BID leaders returned to their posts
Barbaraellen Koch photo
Ray Pickersgill, photographed in his Robert James Salon, was reelected as president of the Business Improvement District management association.
The leaders of the Riverhead Business Improvement District’s management association were re-elected last Wednesday, with Ray Pickerskill remaining as president and Martin Sendlewski returning as vice president.
Mr. Pickersgill owns the Robert James Salon on Main Street in downtown Riverhead and Mr. Sendlewski is an architect. The management association also elected former town councilman Ed Densieski as treasurer and Carolyn London as secretary. The officers are chosen by the BID’s board of directors, who are elected by voters within the BID, which covers downtown Riverhead.
Mr. Pickersgill said the turnout at many of the downtown events the BID has held “have exceeded our expectations,” including the cardboard boat races, the July 4 Brady Rymer concert and fireworks show and the weekly Thursday night classic car show in the riverfront parking lot. More events are planned, he said.
The BID and Chamber of Commerce are planning two other events for the riverfront lot: a “Music Idol” concert featuring local talent on Aug. 7, at 7 p.m. and a “Classic Rock and Classic Car Night” with music by a Van Halen cover band on Aug. 19 at 7 p.m.
“We’re trying different things to see what works. The main focus is on bringing people downtown,” Mr. Pickersgill said, adding that some businesspeople have”expressed interest in downtown Riverhead.”
While he wouldn’t identify any of them, he said a problem they’ve mentioned is that the retail spaces available in downtown Riverhead are too big.
