presented by Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance September 10th, 2021
Saturday marks a somber milestone as our nation reflects on the 20th Anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In communities across Long Island, events are scheduled to remember the lives lost and commemorate the heroism shown by so many. In light of the tragedies this summer these events hold an additionally special significance. The following are a few of these remembrances. NASSAU COUNTY Town of Hempstead Town of North Hempstead Town of Oyster Bay - South Town of Oyster Bay – North Carle Place Village of Cedarhurst Village of Floral Park Village of Garden City City of Glen Cove Hicksville Village of Lynbrook Village of Massapequa Park Village of Mineola Village of Rockville Centre Village of Westbury SUFFOLK COUNTY Town of Huntington Town of Islip Town of Riverhead East Northport Mastic Melville Village of Patchogue Village of Port Jefferson Village of Southampton |
Town of Riverhead Comprehensive Plan Update
The Town of Riverhead is moving forward with its Town’s comprehensive plan update, the first update to the Town’s plan since 2003. The Town is seeking community input about issues and opportunities likely facing the Town over the next 10 to 20 years. The Town, along with its consultants, have been gathering information to identify existing conditions and trends, hamlet boundaries, and current news topics. Great Neck Plaza Announces Public DRI Application Meeting to be Held on Zoom
The Village of Great Neck Plaza is pleased to announce a Zoom public forum that will be held on Thursday, September 9, 2021, at 8:30 PM to engage the community in the development of a Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) application being prepared by the Village. The DRI is a New York State grant program through New York State's Empire State Development Corporation and the Long Island Regional Development Council, which will fund transformative plans for up to 20 downtown neighborhoods across the State. One or two communities from Long Island will be awarded grants under this program, either one award to one community for $20 million or two awards to two communities, for $10 million each. Great Neck Plaza Mayor Ted Rosen stated, “This is a unique grant opportunity and one for which we will apply. We recognize that it is a highly competitive process. It is important that members of the public have the opportunity to present to us their ideas and suggestions for projects to include in the DRI application." All members of the public are welcome to attend this Zoom public forum. No advance registration is required. For additional information, please contact Zachary Pagan in the Mayor’s office at the Village Hall by telephone (516) 482-4500 or by email addressed to mayorsassistant@greatneckplaza.net. You can find the zoom link here. |
Farmingdale Village Events
Upcoming Events: Runner's Edge Main Street Mile, Benefiting Companions In Courage, Saturday, September 4th. Times: 8:30 AM Kids Fun Run; 9:15 AM Women's Mile Race; 9:40 AM Men's Mile Race; with post-race buffet and raffles at Croxley's, www.runnersedgemainstreetmile.com. Farmingdale's 1/2 Way to St. Patrick's Day Parade The parade step off is at 3 PM sharp at Northside School (north end of Main Sreett) and the parade proceeds down Main Street to the Village Green. Following the Parade festivities explore the many downtown shops, merchants, Culinary Quarter restaurants, bars, clubs, breweries, eateries. Farmingdale's 10th Annual "Art In The Park Exhibit, Show & Sale" Farmers Market by Schneider's Farm Shakespeare on the Green, Eastline Theater Company presents: Romeo & Juliet, on October 2nd and 3rd, 2:30pm performances at the Gazebo. Free to attend, bring chairs, blankets for seating, dine and shop throughout the Village. Bethpage Community Council Hosts Upcoming Events
Bethpage Community Council will be holding the following events: Bethpage 9/11 20th Anniversary Candlelight Ceremony Concerts on Freeport's Nautical Mile Extended into September
These free concerts are held at the Esplanade on the Nautical Mile on Thursdays from 7 PM to 8:30 PM, rain or shine. Attendees need to bring their own chairs. Line-up of performers: · September 23 - Turnpike Joe and the Traffic Jam Please check Long Island Arts Council’s website for updates, possible changes, and rain date location. The Long Island Arts Council at Freeport is committed to the idea that the power of the arts is to touch the mind and enrich the soul of the individual and community through advocacy and education. You can find more information at the Long Island Arts Council at Freeport’s website. Asbury Shorts Outdoor Film Concert Coming to Westbury on September 10th
Asbury Shorts, New York City’s longest running non-competitive short film exhibition and touring show, is returning to the founder’s hometown of Westbury on Friday, September 10th, for a free outdoor evening film show at Piazza Ernesto Strada on Post and Maple Avenues, in the middle of the Village. The show will open with live music by the Vince Scuderi Quartet at 7:15 PM, with the first film showing at approximately 8 PM. The show will feature a mix of past audience request favorites, mixed with new global festival winners and honorees. Past show guest hosts from the early years of Asbury Shorts’ Long Island days will be on hand to introduce some of the films. Reservations are not necessary. Bring a folding chair just in case seating runs out. Rain date is Saturday, September 11th. This 10th anniversary Short Film Concert of Westbury is presented by Westbury Arts and is sponsored in part by Rowan Realty. You can find more information here. LI Offshore Wind Supply Chain Conference to Host Industry Panel
Long Island’s Offshore Wind Supply Chain Conference is hosting a panel discussion featuring representatives from Orsted, NYSERDA, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Labor Unions, Business Network for Offshore Wind, TPI Composites, Gexpro Services and other manufacturers. If you plan on attending this event *via livestream* please RSVP and you will receive a link to the conference livestream a few days ahead of the event. Greenlawn-Centerport Pickle Festival Returns on September 18th
The Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association proudly announces its 41st annual Pickle Festival is returning to the John Gardiner Farm, 900 Park Avenue, Greenlawn, on September 18th from 10 AM to 4 PM. The Pickle Festival honors the legacy of Alexander Gardiner, who was known as Greenlawn’s pickle pioneer. Gardiner developed his own brand of pickle seeds, built processing plants and established a rail freight depot to advance the area’s thriving pickle industry. Donation entry is $5 and free for children under 12. You can learn more about this popular event and for information about the Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association’s here. Read the Long Island Times article here. Westbury Street Fair is Back!
