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Economic Development August 13, 2019

Baldwin scores $10M in Albany’s 2019 DRI competition

By GREGORY ZELLER // Downtown Baldwin has taken the regional crown, and the $10 million jackpot, in Albany’s annual downtown-revitalization competition. Following wins by Westbury in 2016, Hicksville in 2017 and Central Islip in 2018, Baldwin – a census-designated hamlet in Nassau County’s Town of Hempstead – will enjoy a $10 million state stipend aimed at sprucing up its downtrodden downtown. On Tuesday, Baldwin became the first winner announced in the fourth-annual Downtown Revitalization Initiative…

News August 6, 2019

Gun violence raging, Hempstead PD calls for backup

By GREGORY ZELLER // With bullets and Second Amendment battles ricocheting around the nation, one Long Island village where gun violence is a too-frequent reality is getting some much-needed reinforcements. Trumpeting both increased manpower and new technological advances, Gov. Andrew Cuomo appeared in the Village of Hempstead Tuesday to announce short- and long-term strategies for policing in the village, where the gun problem is “not unique,” the governor lamented, “but may be worse” than in…

Law August 5, 2019

Pot luck! Albany significantly decriminalizes possession

By GREGORY ZELLER // Smoke ’em if you got ’em. It’s not that cavalier about it, but new legislation signed July 29 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo significantly decriminalizes marijuana use in New York State – a victory not only for the herbal set at large, but for African American and Latino communities in particular. Noting “communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by laws governing marijuana for far too long,” Cuomo signed S.6579A/A.8420, companion New…

Economic Development August 1, 2019

With next DRI winners looming, Central Islip gets busy

By GREGORY ZELLER // With the latest winners of Albany’s annual Downtown Regional Initiative waiting in the wings, they’re getting busy in Central Islip, reigning Long Island champion. The statewide competitive-application process – which awards $10 million stipends to spur private investment in distressed downtowns in each of New York’s 10 economic-development zones – is set to announce its Round 4 winners in the coming days. But first, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been delivering updates…

Newsletters July 31, 2019

No. 425: Healthy hospitals, debt-free docs and a ReCharged LI – plus, the big book of bioelectronics

  Half full: Welcome to Wednesday, dear readers, and the midpoint of this latest summery week of socioeconomic progress. Hard to believe, but tomorrow is already Aug. 1 – making today July 31, a busy one for the sweet-toothed (National Raspberry Cake Day, National Cotton Candy Day and National Jump For Jelly Beans Day) and puppy-lovers (National Mutt Day, an annual mixed-breed mixer). Aloha: To our readers in the great State of Hawaii, a happy…

Newsletters July 26, 2019

No. 424: Rembrandt, Ben Franklin and Marie Curie walk into a newsletter … plus, the LIBDC’s golden touch

  The end is nigh: And that’s good news, faithful readers, as another summer workweek expires and another warm weekend begins. Well played. It’s a sun-splashed July 26 on Long Island, and before we wrap up the week in socioeconomic innovation, a hearty welcome to new newsletter subscribers Yeji Lee, Barret, Dan, Stephen, Jeremy, Kris, Himani, Scott, Neil, Stephanie, Jason, Brandi, Sarah and William. Bonvenon: Surely it’s no coincidence that you join us on Esperanto…

Newsletters July 19, 2019

No. 422: Forty whacks, mighty winds, collegiate values and Long Island’s season of the nurse

  Hot stuff: Just in time for the muggiest stretch of the year, Friday has arrived, dear readers, and you’ve reached the end of another sweltering summer workweek. It’s July 19 out there, and with heat indexes forecasted to soar into the 100s this weekend, you might want to check out Good Housekeeping’s top tips for keeping cool when summer spikes. This should also help: Frozen in time, today is National Daquiri Day. And unless…

Newsletters July 17, 2019

No. 421: The Breakfast Club goes live, Adelphi grads go Upstate, and why HHS needs Northwell’s nurses

