BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Limba - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Limba X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://limba.net X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Limba REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20070311T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20071104T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20080309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20081102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20090308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20091101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20100314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20101107T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090107T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090107T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20090107T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20090107T050000Z UID:4397-1231286400-1231286400@limba.net SUMMARY:Meeting with Red Line and [owell and Danby Calverton DESCRIPTION:Red line RR from California is sending a rep to Calverton URL:https://limba.net/calendar/meeting-with-red-line-and-owell-and-danby-calverton/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090102T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090102T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20090102T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20090102T050000Z UID:4325-1230854400-1230854400@limba.net SUMMARY:No Meeting Holiday DESCRIPTION: URL:https://limba.net/calendar/no-meeting-holiday-5/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20090101T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20090101T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20090101T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20090101T050000Z UID:4380-1230768000-1230768000@limba.net SUMMARY:New Years Day No Meeting DESCRIPTION: URL:https://limba.net/calendar/new-years-day-no-meeting/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081226T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081226T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20081226T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20081226T050000Z UID:4324-1230249600-1230249600@limba.net SUMMARY:No Meeting Holiday DESCRIPTION: URL:https://limba.net/calendar/no-meeting-holiday-4/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081219T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081219T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20081219T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20081219T050000Z UID:4336-1229644800-1229644800@limba.net SUMMARY:Michael Coleman News 12 DESCRIPTION:Today our speaker was Michael Coleman\, Sports Director with News 12 Long Island. \nMichael’s mission was to tell us about the importance of local sports news. Of course there is also the larger spectrum of sports news that he covers\, but News 12 is more apt to cover the local teams from high schools and colleges than the city based operations. \n  \nHe gave us his personal history as it relates to being where he is today. He grew up in Kansas. When he went to college he set his sights on broadcast communications. Being an athlete\, and being interviewed himself while in high school\, he understood the need for athletes to be well spoken. More importantly\, the person doing the interview should be articulate. Today when Michael speaks to athletes\, he will often speak to the coach first\, and ask him who is best able to make the team look good. Who on the team will present a good image of the team. \n  \nMr. Coleman appears to think of sports as a great personal building tool. He recognizes that few players will achieve pro sport ability\, but the lessons learned in sports can be transferred to what he calls “Plan B.” In other words being in training to be a doctor or an engineer\, or a teacher has to be the goal in most cases. Being able to carry off a professional athletic career is rare and should not be counted on. \n  \nHe didn’t say so\, but I got the feeling that he was a pretty good athlete himself. The experience made him understand the job he is presently doing\, and no doubt\, he is better at doing it\, in part\, because of the experience he had as an athlete. \n  URL:https://limba.net/calendar/michael-coleman-news-12/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081212T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081212T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20081212T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20081212T050000Z UID:4320-1229040000-1229040000@limba.net SUMMARY:Holiday Party Breakfast DESCRIPTION:Jim Graseck demonstrated his highly trained abilities with the violin. He played traditional music of the season and some other works. With Jim it’s not just about playing superbly\, but connecting to the audience. His ability to speak to the audience in humorous exchanges while playing intricate pieces has earned him the moniker  “The Victor Borge of the Violin” \n  \nJim was there early and played for the guests as they found their friends and seating. Then he played an opening set of songs and fun exchanges with the audience. \n  \nVince Dantona is a remarkably witty ventriloquist with a dummy named George. He did about 30 minutes of tailored routine. I gave him a list of people I knew would attend and something personal about them. That gave Vince a place to start from. While speaking to the audience\, if anybody threw Vince a curve by saying something unexpected “George” had a slapdown witty reply. But I scared George when I asked him if he knew what a wood chipper was. \n  \nVince was the opening act for Ray Romano when he worked the club circuit and LIMBA has asked him to perform in the past. Jim closed the breakfast with some additional songs leaving us all a little more uplifted that the times dictate. \n  \nIt is a pleasure to have these talented individuals for our otherwise serious forum. I’ll paraphrase a bit here. Man does not live on bread alone; sometimes we need laughs and music. That’s what we had on Friday morning \n  \nEnjoy your holidays. These are precious moments \nErnie Fazio \n  \nPictured: Jim Graseck \n  \nMore photos available here…. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/holiday-party-breakfast/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081205T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081205T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20081205T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20081205T050000Z UID:4322-1228435200-1228435200@limba.net SUMMARY:Gerry Fitz - High Speed Fuel Efficient Ferries DESCRIPTION:Friday morning’s speaker was Gerry Fitzpatrick. Gerry is a principal in SES\, a company that has ownership in a new ship technology that would not only go fast (excess of 50 MPH) but would do so using considerably less fuel than a conventional vessel. Getting vessels to go fast has been done in the past at the cost of using engines with enormous horsepower\, but that means using a lot of fuel. Fitzpatrick’s design actually uses less than the conventionally powered ships. \n  \nFitzpatrick is well versed in the technology and provided an interesting and understandable explanation of how it would work. The vessel is a version of “surface effect” technology. Surface Effect vessels operate on the principle that if the hull can be lifted out of the water than the drag of plowing through the water is greatly reduced. So while surface effect technology is not new\, SES’s technology is new.  \n  \nI asked Fitzpatrick to cite the advantages and features that make the design desirable. The problems caused by ship wakes are almost eliminated with his design. Another feature is that because the draft  (how deep it sits in the water) is much less than conventional craft\, it can navigate in shallower water. \n  \nWe discussed the viability of using such a craft between Shoreham and New Haven. The answer was that the trip could be a short as 35 minutes\, and it would work very well. But according to Fitzpatrick it’s greater benefit may be in using it to connect places along the Connecticut shore to Manhattan\, or places along the Hudson Valley to Manhattan. Using larger ships of this design may be useful in moving trucks along the ports of the east coast and removing them from the I-95 corridor. \n  \nUnder the same ownership is a company called Greenworld Marketing. The company sells lubricating oils derived from animal fats. Disposal of animal fats have been an on-going problem for the meat industry. Greenworld products make use of these oils and the end product is completely biodegradable when they are eventually discarded. The added benefits are that these oils are less expensive than petroleum oils and can be used in a broader array of applications than vegetation based products. Fitzpatrick says the products are already being well received. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/gerry-fitz-high-speed-fuel-efficient-ferries/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081128T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081128T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20081128T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20081128T050000Z UID:4319-1227830400-1227830400@limba.net SUMMARY:Thanksgiving weekend-no meeting DESCRIPTION: URL:https://limba.net/calendar/thanksgiving-weekend-no-meeting/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081121T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081121T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20081121T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20081121T050000Z UID:4318-1227225600-1227225600@limba.net SUMMARY:LIMBA Round Table DESCRIPTION:  \nThis morning we conducted a LIMBA RoundTable Discussion. There was much to report. \nThis week the new Advanced Energy Research and Development Center that is being built on the campus of SUNY Stony Brook held a 2-day conference at the Hyatt Windwatch in Hauppauge. There were many interesting ideas presented on alternate energy\, conservation and innovation. One of the issues that have been the concern of large-scale wind and solar providers is the robustness of the transmission grid\, or more precisely\, the lack thereof. One of the speakers addressed that very topic. Ed Reinfurt\, Executive Director of the New York State Foundation for Science\, Technology and Innovation made an impassioned speech on building a power highway that will get our renewable energy plants power to our major centers of population. He claimed that the system has not kept up with the times. He will be speaking at LIMBA in January.  \nWe also discussed the Mag-Lev train. I met with the inventors at the conference after they made a presentation on the “2nd Generation Mag-Lev” Drs. Danby and Powell have designed and built a prototype of the new concept in Florida. The new guide way system can be built at a fraction of the cost of the original design. The new design allows the Mag-Lev to operate on the same track as conventional rail when entering cities using a modified guide way between the tracks. This will make the vehicle capable of entering Grand Central and Penn station at conventional speeds and then ramping up to 350 m/p/h on its own dedicated guideways outside of the city.  \nMag-Lev is important because it is an electric technology and uses 1/10 the fuel per passenger than conventional rails. The vehicle can also transport trucks in a roll-on roll-off operation. This technology plays into the new energy initiatives being promoted by congressman Israel. We\, at LIMBA\, intend to make Mag-Lev a focus of our efforts going forward because Long Island has the knowledge base to make it happen.  \nWe also discussed congressman Nadler’s proposed tunnel from Bayonne to Brooklyn. All of the elements we discussed have a symbiosis and present enormous opportunities for the Long Island region. Look for a detailed presentation of Mag-Lev on the LIMBA website within a few weeks. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/limba-round-table/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081114T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081114T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20081114T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20081114T050000Z UID:4317-1226620800-1226620800@limba.net SUMMARY:William Cronin The NY Port Authority DESCRIPTION:This morning our speaker was William Cronin from the New York Port Authority. Mr. Cronin’s expertise is in the shipping operations of the Port\, but was quite knowledgeable on other aspects of the NYPA operations. \nBill began by giving us a little history. The NYPA was originally created to coordinate rail service from New Jersey to New York\, and facilitate a smooth transfer of goods through several jurisdictions. Then the Holland Tunnel was built to create a better revenue stream and subsequently the Lincoln Tunnel was added\, as was the George Washington Bridge. \n  \nIdlewild Airport\, and LaGuardia Airports were owned by the city of New York and Newark Airport was owned by the city of Newark. All of these became NYPA properties. In the 70’s The World Trade Center was built and a companion project was the PATH train link to NJ \n  \nToday Port Newark and Port Elizabeth is a big part of the NYPA responsibilities and the security for all of these operations is a formidable task. \n  \nRecently NYPA acquired New York- New Jersey Rail LLC. The purpose of this acquisition was to reactivate a\, long out of use\, rail link and bridge that would bring rail freight traffic to Staten Island where it could be barged across the Narrows and delivered to Brooklyn. Brooklyn has rail links that connect to Long Island. In fact these are the very same rail links that congressman Nadler referred to when he made his presentation at LIMBA for a tunnel from New Jersey to Brooklyn. Nadler has made federal money available for the initial study of this idea\, but Cronin told us the NYPA was not interested\, indicating that it was not a viable idea\, so they refused the money. \n  \nDuring the Q&A portion of the meeting I asked Mr. Cronin\, “If this barge link is such a good idea\, why not get behind Mr. Nadler’s proposal for the tunnel?” Bill Cronin said the NYPA simply did not think it was a good idea. \n  \nI wrote this piece late in the afternoon and by the time I put my recap together I found in my Email in-box two notes dated yesterday and today\, that were attached to an email from Bill Cronin. NYPA reversed their decision to complete a feasibility study on creating the tunnel that congressman Nadler proposed. The study will now go forward. This is very good news for the region and Long Island. Mr. Nadler was thrilled with the decision. \n  \nIt is true Long Island can substantially increase rail freight with quicker and less costly fixes\, but this is the kind of robust infrastructure the region needs to support the growing economy of Long Island. This is a scoop folks and you heard it here first. You’ll be reading about it. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/william-cronin-the-ny-port-authority/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081107T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081107T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20081107T050000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20081107T050000Z UID:4313-1226016000-1226016000@limba.net SUMMARY:Charles Wang- The Lighthouse Development DESCRIPTION:This morning our speaker was Paul Lancey\, Senior VP of The Lighthouse Development Group. The proposed building of a large multi-use site at what is sometimes referred to as the “Nassau Hub” has impressed many\, and at the same time caused others to object. \n  \nMr. Lancey went through the various elements of the plan\, which included the central part of this vision. A modernization and renovated of the Nassau Coliseum\, residences of varying cost and size that can be purchased and a sizeable number of rental apartments. \n  \nThere is\, as part of the plan to have addedional office space in the mix. These offices would lend themselves to use by people occupying the residential section.  There will be open recreational areas\, a canal with architecturally appealing bridges. The canal will have a promenade with café’s adjacent the canal to accommodate outdoor dining in good weather. \n  \nThere will be a sports oriented business center devoted to fitness\, sports medicine\, and sports technical equipment. These sports oriented businesses will be useful to the surrounding universities and the professional sports teams located at the coliseum \n  \nAll of the infrastructure will be tied together by being a generally walkable 150 acre complex. In addition it will be served by buses. The need for transportation links to the Long Island Railroad has not been included in the plan\, but it is apparent that a light rail connector would greatly enhance the overall plan. \n  \nThis proposal has been around for about 5 years and though it has been modified somewhat to answer the concerns of critics\, but it still has not come to fruition. The frustration of the developers was apparent in the presentation. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/charles-wang-the-lighthouse-development/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081031T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20081031T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20081031T040000Z UID:4326-1225411200-1225411200@limba.net SUMMARY:No Meeting DESCRIPTION: URL:https://limba.net/calendar/no-meeting-13/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081024T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081024T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20081024T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20081024T040000Z UID:4310-1224806400-1224806400@limba.net SUMMARY:Congressman Steve Israel - Energy Policy for the US DESCRIPTION:Congressman Steve Israel has been concentrating on putting his efforts into creating a  robust national energy plan. That plan will have a dramatic impact on business opportunities for Long Island. LIMBA has asked the congressman to address his remarks to some of the specifics that he would like to see happen. Please join us on Friday Oct 24th. Pre registration is a must for this event \nErnie Fazio \n \nVideo of the event is available thanks to MyLITV.com. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/congressman-steve-israel-energy-policy-for-the-us/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081017T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081017T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20081017T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20081017T040000Z UID:4316-1224201600-1224201600@limba.net SUMMARY:Jim Staudenraus\, 1st Assm. Karen Kerr-Ozimek9 dis. candidate DESCRIPTION:This morning’s meeting at LIMBA was a little different from our usual format. \nWe had two speakers Jim Stadenraus Republican Candidate foe the 1st Assembly district and Karen Kerr-Ozimek\, Democratic candidate for the 9 Assembly district. \nEach candidate was given 15 minutes to introduce themselves\, and their immediate concerns. \nJim began by outlining his program for reform. He supports the 4% tax cap proposal that Governor Paterson has put forth. He would also like to see districts amalgamating their purchases for supplies and services to increase buying power. This would not root out the many redundant administration\, but it would likely reduce costs of school operations. \nAccording to Stadenraus\, the taxpayers would be better served if there were a single state teachers system. The salaries would be higher on Long Island because a cost of living factor would be built in\, but the difference of salaries between local school districts would be small or non-existent. Neither Kerr-Ozimek nor Stadenraus mentioned anything about teachers salaries being too high\, but they are convinced that the school system can be reformed to get the taxpayers a lot more mileage from tax dollars by virtue of better management. \nKaren Kerr-Ozimek suggested that a review of the entire school system was in order. There are no effective internal checks on this enormous system\, and the fruits of that neglect were demonstrated when the investigation into school lawyers was uncovered by Newsday. \nBoth candidates were more or less on the same page despite the fact that they are running in opposing parties\, though not against each other. Jim Stadenraus quoted that old chestnut\, “Nothing focuses the mind like the prospect of being hanged.” Being under the yoke of the highest taxes in the country with the real possibility of it getting worse\, does not have the same severity of being hanged\, but the problem has gotten us a little more focused. \nThe economic stress the country and this region is experiencing has given us an opportunity to reassess what we are getting for our money. Anytime we are stressed by adversity we are either crushed\, or we gather the resources and imagination to do better than we ever have. Perhaps we are at that critical juncture. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/jim-staudenraus-1st-assm-karen-kerr-ozimek9-dis-candidate/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081010T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081010T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20081010T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20081010T040000Z UID:4327-1223596800-1223596800@limba.net SUMMARY:Kevin O'Neill - John Engeman Theater in Northport DESCRIPTION:Today we had the pleasure of hearing from a passionate advocate of fine Theater experiences in a local jewel setting – The John Engeman Theater.  Mr. O’Neill\, an ex bond trader turned theater impresario\, plays Bloom to Richard Dolce’s Bialystock\, filling the house and running the infrastructure\, where Mr. Dolce concentrates on staging Broadway quality productions in a luxurious four hundred seat theater space.  The seats are roomy\, and the ladies will appreciate the more ample bathroom facilities\, long a bane of the Manhattan theater scene.  The only year round Actor’s Equity house on Long Island\, the renovations that took the single screen seven hundred seat movie theater to its current stage incarnation included the previously mentioned bathrooms\, and a warren of dressing rooms underneath the building\, to make its New ! York based troupes more comfortable.  Casting and Rehearsals are done in the city\, with a cast shuttle bus to make sure everybody makes curtain. \n  \nThe business angle is to cultivate the season subscriber\, with seven shows a year\, flexible seating and scheduling.  The reasonable price of $355 per seat per season makes it a low-risk purchase.  Reviews have been consistently good of all the productions\, and surrounding restaurants like Skipper’s are running dinner + show packages.  The theater is a great complement to the village\, a beautiful physical presence\, and a vital social component.  