Bay Shore, NY Continues to Foster the Community-School Relationship

BAY SHORE, NEW YORK- Residents arrived at Bay Shore High School in droves on Thursday, April 16 for the fifteenth annual Community Summit, where the Bay Shore- Brightwaters Summit Council was recognized for its achievements.

Bay Shore School District has won the National School Board Association's MAGNA Award four times for school-community collaboration, the Bay Shore Wellness Alliance, the Bay Shore High School Multimedia Program, and this year for the district-sponsored Summit/Summit Council and its contributions to the renaissance of the hamlet.

More than 1,000 Bay Shore- Brightwaters citizens turned out for the first summit fifteen years ago, of which the theme was the planning for the future of the area. That summit was aptly titled, "A Portrait of Our Community."

Each summit throughout the years was built on a cause, such as health, history and tradition. This year was no different, speakers paid respect to members of the council and the achievements of the group, which was formed in 1995 by citizens who were interested in improving the quality of life for residents through communication and teamwork.

The auditorium was filled with citizens and students who volunteered to help staff the event. Several notable people spoke during the informational session, which began at 7 p.m.

Chris Kayser, President of the Bay Shore- Brightwaters Summit Council, thanked community leaders for their support with the event and for their contribution to the community as a whole. "I am truly proud to work with this creative and dedicated group of people," he said.

Suffolk County Executive, Steve Levy, noted that the difference between Bay Shore 15 years ago compared to today was like night and day, "The result of the past 15 years (of improvement) is tangible," he said, "Where there were once empty stores, now there is a vibrant downtown."

Town of Islip Supervisor, Phil Nolan, also spoke about the progress of Bay Shore, and emphasized the commitment of the community to its progress, "This is completely not about political partisanship and that is everything about why it is so successful," he said.

After the informational session, participants were invited to go visit the community expo, which featured approximately 80 not-for-profit organizations from the area that disseminated helpful information on their groups. Down in the cafeteria there were more than 40 restaurants from throughout the Bay Shore-Brightwaters area who prepared items from their menu for those in attendance to sample.

Lynn Casper, who was born and raised in Bay Shore and recently returned to the area after moving away for a while, noted she attended the summit last year for the first time and could not wait to come back this year. She also noted the event is a great way to keep residents up-to-date on Bay Shore activities and its growth, and that she is considering joining a community committee. "It's very community-minded," she said about the summit, "There's more love and pride in our area now, it's changed a lot since the 1970's."