presented by Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance July 26th, 2021
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2021 Long Island Youth Summit Held Virtually
The 2021 Long Island Youth Summit took place virtually this spring. The Summit brings together talented students of diverse backgrounds from dozens of school districts across Long Island and affords them the opportunity to work together in collaborative, solution-oriented teams, focusing on important current socio-medical, environmental and socio-economic issues. Students are invited to attend, and awards presented, based on original research submitted to panels of judges comprised of academic, business, and healthcare experts. Over three hundred students applied to attend the 2021 Youth Summit, with 150 invited to participate in the virtual conference. The Summit, founded by Dr. Nathalia Rogers as part of Vision Long Island’s Smart Growth Summit, is in its eleventh year and is a partnership among public and private high schools, St. Joseph’s College, Northwell Health, Vision Long Island and other contributing businesses and organizations. 2021 sponsors included National Grid, Southwest Airlines, PSEG, GHI, and Cameron Engineering. Dr. Rogers and Dr. Gail Lamberta, Associate Dean of Community Development at St. Joseph’s College, chaired the event. Dr. Rogers welcomed the students assuring them, “The future is bright. You are highly intelligent and you are very dedicated. You are great at science, great at art and you are socially active.” She concluded, “I don’t see how our country will not be successful. I don’t see how our world will not be successful because we have you.”
Keynote: The 2021 Summit’s keynote speaker was Dr. Harold Fernandez. Dr. Fernandez, with a most exceptional background, is a cardiothoracic surgery specialist practicing on Long Island. Dr. Fernandez was raised in Medellin, Colombia, but at age 13, escaped the challenges that faced Columbian teenagers and made his way to the United States as an undocumented immigrant. He ultimately entered Princeton University where he received his Bachelor’s degree in molecular biology. He was then admitted to the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program, from which he received his medical degree in 1993. He is a Professor of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at the Hofstra-Northwell Health School of Medicine and author of the book UNDOCUMENTED. “Dr. Fernandez is an educator, a person who saves peoples’ lives on an everyday basis, he is an activist and a writer. Above all, he’s a role model for all of us,” Dr. Rogers stated in her introduction. “He is an example of perseverance and generosity, with a razor-sharp focus on how to help people in the community. He helps us smash stereotypes of immigrants in our society.” “Believe in yourself,” Dr. Fernandez immediately told the students. “The things that make you different, the things that make you unique, are the things that will set you apart and the things that will make you succeed in life.” In 1978, at age 13, Dr. Fernandez and his brother found themselves in a small boat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, just hoping to survive the night and reach their parents in New York. Reaching America presented a new set of struggles, surviving on the margins of society as an undocumented immigrant, with constant fear of discovery and deportation. “The way you make dreams happen,” Dr. Fernandez stated, “is through tiny little steps. Things you can do on a day-to-day basis.” He emphasized education, hard work and perseverance. “You need to try to do the best possible job you can, no matter what the job.” Dr. Fernandez advised, this spark, this energy, this enthusiastic mindset must be used in everything you do in life, from becoming an Eagle Scout to getting accepted to Princeton University. Dr. Fernandez shared with everyone several lessons, including: The power of an education; the power of a smile; the ability to care; and the ability to say no. Dr. Fernandez’ life story offered hope and inspiration to the students in attendance. After the keynote speech, students attended workshops correlating to their research. During these breakout sessions, the students worked on outlining significant associated issues and solutions. The students then came together to report on their solutions in a joint session.
