Hempstead Living Fall 2009 Issue

TheIncorporatedVillageofHempsteadCommunityDevelopmentAgencyCommissioner Claude Gooding50ClintonStreet,Suite504Hempstead,NewYork11550

PRESORTEDSTANDARDUSPostage

PAIDPermitNo. 205Hempstead,NY

ECRWSSPOSTALPATRON

f a l l i s s u e 2 0 0 9

MAIN STREETBeautification

LOOKING FORA MIRACLEPersevering throughtough economic times

ALL ABOUT HEMPSTEADCommunity events at thecenter of our neighborhood

LET’S TALK BUSINESSOur chat withlocal business owners

The effort underway tomakeourdowntownbeautiful

| INAUGURALISSUE2009 2 HEMPSTEADLIVING |

| FALL 2009 3 HEMPSTEADLIVING |

Contents Fa l l I s s u e

2 0 0 9

F E A T U R E S

18 Looking for a MiracleLearning lessons ofperseverance throughonelocal resident’s story.

22 Let’s Talk BusinessLocal businessownerstalk about their historyin thisVillage.

29 Main StreetBeautificationBeautifyingour streetscapesand improving facades inourdowntown.

D E P A R T M E N T S

04 Letter fromEditor05 Letter fromMayorWayne J.Hall, Sr.06 Publisher’sNote08 VillageBeat10 Happenings24 Local Flavor26 CommunityDevelopment30 InTheMix

18 lookingforamiracle

14 hempsteadhsselectchorus

24 adelphi studentslendahand


ItrulyhopethatyouareenjoyingHempstead Livingmagazine!

It is themission of this publication to serve as a source of

informationand inspirationtotheresidentsoftheVillage

ofHempsteadandtheHempsteadMetroArea.

HempsteadLivingmagazineprovides themembersofourcommunityaplacetoread,write,and learnaboutthemselves and the community inwhich they live.In these pages, youwill find images and stories that

reflect you, the residents.In an effort to continue keeping these pages filled

with the content that you’d like to see and read, JOINOUR TEAM. If you are interested in contributingeditorial content toHempsteadLivingmagazine, pleasesendanemail [email protected] feel free to call the Hempstead CommunityDevelopment Agency (CDA) office directly at (516)485-5737. We’re looking for talented writers, journal-ists, and photographers to help us continue makingHempstead Living a success.Thank you for your continued support.

Best,Rachel Breton

MessagefromtheEditor-In-Chief

PUBLISHER:IncorporatedVillageofHempsteadCommunityDevelopmentAgencyCommissionerClaudeGooding

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:RachelBretonTheNoteworthyGroup

CREATIVE DESIGN & LAYOUT:AndrewBassStraightDesign,www.str8tdesign.com

SALES & ADVERTISING:WendyParrParrVentures

CONTRIBUTORS:LatashaConyersClaudeGoodingTiceshiaMcPhersonRobbiiWesson

PHOTOGRAPHERS:TyreeCurryAntonioKelleySherinaGonzales

Photo credits:

Cover image byRobbiiWesson; image shown is oftheHempsteadBusTerminal

HempsteadLiving is a freepublicationprovidedtothegeneralpublicbytheHempsteadCommunity

DevelopmentAgency.

Themagazine is printedlocallyatthesetinelprintingcompany.

The IncorporatedVillageofHempsteadCommunityDevelopmentAgency

50ClintonStreetSuite504

Hempstead,NewYork11550Phone: 516-485-5737Fax: 516-485-1667

www.hempsteadcda.org

CDA Board of DirectorsMayorWayne J.Hall,Sr., ChairmanMr. InocencioPerdomo,Secretary

Rev.KeithHarris,MemberMr.PhilMickulas,MemberMs.DellaHudson,Member

ClaudeGooding,Commissioner

We’d love tohear your feedback!Please sendanemail [email protected] and let us knowyour

thoughts on themagazine. Youmayalready love it, or youmayhave some

helpful tips onhowwecan improve it – eitherway,wewant toknow!

Give us your opinion…TODAY!

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT HEMPSTEAD LIVING MAGAZINE!


MDemystifyingPILOTS

uchcontroversyhasdevelopedoverthePayment InLieuofTaxAgreement (PILOT)

thattheNassauCounty IndustrialDevelopmentAgency (IDA)hasentered intowith

OmniNewYorkLLC,whichplanstoredevelop245rentalunits in26buildings located

at 91-145 Terrace Avenue and 10-26Bedell Street. I have walked throughthose buildings and know that theydesperately need to be rehabilitated.The buildings’ current owner is inbankruptcy and, as a result the build-ings continue to deteriorate. The resi-dents, many of whom have lived theirentire lives there, have told me thattheyare living indeplorableconditions.As a result, the area surrounding theseproperties has become blighted due tolack of investment in the premises.The PILOT that the IDA entered

