Advantage

Advantage Title, founded in 1987, is one of the leading title insurance firms in the region. The Huntington-based company handles commercial, residential and industrial real estate transactions regionally, nationally and internationally. Recently expanded to become the Advantage Group, additional services include foreclosure, settlement, mortgage, and incorporating services. 

Advantage has set the industry standard for over 20 years, providing exemplary service to all of their clients, in both the public and private sector.  Advantage is proud to have insured many of Long Island’s open space preservation parcels of land, as well as insuring the largest conservation easement in New York State history. It is their hope that Smart Growth and Vision Long Island will continue to help educate all of us in the ways that we can help improve and maintain the quality of life for everyone in our community.

Visit their website at advantagegroupny.com.

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.

one week until the 2009 smart growth awards! Get your tickets and sponsorships now!

The 2009 Smart Growth Awards are less than a week away. Get your tickets now and join us for an exciting luncheon honoring some of Long Island's best.

This year's winners represent the great progress that has been made toward achieving Smart Growth solutions for Long Island communities. Especially in light of recent economic challenges, the six projects honored this year are either approved or built; the two plans have the full support of the local municipality; and the three organizations/individuals have a long record of accomplishment. These eleven honorees were chosen out of the nearly fifty submissions received this year.

Stakeholder Participation: Lori Baldassare of the Mount Sinai Heritage Center for the exceptional use of stakeholder participation in the planning of their facility and grounds.

 

 

Revitalizing Communities: Trammell Crow Residential is being honored for the Alexan at West Hempstead which will transform a blighted hotel into much-needed rental housing. 

 

 

Preserving Open Space: Lisa Ott of the North Shore Land Alliance is being honored for her efforts to pass environmental bond resolutions in multiple municipalities in Nassau and Suffolk

 

Mix of Uses: TRITEC is being honored for their development in the heart of downtown Patchogue, which includes office, retail, mixed-income housing, and a hotel.

 

 

Encouraging Walkability: Kingdom Family Holdings is honored for the Marquis at Mineola, a multifamily residential project in downtown Mineola that is part of the community's Master Plan. 

 

 

Providing a Range of Housing Types: The Nassau Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless will be honored for their work in helping Long Island’s homeless find sufficient housing and support services.

 

Creating a Sense of Place: Hon. Steve Flotteron and Hon. Phil Nolan of the Town of Islip are being honored for the reconstruction of the Bay Shore Marina, turning what was a large parking lot into a place for recreation. 

 

 

Compact Design: The Dennis Organization is being honored for Hawthorne Court, a multifamily housing project in Valley Stream which provides walkable access to the Valley Stream train station.

 

 

Providing Transportation Options: The Town of Brookhaven is receiving an award for the plan for the Ronkonkoma Hub, which will change zoning to allow for transit-oriented development and a variety of transportation options. 

 

 

Green Building & Energy Efficiency: The Village of Amityville is receiving the award for the green building renovations to Village Hall.

 

Providing Certainty: Glen Cove Mayor Ralph Suozzi will be receiving the award for making development decisions fair and predictable for the Glen Cove Master Plan. This plan successfully involves the community and lays the groundwork for multiple redevelopment projects from the waterfront to the downtown.

The 2009 Smart Growth Awards will take place on Friday, June 19th from 11:30am-2:00pm at the Crest Hollow Country Club. Sponsorship packages are available. Be sure to register for the Awards by visiting www.visionlongisland.org and downloading a registration form. For more information, you can also contact our office at (631) 261-0242 or email info@visionlongisland.org. We look forward to seeing you there!

To read about past winners or to find out more about the Awards, visit our website here

SAVE THE DATE! Register Today!
2009 Smart Growth Awards
Friday, JUNE 19TH
11:30am-2:00pm
CREST HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB
WOODBURY, NY

SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES still AVAILABLE!

