After serving one year in Afghanistan, my (Heather Shivokevich, LIA) extended family is fortunate to have our step-brother Bruce back in time for the Holidays. Bruce is 55 and he’ll get to see his new granddaughter – and celebrate many things to “give thanks” for at this year’s holiday table!

With that blessing in mind, I’m sending cards of thanks through the “Holiday Mail for Heroes” campaign to receive and distribute holiday cards to servicemembers and veterans both in the United States and abroad. I’ll keep as green as possible with recycled paper - a little glitter, a picture (I think I'll include my Newfoundlands in the snow - who doesn't love big dogs) cotton, a poem; it will be wonderful.

Holiday Mail for Heroes, which began Veterans Day, is a follow-up to the 2007 effort that resulted in the collection and distribution of more than 600,000 cards to hospitalized servicemembers. This year’s program will expand its reach to not only wounded servicemembers but also veterans and their families. The goal is to collect and distribute 1 million pieces of holiday mail. With all of our help – that goal is attainable.

We all could use some simple pleasures this year to make us smile – so make a card or do whatever it is you can do for others to give thanks for all the joys in your life and have a Happy Thanksgiving!


Holiday cards must be postmarked by Dec. 10 and mailed to:
Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

For more information, visit: www.wramc.amedd.army.mil or www.redcross.org/holidaymail

I went to a relatively small liberal arts college, majoring in media studies and concentrating in journalism. I never had any intention of being a writer, but it seemed like a logical choice for me because of the diversity of job fields I could possibly go into. In college, I didn’t have an advisor to direct me on what my possible career choices were; I did have an academic advisor who assisted me in what requirements I needed for graduation. During the times when I found professors I liked, I would try to discuss career opportunities, often to no avail. My college, like most colleges, had a career development office, but it mostly assisted students in finding part-time employment while they were in college. I remember closing in on graduation and I would make repeated trips to the career development offices, but never received the assistance I actually needed. They basically placed you in front of a computer and told you to start searching for jobs. There was a disconnect between the career counselors and the students. They never told me what resources were available to me or even what jobs to begin to look at. Needless to say graduation came and I panicked and fled down to Florida to be with friends and hang out on the beach, having decided that I had worked hard enough for the last few years and some time hanging out on the beach would be some good respite. That didn’t last very long as going to the beach every day began to get a little boring and I missed New York. I came home a couple of months later and found a part-time job at a small Not-for Profit. Now that I’m back in school, it has recently occurred to me that colleges seem to base all of their teachings on academics and theory. Isn’t educating our college graduates on what to expect in the professional world an important component of their success? Or is it more important that they’ve read every work written by Shakespeare. Colleges require loan exit interviews to educate college grads on what their responsibilities as borrowers are. Why don’t colleges incorporate a similar academic requirement for their students upon graduation? Not only will they be prepared academically but they will be able to apply practical experience in the workforce.

I (Lucy Lawlor, LIA) just got back from an amazing 9-day trip to China. The ancient sites were magnificent, the temples and gardens were tranquil. I learned about jade and pearls and even saw the silk worms in action as their threads turned into beautiful comforters and clothes. I also experienced the Buddhists praying to a 64 foot high wood carved Buddha in the Lingyin Temple. At the Longjing Green Tea Plantation they told us how they only pick the top tender leaves of the green tea plants and discard the rest. Green tea is very important to the Chinese for good health and is a staple of their diet.
But my favorite part of the entire trip - the Chinese people. They were so accommodating and eager to help, always had a smile and a wave and were more than happy to let me take their picture. Thought I would share a few photos of my trip with you. Enjoy!! Click here to view my photos on Kodak Gallery and click here to take this special trip yourself!

The United States has achieved a great milestone in its history by electing Barack Obama as its first African American president. To note this historic event, I thought I’d take a literary journey through history starting in 1863. Back then President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared the freedom of slaves in the Confederate States. In 1865, slavery was banned nationwide by the 13th Amendment. In 1870, the 15th amendment forbid the denial of the right to vote on account of race. For decades after, many people used tactics such as literacy tests, poll taxes and other obstacles to impede African Americans from voting. Finally, in 1964 the Civil Rights Act was made law and it extended equal rights in public accommodations to all Americans. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act reaffirmed the right to vote and banned various State laws and practices used to impede African Americans from voting. Now to 2008, Barack Obama has been elected as the 44th president of the United States. I think Barack Obama’s appeal was due largely to the fact that the Country felt it was time for change, big change. We have achieved that change and I look forward to seeing where we go from here.

