To many Long Islanders, Robert Moses is a name plastered over parks and highways — the legacy of an urban planner who shaped the island through major projects such as Jones Beach State Park and the Long Island Expressway.

But to Susan Barbash, the master builder was her first “villain.”

In 1962, two men vied for power in New York State. The senior was legendary power broker Robert Moses. Moses had helped rewrite the New York State Constitution back in the 1920s under Governor Al Smith. Arrogant and imperious, he created and controlled numerous autonomous public authorities that enabled him to build projects with little or no opposition.

Army Corps Approves New York’s Request for “Extreme Storm” Determination; $3.5 Million to Advance Project Engineering and Design. Governor Kathy Hochul, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced the approval of federal funds by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to advance significant repairs of a damaged coastal project on Fire Island in Suffolk County following a series of devastating coastal storms.

Although this winter was relatively uneventful on the mainland, a fast moving and powerful storm hit Fire Island surprisingly hard in December, with barometer readings so low that the event carried the destructive power of a Category One hurricane. On the ocean side, beaches and dunes were decimated up and down the island, although the far west end (Kismet to Fair Harbor) was spared serious sand loss.

Recent storms raise questions on how to repair erosion damage.

New satellite-based research reveals how land along the coast is slumping into the ocean, compounding the danger from global sea level rise. A major culprit: overpumping of groundwater.

In the 1980s, Eric Sawyer recalls performing a somber ritual when seasonal residents of the barrier island returned each spring. He would make the rounds, as a family doctor might, to check on friends and neighbors who were ill to see if they had survived the winter.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday night that the the United States Army Corps of Engineers approved the state’s request for federal support. It’s the first step to get money to make repairs to the coastline and replenish the sand.

Last week an unnamed storm event came out of the Gulf and raced up the east coast, leaving trees blown down, power outages affecting thousands, and causing major coastal and inland flooding on its way north. By the time it arrived on Fire Island, the storm’s barometer readings were so low that it carried the destructive power of a Category One hurricane.

We have a difficult time ahead for our island, and it’s only October. Ophelia battered Fire Island’s east end more seriously than elsewhere, but island-wide we have great challenges facing us. This report is lengthy, but conditions warrant bringing you up-to-date and offering a look ahead.

After storms, a call for feds tor replenish sands.

Ocean Safety Poster from FINS.

Getting around in Kismet really isn’t hard. Just step off the ferry and head south toward the ocean until you see Pasta Sunday. From there, make a right and continue until spotting Island Hopper. Turn right and you’ll pass Forbidden City before making another right at Come What May.

A new way to grow eelgrass is being pursued off Barrett Beach on Fire Island. The concept is that of Robert (Rob) Vasiluth. And its development originates with 9/11.

By Earth Day 2050, large swaths of Jones Beach could start to disappear. In 2080, the historic Montauk lighthouse and Orient Point may be on their own islands, cut off from the rest of Long Island by newly formed rivers.

Commercial and research activities tied to the ocean — such as boating, tourism, ferries, fishing and wind farms — could create as many as 60,000 jobs on Long Island by 2051, according to a new report.