intowithOmniwill ensure that the res-idents,whocurrently live intheseapart-ments, will be able to remain in ourVillage, a Village they know as theirhome. ThisPILOTwillensurethattheirchildren will continue to remain in orVillage, a Village they know as theirhome.ThisPILOTwillensurethat theirchildren will continue to remain in ourschools and their familieswill continuetoworshipandwork inourcommunity,while living in a safe, clean environ-ment. This rehabilitation plan wouldessentially maintain the affordablehousing that already exists in theneighborhood; it is not a developmentaimed at increasing the amount of af-fordable housing. Indeed, we have all

witnessed the decrease in crime in thisarea, due to the ambitious efforts of thelawenforcement-community partner-ship between the Village, the DistrictAttorney’s Office and the Terrace-Be-dell residents. However, “cleaning up”this neighborhood should not endwith just crime initiatives. Thus, thegoal of this rehabilitation is toprovidea safe haven for the children and theirfamilieswho live there.Clearly in order to have a long-last-

ing effect, we need to redevelop thisneighborhood.Noonebenefits if theap-pearance of the premises continue on adownwardspiral.Boarded-upbuildingsare a haven for criminal activity andthus, it isobvious that thereinvestmentin thesepremiseswill benefit the entirecommunity. However, reinvestmentshouldnotresult in thedisplacementofthe many law-abiding, hard-workingfamilies,wholiveandraisetheir familiesin the Terrace-Bedell neighborhood.Without a PILOT, the premises wouldeventually have to be demolished, astheywouldcontinuetodeteriorate, andour neighbors who live there, would beforced to leave theirhomes. I donotbe-lieve that this would be right. I believewe should all care about those who livein theTerrace-Bedellneighborhoodbe-

cause, without our sense of caring, wecannotbe a strong community.This PILOT is essential to restoring

this neighborhood. The function of thePILOT agreement is to provide incen-tive for the development company tocarry out its plan by enabling it to re-ceive payment through the IDA, whichisexempt fromreal-estateproperty tax.Through the PILOT agreement Omnihas secured tax-exempt financing fromthe New York State Housing FinanceAgency(HFA),aswellasover$11millionof financing to realize the acquisitionandrehabilitationofthisneighborhood.In addition, other state and county

{ letter from the chairman }

Mayor Wayne J. Hall Sr.

Chairmanof theBoard

Continued on page 6

| INAUGURALISSUE2009 6 HEMPSTEADLIVING |

agencies have determined that the de-veloper has demonstrated, throughprior rehabilitation projects, that it canacquire distressed properties such asTerrace-Bedell and revitalize the build-ings, thereby improving the quality oflife for its residents and the communitythatsurrounds it.TheCommissionerofNewYorkStateDivisionofHousingandCommunity Renewal supports this re-habilitation and the PILOT that isneeded to ensure its success.For these reasons, I support the

County’s PILOTwhich is critical to thesuccessful rehabilitation of the Terrace-Bedellneighborhood.Therehabilitationis consistentwith theVillage’s desire for“smart growth” development. Indeed,this project will ensure that the currentresidents, who require assistance to livecan remain in their homes.Most impor-tantly,theirrehabilitatedhomeswillhavea very significant positive impact on theeconomic viability and quality of life inour community. In closing I urge you torecognize that the impact of this PILOTisnotonethatshouldbemeasuredsolelyon a financial scale, but a scale of com-passionforthoselessfortunate,whonowlive in Hempstead and should not beforced fromtheirhomes.Sincerly,

Mayor Wayne J. Hall Sr.

Chairmanof theBoard

DEMYSTIFYING PILOTSContinued frompage 5

Youroverwhelmingresponsetoour

inauguralissuewasalltheencour-

agementweneededtocommitto

asecondissueofthemagazine.

Formost, itwasrefreshingtoseea

reflectionofourselvesgracethe

pagesofthemagazineinthemost

flatteringway,showcasingourcommunityinthebest

possiblelight. Whiteweintendtocontinuetodoso,we

willmakeeveryeffortto“keepitreal”andtoinform,

educateandmotivateourreaders.

Inthis issue,wefeatureastoryaboutperseveranceduringtimesofeconomichardship. Hopefully, we will take something from this story. Additionally, webring you information about events, exciting ethnic eateries in the neighbor-hood, as well as wholesome entertainment and value shopping. As I often say,community is built fromwithin.So relax andenjoy.

Claude Gooding, AICP

Commissioner

Publisher’sNote

HempsteadLivingMagazineOnline

Soonyou’ll beable tobrowse thepagesofHempsteadLivingmagazineon theweb.

Stay tuned for theupcoming launchofourwebsite.

COMING SOON!

WORKING WITH A GRAPHIC DESIGNERDOESN’T HAVE TO BE PAINFUL OR EXPENSIVE.

R O B B I I


VILLAGE BEAT

V.I.M. HAS OFFICIALLY OPENEDitsdoors intheVillageofHempstead.Theapparelchaincurrentlyhas31stores locatedthroughouttheNewYork&NewJerseyarea.Bringingasuccessful franchisetoourareahasbeenakeycomponentoftheHempsteadCDA’scommercial revitalizationeffort.