The inviting piano bar\, "The Green Room" is open to ticket holders an hour before curtain\, closed during the first act\, reopens for intermission\, and then opens to the public after the show.  You may get a treat from a cast member who hangs around to belt out a couple of specials from time to time. \n  \nMr. O’Neill used a sports venue analogy to the marketing of the theater.  Season subscribers\, single ticket purchasers\, and groups are the three target markets.  Quality\, entertaining theater in a luxurious environment are the drawing cards.  Angst-ridden Chekov plays will probably not find themselves staged here.  Flexible plans for groups are available for fundraisers and such.  Corporate rewards or entertainment programs can arrange a private performance of the current run based on the size of their audience. \n  \nThe Q&A was threaded throughout the discussion\, focused mostly on the differences between the Engeman and other Long Island houses\, and the merits of quality theater without the schlep into Manhattan.  Once again\, another well-spent Friday morning at LIMBA. \n  \n Recap Written by Craig Plunkett of cedx.com. \n  \nSub note; John W. Engeman was a 28 year veteran of the military when he was killed in Iraq. Mr. Engeman is the brother-in-law of theater founder Kevin O’Neil. The theater bears Engeman’s name as a tribute. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/kevin-oneill-john-engeman-theater-in-northport/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20081003T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20081003T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20081003T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20081003T040000Z UID:4312-1222992000-1222992000@limba.net SUMMARY:Rich Kruse - The art of effective networking DESCRIPTION:Rich Kruse is the creator of Execuleaders\, an outstanding organization that uses process to achieve effective networking. Rich Kruse has given a lot of thought to the process of networking. According to Kruse it is not a haphazard endeavor\, but rather\, a thoughtful set of strategies.   When you walk into a room of people you would like to network with\, you may feel a little ill at ease\, but you can still make quiet one-on-one encounters. These encounters have to be many because your odds of meeting some person who immediately needs your product or service is small. The process becomes more comfo! rtable as you do it more and more. \nAppearance is very important too. We can’t all look like Robert Redford and Sophia Loren\, but we can dress nicely\, and make sure our shoes are shined. Good personal grooming makes us more attractive even if nature has not blessed us. \nThoughtfulness and being a good listener. – In the process of listening to a new aquaintance you may find that you have information that can benefit that person. Make a note and mail him a copy of an article\, or name a website that will be useful to his efforts\, or send him a book. Will you get business from this behavior? Possibly\, possibly not\, but you have established yourself as a quality person. Rich quoted an old sales axiom that says\, Nobody cares how much you know\, until the know how much you care. \nKruse advises to always carry a pen. In fact carry several pens. Be ready to give that pen to your new friend so he has one for the rest of the day. The give away of an inexpensive pen costs you little\, and may make a very favorable impression. \nWe all can have a bad day and be less than enthusiastic from time to time\, but avoid people who are "wet blankets\," They are bad news\, and sales is a business of attitude. Listening to a littany of negative comments does not help that person\, nor does it do anything positive for you. \nAnd probably the most important tip- Be consistent. Going out to a network event once never to return again will do you little good\, regardless of the number of business cards\, you collected\, or gave out. Choose a few networking groups and visit those groups on a regular basis. You’ll get better at the process when you can create a smile on a persons face when you walk in the room. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/rich-kruse-the-art-of-effective-networking/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080926T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080926T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20080926T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20080926T040000Z UID:4311-1222387200-1222387200@limba.net SUMMARY:No meeting\, LIBDC meets in Montauk DESCRIPTION: URL:https://limba.net/calendar/no-meeting-libdc-meets-in-montauk/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080919T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080919T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20080919T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20080919T040000Z UID:4308-1221782400-1221782400@limba.net SUMMARY:Hubert Keen PhD- President SUNY Farmingdale DESCRIPTION:Dr. Hubert Keen\, president of SUNY Farmingdale was our speaker this morning. Some of us can remember when this institution was known as an agricultural school. The farm animals are long gone\, and the march to progress has brought Farmingdale to a new and important place in the multi-billion dollar education industry on Long Island. After a long slide in enrollment the college is growing in enrollment at a rate that they literally cannot keep up with. Under this administration the enrollment continues to increase and programs are growing. Farmingdale\, until recently\, was issuing more associate degrees than bachelor degrees. That trend has been reversed in recent years. \nThe operating budget for the school is $64million and the present capital budget is $14 million. The capital part is being used to build a student center and a Business Studies school. There are 1100 employees at Farmingdale; half of them are full time. To accommodate the expanded bachelor programs there have been 30 new instructors hired in the last two years. \nThere have been solar photovoltaic trainning at Farmingdale for many years. In recent years the work in this field has expanded considerably. Research in solar PV and fuel cells has become an even more important part of the educational mix because of our present day needs. \nOther important educational components are the Dental Hygiene school\, Nursing\, Bio Tech\, Information Technology\, and Security Systems. Each of these disciplines are in a collaborative relationship with other important institutions such as Brookhaven National Laboratories and North Shore LIJ. \nThe school has been designing degree programs to provide the variety of personnel that are needed for us to grow\, and prosper as a region and a country\, but the emphasis is on educating local people. The enrollment at Farmingdale is principally Long Islanders. \nThe present economic situtaion has been having a detrimental effect on the institution\, and Dr Keen acknowledged\, that has been a serious challenge URL:https://limba.net/calendar/hubert-keen-phd-president-suny-farmingdale/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080912T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080912T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20080912T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20080912T040000Z UID:4304-1221177600-1221177600@limba.net SUMMARY:Bob McMillan- Health care issues DESCRIPTION:Our speaker today was Robert McMillan.  McMillan\, until June of this year\, served on the board of the American Medical Association.  