Sunny disposition: Well done, intrepid innovators! You burned through this shortened workweek like a champ – and the weather prognosticators say you’ll get a lovely Long Island weekend as a reward (making up, somewhat, for our Memorial Day weekend washout).
Hey, we’ll take a shine to that. And to start that well-earned weekend on the bright side, here’s your innovation-filled week-in-review Friday newsletter (full of heart and sol).
Peace prize: United Nations Peacekeepers go where they’re needed and do what no one else can.
Give peacekeepers a chance: Today is May 29 and we’re standing up for the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, saluting the transformative efforts of blue-helmeted United Nations personnel who bravely put themselves in harm’s way wherever they’re needed – including 4,500-plus who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice (59 last year alone) and the 53,000 currently engaged in 11 UN peacekeeping missions around the globe.
Reader’s digestion: Today is also World Digestive Health Day, the World Gastroenterology Organization’s annual awareness campaign focused on preventative gastrointestinal care and overall gut health. This year’s theme: chronic diarrhea! So, you know … celebrate responsibly.
Not sure how this plays with World Tiger Nut Day (crunching the snacky, salad-topping superfood), National Biscuit Day (embracing the sweet, cookie-like UK version) and/or National Coq Au Vin Day (combining braised chicken, salted pork, mushrooms, garlic and wine), but May 29 is obviously replete with risks and rewards.
State your intentions: Lowering risks and maximizing rewards, both Rhode Island (in 1790, the last of the original 13 colonies to do it) and Wisconsin (in 1848) were admitted to the Union on this date, becoming the 13th and 30th U.S. states, respectively.
The greatest thing since sliced bread: Maximizing the use of his personal time was Minnesota-based inventor Charles Strite, who grew tired of standing there and flipping his bread and patented the pop-up toaster on May 29, 1919.
Mountain men: Hillary (left) and Norgay went where no one had gone before (though many had tried).
Towering achievement: Also reaching new heights (literally) were Kiwi adventurer Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay, who reached the highest point on Earth – the 29,035-foot summit of Mount Everest – on this date in 1953, the first to do it. (Big Norgay fan? Read on.)
Boss Bradley: Reaching new figurative heights was Los Angeles City Councilman Tom Bradley, who was elected mayor of Los Angeles 53 years ago today, becoming the first African American mayor of a major U.S. city. (He would serve an unprecedented five terms, making him the City of Angels’ longest-serving mayor to date, for those keeping score.)
Smear campaign: And ne of this century’s most baffling criminal offenses was perpetrated on May 29, 2022, when a visitor to the Louvre museum in Paris – a man disguised as an old lady – jumped out of a wheelchair and attacked the Mona Lisa with cake.
In what turned out to be a climate change-related publicity stunt, the unnamed attacker – who was transported to a French psychiatric unit after the creamy crime – smeared frosting on the protective glass covering Leonardo da Vinci’s famous portrait, then threw roses around the room before being tackled by Louvre security.
Old Ski Nose: British American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer Lester Townes “Bob” Hope (1903-2003) – a master of the one-liner whose 80 years of unparalleled work included major accomplishments in vaudeville, network radio, television and USO Tours – would be 123 years old today.
A Camelot to unpack: Incredible achievements, stinging scandals and much more.
Also born on May 29 were English inventor John Walker (1781-1859), who created – but did not patent – friction matches; American artist Doris Ullman (1882-1934), who preserved the rural cultures of the American Southeast with her unflinching photography; aforementioned Nepalese Indian Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay (born Namgyal Wangdi, 1914-1986), who undeniably made it to the top; American politician and U.S. Navy veteran John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917-1963), the 35th U.S. President (and youngest of them all, at age 42), who confronted Communist aggression, established the Peace Corps, advanced civil rights, launched America toward the Moon, bedded movie stars and died in one of history’s most heavily debated assassinations; and British theoretical physicist Peter Higgs (1929-2024), the Nobel Prize laureate (and namesake of the “God particle”) who changed our understanding of the universe.
She’s the only one: And take a bow, Melissa Lou Etheridge! The American singer, songwriter, guitarist and activist – known for her raspy voice, emotional performances and unwavering support for LGBTQ issues – turns 65 today.
Come To My Our Window (or maybe our inbox, at editor@innovateli.com) with birthday wishes for the two-time Grammy Award-winner, and please Bring Me Us Some Water (or maybe some news tips and calendar events, which always help us Breathe).
About our sponsor: Presberg Law P.C. is Long Island’s premier “IDA” and business law firm for businesses relocating to and expanding on Long Island. Founded in 1984, this multigenerational practice focuses on the purchase, sale, leasing and financing of commercial and industrial real estate, SBA and other loan transactions, construction projects and business sales and acquisitions.
BUT FIRST, THIS
Budget breakthrough: Nearly two months overdue, the FY 2026-27 New York State Executive Budget is finally on the books.