Workshop Presentations (Solutions) 1. Bullying, Cyber Bullying & Social Networking – Creation of an overall platform for people to look for guidance for bullying and cyber bullying. The program should incorporate everyone, including teachers, faculty members and students. Elementary school level should include anti bullying campaigns and kindness programs. Middle school and high school levels should have a social media platform where students being bullied can ask for help from educators and psychological professionals. It should also offer self-help and self-love methods, and stress the importance of self-esteem. 2. Teens & Substance Abuse – Often peer pressure leads to drug abuse. Risk reduction is important. COVID-19 is adding to feelings of isolation. Like people who suffer through mental illness need help, so do those who suffer with drug abuse. The stigma of substance abuse must be eradicated. 3. Teen Mental Health, Self-Esteem & Wellbeing Workshop #1 focused on Teen Mental Health & Isolation during the pandemic. Socially distant activities are important. Keeping in touch with your hobbies is important. Require classes regarding mental health in the American school system in order to create a better awareness of mental health for a new generation, especially in this technological age. Therapy should be encouraged. Create more down time. Focus on self-care, mindfulness, and coping mechanisms. Allow students mental health days. Outdoor learning. Educate adults on how to help children with mental health issues. Small wins daily can positively affect mental health. Workshop #2 focused on Teen Mental Health and Self-Esteem and the pandemic. Students of parents who are frontline workers experienced more anxiety during the pandemic compared to other teenagers. Social media fuels a lot of feelings of inadequacy. Students also experienced anxiety at the thought of reintegrating themselves into society. Hobbies should be encouraged. Set small goals and celebrate your small accomplishments. Moderate technology uses. Implement classes in school around different mental health diagnoses. 4. Climate Change – People should act locally, within their communities, but consider how to effectuate change on a larger scale. Ideas included removing plastics from schools, making infrastructure in hometown communities more efficient, and working with elected officials and corporations to bring about change. Continue scientific research. Spread awareness and education about the issue of climate change, especially through marketing and social media. Small actions can help on a large scale. 5. Renewable Energy – Install solar panels on the high school roof and parking lots. Encourage conversations on how to do improve financially with electricity to better the environment. Educate community on benefits of solar panels to quell misinformation. 6. Economic Development, Jobs & Housing – COVID-19 has made Long Island a more difficult place to live due to job losses. Invest in construction and defense manufacturing. Hire more medical staff and cut off payroll tax for new employees. Offer tax incentives and support small businesses. Offer more financial aid to those in need. Offer opportunities to work in and improve lower income areas. Forgive student loans. Create educational podcasts such as Classroom to Career Podcast. Fix roads in communities. 7. Diversity & Equality Workshop #1 focused on Race and Immigration. Education is the most important solution to combat racism. Start from the bottom with younger students. Promote the truth that diversity is a good thing, make it the norm. Promote conversation. Diversity classes in lower grades. Anti-bias training should be expanded. Reach out to non-people of color. Encourage lawmakers to push equality agendas. Workshop #2 focused on Healthcare, especially in the LGBT community. Ensure all medical forms ask more encompassing questions such as gender and gender at birth. Spread awareness about the struggles of the LGBT community through stories, art work, etc. Need a change in perspective from other peers to make change happen. 8. Leadership – Everyone participating in this Summit is a leader. Provide students with the drive they need to step up. Provide opportunities for students to step up. Focus on communication and connections with people. 9. Ethical & Social Implications of Science & Technology – Focused on (in)equality issues surrounding the correlation of COVID-19 vaccinations and technology. Vaccine websites should be available in multiple languages. Offer computers in libraries or shopping centers to let people make a vaccine appointment. Online learning is also an issue during the pandemic. Standard devices should be given to all students. Internet connections provided to all areas. Stabilize jobs for people with disabilities. Diversity in computer science engineering needs to be improved to remove bias in AI.
Awards Session Congratulations to all the talented students who participated in the 2021 Youth Summit, their dedicated teachers, the Steering Committee and Sponsors who made this Summit possible. Below is the list of the well deserving winners. Congratulations to all. The overall winner of this year's Summit was Emily Monfort of the Valley Stream Central High School who received a check for $1,000. Emily created a video about how high school students coped with Covid 19 pandemic and what they did to maintain their mental health. Here is the link to Emily’s winning project: https://youtu.be/O73pRK5gIXI Below are links to Newsday’s coverage of all the winners of the 2021 Long Island Youth Summit. You can read more information at Newsday here and here. AirTrain LGA Wins FAA Approval
