Rosalinda Morgan, "The Rose Lady", Brookville NY Real Estate Professional

The plastic bags that carry your groceries home so conveniently are not good for the environment. There are bills proposed that will require stores to establish an in-store recycling program for plastic shopping bags. It is called Plastic Bag Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Act.

Plastic bags are not biodegrable and will end up using valuable space in landfills and last almost forever in the dump. They break down into smaller toxic bits that contaminate soil and waterways and suffocate marine life. An estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used each year worldwide. It takes million barrels of oil each year to manufacture these plastic bags, a natural resource we should conserve.

The bill is awaiting the New York Governor's signature, and will guarantee a comprehensive statewide approach to make it easier for consumers to participate in the recycling program. This will ensure that plastic bags be kept out of landfills.

In Southern New Jersey, two assemblymen are proposing the same thing - a partial ban on plastic bags. Their bill will require large retailers such as supermarkets and big box stores to reduce by half the use of plastic bags by the end of 2009 and eliminate their use by the end of 2010. The assemblymen say that banning the bags would protect the environment, save energy and protect wildlife. Paper bags can be recycled but only about 7% of plastic bags ever get reused. The plastic bag manufacturers are obviously opposed to the proposed law as are some consumers who find them convenient.

San Francisco has banned the bags and Suffolk County on Long Island has passed a law requiring large stores to set up bins to recycle discarded bags and to also send the bags to recyclers. The best way to avoid plastic bags is to bring your own reusable cloth bag to the grocery store.

There is also the health hazard of plastic being manufactured. This issue really hits home because my youngest brother who had been working for a plastic manufacturer for years developed a very rare bone disease. For lack of better name, Sloane-Kettering Memorial Hospital in New York called it MULTIFOCALEOSINOPHILINGRANULOMA. It is not cancer but he has spots or lesions on all his bones. There are only 7 cases in the world and unfortunately, he happens to be one of them. He's been very sick and in constant pain for the last eight years. There is no cure but to alleviate his pain, he is on heavy pain killer regimen ever since. The doctors do not know the cause but I'm certain it has something to do with all the fumes and chemicals he inhaled why manufacturing all plastic items.

For more info on the town of East Norwich, read my blog on "HERE ARE REASONS WHY YOU WANT TO LIVE IN EAST NORWICH, NY". It is a small town but full of history and charm. There are 18 homes for sales in East Norwich and they are all good values.

Address Price Style BR Bath

921 Oyster Bay Rd $499,000 Victorian 4 2

21 Walnut Ave $550,000 Colonial 3 3

62 Sugar Toms Ln $559,000 Colonial 4 2.5

11 Griffin Ave $569,000 Ranch 3 2

92 Hawthorne Rd $569,990 Ranch 2 1.5

140 Radcliff Dr $598,000 Cape 3 2

15 Johnson Ct $629,000 Hi Ranch 5 3

17 Sugar Toms Ln $629,000 Split 4 3

50 Walnut Ave $652,500 Colonial 3 1.5

2 Deusenberg Dr $669,000 Colonial 4 2.5

5 Carlton Ave $699,000 Colonial 3 3

36 Whitney Ave $799,000 Hi Ranch 5 3

33 Highwood Rd $799,000 Split 4 3

253 Sugar Toms Ln $899,999 Ranch 3 3

109 Split Oak Dr $975,000 Farm Ranch 4 3

4 Mill River Rd $1,199,000 Colonial 5 3.5

6192 Hempstead Tpke $1,200,000 Colonial 7 2.55

22 Ridge Rock Ln $1,599,000 Ranch 4 4

If you are interested in seeing one or more of these properties, you can visit my website: www.rosalindamorgan.com and check the details or you can contact me for an appointment.