• Visionary package includes: Logo in materials and advertisements, prominent full-page advertisement in journal, special recognition at event and on website, banner display, table for 10
• Leadership package includes: Logo in all materials and advertisements, full page advertisement in journal, special recognition at the event, banner display, table for 10
• Gold package includes: Logo in all materials and advertisements, 1/2 page advertisement in journal, banner display, table for 10
• Sponsorship package includes: Listing in all materials and advertisements, 3/4 page advertisement in journal, banner display, table for 10

Ads for Smart Growth Awards Journal also available - Reserve Yours Today
Deadline Is June 5th

• Full page black and white ad (7.5” x 10”) - $1,000
• 1/2 page black and white ad (3.75” x 5”) - $500
• 1/4 page black and white ad (1.875” x 2.5”) - $250

THanks to our sponsors

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Long Island Lobby Day

June 8th marked Long Island’s first-ever Lobby Day. Organized by Adrienne Esposito of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Roger Clayman of the Long Island Federation of Labor, and Eric Alexander of Vision Long Island, Albany certainly got a taste of what Long Island needs, and moreover, what it deserves. 

Groups that participated include Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Vision Long Island, Long Island Federation of LAbor, Suffolk Community Council, Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce, Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce, AARP, Nassau Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, ListNet, Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Empire State Future

The day consisted of a four-hour bus ride to and from Albany, back-to-back meetings with senators and senior staff, a press conference, and most importantly, a group of over two dozen Long Island leaders from diverse fields who understand that you are best heard when united. Together, the group traversed the halls of the New York State Capitol and ardently voiced their five point plan for Long Island.  

The five point plan covers Long Island’s sewers, energy, transportation, human services, and small businesses. These points are critical to any region, but for Long Island, they are of special importance. To start, Suffolk County is 70% unsewered, and many of Nassau's systems are antiquated and in need of improvement. If Long Island sewer projects are not funded, communities will lack the physical capacity to grow.

In regards to energy, it is time to make offshore wind a priority, as well as develop a plan of attack on The Long Island Power Authority’s $6.8 billion debt. Long Island’s roads are in need of help, being ranked among the worst five nationally. Another transportation objective is establishing a regional bus service with the MTA. A human service priority is a rehousing program for LI's homeless population. Finally, with the economic downturn, policies need to be enacted that help citizens maintain housing, as well as help small businesses thrive in their communities. Without such policies, the “brain drain” will persist as people leave Long Island in search of jobs and housing. 

Meetings were held with then-Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, Assemblyman Bob Sweeney, the Governor's Deputy Secretary for the Environment Judith Enck, the Governor's Chief of Staff Larry Schwartz, Senator Craig Johnson, Senator Brian Foley, and senior staffers for Speaker Sheldon Silver, who had to cancel at the last minute. The group also held a press conference.

Not only was the diversity of Long Island well represented, but it was made clear that Long Island could no longer be neglected. It is an inconvenient truth when Long Islanders speak with one voice. It goes through the mask of ‘everything is great on Long Island and we’re prospering’ and reveals the real issues.

News coverage was robust and included Newsday, Long Island Business News, Long Island Press, News 12, Channel 7, and Channel 2. Read the Long Island Press article here and the Newsday article here and watch the News12 coverage here.

Nassau County Master Plan uPDATE... qUESTIONS REMAIN

In 1998, Nassau County produced a master plan.  In 2003, there was to be an update to the Master Plan but it was never produced.  It is likely that only a small number of residents are aware or engaged in any of these plans.

According to Section 1604 of the Nassau County Charter:

- The master plan will include studies and recommendations regarding highways and transportation, economic development, parks, public water supply, air quality, solid waste disposal, historic preservation, wastewater treatment, open space preservation, environmental conservation, future land use and availability of housing. 
- The master plan will be revised and updated whenever and as often as the county planning commission sees fit, but at least once every five years after its initial adoption. 

On Tuesday evening, Nassau County held a public meeting at Nassau Community College for its Master Plan, which they are calling "New Suburbia." The meeting drew a crowd of over 200 people. The night's schedule of events included a presentation by Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, design concepts by BFJ Planning, and Roundtable discussions and reports.

Suozzi argued that the idea of the Master Plan is to leave 90% of things unchanged, so that new changes only involve 10% of Nassau. He proposed creating a coalition to support this "10% solution." After Suozzi finished his presentation, he asked each table to answer questions and propose three new things for the Master Plan.