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued its Record of Decision and the AirTrain LGA project has won its approval. This project, which has drawn support from diverse groups of community members, business organizations and stakeholders, will become a driving force for economic activity for New York City and the tri-state area as a whole, including Long Island. Equally important, the effect on the area environment will be impactful. More than 90% of LaGuardia travelers get to and from the airport by taxi or private vehicle. The AirTrain LGA is projected to serve up to 10 million riders per year. This translates to moving 28,000 cars off the road and onto public transit every single week. The AirTrain involves construction of an approximately two-mile-long elevated rail system with three stations: two on airport and one-off airport. The stations connect with the New York City Transit Subway 7 Line and the Long Island Rail Road Port Washington Branch at Mets-Willets Point. There will also be passenger walkways connecting to the LGA Central Hall, which provides access to Terminal B and C, parking garages, public transportation, and ground transportation facilities. In the fall of 2020, the FAA held virtual online workshops and hearings on the Draft EIS. The meetings had a combined viewership of over 18,000 people and the public provided over 4,200 comments, of which 80% of the comments supported the rail link moving forward. Additionally, eighteen different federal, state and local agencies provided input throughout the EIS process based on their expertise and authorities. The FAA looked at 47 alternatives, more than half of which were identified by the public during scoping for the EIS. The alternatives were evaluated to see if they met the purpose and need of the proposed action and if they would be reasonable to construct and operate. The AirTrain will provide reliable and sustainable rail transit to LaGuardia Airport, while helping drive the economic recovery of a region that was among the nation’s hardest hit by COVID-19. The project will create 3,000 good-paying construction jobs and provide for $500 million in contracting opportunities for Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises. “This decision, which comes after transparent and broad public outreach, will provide an environmentally-friendly transportation link, providing reliable and sustainable access to the new LaGuardia Airport, while helping to drive the post COVID-19 economic recovery of hard-hit regions, including Long Island,” states Eric Alexander, Director of Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance. Congratulations to all involved in pushing this valuable project forward. NICE's Bike & Ride Launched
On Monday, July 12th, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran announced the launch of Nassau Inter County Express’ (NICE) Bike & Ride program. NICE has fitted six vehicles with front-mounted bike racks that can be used by passengers at no additional cost. This comes on the heels of a post pandemic bump in ridership on the NICE bus system. All n6Xpress buses, serving Jamaica-Hempstead Transit Center along Hempstead Turnpike, now feature a bike rack on the front bumper that accommodates two bikes. Additionally, riders can load bikes on these buses and head to Jones Beach from Hempstead Transit Center and Freeport on Saturdays and Sundays this summer. County Executive Curran, Newsday reports, stated at a news conference at the Rosa Parks Transit Center in Hempstead, "This new amenity supports our county’s ongoing efforts to provide more options for cycling. We know that we’re a car culture here on Long Island, but we’re doing what we can with what we’ve got to provide amenities for bicyclists.” “What may seem like simple measures for the advancement of bike and pedestrian amenities often takes a while,” reflects Eric Alexander, Director of Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance. “After working with four County Executives, residents finally have bike access on Nassau County buses. Turns out fourth times a charm, so kudos to Nassau County Executive Curran and NICE bus leadership for putting bike racks on local buses. Great step in the right direction for making Nassau easier to traverse by bike and bus.” The initial pilot program was funded through an $8,000 federal grants and NICE expects to gradually expand the use of bike racks across its fleet, but does not have a timeline or estimated cost for doing so. Daniel Flanzig, board member of the New York Bicycling Coalition, tells Newsday, although he applauds the program, Nassau is well behind other regions in embracing cycling as a means of expanding a transit network. "If you leave the state of New York, this is a very common sight to see in front of buses," Mr. Flanzig, states, noting bike racks can attract potential commuters by giving them a new option to travel that "last mile" to the office or their home. Read Newsday’s article here For more information, including a “How to Load" video and bus schedule, click here Interest Rates Fall, Yet Affordable Housing Still Out of Reach
Since the pandemic, Long Islanders have been experiencing historically low interest rates in the housing market. Since February, the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has fallen to ~2.88%. In response potential home buyers are now becoming more comfortable in spending a little extra on their dream home in a housing market that is steadily on the rise. Although real estate agents have seen a lull in the market over recent months due to higher property prices, many predict lower interest rates will lure them back, New 12 Long Island reports. Eric Alexander, Director of Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance, takes a different view of recent events. “The housing market on Long Island has prices sky high due to low interest rates and the exodus from New York City. While this gives folks on the higher income end opportunities, this trend hurts working and middle-class individuals and families who see themselves priced out,” “Regardless of the rates, the opportunities just are not there… because there is not enough affordable housing,” Mr. Alexander concludes. “Clearly, we need a significant number of affordable housing units, both rental and ownership, to equitably meet the current housing demand.” You can read more at News 12 Long Island. |