I (Matt Crosson, LIA president) have a lot of memories from, and reflections on, my recent trip to China with over 150 fellow LIA members and others. It was the first LIA China trip, and it was absolutely terrific. Excellent hotels, good food, first-rate touring coaches, knowledgeable and personable English speaking guides, and, most of all, an incredible itinerary of places to go, people to meet, things to see and learn about.

In e-mails that I have gotten from my fellow China travelers the adjectives most used were: "awesome", "amazing", "fabulous trip", "incredible value”, "wonderful”, "terrific time....great group of people", "eye opening”, "memorable”, "professional and smooth in both planning and execution", and a "great experience." All true.

There’s a lot to write about from the China trip, and I will use this space periodically to describe some of what I saw and what I think it means for us in this country, and specifically on Long Island.

But I’d like to start with technology and architecture. Many of my traveling companions agreed with me that our sense of what is happening in China is many years out of date. Despite seeing advances in China on television, especially during the Summer Olympics coverage, and through other media, I still was astonished at the modernization that exists in China’s large cities, including Beijing, Shanghia, and Hangzhou (a city of 10 million people). The architecture used for the newer hotels and office buildings, and, in particular, the architecture in the Pudong area of Shanghai, called new Shanghai, is stunning. Any one of the buildings would highlight the skyline of an American city, and in China, there are literally dozens of examples of extraordinarily advanced and imaginative architecture

And then there’s the MagLev train between downtown Shanghai and the city’s new international airport. It’s the fastest passenger train in the world, covering 30 kilometers in 8 minutes, reaching a top speed of 431 kph, or about 250 miles per hour. On Long Island, we have been fighting for decades about building a third track for the Long Island Rail Road; in China, they are about to build a MagLev train between Shanghai and Hangzhou, which will reduce a 3 and a half hour drive to a less than 40 minute train ride.

“Eye opening” was one of the adjectives used by an LIA traveler, and China certainly is that. I recommend that all of us, especially business people, go to China to get their eyes opened about that country, and what it’s amazing progress means for the future.

The moon gives you light,
And the bugles and the drums give you music;
And my heart, O my soldiers, my veterans,
My heart gives you love.
- Walt Whitman
This Veterans Day I’d (Tiffany Hansen) like to ask all of you to take a break out of the busy hectic schedules that we all put upon ourselves to capture a moment to just - be still. That’s all, just be still. Step outside, breathe in deeply, feel the breeze against your face, the air as it fills your lungs, listen to the sounds that surround you - beyond the buzz of traffic and on to the leaves as they rustle about, the voices in the distance, the sound of your own breath, or even just the strong resonance of silence. Then turn your thoughts to our soldiers. The sons, the daughters, fathers and mothers, all the nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, close and dear friends, who aren’t here today to take this moment that you’re having right now. Think of where they are and if they can just “step outside” today. It’s a daunting thought when you reflect upon how many people truly fought for us in the past and who are fighting for us today so we can have the right to step outside to just - be still. Today we should be thankful for all they have done for us, for all they currently do for us, and for the strength they possess to press on and continue doing for us every day. When I ask myself, “What have I done to deserve having a complete stranger put their life on the line to protect my rights to be free, to be able to just step outside for a moment, to just be still if I want to?” And unfortunately my answer is that I haven’t done a single thing to deserve it at all. But what I can do is appreciate it, treasure it, tell them thank you from the bottom of my heart, and every day do the best that I can to be worthy of it by practicing acceptance, tolerance, understanding, patience, and compassion. To all our Veterans; post, present & future – here’s wishing you a heartfelt Happy Veterans Day.

Things have been so dreary lately, the country’s in a recession and the clocks have gone back-signaling a long and cold winter ahead…so it’s time to have some fun. The great thing about Long Island is depending on what kind of mood you’re in, you can go East or you can head West and go in to the City. Here is a list of some things I’m going to do over the next month or so and they don’t require a lot of money. This weekend I’m heading into the city to visit the American Museum of Natural History. The Butterfly Conservatory is back and you can go and view live tropical butterflies from October 11 through May 25, 2009. They also have another interesting exhibit titled “Climate Change: The Threat to Life and a New Energy Future,” running from October 18th to August 2009. One more thing, a live lizards and snakes exhibit representing 27 species from around the world is also ongoing. Visit their website for more information http://www.amnh.org/.