  Getting warmer: Welcome to Wednesday, dear readers, and the midpoint of another steamy week of summertime socioeconomic innovation. Before we dive in, a warm welcome to a baker’s dozen of new newsletter subscribers: Laurent, Patrick, Francis, Andrea, Susan, Mike, Allen, Sandeep, Ellen, Edmund, Vik, Kevin and George. Please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times. Papal reign: It’s July 17 out there, and if you had German Roman Catholic priest…

Clean Energy July 8, 2019

Albany energizes ‘solar-plus-storage’ across LI

By GREGORY ZELLER // State officials are once again supercharging residential and commercial clean-generation energy technologies on Long Island. With Albany having already set parameters for energy-storage technologies – and committed $400 million to advancing said tech – Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced this week that an additional $55 million will be made available over the next five years for cutting-edge energy-storage efforts specifically on Long Island, with the first $15 million available now. The funding – essentially,…

Education June 18, 2019

Sachem scores in LI-friendly ‘Smart Schools’ round

By GREGORY ZELLER // More than $12.5 million in school-technology upgrades are coming to Long Island schools through the latest funding round of Albany’s Smart Schools investment plan. The Smart Schools Review Board on Monday approved nearly 100 projects designed to improve school security and “reimagine teaching and learning for the 21st century,” according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office – a chunky 13th funding round for the circa-2015, $2 billion Smart Schools Bond Act. The…

Newsletters June 14, 2019

No. 414: New Dots digs, a bigly birthday and Father’s Day funnies – plus servant management, from the top

  Don’t know how you do it: But you do it, dear reader, and once more you’ve cleared the hurdles of a busy workweek and earned another springtime respite. Well played. Let freedom ring: It’s June 14 out there, and to our many readers in Malawi, a very happy (and similarly well-earned) Freedom Day. Here in the States, June 14 is quite the patriotic date also, bringing both Flag Day – commemorating the 1777 adoption…

Newsletters June 7, 2019

No. 412: On Prince, Pence, Columbia, clams and Northwell Health’s new ‘ranch’ dressing

  Finishing what you started: Another busy workweek ends, dear readers, and another warm weekend dawns. It’s Friday, June 7, out there, and you’ve completed yet another hard-run marathon of socioeconomic progress. Well done. Here’s the scoop: As a reward, please enjoy National Chocolate Ice Cream Day. Here, them roar: You know who likes chocolate ice cream? Many of the 1.7 million members of Lions Club International, the world’s largest service organization, which launched in…

Voices May 31, 2019

Giving the LI innovation economy plenty of STEAM

By ROSALIE DRAGO // Employers in technical trades lament the loss of “shop” class and its hands-on maker skills. Business owners complain that candidates possess minimal work experience. But there is tremendous work-readiness power in STEAM – enough to fuel a 21st century workforce. Beginning in elementary school, education institutions are using STEAM (for science, technology, engineering, arts and math) to contextualize core classroom subjects in a way that aligns with skills required by the…

Newsletters May 31, 2019

No. 410: Landing the Eagle, energizing the IGIT and fortifying New York’s grid – plus, free Chipotle! 

  Speed dating: Well, that happened fast, dear readers – Friday already, as this abbreviated week of inventions and investments steams toward another welcomed weekend. It’s May 31 out there, and to our Dayak readers in Sarawak, Malaysia and the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan, a blessed and bountiful Gawai Dayak. Take a breath: It’s probably a downer in North Carolina, but the rest of the planet celebrates World No Tobacco Day today. Copy that:…

Environment May 23, 2019

Time running out, supporters rally for ambitious CCPA

By GREGORY ZELLER // It’s a virtual race against the clock in Albany, where the current legislative session has less than a month to go and a landmark climate-equity bill hangs in the balance. The Climate and Community Protection Act (S2992/A3876) – designed to rapidly ween New York off fossil fuels, invest nearly half of the state’s climate funds into low-income communities and set higher wage standards for “green” jobs – would instantly anoint the…