“Lights, traffic and these are still things that still need to be discussed. These are things I’m sure we’ll be able to work through. I will pledge to continue to work with you and the communities in attempting to make this a reality… the ultimate goal is something I don’t believe many people are in opposition to.”

- Huntington Town Supervisor Frank Petrone, speaking on the proposed AvalonBay development in Huntington Station

Zucaro Construction LLC

Founded in 1978, Zucaro Construction LLC has grown to become one of the most respected and competitive General Contractors in the Long Island and Metropolitan Area. Its founder, Andrew Zucaro formed his company with the traditional values and attention to details that have guided him throughout his professional career. Starting his career as a carpenter, within just a few short years, he was assigned to be the Construction Superintendent entrusted with the development of restaurants, NYU Dental School as well as fifteen ground-up apartment houses in New Jersey.

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.
 
Your tax-deductible donation goes directly to Vision and lets you help strengthen efforts to put Smart Growth principles into action.

Register now for the 2010 Smart Growth Awards

The eight Smart Growth Awards will honor individuals and organizations taking leadership in advancing Smart Growth projects, policies, regulations and initiatives.

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 $1000. Individual tickets are $75. A limited number of scholarships are also available. The event is sponsored by the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College, the US Green Building Council-LI Chapter, Vision Long Island and CNU-NY. The lead sponsor is PS&S.

LEED-ND® conference program

8:30-8:50 - Registration, Breakfast and Networking

8:50 - Opening Remarks
Paddy Steinschneider, CNU NY
Vince Capogna USGBC- LI
Neal Lewis, Sustainability Institute at Molloy

9:05 - 10:45 - Smart Location & Linkage
Marc Wouters, Cooper, Robertson & Partners/CNU NY
Paddy Steinschneider, Gotham Design, CNU NY
Mike Lydon, Street Plans Collaborative & author of the Smart Growth Manual
Eric Alexander, Vision Long Island, Moderator
Smart location • Imperiled species & ecological communities • Wetland & water body conservation • Agricultural land conservation • Floodplain avoidance • Preferred locations • Brownfield redevelopment • Locations with reduced automobile dependence • Bicycle network & storage • Housing & jobs proximity • Steep slope protection • Site design for habitat or wetland & water body conservation • Restoration of habitat or wetlands & water body • Long-term conservation management of habitat or wetlands & water bodies •

10:45-12:30 - Neighborhood Pattern & Design
David Kim, Anderson Kim Architects
Jay Valgora, Studio V
Brandon Palanker, Renaissance Downtowns
Alex Latham, ADLIII Architecture
Elissa Ward, Vision Long Island, Moderator
•Walkable Streets • Compact Development • Connected and Open community • Mixed-use neighborhood centers • Mixed-income diverse communities • Reduced parking footprint • Street network • Transit facilities • Transportation demand management • Access to civic & public spaces • Access to recreation facilities • Visitability & universal design • Community outreach & involvement • Local food production • Tree-lined & shaded streets • Neighborhood schools • Innovative & exemplary performance

12:30-1:00 - Lunch

1:00-3:00 Green Infrastructure & Buildings
Hon. Steve Fiore-Rosenfeld, Councilman, Town of Brookhaven
Neal Lewis, Sustainability Institute at Molloy College
Vince Campogna, USGBC-LI Chapter
Tony Musumeci, EMTEC Consulting Engineers
Michael Levine, Dept. of Planning, Town of N. Hempstead
Keith Samaroo, PS & S, Moderator
Certified green building • Minimum building energy efficiency • Minimum building water effi ciency • Construction activity pollution prevention • Existing building use • Historic resource preservation & adaptive reuse • Minimized site disturbance in design & construction • Stormwater management • Heat island reduction • Solar orientation • On-site renewable energy sources • District heating & cooling • Infrastructure energy efficiency • Wastewater management • Recycled content in infrastructure • Solid waste management infrastructure • Light pollution reduction •

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.

Dowling College hosts first Long Island Youth Summit for high school students

Last Friday, March 5th, Dowling College hosted the first ever Long Island Youth Summit for high school students. Nearly 150 students participated, proving that young Long Islanders are eager to learn about the region's issues and find intelligent solutions. The students were selected from hundreds of applicants based on the essays, videos, and photography projects they submitted.