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Mayor Ekstrand Provides Farmingdale Village Update
At a recent Farmingdale Village Pops concert, Farmingdale Village Mayor Ralph Ekstrand took an opportunity to provide an update on what is happening in the Village, including announcing of the return of many community downtown events, welcoming new merchants to the Village and celebrating community business achievements. New businesses in Farmingdale Village include: · My Grandmothers Kitchen Additionally, coming soon to the Village: Necromantic Gluten Free Brewery (former Rocky’s Bakery); Burgerology; Kick’n Chicken; Farmingdale Dine; and Cascone & Kluepfel, LLP. Mayor Ekstrand also noted some recent milestones worth celebrating: · Main Street has been officially designated as the “Culinary Quarter,” and the street signs will be put up soon Upcoming community events include: The Brad DeMilo and the Farmingdale Village Pops on Wednesdays, 7/21 and 7/28 at 7:30 PM "On the Village Green." Movies On the Village Green will be held on Tuesdays: 7/27, 8/3, 8/10, 8/17 & 8/24, at dusk, preceded by cartoons. Farmingdale Music On Main returns on Thursdays 8/5 & 8/19, from 5 PM to 9 PM, downtown along Main Street. Enjoy music, outdoor / open air dining, activities for the kids, and more. Weather permitting, rain date 8/26. The Farmers Market “On the Village Green,” by Schneider's Farm, is held weekly on Sundays through 11/21/21, 10 AM to 3 PM. You can view the video of Mayor Ekstrand’s updates here. |
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Welcome Back to Farmingdale Village
Upcoming Summer Events: Farmers Market by Schneider's Farm Farmingdale Village Pops Movies On the Village Green Downtown along Main Street Live Summer Concerts Coming to Freeport’s Nautical Mile
The Long Island Arts Council at Freeport will be hosting live, free summer concerts at the Esplanade on the Nautical Mile. The concerts are held Thursday nights from 7 PM to 8:30 PM. Attendees need to bring their own chairs. Concerts are rain or shine, and location is determined at 6 PM the night of the concert. You can find updates, possible changes, and rain date location (the tented outdoor area across the street from BrewSA) here. Summer Concert Line-Up • July 29 - Generation Gap Kings Park Monday on Main Rescheduled for July 26th
On Monday, July 26th, the Kings Park Chamber of Commerce is hosting Summer Nights in The Park – Monday on Main. The event will be held on Main Street in Kings Park from 6 PM to 9 PM. Events include: • Live bands all evening Fun for the entire family. Live Music Returns to the Glen Cove Village Square
The Glen Cove Downtown Sounds committee has announced its annual concert series will take place live this summer with a diverse array of artists scheduled to perform on nine Friday evenings in July and August. Beginning July 2nd, bands will be performing in person on the Village Square stage. Produced by the Glen Cove Business Improvement District (BID), Downtown Sounds began in 1997 with local jazz musicians playing at the intersection of Glen and School Streets. “After two years, the Glen Cove BID and the Downtown Sounds Concert Committee are thrilled to be able to present live music for the enjoyment of our community and benefit of our businesses,” said Patricia Holman, Executive Director of the BID. “This year more than ever, we have a diverse lineup that will appeal to a wide range of musical tastes.” This year’s artists will be performing on the Downtown Sounds stage, as opposed to the show mobile that has been used in recent years. In addition to better sound quality, restoration of the stage presentation increases the space available for dancing. The program includes: Downtown Sounds 2021 will be live in-person concerts, but will still be live-streamed through Facebook Live, and broadcast on large screen TVs throughout downtown. Concerts start at 7 PM. You can find more information here. Free Outdoor Concert Series in Westbury
Thursday Nights in the Piazza! Westbury Arts is launching its free outdoor summer concert series, with live, in-person concerts held in the village’s central plaza: The Piazza Ernesto Strada located at 200 Post Avenue in Westbury. All the concerts are held on Thursdays from 7 to 9 pm. Here is the line-up: July 29 - Panic (power pop, rock, dance) In case of rain, concerts will be held at the Westbury Community/Senior Center at 360 Post Avenue in Westbury. For more information, contact info@westburyarts.org or 516-400-ARTS (2787) East End Arts to Hold Annual Street Painting Festival September 5th
East End Arts’ 25th Annual Community Mosaic Street Painting Festival will be held Sunday, September 5th, from 12 PM to 5 PM throughout downtown Riverhead and on the green at East End Arts at 133 E. Main Street, Riverhead. Since 1972, East End Arts has been enriching communities through the arts by way of creating a vibrant arts community on the East End which enhances individual and professional artistic development, stimulates community enrichment, economic development, and cultural tourism while encouraging a wide range of artistic expression through education, exhibition and performance, and collaboration across the community. Artists, musicians, and lovers of the arts, young and old, will gather along the Peconic River for this day-long celebration of the arts, centering around the Street Painting Festival, fashioned after the Italian street painters "Il Madonnari", a street chalk art form dating back to the 16th century, as well as activities and entertainment for everyone. Street painting squares sponsored by businesses, families, and individuals are used as a canvas for inspirations in chalk. Happenings include: • Street Painting For more information, contact Monique Parsons at mparsons@eastendarts.org or 631-727-0900 x303. You can find more information East End Arts here. Registration is now open for vendors, sponsors, & artist squares. Rain date is Monday, September 6th, from 2 PM to 5 PM. |
