By Trudy Fitzsimmons & Craig Rider

Diversity.

This concept of developing leaders from all groups in a community certainly influenced Dianne Parker’s thinking. Dianne Parker was Executive Director of Leadership Huntington. We must say Dianne is a serious, intelligent business entrepreneur with a love of nature and art. She also has an earnest interest in people and all their cultural diversity.

Over the last 20 years, we have developed a great appreciation of how she crafted the Leadership Program and what she brought to it. One of her most important tenets being diversity of class member’s may lead you to ask, "Why?"

The answer is because it is important to bring people together so they may learn from each other and cross economic, cultural, gender, and educational lines. Many class members have expressed revelations and new understanding of other people and their circumstances while they were in the diversity rich environment of Leadership Huntington. Libby Hubbard, past Chamber Foundation President, commented that the class mix leads to a broader view of the community.

People have at times had an opinion that only those in positions of authority or higher status should go through the program. Those opinions ring hollow in my experience. That limiting concept would hamper the effect of experiential leadership.  Many Leadership Huntington graduates have gone on to help build organizations and create non- profits that benefit many folks.

Larry Kushnick, Esq. Class of '97, God rest his soul, said Leadership Huntington gave him the confidence to start his own law practice. He also helped get many local organizations started. Another young woman found her own voice and advanced in her family’s business because she now had the confidence to articulate her own worth. She, too, became instrumental to many positive community endeavors. Sometimes, the impact is very personal, which is good because community leadership starts at home. One gentleman in my class remarked, after going through temperament exercises, that he now understood why his wife was so different. Awe, clarification and understanding.

The notion that leaders can be developed, who as a direct result transform communities to be stronger and more effective, is a concept derived from the exploration, experiences and observations of community organizations like the Chamber Foundation and that group of committed individuals. To quote Ken Christensen, past Chamber Foundation member, "everywhere he goes there is a Leadership Huntington grad involved."

This is very good. Community leadership is critical to building effective, inclusive communities which work for all citizens. It is hard to imagine an effective community which isn’t full of committed, engaged, involved and evolving volunteer leaders, servant leaders, and community trustees.

Change is everywhere. Communities change, issues change, circumstances change, demographics change. Leadership programs must change, too. The program that seems to work today won’t tomorrow. Community education isn’t enough. We must endeavor in an ongoing fashion to equip leaders with skills and processes that will serve them when and wherever they encounter a leadership challenge.

One class a year isn’t enough to create leaderful communities. One format does not fit all. We encourage all with experience and insight to think of yourselves as leadership development arms of your community, and of all the implications for change that concept implies.

Diversity is very important concept, and not an easy one to accomplish, but it makes such a rich learning environment. We have separated ourselves so much over the years we have missed the richness of diversity. One can only hope we may work toward that concept for a rich future.

We hope you can take away some bits of wisdom from the idea of diversity and the concepts that are suggested. Stay tuned, Chapter 5 is next!

Thanks for reading.
Trudy & Craig

By Dave Vollmer, Lt Col, USAF (ret), PhD

Leadership.  It’s hard to imagine—save for beauty and love—another human attribute more examined in literature.  We all think we know what good leadership is and what it means, and yet volumes of professional military education materials for officers and non-commissioned officers alike in our armed forces still can’t clearly define effective leadership in an objective and universal way.  It’s definitely something we know when we see it, but as for how to articulate it as a checklist or as a how-to manual, all attempts will inevitably fall short.  With so much already written on a subject so difficult to pin down, what could I possibly add to the conversation?  Great question.  Perhaps nothing.  Then again, I’ve had the fortune to experience leadership from both sides of the fence, both effective and ineffective.  In today’s world, so many claim to be good leaders or declare others to be good leaders, but how do we know if that’s true?  Do we ask their bosses?  Their subordinates?  Do we compare them to history’s great leaders?  Or do we judge them by their actions?
 
I served a little over 22 and a half years in the Air Force as a weather officer, eventually retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.  My career field was especially heavy on the enlisted side relative to most Air Force career fields, so I had opportunities to lead Airmen from Day 1.  As a brand-new Second Lieutenant I led a mobile combat weather team into the Balkans during the NATO peacekeeping mission following the Bosnian Civil War.  At 23 years old I lacked much of the maturity and experience I needed to recognize and emulate good leadership, and I know I made mistakes.  None fatal, thankfully…but the one thing I was mature enough to recognize is how much I’d yet to learn.  As I rose in rank and responsibility I began to think about the attributes of a good leader.  All branches of the US military require regular professional military education (PME) of their officers along with a steady stream of books on military history, tactics, strategy, and—of course—leadership.  I devoured these books and these courses thinking perhaps that I could amass a checklist of all of the things I should be doing to be an effective leader.  Military folks—especially Air Force people—live and die by checklists.  I was also a private pilot and I always used my checklists even for the most mundane cockpit tasks lest I miss a step.
 
What to put on this leadership checklist?  Well…like most career military members I had my share of good commanders and bad ones.  I have no doubt that this is exactly what civilians experience in the workplace as well.  I looked at what the good ones did and what the bad ones did, trying to do what the former did and avoid what the latter did.  Attributes like “decisive but not arbitrary” and “empathetic” made the list.  “Knowing what motivates their people,” “being engaged in a crisis,” “not micromanaging,” and so on…those were a little more abstract.  Over time I noticed that there was an underlying attribute that was part of every item that went on my list.
 
When I was still a young lieutenant, the Air Force unveiled its three “core values.”  This was in the 90s in the midst of the corporate quality culture movement and the USAF was right in the middle of that.  The three values were simple enough: “Integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do.”  As a testament to the timelessness of these values, the Air Force hasn’t changed them even today.  Interestingly, not to be outdone, the Army shortly thereafter unveiled its own larger set of core values that formed an acronym approximately spelling “leader.”  The three Air Force values are all interconnected…one cannot really exist without the other two.  And as I counseled many an Airman, if your own core value system doesn’t roughly align with that of the Air Force, you’re going to inevitably fail.
 
It’s the middle one, though, that I think is the common thread through all aspects of effective leadership I was able to compile.  Service before self.  A leader is—firstly—a servant.  We forget this too often.  Even POTUS is a servant of the people.  Politics being what they are in 2020, you’re very hard pressed to find any true servant leaders in the bunch…but they’re out there.  We even use the worlds “public servant.”  That includes elected officials who lead us by serving us.
 
But what does that mean?  What does that look like?
 
In 2011 I was granted the privilege of a lifetime…command of a squadron.  For an Air Force officer there is no other job so rewarding.  Even group, wing, or higher levels of command are different as you find yourself progressively farther removed from the real work of your units.  As a squadron commander, though, you’re in the thick of it.  Your Airmen typically see you in person every day and you know who they are, what’s important to them, what their ambitions and motivations are, and—unfortunately—what problems they’re facing.  You’re in a position to lift them up to reach their highest potential or take everything from them in an instant.  This is even more true in combat, but I’ll set combat leadership aside since it’s a little less universally applicable.
 
In a military change of command there’s typically a ritual exchange of the unit’s flag from the outgoing commander to the incoming.  The outgoing commander gets a nice, long speech to discuss the unit’s achievements under his/her command and so on.  The incoming commander typically gets a few minutes.  It’s meant to symbolize everything the incoming commander has yet to learn about the organization and command.  While I’d been the Director of Operations (the #2 guy) for the unit for the previous seven months, I kept my speech dutifully short.  All I really said was that the unit knew exactly what it was doing, that my job was to give them the resources and room they needed to keep succeeding, and that I was honored and privileged to serve them as their commander.  That every day I would challenge myself to be the leader they deserved.  Afterward my Group Commander took me aside.  He’d wanted to spend about an hour or so laying out his expectations for me as a leader.  He concluded that I “got it” and that the talk wasn’t necessary.  
 
To serve as commander or to serve as a leader, a manager, a boss, a supervisor…  Again, what does that really mean?  Christian theology tells of Christ washing others’ feet, of breaking bread and pouring wine at the Last Supper.  Here’s the picture of the Son of God—God incarnate—humbling himself to the most menial tasks in the service of others, culminating in his death for the sin of all mankind.  Now you needn’t subscribe to Christianity to recognize that this story of servant leadership has had a profound impact on all of Western society…and yet how often do we ignore it in our own applications?  How often do we see leaders expecting others to serve them?  Effective leadership is the reverse.  Effective leadership is equipping your team with tools, resources, and motivation for success, and then getting the hell out of their way.
 
In practical application it looks like this.  As a leader, my needs are the needs of the organization.  My wants are for the success of the organization.  When a team member brings me a problem, that’s now my problem.  When the team succeeds, it’s because the team members succeeded.  When the team fails, I own that failure.  Accolades are pushed all the way down to the individual.  Blame is shared up-channel, not for the purposes of punishment but for introspection and improvement.  Now sure, I had to dispense discipline along the way.  I even had to kick a few people out.  But that’s still serving the common good.  Mistakes are forgivable…crimes are not.  Overall, though, “nice guys” are also not typically effective leaders because serving the organization also means accountability; holding yourself and your teammates accountable to the standards of conduct and performance.  People generally are happier in a workplace where standards are clearly articulated and enforced.  Enforced with compassion to be sure, though…every disciplinary process should be taken on its own merit and with awareness of circumstance and purpose of correcting behavior if possible.  In the military this could mean reduction in rank, suspension of pay, even prison time, whereas in the civilian world the stakes are different; typically related to pay and/or termination of employment.  Nevertheless, part of serving as a leader is a willingness—however reluctantly—to do the unpopular and unpleasant thing for the good of the organization.
 
On the other side of that coin, though, the servant leader spends more of his or her time writing evaluations and awards for his or her people and putting people in for promotions or bonuses they’ve earned.  This means taking time to make sure their people get the recognition they deserve.  An effective leader will even push recognition his or her own individual achievements down-channel since, after all, nothing they accomplish as a leader is done without their team.  As much as I didn’t relish having to discharge my disciplinary role as a leader, it was more than eclipsed by the joy of helping my people get promoted, win awards, get choice assignments, or even get sent to Officer Training School.  None of those things came without mountains of paperwork, but it’s joyful work when it’s in the service of others.
 
One Friday afternoon my squadron was cleaning up the workspace as they did every Friday afternoon.  I noticed the vacuum cleaner temporarily unattended and grabbed it.  The main workspace had already been vacuumed so I was too late for that, but I figured at least I could vacuum the command section.  As I turned, I felt something—someone—pulling on the vacuum cleaner.  “I got it, sir,” said Senior Airman Jamison.  “You shouldn’t have to clean up.”  “I helped make the mess,” I said.  “I know I don’t have to, but I want to.”  My last conference call of the day was over, I was caught up on paperwork, and honestly all I wanted that afternoon was to be among my team, working with them instead of squirreled away in a back office.  SrA Jamison would have none of it, and short of me ordering her to hand me the vacuum, I made a deal with her that I would at least vacuum my office and take out my own trash.  She seemed uncomfortable with that idea at first but then warmed up to it.  Later she and her teammates would adjust to see me helping set up radar masts and tactical weather observing systems as my time allowed. 
 
My role of course was not one of housekeeper.  Throughout my career I took double shifts or shifts on holidays to free up my younger troops, driven my own HMMWV in convoy because I was the most rested of the crew, or even taken more dangerous missions so my troops didn’t have to.  My service to the squadron as its commander was much more along the lines of fighting for limited budget money, equipment, training time, and the like.  Flying top cover for them and defending against arbitrary and unworkable taskings.  Ensuring their professional development needs were provided for and that we were developing and executing an effective front-line supervisor training program.  That we were meeting our wartime taskings and that combat training was happening in a timely manner.  My unit was the most deployed of the eight squadrons in Air Force Weather Agency at the time and at any given time, anywhere from a quarter to half the squadron was in harm’s way.  Most of my teams were “outside the wire” for long stretches, often temporarily embedded with Army and Special Forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other places I’m still not allowed to list here.  Their safety weighed heavily on my heart and mind each night at bedtime.  Never did I conflate their service with my own…my role was as their advocate.
 
Service before self.  Seems like a simple concept.  We think of the lone soldier storming the machine gun nest to save his squad…or the crew of the Spirit 03 AC-130 mission (look that one up).  The reality is, though, that you can exercise this every day.  It’s not about being the last car out of the parking lot or giving up your sanity for your boss.  All it really means is that your professional needs should always reflect the needs of the organization.  Only when your responsibility to the organization is met do you consider your individual wants and needs.  Could you imagine if Congress functioned that way?
 
I’ve been using the word “organization” quite a bit so maybe that’s worth defining as well.  In the context I’m using, an organization really has two pieces: the people and the mission.  Every organization has a mission.  It may be making the best darned 69-cent tacos a fistful of pocket change can buy, or it may be launching nuclear-tipped ICBMs over the North Pole.  Whatever your team is expected to accomplish is its mission.  But the mission can’t happen without people to accomplish it.  In this way they’re inseparable.  In a perfect world there’s no conflict between the people and the mission in an organization, but if 2020 has shown us anything, it ain’t a perfect world.  So…do you—as a leader—serve the people or serve the mission?  Yes.  Okay, then which one is more important?  Both.  No one said this would be easy.  That’s what makes leadership so hard.
 
In the end, if your example of service before self has been effective, your people should begin to emulate that behavior too.  That may mean giving up a weekend here or missing an opportunity there, but rarely outside of military or first responder work does it mean imminent physical danger.  If you’ve done your job in effectively articulating expectations and the importance of the mission while being a visible, living example of what that looks like, your people should be willing to do the same.  Unfortunately, not everyone will.  Then it’s up to you to determine whether that person could benefit from constructive criticism or a new career.  But effective discipline is a whole other subject perhaps saved for another article.
 
I don’t claim to be a good leader.  I’ve offered examples of how I’ve emulated effective—which in my mind really means servant—leadership only for illustration.  I’m retired from the military now and my leadership role is no longer professional…it’s personal.  I’m a father to two amazing young men, and I hope I’ve provided them a solid example to follow.  To be an effective parent is to be a servant leader.  How else can you describe it?  Parenthood is sacrifice, is putting the needs of your children before your own, and is intrinsically rewarding.  If you’re a parent, I challenge you to think about how you lead your family and what attributes of parenthood can transfer over to work.  No, don’t treat your employees like children!  But do make sure they have all the resources they need to succeed.  And whether it looks like serving them food at the Thanksgiving potluck in the break room or withholding your own advancement to give a deserving employee a break, let them see you care through your actions.  Make their problems your problems and help equip them solve them.  On this, retired General Colin Powell said it best: "The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership."
 
I was blessed to be entrusted with the command of America’s best at several echelons.  I never took that role for granted, nor did I ever conclude that I was owed that honor.  Every day I challenged myself to measure up.  If you find yourself in a leadership role, I also challenge you to measure up.  I hope you recognize it as the privilege it is…not a right or a reward.  To be a leader is to be called to serve others.  I hope if nothing else you’ll agree with me that we could use a little more servant leadership in America today.

On the 4th of July, in the United States of America, we honor our Declaration of Independence. Its most well-known passage is the foundation upon which the colonists’ grievances were justified; a bold declaration of human rights:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."

The document was written in whole by Thomas Jefferson, then mildly edited by the rest of the "Committee of Five" that was tasked with the undertaking: Jefferson's famous rival and friend, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. These men did this in anticipation that a resolution to secede from Great Britain might pass a far less eager "Committee of the Whole." Here, you can read the original document those men drafted, and the extensive changes that greater body insisted upon as conditions for signing on for the project. It's fascinating.

One of our favorite books is "Plain Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution" by Richard Beeman. It opens with the later story of the “Newburg Conspiracy,” how General George Washington talked down from rebellion  Revolutionary soldiers whom our young country, united under the Articles of Confederation, was failing to pay. He then promptly used his own influence to make sure that debt was at least partially met before embarking on a well-earned retirement. As the weak government continued to fail to raise taxes, extreme fiscal restraint in Massachusetts led farmers to Shay’s Rebellion and Henry Knox to report that these struggling citizens “were determined to annihilate all debts public and private.” To requests that he again intercede, Washington responded that his personal influence had met its limit and systemic change was required.

Lacking an ability to secure central resources, a private army was finally raised to quell Shay’s rebellion. As challenges compounded, including major interstate commerce issues and inability to repay foreign loans, the weak government continued to lack quorum. Increasingly alarmed delegates who did gather, numbering twelve delegates from five of the thirteen states, determined to make change. Though they sold the Convention as something far more modest to gain approval – and were limited by further restrictions made by those who grudgingly gave it -- their intent was nothing short of a second revolution.  At the continued behest of these artful delegates, Washington agreed to leave his well-earned rest, overcome increasing physical challenges, and put his own feelings aside to preside in a notably objective fashion over the Philadelphia Convention.

The book details the extraordinary process that ensued, fueled considerably by ideas offered by the young federalist James Madison, and tempered mightily by the sharply differing interests of varied colonies and their representatives.

The preamble of the resulting document states that "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Thus, our Nation was framed, as much as an ongoing process as an end unto itself. It should be noted that although Madison ultimately drafted them, the Anti-Federalists are the ones to thank for the addition of our Bill of Rights, particularly one non-signer of the Constitution, George Mason, who had drafted the Virginia Declaration of Rights. He was never fully satisfied that these provisions, including the added 11th Amendment were sufficient to protect state and individual liberties in the new system. Still, the efforts did much to reconcile our country's diverse interests, to guard against extremes with checks and balances, and to provide recourse in the event of a despot. Still, the procession continues, hopefully enduring toward a more perfect union.

The 2018 removal of Laura Ingalls Wilder's name from the Award her works first inspired illustrates the continuing challenges in reconciling our history of boldly moving forward, with our history of failing to also honor the humanity of indigenous populations, African Americans and others. It's an interesting example as, while the criticism dates back to 1952, two years prior to the initial awarding of the honor, some would argue that the action belies a more complicated, honest and ultimately progressive reality that Wilder portrayed for those times. We are grateful the American Library Association insists that these books should still be read as we believe that, if we are going to move forward in a healthy way, then it is important that we endeavor to more fully understand where those before us were coming from….for better and for worse.

