Sustainable Long Island
May 2013
Sustainable Long Island Newsletter
The one-stop-shop...
For all Sustainable Long Island news! 
In This Issue
Stamp Out Hunger
Arthur Kunz Memorial Scholarship Breakfast
Ongoing Hurricane Sandy Recovery
NYSDOT Awards
Strong Cities, Strong Communities
A Grass Care Guide
Sustainability Simplified
NEWSLETTER SPONSOR

 
For more information on this month's enewsletter sponsor, Eldor Renewable Energy, CLICK HERE!

If you or your organization wishes to be a future enewsletter sponsor, please email [email protected] for rates and opportunities.

 

Board of Directors
Ruth Negrn-Gaines: President
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Kevin McDonald: Vice President

The Nature Conservancy   
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Charlotte Biblow, Esq: Secretary

Farrell Fritz, P.C.
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Lauren Furst: Treasurer   

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Russ Albanese

Albanese Organization Inc.
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Lennard Axinn

Island Estates   

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Robert Bernard

Capital One Bank 

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Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III
SUNY College at Old Westbury    

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Dr. Miriam K. Deitsch

Farmingdale State College,
State University of New York

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Pat Edwards

Citi Community Development     
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Amy Hagedorn
Hagedorn Foundation

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Jeff Kraut

North Shore - LIJ Health System

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Mitchell H. Pally

Long Island Builders Institute

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Dr. Robert Scott

Adelphi University 

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Ron Shiffman

Pratt Institute

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Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive 
Nation's Largest Single Day Food Drive Rallies Communities to Feed Americans in Need

This Saturday, May 11, 2013, Sustainable Long Island is supporting the National Association of Letter Carriers to collect food donations in order to provide assistance to the millions of Americans who are struggling with hunger.

 

Beyond the Call of Duty...

  • The Stamp Out Hunger food drive is a nationwide effort that provides food to local food banks and pantries that rely heavily on donations. With more than 50 million Americans living at risk of hunger, food banks across the country continue to experience record demand for emergency food assistance.
  • The nation's 175,000 letter carriers will collect food donations left at the mailboxes of generous Americans in more than 10,000 communities and deliver them to food banks and other hunger relief organizations, such as pantries, soup kitchens and shelters.
  • Now in its 21st year, the Stamp Out Hunger food drive is the nation's largest single-day food drive, having collected more than one billion pounds of food since its inception in 1993.

You Can Help...

  • Helping Stamp Out Hunger is as easy as checking your mailbox. Just leave a bag of non-perishable food items by your mailbox on Saturday, May 11. Your letter carrier will then pick up and deliver the food to a local food bank.  

Examples of non-perishable items include:

  • Peanut butter
  • Canned soup
  • Canned meats and fish
  • Canned vegetables, fruits and juices
  • Boxed goods (such as cereal)
  • Pasta and rice

For more information about the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, ask your letter carrier, contact your local post office or visit www.helpstampouthunger.com today!

 

APA Long Island Arthur Kunz Memorial Scholarship Breakfast

Friday, May 10, 2013, 8AM - 10AM   

On Friday, May 10th, the APA Long Island Section will hold its annual Arthur Kunz Memorial Scholarship Breakfast between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM at Molloy College's Suffolk Center at Republic Airport. Sustainable Long Island is a proud sponsor of this year's event, where the best and brightest of Long Island's future and young planners strive for the Arthur Kunz Scholarship, which allows for the recipient to attend the annual American Planning Association Conference.

 

This year, the need for continued planning efforts was showcased when Hurricane Sandy rumbled up the eastern coast, directly hitting the region and changing the way the public perceived the role of municipal government and its planners.   

 

The region is rebuilding stronger than ever, and these young planners are carrying out the tradition that Arthur Kunz started in Suffolk County: furthering their planning education while helping Long Island once again set the national precedent in creating the balance between both regional sustainability and economic prosperity.

 

Planning is crucial in helping Long Island become resilient to the challenges that lay ahead, and the Arthur Kunz Scholarship helps ensure the best and brightest are given the tools to succeed.