The Westbury Improvement District’s annual Westbury Street Fair is coming back to Post Avenue in the Village of Westbury. The fair will be held on Saturday September 25th, from 10 AM to 5 PM at 250 Post Avenue. It will be fun for the entire family. There will be many vendors, a food court, live music, events, a play area with a bounce house for kids, and more. The fair is a great way to spend an early fall day while enjoying all that Post Avenue has to offer. There is plenty of local parking and for those traveling in by Long Island Railroad, the south side of the fair starts right by the Westbury train station on Post Avenue. Rain date is Sunday, September 26th. HIA-LI's 33rd Annual HIA-LI Trade Show & Conference
On Thursday, October 14, 2021, the HIA-LI is hosting its 33rd Annual HIA-LI Trade Show & Conference live at the Hilton Long Island in Melville. Industries on Long Island will be represented, including Energy/Environmental, Technology, Manufacturing, Finance, Hospitality, Health Care, Media/Advertising, Education, Government & Workforce Development. The theme of one of this years’ seminars is Why Supporting Non-Profits Is Good For Your Profit. Moderated by Eric Alexander, Director of Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance, panelists include Lee Silberman CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Long Island, Paule Pachter CEO of Long Island Cares, and Rich Humann President/CEO of H2M. Discussion will include why Corporate Social Responsibility is more than just companies giving money to nonprofits because it is the “right thing to do” and it is more than nonprofits just having their hands out. Properly formulated partnerships between for profit and not for profit companies leads to higher employee satisfaction and retention, as well as the betterment of the communities in which we live. Details: You can find more information and register here. |
Nassau County Re-Opens HOME Investment Program
The Nassau County Office of Community Development has announced the re-opening of its HOME Investment Partnerships Program Funding Application. The HOME Investment Partnerships Program is provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to states and localities in order to fund a wide range of activities that build, buy, and/or rehabilitate homes to provide decent and affordable housing, particularly housing for low- and moderate-income households for rent or homeownership. In general, under this program HUD allocates funds by formula among eligible state and local governments to strengthen public-private partnerships and to expand the supply of decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing, with primary attention to rental housing, for very low-income and low-income families. The HOME program was designed and implemented in order to increase the amount of affordable housing in the United States for its citizens. It was designed with four main objectives in mind: • Expanding the supply of decent and affordable housing in the U.S. The Nassau County Office of Community Development will be accepting applications through October 30th. Updated information on program requirements, current rent and income limits, affirmative marketing requirements, and highlighted recently completed projects is available here. Restart NY Regrant Program Now Open
Restart NY Regrant Program is a new grant awards program. Grants ranging from $1000-$3000 are available for Long Island organizations or individuals for funding of in-person (live) arts events. These funds are discrete from the Statewide Community Regrant (SCR, formerly DEC). Those who have previously received a DEC grant are eligible to receive Restart NY funding. Attendance to one of the following free workshops is mandatory in order to apply for a Restart NY Regrant. All workshops will be presented through ZOOM. Additional information and the login link will be provided after you register for the workshop. The free workshops are: You can register for a workshop here. General Guidelines for applying: Funding decisions are made by a series of panels comprised of local artists, community leaders and individuals from throughout the region. All award recommendations are required to be voted on by the Board of Directors of the Huntington Arts Council, Inc. If you have any questions, please email grants4arts@huntingtonarts.org. Former Starbucks CEO Funds Free Online Educational Platform For Small Business
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is funding a free online learning platform, called BackTo.Biz, to help small businesses accelerate their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, Yahoo Finance reports. "America's future rests on our entrepreneurial fire. But in recent years, the spark within many entrepreneurs has struggled to find the oxygen to burn bright. The causes are many: the need for learning and community, the lack of capital and social networks, the systemic failures that lead many to not even try. That's why I believe this COVID-recovery platform is critical," Mr. Schultz wrote in a letter seen by Yahoo Finance. BackTo.Biz is a free program designed to help businesses recover and grow. It features a collection of more than 400 actionable video lessons, informative interviews, success stories, articles and tools from a diverse and renowned set of innovative entrepreneurs. The content is designed to help expand knowledge and skills on a wide range of topics, including hiring talent, selling online, building brand, pivoting business models, creating new revenue streams, finding ideal customers, managing stress and more. The BackTo.Biz program is funded by Mr. Schultz and the Emes Project. To reach as many small businesses as possible and share additional best-in-class learning resources from top tier brands, BackTo.Biz has teamed up with a coalition of non-profit and business leaders to raise awareness of the program. These partners include Ascend, Chase, Community Reinvestment Fund USA, Facebook, Grow with Google, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Intentionalist, Main Street America, Microsoft, Reimagine Main Street, Salesforce, Starbucks, Shopify, and Co. by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. BackTo.Biz, Mr. Schultz explains, “aims to help small businesses recover, pivot and bounce back even stronger." The BackTo.Biz is a free program available to anyone with an email address. All you get to do is sign up for the program. You can sign up and find more information here. You can read the Yahoo Finance article here. Town of Babylon Creates Small Business Support Program