If you don’t know already, this week is restaurant week running until Sunday, November 9. All participating restaurants will offer a three-course prix fixe for $24.95 per person all night, except Saturday, when it will only be available until 7 p.m. This is a great chance to try something new or go to your favorite place for half the price. Visit the website at http://www.longislandrestaurantweek.com/dine.html.

I’m going to see “Oliver” the musical at the John W. Engman Theater in Northport. I’ve heard great things about this theatre from friends. I grew up going to the Northport movie theatre and saw my first James Bond movie there, so it should be fun to go back and see how it’s changed. They have a green room piano bar and lounge that opens an hour before the show and after the show and they have in-seat beverage service. For more info, visit their website at www.johnwengemantheater.com

The ground breaking election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States led to record voter turnouts and a plea from the nation that change, and radical change was what the populace wanted. That mantra was not as significant on the local level as all five of Long Island's Congressional delegation--Carolyn McCarthy, Steve Israel, Gary Ackerman, Tim Bishop and Peter King--were all easily re-elected. In fact the "closest" race was where GOP challenger Lee Zeldin received 42 percent of the vote against incumbent Democrat Bishop. Every incumbent State Assemblyperson from Long Island won re-election and in the only race without an incumbent--Nassau's 16th district--Democrat Michelle Schimel easily defeated Republican Matthew Mitchell.

Overall the only real local race with any buzz saw former Brookhaven Supervisor Brian X. Foley win election to the state senate by defeating 36-year veteran incumbent Caesar Trunzo. Let's hope out state delegation brings with it the voice of all Long Islanders this year.

At least a few times a year I (Gary Wojtas, LIA Director of Communications, Marketing and Member Services) participate in career forums where high school students seek out advice from professionals about different career paths. My most recent appearance was Wednesday
where I got to chat with students from East Islip High School during their career fair, run in conjunction with Dowling College at the Irish Coffee Pub in East Islip.

My table was the Communications-geared table where besides myself, Newsday columnist Joye Brown, WLIW announcer Mike Morris and a young actor who just finished the national tour in "Rent," got a chance to answer questions, discuss careers and just spend some time with the
future leaders of our region.

What struck me about East Islip students who were there was a specific energy about their goals. They know technology better than I did at their age and they came across as more mature that their average age of 16 or 17. Young journalists understand the future of their field in on-line rather than in print, those who enjoy the performing arts were riveted to conversations about the glamor or lack thereof of participating in a traveling show.

Overall the leadership of Terri Drossos at East Islip and Diane Impagliazzo from Dowling led to a well-attended and well-run event. I highly recommend any business leader to get involved in these types of programs. They are plentiful and the coordinators are always looking for new and interesting people to become involved. Go to liworks.org for additional information.

Since available land on Long Island is becoming so scarce you’d think more attention would be given to these unused properties. But it’s complicated; some of these sites are former industrial sites that contain potent contaminants like the solvent trichloroethene (a known carcinogen) that were used for decades. The solvents can still rise up as toxic vapors. Not all of these properties are contaminated; some of them are just vacant lands that were formerly warehouses or shopping centers. The way I see it, there are two issues that need to be addressed, there are public health issues; and land use issues. Brownfields are important because they hold tremendous potential for development and economic activity, that Long Island especially needs right now.

Brownfields are defined by New York’s Environmental Conservation Law as “real property whose reuse or redevelopment may be complicated by the presence or perception of contamination. Long Island has an estimated 6,800 Brownfield sites. Nassau and Suffolk Counties have more known Brownfields in a State remediation program than any other two county regions in New York State. Brownfields can range from former dry cleaning shops and gas stations to industrial development sites such as metal fabricating plants dating back to the 1950s and 1960s. They can also include marinas, warehouses, railroad tracks, landfills, fuel oil terminals, power generating stations, parking lots, bus facilities, heavy machinery and storage or repair facilities.

Contaminated land compromises the air and groundwater quality that is a public health issue. It is particularly crucial to clean up these sites because our drinking water aquifer lies below these contaminated properties. If left this way, substances will continue to leach into the soil, ultimately contaminating the aquifer. Unremediated Brownfields prevent economic development in the areas that need it most. Many Brownfield sites are located in Downtown areas and blighted communities, which are good locations for businesses because of their proximity to existing infrastructure and transit. Many of the sites that exist in Nassau and Suffolk Counties unfortunately are located in our most economically distressed neighborhoods.