 

Keynote Speaker

  • Rich Schaffer, Town of Babylon Supervisor

Long Island Planners and Sandy Recovery: Integrating GIS and Web-based Tools

 

A panel discussion moderated by:

  • James Rausse, AICP, President, NY Metro Chapter

Guest speakers include:  

  • Sean Sallie, AICP,Nassau County DPW - Planning Division
  • Dave Genaway,Town of Islip Planning Commissioner

Award of APA Scholarships to the two planners that were selected through a competitive process to attend the 2013 APA National Planning Conference:

  • Andrew Amakawa, Suffolk County
  • Alyxandra Sabatino, Town of Southold

Registration Costs: $15 students; $20 municipal, APA members, non-profits; $25 pre-registration; and $30 at the door. All net proceeds fund future scholarships. Donations are welcome. Visit www.apalongisland.org to register today.

 

 

Ongoing Hurricane Sandy Recovery 
Click here to download additional recovery resources
  

Since Hurricane Sandy came ashore just over six months ago, Sustainable Long Island has worked with community partners, planning agencies, and local governments across the region to seek ways to make the Island as a whole more sustainable - economically, environmentally, and socially.

 

Specifically, we continue to work throughout the City of Long Beach on a number of different initiatives as the City looks to bolster its small business recovery and prevent closure of local businesses; preserve jobs and employment; encourage tourism; and ultimately create a more economically vibrant community for all Long Beach residents.   

Now you can lend a hand and join Sustainable Long Island, as well as hundreds of residents and businesses owners next Saturday, May 18, 2013 from 10am - 4pm at the Long Beach Comeback Crew "Spring Cleaning" Event.
 
Photo Credit: Long Beach Facebook Page
The Long Beach Comeback Crew is comprised of volunteers who help rebuild the City through community beautification projects, such as landscape and design efforts and general street clean-up. Some of the exciting projects include:
  • Street Clean-ups (sweeping sand into piles for pick up, placing litter/debris into garbage bags for pick-up)
    • Broadway Avenue from Monroe to New York
    • Park Street bayside street ends from New York to Nevada
  • Painting
    • Maple Firehouse (doors)
    • Park Benches located on Park Avenue in Center Median Parks
  • Park Clean-up (weeding, litter and sand raking)
    • Areas TBD
Please RSVP
to [email protected] if you will be coming down to Kennedy Plaza in Long Beach next Saturday, May 18, to partake in these beautifying projects that will help the "City by the Sea" get back on its feet!


State Recovery Program

Long Islanders whose homes or small businesses were damaged as a result of Sandy can now apply online for the state's new assistance program.

  • Go to www.nysandyhelp.ny.gov to apply and to get more information.
  • Click here for a fact sheet about the homeowner program, with information about eligibility, what the grant funding will cover, and what information will be required to apply.
  • Click here for a fact sheet about the small business program.
  • Click here for a list of application assistance centers, where homeowners can go for help with the online form.
  • The Disaster Relief Clinic at Touro Law Center has created an insurance checklist for victims of Superstorm Sandy. Click here to access it. 
New York State Department of Transportation Awards for Sustainable Transportation Innovation 
Two projects on Long Island recognized
   

New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Joan McDonald recently presented her staff with 11 awards for project designs and maintenance operations that incorporate environmental sustainability.

   

 The awards, presented each year on Earth Day, are a product of the Department's self-certification program, Green Leadership in Transportation and Environmental Sustainability (GreenLITES ). Over the last five years, 890 projects across the state have been submitted for potential certification and recognition.

 

One of the top awards went to the "Regional Pedestrian Accessibility and Bicycle Improvements" project in Nassau and Suffolk Counties that will be focused around multi-modal connections to railroad stations, bus stops, state parks and downtown destinations. The project will include 8,000 feet of new sidewalk links, upgrades to about 20 miles of existing bicycle routes, approximately three miles of new bike lanes and high-visibility staggered ladder crosswalks. The work will be done in the Towns of Oyster Bay, Babylon, Brookhaven, Islip, Southampton and East Hampton.

 

Another recipient of the awards was the Corridor and Intersection Improvements along Routes 347 and 112 in Brookhaven. The project builds on 'existing and future land use plans to enhance sustainable travel options' and includes a new "jug handle" intersection to reduce travel delays, fuel consumption, and vehicle emissions. It features an off-road shared-use path, bus service realignment, tree plantings, pedestrian refuge areas, crosswalks, and new solar and Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lighting.

