Where's Your Broken Bicycle Mrs. Chase?

So back in May I came to the conclusion that I was fat.  Like Really Fat!  I had slowly accumulated alot of excess lard tucked under my chin and in the shape of a 6 month old baby I was carrying around in my belly.

I had come back from a business trip in Indianapolis in which four planes rides, three nights of drinking, and 4 days of no sleep caused me to come down with a double cocktail of illnesses.  Pneumonia with a shot of the flu as a chaser.  I stepped onto the scale at the doctor's office and was well over 220lbs.  That's  more then 40+ lbs overweight for someone who stands 6' tall like I do.

Standing on the scale I started having flashbacks of a few of the recent pictures taken of my fat face at various weddings and family functions. And how the vest buttons on my suits were barely holding it together, severely strained under the pressure of the small child it was trying to hide. Flashing forward to the soon to be summer months with temperatures and conditions not conducive to hiding your girth under layers.  Then snapshots of Saturday February 23rd, 2013 started whirling through my head laughing at me.  How fat would I be by then if I continued to pack on the pounds?

Would I have to wear one of these on my wedding day?

So along with a few other issues in my life around that time I decided that I needed to change.  I have always used my spinal fusion surgery as a crutch not to exercise because I was scared.  There are some limitations due to the fusion but in the grand scheme of things nothing major.  I had to find something low impact so with my fiance's prodding we bought me a bicycle. 

And it really has changed my life. I feel great.  I have lost over 40lbs and counting and have ridden over 400 miles as of last night.  I get up every morning looking forward to breaking a sweat and getting on the bike.  It has forced me to change my diet as well.  No more 5 course meals in the middle of the night.  No more fried foods or gluttonous carb and calorie heavy meals in excess just cause I was bored or in my head.  It has also brought me closer to one of my uncles as he has been accompanying me on rides about every other day.  

It has made me think alot too.  Some good.  Some negative.  But mostly it has helped to fight off some of my inner demons.  My 'Stranger' so to speak for all my fellow Billy Joel fans or my 'Dark Passenger' for all the Dexterphiles out there.

Bike riding has also made me think about when I used to ride a bike as a kid.  Aside from riding with my friends in the neighborhood or to the local ball field or even in our mock Olympics we used to hold every summer, the two most iconic images I have in my mind of bicycles as a child is of Miss Gulch and Mrs. Chase.   

Miss Gulch of course is from The Wizard of Oz, the character in Dorothy's life she morphed into the Wicked Witch of the West in her dream.   Who can forget her riding in on her bicycle and taking Toto away from Dorothy with her theme music perfectly adding to the dramatic tension in what I always felt was the scariest scene in the movie.  She was so mean.  And at such an early age I couldn't comprehend someone being so mean.  It is an image that is forever emblazoned in my memory banks and a piece of music I will always have an affinity for.  

So who is Mrs. Chase you say?   

From the time I was 8 years old to about 13 or 14 I used to spend a lot of time during my summers at my grandparents house.  My father's parents lived in Amityville on the South Shore of Long Island.  I would hangout with my grandparents all day and night for numerous days in a row.  I would go in the pool or run errands with my grandmother, try to help my grandfather in his garden, or wash the cars for $5 a pop when I wasn't playing with some of the other neighborhood kids.   It was during this time my two youngest aunts introduced me to a new TV channel called MTV.  They were both home from college during the summers and they would recuperate from the previous night by hanging out on the couch with me watching MTV, eating Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup (using potato chips as our spoons) and washing it down with Grandma's iced tea.  At night me and Grandma would watch old TV show reruns like Batman and the Honeymooners while waiting for my aunts to come home.  

It was during this time that I met Mrs. Chase.  She was an elderly woman who lived up the block from my grandparents.  Ironically the neighborhood kids used to make fun of her and call her Miss Gulch.  She was ALWAYS riding her bicycle wherever she went.  She had a car but chose the bicycle as her preferred method of transportation.  I never understood why.   She would ride through the neighborhood and all the kids would call her names and make fun of her.  I never understood that either.   I do have to admit she did look like Miss Gulch a bit on some occasions.  

