Volunteers from National Grid beautified the Long Island Rail Road station in Riverhead on Friday, planting new shrubs and flowers and cleaning up litter in a neglected area.
Roughly 55 National Grid employees participated in the effort, National Grid Communications Manager Wendy Frigeria said. The employees also planted new flowers, created a small herb garden and built new benches at the Salvation Army near the railroad station.
The initiative is part of Project C program, the energy company’s community service program. National Grid partnered with the MTA, the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce, Riverhead Rotary Club, Riverhead Town, Gabrielsen Farms and DeLea Sod Farms for the cleanup event, officials said.
“We live here; we work here; we are so blessed to be able to give back,” said Brain Sapp, the director of external affairs for National Grid.
Local politicians, including Riverhead Supervisor Tim Hubbard, County Legislator Catherine Start, Riverhead Council Member Bob Kern and Assemblymember Jodi Giglio, came to the station around noon to thank the volunteers..
“I really appreciate the work and the care that you put in the communities on Long Island. National Grid has been a fantastic partner with the Town of Riverhead over the years with different endeavors they’ve taken on. This is possibly one of my favorites,” Hubbard said. “This has been an area that needed love and care, and you guys are the real heroes today for coming down here today, volunteering your time and doing this.”
Project C has been active in Riverhead since launching in 2021. It has helped fund the creation of a giant fish recycling receptacle at Iron Pier Beach and has provided Thanksgiving meals to local families.
The area near the Long Island Rail Road station is considered one of Riverhead’s most blighted, and is the primary bus stop for county buses in Riverhead. Town officials have created an urban renewal area and special overlay zoning district there to spur revitalization of the area with the development of the multi-story mixed-use buildings. One apartment building, on the corner of Osborn Avenue and Court Street, is nearing completion, and the town is planning for at least two others in the area.
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