McMillan began by giving us some pretty stagering numbers on the cost of health care. He stated that it was the largest segment of the economy at $2.2trillion\, yet there are 18\,000 deaths that are directly attributable to having no access to health care. It costs $100 billion just to provide for the uninsured. There is another $20 billion that is donated services by doctors\, and still another $20 billion on medical services that are simply written off. In short\, according  to McMillan\, we have an excellent system in terms of advanced medicine\, that is failing to serve the whole population. \nThe cost of healthcare has increased 87% from 2000 to 2007\, and the number of uninsured has balloned. He then went into some of the reasons why the cost have risen. One of the reasons is the costly new analytical tools and machinery for diagnosis and care. McMillan stated that every medical facility wants to have all of the latest equipment\, even when the equipment exists at another hospital a short distance away. Another cost factor is the ability to keep the hopelessly ill "alive" when there is absolutely no chance of recovery\, or ever gaining consiousness. \nThere are so many facets to this problem. The medical costs dictates to the general economy in many ways. Bob stated that the steel in an automobile actually costs less than medical insurance costs for the assemblers. There are 300\,000 medical bankrupcies each year\, and some of these bankrupcies are with people that actually have insurance. He went on to say that Medicare will be broke in 20 years and as these costs escalate\, the period of Medicare solvency may even be shorter. \nWhile both presidential candidates are speaking about health care\, the solving of this cost and availability problem is enormously complex. To be considered are the interests of the doctors\, the pharmaceutical companies\, the insurance companies\, the trial lawyers\, and the legitimate needs of the public. None of these interests are going to sacrifice anything voluntarily. \nWhen Mr. McMillan discussed medical malpractice he pointed out that 80% of all medical lawsuits were dismissed. Despite that statistic\, medical malpractice insurance costs have caused many doctors to simply retire rather than deal with the enormous costs which he stated could be $200\,000 per year. During the Q&A period I asked if the malpracice insurance problem could be mitigated by having a no-fault compensation system that would be similar to workers compensation.  McMillan said that this topic is among the many tasks he tackled while on the AMA board. Medical Compensation is not supported by the trial lawyers and they have a very powerful voice in congress. He didn’t hold out much hope for that item. It appears that the 100 year dicussion on universal health care\, which was first proposed by Teddy Roosevelt\, will go on a little longer. All things considered the resolution looks bleak. \nPictured: Bill Miller\, Bob McMillan\, Phoebe McMillan and Ernie Fazio URL:https://limba.net/calendar/bob-mcmillan-health-care-issues/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080905T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080905T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20080905T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20080905T040000Z UID:4309-1220572800-1220572800@limba.net SUMMARY:Michael Watt - Exec Dir Long Island Builders Institute DESCRIPTION:Our speaker this week was Michael Watt\, Executive Director of Long Island Builders Institute (LIBI). Michael began by talking about the numbers of young people who are leaving the region. Young men and women starting out\, have a slim chance of establishing themselves here\, and the situation is not resolving itself. Even the mortgage crisis that is causing housing prices to drop like stone in some parts of the country\, is not having the same effect on Long Island. He attributes that fact to the cost of land. High land prices has inhibited the speculative builder\, as a result our surplus of homes is not as bad as in other places. The reduction in home costs has not been enough to entice young\, or new buyers. \nMr. Watt said there is a myth that says new construction would inundate the local schools with new students that could not be absorbed without creating enormous expenses. He then pointed out that the typical family demographics on Long Island is that the average family is only three people\, refuting that assumption. He went on to say the rental apartments in the downtowns could be part of the answer. In some places downtowns already are building second story apartments. These apartments are largely occupied by single people. \nWatt addressed the "green building" movement\, and claimed that building green was more costly\, but resulted in lower utility bills for the life of the home. A few months ago we had "green" architecht\, Peter Caradonna speak at LIMBA\, and according to him\, even the initial costs were similar. So\, here we have a difference of opinion. Nevertheless\, LIBI has signed on to the new concept of building in an environmentally friendly way. As we get more used to building in the new style there will be more and more people who are knowledgeable in the new methods. \nBuilding "vertical" was discussed in the Q&A session. Building one or more acre housing is wasteful and costly. Where you have multi family housing land it is easier to keep open land. Here we get into the chicken and the egg problem. You cannot build multi family housing without sewars. At the same time municipalities are reluctant to invest in them. It appears the leadership we need is sorely absent\, but some of our recent political speakers do seem to be coming on board to do the things we need. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/michael-watt-exec-dir-long-island-builders-institute/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080829T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080829T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20080829T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20080829T040000Z UID:4303-1219968000-1219968000@limba.net SUMMARY:Labor Day weekend No Meeting DESCRIPTION: URL:https://limba.net/calendar/labor-day-weekend-no-meeting-2/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080822T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080822T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20080822T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20080822T040000Z UID:4307-1219363200-1219363200@limba.net SUMMARY:Ryan Lynch - TriState Transportation Campaign DESCRIPTION:Friday we had the pleasure of the company of Ryan Lynch\, native Long Islander and well traveled Senior Planner for the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.  The Campaign focuses on promoting sustainable transport solutions and working with governmental bodies and community support groups in furtherance of this goal. \n\nRyan arrived to speak with us regarding what the Campaign regards as the three top priorities for Long Island’s transportation issues\, and shared his opinions on how to further those goals. \nThe LIRR Third Track project is the highest priority on The Campaign’s list for Long Island.  It will enable a normal schedule for reverse commutes\, allowing Long Island businesses to take advantage of the large and ready labor pool from New York City.  Reverse commuters have been increasing in number in spite of the very sparse selection in trains.  The third track will also help us take full advantage of East Side Access to Grand Central.  It is estimated that the project will remove at least 6000 cars per day from the roads.  Opposition to this project is very small but very vocal and are making their case against the greater good that this project will bring. \n\nLITRIM\, the intermodal facility in Brentwood\, is the second priority for the area.  