Coincidentally,V.I.M.hadbeenreceivinganenormousamountof requests fromcustomerswhovisit the Jamaica

V.I.MIsOpenForBusinessonMainStreet

AvenuestoretoopenalocationintheHempsteadarea.SotheCDAworkedwithV.I.M.tofacilitateamatchinggrant fromtheEmpireStateDevelopmentCorporation’sRestoreNYFacadeImprovementProgramtorehabilitatethebuildingandbringtheclothingstoretoMainStreet.ArepresentativefromV.I.M’scorporateofficetellsus,“Weareveryencouragedbythewarmwelcomewehavereceivedhereandbythewayourcustomershaveembracedus.Hempsteadhasbeenveryaccommodatingtous,andweareexcitedabouthavingastorehere.”V.I.M. thrivesondeliveringa largeselectionof fashionable

merchandiseatreasonableprices,andprovidingthebestvaluepossible to its customers.V.I.M. is all aboutmaking thecustomerhappy.Thecompany’smission is todeliver to theircustomers thebestproduct at thebestprices, and tosupportthecommunity.V.I.M is currently running the followingpromotion:

$5off your totalpurchasewhenyouspend$49.99ormore,whichexpiresonOctober 31, 2009.

V.I.M. in Hempstead45 Main StreetHempstead, NY 11550Phone: 516-292-1649 Fax: 516-292-1728Manager Name: Boubacar (Babu)Store Hours: M-Sat 9:30am - 8pm; Sunday 11am - 8pm


HAPPENINGS

ADayofCelebratingAHealthyHempsteadSaturday, June13,2009,markedthe4thAnnualHempsteadDaycelebrationandMayorHall’s 3rdAnnual5KRun,Walk-A-ThonandFunRun. Villageresidentsofall agesgatheredatKennedyPark foradayof fun, food,andfestivities.Theday gotoff to ahealthy start! MayorHall and the

BoardofTrusteeswelcomed runners andwalkers of all agestokick-off theday’s activitieswith a 5K journey around theVillageofHempstead. Eachyear, theproceeds raised fromtheMayor’s race are awarded to a graduatingSenior atHempsteadHighSchool in the formof a scholarship. The2009 scholarship recipientwasHempsteadHighSchool’svaledictorian, Britt’neMcCrimmonwho received a$1,000scholarship. Britt’ne,who served as the senior class presi-dentwill be attendingGeorgetownUniversity in theFall andplanson studyingbusiness and law.

Local residents enjoy camera timewith theMayor before the race.

Runners take off as theMayor’s 3rdAnnualRace begins.Pictured L-R:DeputyTrusteeHenryConyers,MayorHall, Scholarshipaward recipientBritt’neMcCrimmon, andTrusteeDonRyan

Members fromHomeDepot’s running teamposed for a photowith theMayor before the race kicked off.

Phot

osby

:Tyr

eeC

urry

The Incorporated Village of HempsteadCommunityDevelopment (CDA),CurtisRileyCommunityDevelopmentCorporation,A.R.T. FullyYoursGalleryofFineArt andUniqueGifts, andFelionPublishingCompanycollaborated to launchandhost the 1stAnnualHempsteadVillageRenaissanceFestival. TheRenaissanceMission isto “REPRESENT”and showcaseHempstead’s downtownassets, “RE-AWAKEN”and ignitemarket interest in thegrowing local economy, and “REVIVE”confidence in thecommunity throughadayofwholesome fun.OnSaturday, July 11, 2009, vendors, entertainers, volun-

teers, and local governmentofficialswereonhand from11amto6pm, inMunicipal ParkingField#4 (convenientlylocatedbetweenFulton,Main, Front andFranklinStreets)toparticipate in theday’s activities. Village residents cameout indroves to support the eventbypatronizing the streetvendors, viewing the fashion showand listening to the livemusical performancesby artists suchasVariedades, JuliusPetty, J.C.R.U., andCometa. Sponsorsof the event includedNationalGrid,VIM,Verizon,HempsteadChamberofCommerce,DavidLernerAssociates Inc.,GraphicsMaster,LaFaceModelingAgency, andHealthPlus.TheHempsteadVillageRenaissance committee’s first annual eventwas ahuge success and the community is looking forward to itsgrowth in the future.


HAPPENINGS

1stAnnualHempsteadVillageRenaissanceFestival

Darling little dancers excited about participating in theperformances held throughout theFestival.

Pictured above:Community leaders and theRenaissanceFestival’s committeemembers.


HAPPENINGS

CommunityEvents

MAYOR HALL SWORN IN FOR A SECOND TERMHempsteadVillageMayorWayne J.Hall, Sr.wasduly swornin to servehis second term inoffice, byNassauCountyExec-utiveThomasR. Suozzi in a ceremonyheld inSpring 2009.Re-electedTrusteeHenryConyers, newly electedTrusteeLivioA.Rosario andVillage JusticeTanyaHobson-Williamswere also sworn induring the ceremony, before theBoardofTrustees, community leaders andvillage residents.