But I felt bad for this old woman.  She never did anything to the kids that mocked her.  She was just minding her own business riding her bike through the neighborhood on her way to whatever errand she had to accomplish.  She always seemed like she didn't hear the other kids.  But looking back, I'm sure she was just ignoring the little shits, as to not give them any satisfaction over the hurtful names they were callously  throwing her way.  

So one day I was outside my grandparents' house washing my aunt's maroon hatchback Mustang when she came riding her bike down the block.  So I said hello.  And I remember her face lighting up with a smile that I had never seen before.  She stopped her bike and introduced herself to me.  I remember being totally thrown off because she was nothing like the names that had been thrown at her or used to describe her.  She was a sweet, caring old lady who really just wanted someone to talk to.   We talked for a long time that first day.  She told me how she was caring for her husband who became disabled in his old age and how she prefers riding her bike because it keeps her feeling young.   And she told me she knew that I wasn't part of the name calling that she experiences from the other kids on the block.  I'll never forget she said, "I know Mildred (my grandmother) would never raise a child or grandchild that would treat someone that way." I remember being really proud that she thought that highly of my grandmother.  

That encounter started a unique friendship between a lonely old woman and a young child that looked through the world with rose colored glasses.  Every time she drove by the house from then on she would stop and we would chat for awhile.  Sometimes my grandmother would see us chatting and come out and join us.  We would chat 2 or 3 times a week during those summer days I spent with my grandparents.  I even went bike riding with her a few times.  She was such a really nice lady and I could never wrap my head around why people were so mean to her.  I'm sure she was hurt by it all although I never got around to asking her out of fear of upsetting her.  

As I got older and spent less time at my grandparents during the summer they would always tell me that Mrs. Chase says hello whenever I would see them.  She would always stop in front of their house to see if I was there.   The last time I saw Mrs. Chase I was probably 19 or 20.  I had stopped by to see my Grandparents one day and she was riding her bike down the block.  I hadn't seen her in a few years and she was very surprised to see me.  She gave me the biggest hug when she got off her bike and told me how much she missed our little chats and how much she appreciated them.  We talked for about an hour each filling the other in on what has been going on with our lives and I promised here I would seen her again soon.  Then she rode her bicycle off around the bend and I never saw her again.  To this day I still do not know what happened to Mrs. Chase.  I'm sure she has passed away by now as she was up in age even when I was a kid.   Maybe the bicycling has kept her young and she is still out there riding her bike down Carmen's Road right now.  The more likely scenario I'm sure is that she has ridden her bicycle through the Pearly Gates at some point since I last saw her.

I am sharing this story because I honestly felt compelled to put it to pixel.  I couldn't shake it.  Because without fail and for reasons unknown, every time I get on my bicycle I think of her.  I wonder what happened to Mrs. Chase?  Did she feel pain at the end?  Was she still lonely?  How long did she have to live on this Earth without her husband?  Did she ever forget our chats?  Did she find someone to take the time and talk to her after I grew up?  What did her family do with her bike after she passed?    

But most of all, how I should have learned from her when I was a child and picked up bike riding much earlier in life.  

One of my goals in this new bike riding endevour of mine is to ride my bike in life as long as Mrs. Chase did.  I hope I can make her proud.  I hope that wherever she is, she is riding her bike along with me.  

Eric Martin: University of Tennessee Relief Pitcher

From VolunteerTV.com: Vols Fall to Auburn, 12-3

“This team is struggling right now in all phases,” UT head coach Dave Serrano said. “It’s hard to pinpoint what we can do right now, but as coaches we have to stick with the processes that we believe in and these guys have to fight their way out of this.

“If we want to have a chance of reaching our long-range goals we have to come out and fight because to me the season is on the line tomorrow even with three more weekend series to go. We have to get a win on the road and prove some character. I told the team that tough times don’t last, tough people do.”

The Volunteers managed just five hits in the contest with Davis Morgan collecting the team’s only extra-base hit on the day. Freshman Robbie Kidd (2-2) suffered the loss after allowing seven runs on six hits and four walks over the first 3.1 innings.