The increase in freight rail shipments and corresponding reduction in long haul truck traffic on and off island will be a great boon environmentally\, and economically.  There is too much of a common benefit for this project not to go through.  The Campaign applauds Governor Paterson’s veto of the parkland bill\, and looks upon it as a time-out for the project\, so that both sides can re-approach it with more community input. \nNurturing the Bus services on Long Island is the third priority\, with more funding and increased routes and frequency being called for. \nAnother subject that Ryan brought up was bringing the NYSDOT in this region around to a different focus\, from expansion and capacity building to one that emphasizes maintnenance and repair\, so that we can keep the existing network in better condition.  This also allows more attention towards transit-oriented development\, a more advantageous strategy for open space starved Long Island.  He brought out the example of New Jersey’s DOT as a model for success in this area.The Campaign is opposed to the NYSDOT’s plan for the 347 corridor\, it only offers more of the same expansion that gets quickly consumed without any real benefit. \n\nRyans’ request of us to help The Campaign in its goals were to help our fellow Long Islanders be open to the concept of increased density\, which we need sewers to support\, and join the Third Track Coalition to over come the vocal opposition to this valuable project.  The Q and A session was lively\, with the universal agreement among all that it was a bad idea to stop the LIRR shuttle existing during the County Road 39 project that had proved so effective. \n  \nRecap by Craig Plunkett of CEDX  www.cedx.com URL:https://limba.net/calendar/ryan-lynch-tristate-transportation-campaign/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080815T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080815T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20080815T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20080815T040000Z UID:4306-1218758400-1218758400@limba.net SUMMARY:Round Table Discussion at Holiday Inn DESCRIPTION:This Morning we conducted a round table discussion. We usually encourage the audience to create conversation on topics they think are important. We deviated from that format by asking Republican Ed Romaine and Democrat Wayne Horsely of the Suffolk County Legislator to start the conversation on topics that they think are ready to be addressed. Interestingly they both concentrated on the building of infrastructure. \nLegislator Horsely began by bringing up the proposed tunnel across the Long Island Sound. This tunnel will be expensive but it actually has a chance of being built because it will be done with non-government money. Investors will be supporting this construction. The question of bankrupcy was raised. What would happen if the builders ran out of money\, would the taxpayers be left holding the bag? The answer given by Mr. Horsely was\, no there will be money to be made by the promoters and a new entity would merely pick up where the failed company left off.  \nWhen Mr. Romaine had his opportunity he concentrated on East End roads\, rails\, sewers. Sewers are key to building affordable housing\, because you need to locate people in closer proximinty to each other and that can only be done if we have a comprehensive sewer program. Mr. Romaine was clearly in favor to increasing rail freight traffic by providing rail transload sites. These sites will be distribution points where rail freight can be loaded onto local trucks. When we discussed development of the Calverton Airport there were various opinions on what should be developed\, and how. Keeping those very substantially built airport runways was important to both legislators\, and that appeared to be the consensus in the room as well. There did not seem to be much support for that proposed indoor ski slope. I pointed out that the extra need for electrical power generation just to service that behomoth preclu! des it ever being built. We moved on to the possibility that the Shinecock Tribe achieving the status that would allow them to build gambling facilities. The conclusion was not to fight it\, those dollars are going somewhere\, they may as well stay here. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/round-table-discussion-at-holiday-inn/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080808T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080808T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20080808T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20080808T040000Z UID:4315-1218153600-1218153600@limba.net SUMMARY:Jovanna Little - Good Shepherd Hospice DESCRIPTION:Jovanna Little\, Good Shepherd Hospice’s development officer\, was our speaker this morning and she gave a wonderfully informative presentation of the mission of hospice. Originally hospice was the place where the dying indigent were cared for. The movement has evolved. Today it represents the services needed by anyone who is suffering from a terminal illness. Jovanna gave us an overview of what hospice is\, and is not. It is not a place to convalesce. It is not a place where curative methods are used. It is a place where those facing death can do so with the physical needs\, and the spiritual needs met while on this final journey. \nWith rare exceptions there is no curative therapy administered. Those curative methods may be used are\, healing bed sores to enhance the comfort of the sick. Palliative care is among the services provided\, They inform the family of the different phases that the patient may be going through as they progress to death. They answer questions that the family needs as they witness the waning health of the patient\, with much love and attention from the family and the care givers.  \nHelp in the preparation for death diminishes a lot of fear and doubt on the part of the sick\, and puts it into prospective for the family. There are no resuscitation orders that must be signed. Hospice wants the family and the afflicted to know that the terms of hospice care are for the final journey\, although that final journey can be long at times. There are funeral arrangements to be made\, and family is encouraged to go about these needs with the confidence that all of this is appropriate. \nGood Shepherd Hospice is completing a new unit for those people \, who for one reason or another\, cannot be cared for at home. They also will be using these facilities for bereavement service and providing a place to stay for family members. The facility is decidedly not hospital like in its’ appearance. Hardwood floors\, wall portraits\, fireplaces\, comfortable seating  and place for families to gather and share meals\, are all part of the mix. \nDeath is a part of life. It may be traumatic\, but much can be done to alleviate pain and fear. That is part of the mission of hospice and they do a great job. \nErnie Fazio URL:https://limba.net/calendar/jovanna-little-good-shepherd-hospice/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080801T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080801T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20080801T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20080801T040000Z UID:4314-1217548800-1217548800@limba.net SUMMARY:Kevin Trotman DESCRIPTION:This week our speaker was Kevin Trotman. Kevin represents the New York Islanders. \nThe focus of this morning’s talk was not so much about the Islanders as it was about the community involvement of the team and the facilities. These facilities are a part of the Lighthouse Development plan \n  \nAmong the items that Kevin spoke about