News Archive - Page 17 of 36

Area Youth Recognized for Teamwork and Innovation at FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge Long Island Championship

[KINGS PARK, NEW YORK] [APRIL 30, 2021] –Contestants ages 9 to 14 took part in the annual FIRST^® LEGO^® League Challenge Long Island Championship, which was sponsored by School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. (SBPLI) and held remotely on April 17 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Team #45172 “Meteorites Cubed” from Hicksville won the Champion’s Award. The top teams won by embodying the program’s Core Values of teamwork and mutual respect while achieving excellence and innovation in both a robot game and innovative project.

FIRST LEGO League Challenge is an international program for 9- to 16-year-old children (ages vary by country) created in a partnership between FIRST and the LEGO Group in 1998 to get children excited about science and technology — and teach them valuable career and life skills. Children work alongside adult Mentors to design, build, and program autonomous robots using LEGO^® Education SPIKE^TMPrime or LEGO^® MINDSTORMS^® and create an innovative solution to a problem as part of their Innovation Project.

This year’s Challenge — RePLAY^SM — called for teams to identify a problem related to people not being active enough, research the problem and design a new piece of technology or improve an existing one to help them solve that problem.

Twenty-one teams took part in the Championship. The competition is judged in three areas: Innovation Project; Robot Design, and Core Values, which embody aspects of teamwork and good sportsmanship. Top robot game scores are also honored. The award winners were as follows:

Team Award	Team #	Team Name	Town
Global Innovation Award	38503	Techno Queens	Jericho
Innovation Project Winner	51252	Smarties	Hicksville
Innovation Project Finalist	22112	Portledge Royal Panthers	Locust Valley
Robot Design Winner	6435	Fire Dragons	Rocky Point
Robot Design Finalist	50946	Overpowered Spicy Robot	Syosset
Robot Performance 1st Place	16174	Meteorites	Hicksville
Robot Performance 2nd Place	45172	Meteorites Cubed	Hicksville
Core Values Winner	16174	Meteorites	Hicksville
Core Values Finalist	38503	Techno Queens	Jericho
Engineering Excellence	38653	Imagination in a Nutshell II	Jericho
Champion’s*	45172	Meteorites Cubed	Hicksville

* The Champions Award winner is invited to participate in the FIRST LEGO League Virtual Open International in Greece on June 24-27, 2021.

This year’s Volunteer of the Year Award went to Rick Ramhap. The Coach/Mentor Award went to two coaches: Bryan Eichenauer of Team #45172 “Meteorites Cubed” from Hicksville and Maria Zografos of Team #22112 “The Royal Panthers” from Locust Valley.

For more information on SBPLI, visit https://www.sbpli-lifirst.org.

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About FIRST^®
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST^® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $50 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST^®Robotics Competition for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST^®Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12; and FIRST^®LEGO^® League for Grades PreK-8. Gracious Professionalism^® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.firstinspires.org

About FIRST^® LEGO League

FIRST LEGO League introduces science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to children ages 4-16 (ages vary by country) through fun, exciting hands-on learning. FIRST LEGO League participants gain real-world problem-solving experiences through a guided, global robotics program, helping today’s students and teachers build a better future together. In FIRST LEGO League, students engage in hands-on STEM experiences, building confidence, growing their knowledge and developing habits of learning. FIRST LEGO League’s three divisions inspire youth to experiment and grow their critical thinking, coding and design skills through hands-on STEM learning and robotics.

FIRST LEGO League Discover – PreK- Grade 1:

For children ages 4-6, this playful introductory STEM program ignites their natural curiosity and builds their habits of learning with hands-on activities in the classroom and at home using LEGO^® Duplo bricks.

FIRST LEGO League Explore – Grades 2-4:

In Explore, teams of students ages 6-10 focus on the fundamentals of engineering as they explore real-world problems, learn to design and code and create unique solutions made with LEGO bricks and powered by LEGO Education WeDo 2.0.

FIRST LEGO League Challenge – Grades 4-8:

Friendly competition is at the heart of Challenge, as teams of students ages 9-16* engage in research, problem-solving, coding and engineering – building and programming a LEGO robot that navigates the missions of a robot game. As part of Challenge, teams also participate in a research project to identify and solve a relevant real-world problem.

About School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc.

School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. (SBPLI) DBA FIRST^®Long Island is a fully volunteer-run 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1984 by Fred Breithut with the goal of developing partnerships between local high schools and businesses. His goal was to provide students with practical experience and curriculum development, while helping the business community develop its future workforce, which resulted in the formation of over 100 partnerships. In 1999, SBPLI brought the FIRST^®(For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) to Long Island, which featured just eight FIRST^®Robotics Competition high school teams. Since then, the Long Island Regional FIRST^®Robotics Competition has grown to two events with over 80 teams competing each year. SBPLI also hosts Long Island’s annual FIRST^®LEGO League Qualifying and Championship Tournaments and the FIRST^®LEGO League Junior Expos, in which over 2,000 elementary and middle school students from Nassau and Suffolk Counties take part each year. In 2016, SBPLI added the FIRST^®Tech Challenge to its roster of programs. For more information about the programs, or to learn how to become a sponsor, visit www.sbpli-lifirst.org.

MEDIA ADVISORY For Friday, April 23, 2021: Two Brothers Scrap Metal Supports eWaste Drive as Part of Mineola Middle School’s Earth Day Event

Students and Faculty Team up to Keep Electronic Waste out of Landfills

Who: Two Brothers Scrap Metal

Amy Trojanowski, Principal, Mineola Middle School

Students and staff members at Mineola Middle School

What: In support of the school’s Earth Day event, Two Brothers Scrap Metal is assisting the students and staff at Mineola Middle School in its eWaste Drive. Two Brothers has provided the use of a container free of charge so the community can bring in their unwanted computers, cell phones, tablets and other electronic devices.

The purpose of the eWaste Drive is to help the environment by disposing of electronics that are either no longer being used or do not work anymore. The event started in 2015 as part of a project by the school’s Robotics Club. Five years ago, the Robotics Club teamed up with the school’s Environmental Club to promote the Drive to the local community.

In 2019, Two Brothers collected 8,840 pounds of unwanted electronics — the largest amount collected since the company’s involvement in the event began in 2016. Last year’s event was cancelled due to COVID-19 and rescheduled for this year to coincide with Earth Day weekend.

Infection control protocols will be in place. Students and staff who are volunteering at this event will be wearing masks. Those who drop off their unwanted electronics must wear a mask before getting out of their cars.

When: Friday, April 23, 2021

3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

Where: Mineola Middle School

200 Emory Road

Mineola, NY

Directions: LIE to Exit 39 (Glen Cove Rd./Glen Cove/Hempstead) onto Old Westbury Road. Turn left onto Glen Cove Road. After approximately two miles, make a right onto Jericho Turnpike (Rte. 25). After 1.8 miles, turn left onto Emory Road. Go 0.2 mile; school is on the left-hand side.

Photo Ops: Representatives from Two Brothers Scrap Metal with students and staff members from Mineola Middle School. Students depositing their unused electronics into the Dumpster provided by Two Brothers.

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About Two Brothers Scrap Metal

Located in Farmingdale, New York, Two Brothers Scrap Metal offers some of the highest scrap metal prices in the tri-state area for aluminum, copper, brass, lead, steel and stainless steel. Two Brothers also accepts and pays out lithoplates, lithofilm, goldenrod, x-rays, radiators, wire and batteries. Other services include free roll-off service, container service, walk-in service, radio dispatched lift-gate trucks, drum and drum handling equipment, personal handling of payment and residential and commercial pick-up service. For more information, call (631) 694-8188 or visit www.twobrothersscrapmetal.com.

Area Youth Recognized for Teamwork and Innovation at FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge Long Island Qualifiers

[KINGS PARK, NEW YORK] [APRIL 14, 2021] –Contestants ages 9 to 14 took part in the annual FIRST^® LEGO^® League Challenge Long Island Qualifiers, which were held remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Team #16174 “Meteorites” from Hicksville won the first-place Champion’s Award at Qualifier #1. The Qualifier #3 Champion’s Award winner was Team #38503 “Techno Queens” from Jericho. The top teams won by embodying the program’s Core Values of teamwork and mutual respect while achieving excellence and innovation in both a robot game and innovative project.

Twenty-one FIRST LEGO League teams will advance to the remote championship on April 17. Out of 21 teams, eleven from Qualifier #1 will advance. They are Team #2180 “LHS LE’GO Lions” from Middle Island; Team #2438 “Camol Clan” from Floral Park; Team #6435 “Fire Dragons” from Rocky Point; Team #16174 “Meteorites” from Hicksville; Team #23785 “Meteorites Squared” from Hicksville; Team #37506 “MicroChip Cookies” from Plainview; Team #45172 “Meteorites Cubed” from Hicksville; Team #48239 “Wild Shattered Lightning Bots” from Huntington; Team #49922 “The Barracudas” from Ridge; Team #51252 “The Smarties” from Hicksville; and Team #51732 “Dragon Racers” from Huntington.

Ten out of the 20 teams from Qualifier #3 moved on as well. They include Team #8085 “Rocky Point Radical Robotix” from Rocky Point; Team #22112 “Portledge Royal Panthers” from Locust Valley; Team #37507 “WALL-E Workers” from New Hyde Park; Team #38503 “Techno Queens” from Jericho; Team #38653 “Imagination in a Nutshell II” from Jericho; Team #41153 “Epic Robot” from Roslyn; Team #42994 “GALABOTS” from Syosset; Team #43820 “Robotic Lightning Kangaroos” from Huntington; Team #50815 “Brickaneers Duplo” from Islip; and Team #50946 “Overpowered Spicy Robot” from Syosset.

FIRST LEGO League Challenge is an international program for 9- to 16-year-old children (ages vary by country) created in a partnership between FIRST and the LEGO Group in 1998 to get children excited about science and technology – and teach them valuable career and life skills. Children work alongside adult Mentors to design, build, and program autonomous robots using LEGO^® Education SPIKE^TMPrime or LEGO^® MINDSTORMS^® and create an innovative solution to a problem as part of their Innovation Project.

This year’s Challenge – RePLAY^SM – called for teams to identify a problem related to people not being active enough, research the problem and design a new piece of technology or improve an existing one to help them solve that problem.

The competition is judged in three areas: Innovation Project; Robot Design, and Core Values, which embody aspects of teamwork and good sportsmanship. Top robot game scores are also honored. The award winners were as follows:

Team Award

Team #

Team Name

Town

Innovation Project Winner

Qualifier #1:

Qualifier #3:

2180

22112

LJHS LE’GO Lions (Holborow)

Portledge Royal

Middle Island

Locust Valley

Innovation Project Finalist

Qualifier #1:

Qualifier #3:

47544

8085

MiniPobots

Rocky Point Radical Robotix

Plainview

Rocky Point

Robot Design Winner

Qualifier #1:

Qualifier #3:

6435

43820

Fire Dragons

Robotic Lightning Kangaroos

Rocky Point

Huntington

Robot Design Finalist

Qualifier #1:

Qualifier #3:

37506

37507

MicroChip Cookies

WALL-E Workers

Plainview

New Hyde Park

Robot Performance 1st Place

Qualifier #1:

Qualifier #3:

16174

50946

Meteorites

Overpowered Spicy Robot

Hicksville

Syosset

Robot Performance 2nd Place

Qualifier #1:

Qualifier #3:

45172

38503

Meteorites Cubed

Techno Queens

Hicksville

Jericho

Core Values Winner

Qualifier #1:

Qualifier #3:

45172

38653

Meteorites Cubed

Imagination in a Nutshell II

Hicksville

Jericho

Core Values Finalist

Qualifier #1:

Qualifier #3:

49922

50815

The Barracudas

Brickaneers Duplo

Ridge

Islip

Engineering Excellence

Qualifier #1:

Qualifier #3:

2438

50946

Camol Clan

Overpowered Spicy Robot

Floral Park

Syosset

Champion’s

Qualifier #1:

Qualifier #3:

16174

38503

Meteorites

Techno Queens

Hicksville

Jericho

The Coach/Mentor Award for Qualifier #1 went to Bryan Eichenauer of Team #45172 “Meteorites Cubes” from Hicksville. Maria Zografos of Team #22112 “The Royal Panthers” from Locust Valley won the award for Qualifier #3.

For more information on SBPLI, visit https://www.sbpli-lifirst.org.

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About FIRST^® LEGO League

FIRST LEGO League Discover – PreK- Grade 1:

FIRST LEGO League Explore – Grades 2-4:

FIRST LEGO League Challenge – Grades 4-8:

About School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc.

Gershow Recycling Sponsors “Metal for Tesla” Event

Collects 30,000 Pounds of Scrap; Proceeds to Support Cleanup of Tesla Science Center Property

David Seiler (left), Account Executive, Gershow Recycling Corporation, joins the members of the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe at the “Metal for Tesla” event in Shoreham on March 20. Also pictured (left to right): Douglas Borge, Chief Operating Officer; Paul Rosa, Volunteer; Eugene Genova, Board Member; Dan Black, Judy Black, Jeff Brown and Karl Sidenius, Volunteers.

Gershow Recycling was a sponsor of the “Metal for Tesla” scrap metal fundraiser at the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe (TSCW) in Shoreham on March 20. During the event, Gershow collected 30,000 pounds of scrap metal, which wound up being recycled and kept out of landfills. Through the fundraiser and donations made by Gershow, $9,500 was raised to support the organization. Proceeds went to support renovations at Wardenclyffe. In addition to its sponsorship of the event, Gershow provided the use of a scrap metal container and handed out hats, magnets, sweatshirts and brochures to those in attendance.

Since 2013, Gershow has provided scrap metal containers for the TSCW as part of its efforts to help the non-profit organization renovate Wardenclyffe, which is the site of the only remaining laboratory of the famous inventor, Nikola Tesla. Plans for the property include a Tesla museum, an Education and Visitor Center with space to host community workshops and an innovation center for startup companies to help launch their businesses.

Gershow has nine locations in Brooklyn, New Hyde Park, Valley Stream, Freeport, Lindenhurst, Huntington Station, Bay Shore, Medford and Riverhead. For more information, call (631) 289-6188 or visit www.gershow.com/.

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* Photo is attached.

Started in 1964 by Sam Gershowitz, Gershow Recycling began as a two man operation with a tractor and trailer, a boom truck and the first portable car flattener. Now with the second generation carrying on the legacy, Gershow generates over 750 jobs, contributing millions of dollars to the local economy, while helping to preserve Long Island’s environment. Gershow Recycling takes aluminum, brass, copper, steel, cast iron, appliances, cars and vehicles. In keeping with its philosophy of “Conserving the Future by Recycling the Past,” Gershow Recycling purchases scrap metal that would have otherwise wound up in local landfills, and turns them into high-quality scrap products for recycling. The company produces both ferrous and non-ferrous products.

Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine Discusses “Long Island’s Solid Waste Crisis” at LIMBA

On April 2, Ed Romaine, Supervisor, Town of Brookhaven, will be the guest speaker at LIMBA’s (Long Island Metro Business Action) virtual meeting. The topic will be “Long Island’s Solid Waste Crisis.” Among the topics that will be discussed are solutions to getting rid of solid waste in Long Island.

Mr. Romaine, who has been Brookhaven’s Town Supervisor since 2012, has had an impressive track record on environmental issues. As supervisor, he introduced legislation to protect the Carmans River, which was unanimously approved by the Town Board. Before being elected Town Supervisor, he served as Suffolk County Legislator from 1986 to 1989 and again from 2005 to 2011. As County Legislator, he authorized Suffolk’s first-ever Clean Water Act and preserved countless acres of open space across eastern Brookhaven, the North Fork, and Shelter Island.

In 1989, Mr. Romaine was elected Suffolk County Clerk. He served for 16 years in that position. As County Clerk, he took an active role in increasing productivity and improving access to official county government records. He is recognized as a pioneer in government technology and was chosen New York State County Clerk of the Year in 2001.

Mr. Romaine earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Adelphi University and a Master’s degree in History from Long Island University.

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. Please visit the LIMBA website to register for the event. Registration is free, but spots for this discussion will be limited.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, or for a list of upcoming events, call (631) 757-1698 or visit https://limba.net/.

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About LIMBA

Since 1968, LIMBA (Long Island Metro Business Action) has been Long Island’s catalyst for economic investment and improvement, sponsoring lively breakfast forums featuring Long Island business activists and government officials. Its mission is to promote and address issues that affect the quality of life on Long Island. For more information, call (631) 757-1698 or visit www.limba.net.

Tom Archer Urges High-Net-Worth Individuals to Purchase Life Insurance to Protect Their Financial Assets from Potential “Wealth Tax”

Following a year of COVID-19 relief packages, aggressive spending programs and reduced tax revenue due to COVID, the federal and state governments are facing growing deficits and mounting debt. In an effort to address these deficits, many lawmakers are resorting to “tax the rich” maneuvers, including wealth taxes. Tom Archer, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Archer Financial Group, is telling high-net-worth individuals that they should prepare for a flurry of proposed tax hikes and buy life insurance.

Currently, the U.S. government debt is more than $27.97 trillion, according to data supplied by TreasuryDirect.gov. In an effort to close this gap, members of Congress and the U.S. Senate recently introduced the Ultra-Millionaire Tax, or the “wealth tax,” which would impose a 2% surcharge on those with a net worth of more than $50 million. Anyone with a net worth of over $1 billion would be assessed an additional 1% surtax. In addition, the president is proposing a tax hike on those making more than $400,000 a year.

“Some people think a 1-2% increase isn’t much, but, when you’re talking about someone who is worth eight or nine figures, it adds up,” Mr. Archer says. “The Ultra-Millionaire Tax will have a serious impact on their assets, much of which may be invested in stocks, bonds and real estate and may not be liquid. It will hurt them more than they will realize.”

Mr. Archer says these proposed tax hikes are just the tip of the iceberg as the government seeks to make changes to the estate and gift tax exemptions, the step-up basis and the estate tax. “The estate tax exemption of $11.7 million for individuals may be reduced to as low as $3.5 million,” he says. “The exemption is scheduled to sunset in five years, but the government is looking to move the expiration date to the end of next year. Plus, the reduced exemption would be applied retroactively.”

The government is considering changing the step-up basis, in which the beneficiary can sell off an inherited asset for what it’s worth after the previous owner’s death without any tax implications. “If your relative bought a house for $100,000 and it is valued at $600,000, you can inherit the house for $600,000 after their death and not have to pay taxes on the home’s value,” Mr. Archer says. “The government wants to change that by taxing the appreciation of the asset; in this case, the inheritor would have to pay taxes on the $500,000 upon their relative’s death.”

Currently, the federal estate tax is at 40%, but the government is seeking to increase the tax rate significantly. Mr. Archer explains how life insurance acts as a form of wealth protection. “The life insurance policy creates cash liquidity needed at death to pay taxes,” he says. “Therefore, people don’t have to liquidate assets or have a fire sale to create the cash that is needed.”

Among those who are part of Mr. Archer’s clientele include private billionaires, professional athletes, entertainers and celebrities, many of whom reside in New York and California — two high-tax states. In fact, New York State is proposing increasing the state income tax on The Empire State’s top earners from 8.82% to 10.82%, citing a $15 billion budget hole. Meanwhile, some members of the New York State Senate are proposing progressive tax brackets in which those with incomes of more than $100 million a year would be taxed at 15%. California currently has the highest income tax rate at 13.3% for those earning more than $1 million annually.

“For those who are in New York and California, there is a possibility that they may face larger tax burdens if these new wealth taxes are passed into law,” Mr. Archer says. “If they do not have a wealth protection plan in place, such as a life insurance policy, they should meet with a financial advisor immediately who has experience in wealth management and asset protection.”

Mr. Archer holds the record for the largest life insurance policy ever sold. He sold over $2 billion in life insurance in 2020 and has been named the number one life insurance advisor for several carriers. For more information, visit www.thearcherfinancialgroup.com.

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Interstate Maglev Project President James Jordan Discusses “Maglev for America” at LIMBA

On March 19, James Jordan, President, Interstate Maglev Project, will be the guest speaker at LIMBA’s (Long Island Metro Business Action) virtual meeting. The topic will be “Maglev for America.”

The issue of Maglev technology is close to Ernie Fazio, Chairman, LIMBA, who has tirelessly campaigned to bring Maglev to Long Island. He has proposed the concept of a Maglev train that would run between Greenport and Ronkonkoma at speeds of 160 miles per hour. The train would run every 40 minutes, making only four stops.

“The Biden administration has plans to improve our rail system and I am convinced they will,” Mr. Fazio said. “But because we are a very big country, we need to do better than European rail systems, and we can. Maglev is a system that will be less expensive to build, less expensive to power and faster than anything they have built in Europe. This is exciting technology that the Japanese Rail company copied from our scientists and incorporated into their Maglev version. It is a brave new world of ground transportation.”

Mr. Jordan served as a legislative aide to then-U.S. Senator John C. Stennis. During his tenure, he was introduced to superconducting Maglev Technology. He also served in the U.S. Navy as the director of the Energy R&D office for the Chief of Naval Operations. Mr. Jordan is the co-author of The Fight for Maglev: Making America the World Leader in 21st Century Transport and Maglev America: How Maglev Will Transform the World Economy.

He is a graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned a Master’s in Business Administration at Harvard University.

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. Please visit the LIMBA website to register for the event . Registration is free, but spots for the discussion will be limited.

For more information, call (631) 757-1698 or visit www.limba.net.

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About LIMBA

SBPLI Celebrates “Expanding Girls’ Horizons in Science and Engineering Month”

(Kings Park, NY) — School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. (SBPLI) DBA FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Long Island is announcing that March is Expanding Girls’ Horizons in Science and Engineering Month and is urging girls to get involved in robotics. The group says this will help them become more interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) throughout their educational careers.

Expanding Girls’ Horizons in Science and Engineering Month was created by the Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) Network, a not-for-profit organization that encourages young women to pursue careers in STEM. According to the EYH Network, girls become most interested in these areas of study when they are in middle school.

A recent study from U.S. FIRST followed alumni in the first 72 months after completing its programs. Its results showed that STEM had a greater impact on women than their male counterparts. Further, the study found that, in the first three years in college, the percentage of female FIRST alumni taking engineering increased from 28% in Year One to 35% in Year Three. By the third year in college, the gender gap in declared engineering majors closed, with 51% of female and 51% of male FIRST alumni majoring in that field.

SBPLI has seen an increase in girls enrolling in its FIRST robotics programs. Girl Scout troops and all girls’ community groups formed teams in the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) while in elementary school. Many of them continue to participate in FLL in middle school and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) and the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) in high school.

“SBPLI has encouraged girls at an early age to become involved in robotics,” said Bertram Dittmar, Executive Director, SBPLI. “Our robotics programs allow these young women to excel in STEM and generate interest in the field when they enter college. It also opens the door for them to land engineering jobs once they graduate.”

St. Joseph’s College President Dr. Donald Boomgaarden Discusses “The Challenges Faced By Higher Education During Uncertain Times” at LIMBA

On March 5, St. Joseph’s College President Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., will be the guest speaker at LIMBA’s (Long Island Metro Business Action) virtual meeting. The topic will be “The Challenges Faced By Higher Education During Uncertain Times.”

Under Dr. Boomgaarden’s leadership and in response to the COVID pandemic, St. Joseph’s College (SJC) took a number of proactive steps to acknowledge the very real challenges facing college students. Last spring, tuition rates were frozen for the 2020-2021 academic year and the amount of emergency financial aid disbursed was increased. In addition, the College created an emergency fund for students in immediate financial distress. For prospective students currently in high school, SAT scores were made optional when applying for spring 2021 admission. While continuing to adhere to all guidelines and best practices, SJC spent more than $2 million to outfit the campuses with the necessary equipment for the continued health and safety of its community, and has been offering a multifaceted approach to classes since Fall 2020 that gives students four options for learning and course instruction: remote, hybrid, on-ground and online.

“At St. Joseph’s, we focus on developing the whole person, instilling a love of learning, a spark of curiosity and a firm, moral foundation that prepares our students not only for their future careers, but also for lives of deep meaning and service,” said Dr. Boomgaarden. “Even in today’s uncertain climate, we are confident in our services and commitment to helping our students find gainful employment upon graduating from St. Joseph’s.”

Dr. Boomgaarden currently serves on the steering committee of the Long Island Regional Advisory Council on Higher Education (LIRACHE), in which he is also chair to the Superintendents and College President’s Partnership, and as chair of the Lower Hudson Valley Consortium of Catholic Colleges and Universities. He was recently appointed Board Chair of the Association of Colleges of Sisters of St. Joseph and has been named one of the most influential Brooklynites by “Brooklyn Power 100” for two consecutive years.

He previously served as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Scranton. Before that, he was the Dean of the College of Music and Fine Arts and David P. Swanzy Distinguished Professor of Music at Loyola University New Orleans. A historian of opera, music aesthetics and harmonic theory, he is the author of “Musical Thought in Eighteenth-Century Britain and Germany,” and published articles and reviews in scholarly journals, including the Journal of Musicological Research and Journal of Music Theory.

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. Please visit the LIMBA website to register for the event. Registration is free, but spots for the discussion will be limited.

For more information, call (631) 757-1698 or visit www.limba.net.

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About LIMBA

Yvette Aguiar Accepts Riverhead GOP’s Nomination for Town Supervisor

Touts Record of Accomplishments during First Year in Office While Managing Challenges Posed by COVID-19

On February 22, Yvette Aguiar announced that she has accepted the nomination from the Riverhead Republican Party for a second term as Town Supervisor. The announcement was made during the Riverhead GOP’s convention at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2476.

“I am honored to have received this nomination and will continue to move Riverhead forward, fighting for our great Town, across all communities and at all

Yvette Aguiar announces he will accept the nomination for a second term as Riverhead Town Supervisor during the Riverhead Republican Party’s convention at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2476 on February 22.

levels of government,” Ms. Aguiar said. “I am committed to continue working for all of Riverhead. I am also honored to see the entire committee is unified by casting only one vote, indicating the entire committee’s full support.”

Ms. Aguiar cited the challenges and accomplishments of her first 14 months in office. First and foremost was helping residents navigate the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, which occurred nine weeks after taking office. At the same time, she addressed the fiscal challenges the Town experienced as a result of the pandemic. She cut the operating budget by 1.14%, and the Town’s debt was also reduced by $9.68 million, putting Riverhead on a stronger fiscal footing and reducing future internal expenses.

“As a Town, we were faced with a sizable budgetary shortfall,” Ms. Aguiar said. “We mitigated these losses by cutting all non-essential spending, placing promotions on hold and limiting new hires, while maintaining the services our taxpayers expect and deserve.”

Among the initiatives taken to address the effects of COVID-19 on the Town’s most vulnerable, she oversaw the establishment of the Riverhead SAFE (Senior Assistance For Essentials) program, which delivered food, medicine and essentials to homebound senior citizens; the creation of the Senior Emergency Hotline, which provided the most up-to-date information on COVID-19; and the expansion of the Meals on Wheels program.

She also announced that, on Friday, the Town will launch a senor outreach program, which will go online, to ensure the Town’s seniors are vaccinated and will be provided with transportation to and from vaccination sites. “The COVID-19 vaccine availability has been sporadic, and the process has been very stressful on our seniors,” she said. “The Senior Hotline coordinator and our Senior Center will join forces to ensure our seniors receive vaccines, once they become available.”

Realizing the challenges posed by the pandemic will subside, she also continued to focus on Riverhead’s future through economic development, balanced by maintaining the East End quality of life, supporting the farmers, supporting the businesses and remaining committed to continue stabilizing the Town’s finances under the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the subject of redeveloping its downtown, Ms. Aguiar said the Town’s Pattern Book has been completed and adopted, and updates to its Comprehensive Master Plan have begun. “The Pattern Book will be used as a tool to modify zoning and further enhance revitalizing our Main Street,” she said. “The Comprehensive Master Plan will serve as a roadmap to our future. Community involvement is critical.”

“My background in management at various institutions, both in the private and public sectors, and my higher educational background in teaching management, along with my supervisory law enforcement experience, has served me well,” she said.

Ms. Aguiar is a retired Detective Sergeant with the New York Police Department’s Counter Terrorism Division. She was trained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in criminal profiling, crime scenes, surveillance, and the interviewing and interrogation of suspects. She served as the Chair of the Criminal Justice Department at Briarcliffe College. She is an Associate Professor at American Military University. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master’s in Public Administration from John Jay College, and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Northcentral University.

In 2019, Ms. Aguiar was elected Town Supervisor, defeating Democratic incumbent Laura Jens-Smith and becoming the first Latina to be elected to that post and the first Latina Town Supervisor elected in Suffolk County.

“I wish to thank the Riverhead Republican Party for having faith in my ability to lead and selecting me for re-election as Riverhead Town Supervisor,” Ms. Aguiar said. “I am confident we will overcome any crisis we may face. As a Town, we will continue to be innovative, proactive and explore all avenues to move our great Town forward with pride and resilience.”

“We are excited to have nominated Yvette Aguiar for Riverhead Supervisor,” said Tammy Robinkoff, Chair, Riverhead Republican Committee. “She has done an outstanding job as Riverhead Town Supervisor under the pandemic, and we look forward to seeing what her leadership will bring in the future.”

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