This Morning’s Bulletin — 1.30.14

Good Morning!

• The East End’s Community Preservation Fund had a banner year last year, bringing in more than $95 million for land preservation through a two-percent real estate transfer tax, up nearly 43 percent from 2012. CPF revenue is often seen as a bellwether for the health of the local real estate market, which was deeply shocked by the 2008 financial crisis. State Assemblyman Fred Thiele, who created the CPF program, said in a press release announcing the 2013 numbers that the revenue had doubled since 2009.

• The retired New York Fire Department fireboat FireFighter, now a floating museum, is going to have to leave Greenport, after the Greenport Village Board voted unanimously Monday night to prevent the fireboat from docking in the village. The boat was welcomed with open arms by the village nearly a year ago and put up on the East Dock in Mitchell Park Marina, but trouble began when the boat was moved to the commercial fishing dock west of the ferry slip to make way for luxury boats on the East Dock last summer. Fishermen complained about having to share the space with the fireboat and Suffolk County, which leases the commercial dock to the village and has a say in which boats dock there, complained that they hadn’t had their say. The volunteer crew of the non-profit museum will have until the end of February to move the boat.

“It looks like we have to go folks,” said museum director Charles Ritchie on the FireFighter‘s Facebook page yesterday. “It seems like a lot of people from the area are on our side, except the politicians and the few interest groups that control them …which is forcing a 9/11 hero fireboat and National Historic Landmark from probably one of the most perfect spots for her….shame on you Greenport and Suffolk County.”

• The Riverhead Town Board will discuss bond counsel, sewer plant upgrades, zoning and an upgrade to the town’s computer system at this morning’s work session, in case anyone’s interested in those topics. They’re starting half an hour early at 9:30 a.m.

• Set next weekend aside for HarborFrost, Sag Harbor’s annual winter celebration of all things icy, fiery and, well, just Harborific. More information is available here.

• Don’t forget to check The Beacon’s events calendar to help plan your week ahead.