So what is the plan for Nassau County's future?  If folks were expecting an analysis, trends, status report or projections on what Nassau County can do with its role and regulatory authority they were surely disappointed. Instead, folks were encouraged to think about growth and development in the Lighthouse, Belmont Park and maybe Hicksville.

There is nothing substantively wrong with a focus group that can envision the future, as it is something we encourage. The challenge with the approach here is that Nassau County possesses no power on land use and must work collaboratively with towns and villages. Having said that, there are a number of things Nassau County CAN do to promote and support different land use patterns.

The 1998 Comprehensive Plan addresses Nassau’s interagency planning, land use, environmental resources, transportation, housing, economy, culture and recreation, and community facilities.  In each of these areas, the plan seeks an efficient provision and utilization of services, while preserving the county’s environmental resources. 

On the topic of land use, it’s suggested that regulations be enacted that attract businesses to downtowns and Centers, which helps minimize the environmental impacts of development.  For transportation, the plan seeks to enhance the availability and efficiency of mass transit options, like the Long Island Bus system.  With that, there are fewer single-occupancy vehicles on the road, which reduces traffic congestion, improves air quality, and preserves the environment.  This ideal of improving services in a way that protects the environment can be traced throughout the entire plan. 

Furthermore, the 1998 Master Plan update set a series of goals that could get a fresh look at this point. Towards the end of facilitating growth, we would like to see goals and objectives in the following issue areas and County departments where the County can contribute:

- Economic Development: Nassau County IDA
- Parks and open space: Nassau County Parks
- Sewers and infrastructure: Nassau County DPW
- Transit: Nassau Bus
- Roadways: Nassau County DPW
- Housing: Nassau Office of Housing and Intergovernmental Affairs
- Planning: Nassau County Planning Commission
- Community services: Nassau Office of Senior Citizens Affairs, Nassau Human Rights Commission, Nassau Department of Social Services, and Nassau County Youth Board

If Nassau County wants to help pull together a vision for the future the should sync up very closely with the over 25 Nassau communities that are actively planning their future through their own master plans, hamlet plans, vision plans.

Nassau County can identify 20 ways that it will change regulations, prioritize projects and assist local communities as they properly plan their growth.  Instead of planning for another level of government they are uniquely situated to outline what they can accomplish within their own powers.

A concept plan will be ready by the end of July, and the Draft Master Plan will be ready by the end of September. You can view the powerpoint presentations from the night here. The 1998 plan is available here.

County Road 58 Update from Tri-State Transportation Campaign

Tri-State Transportation Campaign blogged about County Road 58 in Riverhead this week. In their article, "Suffolk County Executive Still Picks 'Moving Cars' Over Safety," they say:

As counties prepared their transportation stimulus wish lists earlier this year, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign wrote a letter to Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy that urged him to “use [his] role as County Executive to work with Towns and Villages and Departments of Transportation to promote smart growth development patterns that create more walkable communities.”

At meetings of NYMTC, Suffolk County has often shown that it is out of step with the other counties in the New York metropolitan region when it comes to walkable and transit-oriented development. So it’s not that surprising that the letter, apparently, has gone unheeded.

Last week Levy once again highlighted his preference for moving cars as quickly as possible at the expense of pedestrian, cyclist and motorist safety.  After smart-growth group Vision Long Island criticized the County’s plan to widen County Road 58 in Riverhead, noting that the road would include “no shoulders and a suicide lane in the middle,”  Levy responded that there were no resources to include cycling, transit and pedestrian infrastructure into the existing plan, and the priority must be for “moving cars.”

Given that Suffolk’s roads are among the most dangerous in the region for pedestrians, he should consider rethinking these priorities.  In fact, considering that Suffolk County’s seniors are disproportionately impacted by unsafe roads, Vision’s recommendation that the CR 58 plan include handicap accessible crosswalks and tree-buffered sidewalks should, perhaps, be his top priority.

