for recreational fisherman. The recreational fisherman who are on the Advisory Board are as follows: Debbie Delgatto, Vito Orlando and Mike Lang. All 3 of these people live within the Town of Brookhaven. The first meeting should be held in the near future. As far as Jane goes, she doesn't really matter all that much.

Thanks,

Tom Farrell
Vp - NYCRF