Truth (and consequences): Welcome to the fifth Wednesday of September, dear readers, and the very last day of the year’s ninth month.
Yes, 75 percent of globally war-torn and domestically disastrous 2026 is behind us – with only the holidays, another lame New York football season and what promises to be the most consequential midterm election since the end of the Civil War standing between us and the New Year. But first, a busy hump day to hurdle (true that!).
Go Dutch: And stroop to new levels today!
Love is in the air: If this is the last day of the ninth month, it must be Sept. 30 out there – known coast-to-coast as National Love People Day, a random-acts-of-kindness-a-thon meant to erase differences, embrace similarities and otherwise spread affection through the land.
Love is also the central theme of Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, known also as Orange Shirt Day-Every Child Matters, which began in 2013 in British Columbia to honor the survivors of the North American Residential School system – a network of forced, native culture-annihilating boarding schools that proliferated across the United States and Canada in the 19th and 20th centuries, aiming to force the assimilation of indigenous peoples.
Stroop, there it is: We enjoy a diverse – and decidedly international – menu today, starting with Extra Virgin Olive Oil Day, which is less about any particular dish than a key staple of kitchens around the globe.
It’s also National Hot Mulled Cider Day (an autumnal tradition that seems somewhat counterintuitive on this surprisingly warm Wednesday, but there it is) and World Stroopwafel Day, celebrating the crispy, cream-filled Dutch delight every Sept. 30.
Have gum, will travel: Not quite cracking the holiday menu is chewing gm, even though today is National Chewing Gum Day, recalling both the 1861 birth of gum giant William Wrigley Jr. and the introduction of the first commercially produced chewing gum on this date in 1848. (The State of Maine Pure Spruce Gum, for those keeping score, which was invented by entrepreneur John Bacon Curtis but not bacon flavored, which seems like a missed opportunity).
Have a day, Tom! Not sure if he was cracking gum, cracking wise or cracking up all the way to the bank, but master innovator Thomas Edison had an all-time day on Sept. 30, 1890, scoring no fewer than eight U.S. patents – covering multiplex telegraph improvements, a “Propelling Device for Electrical Cars,” his “phonogram blanks” (wax/metallic soap cylinders used for phonograph recordings) and the famous phonograph itself.
Hot dam: The world-famous Hoover Dam has been doing its thing since 1935.
Hail hydro: Also fairly famous is the Hoover Dam, which tames the mighty Colorado River at the Nevada-Arizona border, generates billions of kilowatts of electricity annually and supplies regional farms with much-needed irrigation – all starting roughly one year after the hydroelectric powerhouse was dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt on this date in 1935.
Lights, camera, action! Speaking of influential dedications, Pinewood Studios – England’s most famous film-production facility, home to the “Star Wars” saga, the “James Bond” series and other major motion pictures you know – opened for business 90 years ago today.
Yabba dabba doo! And one week after we recalled the origins of “The Jetsons,” their neighbors from the future, we salute the ABC Television Network debut of “The Flintstones” on Sept. 30, 1960.
For the record, while every episode chronicling the exploits of the modern Stone Age family was produced in color, the Emmy Award-nominated sitcom – rightfully ranked among history’s greatest primetime animated series – was broadcasted in black-and-white over its first two seasons.
The Truman show: American novelist, screenwriter, playwright and actor Truman Capote (1924-1984) – a Southern Gothic master who chilled us with the true-crime classic “In Cold Blood,” charmed us with the romantic “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and crossed into many other popular genres – would be 102 years old today.
Bang it, Buddy: Master percussionist Buddy Rich, a staple of Jazz’s Golden Era, was born 109 years ago today.
Also born on Sept. 30 were German physicist Hans Geiger (1882-1945), namesake of the radiation-reading Geiger counter and co-discoverer of the atomic nucleus; English American engineer, architect and suffragist Nora Stanton Blatch Barney (1883-1971), the first woman to obtain a civil engineering degree in the United States; Belarusian scientist, mathematician, astronomer, geophysicist, professor, statesman and explorer Otto Schmidt (1891-1956), who led the Soviet Union’s Arctic explorations; American media magnate (and convicted felon) Irving Kahn (1917-1994), who invented the teleprompter; and American drummer, songwriter and bandleader Bernard “Buddy” Rich (1917-1987), an all-time jazz great.
Ciao, bella: And take a bow, Monica Anna Maria Bellucci! The Italian actress, fashion model, philanthropist and unofficial international ambassador – who soared in “The Passion of the Christ,” slummed a bit in the “Matrix” sequels and was the oldest Bond girl in the franchise’s long history, among other career highlights – turns 62 today.
Say buon compleanno to the multilingual, jet-setting superstar at editor@inonvateli.com, where we’re passionate about your news tips – and our matrix is never complete without your calendar events.
About our sponsor: New York & Atlantic Railway is the primary freight railroad for New York City and Long Island and has operated the Long Island Rail Road’s freight lease since 1997 on tracks shared with the nation’s busiest commuter rail system. Through its service connections, NYA links Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk to every major North American freight railroad – moving goods efficiently and affordably while reducing congestion and emissions across the region. Learn more here.
BUT FIRST, THIS
Strength in (seven-digit) numbers: One of the region’s leading universities has landed a landmark federal grant aimed specifically at enhancing student success rates.
The Patchogue and Brooklyn campuses of St. Joseph’s University-New York will share a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Strengthening Institutions Program, part of the Education Department’s Title III program. Title III’s Higher Education Act, which focuses exclusively on colleges and universities, is designed to strengthen the academic quality, financial stability and executive management of institutions serving high percentages of low-income and minority students.
At St. Joe’s, the grant – earned through a highly competitive nationwide application process – will be used to bolster student-retention rates, promote collaborations with university alumni and create new student-internship and experiential-learning opportunities, while facilitating student and campus surveys on best ways to improve learning experiences. “This was a forward-thinking, thorough and detail-oriented proposal,” noted St. Joseph’s University President Donald Boomgaarden. “This funding provides an incredible opportunity for St. Joseph’s and is a testament to the level of commitment each student receives from our faculty and staff.”
Play’s the thing: Albany is funding new playground construction and old playground renovations across the state, including three projects on Long Island.
Thinking outside the Xbox: Three Long Island playgrounds have directly benefitted from Albany’s desire to see more kids playing outside.
The New York Places for Learning, Activity and Youth Socialization program – part of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Unplug and Play initiative – has issued $67.5 million in grants earmarked for the construction or expansion of 89 public playgrounds around the state. Included in the NY PLAYS funding is $750,000 for the construction of a new community park on the grounds of Chabad of Mid-Suffolk in Commack, $1.61 million for the renovation of the Village of Hempstead’s Kenny Memorial Park playground and $2.4 million to build an “adaptive children’s playground” in the Town of Riverhead.
Unplug and Play – which also includes NY SWIMS (the Statewide Investment in More Swimming) and NY BRICKS (Building Recreational Infrastructure for Communities, Kids and Seniors) – aims to support communities as they “create more opportunities for children and families to enjoy the proven benefits of outdoor recreation,” according to NYS Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Kathy Moser. “These new playgrounds will encourage kids to put down their screens, head outside … and make healthy activity a bigger part of their everyday lives,” Moser added.
TOP OF THE SITE
Let’s make a deal: The Town of Hempstead Local Development Corp. has issued preliminary approvals of a tax-exempt bond sale that could help Molloy University construct a $78 million science building.
Thrice as nice: Thanks for being a loyal follower of our thrice-weekly newsletters … yes, thrice, including our subscriber-only Monday Calendar Newsletters (which aren’t included in our fabulous newsletter archive but do bring the wit, innovation and indispensable scheduling info every week). Make sure you see it!
VOICES
Frontline perspectives on the day’s most pressing socioeconomic issues, best-practice advice on how to navigate them and a few chuckles along the way … welcome to the amazing Voices Library, where big thinkers in media, technology, healthcare, law and other sectors critical to you and your business – basically, the smartest innovators on Long Island – guide you to the next level of professional success. Pick a topic, choose an expert and power up now!
STUFF WE’RE READING
Superintelligent: The “official government sources”-fueled AI chatbot America.gov is already contradicting Trump’s BS. The Associated Press manages mixed messages.
Cold start: The innovative, self-chilling “Cool>Can” takes London Packaging Week by storm. Wine Industry Network pops the top.
Cost lost: In software development, “free” builds have become a slippery slope. Forbes pays the price.
RECENT FUNDINGS
+ Dash Dog Food, a Massachusetts-based fresh/frozen animal-nutrition brand, raised $1.5 million in Seed funding led by Voltage Ventures.
+ Snag, a Brooklyn-based housing marketplace and rental-discovery platform, raised $4 million Seed funding led by Slow Ventures, with participation from Precursor Ventures, Long Journey Ventures, Chamaeleon, Sloane Stephens and Brian Kelly.
+ Feather, a California-based hardware manufacturer and developer platform for humanoid robots, raised $7.6 million in Pre-Seed funding led by Gradient Ventures, with participation from Builder Capital, Geometry, Seed Innovation and Virgo VC.
+ Presto Phoenix, a California-based, enterprise-grade voice AI platform for quick-service restaurants, raised $10 million in funding led by Remus Capital-affiliated investors.
+ Outmarket AI, a California-based AI platform for insurance providers, raised $34.5 million in Series B funding led by SignalFire, with participation from Fika Ventures, Permanent Capital Ventures, TTV Capital and Dash Fund.
+ Instinct, a California-based personal-agent platform designed to assist users with everyday tasks, raised $1 billion in Series C funding led by Sequoia Capital, Benchmark Capital and Coatue.
Like this newsletter? Innovate Long Island newsletter, website and podcast sponsorships are a prime opportunity to reach the inventors, investors, entrepreneurs and executives you need to know – on Long Island, and soon, across New York State (just ask New York & Atlantic Railway). Gregory Zeller can tell you more.
BELOW THE FOLD (October Edition)
Ten reasons: October may be the most misunderstood month.
Octomom, octopus…: In Latin, “Octo” means “eight.” So why is October the 10th month?
Don’t be shocked: With the U.S. election looming, is Iran planning its own “October surprise”?
Black mark: Does October deserve its reputation as the stock markets’ most volatile month?
What a haul: Please continue supporting the innovative industrialists that support Innovate Long Island, including the New York & Atlantic Railway, a freight-first champion of reducing regional emissions, saving the world one load (and month) at a time. Check them out.
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