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New York State Consolidated Funding Application Due July 30th
Is your community looking for grants to help them plan a water quality project? Or maybe your community needs funds to actually build or install a project that has been discussed for years. From now until the end of July, New York State’s largest funding opportunity, the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA), is open for business. Round 11 of the New York State Consolidated Funding Application is now open for projects seeking support from up to $750 million of available funding via dozens of State agency programs. This year, there are over 30 programs available through 9 state agencies, including Empire State Development; NYS Canal Corporation; NYS Energy Research and Development Authority; Environmental Facilities Corporation; Homes and Community Renewal; New York Power Authority; Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; Department of State; and Department of Environmental Conservation. In an effort to provide the most appropriate state resources through this process, participating agencies will be able to review and potentially provide funding to a project that did not specifically apply to that program, if the materials submitted at time of application satisfy the requirements for that program and allow for fair review under the circumstances. In addition, all programs contained in this document will use regional distribution standards to ensure projects are funded throughout the state. Applications will be accepted until July 30th at 4:00 PM. You can find more information here. The NYS Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) Open
The New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) provides economic relief to help low and moderate-income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability by providing rental arrears, temporary rental assistance and utility arrears assistance. Seven communities that received funding for emergency rental assistance directly from the federal government opted to administer their own programs. Residents of the Towns of Hempstead, Islip and Oyster Bay must apply with their local programs for emergency rental assistance and are ineligible for assistance from the state-administered Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Town of Hempstead: https://www.lihp.org/herapintake.html Eligibility: New York residents are eligible for ERAP if they meet all of the following criteria: • Household gross income is at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). These income limits differ by county and household size. A household may qualify based on current income or calendar year 2020 income that is at or below 80 percent AMI. There are no immigration status requirements to qualify for the program. Households eligible for rental arrears may also be eligible for help paying utility arrears at the same rental unit. Priority Applications: For the first 30 days of the program, priority will be given to households in the following order: 1.Households with income at or below 50 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) that also include a household member who: • Is currently unemployed for at least 90 days; or 2. Households with income at or below 50 percent AMI 3. Households with income at or below 80 percent AMI that also include a household member who: • Is currently unemployed for at least 90 days; or 4. Households with income at or below 80 percent AMI After the first 30 days, applications for all eligible households will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis, as long as funds remain available. Benefits: Households approved for ERAP may receive: • Up to 12 months of rental arrears payments for rents accrued on or after March 13, 2020. Payments will be made directly to the landlord/property owner and utility company on behalf of the tenant. Tenant applicants will be notified of the amounts paid on their behalf. If a landlord is difficult to locate or does not otherwise provide information needed to complete the application, funds will be held for up to 180 days to allow sufficient time to locate the landlord and collect required information as well as to provide tenant protections and maximize landlord participation. Please note: Once the application is started, all questions must be answered and the application signed and saved to submit the application. There currently is no way to save a partially completed application. Applicants are encouraged to gather all the information needed before starting an application including income of household members and rental amounts. NYS Coronavirus Relief Grant Program for Small Businesses
The NYS Legislature has approved $800 million in grants for small businesses across New York. Applications are now open for anyone who is eligible to apply. The following is from New York State’s website: The New York State COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program was created to provide flexible grant assistance to currently viable small businesses, micro-businesses and for-profit independent arts and cultural organizations in the State of New York who have experienced economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grant awards will be calculated based on a business’s annual gross receipts for 2019 (see below for more information). Grant amounts and calculations are subject to change by Empire State Development. Annual gross receipts: $25,000 – $49,999.99: Award is $5,000 / business Eligible Businesses Include: Small businesses, Micro-businesses, and For-profit independent arts and cultural organizations (collectively, “Eligible Applicants”) must be currently viable and have begun operation on or before March 1, 2019, and continue to be in operation as of the date of application (maybe shuttered due to COVID restrictions). See the FAQ section below for definitions of business categories above. Eligible Applicants will be required to show loss of gross receipts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or compliance with COVID-19 health and safety protocols which resulted in business modifications, interruptions, or closures. Small businesses and Micro-businesses must: 1. Have 2019 or 2020 Gross Receipts of between $25,000 and $500,000 per annum More information on the grants as well as a guide on how to apply is available here. Funding for Pedestrian Safety and Transportation Systems