Fellow first-year Vol Eric Martin did yeoman’s work out of the bullpen for Tennessee, firing a career-high 4.2 innings and striking out two. He entered the contest with just four total innings pitched in his brief collegiate career.

“Eric came in when it could have really gotten ugly,” Serrano said. “It was ugly enough for me but it could have really gotten bad and Eric kind of calmed it down a little bit and allowed us not to go down to the bullpen where we are really light right now in arms. Hopefully that is a shot in the arm for tomorrow.”

After a scoreless first inning, Auburn struck the first blow of the contest as Jay Gonzalez stroked an RBI single in the bottom of the second to put the Tigers up 1-0.

The Vols had a chance to tie the game up in the next frame, putting runners on the corners with just one out after Chris Pierce was hit by a pitch and Nick Powell delivered a one-out single.

Will Maddox then laid down a safety squeeze bunt just out in front of the plate, but Pierce had to hold until the Tigers threw down to first before taking off for home. A perfect throw back to the plate by the first baseman then cut Pierce down for the third out.

The floodgates opened for Auburn after that, as it tacked on two runs in the third and scored six times in the fourth to jump out to a commanding 9-0 lead.

Tennessee finally got on the board in the top of the fifth, scoring a pair of unearned runs. After a leadoff single by Chris Fritts, Jared Allen roped a line drive to center that was misplayed by Ryan Tella for a three-base error that allowed Fritts to score from first. Pierce followed with an RBI groundout on the next pitch to bring in UT’s second run and put the tally on the scoreboard at 9-2.

The Vols had another chance to cut into the Auburn lead in the sixth, loading the bases with two outs. Tiger relief pitcher Cory Luckie came on to strike out Allen to end the threat, however.

AU responded with three more runs in the bottom of the frame on a two-run single by Blake Austin and a solo home run by Zach Alvord to push its lead to double digits at 12-2.

Tennessee got back-to-back singles from Maddox and Zach Osborne to start the eighth inning before scoring their final run of the contest on a 5-4-3 double play.

The Vols will go back to Friday night starter Nick Williams again on Sunday afternoon after he threw just 56 pitches in the series opener. The series finale is set for a 1 p.m. CT/2 p.m. ET start.

For the most up-to-date information about the Tennessee baseball program, visit UTSports.com/baseball and follow @Vol_Baseball on Twitter. To purchase tickets, visit UTTix.com. 

Here is a picture of Eric Martin: The Iowa Bank Robber...

Eric Martin, 34, of Davenport, Iowa 

DOB: 6-28-77

Police: Suspected Iowa City Bank Robber Tried to Pull Loaded Gun on Officers

New Addition to Blog: 'Eric Martin: The Google Alerts'

I was so bored the other day, I added a Google Alert for my name: Eric Martin.

I really can't explain why but these Google Alerts have me anxiously awaiting there arrival. There must be something innate in the human psyche that makes me want to learn about the guys that I share my name with me.

It has been a pretty interesting week for guys named Eric Martin.

Just in the past few days I've been:

• a bank robber that tried to flee the police after he had been arrested causing school lockdown in Iowa
• a high school junior who captained his team to a State Championship in Danvers, MA
• a Congressman that lost an election in York, PA
• a Director of Public Works in Chesapeake, Va that rejected city employees pay increases 
• a Twitter account for @RonnieRust whose child had three back to back seizures
• a Rock Star (Formerly of Mr. Big)  who is going to sing on a Rick Springfield Tribute Album

So I will continue to watch out for my namesakes and see what kind of moments in their life Google captures for Forever in the supposed Black Hole of the GooglePlex.

In the next day or so I am going to add a new section to A Long Island Nerfherder's Blog called 'Eric Martin: The Google Alerts' in the column on the right.

Come back and check out the alerts if you have time.  Or create a Google Alert for your name.

And no, that's not me in the pic.  That's the Rock Star who is singing on the Rick Springfield Album.

I actually went out with girl a few times that  dated him.  He was from Long Island too.

Always Remember...

