2012 Message from the President

 

Another year has gone by and we now all look forward to the year 2012. It’s been a while since I sat down and addressed the LIBBA membership. As most of us know the LIBBA has been around since 1958, that’s 54 years! Our mission statement remains the same, beach access and conservation. My main concern as the LIBBA President is the membership. The state sold more then 20,000 state passes last year and our membership is just over 1200, counting our gold star members and honoraries. At times I think that people just expect the other guy to take care of things.

 

We really don’t ask for much but we do need your support. Just think, if every member signs up just one person then our membership would double. Will you be a member in 2012? If you drive on the beach and you’re not a member I would ask yourself why.

 

Our board meets once a month at the Sweeny Center. All members are welcome to attend. Did you know that most of the air up stations at the Long Island beaches belong to and are maintained by the LIBBA? If you get stuck on the beach more then likely a LIBBA member would stop and help you.

 

Do you know we have a Scholarship Fund? We also do Beach Grass plantings and Beach Cleanup projects every year where girl scouts, boy scouts & club scouts earn their environment patches or certificates each year.

 

LIBBA also attends many state and county meetings during the year. We also teach Safe Beach Driving and what to do if you should get stuck in the sand. We have a Jamboree each year which is no cost to LIBBA members. It’s a great family day with plenty of games for the kids. Our Show Committee will be showing off their new show booth this spring. We hold our food and toy drives each year during the Jamboree and Christmas Holidays. It’s LIBBAs way of giving back to the community.

 

Our annual meeting this year is the first weekend in March at which time our elections are held. We are always looking for members who want to become directors. It’s a very rewarding experience. All of these programs are free to our members and their families.

 

Always check our web page for the latest info on our beaches and upcoming events. www.LIBBA.com.

 

The LONG ISALND BEACH BUGGY ASSN. is a not for profit association and all its Officers and Directors are volunteers. The next time you see one them please say ‘Thank You’.

 

We remain ‘THE KEEPERS OF THE BEACH” saving our beautiful beaches for the generations that follow us.

 

Thank you,

Billy Lomnicki

PROUDLY THE LIBBA PRESIDENT.

2011 Message from the President

 

 

 

I don’t know about you but I’ve had enough snow storms to last me for this winter and next! Let’s hope it’s over and done with. With that said, we at LIBBA will be finishing up our show schedule for this year and are getting ready for our beach grass planting and cleanups. Before we get going with those projects we will be holding our annual meeting and elections on Sunday, March 6, 2011 at the Hibernian Hall, 27 Locust Ave, Babylon. The meeting will start @10:30 sharp. See the web page for details www.Libba.com.

 

I’ll be running for the President of LIBBA again this year. I’m not sure but this could be my 13^th or 14^th term.  I just want to say thank you to the many members that I’ve recently met at the shows and appreciate all their compliments.

 

LIBBA is successful because of the work of the executive board and directors.  I take care of the every day running of the LIBBA.  Each director had different committees and has their own staff.  As I always say, “Hard work equals success” and this year is no different. I’m happy to say that it looks as though they all will be back again next year. 

 

I want to thank my Executive Board and Directors for all the work that they have accomplished this year.  It’s a great group and I’m very proud of them all.

At the annual meeting these directors will be asking for volunteers to help on the different committees, please sign up. It’s a rewarding experience.

 

One of the problems we experienced this year was the dues aren’t being paid on time. I realize that we are upon difficult economic times.  Don’t be hesitant to contact me on the LIBBA Hot Line (516-579-1344) to discuss your situation. All conversations are confidential, I’m sure I can solve your problem.  We need all the members to keep their membership to make LIBBA grow. Our access is being threatened every day.  We have directors that are in constant touch with state and county officials to preserve and protect our precious access.  There is power in numbers!  There were 12,000 state passes issued last year so there are a lot of people that aren’t LIBBA members, let’s reach out to them. 

Be part of the solution, not part of the problem!

 

In closing, I would just like to say, I’m very proud to be the President of the Long Island Beach Buggy Association.  I’m looking forward to seeing you all at the meeting.

 

We are the Keepers of the Beach.

 

Billy Lomnicki

LIBBA President

Fall 2010 MESSAGE from the PRESIDENT:

 

With the fall fishing season now in full swing, I want to take a little time to connect with the LIBBA membership. This will be the first issue of the LIBBA Newsletter that we have had for a long while. It’s something that I as the President think needs to be done. We will make every effort to get this newsletter out four times a year.

 

I am not going to talk about access issues; I will leave that to EXVP Chuck Hollins and Chairperson of the Board, Willie Young. What I will talk about are the membership issues. The LIBBA is run by a Board of Directors who are responsible to me. These volunteer directors devote a ton of man hours to make the many committees run smoothly. The only thing we ask of the membership is to pay your dues! With thousands of beach access permits issued each year, I find it amazing that the LIBBA membership is less than 1,200 families. I don’t know the answer as to why, but I can tell you it bothers me. Is it that we have no immediate threats of beach closings? If that is what you think, you are terribly wrong. Take a good look at what is going on down at the Outer Banks of North Carolina! It’s going to come this way and we have to be ready to defend ourselves for the use of our access to our beautiful Long Island beaches and recreational areas. The only way we can do that is by increasing our membership and to make sure we have strong political contacts.   LIBBA will take care of the political part; it’s up to you, the membership, to increase our number of members.