was the redevelopment of the coliseum\, which will be accomplished during the off-season. He spoke about the sports Technology Center\, which in conjunction to Hofstra’s newly inaugurated medical school\, will develop a body of knowledge encompassing the science of sports performance\, as well as injury rehabilitation. \n  \nMr. Trotman gave a very brief overview of the Lighthouse efforts\, which will create 20\,000 permanent jobs and encompass 150 acres\, including all the various components of this very substantial project. \n  \nThe Islanders have embarked on a comprehensive program called Islanders Community Extension (ICE). ICE engages the community charities by lending support in terms of making faciulities available and by providing food and beverages for various events. There are ICE sponsored day camp programs as an example. \n  \nThen there is the Islanders Business Club\, which was developed by Execuleaders president Rich Kruse. Rich is presently on staff at the Islanders. The concept is very interesting. It is essentially a networking event open to Islander supporters\, which would include season ticket holders and other important members of the Islander family. An enterprise the size of a professional sports team has many needs that include anything from printing to facilities maintenence. In those gatherings the supporters learn how to do business with the Islanders and with each other. It’s a way of binding it’s supporters to the team and advancing the business goals of the same supporters. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/kevin-trotman/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080725T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080725T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20080725T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20080725T040000Z UID:4305-1216944000-1216944000@limba.net SUMMARY:Sean McGuinness\, Supt. Fire Island Nat. Seashore-Holiday Inn DESCRIPTION:Our speaker this week was Sean McGuinness\, Superintendent of the Fire Island National Seashore (FINS). This national park is like no other\, in that it encompasses whole independent communities. These communities are part of the mainland townships of Brookhaven and Islip\, yet they fall within the boundaries of the national park. FINS works closely with the various communities when they have needs that must be addressed\, but FINS takes a cooperative role rather than a primary role. As a result of this close cooperation with the towns and communities it has a very complicated role.  \nThe Sunken Forest is a part of the park that is accessible to visitors but there are no residential buildings. This very interesting section has a very dense canopy and even on the brightest days it is usually cool and relatively dark on the floor of the forest. There is walkway about 5 feet above the forest floor and visitors are not permitted to get of the walks. The wildlife in this section is very diverse and it is a favorite visiting spot for school outings. \nThere is also a wilderness area that allows no mechanized activity\, even the park service’s own chain saws are not permitted to be used. \nThe park service maintains this facility on minimum funding about $3.5 million per year. Concessions such as the restaurant at Watch Hill and the snack bar at Sailors Haven do contribute to the park’s revenues by paying a percentage of sales to the park as well as maintaining there own infrastructure. \nThe island and the adjacent mainland property in the Mastic area was originally owned by William Floyd\, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The Floyd home is in Mastic and it is also part of the FINS and it is open to the public as well. \nWhen Robert Moses was riding high he was arguably the most powerful man in the tri-state area\, having a mandate to build the region. He built bridges tunnels\, parks and numerous roadways. Some of his accomplishments were admirable\, but when he came to Fire Island he wanted to build a highway down the spine of the island. This would have destroyed the communities\, the Sunken Forest\, and the wilderness area. LIMBA’s founder Paul Townsend objected\, and built a coalition that was able to convince the US Congress to create the park. It was one of the few defeats that Moses was ever dealt. The Fire Island we have today is the result of that good leadership. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/sean-mcguinness-supt-fire-island-nat-seashore-holiday-inn/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080718T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080718T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20080718T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20080718T040000Z UID:4301-1216339200-1216339200@limba.net SUMMARY:Peter Caradonna - Green Architect -at LaQuinta DESCRIPTION:Our speaker this morning was Peter Caradonna. Peter has been an advocate and practicing architect in designing “green buildings” for many years. It appears from the general buzz that someone is listening. While Peter has something of a pioneer\, today there is a proliferation of people who are providers of green technology. \n  \nThe new building materials that are needed are more available\, and people who are designing have sources of supply that either did not exist\, or were expensive and in short supply. Good news for sure\, as we realize our old methods are simply unsustainable. \n  \nPeter pointed out the many benefits beyond the usual metrics of building costs\, and return on investment. The cost of employees is about 91% of most businesses operating expense. The cost of a building to house them is only 6% and the ongoing expense of the building is 2%. Better health and productivity of employees can be gained by putting slightly more into the building\, the small additional investment has a great return. We now have a body of case study to substantiate that claim. \n  \nIn the classrooms the net effect on student achievement is measurable and dramatic. Controlled testing have shown that properly designed classrooms can increase achievement scores by 20% \n  \nThe United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has set standards for building technology. This is a group that was formed to cross-pollinate the ideas of many innovators as well as to set performance standards. The USGBC has grown its’ membership considerably in recent years and is a nationwide network. The Leadership in Energy Design (LEED) program is their standard. All of the levels exceed local code\, which Peter describes as “just above the level where you may be arrested for doing something illegal”. The lowest LEED designation is no more costly than standard construction. The higher LEED designations are more costly to build\, but there are often tax breaks\, and utility grants\, that mitigate costs. With or without subsidies\, there is still a reasonable rate of return. With the ever-increasing cost of energy\, the case for better\, more efficient design is even more compelling. \n  \nMr. Caraddona went into the peripheral considerations of energy site planning. The “heat island” effects of a paved parking lot\, the planting of trees\, the natural treatment of waste water\, Using recycled products\, avoiding exotic imports\, planting naturally indigenous plants and trees all contribute to the stated goal of sustainability. \n  \nEducational institutions have taken on the responsibility of training the new energy practitioners. In particular is NYIT is forming a national building advisory council. Last year they built an energy efficient home that was deconstructed and reconstructed at an exposition held at the national mall in Washington DC. SUNY at Farmingdale