"Don't Take Any Shit from Anybody!"
                                                        -William Martin Joel

James Dolan Is The Devil

James Dolan is the Devil and Cablevision is his hell that he wants to spread all over Long Island and New York City. Harsh you say? I do not think so. Let me explain...

I came across an awesome show on the Madison Square Garden Channel the other day. It was called, " The Spring of '94". It chronicled the run of both the New York Rangers and Knicks through the playoffs and into the Finals in their respective sports during the Spring of 1994. The Knicks lost in 7 games (John Starks) to the Houston Rockets and the Rangers broke their 54 year Cup Curse by beating the Vancouver Canucks in 7 unbelievable hockey games.

It was the year I graduated high school. It was actually the week I graduated high school that both teams were playing in their Finals. I graduated high school on June 12th, 1994 and I was sitting in a hotel room in Florida on June 14th, 1994 watching the Ranger's win the Cup that night. My buddy and I went to Florida for 2 weeks the day after we graduated and we were going to a party that night which my friend assured me the people at the party would be watching the hockey game. When we arrived they were playing SEGA hockey. Hockey had not arrived in Florida yet. There was no such thing as Florida Panther or the Tampa Bay Lightening. So we left the party and started our own back at our hotel to watch the game.

Just watching "The Spring of '94" gave me goosebumps, remembering the last time The Garden was truly alive. Those two teams had a stranglehold on NYC that Spring. That Ranger team will be remembered through the ages with names like Messier, Leetch, Richter, and Graves. And what Ranger fan is ever going to forget, "Matteau!, Matteau!, Matteau!" And even though that Knicks team lost those Finals and never did bring home a championship, they will always have a special place in my heart and I'm sure with most Knick's fans of that era too. Those battles with Chicago, Detroit, and Miami are emblazoned in my memory forever. There has yet to be a Knick team since that can compare. And even though this current incarnation of the New York Rangers gives a fan some hope for the first time in years, they have to win Lord Stanley's Cup to even be in the conversation with the '94 team.

There has yet to be a Spring like it since. Sure the Knicks made a run to the Finals in the strike shortened '99 season, and the Rangers have teased us with a one and done playoff appearance here and there, it has never been like it was. And it is no coincidence in my opinion, these dark times coincide with Cablevision and James Dolan's mishandling of all things MSG. They say when you are in a depression you have a hard time recognizing that you are in a bad place, but the people that are removed from your emotions can see it very easily in you. I was so emotionally invested in those teams at that time of my life and that combined with youthfully enthusiasm carried that emotion for years even after those teams were disbanded. It wasn't until the last 4 or 5 where I had emotionally detached from that emotion that I started to realize what a cancer James Dolan is. And it has been a combination of things that has enslaved me to my current set of emotions regarding Jimmy D.

Let's start with his ruining the brand that was the New York Knicks. I can't even bring myself to read or watch anything about this team. His loyalty to Isiah Thomas has crippled this franchise and brings to mind the beginning lyrics to Incubus' song Pistola, "On the tip of my tongue an offensive is poised and rearing, My intention a bullet, my body a trigger finger". This is a man (albeit as a player in definitely a Top 50 All Time NBAer) who has bankrupted the CBA, The Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks on top of costing his boss $10 million to cover up a sexual harassment lawsuit brought against him and Madison Square Garden. He has proven time and time gain that he doesn't care about the average fan. Doesn't care if he prices them out of game tickets. Doesn't care if he alienates an extremely loyal fan base. He is all about the what is good for Jimmy. He wants to prove that he knows what he is doing but what he keeps proving to me anyway, is that he should just stick to playing the guitar.

And he has done the same thing with the Ranger's franchise. The last year or two is the first time I have been emotionally invested in this team. But how could you not with the current group of homegrown talent? These kids play with their heart on their sleeves and blood and sweat on their jerseys. But for many years after that Cup team he has just throwing money at bloated All Stars while sacrificing youth to win something that can never be one without chemistry. And it has only been because of those horrible teams that we were lucky enough to be able to draft the current group.