The students gathered for breakfast and listened to some opening remarks, including a keynote presentation by Adrienne Esposito of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. Adrienne inspired the teens to be environmental activists, including her top ten list of things you can do to promote a healthy planet. She started with a prop and the words "What is this vile object in my hand?!" Dumping the plastic bag was just one simple way that teens can reduce waste.

Next, the students broke away into seven workshop sessions to learn more about Long Island's issues and to propose solutions to those problems. Workshops included: Open Space and Water; Renewable Energy; Housing; Transportation; LI Economic Growth and Employment; LI Governance and Civic Activism; and Race, Class, and Education. Expert panelists led the workshops, including Adrienne Esposito, Sustainability Institute's Beth Fiteni, Renaissance Downtowns' Brandon Palanker, ADL III Architecture's Alex Latham, Tri-State Transportation Campaign's Ryan Lynch, Verizon's Susan Hayes, Concerned Citizens of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Community's Carol Meschkow, Long Island Progressive Coalition's Lisa Tyson, Kristen Walsh from the Office of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Nassau County Equal Opportunity Commission's Diana Coleman. Vision's Eric Alexander also participated in the Economic Growth and Employment panel.

After the workshops and lunch, the students came back together and each group presented their findings. The transportation group looked at three major areas: reducing congestion, improving transit, and encouraging walkability. Solutions included bus-rapid transit, better rail service, more bike paths, better sidewalk conditions to encourage walking and building downtown centers to encourage more walking. The governance and civic activism group proposed consolidating special districts, or establishing one central Long Island district with local chapters for a balanced system. The housing workshop proposed more rentals and apartments, especially concentrated in downtown centers and near transit stations. Many of the overall solutions reinforced what many LI adults already know but haven't taken action on yet.

Nassau EOC's Diana Coleman closed out the program with a final call to action for the young Long Islanders. Students left the event feeling inspired to make a difference in their communities.

The Youth Summit was featured on the front page of Monday's Newsday with the title: "Students on LI's Future: If You Won't Fix It, We Will." Joye Brown's column quoted Eric Alexander speaking casually after the event, "These kids are in high school and they get it...They don't have the technical language, but they get it." Brown writes, "Ah, youth. It's a time when things are up or down, in or out, right or wrong. Ambiguity doesn't come until later. And neither does fear, inertia and a stubborn resistance to change. But Long Island needs to accept--and take charge of--needed change, or risk letting one of the most livable places in the nation wither up and die."

For the last two years, Vision Long Island has included a Youth Summit for college students as a part of the annual Smart Growth Summit. That Youth Summit spurred this one for high school students, as organized by Vision board member and Dowling College professor Dr. Nathalia Rogers.

Special thanks goes out to Dr. Rogers for organizing this inspiring event! Read Joye Brown's column here.

Hicksville visioning moves forward

Last Thursday evening, March 4th, Vision hosted the second public meeting for the Downtown Hicksville Revitalization at the Hicksville Community Center. Over 150 residents, business owners, civic leaders and agency representatives showed up to impact the future of their neighborhood. After opening remarks from the Hicksville Community Council, the presentations got underway. Vision's Eric Alexander and Elissa Ward led much of the meeting, along with members of the study team. A theme of the meeting was a worry over excessive bureaucracy on the way to implementation. The study team reminded the crowd that we need to take the ideas from these meetings directly to the leaders, as we have begun doing already.

The Vision design team was led by AECOM, with assistance PS&S, Anderson|Kim Architects, StreetsPlan Collaborative, ADL III Architecture and Steve Meehan Landscape Architecture.

The number one goal for Hicksville, based off of the results from the first community meeting held in January, is improving walkability. The study team also focused their work on ways to capture some of the 56,000 cars a day that come through Hicksville via Routes 106/107. They broke down the revitalization work into three phases.

In the short term, there could be a farmer's market (a very popular idea), a food cart, arts improvements along major roads and some streetscape improvements. Some of these things could happen as soon as this summer. The second phase would include private investments to boost a cultural arts district, nightlife, more restaurants, open space, infill development and senior housing. The long term goals would be a large, private investment in the area, including a possible hotel. Other presentations mentioned a new park on the "triangle" town center area, code revisions that would do things like building closer to the street front (Hicksville's current zoning codes allow for some great flexibility already), improving on-street and structured parking and making use of various grants and funding sources that are available.