A report conducted by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli back in June revealed that Western New York is leading the State in Brownfield remediation projects with 53, New York City placed second with 52, the Hudson Valley came in at 46 and Long Island has successfully cleaned up 12 sites. I spoke with Lyle Sclair of Sustainable Long Island, who said that there are now closer to 40 sites that have completed the program.

I remember when I registered to vote; it was 1994 and we were still at war with Iraq. I had just turned 18 and I went down to the local post office and filled out my voter registration form. I had absolutely, positively no idea what I was doing or even why I chose the political party that I did. I just felt that it was my “civic duty” to vote, like being a juror. I remember also thinking that it was not only a duty, but also a privilege. I graduated high school a year early and started my college career by going to F.I.T. I was interested in studying fashion. I didn’t know at the time that I’d ever have an interest in politics, local or national. Since registering, I have never missed voting in a presidential election. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother to vote. Does it really mean anything? Economists have written papers on why your vote almost never matters. Why then, do so many people insist on voting? Maybe it’s because there’s a small part in the whole participation process that makes us feel validated; that your opinion actually does count.

Thursday was a day filled with making connections and it is something I (Gary Wojtas, LIA director of Communications, Marketing & Member Services) highly recommend to grow your business and/or get it more exposure. The day started with the LIA’s Speed Networking event, where more than 50 participants spent time networking with their peers. What made this event different was that each networker had only 90 seconds to introduce their product or service and another 90 seconds to “sell” it to the other six people at their table. After everyone at the table delivered their “elevator” speech with open-format discussion, all the participants moved on to a new group and continued. This style of event drew raves from the participants who got to meet at least 25 people to connect with and exchange business cards and ideas. It’s also fun; sort of a combination game of musical chairs and 20 questions.

This Speed Networking event was also the first of the LIA’s new Rapid Response program. With the slogan “Timing is Everything,” Rapid Response is a direct effort to help LIA members do business in challenging times. RR focuses on unique networking events and other efforts to ensure that LIA members meet business prospects, learn how to make money through seminars and generate leads. The next Speed Networking event is planned for January and the first Networking Partners roundtable group is filling up. For more information contact Heather Shivokevich at 631-493-3036 or at hshivokevich@longislandassociation.org.

My Thursday afternoon was spent at Connection Day, the Fair Media Council’s annual luncheon at the Long Island Hilton. Jaci Clement and her team continue to do a good job of bringing public relations professionals and the Long Island and some of New York City’s media together to network and pitch story ideas. The session that I was a panelist on was about writing Op-Ed’s and Letters to the Editor. Other participants included writing consultants Leila Zogby, David North and Newsday veteran editorial writer Bob Keeler. About 25 attendees filled the room with energy and good questions about writing style and placement. I left the event with about 10 new business cards, and media contacts.

All in all a solid day of meeting new people, talking about the LIA and its products and services, and making new connections.

Something interesting happened in Riverhead last week (at least to me it’s interesting). For those of you who may not know, Riverhead went from a dreary main street town to the epi-center of shopping for North and South Fork residents. It has also become a Mecca for tourists. For almost 20 years now, projects of all kinds have unfolded in Riverhead. A few that come to mind: Tanger Outlets, Splish Splash, Atlantis Aquarium, Vineyards, commercial shopping strips and malls, a Target, a Wal-mart, a K-mart, a BJ’s, a King Kullen, a Waldbaum’s, a Best Yet and a Stop and Shop. The Suffolk County Planning Department even issued a report a couple of years ago identifying Riverhead as a hot spot of development. They were right.

So it was interesting when I read last week that a Suffolk County Supreme Court Judge overturned the Riverhead Town Board’s approval of plans to construct a Wal-mart supercenter, which would have included a car repair shop and a supermarket. The proposed location was on Route 58 in Riverhead, adjacent to the Tanger Outlet Center. The Supercenter would have been the first of its kind on Long Island. The Judge, Thomas F. Whelan ruled that Wal-mart’s site plan violated the Town’s zoning codes for the site. The existing zoning laws for the area do not allow for single free standing stores, automotive shops or food courts. What’s so interesting to me is that the Town Board ultimately felt it had the authority to trump the current zoning restrictions. The Town Board agreed to approve variances for landscaping, parking and building standards. Why is this so interesting? Because it shows you just how much power existing zoning laws and zoning boards have. They have more authority over the use of land than people may realize; are a powerful entity and evidently more powerful than the Town Board (at least in Riverhead’s case). This to me ties into the whole housing issue. If you have Zoning Boards that are unwilling or resistant to modify existing regulations (i.e. providing higher density buildings) then Long Island will continue to remain the land of single-family houses.