And finally, lets talk about Cablevision. Growing up Cablevision is all their was (on Long Island anyway). I switched to Verizon's Fios as soon as it was available in my area. It is such a better product than than Cablevisions in both the online and television services. The user interface for Fios blows away Cablevision's unresponsive, antiquated piece of crap. But the kicker is the MSG channel. I love that New York Daily News' columnist Bob Raissman calls it the 'MSGulag Network' (Think Caligula). As Fios customer I cannot watch the MSG Channel in HD. I have to watch Ranger hockey games in Standard Def on beautifully crafted and expensive High Definition Televisions. If he was really for "the fans" he would allow all the fans to experience hockey and basketball in HD if they could not get to the games. But no, he wants to rule the television world make everybody buy his inferior product. When I had OptOnline I could not have my computer and XBox on at the same time it would totally slow the services of both of them down to an unusable level. But with Fios i can have both my computers, my smart phones, XBox and PS3 running at the same time with no lag. It is such a joy.

I will never go back to Cablevision but Jimmy has to get his head out of his ass soon and start showing the fans that he cares.

Free MSG!!!!!!

My Review of Hall and Oates at Jones Beach on Long Island

On Saturday June 11th, Hall and Oates performed their classic hits at Long Island's famed Jones Beach Amphitheater for a less than sell out crowd.

The sparse crowd could partially be blamed on the inclement weather.  It was drizzling throughout most of Hall & Oates' set and Chris Isaak's opening set.   In my experience, the rain adds something to the show.  Some of the best concerts I've ever attended at Jone Beach were in the rain.  For one, the people that come to the show truly want to be there for the music and are into the show from the beginning.  And second, the rain creates a bond between the concert goers because we are all battling the same harsh conditions.   Aside from Madison Square Garden, Jone Beach is the best place to see a show for ambiance in my opinion.  And when it rains, there is no better.

Chris Isaak did not impress me with his opening set.  I really do not know too many songs from his catalog, with the exception of "I Want to Fall In Love" and that is mostly because of the video with that unbelievably sexy woman he had in it.  He played mostly covers.  The biggest surprise was  the theme song to HBO's "True Blood" called "Bad Things,"  which was a Jace Everett cover.  It sounded great.

Hall and Oates came out soon after to a slowed down version of "Maneater."   They sounded great and their saxophonist Charlie Dechant  and his pink suit was amazing.  I love hearing somebody play the saxophone live.  It seems to be a lost instrument in this day and age.  The only disappointment in their set was that it was only 1.5 hours and they did not play "Private Eyes".  You do forget how many good songs the duo have in their catalog and we did not even realize they had not played "Private Eyes" until someone mentioned it in passing as we were walking out of the the ampitheatre.

All in all, it was a great show.  It was Jones Beach and it marked the first concert of the summer.  can't go wrong with that.  Next up the SoundGarden reunion tour in July.  More to come...

Vote for Steve Bellone: Long Island Business News Poll

The matchup is set.

Although it took a bit longer than expected, the combatants are now in place for Long Island's Suffolk County Executive race coming this fall.

For the Democrats, the candidate is Babylon Town Supervisor Steve Bellone, who had been the presumptive nominee ever since County Executive Steve Levy turned Republican.

For the GOP, the nominee is Suffolk County Treasurer Angie Carpenter, the only one who really wanted the job after all. Others, such as businessman Randy Altschuler and state Sen. John Flanagan, flirted with running, but Carpenter from the start was overt and enthusiastic about the position.

Now, who should win? 

Click on Picture above to Vote and leave a comment below.

USGBC-LI's Peter Caradonna Foresees a Sustainable Future

As a 3^rd generation architect, Peter Caradonna eventually married (what else?) an architect.  But his life’s work truly started in the mid 1990’s, working on a branch library in Brooklyn.  Peter was handed the NYC Department of Design and Construction High Performance Building Guidelines.  Curious what such a building would be, Peter spent the weekend reading the guidelines, gaining a new understanding of “the future of our business.”  

Peter’s introduction to sustainability convinced him that architects could regain their former importance to society, becoming “a catalyst to a critical paradigm shift.”  Starting his own firm in 1996, He sought to learn everything he could about green building.