Despite his passionate words against the practice in the original draft of the Declaration, Jefferson never freed his slaves (though Washington did). Worse, it took nearly 100 years for his original plea against slavery to be fulfilled by Abraham Lincoln, shortly before Wilder was born. Lincoln was, indeed, deeply concerned about the morality of slavery, as well as the awful puzzle of how best to overcome it. Although he was himself far less radical, and famously prioritized preserving the Union, he respected and learned much from Frederick Douglass, the self-taught, self-freed, self-made, exceptionally eloquent and outspoken man who was a major force for antislavery and did much to challenge and move the President’s thinking. It’s fascinating to consider how Reconstruction might have proceeded had Lincoln not been shot. As it went, although Douglass continued to have influence, it was another century before the Civil Rights Movement achieved more complete realization of rights for Black people.

Regarding women, back at the beginning Abigail Adams urged husband John “to remember the ladies." Still, the Suffragettes didn’t win a national right to vote until 1920. It finally began to be legal to be LGBTQ in the second half of the 20th century when the raid of the Stonewall Inn prompted riots and, ultimately, the massive Christopher Street Liberation known today as the Pride Parade.

All of these groups, and more, continue to vie for a more fully vested place in “a more perfect union.” Make no mistake, though, from the likely gay General Wilhelm von Steuben who served under George Washington, to the extraordinary slave named Paul Jennings whose rescue of Washington’s portrait was among the least of his accomplishments, to Abigail Adams who consorted closely with and some would consider to be herself one of the founders of our Nation, to Navajo Code Talkers, to endless waves of immigrants yearning to be free dating all the way back as far as we will look…we are all “Real Americans.”

While each group, starting with white men, found themselves struggling to achieve a more just Nation, we are all Americans. Our endeavors to move toward full realization of those “unalienable rights” is as fundamental an activity as our Nation has to offer. Invariably, our individual successes have involved support that defies any boundary of race, creed, or kind. While history teaches us that moral and ethical shortcomings cause lasting harm and have a nasty way of reverberating, it also shows that multitudes are committed to learning and healing. Despite occasional regression and deep, complex challenges, their endeavors have kept us generally moving forward.

As we witness the roiling sea of humanity that is US, we are reminded that freedom isn’t free; that this holds true not only for the soldier who sacrifices his freedom for ours, but for all who would enjoy those liberties. We see the truth that, while those who hold great privilege also have great responsibility, the greatest among us remain human after all and, sometimes, the “least” among us hold power beyond fathom. We lament that human nature is a funny thing that remains a fickle constant whether we think it should or not; something we must accept as we endeavor to reconcile with changes coming fast enough to challenge our most flexible and eager for progress. We realize that, much as we’d like to take refuge in the varied clans of comfort that comprise our motley tribe of United States, the pragmatism summed up in the revolutionary Benjamin Franklin’s famous caveat was wise, “United We Stand, Divided We Fall.”

We see that our fates are inextricably entwined, and that to cease to create something better seems to mean being complicit in something far less. At the same time, we also note that failing to forgive ourselves and others with some grace risks us embodying the very chains we wish to shed. We come to a sense that the American Experiment is an ongoing endeavor that requires…a lot…if we are simply to maintain, let alone rise to more closely approach our most noble ideals.

And so, on this day we consider to be one of lights in the face of darkness, we offer encouragement and gratitude to those who carry forth the best from our past, including a lot of lessons, as well as to all who endeavor in good faith to make things a bit better than they might have been before. To invoke another distinctly American enterprise, we offer this blessing:

“May the force be with you.”

Obviously, we are very white and have our own point of view. The black community itself is far from a monolith in its thinking. We encourage you to read, listen and think for yourself. Here are some good resources to get started…

From Docplay: 10 Documentaries to Watch About Race Instead of Asking a Person of Colour”
From The Root: These 28 Brilliant Books by Black Authors Are the Standouts in What Was a Stellar Year in Black Literature
From PBS: 10 Black Authors Everyone Should Read
From Forbes: First Listen, Then Learn: Anti-Racism Resources for White People

ERASE Racism: Founded on Long Island and now expanding regionally, Erase Racism’s mission is to expose forms of racial discrimination, advocate for laws and policies that eliminate racial disparities, increase understanding of how structural racism and segregation impact our communities and region, and engage the public in fostering equity and inclusion. Their vision is transformed, integrated communities in which no person’s access to opportunity is limited by race or ethnicity.

BTW…here is a good piece from WNYC’s “All of That” which gives guidance on protesting safely.

Here, for what it’s worth, is our offering…

Our hearts break and our minds race at what is happening in our Nation: To witness our longest simmering disease now raging in a fever that renders the viral pandemic that’s been all we could think about, all but forgotten. We are mindful that this is THIS, singular in its twisted trauma. Still, we are also mindful that the plague of hate and contempt of fellow man is not limited to sanctioned targets; that this disease does not exist in isolation; that we are all in this together.

The call to heal is great.

It is our heartfelt prayer, our hope beyond hope, that maybe this fever is finally hot enough to burn out this cancer and send it into miraculous remission; that together, we will somehow finally find a way to effect the change and deeper healing required to overcome the scourge of black slavery and racism, their overt and insidious ramifications, the deep wounds and outright killing that have plagued our nation since its inception.

In thinking about this, we are reminded of US News Beat, founded by Long Island publisher Jed Morey, which brings together gifted artists, journalists and insightful others to examine social justice and civil liberties issues. From their first analysis of "Why We Riot," an examination of the events of the late 60s that rocked black communities across the USA, to their proposal of "Solutions," which explores the centuries old concept of restorative justice, they have recently compiled a number of their thought provoking episodes to offer an Audio Guide to Civil Unrest in America: Where We Are, How We Got Here, How We Can Fix It.

This, in turn, reminds us of ”The Other America,” a speech by The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. where he explains that "riot is the language of the unheard" and endeavors to reconcile his philosophy of non-violence with his deep understanding of why it's hard. He concludes fairly quickly that his approach is still the best answer and greatest hope; that "the time is always ripe to do right," but that we must all understand that "the Negro cannot solve the problems himself."

While those who have been so deeply harmed must first be deeply listened to; while their overcoming requires their empowerment and agency, we must all be part of the solution.

What King and so many others have patiently, persistently tried to explain matters. His words strike even deeper when we remember that this epitome of wisdom and grace was Martyred...as was the Christ he followed...over a half century ago; that while so much has happened since, so much remains the same, too often insidiously so...and too much lately seems headed backward.

We think of James Baldwin and his profound conversation in 1970 with Margaret Meade, of his I Am Not Your Negro from 1979, and of his imploring question in 1989: “How much time do you want for your progress?”

Here we are now, 31 years later faced with the horror that befell George Floyd. and the news that this was far from the first time that officer had raised concern. We didn't need reminding that this isn't the first time in more recent memory people have grieved a breathless, repeated unarmed plea. We still haven't even begun to process what happened to Armaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. We know these are only those who have made headlines and fear something else worthy of our attention has slipped by…

And now, the riots. We do not condone violence. Two wrongs don't make a right. Even more, we firmly believe Jesus, Buddah, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi and others really were on to something powerfully good. This is not just some placating, impotent way of making things comfortable. It’s the only thing we know of that really seems to work: Love and Truth hand in hand, delivered with humble grace and determined faith...It’s the only way we know to escape vicious cycles; the only way to overcome overwhelming force.

And yet, we are privileged. We have the luxury to muse and moralize, to indulge in lofty perspective, and to treat oppression as an intellectual puzzle. Even in that, we have little answer to the question -- "What must folks do to be heard? How long must we wait for change?"

Howevermuch we endeavor to fully empathize, we will never be a black man. A black woman. A black child. We can only ever imagine the intense frustration; the heart, gut, and mind wrenching pain. We know how exhausted, excruciated, and enflamed we feel. We see how enraged some of the kindest most patient people we know are…and…in comparison we have hardly been tested…

If I'm ready to explode, what could I possibly ask of someone who is actually being set fire?

We don’t really know what to say or do. We are reminded that white folk like us have a history of either not saying enough or saying too much that's wrong, and yet, who are we to feel so paralyzed? Damnit, we have to DO something!

Despite deep seated belief that violence is hardly a good solution and fear for all involved, especially now, it is beyond hard to condemn the frustrated, exhausted, excruciatingly pained, fearfully wronged. We do not want to stifle any potential progress, and yet are concerned by the numbers who empathize with the rage but maybe shouldn’t be doing quite so much to fan its flames. We realize that, while we're all entwined, whatever comes of that will hit those already suffering the hardest. We see too many who seem so eager to exploit this moment and use the stoked rage to sow discord, muddy waters, establish dominance and convince themselves anew of their superiority. What do we do?

We watch and learn something profound: Despite our own sleepless consternation, in stark relief to all the provocation reinforced by would-be allies and smugly, systematically stoked by those of worse intent -- despite and along with the honest outbreaks of utter anguish, base opportunism and foolish games – something remarkable endures:

A Patience and Grace, which so often has gone beyond being "undeserved" to being brutally punished and thus almost hard to understand as reasonable…endures…

We have long been inspired by the determined, transcending grace of Maya Angelou. We are reminded of how Colin Kaepernick getting down on his knee was actually decided after a conversation with a Green Beret in the autumn of 2016; how it was a thoughtful attempt to follow his conscience and still be respectful to those who cherish the flag and yet still got its message so coopted people hardly seemed to register that point at all.

We are amazed at how a bare few days ago, we saw Christian Cooper standing up for the woman who would have ruined his life.  In image after image of these protests we are seeing incredible Patience and Grace in the face of incredible provocation. We are seeing black people sometimes desperately pleading against the actions of violent, vandalous provocateurs. We see black folks stand to protect officers from the crowd. We see those with the most reason to lose it advising fired up white folks to chill.

While others – often quite powerful others, and shadow armies of uncertain origins – are doing so much to fan the flames, with so few even daring to suggest that violence should not be an option; while so many otherwise peace-minded people are conceding, even, that perhaps violence is now THE option, we see the family of George Floyd appeal for peace. 

While rumors swirl and local officials monitor threats,  much of which seem to come from outside agitators, protest and other community leaders have so far managed to keep things peaceful on Long Island, even as they demand justice. They do this in the face of hatred not only from brutal strangers, but from people they had thought of as their neighbors. One local restaurant owner posted a video calling those protesting for positive change -- including children --  "savages" and "animals" and threatened to throw watermelon at them, As that man boarded up his restaurant, community members came together to peacefully protest at his door. Many others dropped off donations of fruit emblazoned with messages of anti-racism that are now being donated to local food pantries. Several local officials joined them. Another restaurant dropped off pizza in their own way of showing solidarity.

We see Barack Obama advising that “if we want our criminal justice system, and American society at large to operate on a higher ethical code, then we have to model that code ourselves.” We hear the Rev. Dr. William Barber, who lives to carry forth the legacy of the Rev. Dr. King, who laments ills so much deeper and entwined than the graphic atrocities tell us that, “we are not screwed as long as we have the consciousness and humanity to know what is right and wrong…we can be wound healers. We don’t have to be arbitrarily destructive…we have learned there is a force more powerful.”

While we feel it in our hearts that the Black community should not be asked to somehow repair the ills pressed upon them alone, we remain humbled, grateful and awed by the leadership so many among them are offering. We are honored and privileged to stand behind them.

We recognize it as a gift of hope beyond hope that so many people who have been so tested by fire continue to somehow rise like a Phoenix from these tear stained ashes to be extraordinary forces for truth, love, forgiveness and faith.

It brings us to our knees in humbled awe and gratitude…and it happens more often than we think most people realize. We pray our own existence serves somehow to help more than to harm...
                                                                         ...........................………
As we reflect on all of this, we remember a Long Island Business News Op-Ed by Frederick Brewington that was published a million years ago on May 20th, five days before the most recent horrors hit the world stage, when we were only being traumatized by a global pandemic. In that piece he reminded us how deep the disparities are, and how rendered into stark relief they are by the virus.

A black civil rights attorney himself, Brewington did not focus exclusively on the plight of racism he must live every day. His hopes and heart are bigger than that.

One quote stands out: ”What these past 50 days have laid at our feet is the true opportunity to demonstrate our faith and compassion through our deeds and our commitment to help bring joy and security into the lives of those who continue to have the boot of oppression firmly pressed against their necks.”

Five days later, a knee pressed firmly against a pleading black man’s neck brought the weight of oppression down on all of us. Still, like the other leaders, while he resonates with the pain, Brewington remains committed to the idea that the winning battles will be peaceful and constructive.

As the whole world breaks quarantine, surging to respond, we echo Brewington’s hope and prayer that perhaps in response to the pandemic, and to this older, deeper plague, we will finally stand together to impact change; that we will “rededicate ourselves to acts that will tear down the walls of separation, fight the weapons of bias and reject the other barriers that have so concentrated pain and suffering on some, more than others.”

We will give it our best. We pray that he is right: “We can do this!”

By Trudy Fitzsimmons and Craig Rider

The Early History of the Huntington Township Chamber Foundation:
Leadership Huntington was founded by members of the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce. Longtime Board Member. Ken Christensen attributes the very beginning of any mention of a leadership program to Dick Bornstein a fellow chamber board member. Dick traveled to a national chamber training program every year. He brought home news of a leadership program he thought they should consider. No one took up the idea until sometime later, although The Chamber did run a one-time program called “Practical Politics.”

At that time, The Chamber’s board included a number of members who were passionate about serving the community. One big idea they had was to start a childcare center. In order to do this and other things, they needed a mechanism by which they could accept donations, essentially a 501(c)3. So, the Chamber created “The Chamber Foundation.” It was chaired by Libby Hubbard, assisted by Ken Christensen, Jill Tane and others. While Libby was forming the foundation, Dick Bornstein suggested applying for a state grant to help get the childcare center started. The grant application needed a total list of everything a child care center would need to start operation and a budget.. Libby contacted Katie Roach, a local child care center owner, who was able to give them all the details for the grant in very short order. That contributed to the success of the grant.

With receipt of the grant the Foundation hired an Executive Director, Dianne Parker, to put together this child care center, as well as a health care facility for the community and other work. At that time Arthur Goldstein, a local attorney was the Chamber Board President. For the Health care facility Arthur and Dianne were looking at a warehouse on Pulaski Road used by Huntington Hospital for storage. Long story short, Arthur negotiated a variance for a bathroom which helped make the space suitable.  He was so successful in selling the idea that, next thing you know, they were ordering an MRI machine. He also found a state grant and county money to move this along, and convinced two people from Huntington Hospital to be on the new health care facility’s Board of Directors. This is how what is now known as the “Northwell Health Dolan Family Health Center” came to be. 

To say Arthur was a catalyst for good is an understatement. I wish I had more interaction with him. What a wonderful human.

The Power of Community Trustees
This group of people, some whose names I have mentioned, some I haven’t and never met, had a vision for their community. These people were and are Servant Leaders, or Community Trustees.
By that I mean they took seriously the notion that community leadership is:

• Fundamentally an act of service to the common good
• About first endeavoring in cooperation with others to understand the big picture, the components and how they work together
• About then empowering those served to envision their preferred future, and to realize their own unique roles in achieving it.

This approach reflects a life-transforming attitude for both the individuals and communities that embrace it. With the advent of the over 1000 Community Leadership programs it has inspired, it has strengthened and transformed communities nationwide by encouraging lifelong learning across interests and perspectives, and by actively strengthening relationships throughout communities.

Community Trusteeship has changed attitudes and helped participants become more effective local leaders. By focusing on exploring the deepest values of participants, it improves both sense of self and empathy for others. It advances clarity of purpose, deepening and broadening awareness, respect for diversity on multiple levels, and both the desire and ability to serve the community for the common good.

The phrase “Community Trusteeship” identifies a key ingredient that is fundamental to a healthy community, and is too often lacking today: TRUST.

Greed, dishonesty, divisiveness, corruption, and acting exclusively in one’s own self-interest without regard to others destroys trust. Even without theses being actively perpetrated, lack of human connection fosters disbelief, skepticism, and suspicion. Lack of trust destroys relationships, undermines institutions and makes it difficult if not impossible to bring about effective solutions and public goods.

Trust requires honesty, mutual understanding, faith, predictability, and integrity. Earning trust is an act of the heart. Giving trust is an offering of vulnerability in good faith that it will be honored. When demonstrated by individuals who act in an unselfish manner to consider each other’s interests as fundamental to their own, it is a powerful benefit to society.

Community leaders who hold their communities in trust model commitment and caring competence. They recognize that each of our self interests is bound up in the health and well being of the whole. In this, Trustees provide deep service and leadership to individuals and organizations. At the same time, they empower the development of these people and organizations who comprise the communities they serve.

Community Trusteeship is an act of caring commitment that transcends narrow self interest to serve the whole community; taking responsibility for and acting on behalf of the common good, and endeavoring to help individual interests find a healthy place as part of the whole.

The concept reminds us that leadership is not about us; that our communities are complex organizations that existed before us and will continue long after we have moved on. It honors those who came before, endeavoring to understand their triumphs and tribulations, and the issues overcome and still before us. It recognizes the contributions that created and preserved the amenities we value today. It recognizes our duty to protect and enhance these resources effectively holding them in trust for those who will follow.

Community Trusteeship is more about personal commitment than specific skills, even as its execution is much about identifying strengths and then coordinating and putting them to good use. In this, it is at least as much about interaction as it is about individual action; a commitment to continued learning, relationship development, and endeavoring in service to the whole.  

I am grateful that those who formed the Huntington Chamber Foundation and participated in all its good works took these concepts to heart. I hope that you will, too.

     It was his passion for the arts, his appreciation for teachers, and his firm belief grounded in personal experience that the arts are fundamental to a good education that first led us to be intrigued by Roger Tilles. He has seen that children in struggling schools blessed enough to have an exceptionally committed educator can succeed in many ways. He has felt it himself as a product of the Great Neck public schools.

If you ask, he will tell you that a third grade teacher is a primary reason and focus for his and his siblings having music make a substantial difference in their lives, “In no small way was this great teacher, never knowing what the results of his efforts would be, just doing what he loved and doing it well, responsible for there being the Tilles Center. Teachers never know the result of their efforts but they can change the world.”