On July 1st, New York State announced the availability of $110 million in new funding to support community-based investments designed to strengthen the cultural, aesthetic, and environmental aspects of local and regional transportation systems, while promoting safety and mobility. This initiative funds projects that create new and enhance existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities, improve access to public transportation, create safe routes to schools, convert abandoned railway corridors to pedestrian trails and help reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. In addition, these funds may be used by municipalities to support activities that meet requirements of the Clean Air Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Projects will be selected through a competitive solicitation process and rated based on established criteria that include public benefit, air quality improvement, and finance and/or delivery innovation. Projects must be related to the surface transportation system and provide full access to the public. Applications for funding may be developed by any municipality or non-profit incorporated group, but projects must be sponsored either by a municipality, a state agency or public authority eligible to administer federal transportation funds. Eligible project activities include: • Constructing new/enhancing existing pedestrian and bicycle facilities. The funds, made available to the State through the Federal Highway Administration and administered by the New York State Department of Transportation, are provided through the Transportation Alternatives Program and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program. These programs will provide up to 80 percent of project-related cost, with the remaining 20 percent provided by project Sponsors. The New York State Department of Transportation will be accepting applications for this funding opportunity through September 29, 2021. You can find theapplication, program guidance, and workshop schedules here. The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Offering Four Rounds of Grants
Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued and expanded to the present day, NYSCA will make available $105 million in critical arts and cultural funding. The grants will aid in the arts sector's multi-year recovery from COVID-19 and spur the revitalization of New York's creative economy, which fosters $123 billion annually in economic activity and supports more than 500,000 jobs statewide. There will be four rounds of funding, with $20 million already committed to multi-year awards in the first round. Each round is designed to address the most urgent needs of organizations and artists within New York's nonprofit creative sector. Restart NY: Rapid Live Performance Grants ($10 million): Support will directly address the area of the arts sector hardest hit by COVID-19, and reinvigorate near term, in-person performance opportunities. This funding will prioritize the recovery of New York's unparalleled performance organizations, venues, artists, and groups. This $10 million opportunity offers both direct support from NYSCA and regrant support through NYSCA's Partnerships and Statewide Community Regrants program. Grants of $5,000 and $10,000 will be available for eligible performing arts organizations for planned performance programming in 2021. Support provided through the Community Regrants Program, which will focus on reviving performance on a very local level, will be administered by NYSCA partners statewide. The goal of this regrant support is to reach small, local organizations that do not receive direct grants from NYSCA. Round 1 guidelines and portal for direct NYSCA Rapid Live Performance Grants will open on June 16. Application portal will close July 1. Expanded Access to Funding ($15 million): Support will expand NYSCA's current network of valued regrant partners to reach New York's vast and diverse community of artists and organizations. Funding will be distributed through NYSCA Partnerships and Statewide Community Regrants. Increased support at the local level will ensure more communities, organizations, and individuals will have access to NYSCA funding. Round 2 guidelines will be posted June 16, 2021. Application portal will open on July 19 and close August 2. Organizational and Individual Artist Recovery ($40 million): Support will broaden individual artist assistance and deliver extremely flexible funding for organizations through a streamlined application experience. Grants offered in this round will greatly expand eligibility and encourage new applicants across a wide spectrum of artistic and cultural practices. Priority will be given to applicants that serve historically underrepresented communities. Round 3 guidelines will be posted on June 16. Application portal will open July 19 and close September. Capital Funding for the Arts ($20 million): Support will assist organizations in making improvements to address health and safety issues in their spaces and venues among other needs. Any New York State nonprofit arts and culture organization is encouraged to apply. Round 4 guidelines and application portal will open in September. You can find more information here. PSEG LI Local Community and Small Business Grants Available
