LI Business News articles from June 2009

LI Business News archives from June 2009

Commentary: N.Y. Govt. Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act makes it easier to erase districts.
June 5, 2009... Byline: LIBN Staff In case you missed it, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo - yes, we're also wondering why the governor wasn't at the command - is pushing a bill that could lead to eliminating or consolidating local governments. ...

For garbage companies, slowdown means there's less to take out.
June 5, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg The garbage business is in the dumps. With the recession causing businesses to slow or shut down altogether, trash is piling up at a slower pace, causing fewer pick-ups and less revenue for dozens of Long...

New York Department of Environmental Conservation blinks in clash over EPCAL.
June 5, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg The state Department of Environmental Conservation has acknowledged that the Enterprise Park at Calverton can't be conserved as part of its Open Space Plan, clearing the way for the planned redevelopment of the...

Hope, at last, for Lighthouse project in Hempstead.
June 5, 2009... Byline: David Reich-Hale Putting aside the political bickering of the last three weeks, Nassau elected officials on Friday ended the impasse regarding the embattled Lighthouse project. Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray said the town...

Commentary: To get more business, you need to go the extra mile.
June 5, 2009... Byline: Jeff Goldberg Every now and then something happens that so clearly reinforces what we already know we should be doing, but don't always do, that we are forced to take a look at ourselves. I've been telling anyone who listens to...

M. Paul Campagnola promoted to director of transportation for VHB Engineering in Hauppauge.
June 5, 2009... Byline: Bernadette Starzee M. Paul Campagnola has been promoted to director of transportation for VHB Engineering, Surveying and Landscape Architecture in Hauppauge. Before joining VHB in 2008, Campagnola worked for Suffolk County for...

Long Islanders on the Move, June 5, 2009.
June 5, 2009... Byline: Bernadette Starzee Accounting Joseph P. Manzelli Jr. has been named director of operations for the Fuoco Group in Hauppauge. Manzelli, who joined the firm in 2001, will be responsible for providing direction and leadership for...

Shinnecock Nation representatives, Southampton Town Supervisor go to Washington.
June 5, 2009... Byline: Ambrose Clancy Southampton Town Supervisor Linda Kabot and representatives of the Shinnecock Nation met with officials in Washington Friday to discuss federal recognition of the tribe. With that recognition would come the...

Sales, prices of Long Island homes rise in May.
June 5, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg Long Island homes sales increased slightly in May, as did the median price of homes sold, according to the latest statistics from the Multiple Listing Service of Long Island. Nassau County reported a closed...

Long Island Ducks signed to Internet channel.
June 5, 2009... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Yes, there is an obscure Internet-based video channel that will allow you to catch up on all Atlantic League baseball and Ivy League Sports League games you missed (and had no idea you did). The Long Island...

Labor on New York Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's bandwagon.
June 5, 2009... Byline: David Reich-Hale Local 338 held a fundraiser/get together with Comptroller Tom DiNapoli earlier this week at the union's Mineola headquarters. DiNapoli, who was hailed by the Long Island Progressive Coalition on Thursday, is...

Melville-based OSI Pharmaceuticals mulls Westchester move.
June 8, 2009... Byline: David Reich-Hale Melville-based OSI Pharmaceuticals is considering a major expansion in Westchester that includes high-paying research jobs Long Island officials had hoped would be put here, sources told LIBN over the weekend. ...

Commentary: See beyond job descriptions to fully utilize employees.
June 8, 2009... Byline: Andrea S. Gould We are living in the midst of a witch hunt - a time when everyone is searching for someone or something to blame for the challenges we face. Seeking security and predictability, our compasses swing trying to...

Commentary: Carpe Diem: Buy a house!
June 8, 2009... Byline: Mira Dick Seize the Day, Strike While the Iron is Hot, Make Hay While the Sun Shines; pick your adage. In my view, they all seem to apply now to today's real estate market. For the first time in recent history, low mortgage rates...

New York-based Greiner-Maltz expands west.
June 8, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg Industrial brokerage company Greiner-Maltz has opened an office in New Jersey. Founded in 1953 the company has more than 40 brokers and offices in Plainview, Long Island City and now Moonachie. ...

Friendship between Bernie Madoff and Long Island developer Ed Blumenfeld explored in new book.
June 8, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg Long Island developer Ed Blumenfeld was one of Bernie Madoff's best friends, according to a book released in France last week. Written by Emmanuel Saint-Martin, a New York-based correspondent for France's...