Roger Tilles boasts a rich resume that includes a law practice, and serving as Director of Tilles Investment Companies. He has taught at the University level, and been involved in one way or another with government for decades. He is possibly even better known for his dedication to philanthropy as the founder and/or Chair of diverse organizations, including the Long Island Arts Alliance, Association for a Better Long Island, the Long Island Regional Planning Board, the Long Island Association, WNET/WLIW Public Television, Long Island Philharmonic, Tempel Beth-El of Great Neck, and multiple interfaith projects most notably “Project Understanding” with the late Monsignor Tom Hartman.

When we sat down with Tilles in December of 2019 the current situation, while already manifesting, had hardly begun to register on Long Island. He started out daydreaming about wonderful places where he could retire and then announced he won’t do it, at least not yet. He’s got unfinished work as Regent for the Tenth Judicial District of the New York State Education Department, where he has served since 2005.

This work has often been a frustrating, uphill battle, but he’s a passionate, committed advocate.  He’s grateful for local administrators whom he sees as truly dedicated to education, such Robert Dillon of Nassau BOCES, William Johnson of Rockville Center, Thomas Rogers of Syosset Schools, Lorna Lewis of Plainview-Old Bethpage, and Jack Bierworth of Herricks and Hempstead, with whom he has consulted regularly for 15 years

Now, COVID-19 has caused everything to shift dramatically. There’s an in depth interview here, conducted by Newsday Columnist and Editorial Writer Lane Filler of Newsday with The Hon. Roger Tilles and Dr. Thomas Rogers, Superintendent of Syosset School District. Another insightful conversation was led by News12's Elizabeth Hashagen. It included TIlles and nationally renowned educator and activist, Nicholas Ferroni: 

Much remains murky, and while some systems like Syosset are better equipped to plan ahead for multiple possible circumstances, even the best districts on Long Island are gravely challenged. What does seem clear, is that the issues Tilles spoke of a million years ago last December remain relevant, perhaps even moreso than they were back then…

A Looming Teacher Shortage
When we sat down with him in late 2019, the most important thing Tilles wanted us to know is that there is a pressing, critical need for teachers. Over 100,000 are projected to retire within the next 5 years. At the same time, enrollment in schools of education is down 40% due to, among other reasons, the loss of morale from the disastrous roll out of the Common Core. State and Federal support is insufficient.

He shakes his head, “The implementation of common core was so discouraging …what they really need is to let educators be educators.”

Tilles then goes on to talk about how he thinks Regents and other tests distract from important things we ought to be teaching: How to live a healthy and fulfilling life, financial literacy, problem solving, information literacy, civic engagement. He agrees that math and science are important but will also insist: So are the Arts and Humanities.

He is determined to stay in the system until legislation cements those aspects of learning into the curriculum
 
Funding Challenges
We spend a little bit of time talking about the challenges inherent in funding our schools, the problem of excruciatingly high property taxes and how 2% tax caps do so much harm to our schools while doing so little to address the real problems inherent in the system. We touch on a much more deeply researched, nuanced approach to addressing the school funding issue that had been promised but was abandoned by New York State when the Great Recession demanded budget cuts.

When we say the words “Unfunded Mandates” he bristles.

“Many want those who have little opportunity to even decrease their chances of success.”  Like any good businessman, Tilles agrees that reviewing policies to reduce waste is important. As a man with decades of experience in public service, he is well aware that the system requires a lot of revision to be healthy, and is painfully aware of the shameful things that happen when people have corrupt motivations, a lack of understanding, or simply seem to know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

“The testing regime is a problem. It wastes tremendous financial and human resources on all the preparing and grading, and quite frankly undermines actual teaching. Those who demanded this suffered at the polls thanks to the Opt-out movement.”

He blames no particular party, “Bush started it. Obama doubled down. Cuomo and Republicans passed legislation together. It’s a bi-partisan nightmare.”

Still, Tilles is deeply concerned that too many people use the phrase, “Unfunded Mandates” as an excuse to devalue special education, teachers, and the arts, “I chaired a special education review of mandates. We went through 130 of these so-called ‘unfunded-mandates.’ Of those, four seemed questionable. Upon further review, only one was deemed unnecessary.”

This doesn’t mean his thinks the systems are perfect. “Unfunded mandates” and “Accountability” are charged words that don’t reflect reality.
 
And Worse…
Tilles has been a direct target of this, moving to another topic, where his choice of words in the past have led some to accuse him of racism.

Like every human, Tilles can’t prove the purity of his heart. We he did offer was this: “The organization Erase Racism is honoring me at their upcoming Spring Gala at the Garden City Hotel [now scheduled for November]. As a Regent, I have to be very careful about conflicts of interest. I can’t solicit funds. I told them that. Even so, they said they want to honor me anyway. That’s quite an honor.”

We agree – It’s very hard to imagine that if the Board of Directors of that particular organization didn’t think Roger TIlles was part of the solution, much less that he was part of the problem, they wouldn’t do that.

We won’t get into the particular choice of words that sparked the controversy. He’s found better ones to express his studied opinion of the leadership of the Hempstead/Wyandanch school district:

“Corrupt Sinkhole.”

He will further explain that the blame goes much further than the particular district. As former Chair of the LI Regional Planning Board, he saw that the train of events that led to this situation was easy to discover: Long ago, zoning was deliberately drawn on economic lines circumscribing the highest unemployment areas. Not only did this put the district itself at an inherent disadvantage to its neighbors, it, among other factors, demoralized those within it, empowered those who would take advantage of the situation, and generally invited poor behavior.

School Board Members were elected based on their willingness to hire family members and friends, and to pay them outsized wages, “The kids came second.”

Tilles notes that one of the biggest priorities in education in NYS is local control: Democracy. He agrees with this. Still, he firmly believes that in certain cases there should be mechanisms to supercede local control. He is happy to report that recently a bill has been signed by the governor to appoint monitors in those districts.

He offers his review of another situation, Roosevelt: “They had a State takeover. For five to six years there was no improvement. The State is in no way qualified to run a school, but it still worked. Eventually, the community got fed up and elected good governance. There were 90% state funded capital improvements. They basically replaced every school and inched up.”
 
Getting to the Roots of the Problems
Tilles believes deeply that public oversight and intervention is required to deal with acute corruption within these districts. Still, as he learned looking at the history, there are broader driving factors. The whole mess is, in fact, a product of long-ago established systems that are racist, classist, corrupt recipes for ongoing disaster.

While the socio-economic status of the individual residents has an impact, it’s not the only thing driving disparity, “The tax revenue in these challenged areas is based more on personal income than other areas, simply because there are so few commercial properties. In Great Neck, 35% of the school taxes are paid for by retail and offices. In Roosevelt, less than 5% are.“

He goes deeper, “Nassau is the only county in the state where the county often assesses property taxes too high. This fuels tax attorneys who engage in multi-year appeals, knowing they will get some reduction and money will have to be given back.  That money then comes back from the County and not the school district that spent it. So, basically, the people of Roosevelt end up helping to pay Great Neck’s refund.”

Those that benefit from this system are not going to allow changes to it.
 
THE POWER OF ART AND SOMEONE WHO CARES
This is my 16th year as a Regent. You know how I get paid? I get to go to elementary schools four or five times per month. I read them poems. I’ve visited about 100 districts, spending a half hour at a time with the 3rd or 4th grade class.”

“I learned something very quickly: In my first school visit to Central Islip, I went to read poems to the 3rd and 4th grade. When I asked, all raised their hands that they were excited and want to go to college. The kids were smart and enthusiastic. They got the meanings. They memorized. They interacted. Then I visited them in 9th grade….you can’t believe these are the same kids. Out of 30 or so, a half dozen planned to graduate. Two planned to go to a local college.

What happens between 4th and 9th grade? They don’t have someone to mentor them, to guide them in choosing courses and figuring out what direction to take. Overall there are few positive role models and lots of gangs filling the void.”

He reflects again on the disparity: “In Great Neck, there is a far greater ratio of counselors to students than in Central Islip.”

He talks about how the teachers from elementary to middle school seem to lose faith, too. How discouraging and hopeless it all seems….and then…his eyes light up…

“As I was leaving Central Islip High School, I heard a choir. I love music, so I stuck my head in….I figured it must be a college choir. It turns out it is 20 high school kids singing their hearts out getting ready to perform in Salzburg, Austria, for the Mozart Bicentennial!

They are SOOOOO GOOD!!!”

He stuck around. Finally, they noticed and invited him in, “I asked how many planned to graduate. Every hand went up. Half are planning on college!”

I ask, “Why you and not your peers?”

A girl answers, ‘We LOVE music. The choir teacher says we can’t stay unless we do our work. He calls us once per week to keep up on us.’

THIS IS THE POWER OF MUSIC, OF ART, OF SOMEONE WHO CARES!”
 
Still, the Corruption
We’ve mentioned Dale Lewis and his passion for arts education before. Someday we will profile him directly. Roger, in fact, was the first person to recommend we do so. Dale is amazing. Dale loves to work with kids and has volunteers ready to help. He is able and willing at times to basically bring music programs to schools for free.

On at least one occasion, according to Tilles, he seems to have run into opposition because an administrator wasn’t in charge of the program. Other stories Roger shares involve opportunities to be involved in major regional programs, worth $3-$400,000 that administrators pulled out of for similar reasons.

He is intensely frustrated at the lack of attention to these and other actions that he asserts, quite frankly, are almost criminal and hurt our children and taxpayers.
 
Endeavors Beyond the Formal Education System
Among Roger TIlles’ extracurricular activities is the Long Island Arts Alliance (https://longislandartsalliance.org/). The mission there is to serve as “an alliance of and for the region’s not-for-profit arts, cultural and arts education organizations. LIAA promotes awareness of and participation in Long Island’s world-class arts and cultural institutions. Formed in 2003, LIAA offers leadership and diverse support services to arts organizations, serves as an advocate for arts education in our schools and collaborates on strategies for economic development and community revitalization.”

It’s not easy to get organizations who are generally competing over insufficient funds to work together. Tilles wonders if part of the challenge on Long Island is that, while some places have some sense of this, historically Long Island as a whole is not known for its loyalty to community.
“It was a delicate situation,” reflects Tilles, “We had to be very careful. It’s an endeavor to get those in the arts community to work together, but they didn’t want us to cannibalize the limited funding for the arts.”

The LIAA endeavored to foster collaboration, but were met with resentment, so they changed the model and did no fundraising. For 3-4 years there were grants from NYS and others for tourism and such, but it was impossible not to lose money. The whole effort appeared to be a losing proposition.

Then they found something folks could agree to get behind: The Arts Map

The collaborative map concept works,” says Tilles, talking about this map of Long Island that pinpoints arts and cultural organizations and offers targeted advertising that they then distribute from Penn Station to Montauk Point, “The budget is tiny and the map self-sustains.”

The LIAA also prepares education and management forums. They are very careful not to do anything that infringes on the art funding pool, nor to set up anything that has various organizations competing against each other.

Another success has been the Scholar-Artists program

“The arts community likes it. Newsday covers it. What’s really great is that it raises the profile of arts students. It’s not just Scholar-Athletes having their awards up on the wall when you walk into a high school. Now there are Scholar-Artists. It helps reduce the stigma that art kids are somehow not mainstream.”

It’s a relatively inexpensive program.  The kids are nominated by their school art teachers. A panel that includes 15-20 teachers and others volunteer to evaluate.  Twenty winners in Nassau and Suffolk counties are announced. They celebrate with a reception that offers a wonderful opportunity to highlight the kids and raises $15-20,000 to support the program.

They are still accepting applications for the 2020-2021 program, though now all the galleries and theaters are closed and no-one’s sure when such receptions may occur again. The primary thing the LIAA is promoting now is resources. It’s assisting artists and arts organizations in surviving the panedemic.

Most all involved in the arts feel deeply for kids across Long Island – especially our High School Seniors -- who are missing out on their performances, art receptions and other deeply meaningful end of year events. In response, another organization that Roger is fundamentally connected to, The Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, began soliciting videos of young performing artists. Recently, they started posting them online. You can find them on the Tilles Center For the Performing Arts YouTube Channel and their Facebook Page.

They can’t hear the applause or feel the energy of a crowd…but it’s something.
 
For Schools, Now What?
Schools like to have data to drive their guidance. Teachers like to work with curriculum developed over years. Since we met in December, they have had to completely change the way kids are taught.

A current task now, being conducted by Robert Dillon of Nassau BOCES, is to survey all of the schools in Nassau County to more formally assess which have the proper broadband/wifi and hardware, and whether there is actually communication going back and forth between teachers and students.

Are the teachers able to deliver? Are the students able to receive? What kinds of online teaching have been happening? They already know this ranges considerably, with some districts capable of providing full zoom classes to houses of children who have ample space and equipment to sign in. Others have simply been providing a link to homework, with no real teacher interface. Others, still, don’t even have the equipment needed to possibly have any such exchange.

Tilles wonders: What is happening to student morale, much less their mental health? The virus and quarantine alone are traumatic. What happens when teachers and students are unable to make the social/emotional connections that are such a large part of education? What is the impact on parents? Teachers?

Then, there are these looming funding cuts that are coming at the same time schools are forced to implement a Plan B. Will the federal government offer assistance, or are we looking at 20-50% budget cuts? How will these be distributed across school districts, a few of which rely on the State for less than 10% of their funding, and some of which for more than 70%. Those more reliant, of course, also have the kids least likely to have Wi-Fi and the most likely to have language and other learning barriers. Still, the more self-sufficient schools stand to lose a lot, too.

What happens when school board and budget votes, which usually have a 10-15% turnout comprised largely of those who have kids in the district, are suddenly conducted via ballots that are mailed directly to voters?

Colleges have concerns, too. Why pay for the first two years of a prestigious school when an online service that has much more experience in the digital arena will offer that basic education for so much less? Then there are the broader economic impacts…schools are important to the economy.

Even more, there are questions on the efficacy of remote learning, especially among younger students. Some research is pending. Anecdotally, it’s likely there are major concerns regarding stresses on even the best equipped of families. While those who are enthusiastic to begin with are likely to remain so, Tilles fears that overall engagement will suffer.

As though the virus were actually an earthquake, gaps in education that were gaping before are now becoming widening chasms. Noone knows when schools will physically reopen. Kids, parents, teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, so many others have real concerns. For many parents, their economic challenges are compounded by the sudden removal of a safe place to keep their children enriched. For too many students, even with the virus, school was the safest, most nurturing place to be.

How do we keep providing adequate services to those with developmental challenges or language barriers? What happens to art, music, and physical education which, anecdotally, people seem to finally be remembering are important because we’re seeing the impacts of cutting them?

Are we going to continue to progress with 21st Century learning skills that are critical to our society and simply navigating adult life, such as information literacy, financial literacy, critical thinking, civic engagement, problem solving? These were important discussions that are now being put off. It’s really important that we get back to them.

One benefit Tilles sees is that we might begin to realize that all the testing is fairly expendable; that there are better ways to assess students and the efficacy of teaching practices than spending so much time and resources on what have become unreasonable, high-stakes games.

And then…what happens when we try to go back? What about the suggestion that maybe it’s more cost effective NOT to go back? Safety – for the students, the teachers, and everyone else – is paramount. Still, we must also remember the important role school buildings themselves play.

Tilles notes that the buildings themselves are not the major cost drivers in education, especially not when the value they provide is taken into consideration. Can we/should we get better at online teaching? Of course. Can it replace the in-person experience? He can only speak anecdotally – these studies are still being done – but he suspects that even as there may be an increasing blend, the actual in-person learning remains the most effective.

This is a lovely thing: Thank you, John Krasinski and all involved in “Some Good News”!

We are even more grateful that, while there are very special aspects unique to SGN’s own scale (say…that Hamilton thing a few weeks back, or more recently those amazing commencement conversations), these bits shared from across the country are but a small sampling of what’s happening right here, right now in our own backyards.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

It would be overwhelming if not so uplifting … and so deeply required.

Thank you.

We do not deny the difficult aspects of reality. The crisis is surreal. The challenges are enormous, multi-faceted, and often products of our own human shortcomings. We pray for healing, enlightenment, practical solutions and… frankly… miracles… offering our all in spirit and service, knowing our best chances require every bit of truth, love, humility, dexterity, faith and grace that we will muster.

… and not just to overcome the specific dire crisis now dominating our attention ... we weren’t exactly on the best, most hopeful track before this…

Is this a demand to join in some new frenzy? No…though we pray a critical mass use this opportunity -- the kind that only happens when surging momentums of the status quo are disrupted, and becomes extroadinary when so many people suddenly get to pause and think -- to initiate new, more honest, more compassionate, more healthful ways of moving forward.

Please…do first what you require to care for yourself. It’s not selfish to do what only you can do for yourself, especially if you encourage and empower others to do the same. Breathe. Heal. Center. Tend to your own bit of the world…the things you love, best understand and are responsible for. That’s important. When you’ve got that covered, see what moves you next…

We see EMT’s, nurses, doctors, service members and so many essentially hands-on others bravely giving their best to tend to others. Incredibly, so many of these are somehow still going above and beyond …

These folks have always been heroes. Now, we need a new word … thank you …

We see others endeavoring mightily to feed, equip, and lobby for folks on the front lines, and for any others who require it. So many are going to such exceptional lengths to give, create, collect and deliver things where they may be of good use ...

We are embracing our children. We hear teachers giving their very best to educate and embrace our children -- executing the most extraordinary shift in process, completely revolutionizing education, at times with exceptional ingenuity, creativity and heart, all while dealing with all they have themselves at home. So many others are also rising to educate, inform, encourage, inspire, enlighten, heal … to help others rise above or simply carry on…we see folks making us laugh and think, and reminding us to cherish all we can give thanks for…not to gloat about it, but to kindle the light… so many artists living some sacred obligation to feed our souls

We see rainbows manifesting all over the island and now well beyond, as champions of Main Street and other small businesses – both owners and patrons – endeavor to serve and support one another, often in incredibly heartfelt, creative and thoughtful ways.