Newsday published an article last week on “Long Island’s finest downtowns.” The article showcased six towns that real estate experts said were worth buying into. In case you missed the article, the towns featured were Huntington, Great Neck, Long Beach, Rockville Centre, Babylon, and East Hampton. All of these towns offer similar attractions to residents including shopping, a variety of restaurants, banks, movie theatres, performing arts centers, parks, proximity to waterfront property and most are within walking distance to the Long Island Rail Road; but the most attractive feature that all of these downtowns possess is their diverse housing options.

According to the article, which cited statistics from the Multiple Listing Service of Long Island. In Huntington, 65 percent of available residences are single-family houses, 10 percent are co-ops, 10 percent are condos and the rest are rentals. Currently, a garden style, one bedroom, one bathroom co-op in Huntington is going for about $253,000, with a monthly maintenance fee of $600, which includes taxes. I was interested in knowing what the monthly mortgage would be like for this garden apartment, so I contacted the Long Island Housing Partnership to get some figures. A co-op often requires a down payment of 10 percent. If you have reasonably good credit, you can secure a 30-year loan at 6.5 percent, which would make your monthly mortgage payment approximately $1537.89 plus your $600 per month maintenance fee, bringing your total to $2,137.89. In my mind, this is indisputably unaffordable for the average single guy or gal living on Long Island. How much money do you need to make in order to afford the garden apartment?

The Town of Huntington is currently in the process of revising and updating its Comprehensive Plan. The Town seems to understand the complexity and the urgency involved in the need to provide a variety of housing options while also maintaining the quality of life for all of its residents. The Town has had an existing policy since 1993, which requires that 20 percent of all new housing units constructed be affordable. However, Huntington like most other towns throughout Long Island faces challenges from its residents. Primarily, residents are fearful and concerned by new higher density developments because of the potential impacts of school-aged children on their property taxes. This is a misconception. I have long wondered why senior or 55+ developments have become so prevalent across the Island. They seem to be popping up everywhere. The reason is because these developments do not pose a threat to the local community in regards to school-aged children. So if that is the case and their property taxes are included in the cost of their developments, why is the public so misinformed on the workforce/affordable housing development issue?

My father grew up in Brooklyn but when he was about ten his father decided to buy some property “out east” and build his own home. When I was about the same age my dad moved us further “out east” and built a house too. My brother recently moved his family further "out east" and did the same. Each generation is in pursuit of the “American dream”, enabling families throughout the nation to accumulate more material wealth in terms of homes, cars and more access to education.

Suburban development across America has followed a model based upon an “ideal vision” which is similar in ways to the American dream. The model incorporates four components of planning, including; single-family homes, typically on a generous portion of land; a car; industrial complexes (jobs); and a strong local government. Sound familiar? The problem is that this model is no longer working for us here on Long Island and in many other parts of the country.

Right now we are a country facing crises of all kinds; financial, environmental, energy, housing. All Long Islanders (if you are not already) will be affected by what is happening around us at some point. Long Island particularly, is experiencing an exodus of young people. I think it’s because of two reasons; 1) employers are unwilling or are just not able to pay competitive salaries and 2) lack of housing. If employers aren’t willing to pay, then qualified and skilled young people are going to leave, end of story. If Long Island businesses have employees who can’t afford to live here you won’t have a workforce, which means eventually you’ll go out of business.

All I’ve been thinking about for the past year or so is why Long Island is lagging behind in terms of housing? For a while I blamed it on local governments and zoning boards, because they are the ones who really hold the ability and power to make effective changes in zoning and housing regulations. But then I started to think about Long Islanders in general and realized that it’s a resistance to change. Maybe some of you have already come to that conclusion. It’s the attitude of NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) within almost every corner of Long Island. People typically resist change when they perceive it as a threat to their way of life. The threat doesn’t even have to be real for resistance to occur.

There has been a lot of talk among local governments and community agencies to revitalize downtown areas; specifically by making them more accessible in terms of housing, transportation, and proximity to shopping, jobs and parks. If you want to attract young workers give them a cosmopolitan-like atmosphere and they will stay here. A lot of you may not know that I lived in Manhattan for years; now I live in Huntington Village. I live there because of all of the reasons mentioned above. Huntington provides an urban atmosphere in a suburban area and, to me, I get the best of both worlds by living there. This is a model that Long Island planners need to copy for the region to continue to grow and prosper.