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"Let me be clear - I have 308 days left in my term. I will spend every one of them fighting for the rights of the people of New York" - NYS Governor David Paterson |
Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo, Cohn, & Terrana LLPForchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo, Cohn, & Terrana LLP is a client focused, results driven law firm with offices in Uniondale and Melville. Personal attention and quality representation that is both practical and cost-effective are hallmarks of the firm's policy toward clients. They are long-time supporters of Vision Long Island. Learn more at their website.
Become a supporter of Smart Growth
Vision Long Island prides itself on having a broad range of supporters. Become one today. A donation as small as $50 buys outreach materials to help a community build support for their vision. $500 sponsors an entire newsletter. $5,000 makes you a lead sponsor of our Smart Growth Summit, buying 10 tickets and a key branding opportunity for your organization. |
Deadline approaching for Smart Growth Awards - deadline extended to March 5th at 5pm!
The deadline for nominations for the 2010 Smart Growth Awards has been extended and is now less than a week away. The eight annual event will honor individuals and organizations taking leadership in advancing Smart Growth projects, policies, regulations and initiatives. Specific focus areas include mixed-use development, affordable housing, environmental health and safety, open space and historic preservation, traffic calming and pedestrian safety, transportation enhancements, clean energy, downtown revitalization and/or community based planning. The deadline for submissions is March 5th at 5pm. Award recipients will stand out from other entries in their ability to demonstrate one or more of these basic principles:
Submit this form and relevant materials to Vision Long Island, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation. Please include relevant reports, images, plans, renderings, news articles and other supportive materials. Do not send originals materials as we cannot guarantee their safe return. 
The Awards will be handed out on Friday, June 18th from 11:30am-2pm at the Crest Hollow Country Club. Registration information is available here. Attend Long Island's first LEED-ND® conference March 23rd
Please attend the first Long Island LEED-ND® conference March 23rd from 8:30am-3:00pm at the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College in East Farmingdale. Come to this informative worksession to learn about LEED-ND®: LEED®'s newest neighborhood-based green design standards, led by some of the region's foremost experts. LEED-ND® (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, Neighborhood Development) was developed in partnership with the US Green Building Council, Congress for the New Urbanism and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Workshops will cover: Smart Location & Linkage, Neighborhood Pattern & Design, Green Construction & Technology and Regional Priority Credit. Sponsorship opportunities are available, starting at $500 and going up to $3000. Individual tickets are $75. The event is sponsored by the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College, the US Green Building Council, Vision Long Island and CNU-NY. For more information or to RSVP, contact Vision Long Island at 631-261-0242 or email info@visionlongisland.org. Download the flyer for the event here. The Sustainability Institute at Molloy College is located at 7180 Republic Airport, East Farmingdale. |
MTA to cut 1,100 jobs
According to an MTA press release, "These actions were necessitated by the deterioration of the MTA's financial situation over the past three months. While the legislative rescue package passed in May 2009 was projected to balance the MTA's budget, the forecasted revenues have failed to materialize. The MTA budget passed in December relied on a package of service cuts and these administrative layoffs to close a $383 million deficit. Since that time, an additional $378 million gap has developed this year based on revised State revenue projections." MTA Chairman and CEO Jay Walder said, "These layoffs are extremely painful, but we must live within our means and make the tough decisions that businesses and families across New York are making...This is just the beginning of a comprehensive overhaul of how the MTA does business. We will be reducing overtime, consolidating redundant functions and working with suppliers to lower costs. We will not stop until I can say that every dollar the MTA receives is spent wisely." The MTA will comply with applicable union regulations and non-represented workers will be offered a severance package if they resign. The savings from the administrative cuts will total about $50 million, a fraction of what is needed to restore all the proposed service cuts. Several millions more will come from the station agent cuts. |
The MTA this week announced initial details of a plan to plug part of its budget deficit by laying off 1,100 workers. Over 600 jobs will be eliminated, amounting to 15 percent of non-unionized administrative positions across the MTA. About 500 NYC Transit station agents will also be laid off. The MTA employs about 70,000 people total.
R.I.P., Hummer
General Motors announced this week that the Hummer is no more. The monstrous sport utility vehicles will cease production after a $150 million deal fell through to sell the brand to Chinese group Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines. According the the buyer, they withdrew their bid because it could not get approval from the Chinese government, which is undergoing new initiatives to protect the environment and limit China's dependence on imported oil. China's slap in the face to Hummer meant that financing was difficult for Heavy Industrial Machines. G.M. will wind down the brand in the coming months, though the company is considering some long-shot deals to continue the brand. Daniel Backer of the Safe Climate Campaign at the Center for Auto Safety in Washington said, "Closing Hummer simultaneously improves the health of G.M., China and the planet. Hummer should rest in pieces." |
You've seen them taking up 3 parking spaces plus half the driving lane. You've cursed them out for reckless driving. You've demonized them as a symbol of environmental destruction. Today, you've won.