We see folks digging into their toolboxes and supply closets to see what they may apply to the current situation. For some, it’s good business. We are grateful. For many others, whom we pray will receive what’s required to thrive, the reward at the moment is simply being able to do what they do to serve others. People are better appreciating where food is grown, how things are made, who gets it done…the people who have for so long quietly been the fulcrum of our communities…

We hear sirens blaring, hons honking, people yelling and shouting….in support of heroic neighbors they may have never met, and yet love and are grateful for. We see drive by museums, hear soothing songs, and are certain children aren’t the only ones taking in the bedtime stories. Folks are offering prayer and healing intention… People are suddenly aware of how grateful they are for honest reports and loving care…for the sun on their face, breath in their bodies…

Sososososo much more….

We see people checking in with each other, giving their best to share the best they can, doing whatever bit they can to bring light and warmth and nurturing – casting aside false oppositions and endeavoring instead to learn together – to work together – to put their different pieces together to better understand and engage with the situation before us.

And even better? We realize that we’ve seen this all along; The pieces, the desire, the potential has been there all along. Now, gratefully, they are getting some focus.

May we keep feeding that, building that, appreciating that… Who knows what wonders may follow?

We send you love, light and healing.

We pray that you count many blessings, and accomplish something wonderful today.

We hope you take time to simply breathe;

To pace, to stand, to sit somewhere,

To lie flat with your eyes closed

Taking in the quiet, the birds, the sounds of home.

To listen, deeply and intentionally to some song, some story, some sermon on some mount that lifts you.

To find within yourself all that you require…to appreciate all that assist from without….to be a part of some synergy of life.

Namaste.

I think it’s safe to say that both Passover and Easter felt surreally REAL this year, though on a very human scale: The plague. The grim reality of how foolish we can be. The potential, even, for a fundamental shift toward something…better…

How do we ensure that the damage being done by both the virus and its cure are not in vain? How do we use this experience to be better stewards of each other and this planet we share?

This is not a demand upon those on the front lines, upon those for whom healing is the task at hand. Getting better at valuing and tending to ourselves and each other is part of the point here.

I have heard from some very successful folks that it’s best to see every crisis as a learning experience…every fall as an opportunity for a “bounce”…shall we give it a go? How will we rise?

There are certainly unintended consequences here — some, even, really good ones in terms of communities coming together, spirits of giving and cooperation, incredible innovation and air that is more breathable than it’s been in decades.

While the nonsense hasn’t stopped entirely, there does seem to be renewed interest in truth, overcoming false oppositions, tearing down unnecessary walls and giving our best to foster healthy systems. I know that, for me, this experience has filled my heart with gratitude for those giving it their best and for things I may have taken for granted before almost as much as it has wrenched it with the lesser stuff — I have cried more than once at the sound of a voice that echoes the hope and care I have for others as we stumble our way through this all together.

I’m not really whitewashing any of this, though I choose very deliberately to focus on what seems helpful, I realize clearly that we are suffering grim losses, and have enormous tasks before us.

It’s more that I think it’s deeply imperative that — if we are to make our future any better — we have to give it our best to use every opportunity available to make it better…That, as our EMTs, doctors, nurses, so many essential others are going through hell on Earth, it’s incumbent upon all who can to make coming out the other side the best it can possibly be.

They are doing exceptionally heroic things — every life they save, every life-saving system they save from collapse is a victory in its own right — still, we should do all we can to help ensure they don’t have to do this again. That we are healthier and better prepared as a whole.

The status quo — while filled with a number of delights I am more grateful for than ever — was not our best path forward. The Millennials have been righteously pissed off for a while now. Much of Gen Z, on many levels, seems grimly resigned to the hell we’ve been marching toward. X’s are known for long rolling our eyes in similar frustration at the futility of it all, while most Boomers resigned themselves to the status quo a long time ago.

Now, that status quo has been about as disrupted as it can be without actual physical destruction of the machinery. Apparently, in some ways, even as my downstate area struggles with having more cases than any other COUNTRY in the world, we’ve also managed to exceed statisticians expectations regarding how we’d behave — in a really good and hopeful way…heck, the biggest challenges seem to have involved people who simply want to be together. We’re coming out of this economically devastated, that’s for sure, but it’s almost more mental than physical…again, not denying reality, but…you saw the pictures after Sandy right? Or Fukashima? Nashville? Puerto Rico? This is not quite like that…While there are deeply practical aspects, the challenge is, I guess, more…spiritual….in a way…

What IS our best path forward? What, of these things we have “paused” might it be best to just “stop”? How do we reinforce and carry the good stuff — like a better baseline respiratory situation for EVERYONE — forward? What, dear friends, will we do next?

I pray we give it our best, offering humbled, grateful thanks for all who are already doing so, and who have been doing so all along. You guys are the reason we’ve gotten this far already, and that we haven’t yet fully let the turkeys get us down.

I hope we get better at focusing and building on your positive momentums…

They matter.

Thank you…

My name is Trudy Fitzsimmons and, as Kate Laible said, “Craig Rider and I are up to something,”

So, here we will give a little history of Leadership Huntington and what it has meant to us and the community as we experienced it.  Craig and I have not been directly involved with the Leadership Huntington program for a number of years, but have fond memories of our time contributing to the program. We would love to share the experiences, including some firsthand stories recounted as we remember them.

Sit back and relax because this may take a while.

In the late 80’s early 1990’s, the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce started to develop a Leadership program because several of the board members had been to multiple meetings that week and had started to remark to each other, ”Who will follow in our footsteps when we are no longer available?”

The Chamber developed a not-for-profit arm, "The Huntington Chamber Foundation," with the help of board member Ken Christiansen and Dianne Parker, who had been hired as its Executive Director. Together with other community leaders, they developed a number of programs. One, was a community leadership program that was designed to produce well informed, motivated leaders who are willing and capable of working together for the good of the community. The Chamber Foundation had, early in its development, over 100 volunteers contributing their talents to creating this leadership program. Ken, who was deeply impressed by how much even a person like him who had been deeply involved in the community learned through the process, often remarked that this group was "in many ways, really, the actual first class of Leadership Huntington."

This is where Craig Rider gets involved. Craig grew up in Huntington. In an effort to stay in touch with his home town, he had continued to subscribe to The Long Islander. There he read about the Foundation starting a leadership program and called to offer any assistance he could. Being a master facilitator, he had developed a leadership program in Dayton Ohio and worked with many companies all across the United States. We'll tell you more about Craig’s education and experience later.

So let me continue……

What is Leadership Huntington you ask? Well, I will tell you.  It is an experiential program that later became its own independent 501C3. It has turned out about 15 to 20 graduates per year for the last 20 + years, giving these folks a 360 degree view of the 100 square miles of the Township of Huntington. Leadership serves those open to learning about getting involved in our town and across Long Island as trustees and servant leaders. They believe this program is a best practice for community leadership on Long Island and in the country. It is the only program of its kind on Long Island and one of nearly 1000 across the nation.

Yes, there are other leadership programs offered by universities and such but none that are strictly local or experiential. We believe every Town should have a leadership program to help educate the willing. Leadership builds networks of people who develop skills and learn how their communities work, while providing them with tools to plan a future of their own. One of the things that makes this experience unique is the diversity of the participants. It includes people from business, government, not for profits, arts, science, medical and energy sectors. The young, old, women, men...whoever has an interest.

A number of local businesses, corporations, not for profits, and local government offices have used Leadership as a teaching tool for their employees. For me, over the last 20+ years it has been a privilege to meet some of the most dynamic, talented and generous people who, each in their own way, continue the good work. We will share some of their stories as we go.

I learned about the Leadership Huntington Program in 1997 while working for Cablevision in the Huntington Field Office, At that time, I was able to assist my boss as he went through the program since I lived locally and he did not. The next year he insisted I go through the program. This proved to be a bit of a challenge since I was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer during the same period and continued to work as well.

During the program I met Ron Stein, Founder of Vision Huntington, who spoke about this new organization and the concept it was advancing called “smart growth." As we spoke I became more intrigued. Ron later invited me to join the board of Vision Huntington, which soon became Vision Long Island. I am so happy he did. Since then, I have learned a great deal and shared with others this concept which dovetails so well with Leadership itself.

Since 1998, I have been a part of Vision and its ability to connect stakeholders and engage the local citizens, government and businesses in helping develop communities all across Long Island. Vision has sponsored several Leadership Huntington graduates over the years. Since then I have also become involved in many other organizations, including volunteering for Leadership Huntington for over 18 years and then running the program for 6 years together with Kate Laible, as well as Craig’s mentoring and a lot of other community help. It was a joy.

In his own career, Craig has helped groups all over the nation develop. Starting out during a time when corporate downsizing first became rampant, he and his wife Pat successfully put their very-differently-wired heads together to build their team and gain recognition helping individuals find their best fit in the job market. To discover how Craig and his wife Pat started the “Rider Group,” I warmly recommend you read their book “300 Bucks and a Dream”. It’s a love story and a success story...

Next month we'll tell you even more about that…

We've been reflecting quite a bit as we endeavor to develop this communications platform centered on our Synchronicity Network Newsletter. Our mission, as currently understood, is this:

"The mission of Synchronicity Planning & Communications is to serve and celebrate folks who care for art, science and the common good, improving the quantity and quality of community engagement on Long Island via a networking and communications platform centered on the Synchronicity Network and its Flagship Newsletter."

Digging deeper, we ask ourselves WHY? For her part, Katie has offered the following:

One day, I realized that the only way to be 100% sure there's at least one person really trying to be good -- best I can humbly figure how -- is to do so myself. Not to knock circumstantial evidence, we just can't “see” intent. We can only come close to knowing our own. I also realized – noting how strangers impact my own day, how people influence people who influence people who influence me, and how we can see how some influence the course of generations and more -- that everything we do and possibly even think has impact far beyond what we might suspect. Everything matters. So, I decided that if I loved anything – and I love much -- the moral thing to do was to commit myself to endeavor as best I could to serve the greater good.

 I soon found that as long as I'm giving it my best -- which best included, I found, seeking out others who inform and inspire me -- it not only reinforces my faith that others are, too, but also seems to attract good people. I don't know whether it's something about  "The Universe" minding our intentions or the more mundane magic that happens when we simply know what we are looking for and set out to find it....but I can testify that I have had more than one answered prayer tap me on the shoulder and invite me in.

I found that proceeding this way also seems to bring out the best in others, even in those who clearly aren't trying elsewhere. Not enough, perhaps - one must learn to artfully walk the line between being good and being a fool’s tool -- but the impact seems significant and makes the endeavor all the more worthwhile.

I also realized that no matter how hard I try I cannot avoid mistakes, weakness, and frustration. One can keep improving, but perfection is not a human trait I've noted. As I persist as honestly and earnestly as I can, however, I find that the tough love of experience does breed patience, compassion and, curiously, hope. It also reinforces the value of humility, withholding judgment and endeavoring instead to discern where others may be coming from, and the value of  positively reinforcing those who seem to be endeavoring to become something better.

Especially when I factor in my deep gratitude for those who help me find the light when I feel lost or unworthy; Especially when I realize that folks who may not align with my preconceived notion of "good" may have a lot to teach me.  Especially when I marvel at the exquisite beauty that is, and how much good has been done -- against all odds it seems, sometimes; Especially when I think of how breeding such faith and effort and improving the success rate in only a few more could have exponential ramifications..

The opposite is sadly true, too. Maybe even more so. Nastiness and apathy sure are contagious. Seeing that makes me feel all the more compelled to try and be a countering force for good. I may make errors, but to fail to try seems to annihilate my right to hope at best, an act of evil at worst.

So here I am – For the sake of all worth living for, all the good that might be, and in deep gratitude to those who have granted me so much: I endeavor. No matter what else happens, there’s comfort in knowing for sure at least one person is, especially when it brings one close to others who support that faith. At the very least, it seems much better than the alternative,

It gives purpose, meaning and hope.

Trudy may offer her own ideas at some point, but for now that sounds close enough for her. As such, the Synchronicity Networking and Communications Platform offers Love & Truth in Equal Measure, driven by the realization that we have to be what we want to see in the world, and faith that if we endeavor in this vein, people – and maybe even more -- will join us. We offer compassion, forgiveness, humility, and thoughtfulness, and the reflection that this seems to be a fairly fulfilling way to leads one's life. We don't claim to know much of anything and promise even less, but we're more than happy to offer our best and invite you to do the same.

Welcome.

 Each day in our news cycle we are fed a menu of conflict and polarization. One poll showed that 75 percent believe our nation is headed into a civil war with no end in sight. Trust of all things big, government, business, media, is at an all-time low. As we brace for the 2020 presidential elections these divides are poised to continue.

While that sounds bleak we don’t have to be part of it. We have a choice to communicate and collaborate with our neighbors.

On Long Island, despite the hand wringing and negativity that is publicized about our region incessantly, we actually know how to work together on the local level.

Main Streets are managed by local mayors, town officials, chamber and civic leaders where folks come together regularly on a range of plans and decisions. Public interest groups lobby together in Albany and Washington to get our fair share of resources. Most importantly Long Islanders of all cultures and backgrounds celebrate together at events in our downtowns that have tripled over the last decade.

This work of collaboration was the theme for the 1200 community, business and government leaders at this year’s LI Smart Growth Summit.

Downtown, transit oriented and affordable housing plans and projects have been approved in Westbury, Baldwin, Smithtown, North Bellport, Amityville, Riverhead, Island Park, Port Jeff Station and Bayshore among other places.

Infrastructure projects for water and sewers are being built along with billions in transit investments. An unprecedented $50 million for pedestrian improvements, legislation and funding to better protect water quality, affordable housing and downtown investment were also passed in Albany.

These accomplishments were all achieved by folks working together in a bipartisan fashion from the local level on up.

There is also an alternate universe of elitism, extremism and social media. Like an episode of Stranger Things, this upside down world exists where we sometimes forget our abilities to communicate, listen, reason, and collaborate on decisions facing our community. This upside down world is a threat to the things that real people want.

Some of them are basic quality of life needs involving local governance like public safety, security and good schools. Despite a good economy, folks are struggling with the cost of everything including housing and the need for higher paying jobs.

Residents want to see their downtowns redeveloped, safe, clean water and funding for sewers. Investments in transportation infrastructure like rail, bus service and walkable streets are desired. No one wants to tolerate discrimination in housing or really anything. Lastly folks want and have a voice in our local town and village governments who largely keeps these issues well managed.

We can choose to lower the volume from the elitists, extremists and strange behavior on social media and lock arms to collaborate and improve our communities.

For our region the results of the LI Smart Growth Summit and the work of the LI Lobby Coalition and LI Main Street Alliance help to develop a policy agenda in Albany and Washington.

For our local downtowns the neighbors themselves make those decisions.

If you live and work in a community, join a civic or a chamber and get engaged in its growth and preservation.

On a personal level here are a few things we can do to build up trust with each other:

1) Care about people and local communities and have your heart in what you do. Work also on lessening narcissism, greed, power, materialism essentially all the values that make people insufferable and miserable to be around.

2) Get your priorities in order first the mission, then your business/organization/government and lastly yourself. Too often we have these radically reversed.

3) Build trust through meaningful work that helps people. Limit exposure to social media and communicate directly with real people in real places.

4) Keep a positive attitude. There is a lot of bad news in a polarized society that, combined with endless sets of needs real folks have, can make you ineffective. Hug your kid, spouse/partner, mom, dad and friends along the way.

5) Put yourself in other people’s shoes and stay humble. We are blessed to serve and support each other.

Eric Alexander is Director of Vision Long Island and the LI Main Street Alliance. We are honored to count Vision Long Island as a sponsor of the Synchronicity Network Newsletter.

Note: This article is and will continue to be updated. Please email YOUR favorite shops to katelaible@gmail.com and let us know why you love them!

We asked. Here's what you told us! We warmly encourage you to join us in celebration of Small Business Saturday every day by going out and supporting Long Island local businesses. This list barely scratches the surface of favorite local places that only exist because people like us spend money there. We'll keep updating it and encourage folks to keep adding to it. We're thankful for every one!

Bixby Collection – 94 Main St, Cold Spring Harbor A women’s clothing boutique. We are told that the folks who own this place are lovely.

Book Revue – 313 New York Avenue, Huntington Family owned since 1977, Book Revue is Long Island's largest independent bookstore selling new, used, and discounted books. They host all sorts of events featuring local authors and international sensations. Their website is really useful, too.

Cameraland – 720 Old Bethpage Rd, Old Bethpage An amazing local photographer told us that this is one of her very favorite places. From their website, “What started out in 1957 as a small local photo shop has grown into one of the oldest & most knowledgeable Photo Specialty & Sports Optics stores in New York. Stop by, say hi, pick our brains, see why so many New Yorkers make Camera Land their first and only stop for their photographic equipment and sports optics needs.”

Cow Over the Moon – 282 Main St, Huntington Lots of great toys, stocking stuffers and and some really interesting sports collectibles.

Einstein’s Attic: – 79 Main Street, Northport “A specialty toy store where imagination can take you anywhere.”

Escape Pod Comics on Main Street was recommended by a lovely helpful person at Book Revue. The selection is great and the owner is super knowledgeable and helpful -- even guiding us to photograph the number on a gift certificate just in case it gets lost. They also have an excellent post-Christmas sale. We are looking forward to going back!

The Firefly Artists: 162 Main Street, Northport As a Managing Partner, Katie has to admit she’s a bit biased, but she can also say someone else suggested this place and that Northforker LI chose it as part of a "Perfect Day in Northport.". (Check out the rest of their top 5!) The artists who fill this local gallery are talented, wonderful people that we're grateful to have met. There are paintings, photography, jewelry, pottery, felted wool, knitting, air plants, holiday cards, more!

Island Silkscreen – 328 Larkfield Road, East Northport. For 40 years now, they’ve been offering custom apparel for teams, businesses and events. Our friend, Brandon, said this, “They are a family run custom apparel & embroidery printing shop. They certainly went above and beyond for us with this order. It may just be on my mind since it's a recent and very positive experience.”