During the Q & A, residents showed a united front of supporting revitalization through infill and beautification efforts. Suggestions included decreasing the speed limit now, improving lighting in the downtown, considering security and surveillance in the park, including green building design, lowering any burden on existing business owners, fixing the parking near the train station, alleviating commercial truck traffic on 106/107 and strengthening relationships between civics and businesses.

At the end of the meeting, nearly everyone in attendance raised their hand in response to the question "do you support this vision for revitalization?" Stay tuned for more news from this energized community!

Long Island Business Council featured in local Herald paper

The Long Island Business Council (LIBC) began last year as a partnership working to advocate and assist the business community and related stakeholders. LIBC works to create an open dialogue with individuals, groups and entities to foster solutions to regional economic challenges. Founders Bob Fonti and Richard Bivone have been working with chambers of commerce, rotaries, kiwanis clubs, special districts, departments and small business owners to address some of these challenges, such as energy, tax relief, government consolidation and downtown revitalization. The group seeks to build a united front that can be used for governmental lobbying. Bivone said, “Right now we believe that we’re flat-lined and that Long Island is dying. Unless we all sit at a table to fix it, Long Island will die.”

Read the full article at the East Meadow Herald

Google Maps Now Offers Bike Directions

Google Maps is a great tool that can help you with directions for cars, walking and public transit. Now, Google has updated its service to include bicycle directions across the country. The bike directions try to steer you away from high traffic areas and tough hills while trying to keep you in bike lanes. Google has also made it easy to give feedback on directions if they do not work or if there are no bike lanes.

Spring is coming, and the weather has been getting nicer on Long Island. This is the perfect time to make use of these bike directions!

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, which will be acted on 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, including rallies and petitions (some events have already past):

Petition to save Nissequogue River State Park
The Park Advocate and the Nissequogue River State Park Foundation are working together to protect the Nissequogue River State Park. The Nissequogue River State Park is home of Tiffany Field, a marina used by many community boaters and a popular summer science camp. Help send a message to the State letting them know that Long Islanders oppose these closures by signing the online petition. The petition tells the Governor, New York State Parks Department, and State Legislators that closing community parks will have a negative impact on all New Yorkers and we must find a way to save them! More information is available on their website.

Sign on to a letter to Governor Paterson
Sign on to the following group letter to Governor Paterson as soon as possible. Signers can include local businesses (especially chambers of commerce), friends groups, and other organizations. Please include signatures and detailed contact information (as well as logos, if applicable), and send to Rachel Boehr, Campaign to Save New York State Parks: rboehr@malkinross.com or (845) 269-0570.

March 2010

The Honorable David A. Paterson
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

Dear Governor Paterson:

We are writing to request that $11.3 million in operations funding for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) be included in the final FY 2010-11 State Budget. Without this funding, 91 state parks and historic sites are at risk of closing and another 40 are subject to possible service reductions. We recognize that the State is facing an unprecedented fiscal crisis, but cutting funding for state parks and historic sites will only hurt local economies and threaten stewardship efforts that provide recreational opportunities for all New Yorkers, as well as further the State’s conservation goals.

The OPRHP budget has been cut disproportionately when compared to most other agencies. Over the past two years, the agency’s budget has been cut by $46 million, which equates to 25% of its operating budget. With 85% of the agency’s operating budget going directly toward running New York’s 213 state parks and historic sites, there is no more excess to cut. The agency has already eliminated 1,000 permanent and seasonal workers and last year’s budget cuts resulted in service reductions at 100 state parks and historic sites.

State parks and historic sites bring countless benefits to New York in the form of tourism, economic investment and environmental protection. In total, nearly 57 million people visited New York parks last year. A recent study commissioned by Parks & Trails New York showed that for each dollar the State spends on parks and historic sites, the State and local economies receive five dollars in economic investment. This is a yearly total investment of $1.9 billion. Given the State’s current fiscal condition, slashing OPRHP’s funding will be a huge blow to New York’s fragile economy. In addition, state parks and historic sites contribute to the rich cultural opportunities across the state, while playing a central role in preserving the State’s open spaces and habitats.