Census data compiled by the Long Island Index shows that Long Island’s population is aging, and young people are leaving for elsewhere (see page 46). Surely County Executive Levy isn’t interested in accelerating the exodus of young people or fostering a more dangerous environment for the county’s growing population of senior citizens.  But that’s what building greater automobile capacity on County roadways will do. What it won’t do is reduce congestion in the long term, protect the environment, promote economic development, or create vibrant communities that people will want to live, work and recreate in.

NYIT: 4th Annual energy Conference

There was an air of optimism at the New York Institute of Technology’s fourth annual energy conference last Friday, June 5th.  The conference explored how green technology is creating jobs and spurring economic revival.  Luke Tilley, a senior economist at IHS Global Insight, and a speaker at the conference, projected that over the next 30 years, there is a potential growth of 4.2 million new green jobs.  These jobs fall into many categories, which include renewable power generation, agriculture, construction, manufacturing, engineering, research, consulting, and others. 

Other speakers included Ron Pernick, Co-Founder and Principal of Clean Edge, Neil Petchers, president and CEO of Noresco, James Brew, Principal Architect of the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Built Environment Team, and Russell Albanese, president of the Albanese Organization.

City of Binghamton Embraces Smart Growth

The Binghamton Commission on Sustainable Development and Smart Growth has released its final report outlining the vision of the commission and the principles that will help the city execute its commitment to sustainable development. The Commission consisted of members from the City Hall staff, City Council members, as well as community leaders interested in making Binghamton a healthier and more viable city through Smart Growth practices. Since the commission first convened April 3rd, 2008, they have investigated ways to integrate a SmartCode into city planning and policy.

The implementation matrix  organizes recommendations for actions the city should take into categories of climate protection, land use, stormwater management, sustainable building, and economic development.  As stated in the Commission's Final Report, climate protection, and improvement of city resources should be a main priority of all City decisions. This stresses the interconnectedness of environmental protection with economic development and social equity, a central aspect of Smart Growth.
 
The Commission is hoping to take on a leadership role for the region and urge other cities to proactively “initiate action on climate change rather than wait and be dragged toward compliance with future State and Federal law.” The current Mayor of Binghamton, Matt Ryan, signed the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement on April 19, 2007, committing to take actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through actions ranging from anti-sprawl land-use policies to urban forest restoration projects and public information campaigns.  One of the city’s first actions will be to join the International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) campaign.

Glen Cove Adopts Master Plan

On May 26th, the Glen Cove City Council officially adopted the first Master Plan for Glen Cove in over 50 years. This historic step is the culmination of a process that began when Mayor Ralph V. Suozzi took office in 2006, launching a comprehensive planning effort to create a vision for the future of Glen Cove. 

The Master Plan is a broad guide which will enable Glen Cove to preserve its current quality of life, but also find ways to make improvements and strengthen its network of resources by expanding the local tax base and promoting downtown, waterfront, transit, and civic projects. It has generated a strategy to preserve Glen Cove's suburban scale while allowing for strategic development by revising development standards to set a clear direction for new construction. The plan sets high standards for redevelopment in terms of design, mixture of uses, and environmental protection. It also recognizes the potential for active and vibrant hubs within the community that will attract a broader array of shopping, entertainment, and housing options.

The Master Plan was prepared with a locally unprecedented level of community input, including stakeholder interviews, focus groups, surveys, a task force of stakeholders, access to all information via a website, and and comments solicited on the accompanying Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DGEIS) which assessed the environmental, social, and economic implications of the proposed Master Plan.

Mayor Suozzi said, “This is a tremendous milestone and really the culmination of a very collaborative process that included myself, the City Council, a variety of resources within my administration, residents, business people, professional planners, civic associations, environmentalists, and people from our neighboring communities on the North Shore. Now, for the first time in over five decades, we have taken the initiative to create a comprehensive Master Plan that provides a framework for guiding future development."

The Master Plan is available for public viewing at the Glen Cove Public Library and City Clerk’s Office. It will also be available for viewing on the City's website. Mayor Suozzi is being honored with a 2009 Smart Growth Award for the Master Plan.