John’s Crazy Socks You buy them online, but they’re based in Melville. The selection is incredible and their deep dedication to celebrating individuals with disabilities, and generally endeavoring to spread an ethos of happiness, is really, really helpful.

Land of Oohs and Oz – 155 Main St, Ste A, Farmingdale It’s like a time machine of toys and collectibles. Really neat stuff.

Little Vincent’s – 329 New York Ave, Huntington. A longtime Long Island staple of a pizza place. We know people who moved away YEARS ago and still can’t stop thinking about their slices. While there is no shortage of great pizza on LI, if you get to bar hopping after shopping, you can rest assured that Little V’s is open ‘til 2am. 4am on the weekends!

MJ Beanz – 534 S. Oyster Bay Road, Plainview “We specialize in providing personalized service in picking toys and gift items for children of all ages.” Wonderful selection of toys. Really friendly people.

Nassau County Museum of Art Gift Shop -- One Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor A trip to the beautiful Nassau County Museum of Art, alone, is a wonderful gift. Still, we think it’s worthwhile to go shopping there, too. Unique, wonderful, educational things are there, and proceeds support a local treasure. (BTW...they host Art Classes, too!.)

In fact, come to think of it, there are LOTS of great ways to mix gifting with giving to your favorite local treasure. Gift shops at The Vanderbilt, the Walt Whitman Birthplace come to mind immediately, as well as the Antiques and Collectibles Shop of the Huntington Historical Society, and gift from the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe. We’re sure you can think of more. So, there’s your perfect excuse for a holiday season field trip. Go!!

Penny & Cooper on Main Street in Northport has soaps, candles, lotions and bathbombs to enhance your every day. Says the website, "Our charming Long Island Village is where the water, history and friendly faces that surround us provide daily inspiration. Their focus is on natural and high-quality products, simplistic coastal style and connecting with their customers." The shop is lovely and you can buy online, too!

Queen of Hearts is another lovely shop; the only exclusively plus size formal wear store in the Tri-State Area. They carry a variety of options from major manufacturers, most of which are in stock to try on and purchase, and work with an expert seamstress to provides alterations. They also offer custom made dresses. In addition, owner Julie Marchesella is the immediate Past President and Chair of the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce, a major force for the benefit of Main Streets County Wide!

Record Reserve -- 698 NY-25A, Northport, NY 11768: We were so excited to see Tim find a new location!!! You can sell your old LPs or buy some new vinyl. It’s a small space, but it’s not just records. Katie’s daughter got the whole Harry Potter series in hardcover for a song! Frankly, she can’t get her kids out of the place. They recommend it heartily.

Rosie’s Vintage -- 101 Woodbury Road, Huntington, An artist who loves antiques was raving about this place. The website says “we specialize in 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and our inventory is a mix of Vintage Kitsch & Collectibles with a bit of Antiques thrown in. Our customers range from young vintage lovers starting out, all the way to the Mid Century generation who are looking to reminiscence. The store is comprised of multiple dealers and there is something for everyone... literally. We have dealers who specialize in industrial and masculine decor and collectibles, Mid Century Furniture and Decor, Vintage Clothing and Accessories, Man Cave & Kitchen Decor... and so much more!

Restoration Kitchen and Cocktails – 49 East Hoffman Ave, Lindenhurst. We first heard about this place from our friend, Catie, who knew we'd appreciate it! As per their website, "When you have more than you need, build a longer table, not a higher fence.
This has always been our motto. At Restoration, we donate 100% of our net profits to local charities, foundations and families in need. The goal behind our family owned restaurant is to remind people to 'Be The Good' they want to see in the world."

Suite Pieces – 1038 New York Avenue, Huntington Station – Our friend Elissa has been talking about this vintage furniture and decorative paint boutique since it opened! Beautiful stuff, plus they have workshops, events, and all sorts of supplies to make all that’s old new again

Superior Travel – Lois Howes of Superior Travel is a globetrotter herself and loves making dreams come true. We know travel is tough right now, but she's ready to plan for when it's time!!! She is also an important part of the Friends of Freeport NY the Long Island Arts Council at Freeport, the Freeport Chamber of Commerce, the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce and Friends of LI: Communities helping communities post-Sandy. We are grateful!

TrainLand, is located at 293 Sunrise Highway in Lynbrook. This shop, which started in Pete Bianco's basement in 1968, now boasts being the America's largest discount train store. Folks strongly recommend visiting the store if you can, but are also very happy with their online ordering system.

Willy Nilly Trading Company – 153 West Main Street, Bay Shore According to their site, "The goal of Willy Nilly Trading Company is to create a relaxing, inviting environment where you can find exactly what you need and enjoy the shopping experience.”

Willis Hobbies – 300 Willis Ave., Mineola – Serving enthusiasts since 1949, Willis is proud to offer "low prices with friendly expert service and personable hands on help before and after the sale.”

This is just a little sampling. We're happy to keep taking suggestions as we think shopping local is really important for these and many other reasons. Tell us about your favorite local business! We love to share!

We stopped in at "Long Island's Premier Blues and Jazz Club" Treme in Islip because we appreciate fellow Coltrane volunteer Leonardo the Fabulous and wanted to support his Art Opening. We ended up reworking our schedule to stay all night because the work is incredible, the musicians were meaningful, and the company well worth spending the time with.

Get down there before December 1st to see for yourself! There are images of Muhammed Ali drawn with white gel pen on a black board because, "Usually, when people draw, it's all about putting in the shadows, I wanted to add the light." Leonardo pays homage to Long Island, John Coltrane, the Beatles, and thus Heinz Edelmann and Ron Campbell, including a yellow submarine, the first version of which now belongs to Ringo Starr!

The process for many of Leonardo's pieces is fascinating -- he will do the drawing, and then have it laser-etched on glass. Often, as with the submarine, he then paints with vibrant color. Our own favorite piece mounts the glass a few inches from a white board then trains a light, revealing a perfect portrait of Audrey Hepburn in the shadow that plays beneath. A compelling image of Coltrane artfully combines the two methods for a deep and pleasing result.

"This is my own unique process. The possibilities are endless," he says, "I love exploring them."

There's an insightful interview with Leonardo in the PopImpressKA Journal: One bit of wisdom there is this:

Blacky's Ice Breaking Theory
"Perhaps the most significant thing I learned from my father was what I call, 'Blacky’s ice breaking theory.' ('Blacky' was my father’s childhood nickname.) As a teen, on a cold winter’s day I was tasked with breaking up a newly-formed ice sheet on the walkway in our back yard.

The ice was thick and spread wide. I complained that 'it would take forever.' 'There’s so much ice.' I said. My father told me to not look at the entire ice sheet, but instead just focus on the section directly where my shovel met the ice and to concentrate my efforts there. 'Just do one little section at a time, don’t even think about the rest of it…and before you know it, you’ll be done.'...

The kid with the shovel, the actor on stage, the fighter and all of us need to live in and deal with the Now, as it's all we have. Pay attention to where your shovel is striking, not the ice twenty feet away. Understanding this concept helped me through the worst and most challenging parts of my life."

We love Cindy Mardenfeld and her endeavor to advance a Long Island kindness movement. She offers her thanks to anyone who participates in her Kindness Challenge -- Committing to do a kindness every day and possibly report on it using the hashtags #kindnessambassadors,  30-day #KindnessChallenge, spread the love, #InspireChange & make kindness the new norm with 😀#payitforward

Now, Cindy is not going to discourage remarkable giving, but she shares our belief that the small things also matter tremendously. A cup of coffee, a friendly smile, a held door...these all count!!! Please also consider checking in on folks who may be alone for Thanksgiving, and helping make sure our neighbors don't go cold and hungry for the holidays.

Here are some great, charitable resources that welcome donations of goods and time to help the less fortunate on Long Island:

The INN (Interfaith Nutrition Network): "addresses the issues of hunger and homelessness on Long Island by providing food, shelter, long-term housing, and supportive services in a dignified and respectful manner for those who seek our help. We are a not-for-profit, volunteer-based organization with a dedicated staff, a broad base of community support and a commitment to educate the public about these issues."

Island Harvest: "Providing food and services for people who are hungry, and a voice for people who are in need. Island Harvest is the largest hunger relief organization on Long Island. By relying on volunteers, in-kind services, and donated food, we devote more than 95 cents of every dollar contributed directly to our programs."

LI Cares: "Founded by the late Harry Chapin, Long Island Cares brings together all available resources for the benefit of the hungry and food insecure on Long Island and, to the best of our ability, provides for the humanitarian needs of our community. Our goals are to improve food security for families, sponsor programs that help families achieve self-sufficiency, and educate the general public about the causes and consequences of hunger on Long Island. Our vision is “A Hunger Free Long Island”."

We had a great time at The Great Cow Harbor Day Weekend, talking to artists and others marketing their wares in Northport. What struck us this year was the number of rescue groups who had booths, the individual strengths these groups bring, and the passion of those who serve them.

Almost Home rescues and re-homes unwanted and abandoned animals. They are also committed to assisting families to prevent unnecessary surrenders through their Training Wheels® program.

Said Volunteer and Board Member Deborah DuRussel, "Almost Home, like other rescue organizations, helps animals in need through rescue and adoption, but most notably, the work we do in the community truly sets us apart from the others. Our outreach program brings hope to many underprivileged, neglected or abused animals, as well as relief to good families who struggle each day with providing proper care for their pet."

The League for Animal Protection of Huntington is dedicated to the rescue, care and rehabilitation of stray, abandoned and abused animals in the Town of Huntington. In 1982, they built the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter, which is a refuge without cages for kittens and cats. Volunteers also assist the Town dog placement program, providing much needed services including volunteers' love and attention.

Little Shelter Animal Rescue & Adoption Center is Suffolk County's oldest Humane Society; a non-profit, no-kill animal shelter nestled on six wooded acres in Huntington. Founded by Anna Hunninghouse in 1927, they have been dedicated to saving abandoned dogs and cats, and placing them into loving forever homes ever since. They take pride in being a model for shelters nationwide. Age, physical condition, and socialization issues are never criteria for rescuing a dog or cat whose life is in jeopardy. They also run the Little Shelter Sanctuary for animals who cannot be adopted, the Sheltervale Pet Cemetery and the Town of Huntington Cat Shelter

The Northport Cat Rescue Association is a 100% volunteer operated organization that has found homes for over 70 cats this year, and is currently housing another 50, some of whom are too young to adopt and others of whom require some socialization. You can check out their Facebook page to learn more, including about an upcoming fundraiser!
We then got to talking with our friend Alicia Berwind, who is deeply passionate about animal rescue. She added these folks to the list:

Last Hope Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation, started in 1981, helps Long Island cats and dogs. They take in kittens and, when they can, stray cats so they may be adopted to only the best homes. Last Hope's most impressive aspect may be their dedication to helping feral cats, providing education and an extraordinary TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) program that offers low cost vouchers and weekend clinics. Each year, they spay and neuter over 1,000 feral cats. Their main location in Wantagh offers cat and dog adoption, as do satellite kitten and cat adoption centers in Wantagh, Huntington Station, Syosset and Bellmore. Volunteers and donations are always needed! Visit lasthopeanimalrescue.org to learn more and check out their precious dogs, cats, and kittens. Maybe you will find your newest family member. Adopt don’t Shop!

Tender Loving Cats in North Babylon rescues cats and kittens all over Long Island. They will work with independent trappers and always ensure when taking outside kittens that the mom cat is fixed. President Rebecca Caro will only adopt out cats that have been vetted and fixed ensuring a purrrfect match! They place over 300 cats a year and just added a new location in West Babylon. Volunteers are desperately needed in 2 hour shifts!!! Please visit tenderlovingcats.org to offer a few hours, donate, or find a new snuggle buddy!

LION - Long Island Orchestrating for Nature rescues nontraditional pets. In addition, they help wildlife across Long Island and keep pets like chickens and tame ducks from freezing to death because they were abandoned. Many who get chicks for Easter or hatch domesticated ducks in schools don't realize they will not survive without proper nutrition and shelter. They offer education on this and many other humane programs in addition to helping over 100 animals per year. President John Di Leonardo is an anthrozoologist who leads many successful animal rights campaigns. Visit humanelongisland.org for more on that.

Nobody Starves Long Island, located in Middle Island, is dedicated to the idea that if we work together, it is possible to save them all. With a motto, "We can feed them all," their food pantry serves more animals than all of Long Island's major animal shelters combined, helping those who cannot afford to feed their pets. In special circumstances they have also offered additional assistance. They take donations for animal care as well as food donations.
Together, We can Save Them All!

To be clear, Dr. Kate M. Creasey Krainer is not here to help others. The word help, in fact, makes her cringe. Instead, she endeavors to do her job and empower others to use science to grow, thrive and heal. There is no time to waste.
 
Currently, people are starving and suffering from malnutrition, with over 800 million lacking sufficient food to maintain a decent quality of life. The causes are complex and interrelated, ranging from poor farming practices and waste to political instability, corruption and wars to environmental destruction. As our global population grows and climate change increases the impacts of hurricanes, floods and drought, world hunger only promises to rise.
 
It doesn’t have to be this way. As Kate puts it, “We can enable others to grow more, and encourage a dialogue about overcoming food insecurity, climate change and famine.”
 
Kate seems as much an elegant permaculturalist, dedicated to environmental health and sustainability, as she is a highly trained and published plant geneticist. She believes that science is only as good as the integrity of the science communication with those of us who aren’t experts.
 
Committed to improving farming yields and to advancing high quality dialogue on what improving yields really involves, Kate is tired of people being manipulated by narrow interests who are often misinformed themselves. She is concerned about those who are suffering with food insecurity, and troubled by the volumes of toxins pouring into our lands and waters from agriculture. In 2017, she founded Grow More Foundation, bringing people together to make a change.

Grow More’s mission is to enable scientists and farmers in the developing world, especially women, to address food insecurity and to adapt to our changing climate through the responsible use of science in agriculture. They aim to promote transparency regarding bioengineering in agriculture, raise awareness, and provide education and resources enabling those in the developing world to harness the full potential of agricultural research for the betterment of their communities.
 
One key component of Grow More’s Awareness program is an elegant means of increasing crop yield as well as spreading awareness of the issues growers face. It’s a  marriage of art and science resulting in beautiful, ingenious jewelry that serves both farmers and those who would speak for them.

Enter the Artist
Long Island artisan and founder of The Firefly Artists, Kate Sydney, recalls how she came to be involved in PlantingSeed. “Dr. Kate reached out to me by email from somewhere in the world! At first it seemed far reaching to imagine our lives of plant science and silver-smithing working together.  She told me she needed a jeweler – preferably a woman-founded small business owner on Long Island, who could craft wearable tools that could enable indigenous women to grow more food and promote businesses of their own! I was inspired by her enthusiasm and her knowledge and valued the tremendous opportunity to create as well as to serve people.”

PlantingSeed jewelry became possible with the skilled collaboration of Long Island jewelry-smith Kate Sydney and measurements provided by Grow More’s many prominent scientists and growers. The design of each piece incorporates mathematical dimensions, calculated through scientific research, for the ideal depth and spacing of seed planting, helping growers to grow more in the space available.
 
In the developing world, women are the often-overlooked core of the agricultural workforce. The impacts of our changing world on agriculture will have massive consequences for women’s livelihoods. PlantingSeed designs are a visual guide for maximizing harvests, sharing the latest in agricultural research with those who need it the most.

PlantingSeed Lariat Necklaces
Corn, Creasey Krainer explains, is one of the most common crops in a farmer’s portfolio, grown on every continent except Antarctica. It is not difficult to realize why - corn provides necessary calories for healthy metabolism, is high in fiber and a rich source of vitamin A, B and E, as well as many minerals and antioxidants.
 
She then shows us Grow More’s PlantingSeed Corn lariat - a beautiful necklace, featuring hand-selected watermelon tourmalines and custom sterling silver bezels. “This can enable growers to maximize their crop yields by providing the optimal space for each seedling to grow. It is that simple.”
 
Just a few inches can make a huge difference when planting seeds, especially by hand. The length of the necklace shows the ideal planting distance between rows of corn, while the distance between the beads indicates just how far apart to plant seeds to avoid crowding. It’s all about making the most efficient use of space.

Drought Earrings
Drought and climate change considerations are important priorities in agricultural research. The PlantingSeed project aims to share findings from research with the growers who need it most.
 
“Water is essential and is much of the crisis,” says Creasey Krainer, “In water-hungry places, seeds need to be planted at least twice as deep so that the roots can reach whatever water is available. We’ve designed earrings that not only let women know the precise depth for planting in Ghana, but that also enable philanthropists to explain it.”
 
Honoring Cultural History and Desires for the Future
Whether we’re talking about the semiprecious stones dangling from Kate’s ear that were lovingly handcrafted on Long Island by Kate Sydney, or the “durables” that PlantingSeed designs empower women-owned businesses in sub-Saharan Africa to create, it’s beautiful and deeply practical. The whole idea is elegant and effective.
 
Creasey Krainer is also mindful that jewelry can carry important cultural significance. She pulls handfuls of traditional necklaces out of her bag, talking briefly about their origin and significance. There are upcycled Ghanaian glass and painted clay beads, Ugandan paper beads, Kenyan batiked bone beads.
 
With these carefully chosen materials, the “durables” thus become as much works of art as the jewelry intended simply to be worn and talked about. “It’s a wearable tool that reflects both cultural history and desires for the future,” says Creasey, “It helps farmers maximize yields, promotes small business at home and abroad, and also advances the dialogue in the developed world. “

Building Support
“Our conversations launched a major project,” remembers Sydney, “I somehow found time to craft four sets of earrings and two necklaces in the middle of the holiday season. We sold out instantly. We’ve since made 100 pieces, and I’m working to make more. But really, we need more jewelers to get involved!”
 
Dr. Creasey Krainer reflects on the many who have contributed in one way or another. “We are fortunate to be members of Pro Bono Partnerships, which provide legal services to non-profits in the Tri-State area. They are particularly thankful to Cooley LLP for enabling them to submit their patent application for PlantingSeed jewelry.
 