In 2000 he joined the US Green Building Council (USGBC), working on the programs committee for USGBC New York, one of the organization’s six original chapters.  Recruited to help start the Long Island Chapter, Peter became its first chair.  His leadership skills impressed the national organization, where he now sits on the Chapter Steering Committee.  USGBC now has over 79 chapters, and Peter enjoys a national network of bright, forward-thinking progressives to share ideas with anywhere he goes.

Of course, sustainability faces a huge challenge from entrenched business and political entities.  Peter says the green movement must work twice as hard to achieve its goals.  He also believes the next generation will use their life-long relationship with computers to take up this struggle, informed by a different understanding of the world.  “I can’t wait to see what they come up with,” he says.  “They’re my greatest hope.”

“Anywhere you go on earth,” Peter notes, “the human footprint is evident.  Even in the furthest wilderness areas.”  In addition to sustainability, he foresees restorative and regenerative systems to maintain the planet, even as our society grows exponentially.

For now, the current generation needs to determine the standards for making all buildings carbon neutral.  “And you know what?” Peter asserts.  “That’s not a bad way to end this generation’s work.”

Post written by David Sporn.

Originally posted on the USGBC-LI Blog

My Top 5 Android Apps for Long Island

I can't say enough about my Droid X which runs on Google's Android Operating System.  I had previously owned a BlackBerry and it just doesn't compare.  Below is my Top 5 Android Apps for Long Island.  Enjoy.

The Long Island Wine Country (LIWC) app is an interactive guide to Long Island's wine region, with hundreds of listings for accommodations, restaurants, and wineries! This app makes it easy and convenient for you to plan your Long Island Wine Country getaway, or simply navigate the vineyards once you have arrived.




The #1 source for what's happening in New York - news, sports, gossip and more.  No other city is quite like New York and the Daily News is the number one paper for coverage of what goes on – from the politics to the gossip. And when it comes to Sports, our writers know the Yankees, Mets, Giants and Jets better than any – its why year after year we win awards for the best Sports coverage.




The latest breaking news in New York, New Jersey, and Long Island; plus weather, sports and entertainment headlines from the PIX11 News Team.

App features:
Read on the go even when you lose your network connection.
Share your favorite stories via Facebook, Twitter and e-mail.

Enjoy the award-winning journalism of The New York Times on your Android™- powered smartphone. Download the application and get our Top News section for free, or subscribe to unlock all the sections in the app of The Times, plus blogs, videos and slide shows. The app downloads and syncs the latest news directly to your device for online or offline reading. Improved design, a directory of New York Times blogs and added offline bookmarking features enhance your reading experience. View in portrait or landscape, with adjustable font size. Share articles via e-mail, SMS, Facebook and Twitter. And get breaking news alerts to be the first to read about events as soon as they occur.

WABC 7 Online ABC New York News is now available for Android! 

We offer tons of local content, including:

                      -Constantly updated news articles

                      -Weather with maps

                      -Sports scores and news

                      -Flight tracker

                      -Horoscopes

                      -Lottery results

                      -Local cheap gas prices

                      -Movie showtimes

                      -Streaming video

                      -Slideshows

Green Drinks Babylon Next Event

Participate. Educate. Connect.

The next Green Drinks Babylon Event will be held on November 17th, 2009 at Horace and Sylvia's Publick House from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. There will be a $5 donation at the door.


Green Drinks Babylon is a monthly gathering of like-minded individuals committed to shaping our future and making Long Island a greener community. Come out and charge your eco-spirit and make some new connections.

We have a lively mixture of people from NGOs, academia, government and business from all over Long Island. Come along and you'll be made welcome. Just ask, "Are you green?" and we will introduce you to whoever is there. It's a great way of catching up with people you know and also for making new contacts. Everyone invites someone else along, so there’s always a different crowd, making Green Drinks an organic, self-organising network. These events are very simple and unstructured, but many people have found employment, made friends, developed new ideas, done deals and had moments of serendipity.

Solargle

How is Solargle helping to clean up our world?