In the Long Island region alone, where there are 16 parks and sites in danger of closure or service reductions, 19.9 million people visited the parks, nearly double the number that visited the Niagara region. Additionally parks provided the area with $410 million in economic output and nearly 4,000 jobs. In these tough times, we cannot afford to be losing economic activity nor should we be shutting down low-cost areas for families, Long Island families and visitors alike.

As you work to make the difficult decisions that must be made this fiscal year, we ask that you remember the value that state parks and historic sites provide to New Yorkers. Please include $11.3 million for OPRHP operations funding in the final FY 2010-11 State Budget and keep our state parks and historic sites open.

Sincerely,

(your name and organization)

HUD seeking public comments on how to structure its new federal Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program

One way to define sustainable communities are places where people can live and work in the same environment. Everything is “accessible-friendly.” They meet diverse needs for residents such as decent home prices, accessible public transit, schools, hospitals, shops, restaurants and safe environments. Sustainable communities incorporate the principles of balancing the social, economic and environmental components of their community and meeting the needs for current times and the future.

Now, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is seeking comments from State and local governments, community development entities and residents on how their new Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program should be structured. The feedback received through this process is anticipated to have a huge impact on regional planning and sustainable development, especially as HUD partners with the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency. The feedback will also help HUD better understand how it can support regional planning efforts that integrate housing, transportation, environmental impact and economic development.

The goal of the program, according to the Justia Regulation Tracker notice, is to “integrate housing, economic development, and transportation decision-making manner that empowers jurisdictions to consider the interdependent challenges of economic growth, social equity and environmental impact simultaneously.” To improve regional planning, Congress gave $150 million to HUD for the Sustainable Communities initiative in what was called the Appropriations Act.

According to Preservation Nation, the new Federal Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program is based on six livability principles: provide more transportation choices; promote equitable, affordable housing; enhance economic competitiveness; support existing communities; coordinate policies and leverage investment; and value communities and neighborhoods. Funding for the program will support one of the following three categories: 1) The preparation of regional plans for sustainable development 2) The preparation of more detailed execution plans and programs to implement existing regional sustainable development plans and/or 3) Implementations funding for regions that have regional sustainable development plans and implementation strategies in place and need support for a catalytic project or program.

To have your voice heard, submit your comments to HUD by Friday, March 12 to share your feedback with the federal government and HUD.

New Jersey Future Redevelopment Forum rescheduled for March 19th

The New Jersey Future Redevelopment Forum, which is one of the state’s largest events for municipalities, developers, and advocates interested in Smart Growth, has been rescheduled due to snow for Friday, March 19th from 8am-4pm at the New Brunswick Hyatt Hotel and Conference Center. The event’s keynote speaker is Shelly Poticha, the Senior Advisor for Sustainable Housing and Communities at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, who will discuss the department’s new “livable communities” initiatives. Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno will also offer remarks during lunch. Event workshops range from ground-level sessions, on topics like green building design and how municipalities can attract employers, to policy-focused discussions on New Jersey’s new complete streets policy and new transit projects in northern and southern Jersey.

For more information and to register, visit their website.

LIPC celebrates 31 years on March 27th

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.

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.

Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits: the free workshop on April 6 (Rescheduled)

Rehabilitation tax credits provide real financial incentives for the reuse of historic buildings. Under-utilized on Long Island, these credits are not limited to distressed census tracts, have great potential in downtown revitalization, and can apply to both commercial and residential properties. Learn more about the full scope of the federal and state programs from industry experts and the New York State Historic Preservation Office for a workshop discussion on program eligibility, application procedures and how credits can be monetized. This free workshop will include program overviews with information on National Register eligibility and listing, financing information (including syndication opportunities for non-profits), case studies and time for question and answers. Developers, preservationists, local governments, property owners and architects will have special interest.