INN Facing Cuts: You Can Help
How You Can HelpThere are two basic ways that you can help The INN overcome these challenges. Grassroots financial support is a key to overcoming the financial loss. Community support is essential to demonstrate the importance of The INN’s network of soup kitchens. By providing such support you will speak volumes as to how Long Islanders care for our neighbors who are in need of assistance. Donations can be earmarked for the Soup Kitchen Emergency Account which is providing much needed support to any of the soup kitchens whose fund raising efforts are threatening their ability to provide nutritious meals for guests. It assures that these locations who may face closing will stay viable. Donations can be sent to: The INN, 211 Fulton Avenue, Hempstead, New York 11550. The second way to help is by getting involved in support of the soup kitchens in your community. For information on volunteering please call The INN at (516) 486-8506. You can also help by shopping for additional groceries and making donations to your local INN soup kitchen. For more information on The INN’s network of soup kitchens visit their website. Update: Keep our State Parks open!
Several of Long Island's State Parks are facing the threat of closure due to the Governor's budget proposal for the next fiscal year. A dozen parks could close or face serious cuts by summer, including Valley Stream, Hempstead Lake, Jones Beach (west swimming pool closure), Bethpage, Cold Spring Harbor, Trail View, Connetquot River, Brentwood, Nissequogue River, Caleb Smith, Heckscher, Brookhaven, Montauk Downs, and Orient Beach. State Parks have seen funding reductions of 40 percent over the last two years, and these cuts would see an additional 16 percent cut. Closing these parks would be incredibly detrimental for local communities. In these difficult economic times, State Parks are affordable places where families can gather and engage in both recreational and cultural activities. This is the last action the State should be taking to close its budget gap. The park cuts come from cuts to the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), the state's only dedicated source for environmental funding. The EPF was instituted 16 years ago to provide a consistent stream of revenue for open space protection, farmland preservation, park creation and expansion, recycling and a number of other critical environmental programs. Investments made through the EPF not only protect our natural resources and public health, they also play an important role in New York’s economic well-being. Programs funded by the EPF create jobs, eliminate solid waste, prevent pollution, provide clean drinking water, protect ecosystems and community character, and connect communities and our children with the outdoors. In short, every county in New York benefits from EPF-funded programs. Funded by a real estate transfer tax, the EPF has been a tremendous success, preserving the irreplaceable beauty of New York State for generations to come. However, in recent years sizeable chunks of its funding—now nearly $500 million in all—have been swept out of the Fund and into other programs to help balance the state’s budget. The EPF is facing a 33% cut in the next budget, due by April 1st. If passed as proposed, New Yorkers would see a $69 million cut to the EPF and an indefinite halt to open space protection projects, as well as over $40 million of cuts to our State Parks. Members of a Long Island State Parks advisory committee have been meeting to look for ways to keep the budget cuts from closing the parks, including seeking corporate sponsorships/selling the naming rights to some parks, a longer park season that includes collecting fees, and raising beach fees. According to NYLCV, with the closure of some State parks increasingly likely, "To soften the blow, the governor has since offered amendments that would divert $5 million from the State's Environmental Protection Fund, earmarked for park capital improvements, into park operating expenses. He also has proposed allowing state parks to raise fees to raise an additional $4 million." There are several ways to speak out against the closures:
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The Interfaith Nutrition Network has been notified of funding cuts from the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP), as coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). These programs support organizations like The INN, who focus on serving hungry and homeless Long Islanders. Unfortunately, The INN has been formally notified that the 15 INN soup kitchens which operate in Suffolk County will not receive EFSP funding for 2010. In 2009, they were provided $120,750.71 through this fund. This couldn’t happen at a more difficult time, due to substantial increases in guests seeking warm and nutritious meals and supportive services. The INN has reported an increase of 40% over the past few years; the numbers of meals has increased by 80% in the past two years. 