Creasey Krainer is also deeply grateful for their “PlantingSeed Ambassador,” Dr. Joanne Chory. An internationally renowned HHMI Investigator and Breakthrough Prize Laureate,  Professor Chory is perhaps best known for her research into ways that plant genetics may assist in mitigating Climate Change. She was recently awarded funds through the Audacious Project, a collaborative experiment to put bold ideas for social change into action.. 
 
“Dr. Chory introduced our drought earrings at the 2019 Breakthrough Prize Award ceremony,” says Creasey Krainer, “I’m grateful to say she’s a tremendous advocate for our work.”
 
Creasey Krainer ardently networks with scientists, influencers and passionate people all over the world. She hopes to engage as many women as possible, seeking partners and volunteers from all walks of life and building connections with anyone interested in global food security and sustainability.
 

You can be a part of this solution!
One simple way to get involved is to buy a deeply meaningful, beautiful gift, and talk about it! 100% of the proceeds from the sale of PlantingSeed jewelry feed back into making the program 100% sustainable. With each purchase, a similar but more hardwearing piece is given away.
 
PlantingSeed jewelry offers great conversation pieces that help promote a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by growers all over the world. Proceeds are also used to supply women in impoverished countries with tools to build a business and better feed their families. The jewelry is thus a wearable story and a powerful tool; a thoughtful marriage of art and science that makes the best use of what we’ve learned to serve each other and the planet we share.

By Justine Miller.
This was originally published on Facebook on October 29, 2013. We think it bears repeating. While Superstorm Sandy was awesome in its power to wreak havoc, especially on our South Shore, it was the incredible power of our communities that most deeply impressed us. We were among those who offered a hand here and there, alongside incredible neighbors like these and others who came from miles away on service missions of their own. One of those literal missionaries, lovingly dubbed a "Mucking Morman" by the folks working with him, told us he'd been to many disaster zones but had never seen anything like what he witnessed on Long Island -- So many people from so many communities, coming together to clean up the mess and tend to each other. Honestly, we hadn't realized just how incredible these folks were, either. Now, we will never forget. Seven years in, folks like the Friends of Freeport are still taking volunteers. Want to get involved? Email us!

It's been a year now since Hurricane Sandy literally destroyed my hometown of Freeport, NY. The news said it was going to be one of the largest storms ever to hit Long Island, a "perfect storm" if you may. The conditions were set up with a tide coming in, full moon and the winds bearing down. Then, it hit! The tidal surge engulfed Freeport. People were trapped in their homes while 8 and 10 feet of water broke down their doors and pushed in their windows. They helplessly retreated to their upstairs and attic crawl spaces, not knowing if the water was going to keep on rising up and up some more. Homes burned to the ground, Part of our gem of Freeport, the Nautical Mile, burned to the ground. The fire department was unable to respond due to the flooding and the fires had to burn themselves out.

Finally the waters receded. People came down from their refuges in their own homes. They went outside and bore witness to the devastation that Sandy wrought.

It was surreal, like an explosion went off and tossed my village around. There were boats everywhere! Because Freeport had so many marinas and just about everyone that lived on the water had a boat, it was complete chaos. Boats in the middle of roads, on lawns, half in and half out of the water and leaning on power lines. Cars floated down yards and streets. It was like someone took the south end of Freeport and threw it in the air and let everything hit the ground. One of the things that hit me most in the coming days was looking around and seeing the high tide line, in a lot of cases higher then the top of my head.

The electric was off. The National Guard came in to assist because there were looters out there. Can you imagine that? Looters in Freeport! Never in my wildest nightmares would I believe that MY TOWN would have looters come in like cockroaches to take even more from my people. Then the gas shortages happened. People waited on line for hours. The police had to regulate the crowds and fights broke out among my desperate community because they didn't have gas for their cars or their generators. They didn't have food, or kitchens to even make food, no fresh water, nothing.

The day after the storm a few people came together immediately, calling friends, relatives and neighbors to check on them. There was a desperate need for help, a need for just the basic necessities. Forget TV. The cold weather came in. These people needed blankets (if they even were able to return to their homes), They didn't need their luxuries, they needed the basic items for survival.

Well these few people (and I'm so proud to be one of them) began what would eventually become Friends of Freeport; a small group that would eventually evolve into an established, real, amazing group that has helped HUNDREDS of people return to normalcy.

It started small. We made magnets to sell as fundraisers with 100% of the profits going back to our people to get started on the work that was needed to help. We also formed a secret group, you might have heard of them, the Nite Sprites, that wanted to boost morale and give a little brightness to the ravaged community. We put ribbons of every color all over Freeport, lining Atlantic avenue and Woodcleft, on hundreds of houses, in front of schools. A germ of hope and community spirit started back up again.

Let me also commend ALL of the Village of Freeport employees! Tirelessly they worked, trying to protect the village, 24-7 they worked to right what they could in the village. The Freeport Police, the Freeport Fire department, public works, electric department, EVERY single department pulled together and worked so hard to return at least a little visible normalcy to the village.

There was also the Freeport Recreation Center set up to provide food, showers, clothing and information to the people. There were the Freeport Food Angels going around bringing hot meals to people who couldn't get to the Rec, providing more hope.

It was starting, The Hope was starting. It was AMAZING to watch it bloom. The community pulled together! We were going to survive Sandy and pull together as one! People started to believe again. They saw the needs of the community and people started checking on their neighbors, They started to care about those around them, started to want to help each other. Amazing!

So, back to this group, Friends of Freeport. This little group started calling for volunteers. The work that we are still called to do needed to get started. The volunteers came in like gangbusters. Regardless of the situations in their own homes, in the middle of winter, they came like a tide of miracles.

The coordination began. The groups started forming within FOF. The ripouts began. We had the sidewalkers to go door to door, telling people of the help that was out there and collecting lists of people that needed food (thank you Food Angels). We passed out as much information as possible to get help to people, and to inform them of what assistance was out there.

It grew! Bigger and bigger it grew! FOF kept going! Fundraisers, the website, the shirts, the magnets, the donations. All of it kept going, and still grows.

The volunteers... There will be a special FOF section in heaven for our volunteers. To this day, they keep going. As the ripouts slowed down the rebuilding began. We were accomplishing our mission! We were helping people get home. Not to a "house" that was destroyed, but back Home.

I am soooo proud of our group. My heart swells when I think of all that has been done. It truly is amazing and miraculous and it gave me faith in the human spirit again that there are people who do the right thing because it's the right thing to do. I believe in the goodness of people again. I know that I've seen miracles.

In ending, I want to say thank you to all involved, the board.members, the donors, and most of all the volunteers. Without you these miracles wouldn't have happened. And thank you to that Bitch of a storm called Sandy for providing hope and faith again.

Starting March 12th, 2020, the next big count of the US Population began. Folks who understand just how important the US Census is are doing all they can to rally whomever they can to help! An accurate count is critical, especially to LI, which already tends to get a lot less back in tax dollars than it invests.

An undercount would be DEVASTATING to folks living in poverty – and there are already WAY too many hungry children on LI -- but really, it affects EVERYONE, and not just because we are all better off when we work together to keep our most vulnerable populations from slipping through the cracks.

Said Rebecca Sanin of the Health & Welfare Council, who has been working even harder than usual to provide public education, rallying every sector on Long Island to realize their own self interest here and to help make sure we get these numbers right, “It is critically important that we recognize our power to shape the future of our own region and harness our great strengths. To do that, we have to make sure that our human capital is recognized and that EVERYONE is counted. We ALL need to be ambassadors.”

THE CENSUS COUNT IMPACTS FUNDING NYS RECEIVES FOR ALL SORTS OF THINGS THROUGH 2030!!! The American Communities Survey will provide all sorts of information in the meanwhile, but it cannot undue damage done by an undercount in the Census. Among other things, the US Census impacts Federal Funding and Other Considerations for:

- Road and other Infrastructure Funding

- Emergency Funding – Among other things, this is how FEMA knows what resources are needed in times of disaster!

- Schools - All districts are affected. Challenged ones get hit even harder. A 2010 undercount of children ages infant-4 in Wyandanch in 2010 continues to impact their school district funding and their planning – the much higher actual number of children meant they weren’t only short-funded, but didn’t have adequate space! They had to allocate precious funds to rent space in another district, rather than get dollars it deserved to invest in its own!

- PELL Grant and Student Loan Funding - Ok…so we run the risk that our schools will already be underfunded for a whole decade. Then, on top of it, we won’t get a fair share of college funding!

- Title I Grants, Special Education, Head Start

- Hospital Funding, Medicaid, Medicare, State Children’s Health Insurance, Health Care Centers

- School Breakfast Programs, WIC, Child Care Funding

- Affordable Housing Funding

- Government Representation - Undercounting by just .6% could cost NY 2 seats in Congress. We already lost 2 in 2010! This also effects the Electoral College

Plus, we all use this data to plan! Businesses use census data to determine where and what to invest. Non profits use it to plan programs and secure funding.  Policy makers rely on it to govern.

Long Island has a lot at stake, and is generally the toughest nut to crack. Really, it’s critical we properly count the whole state. Those off-Island numbers mean enough to our region that folks like the LI Community Foundation are helping out beyond their normal borders. However, Suffolk and Nassau are the 4th and 5th hardest counties to count in New York State. The top three challenges are our neighbors in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx.

Particularly difficult populations to count include young children, immigrant communities, people of color and seniors. This is partly because of the digital divide so the messages don’t reach everyone, partly because people are distrustful of government in the current climate, and partly because there simply isn’t adequate funding available for the outreach needed for the count. While we need to be mindful of scams and to help folks avoid them, we also need to make it clear: Title 13 of the US Code protects your information. Regardless of immigration status or living arrangements, the Census cannot share identifiable information. The data is anonymized and used solely for statistics. It cannot be used against you by any government agency or court.

As folks in poverty will be hit hardest – and we’re already experiencing the highest poverty rate since 1959! -- The Health & Welfare Council is working even harder than usual so it can help bridge this potential gap. They have built an army of Census ambassadors—a coalition that includes leaders in education, business, the nonprofit sector, faith-based leadership and much more. In addition, they are creating toolkits and other resources for various sectors. They are still seeking more of these folks to participate. Really though, EVERYONE can help by talking about this issue and getting involved!

To Learn More: Please visit www.hwcli.com/get-involved/2020-census/

You may also contact: Rebecca Sanin, President & CEO of the Health & Welfare Council at rsanin@hwcli.com; 516-505-4423

Update -- This article originally said the Census began in April.  It has been updated to reflect that it actually officially started on March 12, 2020.

By Erica West, Secretary of the League of Women Voters of Huntington, NY
Last month we reminded readers that voters in Suffolk County will be electing our County Executive and County Legislators, Town Officials, and Family Court and District Court Judges.  Election Day is on Tuesday, November 5th.  Polls will be open from 6 am to 9 pm.
 
This year is what is sometimes called an off-year election.  It’s not the presidential election, which takes place every four years, and it’s not the midterms, when we elect state and federal representatives, which take place every two years.  It’s all local elections, town and county, and often the voter turnout is far below the years when the other contests take place.  Some may think that these local elections are not important, when in fact they are the elections that affect our everyday lives.  We may not see our local races on the news very often, and some might feel that they don’t know enough to decide who to vote for, or that they can’t find reliable information on the candidates.  We’d like to help with that.
 
Meet the Candidates
 
The League of Women Voters of Huntington is co-sponsoring three Meet the Candidates Night debates.  Other Leagues in Suffolk are also sponsoring events for elected offices that represent their towns.  Details are at the end of this article.  These non-partisan events are a chance for you to meet the candidates who want to represent you, and to hear the candidates discuss issues that affect you and your community.
 
Vote411.org Voter Guide
 
You can also find the election information you need on Vote411.org, the League of Women Voters online voter guide.  You can go to Vote411.org, enter your address and get a personalized ballot and information on polling places and voter registration.
 
Early Voting
 
We also let readers know last month that early voting, which is new this year for New York voters, will begin in Suffolk County on Saturday, October 26 and continue every day until Sunday, November 3rd.  Times and places are listed on the Suffolk County Board of Elections website:    You may have visited the Board of Elections website some time ago and seen that the Board of Elections was instructing voters that they had to use the polling location in their town for early voting.  That recently changed, and now Suffolk voters can use any of the listed polling places to take advantage of early voting. 
 
When we’ve been out and about in our community for voter registration events, we’ve had a lot of conversations about early voting, and why one would want to vote early instead of going to the poll on Election Day.  For those who work during the week, take note that early voting is available during both weekends prior to Election Day.  Folks might also keep an eye on the weather – a storm on Election Day might discourage you from venturing out, so think about voting early to make sure you don’t miss your chance to participate in this year’s election.
 
New Voting Reforms Coming in 2020
 
This year also saw other voting reforms passed by the New York State legislature and signed by the Governor.  Here are just two:
 
Party Enrollment Deadline Change:  Before this new law, voters in New York wanted to change their party enrollment had to do so 25 days before the general election before the primary in which they wanted to vote.  Beginning in 2020, they’ll have until February 14 (Valentine’s Day!) of the year in which the primary will be held.
 
Preregistration to Vote for 16- and 17-year olds:
 
This new law, which takes effect on January 1, 2020, allows 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote.  The voter registration form will be modified to include space where there is an explanation of preregistration and allow for the form to be pending.  The registration will automatically take effect when the person becomes 18-year old.  It also requires local boards of education to adopt policies to promote student voter registration and pre-registration.  Citizens must still be 18-years old on or before Election Day to be eligible to vote.
 
While we’re happy about all the voting reforms enacted recently, we’re particularly pleased about this one because the League is very active in voting education of and outreach to the youth in our community.
 
There’s always more to say about voting rights and the importance of voting.  For now we hope we’ve inspired you to get out and vote in this year’s General Election and that you will also reach out to your friends and neighbors and encourage them to vote as well.
 
Meet the Candidates Night Debates in Suffolk County
(for additional info, go to https://my.lwv.org/new-york/suffolk-county/upcoming-events )
 
LWV Brookhaven
Monday, October 14th at 7:00 pm
Suffolk County Legislative District 6 candidate debate
Sound Beach Firehouse
152 Sound Beach Blvd
Sound Beach, NY
Co-Sponsored by the Sound Beach Civic Association
 
LWV Hamptons
Wednesday, October 16 7:00 pm
East Hampton Town Supervisor and East Hampton Town Council (2) candidate debate
East Hampton Library
159 Main St.
East Hampton, NY
 
LWV Huntington
Wednesday, October 16 7:00 pm
Suffolk County Legislative Districts 13, 16, 17 and 18 candidate debate.
Five Towns College Performing Arts Center
305 North Service Road (entrance on Burrs Lane)
Dix Hills, NY
( just off exit 50 of the Long Island Expressway)
Co-sponsored by Five Towns College
 
LWV Hamptons
Thursday, October 17 7:00 pm
Southampton Town Supervisor and Southampton Councilman (2) candidate debate
Southampton Library
91 Coopers Farm Rd
Southampton, NY


 LWV Smithtown
Thursday, October 17 7:00 pm
Suffolk County Legislative District 13 candidate debate 
Nesaquake Middle School
479 Edgewood Ave
St James, NY
 
LWV Smithtown and LWV Huntington, co-sponsors
Monday, October 21 7:00 pm
Suffolk County Executive candidate debate
Kings Park High School
200 NY-25A
Kings Park, NY
 
LWV Huntington
Tuesday, October 22 7:00 pm
Huntington Town Council, Town Clerk and Receiver of Taxes candidate debate
Harborfields Public Library
31 Broadway
Greenlawn, NY
Co-sponsored by the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce.
 
All candidates who will be on the ballot have been invited to participate.
 
About the League of Women Voters of Huntington:
 
The League of Women Voters of Huntington is a non-partisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of public policy issues, and influences policy through education and advocacy.  Membership is open to women and men 16 years and older.  If you are looking for a rewarding opportunity to give back to your community, please consider supporting or joining our League!  You can contact us at 631-421-5164, or email LWVHuntingtonNY@gmail.com
 
The new laws described above, making voting easier for New Yorkers, were made possible by the focused efforts of grass roots groups like the League of Women Voters.  We are working hard to help you make sure your voice is heard!

Be an Encourager – The World has enough critics

The mission of Pal-O-Mine Equestrian is to provide a comprehensive therapeutic equine program using horses to facilitate growth, learning, and healing. Their population includes children and adults with disabilities, those who have been abused or neglected, the military and the economically compromised.
 
A Safe, Peaceful Place
The overwhelming sense we had when visiting Pal-O-Mine Equestrian last spring was peace. Peace and love and deep, deep commitment to serving the folks of diverse needs who come to learn and receive therapy. They say the word “miracle” comes up a lot. We’re not surprised.

“It doesn’t even smell like a farm!” said one woman, who is admittedly not always comfortable with animals, “I come from an extraordinarily stressful line of work. I feel my blood pressure going down here. This place is so calming.”

“It feels safe,” remarked another, “I feel safety, love and kindness.”

The farm is kept very clean. It is beautiful. There are inspirational messages and generously donated art on virtually every wall. The animals are carefully chosen to be calm, forgiving and tolerant. Each client is carefully matched with a trained professional attuned to their individual needs and an equine specialist who carefully minds the horses throughout each encounter. The multitude of therapists regularly consult with each other. All are required to participate in continuing education on a yearly basis. The volunteer training is rigorous as well.

“Like the horses, roughly one in ten of our volunteers makes it through the trial period,” notes Founder and CEO Lisa Gatti, “It’s not that there’s anything wrong with them as people or as animals. It’s just that they have to be a perfect fit to meet our very special needs.”

We’re going try to put this down in writing, but Lisa is right about another thing, too: You can admire Pal-O-Mine Equestrian from afar. To really feel it in person, though, is beyond words.

Some people do speak for the first time here. Others learn to walk. Many overcome trauma and other challenges, learning to make the best of what they have and how to better interact with the world around them. People come here and learn to be productive, contributing members of society. Many dare – sometimes for the first time ever – to dream. 

This whole place is a dream, manifested as a 25 horse, 13-acre farm serving 400 individuals weekly. There are sheep, chickens, one cat, a rabbit and other animals. There are 8 full-time and 35-40 part time staff of various specialties, as well as eighty regular volunteers and another 40 or 50 who come in to help with events. There’s a large organic garden, as well as unique classrooms and workshops, including a kitchen.  