The workshop will take place on April 6th (rescheduled due to snow) from 7-9pm at Riverhead Town Hall (200 Howell Avenue in Riverhead). It is hosted by the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities (SPLIA) & Town of Riverhead Landmarks Preservation Commission. Speakers will include Elizabeth Martin, Historic Sites Restoration Coordinator and Virginia Bartos, Historic Preservation Program Analyst at New York State Historic Preservation Office; Ward Dennis, Partner at Nixon Peabody, LLP; and Charlotte Lee, Associate at Higgins Quasebarth & Partners, LLC. Introduced by James Wooten, Riverhead Town Council; Alexandra Wolfe, Preservation Services Director, SPLIA; and Richard Wines, Riverhead LPC.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Alexandra Wolfe at SPLIA by phone 631-692-4664 or email awolfe@splia.org.

Northport ArtWalk kicks off April 11th

Starting on Sunday, April 11th from 4-7pm and continuing May 2nd and June 13th during the same hours, the Northport Chamber of Commerce and the Northport Arts Coalition are hosting a new event, Northport ArtWalk. The free event includes a self-guided walking tour of established and emerging artists at many galleries, studios and eclectic gallery-for-a-day venues in Northport's Main Street area. Enjoy possible performances, music, restaurants, antique shops, boutiques and cafes. It's a great way to check out Northport's bustling and diverse art community.

If you are interested in being a host merchant, you will work with the artist to display their work in your place of business. Formal details on the arrangements are available online here. Completed applications should be returned to Caffe Portofino, 249 Main St., Northport, NY 11768, attn: Lisa/ArtWalk coordinator. Applications are available online here. The deadline is March 15th. Contact Lisa Harris with any questions at 631-262-7656.

Innovation and the American Metropolis: Regional Plan Association's 20th annual Regional Assembly on April 16th

Regional Plan Association presents its 20th Annual Regional Assembly, "Innovation and the American Metropolis" on Friday, April 16th from 8am to 4pm in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria, 333 Park Avenue at 49th Street in New York City. The Regional Assembly is New York City's premiere civic event, bringing together top business, civic and academic leaders and professional planners, with municipal, state and federal officials and architectural, design and engineering firms from across the metropolitan region and the nation.

This year’s Assembly will focus on how cities can use new design and management techniques and harness emerging trends in technology and data to improve quality of life and economic competitiveness. Among the eight panels at this full-day conference are Building a Green Infrastructure, Radical Housing, America’s Energy Future, and Smart Transportation: Changing Urban Mobility. Featured speakers include Richard Ravitch, Lieutenant Governor of New York State; Richard Burdett, Centennial Professor in Architecture and Urbanism, London School of Economics and Founder and Director, LSE Cities Program; and William A. McDonough, Founder William McDonough and Partners.

Registration is $250 for non-members, $225 for members. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact rivanova@rpa.org. Visit RPA's website to register and for more information.

Teen Arts Festival on May 15th: teen talent sought

The Third Annual Teen Arts Festival will be held on Saturday, May 15th at The Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island in Garden City, beginning at 1:00 pm and running throughout the afternoon. The free festival is for local middle school and high school students to share their talents with each other and the community. The organizers are currently recruiting talent: musicians, artists, dancers, poets and more. Teens and their parents are invited to go online to download a registration form. Registration is due before May 7th. The Youth of Ethical Societies (Y.E.S.) Group is hosting the festival, with the theme: “YES We Do…Have A Voice,” to celebrate the often-overlooked power of young minds. The festival will feature hours of live music from classical to metal, art on display, dancing, poetry readings, interactive activities, refreshments and more throughout the Ethical Humanist Society building and grounds.

The festival is free, but donations are requested: nonperishable food items for the Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN), baby items for Ethical Friends of Children, or a monetary donation to the Ethical Humanist Society. Sponsorship opportunities are available, ranging from $25 to $500.

Immediately following the Festival will be the Y.E.S. Group’s 16th Annual Pasta Dinner, beginning at 6:00pm. The Pasta Dinner includes a tasty meal, a keynote speaker and even more live entertainment. The cost for the dinner is $10 for adults and $8 for students. The fee will be split between the speaker’s organization (TBA) and programming for the Y.E.S. Group throughout the year, including travel to the National Y.E.S. Conference in Chicago in November 2010.

The Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island is located at 38 Old Country Road, Garden City. For more information about the Teen Arts Festival, Pasta Dinner, sponsorship opportunities and more, contact Phyllis Herschlag, Office Manager at 516-741-7304, office@ehsli.org, or visit ehsli.org.