 

We can now collect dues and new memberships on our web site: www.libba.com. PayPal is now available on our web page to facilitate easy payments. Any ‘NEW’ members that join now, their dues will be paid through 2011. Just go to our web page for more details.

 

If you know someone who is not a LIBBA member and drives on the beach, the question should be ‘WHY’? If you have any ideas on how to increase the membership just call my cell phone: 516-521-3822 or leave a message on the LIBBA Hot Line: 516-579-1344, all of your calls will be returned.

 

We will be doing many shows in 2011 and we can use all the volunteer help we can get! Also coming up will be Operation Holiday Spirit. This will be our 16^th year of collecting and distributing toys for Long Island’s needy families and for children in our local hospitals. Again, we need volunteers, please come forward and help, it’s personally rewarding.

 

We are moving back our Scholarship Dinner this year to February. We have plans to do something a little different this year, as the plans come together we will let you know.

 

Help is needed with all of these committees, so if you want to get involved just give me a call.

 

What is Billy Lomnicki’s future as the President of LIBBA? That’s going to be up to my Board of Directors and the membership. As many of the membership knows, my wife Nancy is facing two more hip replacement surgeries this winter. I will do my best to continue as your President but that’s going to be up to you.

 

Be part of the solution, not part of the problem…

 

Nancy and I wish you and your families the best of the Holiday Season and a Healthy 2011.

 

Billy Lomnicki

LIBBA President

We remain, “Keepers of the Beach”

LIBBA President

William “Billy” Lomnicki
Billy Lomnicki was born and raised in Hicksville, NY. After attending St. Ignatius Elementary School, he shared a 150 home paper route with his cousin. As a student in Hicksville HS he pumped gas at night, worked in Bethpage Auto Parts as a driver and Junior Counterman and at Forshey Automotive Warehouse.

He was drafted into the US Army in 1965, stationed in Ft. Lewis, WA and served in Viet Nam as a combat squad leader. He received awards for Most Outstanding Basic Trainee, completed non-commissioned combat leadership course and was awarded Combat Infantry Badge, Good Conduct Medal and South Viet Nam Service medal with one star. Billy was an expert with an M-16 and 81 MM Mortar. Served entire time with the 4th Infantry Division, Billy was a Sgt. at the time of his Honorable Discharge in Sept. 1967.

After the service he worked for Savon Auto Parts as a counterman, initiated the franchised program of Valley Forge Products before taking a job at Quick Auto Parts as Outside Salesman where he became General Manager of the 4 Auto Part Stores of WAW (Woodbury Automotive Warehouse).

Billy has initiated and developed outside sales divisions for other businesses and for the past 13 years been with Swift Auto Parts in Massapequa.

Billy married Nancy in May 1969. They had 3 children. Lori 38, a Nurse Practitioner, is married to Rick Gross and has a 5 yr. old son, Jake. Diana, 31, an RN is married to Chris Fannin. Eric was 27 when he passed away February 2001. Billy was involved with Eric and his traveling ice hockey games as Nancy was with the girls and Girl Scouts. Eric loved to fish and surf but had some medical problems that led him to alcohol and drug abuse. The family has since been very involved in the Eric W. Lomnicki Memorial Hockey Games that have been played 8 times so far to raise money for mental and drug rehabilitation programs. Many friends and family have donated money in Eric’s name to the Robert Sweeny Sport Fishing Education Center, Cedar Beach Marina, Babylon, Send-A-Kid Fishing and Teach-A-Kid to Fish programs.

Billy was awarded outstanding Oil Salesman in November 1973, Viet Nam Veteran of the Year in 1987. He was President of the NorWest Fishing Club ’79-’80 and President of LIBBA from 1993-2002. In 1998 Billy, as President and Jeff Vaughan as VP pulled together again and were able to keep the United Mobile Sportfishermen, Inc. organization together. In January 2009 Billy has completed his 11th and final year as President of UMS.

The main reason for Billy getting started as a Director in LIBBA was the possible loss of beach access in Montauk at Shagwong Point. He joined forces with other associations and rallied for political help in keeping access. LIBBA eventually adopted the Suffolk County Park in Montauk at Gin Beach and Shagwong Point and conduct beach clean-ups every year. That spurred him on to bigger and better projects in the next years. Operation Holiday Spirit was started in 1998 and has fed hundreds of families and gifted thousands of children all over Long Island in homes, hospitals and schools for kids with special needs. This is accomplished with the help of NY Fishing Tackle and Trade Association, The Fisherman Magazine, Nor East Salt Water Fishermen and many eager volunteers.
He enjoys all the annual shows that the LIBBA Show Committee attends and has booths at. Advertising is a specialty; I guess it comes with being a salesman.

Billy lives for his days in his 16ft aluminum boat and 4x4 motor home. Winters are spent making new plugs, buck tails and readying all his ‘equipment’…”You can never have enough plugs and poles,” he tells Nancy as she watches him stock his new finds in the boat, camper or garage! He also has a soft spot for Corvettes!

Billy has now started a new term as 2009 LIBBA President.