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 19
50s. 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.
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