From..Marita's Desk Welcome to Focus on Line..... My Fellow Neighbors   My concerns for the East Patchogue Corridor began over 20 years ago.  Having my business next to the Plaza Theater, it became very noticeable how the building was deteriorating like a cancer.  I was one of three merchants trying to earn a livelihood next to a structure that gradually became home for drug users and the homeless.  We had to contend with garbage and filth that would pile up almost on a daily basis.   One day there was a fire inside the building caused by a homeless man reportedly using a barbecue to cook and heat the area to stay warm.  I witnessed the man’s death due to his use of fire. The Plaza owner didn’t seem to care. He ignored violations issued to him and has kept the community as hostage to this pigpen ever since. I spent hours of time calling, writing and meeting with public officials in an effort to force this owner to take care of his responsibility.  No one seemed to care.   My customers were afraid to come to my salon so my business began to suffer.  I live in Patchogue, and I had worked hard to develop my business close to my home. An uncaring owner neglecting his own property was gradually destroying my livelihood.  I moved my business to Bellport and thankfully, through these past years, I have been blessed to be able to re-establish my business there.   Even though I had moved away, my heart would break each morning when I would pass that building.  The whole area was becoming more and more like a slum.  Other business owners were also becoming more and more concerned.  Companies that conduct potential business demographics were giving Patchogue bad ratings.   Realizing that we all felt the same way, we formed the civic group Focus East Patchogue.  Our goal was to revitalize our business area.  We wanted the community to know that we were their voice to help return meaningful business to our area.  We wanted to encourage the struggling merchants that we were going to be a voice for them.    We began pressing for our Main Street road improvement project to get underway.  We reviewed the Public Works Plan for the proposed road improvements and helped make several changes beneficial to the community and the merchants. We are still working on issues such as the 'bus stop enclosures’, which we believe can easily house germs and disease. Currently in the news there is a 'staph infection alert’, which they have discovered can be spread just by shaking hands. Imagine the potential for spreading germs at some of these bus enclosures?  We intend to explain this issue in depth, on our projects pages, in a future.   Focus had assisted in having Dunkin Donuts reopened.  The Mi Tierrita Restaurant was delayed because of health department issues.  The LOWES project is a result of our work.  When investors hear that a community is encouraging new business they are inclined to investigate the area for possibilities.  We turned down a proposed shopping center for that area.  It would have produced more of the same businesses and economically harm our existing merchants.   DON’T  GIVE  UP   Many times this seems to be a thankless job.  Occasionally someone will yell at me or complain that we are being too harsh on some public officials or that I may be obsessed with the Plaza Theater.  Thankfully there are more people that agree with us than oppose our efforts.  They know we are just volunteers.  I didn’t plan on being this involved and for so long.  I have my own medical health problems so I really would love to see our Main Street completed.  Yes, it would also be my joy to see the Plaza come down and that whole area become a new useful project for the community.  I always thought that Focus would accomplish its goal quickly and then fade into history.  The work we do is unending because we don’t have all our elected officials on the same page. If they only would keep their word and do the job for us, there would be no need for us to monitor them and our area.   This is why we need your help.  We don’t have monthly meetings because many of us are so busy and involved with other matters that we learned we could effectively communicate via the Internet.  When it is necessary, we get together to meet with Town or County officials, etc.  You, the public, have also emailed us your views.  We need more of your input.  We consider ourselves a grassroots organization.  We have been very affective and will continue to be until all of our Patchogue area is planned and improved with the input and approval of the community, not government officials far removed from our area and not having a clue to our needs.   Just as a reminder, before I close.  Currently we have several vacant properties such as the old Fantasyland, the old car dealership property, and the vacant land by Chapel, which includes the used car dealer, the vacant Tru Value building, the vacant Party Warehouse behind Mi Tierrita Restaurant, etc. We need to be sure that the Town will inform us immediately of any interest in these properties.  This has not been the case recently. We need volunteers to take a property which we call a project and invest the time to communicate with that owner, as a representative of Focus, and request that we be involved with their ideas and plans.  Ultimately they will have to go before a public hearing.  If they can accomplish a public approval before an official Town public hearing, then isin't that good for them and us too?  Will you help us?  Will you help your community and mine?  Will you step up and help make Patchogue the best?  Remember the more we accomplish the more we make Patchogue a better place for our families to live.  We also secure our financial investments in our homes. What do YOU think?   Sincerely, Marita Morello