HONORING OUR MOTHERS IN STYLEA Mother’s Day celebration was held inMay to recognize and honor all of the belovedmothers in our community. The event kickedoff with a fashion show featuring vintagehats from the 1920’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.The fabulous head-pieces were madeavailable through-out the event to theattendees whochose to purchasethe hats or partici-pate in a vintagehat auction.

Hempstead’sFashionStatementLocal fashiondesignersparticipated in a fashion showheldin Junewhich featured trendsettingurban looks. Thevenuewas transformed into a stylish runway thatwas adornedwithmodels hitting the catwalk in their designers’ best.

SEVERALEVENTSWEREHELDATTHEFORMERCOMMUNITYCIVICcenter,“HempsteadontheGreen”locatedat310FultonAvenue. Althoughthesiteisnolongerfunctioningasacommunitygatheringspace, itdidgiveustheopportunitytoexplorehowmuchalargecenterthatcanhostcivicandsocialeventsisneededinourarea. Here’salookatthevariouseventsheldatHempsteadontheGreenduringitstimeinoperation:


HAPPENINGS

THERE’SPLENTYTODOTHISFALLINTHEHEMPSTEADAREA!Checkoutthisguideandlearnmoreaboutall theevents&activitesgoingonin&aroundourneighborhoods!*

What’s Going On?

HEMPSTED PUBLIC LIBRARY115 Nichols Court, Hempstead, NY 11550516 481-6990www.nassaulibrary.org

October 8, 2009BWE Monthly Meeting10:00AM – 3:00PMContact: Black Women Enterprises(516) 485-5900

Entrepreneurial Workshop Series of free

business development seminars. For registration

and information, please visit our website

www.blackwomenenterprises.org or call our

office directly at (516)485-5900.

October 21, 2009Hempstead Chamber ofCommerce Monthly Meeting6:00PM - 8:45PM

The Hempstead Chamber of Commerce is located

at 1776 Nichols Court,Hempstead, NY 11550.

The Chamber serves as a liaison between our

community, business and government, while

offering real solutions to Hempstead’s issues.

The Chamber’s general membership meets at

6 monthly at various appropriate locations in

Hempstead. For more information about the

Hempstad Chamber of Commerce, please visit

www.hempsteadchamber.org or call

(516) 483-2000.

TOWN OF HEMPSTEADTown HallOne Washington Street, Hempstead, NY 11550(516) 489-5000www.toh.li

November 3, 2009Election DayPleasebesure togetoutandmakeyour voicecount!

VOTE!!

December 26, 2009 – January 1, 2009Annual Kwanzaa Celebrationat Hempstead Town HallCelebrate the Kwanzaa tradition. Kwanzaa is a

week-long holiday celebrated in the United States

honoring African heritage and culture, marked

by participants lighting a kinara (candle holder).

The African American Museum110North Franklin Street, Hempstead, NewYork 11550

(516) 572-0730

www.aamoflongisland.org

October 24, 2009Annual Breast Cancer Forum12:00PM- 4:00PM

County Interdenominational Ministers’ Wives and

Ministers’ Association and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority,

Inc. Iota Theta Zeta Chapter. Come and join mem-

bers of the community who are dedicated to

eradicating this cancer. Together we can make a

difference and fight a good fight against breast

cancer. Contact: (516) 489-5000 ext. 4304 to con-

firm your attendance.

December 26, 2009 – January 1, 20096:00PM to 9:00p.m.

African-American Museum Kwanzaa Celebration.Celebrate the seven principles of Kwanzaa and

the African and African-American diaspora. This

is a free event.

SAVE THE DATEWednesday, December 16, 20096:00PM to 9:00p.m.

Incorporated Village of Hempstead

Community Development Agency’s Advisory

Board on the Arts presents its 4th Annual Holiday

Community Concert.

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE

October 2009

• Village Board approves Downtown Plan

• Village appoints a RFP committe

• Village issues a developer RFP–

4 week response time

November 2009

• Screening/interviews with developers

• Short listing for developer selections

December 2009

• Finalist selected

*EVENT DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PLEASE CONTACT THE

VENUE DIRECTLY TO CONFIRM EVENT DETAILS.

SANDRA SANDS &ASSOCIATES, PLLC

Attorneys at Law250 Fulton Ave.

Hempstead, NY 11550

1-877-421-COMP

Specializing inWorkers Compensation,Social Security Disability

HAPPENINGS


TheHempsteadHighSchoolSelectChoraleWinsBigOverseas

TheHempsteadHighSchoolSelectChorale took first prize in the InternationalMusicFestival/CompetitionheldinVerona, Italy inApril 2009. The choral group, ledbyDirectorMs.RachelBlackburn, not onlywon the inContemporaryand Jazz categories, but also scored thehighest overall score in the entire competition. Therewere 30choral groupscompeting fromaround theworld includingGermany, Switzerland, Japan, France, Italy and 5others fromtheUnitedStates.“I am so proud of bothMs. Blackburn and the Select Chorale,” said theHempstead Public SchoolsDirector ofMusic,

