Blogger's Note: 13 Days Until Public Hearing - hope to see you there.
Hey everyone, I have a quick odds-and-ends post for you right now, and I'll probably be back later tonight (and tomorrow) with more.
Charles Wang on WFAN Tomorrow
We finally got a new time for the Charles Wang interview, previously postponed due to an extra-innings Mets game. WFAN has confirmed that Mr. Wang will appear with Mike Francesa tomorrow at 4PM to discuss the Islanders, the Lighthouse, and anything else that may come up.
Click here to listen live, and if you can't make it they should post a recording on the site later in the day.
"Brain Drain" Meeting Tonight
As the Long Island Business News reports, Tom Suozzi is hosting a meeting this evening to discuss the Long Island "Brain Drain" (or, as I call it, the diaspora). It's clear that we need to take tangible action to reverse this exodus from Long Island of people who were educated with our tax dollars.
The meeting is tonight at 6:30 PM in the Legislative Chamber at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive Office Building (corner of Old Country Road and Franklin Avenue, Mineola). Food will be served, and I will be there. Expect a writeup tonight if anything newsworthy occurs.
Lighthouse Making Progress
After speaking to people within the Lighthouse Project (they gave an update to us bloggers yesterday; lots of good info) and others in the know, I am encouraged that things seem to be progressing. Yesterday, the Lighthouse announced that lease negotiations with Nassau County were ongoing, and hopefully this will lead to a speedy resolution down the road.
In addition, a few sources have speculated that the Lighthouse may be close to a deal with the Uniondale School District, which has sparred with the developers over estimations of the number of children that the Lighthouse expects to add to the school system. This is welcome news, if a deal is truly close.
"Just Build It"
The Lighthouse will apparently be armed with easy identifiers for supporters at the public hearings. According to sources, Lighthouse reps may be at the meetings passing out t-shirts that say "Just Build It!" - be sure to get yours if you head to the public comments.
Potential Pre-Hearing Rally
Apparently another pro-Lighthouse group has tentative plans to stage a rally in the Nassau Coliseum parking lot before the public hearing on August 4. The current plan is to assemble at 8 AM in the parking lot and then walk as a group across the street to the Adams Playhouse. We will have more details when we get them.
David Paterson to Publicly Endorse the Lighthouse
Buckle up for another positive meeting in the Nassau Coliseum parking lot. This Monday, July 27, Gov. David Paterson is expected to travel down from Albany and formally endorse the Lighthouse at a press conference with the Lighthouse developers, (hopefully) Tom Suozzi, and (hopefully) Kate Murray.
David Paterson is not the most popular governor in the country, but he can have a significant positive impact on the Lighthouse. The state controls spending on many of the main transportation arteries in the area, including Hempstead Turnpike and the Meadowbrook Parkway. In addition, state agencies are required to participate in the final scoping in order to produce the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The governor's support could ensure needed improvements in the area are made, and he can also expedite state-level approvals for the environmental review.
Let There Be Light(house) will be there to cover the meeting and hopefully receive reaction from the Governor and other dignitaries. I will pass along more details when I get them.
Bottom Line
We are making a lot of progress, and things certainly look bright. As always, we need to stay vigilant and remember that our work is not over until shovels are in the ground.
I will be back tonight with a quick write-up from tonight's meeting, and our piece on public comments will run tomorrow. As always, thanks for reading.
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this is the most optimism i've heard from you, nick. it's encouraging. but i really don't get jettisoning the broadcast team at this particular time. it's puzzling.
ReplyDeleteDay1 - look elsewhere if you want someone to defend the inexplicable firing of Mears and Kinger. Dallas apparently does this too, but to me it's just cost-cutting at its worst.
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