Suffolk County releases round of blue sales tax revenue numbers.
June 8, 2009... Byline: David Reich-Hale Suffolk County, through the county executive's office, released another round of blue sales tax revenue numbers. Suffolk's sales tax collections tumbled 10 percent from the same period a year ago. So what...

Dems lose control in New York State Senate.
June 8, 2009... Byline: David Reich-Hale It took the Democrats four decades to win the state Senate. It apparently took six months for the Republicans to take back it back. Senate Republicans called for a leadership vote after two Democratic senators...

Commentary: Winners, losers in New York's GOP coup.
June 8, 2009... Byline: David Reich-Hale Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver, in concert with other Democratic leaders, is working the phones this evening, trying to put the state Senate back in Democratic hands. But we're going under the assumption that the...

Commentary: Whither the Nassau County Conservative Party?
June 9, 2009... Byline: George Marlin The New York State Conservative Party was founded in 1962 to advance political ideas first and to counter the liberal domination of the state's political establishment. Thanks to thousands who worked door to door...

Long Island companies maintain morale with inexpensive benefits.
June 9, 2009... Byline: Claude Solnik Employers in a down economy are focusing on cheap ways to keep workers happy, finding free or inexpensive benefits that boost morale and provide appreciation and compensation in ways other than cash. Long Island...

Community Development Corporation of Long Island, Nassau to rehab Freeport foreclosures.
June 9, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg Community Development Corporation of Long Island is partnering with Nassau County and the Village of Freeport to acquire and rehabilitate foreclosed homes, and then offer them at affordable prices to eligible...

Daryl Strawberry to be on hand at Great Neck-based Sterling Equities open house.
June 9, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg Former New York Mets slugger Daryl Strawberry will be on hand Thursday to greet brokers at an open house for Sterling Corporate Center at Bethpage, a 200,000-square-foot office building owned by Great Neck-based...

Original New York Islanders owner dies.
June 9, 2009... Byline: David Reich-Hale Roy Boe, the man who helped bring the National Hockey League to Long Island, died Sunday in his home state of Connecticut. Boe was the general partner of the New York Islanders in the 1970s, but was forced to...

Commentary: Gordon Heights a test bed for Cuomo's concept.
June 9, 2009... Byline: Martin Cantor The state Legislature's approval of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's legislation to make it easier to collapse and dissolve villages, towns and special districts is a dream come true for the beleaguered taxpayers in...

New New York Senate, same gay marriage debate.
June 9, 2009... Byline: David Reich-Hale Former Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith refused to bring gay marriage to a vote in the Senate, claiming that he didn't have the votes to pass it. And while some senators refused to say which way they would...

Former East Hampton official charged with fraud.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Michael H. Samuels A former East Hampton town budget director pleaded not guilty in Town Justice Court Thursday to charges he defrauded the government by taking money out of the Community Preservation Fund and using it for town...

CEO Ron Greenstone exits Long Island's Greenstone/Fontana.(Company overview)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Claude Solnik In a move that will end one of Long Island's better-known business partnerships, advertising veteran Ron Greenstone is leaving his position as chief executive of award winning ad agency Greenstone/Fontana. He...

Aqua condos wow Long Island Real Estate Group crowd.
June 11, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg Long Island's real estate elite were impressed by the Engel Burman Group's latest residential development at its coming out party Wednesday. The posh Aqua condominiums, 36 waterfront and water-view homes on...

Commentary: For now, the president has kept his promises.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Jerry Kremer He's sharp. He's vague. He's articulate. He's unpredictable. He is as cool as a cucumber. He's got tremendous popularity among the general public. He is confusing to the Democrats and the Republicans. He's Barack...

Long Island gum doctor goes high tech.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Bernadette Starzee Dr. David R. Scharf, a board-certified periodontist with a practice in Babylon, is marketing himself as the only periodontist on Long Island fully trained and licensed to perform the Laser Assisted New Attachment...

Leviton Manufacturing Company makes its move to Melville.
June 11, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg Leviton Manufacturing Company announced it will officially move its corporate headquarters to Melville on June 15. The electrical supplier has outfitted the four-story, 140,000-square-foot facility at 201 North...

Commentary: Whither the Nassau County Conservative Party?
June 11, 2009... Byline: George Marlin The New York State Conservative Party was founded in 1962 to advance political ideas first and to counter the liberal domination of the state's political establishment. Thanks to thousands who worked door to door...

Private equity firms stake out new investments.
June 12, 2009... Byline: Laura Glasser Despite a slowdown in new investments and big moneymaking deals, local private equity funds are finding some opportunities in the down economy. They're not pouring money into new investments as they did in years...

Q&A with Emily Franchina, president of Nassau County Bar Association.
June 12, 2009... Byline: Michael H. Samuels Emily Franchina an elder care attorney at Franchina & Giordano, has been waiting six years to become president of the Nassau County Bar Association. She's served in all the other leadership roles at the bar,...

Nassau County starts down-payment help.
June 12, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg Qualified first-time homebuyers in Nassau County can apply for $25,000 of federal funds for a down payment to purchase a home starting today. The Long Island Housing Partnership, acting as agent for the...

Cold Spring Harbor Lab opens $100M complex.
June 12, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg Dozens of dignitaries joined officials at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to cut the ribbon on its new 100,000-square-foot life science research center Friday. Construction of the new six-building Hillside...

Commentary: Getting approval is slow process for Long Island's Lighthouse development proposal.
June 12, 2009... Byline: LIBN Staff A big part of the Long Island Regional Planning Council's role is to bring community leaders together to debate major development projects. On occasion, the council seems superfluous, but the LIRPC still serves a...

Commentary: Pavlov should have considered studying the French.
June 12, 2009... Byline: John Kominicki President Obama and I were in France last week, he to commemorate the courage of the D-Day veterans, me to find someone brave enough to go up on the roof of my farmhouse. The roof doesn't leak, but it slumps on...

Talking to Elvis, and other benefits of the Long Island psychic biz.
June 12, 2009... Byline: Ambrose Clancy Tabitha Nothaft was up against it. Near the end of last year the Center Moriches stay-at-home mom was watching her once-successful Internet business hurrying due south. She was going through a bitter divorce and...

Long Island attorney bikes for AIDS research.
June 12, 2009... Byline: Michael H. Samuels Ever since March, Tara Visconti has been getting up early, strapping on a helmet and heading out for long distance bicycle rides. Visconti, a real estate, zoning and land use attorney at Uniondale's Rivkin...

N.Y.'s Sen. Schumer spent more than $140K on travel.
June 12, 2009... Byline: David Reich-Hale Sen. Charles Schumer spent more than $140,000 in taxpayer dollars on travel for the first half of the fiscal year, according to this report in Politico.com. Only Texas Republican Sen. Jon Cornyn spent more. ...

Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi: I'm for gay marriage.
June 13, 2009... Byline: David Reich-Hale Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, up for re-election this year and mentioned as a potential candidate for statewide office in 2010, threw himself into the gay marriage debate this weekend by endorsing it in a New...

Bad loans soar at Capital One in May.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Laura Glasser Credit card charge-offs surged at Capital One in May, rising almost 1 percent from the month before as customers continued to struggle with monthly bills amid the worst recession in decades. The McLean, Va.-based...

New York Atty. General Cuomo: Four LI residents stole unemployment benefits.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Michael H. Samuels Four Long Island residents were among 30 arrested and charged with illegally obtaining unemployment benefits while on the state's payroll. State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced the arrests as part of...

Fire Island has its own beer.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II A pair of brothers and one cousin have launched Long Island's latest brewery, the Fire Island Beer Company. Tom and Bert Fernandez, along with partner Jeff Glassman, said they started brewing craft beers...

Flurry of deals for Dan Gazzola and Chuck Tabone of Newmark Knight Frank in Melville.
June 15, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg Chuck Tabone and Dan Gazzola of Newmark Knight Frank in Melville have recently inked several deals totaling more than 75,000 square feet. Tabone and Gazzola leased 20,700 square feet at 55 Kennedy Drive in...

Mineola-based JRS Architect employees care for troops.
June 15, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg Employees of Mineola-based JRS Architect joined together to share the comforts of home with U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. The company pitched in to send military care packages that contain things like food,...

Commentary: Coup won't help the GOP in the long run.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Jerry Kremer The events of this past week in Albany are supposed to be a story about winners and losers. There is no doubt that once the courts, or the so-called Senate legislative leaders, sort out the mess, all of the members of...

Judge: Break New York Senate impasse by Tuesday.
June 15, 2009... Byline: David Reich-Hale Supreme Court Justice Thomas McNamara is now giving state Senate leaders until Tuesday at 10 a.m. to reach a power-sharing agreement. Meanwhile, Gov. David Paterson has called a leaders meeting this afternoon....

Cablevision Wi-Fi used 2 million times.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II It seems Cablevision's public Wi-Fi network is a hit with its subscribers. The Bethpage company said subscribers to its Optimum Online Internet access have tapped in to its Wi-Fi Network, which covers most...

Green Babylon gets CNN celebration.
June 15, 2009... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II The Town of Babylon is easily the greenest town on Long Island, and one of the country's biggest news outlets has noticed. CNN is running a video on its Web site on the town, specifically celebrating...

Verizon to launch New York news station.
June 16, 2009... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Verizon Communications will launch a New York television news station as early as Monday, multiple sources have told Long Island Business News. Called FiOS 1, the station would be available to subscribers...

Commentary: Mentoring matters.
June 16, 2009... Byline: Robert A. Scott In gatherings of business leaders and educators, the topic of mentoring is often discussed. Business leaders talk about it as a way of giving back and educators discuss it as a way of providing role models for...

Accounting firms join forces.
June 16, 2009... Byline: Claude Solnik New York and Florida just got a little closer, at least when it comes to accounting. Melville-based Marcum & Kliegman merged with Florida-based Rachlin as of June 1, creating a firm with more than 800...

New regulations expand education requirements for CPAs in New York.
June 16, 2009... Byline: Claude Solnik During the 15 years she spent as a comptroller and chief financial officer, Sharon Fierstein, a Long Island resident, never had to comply with the continuing education provisions of the New York State Society of...

Inter-Media Art Center pulls out of Huntington.
June 16, 2009... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II A Huntington arts institution is closing. The Inter-Media Art Center theater in Huntington will close down due to declining support, an aging building and raising costs, the arts organization announced on...

Suffolk County wants to buy hunting grounds for open space preservation.
June 16, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg A private hunting preserve is part of more than 300 acres in Riverhead that Suffolk County wants to buy for open space preservation. The North Fork Preserve has been a private hunting club used to shoot...

New York state officials sold on fuel cell power.
June 16, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg State Sen. John Flanagan and power industry executives recently unveiled a new 200-kilowatt natural gas-powered fuel cell to serve electricity needs of the state office building in Hauppauge. The fuel cell is...

Mortgage rates on the rise.
June 16, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg Borrowers are paying more for mortgage loans. Mortgage rates in New York jumped 4.1 percent from the week before and now average 5.79 percent for a 30-year fixed loan, according to numbers from zillow.com. ...

Babylon Supervisor Steve Bellone getting national exposure for his town's green energy initiatives.
June 16, 2009... Byline: David Reich-Hale Babylon Supervisor Steve Bellone's getting national exposure for his town's green energy initiatives. As we reported Monday, CNN came through the South Shore town to report on how Babylon provides thousands in...

Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi: Albany full of clowns.
June 16, 2009... Byline: David Reich-Hale Three years ago, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi ran for governor, promising to clean up Albany. He lost, badly, to Eliot Spitzer, who then left in disgrace after he got caught paying for hookers. His...

Senator Brian Foley says New York GOP had their chance.
June 16, 2009... Byline: David Reich-Hale A state Supreme Court judge has pushed back - once again - any ruling on settling the battle over who is in charge in the state Senate. But Sen. Brian Foley, D-Blue Point, has an idea: He's asking the...

For Suffolk County, transit help in limbo.
June 16, 2009... Byline: David Reich-Hale One month after Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy went to the state Capitol to ask New York lawmakers to approve a Metropolitan Transportation Authority takeover of Suffolk Transit, the county exec is still...

Stony Brook-based Applied DNA Sciences safeguards Paumanok Vineyards.
June 16, 2009... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II A few weeks back, Applied DNA Sciences announced it was working with Long Island wineries to make sure their wines can't be counterfeited. But now it's naming names. Stony Brook-based Applied DNA has...

Executive shakeup at Long Island-based Veeco Instruments.
June 16, 2009... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Veeco Instruments needs a new chief financial officer. The Plainview maker of light-emitting diode and solar systems for manufacturing companies said its longtime CFO, John F. Rein Jr. will retire after 15...

Long Island-based Henry Schein to market Allscripts software.
June 16, 2009... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Henry Schein, one of the world's largest distributors of health care products, has agreed to market Allscripts Professional Electronic Health Record, a program that manages data for office-based medical...

Vacant Circuit City stores on Long Island to stay vacant.
June 16, 2009... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Just because Port Washington-based Systemax purchased the remnants of Circuit City (basically its Web site, domain name and brand) doesn't mean those big red vacant buildings on Long Island will be filled any...

Verizon releases video game download service for subscribers.
June 16, 2009... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II We give you the Rhapsody of video games. Verizon communications today released a video game download service for subscribers of either its FiOS or DSL Internet services. The plan, which costs $9.99 a...

Planning in taxing times.
June 17, 2009... Byline: Bernadette Starzee For many small companies, the time to develop a tax plan is fast approaching. A current year tax plan should be computed, with the help of a certified public accountant, a little after the midyear mark, said...

New York accounting group seeks to simplify the U.S. tax code.
June 17, 2009... Byline: Claude Solnik If you think it's about time for a new tax code, you're not alone. The New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants is pushing for a flat tax, arguing a flat tax would be easier to understand and apply...

Nassau County Supreme Court decision: Ex-con denied bid to continue as registered loan officer.
June 17, 2009... Byline: Michael H. Samuels A man fired from his job after his employer found out he had been previously convicted of securities fraud cannot continue to work as a registered loan officer, Nassau County Supreme Court Justice F. Dana Winslow...

Metropolitan chief Joe Farkas unveils new office building in Great River.
June 17, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg The makeover is complete. Elected officials, brokers and the owner of Metropolitan Realty Associates will cut the ribbon Thursday on the redevelopment of a former Northrop Grumman warehouse into a...

AvalonBay Communities looks to sell in Oyster Bay.
June 17, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg Stymied by stiff community opposition to its plans to build 150 apartments, AvalonBay Communities has put the 5-acre site up for sale. The light-industrial zoned property at 150 Pine Hollow Road in Oyster Bay...

Accounting giant Deloitte stays in Jericho.
June 17, 2009... Byline: David Winzelberg Accounting giant Deloitte has signed a lease renewal for 37,224 square feet at Two Jericho Plaza. Adam Rochlin of the Rochlin Organization represented the landlord New Jersey-based Onyx Equities. The CB...

Commentary: Government officials to blame for this mess.
June 17, 2009... Byline: Raymond Keating Did you ever notice how some politicians proclaim they don't play the blame game or point fingers? Of course, others relish blaming so-called greedy, evil business for all our ills. That's hot in Congress these...

Commentary: New legislation won't prevent another financial collapse.
June 17, 2009... Byline: Martin Cantor Few will argue that the recent meltdown of the banking and insurance sector was a major factor in the current recession. And even fewer will argue that the reckless borrowing and lending by consumers, speculators and...

New York state Sen. Ken LaValle's turn to gripe.
June 17, 2009... Byline: David Reich-Hale Sen. Ken LaValle, like most of his colleagues, has little to do but issue press releases about why the other side is to blame for the stalemate that has stalled the state Senate. The senator from Port Jefferson...

Hauppauge-based Samson Technologies' new audio recorder.
June 17, 2009... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II A Hauppauge-based maker of electronics used for audio recording, Samson Technologies Corp., has released a new digital 8-track recorder that uses removable flash memory. The company's Zoom R16 portable...

East End pool company goes green.
June 18, 2009... Byline: Bernadette Starzee Greg Darvin is known on the East End as a pool guy. He started Pristine Pools, a pool design, installation and maintenance company, in East Hampton nearly 20 years ago. Last December, he launched Pristine Eco...

Lack of video lottery terminals has New York horse breeders running for the hills.
June 18, 2009... Byline: Michael H. Samuels Eight years after New York approved video lottery terminals for Aqueduct Racetrack, proponents such as thoroughbred horse breeders are still waiting for them to be installed. And if they aren't put in soon,...

Commentary: With wine buyers in good spirits, maybe things are looking up.
June 18, 2009... Byline: Jeff Miller If you, like me, are sick of The Recession, you're desperate enough to look anywhere for signs of The Recovery. So how about this: Somebody recently paid $11,400 for some old wine. It happened at Christie's Fine and...

Valentina Janek understands the value of networking.
June 18, 2009... Byline: Claude Solnik Valentina Janek started a job search and support group called the Long Island Breakfast Club comprised of middle-aged members 3 1/2 years ago after losing her job. Since then, she's found employment and has grown the...

Chiropractors help Open golfers straighten more than their swing.
June 18, 2009... Byline: Ambrose Clancy Judging the distance from the fairway to the cup and the wind's speed and direction are common challenges to be met this weekend at Bethpage Black. But who do you turn to if you're faced with a vertebral subluxation?...