 

GreenLITES, which was started in 2008, is the first program of its kind in the country, and is based on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification model used for buildings. Last year, the Federal Highway Administration recognized GreenLITES as a case study and model for the country. Read more about the awards here

 

Strong Cities, Strong Communities Initiative  
Helping cities facing long-term challenges build capacity and more effectively use federal funds
One year ago, President Barack Obama established the White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) that established an innovative new model of federal-local collaboration dedicated to assisting communities in getting back on their feet and create jobs by helping them better leverage federal resources and form key partnerships to implement economic visions. Teams of federal employees across the country provide tailored technical assistance to cut through red tape, increase government efficiency, and build partnerships to help local leaders implement sustainable economic plans.

 

A year later, a lot has been learned about collaboration, teamwork, and how the federal government can support local communities working as a team to get things done.  

 

These lessons are outlined in the Strong Cities, Strong Communities Annual Report, which describes the impact of the SC2 Initiative and identifies emerging innovations that have the potential to be applied to many other communities working to strengthen their economies and job creation at the local level.  

 

At a time when communities must accomplish more with every dollar of investment, SC2's work in its first few years has already enabled communities to maximize the impact of more than $345 million in existing federal funds.

In addition to helping local governments tap into federal expertise, the work of the SC2 teams in pilot cities has identified best practices that will improve how the federal government partners with many other communities to support job training, economic development, safer neighborhoods, and improved public health outcomes.   

 

The work has also demonstrated the value of cultivating deeper public-private partnerships, especially with businesses and philanthropy, as city governments look for new models to expand their capacity to serve residents.  

 

Download and read the full online report here

 

A Grass Care Guide 
Tips and recommendations heading into summer from our friends at the Long Island Farm Bureau

 

Just Mow It

Mow when your grass is dry and 3 to 3-1/2 inches tall.
Never cut it shorter than 2 to 2-1/2 inches or remove more than one third of the leaf surface at any one mowing. This will allow your lawn to have a larger and deeper root system - a stronger defense against weeds, diseases and drought. 

Avoid over-fertilizing your lawn.
Remember, the more you fertilize, the more frequently you will have to mow. Slow or controlled release fertilizer sources are preferred.

Don't over-water.
Lawns require about one to two inches of rain or irrigation water a week. A can or rain gauge placed in an open area of the lawn can be used to measure amounts of rainfall and irrigation.

 

Grass Recycling 

Grass recycling need not be an all or nothing approach to lawn maintenance. You may choose to collect your clippings every third time you mow, every other time or just in the spring and fall. Regardless, you are creating savings for you and the environment. If you want to, collect your clippings occasionally, recycle them as mulch in the garden or in planting beds. They can also be added to the compost pile.

Avoid mulching with grass that has been recently treated with herbicides that can harm your plants. Chemically treated clippings should be left on the lawn.

When composting, do not use clippings alone.  

Clippings mat together, depriving the compost microbes of oxygen and cause an odor. It is essential, therefore, to mix grass clippings with leaves in a ratio of three parts leaves to one part grass clippings. Turning the compost pile with a pitchfork every few weeks will add oxygen to the compost and eliminate odors.

With collection and disposal costs at a premium, keeping you lawn clippings out of the garbage truck saves money and protects the environment.
 

 

Sustainability Simplified

Check out these unique mobile apps to help improve sustainability and lower environmental impact   

 

Clean Energy Station Locator - Use this free app to make fueling up with natural gas easier. Find stations nearby, filter which station is best for your vehicle or fleet, and plan your next trip

 

iRecycle - This free app enables users to find local, convenient recycling opportunities based on     location. Provides access to more than 1,500,000 ways to recycle more than 350 materials. 

 

GoodGuide - For use while shopping, this free app instantly shows users whether products are safe, healthy, green and socially responsible with its barcode scanning feature.  

 

Go Green - This free app helps users to collect "green" tips that will improve their impact on the environment. 

 

All apps available in your smart phone app store!

Together we can build a more
sustainable Long Island

 

These challenging economic times have magnified the problems we Long Islanders face each and every day. With our leaders warning us of tougher times to come, thinking regionally and acting locally is urgent. It is in all of our best interests to stay engaged and do what we can together to build a more sustainable Long Island.

 

Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to Sustainable Long Island that will help support our ongoing and future work within your Long Island communities; while helping advance economic development, environmental health, and social equity!

Want community updates on various planning projects? Exciting tidbits on events, meetings, and engagements in your neighborhood? Exclusive information and the latest feedback about everything Long Island?


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Sincerely,

The Board and Staff of Sustainable Long Island