Mostly though, Pal-O-Mine Equestrian is about the horses and their power to heal.

The Power of Pop Fiction
Lisa Gatti grew up riding horses. Her mother was in Special Education and she always knew she wanted to be a teacher, too. She didn’t put two and two together, though, until she came across – of all things – a romance novel.

“My father was in book publishing. He was very strict,” recalls Lisa Gatti, “When I was in college he used to send me piles of books to read on the weekends, trying to keep me in line.”

“I obeyed him one Friday,” she smiles, “though it was a book my dad’s secretary had tucked in there that I actually picked up.”

Palomino, by Danielle Steel, is about a woman who fell off a horse and opened a ranch for kids with disabilities. 

“It changed my life. I called my dad at 2am. He asked me if I’d been drinking,” she laughs, “’No!’ He told me to go to bed.”

The next morning she called him again. He told her that if she still felt this way after finishing her sophomore year of college, he’d consider letting her transfer.

“I was a good kid,” she smiles, “So I did just that.”

She loved helping at-risk youth. Her first teaching job was at an alternative high school for youth who were labeled “emotionally disturbed” and “juvenile delinquents.” They were just kids to Lisa; kids who were not as fortunate to have great parents like she did. Lisa used horses to teach them about punctuality, compassion, empathy, responsibility and respect.

These same kids were her very first volunteers when she founded Pal-O-Mine. It was at this point that Lisa began to learn the harsh realities of the world; facing discrimination and the like against both the kinds of kids and the program that she was trying to grow.

“I moved six times between 1994 and 2004,” she remembers. “Then, in 2007, I found a bank who was willing to make the loan I needed to purchase our own property, empowering us to grow into what we’ve become today.”

Lisa doesn’t need an alarm clock because she has such an extraordinarily motivating reason to wake up every morning. Still, she’s very clear that what she does isn’t for everyone. It’s really hard work and, despite all the success of this highly positive environment she’s fostered, there are still tremendous challenges and people who don’t value what they do or the people whom they serve. She shrugs. There are still plenty of bright spots.

“My first grant actually came from Danielle Steel! We needed $8,000 to get three kids to a competition in Illinois. They were living with me at the time. When the check came, I couldn’t believe it when I saw her return address on the envelope. I was even more excited to get a letter from Danielle Steel than I was about the money.”

“She didn’t write a word! It was just a check! But that check provided the opportunity for one of Pal-O-Mine’s students to win at the competition.”

Maybe one day Danielle Steel will inquire more deeply. After all, she’s inspired a heck of a story: A huge, heroic journey that’s been one wonderful, challenging test of perseverance and strength after another, filled with miraculous transformations.

Just the Right Horses
Gatti is clear: This is not an animal rescue operation. Each horse goes through a 3-month trial period. Lisa will explain to you that it’s not about the breed of horse, either. They have many, many breeds. What matters is their health and personalities. They have to be sound with a steady gait. Their ears and eyes need to be in good condition. Mostly, though, they have to be forgiving and tolerant.  

“Some of these kids have really serious issues,” Lisa explains. If a horse is unsteady, that can be a serious problem. If a horse is not exceptionally patient and willing to tolerate unusual conditions and occasional outbursts, that could be disastrous.

They are very mindful, also, that horses are horses and there are things you can’t train. Hand-fed horses are no good. “They become mouthy,” explains Lisa, “and we can’t discipline it out of them.”

“We do so much boundary work with kids who are traumatized. We are trying to teach them respect and we need horses who can help with that.”

“Imagine,” she continues, “a huge, 2,000 pound animal coming over just because it wants to be near you. That has HUGE impact because these horses don’t want food, just companionship. Often, this is the first time these kids have experienced that.”

The environments are carefully constructed. The center aisle of the barn, for example, is very wide and paved. This is to accommodate wheelchairs. It also means that the horses can only be tied off on one side of their heads, which is a fairly unusual arrangement. Whether or not the horse can adapt to that is generally one of the first tests of an animal’s suitability to the job.

“Roughly 1 in 10 horses ultimately make it,” says Lisa.

She leads us over to Miniature Sicilian Donkeys who sometimes pull wagons, “These are great for those who can’t ride due to their frailty, weight or fear. Their personalities help, too. They are strong and stubborn – perfect for leadership development!”

“Then, there are our ‘Celebrity Chickens’,” she smiles, “Lady Gaga, Ginger Rogers, Dolly Parton and Elton John. They’ve all been raised here and they’re very friendly!”

Cajun
Now, just because this isn’t a rescue operation, doesn’t mean there aren’t animals with stories. An Appaloosa named Cajun is a prime example. He actually was a rescue, from Hurricane Katrina.

“When he came he was wild-eyed,” remembers Lisa, “There were only three of us who could ride him for the first six months.”

In his past life, he’d been a rodeo horse.  Lisa points to a large scar on Cajun’s side where he was once gored by a bull.  Then that huge hurricane hit and he became homeless. On top of all of this, he’d been at Pal-O-Mine for two years when they discovered a huge mass.

“This horse is a cancer SURVIVOR. It turns out he’s great at connecting with kids who are survivors, too.”

Lisa talks a bit about how gentle he is with trauma-inflicted and adjudicated youth. “He’s super sensitive,” she says, “He just knows.”

Then she starts talking about our own massive superstorm Sandy. They had to evacuate the horses and move them to the front field. Lisa and the two others with her had no other choice but to let all the horses go and hope for the best.

“Then I saw Cajun,” she says, still looking somewhat incredulous, “He seemed to know just what to do. He lined up all the horses in formation, and took care of them all. He was the calm in the storm, keeping the whole team together.”

While the story still amazes her, she sees it in him every day, “Cajun seems to know instinctively who is the most fragile, and he tends to them.”

Goliath
Goliath lives up to his name. An enormous Belgium Draft Horse, he came from New Hampshire where he was bred to be a competitive pulling horse that lugs thousands of pounds of cement. He wasn’t aggressive enough, though. They tried using electric prodders to get him to pull up his feet, and he ignored them.

“This was bad for them, but good for us. So we got him!”

He requires a little bit of extra TLC. Since his tail had been docked for his previous job, he has a weave that they replace three times a year so he can brush off the flies.

“It’s expensive, but he’s worth it.”

The folks at Pal-O-Mine kept in touch with the farm Goliath came from, which is reputable. Those folks loved where he ended up, and before they cut off the tail of another horse that didn’t suit their needs they inquired with Pal-O-Mine to see if they wanted him, too.

“They have very different personalities,” notes Lisa. One will allow 25 kids to paint and crawl all over him. The other is too overly cautious. One is great for shows, the other just isn’t into it. They’re both really good for clients who have trouble with neck and trunk control, who require a second rider behind them.

She smiles, thinking that one doesn’t have to have special needs to have something to learn from the horses. She recalls a story of folks who wanted to do emergency training with them. They thought they knew what to do, and resisted assistance from the trainers. After 20 minutes of trying brute force, they finally asked, “Will you teach me?”

The folks at Pal-O-Mine proceeded to show them better ways to move a 2400 pound Goliath.

Just the Right Facilities
Lisa points to a small building, showing that the farm is not without classrooms. Still, they’re a little bit different, “Many of our kids are totally disengaged from the learning process. They have trouble with a traditional classroom setting.”

The saddle pads and hay bales in the Pal-O-Mine classroom are hard to throw around the room.  While there are books and other learning supplies, these spaces lack the trappings and formal feel that some kids have painful associations with. Plus, the animals can come in. They help.

A perimeter track known as “The Trail” traces the property. It serves kids with disabilities who may benefit from the terrain and the Green Belt that backs up to the Pal-O-Mine property, but who cannot travel far due to medical issues or behaviors. Some examples of such students include kids who are prone to seizures or who have obsessive-compulsive disorder. 

Along The Trail are little mailboxes in the shape of bird houses that were specially crafted by Eagle Scouts and the troops they led. Each contain small manipulatives that are used as sensory training tools. Many peer-to-peer activities also occur here. The students engage with all sorts of animals, as well as things like letter magnets, a water wall, and a basketball hoop. There’s a lot of focus on learning to share and to take turns as they ride.

“It’s really social,” explains Lisa, “They practice a lot of expressive and receptive language. Most importantly, for a lot of these kids, it’s the first time they ever get to feel like their typically able peers.”

She goes on, pointing out details that physical and occupational therapists find important, such as the different surfaces – cement, dirt, rubber – that their patients can learn to navigate. She expresses gratitude for a Bethpage FCU funded sidewalk, and points out connection paths between parts of the property.

Just the Right Staff
Pal-O-Mine serves individuals ages 18 months to over 70 years of age. They have worked with several school districts over the years, including Half Hollow Hills, Bethpage/Plainview, Central Islip, Nassau and Eastern Suffolk BOCES, Bayport/Bluepoint and Copaigue. They have programs for individuals with various physical disabilities, as well as with social and emotional challenges, including neglect, abuse and poverty. They offer alternatives to incarceration, as well as programs for adjudicated youth, veterans and corporate workshops.

All this requires careful planning and staffing. Pal-O-Mine maintains a 1 to 1 staff to student ratio, employing diverse professionals who work together. These staff members each stay within the scope of their practice, teaching and treating those individuals whom they are most qualified to work with. Then there are those who specialize in the horses. Several staff members live on the property.

With the school district programs, they specialize in teaching common core in uncommon ways. Throughout, lesson plans are structured, yet very flexible.  Generally, when a client comes in there will be three well-crafted options available. Depending on how the client is that day will determine which one is followed. There are takeaway and processing activities, allowing Pal-O-Mine teaching to go back to the classroom with its kids. There is tremendous focus on continuity and routine. 

Lisa talks of incredible successes they’ve had – the word “miracles” comes up again -- and visits from Superintendents and other administrators who would like to add more classes. She is also very proud of their community partnerships.

“We have had lots of Eagle Scouts completing their projects here.”

Still, the primary focus is the horses. “Horses move people,” says Lisa, “I’ve learned that my job is to shut up and let the horse do the work.”

She gives the example of a horse and a woman, emphasizing again that horses display an innate ability to read people, with their behaviors mirroring what is going on within. This particular woman was stuck in an abusive relationship. Session after session, the horse would nudge the woman and block her path, until one day, the horse bit her. That day, it turns out, saved this woman’s life!

“It was in that moment that she realized she had to DO something,” explains Lisa, “It was in that moment, she realized that she had the choice to DO something.  She left her abuser and never looked back. It was, literally, a break-through.”

This is not to suggest that folks are at all left alone with the horses. Lisa chooses to follow the EAGALA model, where there is at least one mental health therapist and an equine specialist always in the arena with the client. It is a solutions-oriented model, based on the premise that every client has his/her own answers. The focus is all about the experiential process, and there is never a right or a wrong. She notes again that therapists are carefully matched and that they consult regularly with each other. With grief and trauma, therapists remain vigilantly connected, guiding the process when things come up.

Much is done to maintain the integrity of this model. Continuing education is mandated for all Pal-O-Mine staff. There is rigorous training for volunteers as well, who are carefully selected for their attentiveness, focus and commitment.   

It’s emphasized repeatedly: As with the horses, everyone who is part of the Pal-O-Mine team, staff, interns, volunteers, EVERYONE is held to very high standards and a very strict code of conduct.

“It’s all about safety,” says Lisa, “physical and emotional safety -- for our clients, for our livestock and for each other.”

 Unique Work and Continuing Education Program
Lisa takes us down one of the connecting paths to another part of the property where there’s a green house, some gardens, pastures and another building. She explains that some of the students have been with Pal-O-Mine since they started in 1995. The question had long come up,

“Now what?”

Yes, there are many other programs available for adults with disabilities, but these folks wanted more Pal-O-Mine and less discrimination. Eight years ago, Pal-O-Mine crafted a special offering.

“What we do here is different from ‘Dayhab,’” explains Lisa, “It’s basically a paid internship vocational program that runs 5 days per week for people with disabilities who are 18 years or older. Keeping consistent with Pal-O-Mine’s policy, each intern comes in on a three month trial. It is after this three month trial, they are eligible for a stipend. Besides the organic farming and recycling classes, each intern learns the foundations of work. Examples of this include how to punch in using a time clock, how to put in for vacation and personal days, as well as learning to balance a checkbook, do a load of laundry or cook a meal.

The program has become sustainable. There are 40 interns with various disabilities participating. They sustain the program by creating and crafting their own unique items and then contracting with larger organizations, as well as with some upscale east end shops to sell their unique crafts on consignment.   They’ve made shoe racks and frames. They were recently contracted to make centerpieces for a golf outing. The project we saw them working on was one that’s very special to the group: key chains.

One of Pal-O-Mine’s students, a young man named Henry, had an idea, “What if we look up the colors for Cerebral Palsy (his disability), and make horseshoe keychains in those colors?”

He looked it up. Then, his fellows looked up the colors associated with their conditions – Down Syndrome, Autism…they thought of veterans and people who are survivors of breast cancer. Someone remembered animal abuse. A signature project was born!

The keychain making process is something of an assembly line, with students gathered around the table working together to decorate metal horseshoes with colored wire and beads. The finished products sell for $15 in the Pal-o-Mine office and elsewhere. Recently they made 100 for the Make a Wish Foundation.

There is also a working kitchen. Other ideas are developing, including using their produce from the organic farm and cooking with it.  They are thinking about ways to incorporate creative recycling as well. There are plans to build and maintain a sensory garden, and for a roadside farm stand.

Parents talk about what a life changing place it is, how their adult children learn to balance a checkbook and to feel productive. The main objective is to enable folks with many different disabilities to work together, meaningfully, and even to give back to the community.

Humble, Yet Strong and Ready to Grow
There will always be challenges. The rising cost of EVERYTHING because we live on Long Island is one, as well as other financial constraints, livestock concerns, government rulings and finding the perfect staff and volunteers for this ever growing program.

Despite these challenges, Pal-O-Mine has great reason for hope. They have tremendous confidence in their program and success rate. They are excited about their promising future.
 
Pal-O-Mine has always been very thrifty with its outreach, and has never had professional marketing guidance. They have had no government funding to date.  It wasn’t until their 20th Anniversary that Pal-O-Mine even had its first open house. Mostly, that’s because they don’t want to exploit their populations.

 “There are so many organizations and brands using veterans and other populations just because it is the ‘buzz word’ of the year” says Lisa, “even when they mean well, it feels wrong. We are about real people and protecting their emotional safety. Yes, this is a business. However, first and foremost, this is about human beings.”

This is not to say that their success hasn’t garnered some pretty big attention. They were featured on Oprah and The Today Show. They have definitely been grateful for that press. When the folks in our party were gathered around a table toward the end of our visit, they were asked why they support this organization and what makes it special. They came up with a list:

• Credibility. This organization is so professional, and deeply sincere.
• The 25-years experience proving that integrity
• I deeply value the way they take emotional safety and mental health very seriously
• I’m so impressed with the level of integration between the various specialists they have working here, giving a unique level of support to a client’s often complicated and sensitive issues.
• The diversity of people served, and the diversity of staff that makes it possible
• The variety of programs and focus on both safety and individual needs is incredible. I am amazed at the level of thought that goes into every detail
• I am not a super-animal person. Frankly I’m afraid of them and I’ve never been much for farms. But this place is different. It doesn’t smell. It’s peaceful. I have an extraordinarily stressful job and I feel my blood pressure going down here. It’s so calming
• It feels safe. I feel safety, love and kindness here.

A Race We Will Win
Pal-O-Mine is now embarking on their first-ever expansion campaign, “A Race We Will Win.” The $3M total project involves a broad range of items, ranging from building renovations, to major equipment, to helping secure care for the horses.  One item they’re excited to break ground on in September 2019 is an accessible sensory playground sponsored by The Andy Foundation. To see details regarding the other items, please visit this Pal-O-Mine webpage.

Money is really important, but it’s not the only way to help! In order to realize this vision, Pal-O-Mine is required to communicate how much they have to offer and rally many volunteers. They are seeking influential folks to serve as ambassadors, and for others who will help as they can.

Are you interested? Support can be as simple as sharing this article, or as deep as becoming a major fundraiser for Pal-O-Mine Equestrian. The organization encourages all who care to please reach out the farm, learn more,  and see what you might do together.

They greatly appreciate all the support that they can get.

________________
All she’s asking for is reasonable compensation for nonprofit employees to do the work that has to be done. The way it is now, a non-profit often doesn’t even get reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred while providing services! She won’t say it’s not fair – because life isn’t fair -- but it’s not right!!!
_______________________

By Erica West, Huntington LWV with contributions from Bobbie Josepher, Nassau LWV

THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS WANTS YOU TO BE READY FOR ELECTION DAY 2019
Election Day 2019 is on Tuesday, November 5th from 6 am to 9 pm.  Voters in Suffolk County will be electing our County Executive and County Legislators, Town Officials, and Family Court and District Court Judges. In Nassau County, voters will be electing the District Attorney, County Legislators, Town and City Officials, plus Supreme Court Justices and District Court Judges.
 
Voting is your voice, and to make your voice heard, the League of Women Voters of Huntington wants to help you prepare for the upcoming election.  Here’s some important information about your voting rights, including details about two new laws for 2019 that help make voting easier.
 
Make sure you are registered, and that your registration and party enrollment is up to date:
 
To be eligible to vote on November 5th, you must be registered to vote by October 11.  You can register by mail, in person or online.

• By mail:  Download a form from the New York State Board of Elections at https://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingRegister.html#VoteRegForm

 

• In person:  You may register in person at the Suffolk County Board of Elections, 700 Yaphank Ave., Yaphank, NY  11980. The Nassau County Board of Elections is located at 240 Old Country Rd, 5th Floor, Mineola, NY 11501

 

• Online:  If you have a NYS driver’s license, Learner Permit or Non-Driver ID, you can register to vote or make changes to your voter registration through the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles website, dmv.ny.gov/mydmv/mydmv 

 
If you’re not sure if you’re registered to vote or if your registration information or party enrollment is up to date, you can check with the New York State Board of Elections at https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov  It’s also a good idea to check your registration even if you know you’re registered, to make sure your address is current and your party enrollment is correct.  If you have any issues with your registration, call the Suffolk County Board of Elections at 631-852-4500 or the Nassau County Board of Elections at 516-571-VOTE (depending on where you live) to find out how to get them resolved.
 