State lawmakers finished passing the $268.5 billion spending plan Wednesday night, replete with landmark line items that, among other things, roll back Albany’s ambitious climate-change goals (primarily, nixing the previously mandated 40 percent reduction in statewide greenhouse gas emissions by 2030). The budget also handcuffs federal immigration crackdowns in the Empire State, doles out $1 billion in one-time energy-rebate checks, invests $900 billion-plus in public-safety upgrades, raises state aid for New York school districts and extends bailouts to various statewide cities – $55 million for Buffalo, $40 million for Yonkers and more, on top of a $1.5 billion gift allowing New York City to defer payments to the state pension system.
Lawmakers on both side of the aisle blamed Hochul for the slow budget process – specifically, her insistence on including non-fiscal policy measures in the budget language – but the finalized deal gives the governor an impressive list of legislative victories as she stumps for re-election this Fall. “Every proposal included in this budget was a fight for New Yorkers and their future,” Hochul said Thursday. “We delivered an ambitious agenda that will lower costs for hardworking families, keep New Yorkers safe and create opportunity for all.”
You looking for me?: Yep, with dozens of drones and trained operators stationed along Long Island’s ocean beaches.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water: Actually, it may be, thanks to a range of high-tech shark-monitoring protocols Albany has established along regional beaches.
With the Summer season upon us – and a spate of shark attacks making headlines domestically and around the world – the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is collaborating with the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation to enhance surveillance capabilities at State Parks and other beaches on the Long Island coast. Among the upgrades: a state-owned fleet of 46 drones (for spotting sharks and large schools of fish that might attract them), with 47 drone operators – including New York State Park Police, lifeguards and other park staffers – already certified and another 20 operators slated to be certified by July 4.
The Long Island Coastal Awareness Group – an affiliation of municipalities, agencies and private beach operators throughout Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties – is also on call, ready to “take appropriate action in their respective jurisdictions,” according to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office. “Visitor safety remains our top priority,” noted New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation Commissioner Kathy Moser. “Through enhanced monitoring technology, expanding drone operations and highly trained staff, we are continuing to strengthen our ability to proactively respond to changing ocean conditions and help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.”
TOP OF THE SITE
Meeting Summit: The Innovate Long Island Debrief catches up with Accelerate Long Island Program Director Dan Lloyd, who lays out the impressive agenda – and ambitious big-picture strategy – for next month’s inaugural Long Island Tech & Innovation Summit.
While the getting’s good: Check out the next Monday Calendar Newsletter for all the – wait, you still don’t receive the subscriber-only Monday Calendar Newsletter? Because you’re still not a subscriber? Well, newsletter subscriptions are (still!) easy and free, so get on it!
ICYMI
Decades of scientific research and corporate communications experience are fueling a Patchogue consultancy’s innovative plan to help potential investors and end-users understand Long Island’s brilliant biotech breakthroughs.
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 California: Los Angeles-based cruelty-free haircare expert COLAB Dry Shampoo expands national market reach with an ambitious Target collaboration.
From Oregon: Portland-based pelvic pioneer Nella Women’s Health updates gynecological-exam prep and follow-up with its pro-comfort, anti-anxiety Nella Comfort Kit.
From Florida: Pompano Beach-based king-sized carmaker Apocalypse Manufacturing rolls out the private jet-inspired, garage-friendly, 900-horsepower Overlord Super Truck.
ON THE MOVE
John Hill
+ John Hill has been named director of Upton-based Brookhaven National Laboratory, effective immediately. He has been interim BNL director since September 2025.
+ Anne Marie Schettini-Lynch has been appointed senior vice president for financial affairs and treasurer at Hempstead-based Hofstra University. She was chief financial officer at the Child Mind Institute in New York City.
+ Andrew Daniels has been hired as account director at Melville-based Didit. He was director of paid media at Cloud Theory in Michigan.
+ Gabrielle Dean has been promoted to director of social at Melville-based Didit. She was senior manager of organic social.
+ Michael McCarthy has joined Uniondale-based Forchelli Deegan Terrana as a partner in the firm’s Land Use & Zoning Practice Group. McCarthy is a longtime private-practice attorney in Huntington.
+ Caitlin Hale has been hired as director of art and music in the East Islip Union Free School District. She was an assistant principal at Woodland Middle School in East Meadow.
+ Matthew Curry has been named president of the Townwide Fund of Huntington. He is the founder of Curry Financial Group in Huntington.
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 Presberg Law). Gregory Zeller can tell you more.
BELOW THE FOLD (Go New York Go New York Go Edition)
On point: Jalen Brunson has been the hero the Knicks franchise needed.
Dishing and swishing: The New York Knicks’ dominance throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs was truly historic.
Scheduling conflict: He was too busy to attend his son’s wedding, but the president will take in a Knicks game.
Knicks of time: Remembering the last Knicks championship team.
On the court(s): Please continue supporting the fantastic firms that support Innovate Long Island, including Presberg Law, which hits nothing but net when it comes to your corporate and land-use issues. Check them out.
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