 2010 Long Island Youth Summit at Dowling College on March 5
On March 5th, high school students from all over Long Island will convene for the 2010 Long Island Youth Summit that will take place at Dowling College in Oakdale. The purpose of the Summit is to work with the brightest and most active high school students in order to make them aware of the socio-economic and environmental challenges that are affecting or may affect suburban Long Island in the near future. Long Island Faith and Hunger Conference on March 5th
How can it be that the latest study of hunger on Long Island, released on February 3rd, 2010, found an estimated 283,700 Long Islanders are at risk of hunger everyday? How can one of America’s 10 wealthiest regions tolerate nearly 100,000 children being food insecure? We are in the worst economic recession since the 1930s only explains a small part of the problem and the reality is that, in good and bad times, we have had a hunger crisis on Long Island. The time has come for us to take action to end the crisis and the scandal of hunger and poverty amidst our plenty. The Long Island Faith & Hunger Conference will take place on Friday, March 5th from 11:30am to 4pm at Upper Room Ministries, 722 Deer Park Avenue in Dix Hills. This will be an opportunity to discuss how the faith community can work together for social and economic justice in our communities. The conference will provide an update on critical hunger issues on the federal, state and local levels; make plans for action; and provide congregations with the tools they need to educate and advocate to end hunger. The conference is hosted by the Faith and Hunger Network (FHN) and the Mobilized Interfaith Coalition Against Hunger (MICAH). Workshops include: Randi Shubin Dresner of Island Harvest: “Hunger in America 2010 - The Local Report for Long Island”, Mark Dunlea, Esq. of Hunger Action Network of New York State: "State Budget & Issues You Need to Know”, Rev. Derrick Boykin of Bread for the World: “Strengthening and Protecting Tax Credits for Low-Income Families”, and Richard Koubek, Ph.D. of MICAH (and a Vision Board member): “A Tool Kit for Congregations to Educate and Advocate to End Hunger on Long Island." We need to use our voices to ensure that our nation’s public policies truly benefit—and not hurt—low-income people. Please RSVP via email to LIFaithNHunger@gmail.com or by telephone to 212-741-8192 ext. 3 by February 26th. Huntington Town Board to hold public hearing for Huntington Station TOD on March 9th
The Huntington Town Board, at its first meeting of the year, voted to schedule a March 9th public hearing on the creation of the Huntington Station Transit Oriented District, a move aimed at allowing a range of housing opportunities for people at different income levels and at different stages of life at a location where residents will have increased access to mass transit and a reduced dependency on the automobile. This district will be applied to the 26.6-acre district located on about a half mile from the Huntington Long Island Rail Road station, on the north side of East Fifth Street, which AvalonBay Communities Inc. is looking to develop with a mix of market rate and affordable housing. Details regarding time and location will be announced soon. Read more on the Town's website. The Green Economy: Promise and Potential on March 12th
The keynote speaker will be New York Times bestselling author Peter C. Fusaro, who is the Chairman and Founder of Global Change Associates. Panel discussions include Government Policy that Promotes Green Job Creation and The Nuts and Bolts of Green Jobs. Speakers and invited speakers include Neal Lewis of the Sustainability Institute, Richard M. Kessel of New York Power Authority, Thomas P. DiNapoli, New York State Comptroller, Kevin S. Law of Long Island Power Authority, Steve Bellone, Babylon Town Supervisor, Alfonse D’Amato, Former U.S. Senator and Founder of Park Strategies LLC, Edward P. Mangano, Nassau County Executive, Kate Murray, Hempstead Town Supervisor, Steve Levy, Suffolk County Executive, Kristopher Shaw of Crescent Energy, LLC, David Kirkpatrick of SJF Ventures, Albert Harsch of Eastern Energy Systems, Dawn Dzurilla of Gaia Human Capital Consultants, David Schieren of EmPower, John Cameron of Cameron Engineering, Ross D. Ain of Caithness Long Island, LLC, John Durso of Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW, Ray List of EnLink Geoenergy, and Micah Kotch of Polytechnic Institute of NYU. The event will be followed by a cocktail reception and networking until 6pm. Please RSVP by March 5th. Tickets are $50 per person. For more information, email event@molloy.edu or call 516.678.5000 ext. 6622. LIPC Celebrates 31 Years on March 27th
Tickets are $75 each, 2 for $125 or $700 for a table of 12. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. To purchase your ticket or for more information, contact Debbie-Ann Chang at 516-541-1006, ext 14. |
The Long Island Progressive Coalition and REP-LI invites you to celebrate 31 years of LIPC Fighting for Social and Human Dignity. The annual luncheon will be on Saturday, March 27 from 11am-2pm at the Timber Point Country Club, Great River Road in Great River and will honor: Kirk Kordeleski, Bethpage Federal Credit Union with the Paul Gutierrez Award for Contributions to Human Dignity; Michele Lynch, SEIU Local 1199 with the Bill Pickering Labor Leader Award; Supervisor Steven Bellone, Town of Babylon with the Award for Environmental Vision in Sustainable Development; Serge Martinez & the Hofstra Law Clinic as a Long Islander Who Has Made A Difference; Gerry Mooney, Group for the East End as a Long Islander Who Has Made A Difference; Amparo Sadler as a Long Islander Who Has Made A Difference; and Pastor Mack Smith, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran as a Long Islander Who Has Made A Difference.  LIA Seeks New President