Art&LibraryMedia, Angel Perez. “They sacrificed somuch and have reaped the benefits of that sacrifice. They did such a

great job and it is a great joy to see the glowon the students’ faces upon their return to the States. They have grown in somanyways, andwe are all so proud.”According toBlackburn,whohasbeen theChoraleDirector for sevenyears, theHempsteadHighchoral groupwas the

smallest in the competition, and theonly choir composedof amulticulturalmixofAfricanAmerican andHispanic students.Last year, the teamwonanaward at the festival held inVienna, anddid suchagreat job that, out of all of the groupsperform-ing, theywere theonlyones invited to this year’s event.Whatmakes this victory evenmore special is that the tripwasmainly fundraisedby the students in the chorus, raising

over $60,000. Twoof the group’s biggest contributor’swere theFamily andChildren’sAssociation and the local non-profitorganization,GreaterHempstead. ThroughGreaterHempstead’sCommunityFoundation, an award in the amountof$10,000was granted to the choral group. GreaterHempstead is committed topromoting youthempowerment throughmusic andhas establishedaPerformingArts andMusicEducationprogramto support thismission. HempsteadHighSchool’s SelectChorale groupwashonoredatGreaterHempstead’s first annualLong IslandChoirFestival heldonFebruary7, 2009at theUnitarianUniversalistCongregation at ShelterRock inManhasset.“Whatthesestudentshavereceivedisfarmorethananaward,”saidPerez. “Thisexperienceisonethatwill lastalifetime.”

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E

Veteran’sHallRestoredTheIncorporatedVillageofHempsteadCommunityDevelopmentAgency (CDA)played an instrumental part inthe restorationof theGomillion-CampbellVeteran’sHallAmericanLegionPost#1488, located at 174WestburyBoulevard inHempstead.The$50,000 renovationprojectwas completed inSpring 2009.TheCDA ishonored tohavethe restoratonof this facility for veteran’s andcitizenswhohavehonorably servedour country andhave continued toserve and inspire their fellowcitizenswithdeeds andaccomplishments throughout their lifetime.


HAPPENINGS

CDA’s CarePackage ToOurSoldiersAcarepackagefullofgoodieswassentoverseasasa tokenofappreciationtooursoldiers, sailorsandairmenservingoverseas.TheVillageofHempsteadCDApreparedtheboxofgoodiesandshipped it toLCDRMattHall atBagramAirfield.Hall servesas theLeadAdministrativeContractingOfficer workingfor theDefenseContractManagementAgency,which isprimarily responsible foragooddealofcon-tracting inNorthAfghanistan. Hall expressedhisthanks to theCDAina letteraddressedtotheCom-missioner.Hewrote, “Pleaseconvey mysincerethanks to thegoodfolksat theVillageofHempsteadCDAwhosentmethepackagesofgoodies. I’vedis-tributedthe itemsthroughoutmyunit, andall thesoldiers/sailors/airmenareveryappreciative.Wecangeta littlehomesicksometimes, andthings likeyourboxeshelp toremindusthatwearen’t forgotten.”


HAPPENINGS

RememberOurYouthBasketballCampRememberOurYouth, Inc. (R.O.Y.)wasestablished toprevent local youth from joining gangs, andallows themtoexploreareasoutsideof their existing socio-economic environment.Theorganization’s objective is toprovide guidance to theiryoungmembersonhowthey canbecomesuccessfulmenandwomen in today’s society. R.O.Y.’s President andFounder,TerellHolloway,whowas raised inHempstead, has apassion forhelpingunderprivileged children inour community.Hebelieves thatwith thehelpof this community, the statement “EachOne,TeachOne”,will be achieved throughRememberOurYouth, Inc.R.O.Y. hosts several day trips andactivities throughout the year for the youth. InAugust 2009, approximately25youngstersparticipated in theorganization’sSummerBasketballCampheldatCampbellPark inHempstead.At theendoftheweek-longcamp,eachparticipantwasgivenabackpack fullof school supplies tobeused intheupcomingschoolyear.TheHempsteadCDArenovatedallof thebasketball courts inourarea’sparks in2006/07.


HOW MANY OF US DREAM of the day we would have no mortgage to pay,and that we can truly own our home? For most of us we dream of thatday. Well, recently in preparation for this article, I decided to interviewa young woman who was in that very position and had been mortgagefree for quite a number of years.A longtime resident of Hempstead came tomeet withme sowe could explore how the

CommunityDevelopmentAgency (CDA) canbeof assistance in light of theVillage’s recentrequest for her to upgrade her watermeter. You see, her homewas in need ofmuch repairmainlyduetoyearsofdeferredmaintenancesupposedlybecauseofherlosingherverystablejob in 2006. She has been struggling tomake endsmeet and has been unable to find a com-parablepaying jobever since.In thepast, shewasable toaffordherhomeandmaintainadecentstandardof livingbut

nowfinds it difficult tomake the taxpaymentswhendue. This is the focusofmyconcern–although this resident was in the very fortunate and envious position of owning her homeoutright alongwithher sister, she still finds it sohard tomakeendsmeet.I asked this woman tomeet withme to discuss her issuemore fully and requested her

permission for this story so that it may serve as an inspiration to us all. Perhaps we canlearn from it. So we began to chat and I asked some prying questions to gain a better un-derstanding of her situation. What shockedme a fewminutes into our conversation washer revelation that shewished shedidhaveamortgage so that shecouldaccess the federalbailout program.Everyone she reachedout to for help toldher that only if shehad amort-gagecould theyassist. Sowhat isout there foryoungsinglemotherwho isn’t ready fora re-versemortgage (those loans that are based on the value of the equity in the home that the