Maroni's and Other Restaurants Revitalize Northport Alleyway

It's amazing what a few tables and plants can do for a place! This past Tuesday evening, Northport's Maroni's restaurant, Bistro 44, Tim's Shipwreck Diner, and the Village of Northport held Cocktails in the Alley to christen the newly renovated outdoor dining area.

Vision's office is one of the handful of shops and offices that shares the long alley, so we have a vested interest in its revitalization.

Maroni's took some great initiative in turning an old empty strip into a usable public plaza: there are tons of new plants, tables and chairs, retractable awnings to keep out the bright sun and rain, a sound system, and most noticeably, lots of people walking around! Community members attended the open bar (and free food!) event, along with dozens of residents of all ages. One mentioned how incredible it was that just 2-3 weeks ago, this was a place of cigarette butts and a 'back-alley' vibe.

Kudos to Maroni's and the other restaurants for this new downtown public space!

No Bigger Better Bottle Bill After All

The North Shore Land Alliance has printed the following message on their website. Vision covered the bill in an April edition of Smart Talk.

"After a long campaign involving hundreds of groups, businesses, and recycling advocates, a significant victory was achieved this Spring when the Governor and the State Legislature approved the Bigger Better Bottle Bill.

The expansion to water bottles and other key elements of the new law were scheduled to go into effect on June 1st. In response to a suit brought by beverage giants and others, a federal court judge has delayed all amendments to New York’s bottle deposit law until April 1, 2010.

This ruling will not only delay the expansion to water bottles, but extends to all other parts of the new law, including the transfer of 80% of the unclaimed deposits to the state and the 1.5 cent handling fee increase for stores and redemption centers.

As a result, the state will lose at least $115 million this year in revenue from the unclaimed deposits, which will throw New York’s recently enacted state budget out of balance. More than two billion water bottles will end up in the waste stream rather than recycled. And many small redemption centers who were counting on the increased handling fee will be forced to shut down and lay off workers.

New York State can appeal the decision, and we hope for the sake of the environment that it does. It’s also possible that the State Legislature and Governor move quickly to pass a new bottle law this session…but doubtful."

Paterson Announces $4 Million in Stimulus Funds for LI Transportation

The next round of stimulus funds for New York State were announced this Thursday. Long Island will get $4 million for transportation projects, which will be used to rehabilitate the roadway pavement and make needed drainage improvements on County Route 67 at the LIE, the Long Island Expressway itself, and County Route 17 in the Town of Islip. These projects are estimated to create 96 jobs, and construction is expected to be completed in Summer 2010. Paterson commented:

“The rehabilitation of Long Island’s roads and bridges makes for safer commutes and helps us to rebuild stronger local economies. I am pleased that we are able to put the funds that President Obama and our Congressional Delegation allocated to use across our State. The investments made will create jobs and get New York back onto the renovated road to success, complete with long-lasting improvements to bridges and roadways, which will ensure a safe and efficient trip into a bright future.”

While many of these projects may seem unexciting, we are glad to see they follow a 'fix-it first' policy.

Pine Barrens Discovery Day is June 13th

Saturday, June 13th is Pine Barrens Discovery Day! From 9am-3pm, learn about Long Island's most important natural area by experiencing it first hand. Participate in nature walks, kids camp games and activities, presentations, and educational workshops for the whole family. Exhibitors include:Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Suffolk County Water Authority, Riverhead Foundation, Long Island Greenbelt Trail, Eastern Long Island Audubon Society, Quality Parks, and Friends of the Big Duck. The event will take place at Suffolk County Community College -- Eastern Campus, 121 Speonk-Riverhead Road in Riverhead. Rain date is June 14th.

If you register before June 10th, tickets are $5 per person and $20 per group (4-6 people). After June 10th prices rise to $8 per person and $25 per group. For more information call (631) 224-2604 or email mgriffiths@pb.state.ny.us. Register online here.

Thursday's Child of Long Island Spring Gala set for June 17th

On Wednesday, June 17th from 6:30-9:30pm, Thursday's Child of Long Island presents their Spring Champagne Gala to benefit their new children's summer program, "A Day of Fun in the Sun at the Long Island Game Farm," part of an initiative called Safety Net Project which provides an array of family services designed to maintain medical care and personal dignity for HIV/AIDS patients. Thursday's Child is an HIV/AIDS community service charity that reaches out and provides assistance to hundreds of Long Island families each year who are living with this disease. This event celebrates 20 years of service to the community.

