No. 1095: On plastic surgery, playgrounds and priority planning, plus Peyo, Pelé and pies (not pumpkin)

 

Combo lock: Welcome to Friday, dear readers, and not just any Friday but the first Friday – ever – featuring a supersized Innovate Long Island Friday Newsletter, incorporating all your favorite features from our Wednesday and Friday editions.

Our new-and-improved combo platter locks in the socioeconomic intel, Grade-A name-dropping and all the other fun stuff you’ve come to expect from your favorite innovation newsletters – and there’s lots to unbox today, so let’s rock. Onward and upward!

A little bubbly: Today is Oct. 23 and as this is a celebration, of sorts, we’re raising a glass first to Global Champagne Day, saluting the iconic sparkling wine originating exclusively from France’s fabled Champagne region.

Also chilling the daily docket is National Horror Movie Day, a Halloween-season homage to jump scares, demonic possessions, haunted houses and other frightening favorites.

Slap happy: Here’s a fun thought: knocking some sense into that gum-cracking, leftover-fish-microwaving, politics-spewing and otherwise offensive officemate. Of course we don’t endorse any form of workplace violence – but it sure is an entertaining thought, at least on Slap Your Annoying Coworker Day.

Alternatively, you might try winning over the mouth-breather in the next cubicle with some extra kindness – perhaps a tasty peace offering? Conveniently, it’s also National Boston Cream Pie Day, sweetening the pot (and giving the pumpkin spice a rest) every Oct. 23.

Give or take: Boston (and Boston cream pies) came later, but the world – as in, the world – was created on this date in 4004 BC, according to brilliant (but, in this case, historically inaccurate)16th Century Archbishop James Ussher of Armagh.

Nip and tuck: More scientifically sound (usually) is so-called “plastic” surgery, which became a thing on Oct. 23, 1814, in London. (Far from a vanity exercise, the first recorded example of a purely cosmetic procedure involved a complicated nasal reconstruction.)

Short and sweet: Also bringing the science is the Erie Canal, a seagoing shortcut from the Hudson River to Lake Erie that opened its first section (between Utica and Rome in upstate Oneida County) on this date in 1819.

Force and grip: Combining force, momentum, biomechanics and a host of other mechanical sciences, the “jungle gym” (or “monkey bars, if you prefer) entered the zeitgeist 103 years ago today, when the playground staple was patented by New Jersey-based co-inventor Sebastian Hinton (the son of a Princeton mathematician who actually thought the thing up but didn’t intend it as a plaything).

Johan and Peewit? And it was Oct. 23, 1958, when the Smurfs – the tiny blue gnome-things that mainstreamed mushroom houses, the villainous Gargamel and unique (dare we say Smurfariffic?) linguistics – first met the world.

The very Smurfy anniversary actually references the mini-Blue Man Group’s debut in another comic strip – “Johan and Peewit,” a mainstay of the Belgian comics magazine Spirou, playground of famous Belgian writer and artist Pierre “Peyo” Culliford.

“Sis boom bah”: American television personality, comedian, writer and producer John William “Johnny” Carson (1925-2005) – a six-time Emmy-winner remembered best as longtime host of “The Tonight Show,” where he regaled as mystical psychic Carnac the Magnificent, among other iconic gags – would be 101 years old today. (“Describe the sound made when a sheep explodes.”)

Also born on Oct. 23 were American inventor Samuel Morey (1762-1843), an internal-combustion pioneer who was a century ahead of his time; American football player and coach John Heisman (1869-1936), who revolutionized the sport and became a coveted trophy; Japanese American meteorologist Tetsuya Theodore “Ted” Fujita (1920-1998), who measured tornadoes and became an eponymous scale; American swimmer Gertrude Ederle (1905-2003), a major 20th Century American sports figure who became the first woman to swim across the English Channel; and Brazilian professional footballer Pelé (born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, 1940-2022), widely considered the best to ever grace the pitch.

