Other Elected Officials Will Join in Celebration

OCTOBER 5, 2006, FARMINGVILLE, NY- Brookhaven Town Supervisor Brian X. Foley was joined by a host of federal, state, county and town officials in breaking ground for the Rose Caracappa Senior Center Thursday afternoon in Mt. Sinai.

Among the elected officials taking part were Congressman Tim Bishop, members of the Brookhaven Town Board including Councilman Kevin McCarrick and Councilwoman Carol Bissonette, State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, State Assemblyman Steven Engelbright, and County Legislator Joe Caracappa, the son of the late Rose Caracappa in whose honor the center is named.

“It is an honor and a pleasure to break ground today for the Rose Caracappa Senior Center,” said Supervisor Foley. “Rose was a tireless advocate for senior citizens and I am proud that the Town of Brookhaven’s first dedicated senior center will bear her name.

“Rose was the person who arranged for Suffolk County to turn the original building on this site over to the town for use as a recreation and senior center, and it is only fitting that the building that replaces that structure be known as the Rose Caracappa Senior Center.

“My administration has a deep commitment to provide our senior citizens with the facilities and programs they so richly deserve, and the Rose Caracappa Senior Center is a centerpiece of that effort.

“I would like to thank Congressman Bishop for his help in garnering funding for the project. I would also like to thank our state representatives for all their help in gaining support for senior citizen projects in the Town Of Brookhaven.”

“The Caracappa family is honored and thankful that the Town of Brookhaven is
rebuilding the senior center in my mother's memory,” said Legislator Caracappa. “I would like to thank Supervisor Foley and the Town Board for their forward thinking in creating this beautiful state-of-the-art facility that was very important to my mother, Rose. This center will properly serve our ever growing senior population in the Town of Brookhaven.”

“I am delighted that I was able to help deliver federal support for this center,” said Congressman Bishop. “It is a great project for the senior citizens of the North Shore.” Congressman Bishop secured $200,000 in federal funding for the project.

“As liaison to the Senior Citizen Division, I am pleased to see this center move forward,” said Councilman McCarrick. “This center is a fitting tribute to the memory of Rose and I am proud to have sponsored this project since 2004 to provide a facility to meet the needs of our seniors and community.”

“It is with deepest respect that I join in the groundbreaking for the Rose Caracappa Senior Center,” said Senator LaValle. “There was no one who worked harder for her community and senior citizens. The Rose Caracappa Senior Center will be a fitting tribute to the memory of a dedicated and concerned Legislator and all that she stood for.  I am proud to have worked with such a fine individual and to have known her friendship.”

The 12,000 square foot Rose Caracappa Senior Center will be a state-of-the-art senior center offering a wide variety of programs for the senior citizens of Brookhaven Town. The structure will cost approximately $4,485,000 and the tentative completion date is July, 2007.

Among the programs that will be operated out of the center will be adult day care, and a three-day per week nutrition program. The Mt. Sinai Senior Club will meet there, and other senior citizen clubs may well wish to change their meeting location to the center once it is completed. There will be computer classes to help seniors enter the cyber age, and other activities including tai chi, yoga and more will be added as time goes by.

The town’s Senior Citizens Department will be looking for input from seniors on other programs that might be added. The Senior Citizens department will also provide transportation to the site via jitney.

On hand for the groundbreaking of the Rose Caracappa Senior Center in Mt. Sinai on Thursday were, left to right, Brookhaven Town Councilman Kevin McCarrick, Congressman Tim Bishop, two of the late Rose Caracappa's sons, Nicholas and County Legislator Joe Caracappa, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Brian X. Foley, and State Assemblyman  Steven Engelbright.

Office of the Supervisor
One Independence Hill • Farmingville • NY 11738 • Phone (631) 451-6955 • Fax (631) 451-6677