The gala will honor Long Islanders who have made unique contributions to Thursday's Child, including Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy and members of the Suffolk County Legislature, Cameron Alden, Jon Cooper, Lou D'Amaro, Jack Eddington, DuWayne Gregory, and Lynne Nowick.

The fund raiser will take place at Flowerfield Celebrations, 199 Mills Pond Road in St. James. Sponsorships are available and individual tickets are $75-100. Call (631) 447-5044 or see the Thursday's Child website for more info.

Councilmanic Districts: What's the Right Choice for the Town of Huntington? Find out on June 18th

It's the hottest topic in town: should the Town of Huntington adopt Councilmanic districts? If the Town accepts this change, Town Council members would be assigned to a specific boundary within the Town, so that every Huntington resident would have one particular Council member to represent him or her. Several other Long Island towns currently have Councilmanic districts, such as North Hempstead and Brookhaven. Save the date for this Thursday, June 18th, 8:00-10:00am, when you can decide for yourself!

The Leadership Huntington Foundation in partnership with the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce's Government Relations Committee and The League of Women Voters present "Councilmanic Districts: What's the Right Choice for the Town of Huntington?" Panelists will have it out in a stimulating debate and community dialogue. The event will be moderated by Newsday's Joye Brown and facilitated by The Energia Partnership's Nancy Englehardt. On the 'against' side are panelists Ken Christensen, James V. Kelly Jr., and Judy White; and on the 'for' side are Vision's Eric Alexander, Mark X. Cronin, and Paul Johnson.

It will take place at The Cinema Arts Center, 423 Park Avenue in Huntington.  Get there at 7:30am for a continental breakfast. Tickets are $25 and will benefit the Leadership Huntington Scholarship Fund and help underwrite the programs and activities of the organization. To register or to learn more, visit Leadership Huntington's website.

African American Media Network Presents Strong Island Live June 24th-28th

The Long Island based African American Media Network will be hosting "Strong Island Live" music festival from June 24-28. Several days of live music performances will include gospel, rock, rap, R&B, jazz, blues, reggae, and salsa. These genres will compete for prizes including studio time, a music video, and cash.

Three performance locations in the area will air on channel 18. Bands must be live: no background CDs! To register or for more information, call 516-478-4334 or 516-503-6282, or see the website here.

Revitalizing your Main Commercial Corridor on June 25th

On Thursday, June 25th, the Town of North Hempstead Business and Tourism Development Corporation will present a free business seminar, Revitalizing Your Main Commercial Corridor (Part II). This series of workshops helps North Hempstead businesses grow and prosper and informs businesses, chambers of commerce, village officials, and other downtown-oriented organizations about specific elements related to revitalizing their community's downtown.  

This is the one you don’t want to miss... so much information packed into one fantastic morning! Transforming your downtown back into a center of commerce takes a long standing commitment, money, a shared vision, a focus on transit-oriented development, traffic calming techniques, and the organizational skills & structure to bring it all together. This Special Edition seminar features an all-star list of professionals who will present in detail the various public & non-profit funding sources, visioning techniques, downtown oriented development, and the implementation of traffic calming strategies to create a “cool downtown” in your community.

Speakers will include Vision's Eric Alexander on transit-oriented development, Great Neck Plaza Mayor Jean Celender on traffic calming, Regional Plan Association's Robert Freudenberg on building community consensus, Forchelli, Curto, Crowe, Deegan's Thomas Glascock on organizational structure, LI Development Corp's Rosyln Goldmacher and Community Development Corporation of LI's Trevor Davis on financing, and more.

The workshop runs from 8-11:30am and is at the Roslyn Claremont Hotel, 1221 Old Northern Boulevard in Roslyn. To register, call (516) 869-7759 or visit the Town's website.

RELI Seminar Set for June 25th

Renewable Energy Long Island (RELI) frequently offers free seminars for LIPA customers interested in learning more about renewable energy opportunities.  The next solar/wind energy seminar event will be on June 25th, from 7:00-9:00pm at Brookhaven Town Hall in Farmingville. If you have an interest in renewable energy, for your own home or business, come learn more about LIPA cash rebates and incentives available through LIPA’s Solar and Wind Energy Programs.  Now in its 8th year, LIPA already has over 1,700 Solar Pioneer customers throughout LIPA service areas, who are helping protect the environment by reducing their consumption of fossil fuels.  Wind has offered additional opportunities since the first modern wind turbine was installed in Southampton in 2002, and now provides clean and efficient energy for Long Islanders in increasing amounts.  

More information on solar and wind power and tips for energy efficiency can be found on LIPA's website. You must register beforehand, online or by phone at 1-800-692-2626. Additional seminars will take place on July 8th and July 30th in Southold and East Hampton respectively.

GreenStreet LI Update and Upcoming Events

GreenStreet LI is a print and web-based information source organized by Newsday that offers Long Islanders simple (and free) ways to go green. There are now over 1,000 registered users on the site.

In June, GreenStreet LI is promoting several exciting events related to the green movement. Their own event takes place this Saturday, June 6th, with a Kids Eco-Show from 3-6pm at the Center Court in the Walt Whitman Mall. Meet students from Massapequa and Wyandanch High Schools and Trinity Lutheran Middle School as they show off what they are doing for Long Island's environment. Other upcoming events include the Amagansett Arts and Crafts Fair & Nautical Mile Festival in Freeport this Saturday 6/6; Harborfest in Port Washington this Sunday 6/7, Franklin Square Kiwanis Club Street Fair 6/13, Manhasset Street Festival in Munsey Park 6/13 and 6/14, Montauk Street Festival 6/14, Mattituck Strawberry Festival  on 6/19, Seaford Railroad Festival on 6/20, Oceanside Country Fair on 6/27, Lynbrook Street Fair 6/28, and Rockville Centre Street Fair 6/28. These events will all support healthy communities and green living, and of course will be a lot of fun!

Check out greenstreetli.com to learn more about green living!

Copenhagen Bakery's 5th Annual Food Festival Postponed to June 12th

On Friday, June 12th, from 4-8pm, Northport's beloved Copenhagen Bakery  presents its 5th Annual Food Festival. In celebration of their 11th anniversary, a festival will take place outside in the parking lot and village park across the street (the bakery is located at 75 Woodbine Avenue). Bring the whole family for an afternoon of delicious food tasting and wonderful desserts! It's free for the whole family and includes a petting zoo, face painting, sack races, balloons, cupcake decorating, a pie eating contest, live music by Mark Negron, and a Chinese Auction to benefit the Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice of Suffolk, Inc.

There will be great auction prizes including a Nintendo Wii game system, a bicycle, unicycle, and 2 tickets to see a show of your choice at Theater Three in Port Jefferson. There are also gift certificates to Gotham Comedy Club, Atlantis Marine World, Baseball Hall of Fame Museum, Maroni's Restaurant, Circle Line Cruise, and Adventureland Amusement Park. Much more to come! Come down and support this great local shop!

Sunday Spring Street Fair

The Center Moriches Annual Spring Street Fair will take place this Sunday June 14th from 9am to 5pm.  Vendors and merchants along Main Street will be selling food and assorted goods.  There will also be raffles, artists, a petting zoo, activities for children, and community organizations present. Celebrate this historic downtown as they undergo their Downtown Revitalization & Beautification Project.

For more information, contact Gerry Sapanaro at 878-0003 or morbay234@aol.com. Sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of the Moriches.

Vision's staff just didn’t know what to say about the coup d’etat in Albany this week, as we may have been too close to the action. Please send us your thoughts... (email info@visionlongisland.org)

SMART GROWTH NEWS

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

We strive to provide continued quality publications such as this each week. If you are interested in becoming a newsletter or news blast sponsor, please call the office at 631-261-0242 for rates and opportunities. If you have any news or events that you would like to add to our newsletter, submit them to info@visionlongisland.org for consideration.

For more information about Vision Long Island, visit http://www.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