Lookingfor a

MiraclebyClaude Gooding


elderly/seniors are eligible for)? Nothing it seems, she is leftto fendwiththetaxbillsonherown.She felt if shehadamort-gageshewouldhavebeeneasily assistedandher taxeswouldbe escrowed on amonthly basis. I suppose this would havesaved her from the tax problems she is now encountering.You really believe that having a mortgage is a good thing, Iasked? She replied, “Not really. But I would have escrowedmy taxes.” “AHHA!” I retorted. “So it’s the discipline to setaside your payments?” She responded by saying, “No. It

comes so fast, it seems like every twomonths I have to findthousands of dollars to pay these taxes and with everythingelse, I just don’t seem to be able tomake it and I don’t knowhowIamgoing todigmyselfoutof thisone.”Yousee,before,she had been tapping into her 401(K) which was now de-

pleted and she finds herself at the endof her rope.“So, how are you going to solve it this time?” I inquired.

“I don’t know, Mr. Gooding.” She continued, “I NEEDAMIRACLE”.We spoke a bit about the high taxes being out of control.Nevertheless,wemovedon toattempt tobreakdownthis

problem.Therealeyeopenercamewhenwestartedtocrunchthenumbers.$8000ayear intaxesforathreebedroom,singlebath home is high, but she claims she has grieved it several

times.Forthoseofuswhoaren’tawareyoucangrievethegen-eral taxesby filing apetitionwith theCountyAssessors officeand for the Village it is done in person byMarch every year.Dates are setwhen you canwalk in andprotest your propertyvaluation. So, I asked the simple question, what can you rentfor$666monthly.“That’s it?”sheexclaimed. ‘Yes,allyouneedto do is to put away approximately $666 permonth” wasmyreply.Withablankexpressiononherfacesheseemedpuzzledat the number. She began to explain that she never really fo-cusedonit likethatandonlydealtwiththepaymentswhenthebill camewhich often was in greater lump sums. So withoutplanning and preparation this problem seemedmuch largerthanitreallywas,andifshebrokeitdownintomanageablebits,she would probablymanage better, combinedwith the disci-pline to set it aside, that is.Underprevious conditionsahomeowner inherposition

would apply for a home-equity line and probably get it.Today, the creditmarket is so tight, that applying for loans isnot the most optimal option, at least not with her credit,whichwasdamageddue toher job situationwhich really gotworse in 2008. 2008 she declared, was her worse year. Shelost her car because she couldn’t make her car payment,thereby making her prospects for work geographically lim-ited. But what struckmemost about this longtime residentwasher jovial andbubbly nature that didnot reflect thedireprospects she faced. Thinking to myself, I could not be sopersonable if I were faced with those circumstances, shemust be a really strong person, I thought. But she revealedthrough her smiles that she was waiting on a miracle; sheprayed and trusted thatGodwill see her through.

You see, before, she had beentapping into her 401(K) which wasnow depleted and she finds herselfat the end of her rope.


Libby Goldstein & Associates5 North Franklin Street, Hempstead

Libby Goldstein, who grew up in Hempstead, at-tended the area’s local schools, graduated fromHofstraLawSchoolandopenedupher firm’shead-

quarters in January 2009. Always an avid supporter ofredevelopment inour area, she felt that the best fit for herandherpractice,wouldbetooperateoutoftheHempsteadarea. Her firm, which specializes in divorce, bankruptcy,immigration and traffic violations, is prominently locatednotfar fromthecornerofNorthFranklinandFrontStreets.It’s hard tomiss theGoldsteinoffices, due to its appealingfacade. Libby Goldstein worked directly with the Hemp-steadCommunityDevelopmentAgency (CDA) to restorethe building that was vacant up until she acquired it in2006.TheCDA facilitated the renovationproject throughits Facade Improvement project, which helped transformthe 6,000 square foot space into the eye-appealing work-placebefitting anup&coming lawpractice.

On Local Businessesand their Owners

SPOTLIGHTTheVillageofHempsteadhasa longhistoryofbeingconsideredthehubofbusinessactivity inNassauCounty.Today,companiesofall sizesknowthevalueofoperatingtheirbusinessesoutoftheHempsteadarea.Inthis issueofHempsteadLiving,wereputtingthespotlightonthree localbusinessesandtheirownerstofindoutwhythey’vechosentomakeHempsteadVillagethehomeoftheirrespectivebusinesses.