The position requires a Bachelor’s Degree, with a Masters or professional degree preferred; at least five years experience in business or organizational management; and experience working for and with a Board of Directors. Preference will be given to a candidate with substantial knowledge of Long Island. Salary commensurate with experience. Deadline for application: March 25, 2010. Please send cover letter and resume to: LIA@bethpagefcu.com. Include you reasons for interest in the job, your successful track record of achieving results, your view of the LIA mission and its impact on the Long Island economy, and the top 3 priorities you would focus on in 2010-2012 as President of the LIA. Vision Long Island Seeking Fall Interns
Note that hours, start date, and end date are all flexible. Although this is an unpaid position, we will gladly work with you to provide college credit. We will also work with you to make sure you have a great experience that is tailored to your specific interests and skill set. Individuals and universities interested in learning more are encouraged to contact us at info@visionlongisland.org. You are welcome to include a resume and/or letter. Please put "Spring 2010 Internships" in the subject heading. |
The Long Island Association is searching for a new President, following the resignation of Matt Crosson, effective later this year. In the coming years, the Long Island Association, under the leadership of the President, will actively play a leadership role in growing the economy, advocating for businesses, marketing Long Island and developing a thriving association membership. The President reports to the Long Island Association Board of Directors and is charged with the overall operations and financial condition of the Association. The successful candidate must have a deep understanding of business and preferably business on Long Island and should: have the skills to recruit new members and maintain relationships with current members; be committed to political neutrality; have the ability, experience, and values to lead a strong board in a collaborative basis and have a successful experience in moving strategy forward to achieve goals; be a gifted leader with strong written and oral communication skills; be experienced in running a significant business or organization, hiring a great team and moving an organization forward financially and strategically; be knowledgeable of substantial issues that may affect Long Island and have the ability to articulate the issues and work with public officials toward solutions; and be experienced in collaborating with other business organizations in order to advance the greater good. 
Cinderella at Bellmore Theatre
The show take place on Saturday, February 27th at 11:00am at the Bellmore Theatre, 222 Pettit Avenue, Bellmore (next to the train station). Tickets to this family musical are $10 and include popcorn and soda. For tickets and more info, visit the Theatre's website. Wine for Woofs at Northport Tasting Room
This fantastic event will take place at: Northport Tasting Room & Wine Cellar, 70 Main Street, Northport, on Sunday, February 28 from 1pm – 5pm. A $10 donation is suggested at the door. For more information call (631) 368-8770 x205 or email jodi@littleshelter.com. |
The most classic of all fairy tales springs to life in this fast-paced musical production! Featuring a professional cast and live music, all the ingredients that have made the story a perennial favorite are here – ragged Cinderella, her cruel stepmother and selfish stepsisters, the ball, the handsome prince looking for a bride, the fairy godmother, the glass slipper, the search for the foot that fits it, and the happily-ever-after ending! This musical will delight the young and “young at heart.”
What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon then enjoying wine, entertainment, raffles, hors d'oeuvres and more in the heart of historic Northport, while helping Little Shelter Animal Rescue and Adoption Center save lives at the same time! Whether you're enjoying a glass of Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Merlot or any other number of wines from regions around the world, or perhaps buying a bottle or two to enjoy at home, you can have the added comfort of knowing that a portion of the proceeds from your purchase will benefit the animals at Little Shelter. And while you're making your selection, kick back and relax with friends as you listen to the wonderful entertainment provided by local musicians, and take a chance in some of the great raffles! |
According to an article on CNN, 12-year-old girl was arrested in her Forest Hills, Queens school for doodling on her desk. Has zero-tolerance punishment gone too far?
The school says that the girl is no longer facing suspension. |
SMART GROWTH NEWS Newsletter Editor: Michelle Dutchen, Director of Communications We strive to provide continued quality publications such as this each week. If you have any news or events that you would like to add to our newsletter, submit them to info@visionlongisland.org for consideration. If you are interested in becoming a newsletter or news blast sponsor, please call the office at 631-261-0242 for rates and opportunities.
For more information about Vision Long Island, visit visionlongisland.org or contact us at: |