has been training solar installers and adding related course to the curriculum\, and of course\, The Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at SUNY Stony Brook is presently being built. Much of this is happening through cooperation with the congressional office of Steve Israel. \n  \nPeter Caradonna’s understanding of the energy efficiency field and the related field of sustainability is very comprehensive\, and goes far beyond his stated discipline of architecture\, but that makes him more valuable because he sees the nuances that may be missed by another equally talented practitioner. We wish we could have had more time. URL:https://limba.net/calendar/peter-caradonna-green-architect-at-laquinta/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080711T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080711T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20080711T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20080711T040000Z UID:4302-1215734400-1215734400@limba.net SUMMARY:Marc Herbst\, Exec Dir Long Island Contractors Assoc DESCRIPTION:This morning our speaker was Marc Herbst\, Executive Director of the Long Island Contractors Association.  Mark’s backround is deeply rooted in infrastructure technology and is uniquely suited to his position. The contractors that he represents are mostly interested in transportation projects. \nMark made reference to the great empires of the past and the emphasis they had on infrastructure. The Romans were able to build great systems that supported the cities of the empire. These systems were useful in housing\, sanitation\, and defense. America\, and this region in particular\, has stopped building the great infrastructure projects that make living in a region with many people viable. He referred to this allocation of resources as investment. Due to the transit investment of past generations New York City has the most energy efficient transportation  of any state in the union\, but we stopped building these tunnels bridges\, and roads 40 years ago. We forgot what made us successful.  \nWe spoke about the revenue sources for transportation and the shortsightedness of a gas tax "holiday". Without those sources of revenue our situation will be infinitely worse. The first gas tax that was implemented was in the state of Oregon. It was a wildly popular tax because it was dedicated to building modern roads for the newly invented automobile.   \nMr Herbst pointed to other problems we are facing. A few years back we demanded that major construction should be done at night\, which on the surface seems like a reasonable idea. However costs of working nights are much higher than daytime operations. As an example he cited the high lumen lighting stands burn a lot of fuel. The workers are paid a 25% night differential. When paying union rates these costs are substantial. In addition to that the gas tax is a per gallon fee. As people adjust to using less fuel\, revenues drop. All of these factors and some I did not articulate will bankrupt the highway trust fund in one year. Clearly\, this is unacceptable\, and a new commitment to funding projects to make the region and the nation more efficient\, and therefore more competitive with the world will be needed. \nWe spoke briefly about the rail/truck inter modal facilities. The transfer stations will take hundreds of thousands of tractor trailers off the Long Island Expressway and the George Washington bridge\, which is the main conduit for these trucks.  So far they have not been built  because of local opposition and the total lack of leadership on the part of our elected officials. Too bad we can’t hire people in politics with a spine. \nPictured: Bill Miller\, Ernie Fazio\, and Mark Herbst URL:https://limba.net/calendar/marc-herbst-exec-dir-long-island-contractors-assoc/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080704T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080704T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20080704T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20080704T040000Z UID:4300-1215129600-1215129600@limba.net SUMMARY:July 4th Happy Birthday America - no LIMBA meeting DESCRIPTION: URL:https://limba.net/calendar/july-4th-happy-birthday-america-no-limba-meeting/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20080627T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20080627T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T064143 CREATED:20080627T040000Z LAST-MODIFIED:20080627T040000Z UID:4299-1214524800-1214524800@limba.net SUMMARY:BlueWater Wind - KC Sahl - at LaQuinta DESCRIPTION:This week our speaker  was KC Sahl of Blue Water Wind. When Mr. Sahl gave his presentation this morning he began with a film of the project that has been proposed off the coast of Delaware. In that region the public response was considerably different from the proposal that was advanced by Florida Power & light here on Long Island. Yes\, there were the usual questions about the affect the towers would have on migrating birds\, but those questions were answered years ago when the original wind farm was placed off the coast of Denmark. \nThe Blue Water presentation showed interviews with the Danes\, and the Danes treated any controversy about wind power as old\, and debunked news. "Birds are not stupid" said one Danish engineer\, "they simply avoid these towers or fly in straight lines between them." Then he went on to show migratory studies that proved his point. Delaware as of last week is a "done deal"\, when a power agreement was signed. There seems to be no controversy about marine life. Everything points to a positive marine life effect. These structures are natural havens for marine growth. mussels clams\, oysters and fin fish are abundant when structures are in place on the ocean floor. \nThe towers that are proposed by Blue Water for Long Island are twice as far away from shore than the original proposal called for\, and the generators will be larger\, at 3.6 megawatts each. Not only will this added distance make them difficult\, or impossible to see\, it puts them in an even more reliable wind field. I asked about the additional cost of the cabling\, which costs $1 million per mile. The answer is that three million extra dollars is not significant as a percentage of costs for a project of this size. \nThe generators for wind power are getting bigger\, and the question came up about putting in larger generators if they were developed while the process continued. KC said that not only would they shift to the new generators if developed during the process\, they would eventually add more towers if they were developed after the original installation. He also said that the cabling being used would be robust enough to accommodate the additional towers and/or er generators. \nThe builders are a $70billion global enterprise with many completed wind projects. They will build\, and maintain the towers\, and generators under a power agreement with LIPA. Since fuel never enters into the picture they can project 30 years out with stable costs. We know that is not something you can say about any generator that uses fuel\, regardless of what fuel you may be talking about.         \nWhen asked what would happen if there was an abundance of power when it was not needed\, as in the dead of night in the middle of winter\, Mr Sahl said the generators would be shut down. I then asked\, “Why not use the energy being produced to elecrolitically produce hydrogen and oxygen from water?” The answer\, perhaps we can. \nPictured: KC Sahl\, Blue Water Wind\, Ernie Fazio\, LIMBA Chairman URL:https://limba.net/calendar/bluewater-wind-kc-sahl-at-laquinta/ END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR