Who’s better than you: Nobody, nowhere, no how, dear reader – and you’ve proven it again, with another workweek conquered and another weekend queued. Well played!
Benediction: Holy hollandaise, that’s good.
Sunny side up: It is indeed Friday out there, and we’re hard-pressed to think of a better kickoff than National Eggs Benedict Day, held this and every April 16.
In case you were wondering – you can admit it, it’s OK – the popular breakfast dish has nothing to do with Benedict Arnold.
Book smart, fashion challenged: Today is also National Librarian Day, when professionals trained in library science dominate the page.
And it’s National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day, which for many of us is, like, every day in the Age of Coronavirus.
She liked Ike: Turning to the Age of Enlightenment, English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, theologian and author Isaac Newton became “Sir Isaac” on this date in 1705, when he was knighted by Queen Anne for his lifetime of scientific work.
Nothing is free: Freeing slaves in the District of Columbia, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act into law on April 16, 1862.
The law compensated former slave owners up to $300 for each freeperson – running up a hefty bill for the federal government, which processed petitions freeing 3,000 slaves in just nine months.
Getting out of Dodge (literally): Old West gunslinger Bat Masterson’s last known shootout was on this date in 1881. Nobody was killed, and since the battle was fought fairly by Dodge City standards of the day, no charges were filed.
Masterson took the last train out of Dodge that night, never to return.
Book it: A forever invention (as long as there’s snail mail).
Stamp of approval: Those little perforated squares of postage stamps became a thing 121 years ago today, when the U.S. Post Office first issued stamp booklets.
That’s the way it was: And he’d become “the most trusted man in America” – but on April 16, 1962, Walter Cronkite was just getting started, debuting as the anchor of the “CBS Evening News.”
No “Tramp” here: English comic actor, filmmaker, composer and silent-film legend Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (1889-1977) – who delivered one of the most stirring speeches in cinema history at the end of 1940’s “The Great Dictator” – would be 132 years old today.
Towering: Jabbar, head and shoulders above the rest.
Also born on April 16 were British physician and naturalist Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753), whose vast collection of books and international curiosities formed the spine of London’s British Museum; Russian-American mathematician Jerzy Neyman (1894-1981), a principal architect of modern theoretical statistics; aviator, industrialist and soaring Wright brother Wilbur (1867-1912); American actor Barry Nelson (1917-2007), who was, officially, the first James Bond; and American biochemist Marie Maynard Daly (1921-2003), the first African American woman to earn a PhD in chemistry.
Center of attention: And take a bow, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar! The six-time National Basketball Association champion and all-time leading NBA scorer, born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. of New York City, turns 74 today.
Give the world-class athlete (and actor, best-selling author and longtime coach) your best at editor@innovateli.com, where your news tips and calendar events aren’t just great assists – they’re slam dunks.
About our sponsor: St. Joseph’s College has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the college provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility and service. Through SJC Brooklyn, SJC Long Island and SJC Online, the college offers degrees in 50 majors, special course offerings and certificates and affiliated and pre-professional programs. Learn more here.
BUT FIRST, THIS
Minority report: A new socioeconomic survey by the Town of Babylon Industrial Development Agency reveals regional Black and Brown populations that are well-educated, grossly underpaid and highly doubtful that their best futures are on Long Island.
Conducted in conjunction with registered 501(c)3 Minority Millennials and longtime Long Island economist Martin Cantor, the 33-question survey – compiled from SurveyMonkey online responses collected from 208 respondents between Oct. 26 and Dec. 21, 2020 – shows that roughly 28.6 percent of all Black and Brown Long Island millennials have earned advanced degrees, but that 17.8 percent earn under $30,000 annually, while a whopping 75.4 percent are unable to find regional jobs aligned with their professional expectations.
About 75 percent of respondents also believe Long Island will never attract the high-paying industries in which they wish to work – another of several daunting statistics that show “Black and Brown millennials are not too happy with their overall life on Long Island,” according to Cantor, director of the Long Island Center for Socio-Economic Policy. Adds the economist, “Our region stands to make significant economic advances by ending the disparities between our populations and communities.” Full survey here.
Alexander Orlov: Solar score.
Clean living: A solar panel-cleaning technology developed at Stony Brook University has propelled a 2019 startup into the finals of a prestigious U.S. Department of Energy competition.
SuperClean Glass, which improves solar panel efficiency by cleaning the glass with a patent-pending electric-field technology, was one of 10 nationwide companies selected as finalists for the Energy Department’s 2021 American-Made Solar Prize. The selection earned SuperClean – founded by SBU Materials Science and Chemical Engineering Professor Alexander Orlov – a $100,000 award and an additional $75,000 in DOE vouchers, earmarked for technology-testing purposes.
The company – a client of SBU’s Clean Energy Business Incubator Program that claims its electro-dynamic technology can recapture up to 98 percent of solar panel energy typically lost to dust contamination – is also in the running for the competition’s grand prize: In September, two finalists will be selected for an additional $500,000 in startup capital and another $75,000 in development-and-test vouchers.
TOP OF THE SITE
The Irishman: Raising health, and always raising the bar, Northwell Health CEO Michael Dowling kicks off Spark, our shiny new podcast series.
Top story: Communication Strategy Group is giving away copies of its new “brandtelling” e-book – but the multimedia marketer is getting something for nothing.
Housing needs: Warehousing, that is – a key economic imperative for Long Island, according to Nassau County Industrial Development Agency CEO Harry Coghlan.
Innovation in the Age of Coronavirus: Mental health concerns, unique arena access and more … no telling where Long Island’s one-and-only pandemic primer will go next.
ICYMI
Northwell locks and loads for a national campaign against gun violence.
BEST OF THE WEST (AND SOMETIMES NORTH/SOUTH)
Innovate LI’s inbox overrunneth with inspirational innovations from all North American corners. This week’s brightest out-of-towners:
From New York City: Dermatologist-founded skin savior CeraVe launches Heroes Behind the Mask, honoring the selfless work of nurses everywhere.
From California: San Mateo-based digital arthouse Masterpiece Studio offers new dimensions to 2D artists with a complete VR 3D creative suite.
From New York City: Clean-tech pioneer MPOWERD rolls out solar-powered headlight/taillight set for biking enthusiasts.
ON THE MOVE
Haiyan Gao
+ Haiyan Gao will become associate laboratory director for nuclear and particle physics at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton. She is currently the Henry W. Newson Distinguished Professor of Physics at Duke University.
+ MaryKate Brigham has joined Riverhead-based Twomey, Latham, Shea, Kelley, Dubin & Quartararo as an associate. She previously practiced at Cutchogue-based Lark and Folts.
+ Frank Socci Jr., has joined Cold Spring Harbor-based Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty as chief financial officer. He previously served as CFO and COO at Islandia-based NAI Long Island.
+ Peter Zinerco has been hired as a marketing assistant at Melville-based Tenenbaum Law. He was previously a warehouse assistant at Bellmore-based Bellmore Beverage.
+ Jason Herman has joined Hauppauge-based ULC Technologies as vice president of technology. He previously worked for Georgia-based Honeybee Robotics.
+ Nour Yamanita has been hired as a marketing coordinator at Melville-based Tenenbaum Law. They were previously a receptionist at Empire Mazda in Huntington Station.
+ Dan Sanchez has been elected president of Hauppauge-based National Electrical Contractors Association-Long Island Chapter’s Board of Directors. He is the chief financial officer at Ronkonkoma-based John Paul Electric.
BELOW THE FOLD (Crack the Code Edition)
Symbolism: Power up!
The da Vinci code: Tips on résumé writing from the Renaissance man who invented them.
Angels (and demons): So you want to become an angel investor.
The lost symbol: Are you connected with your zodiac power symbol?
Origin: Please continue supporting the amazing institutions that support Innovate LI, including St. Joseph’s College, where eye-opening academics always start with impressive personal character. Check them out.
