Ricardo Montano (D-Central Islip) & David Weprin (D-Queens)

Suffolk County Legislator Ricardo Montano (D-Central Islip), Chair, Suffolk County Legislature’s Budget & Finance Committee was a guest of New York City Councilman David I. Weprin (D-Queens), Chair, New York City Committee on Finance, yesterday and attended the Council’s Finance Committee Meeting. Councilman Weprin will be a guest at the Suffolk County Legislature’s Budget & Finance Committee in the future.

Legislator Montano and Councilman Weprin met at a conference in Puerto Rico when they hatched the idea to invite each other to their respective Budget meetings and exchange institutional knowledge.

Interestingly, David I. Weprin’s father Saul Weprin (D-Queens), served in the New York State Assembly with Legislator Montano’s father Armando Montano (D-Bronx).

'Green Plantains' of Jackson Heights

Joe DiStefano of The Gothamist checked out Jackson Heights' newest Chino Latino restaurant: Green Plantains.

Green Plantains bills itself as a “Nuevo Chino Latino Dining Experience.” Edward Ng, who helped craft the menu for acclaimed Bronx Chino-Latino eatery Sabrosura, also had a hand in the menu of this two-week old Roosevelt Avenue eatery. Ng grew up in the Dominican Republic and the food at Green Plantains reflects his heritage, with such dishes as ropa vieja and chicharron de pollo.

Nuevo Chino Latino is perfect food for today's Queens, no?

Article: Gunning for Gringos at Jackson Heights' Green Plantains

Stony Brook Study: Prescription Drugs and Long Islanders

According to a newly released poll by Stony Brook University's Center for Survey Research, some Long Islanders are taking unhealthy measures to cope with the high cost of prescription drugs.

The survey found that one in five (21%) residents delay filling their prescriptions, skip doses, or go without other necessities such as food and heat. In addition, 12% lack any prescription drug coverage.

Other survey highlights include:
-- 18% of young adults ages 18 and 34 lack prescription drug coverage.
-- 16% of Nassau County residents lack drug coverage compared to 9% in Suffolk County.
-- 24% of people ages 35 and 64 had delayed filling their prescriptions, skipped doses, or have gone without other necessities.

Unexamined are questions related to the over prescription of drugs.

Sorpresa! Latino Youth Film Competition at the Hamptons Film Festival

The Sorpresa! Network and the Hamptons International Film Festival announced today that they will continue their partnership with the Sorpresa! Youth Film Competition at the 16th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival, to be held October 15th - 19th, 2008.

For this year's competition, Sorpresa! is looking for outstanding short films created by young people ages 17 and under that illustrate "The World You Imagine" through a Latino lens.

"The Sorpresa! Youth Film Competition offers a unique opportunity for the Festival to demonstrate its commitment to up-and-coming filmmakers from the Latino community by showcasing their short films before international film directors, producers and industry members." Karen Arikian, Executive Director of the Hamptons International Film Festival

Sorpresa! is kicking off its search for submissions of original 3 to 5 minute short videos or films depicting a world of each participant's design reflective of Latino culture. Five finalists will be selected and screened at the Hamptons International Film Festival.

The Hamptons International Film Festival
3 Newtown Mews
East Hampton, NY 11937
Tel: (631) 747-7978
Fax: (631) 324-5116
info@hamptonsfilmfest.org

Photos of the JLo Twins Max and Emma

Photos of the "JLo" twins Max and Emma appear in the latest edition of People Magazine to be published tomorrow. Taken at the family estate on Long Island, New York, the photos are accompanied by an interview with parents Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony.

LI's Hauppauge Industrial Park

Long Island is home to the East Coast’s largest--and the nation's #2--industrial park, the Hauppauge Industrial Park. The park has over 1,300 companies, and employs over 55,000 Long Islanders. (Source: BusinessFacilities.com)

The sprawling park occupies 1400 acres and boasts 14,000,000 square feet of office and industrial space.

Click here for map.

Related:
Hauppauge: An Industrial Park Where Farmland Was, NEWSDAY.COM
Hauppauge Industrial Association
Industrial Parks, Suffolk County Government

Tiger Woods Buys Long Island (Maybe)

According to conflicting press reports, Tiger Woods may or may not have purchased a $65 million estate in the Hamptons. The speculation was triggered by a report in yesterday's Real LI that a 6 acre waterfront property (with mansion) on Gin Lane, Southhampton was sold.

To whom? The folks at Sotheby's International Realty in Bridgehampton won't say.

Anyway, I'd like to be the first to officially welcome Tiger Woods, wife Elin Nordegren and daughter Sam Alexis to Long Island.

Long Island's David A. Paterson - Governor of New York

The new New York governor, David Paterson, is associated with his beloved Harlem--a district both he and his father Basil A. Paterson have represented in the NYS Senate.

However, few New Yorkers know that David Paterson's roots are right here on Long Island. The Patersons lived in this home on Carolina Avenue in Hempstead.