East Norwich is a small town on the way right before reaching Oyster Bay near the intersection of Route 106 and Route 25A where the famous landmark, Rothman's Restaurant is at the corner of Route 106 and Route 25A. It's been there long before I was here. East Norwich was originally established by the Rothman family of Oyster Bay. At some point, Burt Bacharach, the singer bought it. East Norwich Inn, the only hotel in town sits behind Rothman's. Now there are plans to open a small shopping mall behind Rothman's restaurant and close the East Norwich Inn.

The oldest part of East Norwich just south of Route 25A is loaded with old colonial homes. Two old buildings from East Norwich are relocated to Old Bethpage Restoration (an historic colonial village) - the Powell House and the Layton General Store. The Powell House used to belong to the Downing family. At some point in the olden days, the Downing family used to own properties from Route 106 westward to Martin Viette Nursery. One of the oldest homes in East Norwich is the Downing's home situated behind the Patio.com store. I remember Mrs. Downing showing me a chair which has a provenance that George Washington sat on it. The Downing's house was originally located close to Route 106 but was moved further back when Route 106 was constructed in preparation to build the Bayville-Rye Bridge which was defeated. At that time, Route 106 was a small country road and then it became a 4-lane highway.

East Norwich, NY should not be confused with Norwich, Connecticut. I know there is an East Norwich in England because years ago, delegates from that town came here to visit and residents planted daffodils along Route 106 to celebrate spring at that time. There is a beautification committee that takes care of the little garden where the East Norwich welcome sign is and the entrance to Norwich Green and Radcliff Drive.

Norwich Green, the development behind Rothman's was started in the 1950's with mostly capes and ranches. Then Radcliff Drive development followed next and then the Pine Hollow development behind the Pine Hollow shopping center. In the 70's, The Hollows on Route 25A, now million dollar homes, were developed. Nowadays, the town has seen so many changes with residents changing the look of the developments.

East Norwich has two small shopping centers. One on Route 106 and the other one on Route 25A. For such a small town, there are so many good restaurants in the area - there is Angelina Restaurant, Luce, (the old Girasole), Saggio, La Pizzeta, Rothman's, Mezina's Market, Chinese take out and East Norwich Pancake House. There is also a Bagel Boss in town. There is a very good bakery on Route 25A called Boulangieri. East Norwich has its own post office and its own fire department. There is a new gourmet grocery store called Christina Epicure which has a fantastic selection of gourmet food. There are shops for children's clothing too. Recently opened is a garden furniture shop called The Patio.com store where the old Texaco gas station was. Another gas station, Exxon is next to East Norwich Pancake House on Route 25A.

Muttontown Preserve is located just south of East Norwich. Nassau Hall and Chelsea, county owned museums are nearby. There are two golf courses in East Norwich - Pine Hollow Country Club, and Muttontown Golf and Country Club.

If you like gardening, Martin Viette Nursery has a good selection of plants and garden accessories in all price ranges. Years ago, there was a lilac farm in East Norwich, located on Remsens Lane. Also there was a famous Black Walnut tree located near the corner of Route 106 and Route 25A. It was the oldest Black Walnut Tree on Long Island and for no apparent reason the town decided to cut it down. It was after that and with the residents' outcry, the town realized they made a mistake but it was too late. What a shame! They planted a seedling which they purported to be an offspring of the mighty old Black Walnut tree but it will take years to attain the stature of the original tree.

East Norwich boasts of one of the best playing fields for children - the St. Dominic School Playing Fields located on Route 25 A. The Vernon Middle School of the Oyster Bay - East Norwich public school system is located in East Norwich. The elementary school and the high school are both located in Oyster Bay. There is another school in East Norwich for students with special needs. East Norwich shares the library system with Oyster Bay and it is located in Oyster Bay.

East Norwich is very convenient to major highways - Long Island Expressway and Northern State Parkway are only minutes to East Norwich, within 5 miles. To take the LIRR, you have a choice of going to Oyster Bay, Syosset or even Hicksville stations.

Copyright © 2008. By Rosalinda Morgan, "The Rose Lady". All rights reserved.. *HERE ARE REASONS WHY YOU WANT TO LIVE IN EAST NORWICH, NY*

Contact Rosalinda Morgan, "The Rose Lady" if you are looking for homes to buy in East Norwich, Brookville, Muttontown, Oyster Bay, Oyster Bay Cove, Syosset and Laurel Hollow.

If you like a town with so much history, close to the beaches, good schools, plenty of restaurants, recreational facilities, museums, convenience to railroad and the nicest people you can call your neighbor, head to the end of Route 106. It is a quaint little town where families stay for several generations. You are a newcomer if you only have two generations of your family here and yet people come and settle here and call it their home. It's the community spirit of the residents that make this a pleasant place to live and raise a family. It's called Oyster Bay.

Oyster Bay has its own share of parades. The best one is the Memorial parade with three local fire departments join in the parade. The kids Soccer League marches and so do the Boys Scouts and the Girls Scouts. The veterans of foreign wars also participate in the parade and diminishing number of World War II veterans is quite noticeable. We also have the Fourth of July parade and sometimes in October we celebrate Teddy Roosevelt birthday with a parade too. This year is a special event and so expect a grander celebration too.

Oyster Bay is host to two big festivals - one is St. Rocco festival in July sponsored by St. Dominic Catholic Church and the other one is the Oyster Festival in October sponsored by the Rotary Club. This year is the 25^th anniversary of the Oyster Festival.

If you are in the market for a home in Oyster Bay, there are plenty of choices here. In Oyster Bay alone, there are 54 homes in the market right now with all types of architecture represented. In town which is lovingly called the Village, most houses are Victorian in style with front porch the order of the day. Those are houses built at the turn of the century, the 20^th century. Most homes were built in early 1900s. There are a scattering of capes and splits in newer developments built in the 50s.

For buyers who are looking for under $500K, there are 15 properties on the market:

Address Price Style BR Bath

102 Pine Hollow Rd $319,000 Cape 2 1

74 Orchard St $349,000 Cape 3 1

108 Lexington Ave $359,000 Colonial 3 1

89 Summit St $369,000 Antique/Hist 3 2

15 Pine Dr $375,000 Colonial 3 1.5

193 Mill River Rd $394,900 Colonial 4 2

29 Grace St $424,999 Cape 4 3

21 Hill Dr $449,999 Colonial 3 2

94 Kellogg St $469,000 Colonial 3 1

55 Singworth St $469,999 Ranch 3 1

55 Hamilton Ave $489,000 Colonial 4 2

7 Renville Ct $495,000 Hi Ranch 4 2

19 Pearl St $495,000 Victorian 3 2

20 Irving Pl $499,000 Victorian 3 2

76 Tooker Ave $499,900 Colonial 3 1.5

For mid-range price above $500K but below $1 million, here are some choices:

11 Kellogg St $504,900 Victorian 4 2

40 Summers St $507,300 Colonial 4 2

70 Orchard St $515,000 Farm Ranch 5 2

100 Pine Hollow Rd $525,000 Colonial 7 3

72 School St $539,000 Colonial 3 1.5

117 Summers St $549,000 Split 2 1

19 Rush Pl $559,000 Colonial 3 3

135-137 Pine Hollow Rd $560,000 Colonial 4 2

Apple Ln $599,000 Hi Ranch 4 3

5 Renville Ct $629,000 Farm Ranch 4 3

26 Weeks $649,000 Victorian 4 1.5

79 Capitol Heights Rd $659,000 Colonial 3 2.5

55 Soundview Ave $669,000 Split 3 2.5

49-51 Hamilton Ave $669,000 Colonial 6 2.5

46 Hill Dr $679,000 Split 3 2.5

121 Berry Hill Rd $689,000 Colonial 6 2

50 Adams St $699,000 Colonial 3 2.5

47 Pine Hollow Rd $699,000 Colonial 4 4

4 Park Pl $729,000 Split 4 2.5

16 Capitol Heights Rd $745,000 Colonial 3 2

878 Valley Rd $775,000 Cape 3 1.5

One Compass Ct $799,000 Colonial 4 2.5

62 Park Ave $839,000 2 Story 4 2

160 School St $839,000 Colonial 4 3.5

434 Centre Island Rd $845,000 Ranch 2 1

153 Sidney St $879,000 Victorian 4 1.5

109 Sidney St $880,000 Colonial 3 2.5

416 Centre Island Rd $889,000 2 Story 3 1.5

1 The Circle $899,000 Colonial 3 3.5

126 Summers St $925,000 Colonial 4 2.5

91A Singworth St $975,000 Colonial 4 2.5

There are some properties over the 1 million dollar mark in Oyster Bay. Here they are:

67 Florence Ave $1,099,000 Other 4 4

19 Harbor Rd $1,195,000 Colonial 3 3

12 Schoolhouse Pl $1,300,000 Colonial 5 3.5

50 Ships Point Ln $1,300,000 Hi Ranch 4 3

95 Singworth St $1,349,000 Victorian 4 3.5

417 Mill River Rd $2,600,000 Colonial 6 5.55

391/405 Mill River Rd $2,995,000 Other 3 3.55

With the devastation caused by Katrina still in the back of our mind, and Gustav still causing destruction on the Gulf Coast with Hannah, Ike and Josephine in its wake, we ask ourselves are we prepared for these hurricanes. We who lived in a coastal region like Long Island should not be so complacent. A reminder that Hurricane of 1938 ran havoc on Long Island, then in 1944, another big hurricane hit us then Gloria struck in 1985, how certain are we that another big one is not heading our way?

When we bought our town house in South Carolina last year, we were given these big boards as part of the homeowner's package and my husband asked the guy who was doing the final walk thru what are those? The man said "Those are hurricane boards." We from the Northeast do not know anything about that. We do not even know how to install those boards if a hurricane is imminent and attaching them to the third floor windows is kind of impossible for us to do. We really have to find somebody to help us install them but we are an absentee owners so I have no idea what we are going to do. But for now, I worry about my vacation home in case the hurricane aims in that direction.

Back in Oyster Bay, Long Island, there are talks that we are ripe for a big hurricane. So preparations are the key. When hurricane strikes, high wind can cause downed power lines which disrupt communication for days. Supplies may take several days to come by because road can be impassable. Town officials have issued brochures on how to prepare ourselves in case a hurricane strikes and here are some precautionary measures they want us to take.

•· Keep important family documents in a waterproof portable condition - Home Ownership Deeds, Insurance policies, wills, tax returns, birth and marriage certificates, passport numbers, social security cards, credit card account numbers, and home inventory list.

•· First Aid Kit

•· Medication - essential prescriptions and information

•· Battery-powered flashlight and radio and extra batteries

•· Food - non-perishable items that you would want to eat - energy bars, canned goods (and a manual can opener), peanut butter or anything that does not require refrigeration and cooking with very little water.

•· Water - at least 1 gallon per day for each person.

•· Clothing - a change of clothing including rainwear, sturdy shoes and protective gloves for each person.

•· Maps - road maps and evacuation routes.

•· Personal items - eyeglasses, contact lenses and solution, personal care and hygiene items, cell phones, few toys for kids and books to read in case you end up in a shelter for days.

•· Cash - ATM and credit cards won't work in case there is power outage.

•· Pets - Assemble a Pet Disaster Kit to include medications, food, water, veterinarian contact info, collars, leashes, etc. Portable crates are a good way to transport small pets.

In addition to the above, make sure you have a Family Disaster Plan. Include a communication plan where members of your family can communicate with a contact person to let them know of your whereabouts. Understand that phone lines and email service may be overwhelmed so keep on trying. If you are well prepared, you'll be in a better position to handle a crisis of magnitude proportion.