Recently, the Town of Babylon held a zoom event to discuss the Town’s newly launched program, the Town of Babylon Direct Support Program, which provides millions in grant money to town businesses and nonprofits that are still struggling due to COVID-19. The program is being run by the town’s Direct Support Program Director, Viscel Moore. Ms. Moore provided an overview of the program. The program is open to all small businesses, including sole proprietors, and non-profits, including civic and fraternal groups. The criteria for eligibility include:
Based on the applicant’s submission, does the applicant’s business or non-profit reside in or support low moderate income communities This is a grant, not a loan and there is no cost to apply. The town offers tools to help applicants, including an overview, criteria and the application. Grant amounts will not exceed $49,500.00 and business and non-profit owners must be located in the Town of Babylon. According to Ms. Moore, a decision on the application will be made by an application committee within sixty days. There is no deadline to apply, it is on a first come first serve basis, until the money runs out. “Our goal is to get this money out into the community, with the least amount of red tape as possible,” Ms. Moore advises. You can access complete information about the Direct Support Program and view the zoom recording Town of Hempstead Extends Emergency Rental Assistance Program
Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin, along with the entire Town Board and the Long Island Housing Partnership, Inc. (LIHP), are reminding residents they still have an opportunity to apply for the second round of Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), which began on August 17th. The ERAP is a program directed to tenants and landlords who are facing housing insecurity because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The application phase will run from now through September 28th. The program can assist with current and prospective rent, arrears for utilities and home energy costs, and other expenses related to housing such as rental security deposits to ensure housing stability. Assistance could be provided for up to 18 months of payments and will cover arrears and costs accrued on or after March 13, 2020. There is no cap on the amount, and amounts may include the full amount of both rental and utility payments. Qualifying Criteria Eligible residents must be able to answer yes to the following questions: • Do you live in the Town of Hempstead as your primary residence? Should residents need help filling out the intake form online, there will be resources available to assist. These include satellite locations in the Town of Hempstead, such as the Family and Children's Association (FCA), where representatives are available; the LIHP’s established Call Center at (844) 260-7536; and informational videos for both tenants and landlords on the LIHP website (www.lihp.org). Intake forms, as well as the program guidelines, are available in English and Spanish. Those who fill out the intake form will be contacted after for the submission and compilation of documents. This assistance program works solely on a first-come, first-served basis; however, priority will be given to applicants that have a household member who has been unemployed for more than 90 days prior to the submission of the Intake Form; or have household incomes at or below 50 percent of the area median income as established by HUD. Grants Available to Homeowners that Assist Peconic Estuary Watershed
The Peconic Estuary Partnership (PEP) continues to provide a unique opportunity for those that live within the Peconic Estuary watershed. The PEP will provide financial rewards for homeowners who remove turf and pavements, and add green alternatives to their properties that benefit the environment. One project is allowed per homeowner/property address. Homeowners can earn up to $500 to offset the expense of installing green infrastructure on their properties including rain barrels, rain gardens and native plant gardens. Stormwater filtered through the soil, sand and gravel within these gardens is dramatically cleaner when it enters our groundwater, nearby bodies of water, and storm drains. Rain barrels collect rainwater from roof runoff that can be reused in gardens, reducing the amount of water flowing over paved surfaces and into storm drains and nearby bodies of water. This is a great opportunity to make a positive impact for your local estuary and all its amazing bays. While improving your property, you are reducing pollution from entering local waters. Funds are limited and will be granted on a first come first served basis. For more information on the Homeowner Rewards Program. For the Homeowner Rewards Program webpage. For the interactive tool and plant database. SBA PPP Forgiveness Webinars
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has scheduled several informational webinars regarding the new Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) forgiveness platform, which will begin accepting applications from borrowers on August 4th, 2021. The new "Direct Forgiveness" Platform will help the PPP borrowers with loan amounts of $150,000 or less (93% of the PPP borrowers) apply for PPP Forgiveness directly through SBA (not the lenders). The dates for the webinars include: Thurs. Sept. 16, 2021 at 9:30am (SBA and York College SBDC) Thurs. Sept. 23, 2021 at 9:30am (SBA and LaGuardia Community College SBDC) Mon. Oct. 4, 2021 at 2pm (SBA and Manhattan Chamber of Commerce) For more information. 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. 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. |
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