According to RealLI, the Patersons purchased the home in the late 1950s. The family moved to the Brooklyn to ensure that a young David was "mainstreamed", that is, that he wasn't segregated due to his visual impairment.

Two thoughts:

1) It's great to have a governor that has actually spent some of formative years as a Long Islander.

2) What might have become of him had his parents not sought out a better school option for young David. Think about it.

BTW: I met with the then State Senator David Patterson on a few occasions during my education reformer days. Unlike so many others Albany politicians, David was accessible, down-to-earth and gracious. He was always prepared, listened carefully and asked thoughtful questions.

David is so unlike Shelley, Bruno, Spitzer, et al, that it'll be very interesting to see what changes, if any, he'll bring to that "den" the people call NY State government. My advice? Don't under-estimate David.

Eleganté Thursdays at Oragins - Afterwork Party w/a Latin Twist

You are cordially invited to attend the March 20th Grand Opening of Eleganté Thursdays at Oragins, Long Island's newest afterwork party with a twist of Latin.

Eleganté Thursdays is a nightlife concept tailored to Long Island's growing Latino professional class and friends.

La Fiesta's Cio-Babee and Machitos will serve as hosts, and music will be provided by DJ Ash and DJ Don Q.

Eleganté Thursdays is a production of Circle of Friends Productions in association with Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Ruben Morales, David "Cuba" Pozo, Juan Boria and Alan Marc Ray.

Complimentary pass, buffet and drinks. Click here for more information and to RSVP.

Oragins
1815 Route 110
Farmingdale, NY 11735

El Diario/La Prensa Migrating to Long Island

Residents in the Southwest corner of Long Island are getting new neighbors: El Diario/La Prensa, the nation’s oldest Spanish-language newspaper, is making the crossover from Manhattan to Brooklyn.

“It’s been a dream of mine to bring El Diario to a borough, outside of Manhattan.” Rossana Rosado, Publisher and CEO

The paper, which marks its 95th anniversary this year, will relocate about 120 employees from its current offices on Hudson St. in SoHo to the Metro Tech Center.

Welcome to Long Island!

Daily News Article

Open House at LIU-Hispanic Counseling Center March 12 on Masters of Social Work Program

Brookville, N.Y. – Hispanics are one of the fastest-growing ethnic populations in the United States with Census projections forecasting more than 60 million living here by 2025. A 2006 study by the National Association of Social Workers and the Center for Workforce Studies found that 77 percent of licensed social workers in the U.S. serve at least some Hispanic or Latino clients.

In order to meet the needs and properly treat Hispanic individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations, social workers must take into account not only behaviors, but various biological, psychological and social factors.

Professionals who speak fluent Spanish or wish to serve the Hispanic community can learn more about graduate programs leading to a Master of Social Work degree by attending an open house sponsored by the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University Department of Social Work on Wednesday, March 12 at the Hispanic Counseling Center, 344 Fulton Ave., in Hempstead from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Faculty and advisors will be on hand to answer questions and provide information about degree programs, career opportunities, admissions and financial assistance. Interested students should contact the Department of Social Work at (516) 299-3924.

The two-year M.S.W. program will feature bilingual instructors who will focus on the special needs of the Hispanic community by bridging the language gap and encouraging cultural competency in a segment of the population that is underserved.

For more information about the Master of Social Work degree program contact Betsy Klipera, Social Work Program coordinator, at (516) 299-3924 or e-mail betsy.klipera@liu.edu. Visit the social work Web site at www.liu.edu/socialwork.

Rocio Trujillo & Spanglish Radio

Ms. [Rocio] Trujillo (aka, Cio Babee)is host of the weekday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. program on La Fiesta, which is the only Latin music radio station among the nearly 20 stations based on Long Island and which began broadcasting in September.

A second-generation Salvadoran-American, she says she is encouraged by her boss, the operations manager Vic Latino, to speak in “Spanglish” to attract young people like herself who speak English on the street and Spanish at home.

La Fiesta broadcasts on two frequencies, 98.5 FM and 96.9 FM, reaching the whole of Suffolk County from Route 110, on the far western edge, to Montauk. That includes Southampton and East Hampton, where there are high concentrations of Hispanic residents, and city signals — and the next-closest Latin stations — are fuzz.

On Local Radio, an Accent on Spanglish

The Borinqueneers: March 11th, 10PM, WNET

A one-hour version of THE BORINQUENEERS will air on WNET Channel 13, Tuesday, March 11th at 10pm. The acclaimed documentary on the all-Latino 65th Infantry was produced Raquel Ortiz and narrated by Hector Elizondo. Make sure to let your family and friends know about it!

For more information on the film visit www.borinqueneers.com.

Latinos 14% of Port Washington Students

According '06-'07 state data, Latinos in Port Washington public schools were 14 percent of the student enrollment? Additionally, Asians comprised 12.6 percent and African Americans 2.1 percent.