Sentinel Printing Company55 Chasner Street, Hempsteadwww.lisentinel.com

SentinelPrintingCompanyhasbeenoperatingoutoftheHempstead area for over 150 years. Originally locatedonMain Street, Sentinel started out as the area’s local

newspaper with a reputation of having the most accuraterecording of local news. In the 1950’s the companymoved itsheadquarters to a 23,000 square foot space located onChas-nerStreetandbeganfocusingoncommercialprint. Ithas longbeen regarded as a state-of-the-art printing company. Thefamily-owned business, which has been run by its sixth-gen-eration owner, Glen Boehmer since 1986, is expanding thebusinesses’ scope of services. Realizing that the print indus-try ischanging, thecompany isstrategicallyplanningto focuson eco-friendly and digital services such as web-to-print,emailofferings,onlineconsumerprintandmoreinanefforttohelptheirclients fullyexecutetheircompany’smarketingandbrandingmessages.

Law Office of Frederick K. BrewingtonCurrentLocation:50ClintonStreet,Suite501,HempsteadNewLocation(Spring2010?):556PeninsulaBlvd.,Hempstead

Frederick K Brewington is a well known civil rightslawyer based here in Hempstead. His firm has out-grown its existing office suite space and the attorney

has opted to expand his practice to amore accommodatingworkplace locatedon556PeninsulaBlvd,Hempstead.Thekeyelement here is that Brewingtonmade the conscious choiceto keep his firm operating out of the Hempstead area. TheHempstead Community Development Agency (CDA) hasbeenworkingwith the law firm to rehabilitate the previouslyabandoned building through its Façade ImprovementProgram. The firm plans tomove to its new headquarters inSpring 2010.

Become A Part of

COMMUNITYPut yourproducts and services in frontof allthosewhoare the living soul ofHempstead.

Advertise inHempsteadLivingmagazine.

ContactWendyParr [email protected] at (516)932.4365


LOCAL FLAVOR

THEVILLAGEOFHEMPSTEADBOASTSSEVERALAUTHENTICETHNICrestaurants, givingresidentsandvisitorsalike, theopportunitytosamplefoodfromothernations,withouthavingtotravel toofaroutsideoftheirneighborhood. Inthis issue,wechosetohighlighttheColumbiandishesservedupatPollosMariosandtheFilipinocuisinefromManilaHut.

DeliciousEateriesRightHereInOurVillage

Pollos Mario Steakhouse & Seafood

Thewelcomingandinvitingfamily-friendlyatmosphereatPollosMario immediately letsyouknowthatyouareabouttobe inforatreat. Startyourmealoffwithatastysoupand/orsalad and then choose from the menu’s broad selection ofbeef, chicken and seafood entrees, all prepared in traditionalColumbian fashion. The exotic beverage list features savoryflavors such asmango, papaya and passion fruit. Delectabledesserts are also onhand for thosewhowant to indulge! ThePollosMarioSteakhouse&Seafoodrestaurant is locatedat75North Franklin Street. Also, feel free to visit their website atwww.pollosmario.net.

Manila Hut

ManilaHutisfairlynew toourarea,openingearlier thisyear inFebruary. Ifyouwanttoreachoutofyourcomfortzonebytryingsomethingdifferent,youcan’tmisswiththisrestau-rant.This is thebestFilipinorestaurantaround.Thefoodisthe“realdeal” -preparedfromscratch–neverpre-cookedorfrozen.Youcanliterally tastethefreshnessofthe ingredi-ents.Themeat intheirentrees isstewedtoperfectionandthepeanutsauce isrich, flavorful,andperfectlybalanced.Insteadoftakingatriparoundtheworld, tastetraditionalPhilippinecuisineright inyourownbackyard!ManilaHut is locatedat7MainStreet(at thecornerofMain&FrontStreets).

Steak House & Seafood

GREAT FOOD... GREAT PRICES...BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY.


COMMUNITY DEV

NeighborhoodStabilizationProgramApressconferencewasheldonApril 14, 2009 to announce the awardof $59million inNeighborhoodStabilizationProgram(NSP) grants to assist communities affected by the foreclosure and subprime crises.GovernorDavidA. Patersonwas joinedbyCountyExecutiveThomas Suozzi and variouscommunity leaders in front of a foreclosedproperty onSear-ingAvenue. The quiet street located off of JerusalemAvenueinHempstead, features the first property benefiting fromtheNSPprogram.TheNSP fundswill be overseen by theOffice of Eco-

nomicDevelopment’s DeputyCounty Executive PatrickG.Duggan, Rosemary A.Olsen, Director ofHousing and Inter-governmental Affairs, andConnie Lassandro, Director, Of-fice ofHousing andHomeless Services. The focus of theNSPprogram is to identify the distressed areas throughouttheCounty and then purchase and redevelop these fore-closed and abandoned properties in an effort to stabilizelocal communities and neighborhoods.NassauCountyonawholehasbeenhit hardby the fore-

closure criseswith records showing a 25.8percent increase in foreclosure filingsbetween2007-8. TheNSPprogramfundingwill enable theCounty toprovide some relief andhelp stop thedecline in the valueofneighboringproperties.