Weirdo: And take a bow, Alfred Matthew “Weird Al” Yankovic! The American musician, comedian, actor and accordion master – creative force behind some of history’s most iconic musical parodies – turns 64 today.

Our personal Weird Al favorite? Right here. Share yours at editor@innovateli.com, where we also have a weird fascination with your news tips and calendar events.

 

About our sponsor: New York Institute of Technology’s 90-plus undergraduate, graduate, professional and doctoral degree programs incorporate applied research, real-world case studies and professors who bring decades of industry knowledge into the classroom. The university’s student-centered approach, academic support programs, generous scholarships and career-oriented programs support its mission to provide all qualified students access to opportunity – while its community of doers, makers, innovators and healers empowers graduates to change the world, solve 21st Century challenges and reinvent the future. Learn more here. 

 

BUT FIRST, THIS

Water everywhere: Another day, another half-billion-dollar clean-water funding tranche flowing out of Albany.

Just weeks after the New York State Environmental Facilities Corp. announced the release of $434 million in state and federal grants and low-cost financing awards targeting statewide water- and sewer-infrastructure improvements, Gov. Kathy Hochul this week trumpeted nearly $500 million in fresh funding for 106 “critical” drinking-water and sewer project around the state. The new funding is part of the “landmark” $3.75 billion Clean Water Investment Plan included in the 2027 state budget, according to the governor’s office.

In a gubernatorial election year, such funding packages and “announcements” tend to blur (a nine-digit clean-water funding tranche was announced in January, while Long Island’s 2026 haul in Albany’s annual Regional Economic Development Council initiative included tens of millions of dollars in water-project funding). But any clean-water news is good news, including the $57 million earmarked for 12 distinct Long Island projects included in Tuesday’s announcement – overall, an “historic $500 million investment [with] lasting impact on New Yorkers’ quality of life,” according to NYS Environmental Facilities Corp. President and CEO Maureen Colemen.

Locomotive breath: An ambitious Long Island freight-hauler will use a chunky federal grant to beef up its locomotive fleet.

Glendale-based New York & Atlantic Railway, a short-line hauler that moves tons of freight (building materials, food and more) along tracks owned by the Long Island Rail Road, has earned a $6.5 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration. The money will be used to upgrade four NYA engines with Tier 4 locomotive technology, the strictest standard for non-road diesel motors enforced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Provided by Indiana-based power-solutions pioneer Cummins, the Tier 4 tech will help NYA reduce emissions and improve operational performance – the lofty big-picture goals of a $10.9 million system-wide upgrade that also incorporates $2 million in New York State funding and a $2.4 million company investment. “We are grateful to our federal, state and local officials who worked together in a bipartisan manner to help secure funding for this important environmental initiative,” noted New York & Atlantic Railway President Marlon Taylor. “Upgrading NYA’s locomotives represents a major step toward our goal of a 100 percent green fleet by 2030.”

 

TOP OF THE SITE

Act now: Even the best technologies, strategies and plans can’t turn back climate change without concrete action, according to Former National Grid U.S. Chairman Robert Catell, who believes New York State is poised to take the clean-energy lead.

Good Better sports: Intelligent Product Solutions VP of Technology and Business Development and Voices Technology Anchor Brad Carlson dives deep into sensor fusion and the other cutting-edge sports technologies that are changing amateur and professional athletics in profound ways.

 

STUFF WE’RE READING

Homeless: Have “innovation” and “creativity” lost their meaning … and even become cultish? Fortune explores the dark side.

Right at home: Flexible layouts, sustainable materials, smarter accommodations … making a strong case for housing innovation. Forbes moves right in.

Homeowner helper: Maximize residential comfort and efficiency with the year’s best appliances, tools and gadgets. Popular Mechanics works smarter, not harder.

 

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: Personal music-maker Aeroband feels the beat (and the haptic feedback) with its PocketDrum 2 Ultra “portable drumming experience.”

From California: Redwood City-based, employment-focused AI infrastructure Findem avoids hiring mistakes with its candidate-fraud detecting Authenticity Suite Pro platform.