Walk/Bike conference to be held on Long Island June 7th

June 7th is the first ever Walk/Bike New York conference for Long Island: Encouraging Sustainable Movement. Creating walkable and bikeable environments requires an active collaboration of people with interests in safety, land use, economic development, transportation, education, law enforcement and health promotion. This one-day symposium is expected to draw approximately 200 attendees from various disciplines and provide participants with the tools to work together to create walkable and bikeable communities in New York State. A keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Arthur Wendel, Medical Officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, Public Health and Built Environment Initiative. Topics will include Complete Streets, Safe Routes for Seniors and Youth, Education & Encouragement, Law Enforcement, Local Highlights, Funding Sources and Legislative Updates. Help make Long Island's roads safer!

The conference is a Quality Communities Symposium sponsored by the NYS Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, the NYS Department of Health, and the Institute for Traffic Safety Management & Research in conjunction with the NYS Department of Transportation, NYS Department of State, New York Bicycling Coalition, Parks & Trails New York, Federal Highway Administration, NYS Association of Chiefs of Police, Inc., NYS Metropolitan Planning Organization Association and AARP.

The event will take place at the Hyatt Regency in Hauppauge. Early Registration fee $40 (postmarked by May 14); Late/On Site is $50. Due to limited capacity, early registration is recommended. You can register online here. For more information, contact Janine Schultz at 518-453-0291 x104 or email jschultz@itsmr.org.

S.T.R.O.N.G. Community Unity Gala on June 10th

You are cordially invited to the “Decade of S.T.R.O.N.G., Community Unity Gala,” which will be held on Thursday June 10th 2010. This momentous event is being held in part to celebrate the tenth anniversary of S.T.R.O.N.G. Youth, Inc. In addition, they will be humbly honoring a handful of outstanding individuals and organizations that have played a pivotal role in their successful journey. The gala is an excellent venue to network with like-minded individuals focused on consciously making a difference in our communities.

Ten years ago, S.T.R.O.N.G. Youth, Inc. had never envisioned to be one of the leading gang prevention/intervention agencies in our region. They only wanted to play a positive and impact role in reuniting our new generation. During that time, they had the opportunity to educate many young people on alternatives to violence and gang life, while creating opportunities for many youth who were seeking redirection and redemption.

All proceeds generated by this event will support the ongoing effort in continuing S.T.R.O.N.G.’s mission. If you have any further questions regarding this event and to get your tickets, call 516-408-3798 or email strong.gala@gmail.com.

Request for Letters of Interest: Smart Growth implementation assistance

The Development, Community and Environment Division in EPA’s Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation is seeking applications for technical assistance from communities that want to incorporate smart growth in their future development to meet environmental and other community goals. This request is being coordinated under the interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities. Staff from HUD and DOT will assist in the provision of this technical assistance. Selected communities or states will receive assistance in the form of a multi-day visit from a team of experts organized by EPA, HUD and DOT and other national partners to work with local leaders. EPA plans to assist three to four communities over a period of twelve months. The Agency anticipates announcing the selected communities this fall.

Eligible entities are tribal, local, regional and state governments and nonprofit organizations that have a demonstrated partnership with a governmental entity. Letters of interest are due at 3:00 pm EST, April 9, 2010. For more information and application materials, click here.

National Endowment for the Arts seeks applications for Challenge America Fast-Track program

The National Endowment for the Arts is accepting applications through the Challenge America Fast-Track project. Challenge America Fast-Track offers support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved communities—those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics or disability. Eligibility includes non-profit organizations; state or local governments; private, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; or federally recognized Native American tribal governments. Individual awards are not to exceed $10,000.

The deadline for submission is Thursday, May 27th. For more information, contact the National Endowment for the Arts, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20506; 202-682-5700; fasttrack@arts.gov.

Volunteer with North Shore Land Alliance

Help protect the lands that protect your drinking water and natural areas! Volunteer your time, knowledge and experience to the North Shore Land Alliance (NSLA) and its work to protect and improve the natural areas of our communities which provides clean drinking water, locally grown food and recreational opportunities for today’s residents and for the generations that follow. NSLA needs your help to provide educational outreach, assist with data entry and online research and perform stewardship activities such as maintaining trails, pulling invasive vegetation, and conducting and documenting site visits. They also need volunteers to take photographs of and document occurrences of plants and wildlife and lead nature walks.

By volunteering with the NSLA, you can learn new things while helping to educate others, meet new friends while affecting positive change and spend time outside in some of Long Island's most beautiful and peaceful places as you get a little exercise.

To start volunteering with the North Shore Land Alliance please contact their Volunteer Coordinator at 516-626-0908 or email to volunteers@northshorelandalliance.org. To learn more about the North Shore Land Alliance, visit their website.

Vision Long Island Seeking Interns

Vision Long Island is seeking unpaid interns for Spring and Summer 2010. If you are interested in suburban/urban planning, community development, local government, or sustainability, consider working for us part time.

Our staff likes to say we "wear many hats," and interns will have to do the same. Interns will assist with planning, design, outreach, event planning, writing, research, attending meetings, reporting, photography, and more. Bring your unique skill set to the table! We are looking for energetic and conscientious individuals with an interest in suburban/urban planning from a bottom-up perspective. This is a valuable opportunity to work with great people in a small office environment and learn about the issues impacting Long Island. Strong writing skills a plus.

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 and transportation reimbursement. 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 interested in learning more are encouraged to contact us at info@visionlongisland.org. Please put "Internships for 2010" in the subject heading. You are welcome to include a resume and/or letter, and please indicate if you are available in the Spring, Summer, or both.

Long Island Roller Rebels Home Opener: All Female Roller Derby

"Long Island Roller Rebels Roller Derby is NOT staged or choreographed. We SKATE, we HIT, we BRUISE, we MAIM and we FIGHT! (Discretion is advised to all spectators sitting around the track. Just watch out you might get a roller girl in your lap!!! But even more to be concerned with, a skate to the face!)"

Do not miss the 2010 Home Season Opener as the Long Island Roller Rebels take on the Jersey Shore Roller Girls! Back in April 2009, the Roller Rebels traveled down to the Jersey Shore only to come back having taken some hard hits and a significant loss against the newly formed Jersey team. the Rebels fought through the remainder of the 2009 season with hard hitting, fast paced blocking. The Roller Rebels have been eating glass and training hard ready to come back and take down this Jersey Shore team! So come see as the 2010 All Stars show you what they have to prove as they take on the JSRG.

The game is on Saturday, March 13. Doors at 7pm, whistle at 8pm. $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Children under 8 free. Bring a chair and sit rink-side! Cold beer served inside by Long Island Brewery. Music by DJ Joe Jack. Event is at Skate Safe America, 182 Bethpage Sweet Hollow Road in Old Bethpage. Visit their website for more info, including a section on "roller derby for idiots."

St. Patrick's Day Parade

There are plenty of parades and restaurant specials going on for St. Patrick's Day this weekend. Why not check out the 76th Annual Parade in Huntington on Sunday at 2pm? From the parade's website:

"Over the past 76 years, the parade has grown to become the oldest and largest on Long Island. While there are only a few folks around who remember that first St. Patrick's day parade, they will tell you that it is the day Huntington puts her best face forward and everyone has a wee bit of Irish in them. Each year up to 50,000 current and former residents jam Huntington Village for this wonderful family and community event. More important than ever, the Parade is also a tremendous catalyst to the local Huntington economy, with spectators packing the local restaurants, shops, and pubs. With the current rough economic times, "buying local" not only feels good, it helps all of us."

You can expect more than 25 marching bands at the parade, organized by the Ancient Order of Hibernians. The parade kicks off just north of the Huntington Train Station and goes along New York Avenue before turning west onto Main Street and ending at Saint Patrick's Church.

SMART GROWTH NEWS

Newsletter Editor: Michelle Dutchen, Director of Communications
Contributors: Eric Alexander, Executive Director; Tara Klein, Planning Coordinator;
Tawaun Weber, Assistant Director; Elissa Ward, Director of Sustainability; Juliana Roberts Dubovsky, Planning Consultant; Chris Kyle, Program Coordinator

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:
24 Woodbine Ave. Suite One Northport, NY 11768.
Phone: (631) 261-0242. Fax: (631) 754-4452.
Email: info@visionlongisland.org