PSEG Long Island is proud to announce funding for the Outdoor Spaces program has been renewed for a limited time. More than $2 million in grants and discounts were provided last year to help more than 1,000 local businesses and organizations meet the ever-evolving challenges of COVID-19 and continue to thrive. “PSEG Long Island knows that small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our communities and our local economy,” said John Keating, manager of Economic and Community Development at PSEG Long Island. “Even before the pandemic transformed all of our lives, we were offering grants and discounts to encourage foot traffic in downtown commercial districts and bring businesses into empty storefronts. We evolved our programs to address the new realities our commercial customers are seeing, and the response has been enormous.” PSEG continues to offer Main Street Revitalization grants and Vacant Storefront discounts to businesses. In 2020, the company also began offering “Outdoor Spaces” grants to local chambers of commerce to help transform sidewalk areas and plazas with the seating, lighting and heating needed to keep customers dining and shopping locally. Limited funding for this grant program will be renewed for 2021 on a first come, first served basis. The program will offer funding of up to $5,000 to a Chamber of Commerce or Business Improvement District. Applications will be accepted until June 1, 2021. Here is a breakdown of PSEG Long Island’s 2020 support of local businesses: Small Business First • Supplemented PSEG Long Island’s already significant energy efficiency rebates with $1.8 million in PSEG Long Island Economic Development funding, allowing most projects to be done with no customer cost. Outdoor Spaces • PSEG Long Island approved 29 applications, representing a total of more than $125,000. Main Street Revitalization • More than $254,000 was provided to businesses and organizations through standard Main Street Revitalization grants in 2020, supporting upgrades and projects at restaurants, arts centers, breweries and more. To learn more about all the programs PSEG Long Island offers to support local businesses, please visit this site. SBA Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Applications
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has a splash page for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) application portal in anticipation of opening applications for the much-anticipated critical economic relief program on Thursday, April 8, 2021. “Help is here for venue operators hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The SBA has worked diligently to build the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program from the ground up to assist and address the diverse eligibility requirements of each type of applicant and we will open for applications on April 8th.” SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman said. “This vital economic aid will provide a much-needed lifeline for live venues, museums, movie theatres and many more.” The SVOG program was established by the Economic Aid to Hard Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits and Venues Act, which appropriated $15 billion for it. The American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021, appropriated an additional $1.25 billion, bringing the program funding to a total of $16.25 billion, with more than $16 billion allocated for grants. To ensure eligible venues do not miss a window to receive assistance through the Paycheck Protection Program, the American Rescue Plan Act also amended the SVOG program so entities that apply for a PPP loan after Dec. 27, 2020, can also apply for an SVOG, with the eligible entity’s SVOG to be reduced by the PPP loan amount. The PPP loan applications have been updated to reflect this. For more information, click here for the dedicated SBA SVOG portal: https://www.svograntportal.sba.gov/s/ NY Forward Loan Fund
New York State has opened pre-applications for the New York Forward Loan Fund. Loans from this fund are available to small businesses, nonprofits, and small landlords in New York State. New York Forward loans must be fully repaid over a 5-year term with fixed annual interest rates of 3 percent for small businesses and landlords. Small businesses may apply for the lesser of $100,000 or up to 100% of the average monthly revenues in any 3-month period from 2019 or the first quarter of 2020. This loan can be paid back over five years with first year being interest only. However, if small businesses have received either a PPP loan or an EIDL loan from SBA, they would not be eligible to apply. NYS has set a goal of 18% of total funds under this Program for Long Island Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as industries and regions reopen however, priority for New York Forward Loans will be given to industries and regions that have been reopened. Resources are available to assist in preparing applications for small businesses, landlords and nonprofits in industries and regions that have not yet reopened. To view more details, including eligibility requirements and how to apply, click here: If you need technical assistance through this process, please contact an Entrepreneurial Assistance Center near you and inform the counselor that you need help for the NY Forward Loan application. You can find your closest contact center here. |
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Our SponsorAlbanese & Albanese
Albanese & Albanese LLP is one of the region’s preeminent full-service firms, providing its clients with specialized and diverse legal services. Their reputation for excellence derives from their commitment to deliver high quality legal services and individual attention while maintaining efficiency and cost-effectiveness. |
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“The future is bright... You are great at science, great at art and you are socially active. I don’t see how our country will not be successful. I don’t see how our world will not be successful because we have you.” - Dr. Nathalia Rogers addressing the winners of the 2021 Long Island Youth Summit
