August 15th, 2023 - Legislator Kara Hahn Steps Down To Become Deputy Director f

Long Island gas prices, which have risen 25 cents since early July due to reduced oil production, may be leveling off as summer's end approaches, according to AAA. John Asbury reports on Newsday.com that the price of gas has been climbing nationwide since July 1, hitting a 10-month high yesterday after OPEC+ cut oil production by 3.6 million barrels per day, said Robert Sinclair, a spokesman for AAA Northeast. The reduced production primarily in Russia and Saudi Arabia, caused gas prices on Long Island to spike by 25 cents since July 1, Sinclair said. The average price for a gallon of gas on Long Island is about $3.85, according to AAA. It’s been over $4.00 per gallon on the south fork from Southampton Village to Montauk for weeks. But those prices may have plateaued, Sinclair said. The average price of a gallon in Nassau and Suffolk counties has remained the same for the past week, which could offer a glimpse of relief, he said. “There was less crude oil to be made into gas and that factored into gas prices. Everything is a wait-and-see for gas prices,” Sinclair said. “There’s generally some relief to be had after Labor Day and the end of the summer driving season when there’s higher demand. We could see prices moderate then, but we may be stuck at this for a while.” Further relief could come in late September when production switches from a summer gasoline solution that is more expensive to produce and designed to reduce evaporation during hot temperatures, Sinclair said. Though Long Islanders may be paying more to commute and travel, the peak gas prices have still not reached last year's high of $4.10, Sinclair said. ***The Heart of Riverhead Civic Association is hosting the EPCAL Watch group at the civic’s monthly meeting this Thursday evening for an update on plans at the Calverton Enterprise Park. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that this Thursday’s meeting, which is open to the public, will be held at the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall on Peconic Avenue in Riverhead from 6:30 to 8 p.m. (Doors open at 6 p.m.) “With EPCAL headlining our news for much of the past seven years and EPCAL Watch keeping a close eye on developments for just as long, who better to explain the current plans and potential impact on Riverhead and our surrounding towns? It’s a hot topic and we’re grateful for the chance to be better informed,” the leaders of Heart of Riverhead said in an email inviting members to the meeting. Thursday’s presentation by members of EPCAL Watch and their invited panelists will discuss plans aired by Calverton Aviation & Technology, a Triple Five Group company, for vacant land at the former Grumman manufacturing plant. Calverton Aviation & Technology is in contract to purchase, 1,644 acres of vacant land, including the site’s two runways, from the Town of Riverhead for $40 million.***Sunrise Wind, a 924-megawatt offshore wind farm partnership between Ørsted and Eversource adjacent to the South Fork Wind Farm, will hold a virtual open house to inform the public about the wind farm’s permitting and construction process tomorrow at 6 p.m. The wind farm will power Long Island through a transmission cable slated to come ashore at Smith Point Beach and tie into a substation off William Floyd Parkway in Mastic-Shirley. “The Sunrise Wind team looks forward to speaking with you at our upcoming virtual open house. We would love to meet with you in person, but to accommodate more people, we invite you to our Virtual Open House on August 16, 2023.” You may register for tomorrow’s virtual open house at