If you’re a first time voter in New York and you’ve registered by mail, we recommend that you bring ID with you to the poll.  ID usually means a current NYS driver’s license, the last four digits of your Social Security number, or if you don’t have either of those things, a copy of a valid photo ID, or a current utility bill, bank statement, government check or some other government documentation that shows your name and address.
 
Know when and where to vote:
 
We’re glad to be sharing good news for New York voters this year!  Our state now has early in-person voting.  From Saturday October 26 through Sunday, November 3rd, polling sites established in each town in Suffolk County will be available for in-person voting.  Details on the location and times for each town are on the Suffolk County Board of Elections website at https://suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/BOE/Early-Voting-Information. For Nassau County voters, they are here: https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/566/Board-of-Elections
 
If you decide not to take advantage of early in-person voting, but you know that you’ll be unable to vote at your regular polling place on Election Day, you may be qualified to vote using an absentee ballot.  You can use an absentee ballot if you won’t be able to get to your polling place because you will be away from your home county, or due to illness or injury, or several other circumstances described at the link below.  You need ask for one by mailing in an application to the Suffolk County Board of Elections by October 29 or asking for one in person by November 4.  You can get an absentee ballot application in person from the Suffolk County Board of Elections, or you can download it from https://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingAbsentee.html
 
If you don’t use early voting or absentee voting, then you will need to go to your regular polling place on November 5th.  The Suffolk County Board of Elections sends out a postcard to each registered voter showing the voter’s polling place.  You can also find your polling place by checking your registration at https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov
 
What if you’ve recently moved within New York State?  Another new law passed in 2019 created a statewide voter registration transfer which allows the Board of Elections to transfer your registration and party enrollment to wherever you move within New York State.  This means that if you’ve moved within New York State, you can vote on an affidavit ballot (which we’ve described below) at the poll site of your new address even if your new county board of elections has not yet been notified of your change of address.  If you’ve moved within New York State, and you are unsure where you are currently registered or where you should vote, check your voter registration online or call the Suffolk County Board of Elections.
 
Know what to do if you have a problem at the polling place:
 
Never leave your polling place without voting!  If you get to your polling place, whether you take advantage of early voting or you vote on Election Day, and your name is not in the poll book or there is any other challenge to your eligibility to vote, request an affidavit ballot (sometimes called a provisional ballot or paper ballot).  You’ll be asked to swear to or affirm your eligibility to vote, and to provide your voter registration information along with your completed ballot.  We’re going to say it again, because it is so important – Never leave your polling place without voting!
 
What’s Next?
 
OK, we’ve given you the nuts and bolts of making sure you are ready to vote.  Now you have some decisions to make, namely, who are you going to vote for?  The League of Women Voters of Huntington can help you make that decision.  The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan political organization, and we do not support or oppose any candidate or political party.  As such we have earned a reputation as a trusted source for impartial information on candidates.  Our Huntington League is pleased to be sponsoring two Meet the Candidates Debates in October.  Details are below.  Other Leagues in our area are also sponsoring debates, and we’ll update you on those next month.  Additionally, Leagues throughout Long Island are busy preparing to go live with our online resource for personalized voting information, vote411.org.
 
Meet the Candidates Night Debates in Huntington:
 
Wednesday, October 16th from 7 – 9 pm:
 
Candidates for the 13th, 16th, 17th and 18th Districts of the Suffolk County Legislature.  It will take place at Five Towns College Performing Arts Center, 305 North Service Road, Dix Hills, NY, just off exit 50 of the Long Island Expressway (entrance on Burrs Lane).  It is co-sponsored by Five Towns College.
 
Tuesday, October 22nd from 7 – 9 pm:
 
Candidates for Huntington Town Council, Town Clerk and Receiver of Taxes.  It will take place at Harborfields Public Library, 31 Broadway, Greenlawn, NY.  It is co-sponsored by the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce.
 
All candidates who will be on the ballot have been invited to participate.
 
About the League of Women Voters of Huntington:
 
The League of Women Voters of Huntington is a non-partisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of public policy issues, and influences policy through education and advocacy.  Membership is open to women and men 16 years and older.  If you are looking for a rewarding opportunity to give back to your community, please consider supporting or joining our League!  You can contact us at 631-421-5164, or email LWVHuntingtonNY@gmail.com
 
The new laws that we describe above, making voting easier for New Yorkers, were made possible by the focused efforts of grass roots groups like the League of Women Voters.  We are working hard to make sure your voice is heard!

By Spencer Thomas, PhD
I’d like to talk about patterns. In particular, the pattern that you might see if you look at this sunflower.*

Before you even think about it, I’m sure you can see spirals. Maybe you see them whirling clockwise, maybe counter-clockwise. Let your eyes refocus and another set of spirals will appear. They almost seem to pop out in your vision, but hang on; which is it? Are they going left or are they going right?

We have an incredible talent for picking out patterns out of noise; you can recognize a friend in a crowd or a familiar song over construction noises without thinking about it. Our sense for patterns is so sharp that we see faces in the moon or in potato chips, or shapes in the clouds. This is probably for the better; thinking you saw some food, some hidden danger, or even a friend where there is none is a lot safer than missing the one that actually is there, so I’d definitely take some silly crossed signals in exchange for this power of ours.

These are harmless examples, but there is a dark side. Gamblers see patterns in their wins and losses and make catastrophic bets. Con-artists exploit us, claiming to tell the future or read minds. Confirmation bias is a dangerous habit that has pervaded our political discourse, where we pick out evidence and patterns in data that suit our preferred answer. We don’t do this with ill-intent; it’s something our patterned-tuned brains do beyond our control. We can only fight it if we watch ourselves, think twice, and double check the news we forward it to our friends.

We also see patterns on another level; we find curious connections throughout the world, linking ideas that don’t seem related. Sometimes it looks like magic, others like design. Sometimes, it’s our minds searching for something that’s not there. As a scientist, this can be frustrating for me. I see articles about psychic powers and fake science, dangerous alternative medicine, and this prevailing tendency to make science mystical and unknowable. I think many people would be surprised as to how much they can understand with a little patience. We don’t need to scrutinize every detail in our experience, but I don’t like it when people assume that that is beyond them. Sometimes, with some care, the microscope lets us peel back the veil of nature and find the truth behind a pattern.

The Fibonacci sequence and the Golden Ratio are patterns that pop up all the time in nature and in media. The Fibonacci sequence follows a simple rule; I start with the first two numbers, 1 and 1. If I add these numbers I get 2. If I add the 2nd and 3rd numbers (1 and 2) I get three. Add the 3rd and 4th I get 5, etc. The sequence looks like , etc. It sounds like the kind of thing a bored mathematician would do for fun, but it has a peculiar habit of showing up all over nature. Plants seem especially fond of it; you can see it in the arrangement of leaves on a stem, the scales of pineapples, and as it happens, the florets of a sunflower. If you go back to that first picture of a sunflower and counted the spirals in the seeds, you’d notice something interesting. I can pick out spirals at a bunch of different angles and directions, but the number is always a Fibonacci number.

This is a peculiar quirk of the way these florets grow. The plant spirals out as it produces them, following a rule - each seed is some angle from the last. This angle happens to be a full  divided by , where  (the Greek letter ‘phi’) is the Golden Ratio, about equal to 1.618.

Like the Fibonacci sequence, the golden ratio appears everywhere in nature. People have known about this number for a very long time; the ancient Greek sculptor Phidias (400s BCE) worked it into much of his art. A quick google search will tell you how people have associated it with the ratios of beautiful faces, sections in pieces of music, etc. The ratio itself also has some neat properties, for example  (in fact  is sometimes likened to ’s little brother).

So what does  have to do with Fibonacci number? The two are intimately related. If I divide the 1st and 2nd Fibonacci numbers (1 and 1), I get 1. The 2nd and 3rd (1 and 2) give me 2, the 3rd and 4th give me 1.5, then 1.666…, then 1.6, etc. If I keep picking later and later Fibonacci numbers, I get closer and closer to . That’s that mystery solved, but why does a sunflower care? Sunflowers probably don’t know math, but they’re also not stupid. They’re carefully optimized by evolution to make the most out of what they’ve got; their mission is to fit as many seeds as possible onto their face. As a material scientist, I could tell you the very best way to do that looks like this:

It looks a lot like a honeycomb and that is no mistake. This is how bees achieve the same goal, but the sunflower kinda wrote itself into a corner. The spiraling mechanism that sunflowers use to grow can’t make a honeycomb; it’s terrible at making packed arrangements, always leaving some empty space. Instead of completely altering how the sunflower grows to solve this problem, evolution tuned it to do the very best with what it has, and  with its Fibonacci spirals happens to be the optimal turning angle.

It was shown by J.N. Ridley**  that this is the best possible way to pack seeds on a sunflower’s disc and this video is a beautiful demonstration of the idea. What it comes down to is that  is almost 21/34, and it’s almost 34/55, and almost almost 55/81, but these are all really bad estimates. By comparison, 22/7 is a pretty good estimate for Pi. You need really large numbers to get a ratio that’s close to, so a turning angle of  is a sunflower’s best hope at making the messiest spirals it can.

Give yourself some credit; that sunflower is doing everything it can to hide its spirals, but you can still see them clear as day!

The primary partners in this endeavor are the Fairway Foundation of Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp, the Long Island Board of Realtors (LIBOR), the Interior Design Society of LI (IDS LI), and the NYC/Long island Chapter of the National Association of Remodeling Industries (NYC/LI NARI).  Go to their websites. Check out their Facebook pages. In doing so, you can find out about what they do for a living and for giving. This is huge to them, but it's not the only thing!

You can see what they had to say to us about the project here. The story got a lot of coverage, including a feature on the CBS Evening News. The core team offers many grateful thanks to so many who in one way or another helped them purchase and transform this house into a beautiful home for veteran Kevin Palacios, who did two tours in Afghanistan, was wounded by IEDs on multiple occasions and now has as his top priority being a good father to his young son.

Donations of Products and Services
Construction
Demolition of kitchen and bathrooms – Probst Construction – John Probst
Riverhead Building Supply – Sheetrock
Speonk Lumber – base and door molding
Fairway Foundation – Doors – Steve Probst
Installation of bathrooms, doors, sheetrock, moldings –
NARI NYC/
LI members – Laurence Carolan & staff,
John Hogan.  Jason Braithwaite, Eric Vogel,
Dean Camastro
Kitchen to Mud room entry construction – Dean Camastro
Basement Restoration – Bulovas Restoration – Rory
Dumpster Supply – Maggio Environmental Services
Brick Stairs and Retaining Wall - Farmingville Masonry Supply - Tony Melo

Cabinetry
Coastal Cabinet Works – kitchen cabinets – Ricky & Karen Young
Installation of kitchen cabinets – Dean Camastro, Eric Vogel, Jason Braithwaite
Cabinet Hardware – Hardware for kitchen cabinets, bedroom,
media cabinet and all doors – Kolson Korenge Hardware- Dale Landy
Installation of cabinet and door hardware – Dean Camastro
Media cabinets – Nava Slavin
Painting of media cabinets – Debbie Viola
Renovation of cabinets for media – Joe Calise & PIF committee
Stone Top for media cabinet – Farmingville Masonry Supply – Tony Melo
Quartz Stone Countertop for Kitchen – Cambria Stone – Wendy Brady
Installation of kitchen countertop – North East Quartz
Vanities – both bathrooms – Merri Interiors – Meredith Weiss
Vanity stone tops – All Island Stone
Installation of vanities – Dean Camastro

Appliances
Kitchen appliances – Plessers Appliance – Jason Braithwaite
TV – Hampton Appliance – Frank Ingraldi
Installation of appliances – Jason Braithwaite, Eric Vogel
Installation of TV -- Sights-N-Sounds/Joe Calise

Electric
Gabe Lissy, Electrician – installation of lighting fixtures, new
wiring, replace panel box, recessed lighting.
Revco electric – wiring supplies, recessed lights
Rons East End Electric – supplies & staff
Elements at Home – Lamps, etc. – Brian Kellenberg
Elegance Lighting – ceiling fans vanity light, bath fans – Harry Caldera
Lighting Gallery – Pendant Lights - kitchen peninsula – Michael Lichtenstein
Continental Lighting – ceiling fan, semi flush fixture – Stephen
Hafele – Under Cabinet Lighting – Michael Reichert
 
Flooring
Dynomite Floors – refinishing wood floors – Mike DeRasmo
Karndeen – Vinyl flooring for kitchen & mud room – Daryl Pines
Designers North & Pro Source
Installation of Kitchen sub floor – Dean Camastro
Installation of kitchen & mud room vinyl floor – John Hogan,
Tony LaBarbera
Rugs – Area rugs for living room, master bedroom, blue bedroom –
Designer Rugs & Carpet by Peykar – Robert Hakimi
Area Rug for green bedroom – Harry Katz Carpet One – Cindy Sigadel
Area Rug – Bonnie Reich & Sheree Jeanes

Furniture
Living Room Etagere, two bedroom dressers – Designs by Peggy Peggy Guerrin
Sofa, cocktail table, ottoman for living room – The Robert Allen
Duralee Group – Nina Belczynski
Dining Table – East End Interiors – Sal Campitiello
Dining Room Chairs – Rich Designs, Lisa Aiello D. Manicone Designs – Dee Manicone
End Tables, Accent Chairs – Elements at Home – Brian Kellenberg
Dining Room Console – base – Elements at Home, Glass
Top – Merrick Glass – Bob
Master Bedroom Furniture – Dressers & Nightstands – All County Millwork – Terry Gagliardo
Delivery of furniture – Living Room – Corporate Transport - Bill
Delivery of Master Bedroom furniture – Transolutions – Tom
Kitchen Banquette – Wood supplied – Designs by Peggy, Peggy
Guerrin & Ruth S. Interiors, Ruth Seidenberg
Kitchen Banquette – Construction – JG Construction – John Gardner
Chair reupholstery & banquette cushion – Creative Upholstery –Ralph DeLella
Headboards – Fabrics – Kravet Fabrics – Ellen Kravet
Headboard construction & supplies: wood – Symmetry Closets –Bonnie Reich,
Batting – D.Manicone Design – Dee Manicone
Fabrication – PIF committee team
Designers Workroom, Sadie Dunbar
Corner Cabinet – green bedroom – Kathy & Barry Gluckin
Mattresses – Queen & twin set – Frank & Marianne Matera
Twin Set – Harry Katz Carpet One – Cindy Sigadel
Bedding – blue bedroom – Designs by Peggy – Peggy Guerrin
Master & green bedroom – IDS/Long Island
Outdoor Table & Chairs – Rich Designs, Lisa Aiello Out of the Box Outdoor Furniture
Security System Sights n Sounds – Joe Calise

Paint
Sherwin Williams Paints – Nikki Parnell
Painting – all interior painting – Pic Painting – Louie Picarella

Tile
Tile for both bathrooms – Cancos Tile – Bernadette Valva White, Neil Swenning,
Tile Installation – Hall Bath – Tony LaBarbera, Global Ceramic Tile, John Hogan
Tile Installation – Master Bath – Tile to Perfection – Joey DiPasquale

Plumbing
Fixtures – Shower Body, Tub Set, Faucets for kitchen &
Baths – Hansgrohe – Dean Camastro
Toilets, Sinks, Tub, baseboard covers – Utica Plumbing – Josh Brandner
Installation of toilets, tub, shower body, faucets – Dean Camastro and Chris Attard
Repair – baseboard & service burner – PJ Bruno plumbing
Recondition Air Conditioning System – Jen-Air HVAC

Windows
Blinds for all windows – Wendy Interiors, Wendy Lepkoff and
Benco Construction, Pat Bentivegna , NARI
Installation of Blinds & Cornices – Sal Palmeri
Fabrication of Cornices – Designers Workroom, Sadie Dunbar
Fabric for Cornices – Kravet Fabrics
Drapery – Living room, dining room, master bedroom – fabrics
Kravet Fabrics
Drapery Fabrication and installation – living room & dining room –
Eclectic Window Fashions – Nora Milheron
Drapery Fabrication – Master Bedroom – On Beyond Windows –
Gina Dellaciasa
Drapery Installation – Master Bedroom – Joe Calise
Drapery Hardware – living, dining and master bedrooms –
Van Wyck Hardware – Lisa Messina

Closets
Closet systems for all closets – Symmetry closets – Bonnie Reich
Art & Accessories
Artwork – Nancy Ganzekaufer
Framing – Sidewalk Alley Art Gallery – Jane
Artwork – La Mantia Gallery – James La Mantia
Debbie Viola, Art & Finishes by Debbie Viola
Accessories – Nancy Ganzekaufer, Elements at Home,
Interiors by Dafna – Mirror – Dafna Adler
Wall Sconces – Christine Conte Interiors
Isabel Interiors – Mirror, Counter stools
IDS/Long Island – Mud room accessories
Cornhole Game – Design & Construction – Ken Denninger
Gift Baskets - Denis & Rosemarie Conway

Exterior
Power Wash of house – Pic Painting, Louie Picarella
Old Town Landscaping – planting & clean up
BB&GG Nursery – Shrubs
DeLea Sod Farms – mulch & seed
Farmingville Masonry – Bluestone Steps & Border – Tony Melo
Irrigation System – Get It Wet with Brookhaven Irrigation
Dumpster supplied - Maggio Environmental Services
Removal of window and siding repair – Probst Construction – John Probst
Use of sound system for presentation – Lets Think On It
Donor List Sign – Signwave – Dan Simon

Other details:
Selection, Scheduling, Coordination, Pick up, Deliveries, and various installations – PIF Committee members, IDS/LI
Dee Manicone, Lisa Aiello, Isabel Melo, Peggy Guerrin,
Ruth Seidenberg, Mary Nolte, Dafna Adler, Sandra Asdourian,
Dean Camastro, Joe Calise