MainStreetBeautificationThe Incorporated Village ofHempsteadCommu-

nity Development Agency (CDA), on behalf of the Incorpo-ratedVillageofHempstead, applied for and receivedapprovalfor funding from the New York State Department of Trans-portation (NYSDOT) in the amount of $1.6million for a proj-ect to redesign and repair infrastructure, known as theMainStreet Beautification and Pedestrian Access Enhancementproject. This funding is being used toward a complete revital-ization and façade improvement program for the portion ofMainStreet beginning atFront Street and runningnorthwardtoNicholsCourt.TheNewYork State Division ofHousing andCommunity

Renewal (NYSDHCR) has granted the Hempstead CDA inpartnershipwith theHempsteadHispanicCivicAssociationagrant in the amountof $200,000 for façade improvementsonMainStreet.Phase1of the facade improvementprojectwillbefrom Centre Street to Front Street and is in its final stages.Phase 2will be completed in 2010.The revitalization of Downtown Hempstead has been a

priority for thisAdministrationandmuchworkhasgone intore-establishingMain Street. OurMain Street Beautificationprogramiswellon itswaywithnewsidewalks,pavedroadway,lighting and fixtures to recreate that vibrant pedestrianfriendly shopping district it oncewas.


COMMUNITY DEV

®


COMMUNITY DEV

AdelphiStudentsLendaHelpingHandOnAugust24,2009AdelphiUniversitystudentsassisted inacommunityproject tohelpbeautifydesignatedsectionsofourdowntown area. These students are members of the University’s successful program called FCAP (Freshman Community

ActionProgram).Theprogramwascreatedandreleasedin2006byDellaHudson, AssociateDeanof StudentAffairs. FCAPwaspatternedafter anexistingprogramoffered atProvidenceCol-lege.Theprogramobjective is toprovide incomingfreshmananopportunitytoparticipate inacomprehensivecommunityserv-ice program. Students are exposed to a variety of communityservice projects. They also receive information on communi-ties, training and resources. The hope is that after completingthisprogram,studentswill incorporatecommunityservice intotheirdaily livesandshare their experiencewithother students.Eachyear, theprogram acceptsapproximately40studentswhoarriveoncampusoneweekbefore the start of classes. Previous

participantshave theopportunity toapply tobecomeFCAPLeaders.Onaverage thereareapproximately4 - 5 student leaderswhoanswer students’ questions andassistwith supervision in the residenthalls.TheVillageofHempstead,HollyPattersonNursingHomeandtheGardenCityBirdSanctuaryhavebecometheprogram’s

foundation. TheVillage ofHempstead has created projects for the students each year including painting, planting and clean-ing tasks. Students learn about community development and an assortment of community volunteer opportunities. Alongwiththecommunityserviceprojects, studentsalsoreceive lectures froma number of sources including community development and historicalpresentations made by Claude Gooding, Commissioner of the Hemp-steadCommunityDevelopmentAgency andattorneyPatMoore.The FCAP program, which has received unwavering support from

Mayor Hall, continues to receive outstanding evaluations from the stu-dentparticipants,whichcouldnothappenwithout thesupport fromtheVillageofHempstead andothers.


COMMUNITY DEV

NewlyConstructedBuildingsinOurCommunity

THEVILLAGEOFHEMPSTEAD IS TRANSFORMINGRIGHTBEFOREOURveryeyes.Youmayhavenoticedsomenewconstructionprojectsthathavebeencompletedinvariouspartsof theVillage. Here’sanoverviewof justa fewofthenewlyconstructedbuildings inourarea:

Commercial:

257NFranklinAvenue Toyota

Residential Complexes:

140-166SFranklinAvenue 14 Townhouses54EvansAvenue 8 townhouses85LaurelAvenue 8 townhouses60MapleAvenue 5 townhouses70MapleAvenue 5 townhouses

Single-Family Homes:

60E.Marshall Street196HarvardStreet99PrincetonStreet103PrincetonStreet

County Executive Tom Suozzi swears

in Deputy Trustee

Henry Conyers, Judge Tanya H

obson-Williamsand

Trustee Livio Rosario.

George Siberon, Executive Director of the HempsteadHispanic Civic Association and CDA’s Assistant Commissionerof Legal Affairs Donna Boyce.

V.I.M’s AmandaDworetsky and

Sara Joseph

are all smiles at the store’s gr

and opening.Smiling children at the Village’sInaugural Ball held earlier this year.

Representatives from MEDRANO at th

e

Village’s 1st Annual Renaissan

ce Festival.Long-time Hempstead resident, Acquilla Bailey of

Quilla’s Catering and her daughter pose in front of one of herculinary masterpieces at a Village event held in the Spring.

CELEBRATE HEMPSTEAD

| FALL 2009 30 HEMPSTEADLIVING || FALL 2009 30 HEMPSTEADLIVING |

IN THE MIX

Documents

Hempstead Living Fall 2009 Issue