From New York City: High-performance gaming peripheral pioneer Attack Shark sets release date for its next-generation carbon-fiber R5 Turbo gaming mouse.

 

RECENT FUNDINGS

+ Asymptote Labs, a New York City-based provider of runtime infrastructure for AI agents, raised $5.5 million in Seed funding led by Tower Research Ventures, with participation from Lytical Ventures, 1984 Ventures and South Park Commons.

+ Veckta, a California-based provider of an onsite energy planning and procurement platform, raised $11 million in Series A funding led by Origin Ventures, with participation from Tech Square Ventures, VoLo Earth Ventures, Cove Fund, Catalyst by Wellstar, Engage, Emerald Bay Ventures, She’s Independent Investments and Mobilize AI x Energy Ventures.

+ IMIO, an Illinois-based developer of crop-enhancing agricultural biologicals, raised $12 million in funding led by Sofinnova Partners, with participation from Starshot Capital, Grow Together Fund, Earth Foundry, Serra Ventures and Chipotle’s Cultivate Next Venture fund.

+ AuxoAI, a California-based provider of enterprise AI services and engineering solutions, raised $20.7 million in Series A funding led by NTTVC, with participation from George Still Jr. of Norwest Venture Partners, Amit Zavery of ServiceNow and Giacomo Sonnino of Charlesbank Capital Partners.

+ Prolific Machines, a California-based biotech advancing biologics development and manufacturing, raised $50 million in Series B2 funding led by Atoms & Bits and Nant Capital, with participation from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Mayfield, SOSV and Ki Tua Fund.

+ Reliable Robotics, a California-based autonomous-aircraft development platform, raised $115 million in an extended Series D funding round led by Nimble Partners, with participation from Silicon Valley Bank, Gideon Capital, RockCreek, Geek Ventures, Gold Hill Capital, Sparkwave Capital, Island Green Partners and Allen & Company.

 

ON THE MOVE

+ Alison Gladowsky has joined Uniondale-based Rivkin Radler as counsel in the Trusts & Estates Practice Group. She was in private practice in Smithtown.

+ Garden City-based Moritt Hock & Hamroff has announced the hiring of seven recent law school graduates, who will join practice groups across the New York- and Florida-based law firm:

• Sabrina Arfeen is a graduate of Hofstra University’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law.
• Matthew Baronci is a graduate of Hofstra University’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law.
• Pacika Guerra is a graduate of Hofstra University’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law.
• Abla Laallam is a graduate of Hofstra University’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law.
• Brooke Olefson is a graduate of Nova Southeastern University.
• Hannah Stubbs is a graduate of the St. John’s University School of Law.
• Grace Winkeljohn is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law.

+ Fabrizio Salerno has been hired as community engagement coordinator at Smithtown-based Brightway Living & Learning. He was a copywriter at Northwell Health’s Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson.

+ Baldwin-based Bethany House has elected three new members to its Board of Directors:

• Renee Daniel Flagler is president of the National CARES Mentoring Movement in Manhattan.
• Aleisha Garvin is the founder of Blue Pearl Gems in Garden City.
• Robert Meyer is senior director of advancement operations and strategy at Regis High School in Manhattan.

+ Richard Root has been promoted to partner at Melville-based EisnerAmper. He was director of Outsourced Family Office Services.

 

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 Tech). Gregory Zeller can tell you more.

 

BELOW THE FOLD (2026 World Series Edition)

First time, long time: One thing’s for sure – a first-time World Series champion will be crowned.

The oddsmakers take a beating: Why the Milwaukee-Tampa Bay title tilt is bad news for sportsbooks.

Please wait to be seated: It’s possible the Brewers didn’t think through that whole “timeless ticket” thing.

Here’s the pitch: The World Series may be the Fall Classic, but the New York Institute of Technology – one of the innovative institutions that support Innovate Long Island – is an elite academic and socioeconomic all-star in Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Check them out.