A recent Global Warming forecast released by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states the following:

"As early as 2020, 75 million to 250 million people in Africa will suffer water shortages. Residents of Asia's large cities will be at great risk of river and coastal flooding... Europeans can expect extensive species loss, and North Americans will experience longer and hotter heat waves and greater competition for water... If unchecked, global warming will spread hunger and disease, put further stress on water resources, cause fiercer storms and more frequent droughts, and could drive up to 70 percent of plant and animal species to extincti..." The full report can be seen at National Geographic News

The above report was deliberated on by 140 national delegations before being adopted, and its message is clear: In the words of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, "These scenes are as frightening as a science fiction movie... But they are even more terrifying because they are real... Only urgent, global action will do..."

Solargle aims to be a symbol of that global action. It is not enough for our policyholders to take action, and we must each do our part, every single day, to reduce the carbon emissions polluting and destroying our earth.

Solargle's hosting is 130% wind powered. This means that we are not only neutralizing our environmental impact, but reversing it! Our host's contribution to saving the planet is approximately equal to preventing the emission of 3117 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or, in other words:

Removing 444 cars from the road for a year, or

Powering 321 homes with clean energy for a year, or

Saving 5,654 barrels of oil, or

Protecting 551 acres of forest for a year

Click here to see our host's Green Tag purchase certificate!

Solargle's searches are powered by Google's Custom Search.

How can you help make a difference?

This planet needs all the help it can get. The more people we have concerned for the planet's future, the more chance we have of healing the planet. Please, set Blackle as your home page. By doing so, you will be able to browse the internet in a manner that doesn't damage our planet. Encouraging your friends to do so as well, giving us a hand by mentioning us on your social networking status or spreading the word about us means you are doing your part, every single day, to prevent a little bit of pollution entering our atmosphere. It's that simple.

Tips for Building That Elusive Business Currency Called Rapport

by Jeffery Gitomer

Published: September 21, 2009

Long Island Business News

Jeffrey, In your presentation you said if you can’t build rapport, don’t start. I deal with attorneys. What is your recommendation if a prospect just won’t build rapport?

Kevin, if an attorney prospect “just won’t build rapport,” it’s because you haven’t asked him the right rapport building questions.  Ask about the toughest case he’s ever had or the reason he chose to get into law, or the most rewarding part about his career. Ask something significant about him.  I’ve never met anyone that won’t spend a minute or two talking about themselves.

Many salespeople make fatal mistakes trying to establish rapport around “things” – the weather, the ball game, the economy or the news.  That’s not rapport; that’s idle chatter. Real rapport has an emotional base to it.  And it comes from the prospect’s personal experience, personal opinion, and personal wisdom.  The key to earning rapport is keeping it light and keeping it positive.  There’s a secret of rapport, and the secret is “the link” – finding things in common that you both know about and like.  The easiest example is children who are the same age or who have gone to the same college.  These are things you can talk about with a smile and then move on to business.

Professional people tend to be self-indulgent people.  When you walk into their offices, their statues, trophies and educational achievements are always in plain view, as are pictures of their family.  Whenever I go into an office, I take a moment to walk around, not just look around. I look at educational achievements, other awards and family photos.  Sometimes the first question I ask is, “How old are your children?” because oftentimes the photograph will be several years old.  Whatever it is that I’m looking at, I try to ask a question that will elicit personal information, personal history or some type of positive emotional response.

That was Kevin’s issue.  How’s your rapport building going?  Do you understand that rapport is the gateway to an agreement?  Do you understand that rapport is NOT small talk or chit-chat?  Do you understand that rapport is the insight you gain about the person you’re trying to build a relationship with and entails giving them a little insight about you in return?  Do you understand that rapport is NOT qualifying the customer, it’s engaging her personally and intellectually?  Do you understand that rapport is a time when the customer is qualifying you?

Here is some additional insight into the rapport-building process:

• Rapport is delicate and must be professionally understood before you can be personally engaging.

• Rapport is exchanging information of personal value.

• Rapport is gaining insight into the person and their personality.

• Rapport is gaining an understanding of the other person.

• Rapport is the ability to begin the engagement process.

• Rapport is a learning time about them, not a bragging time about you.

• Rapport is asking – then creating dialog around the answer.

• Rapport is permission to smile, even laugh, without doing so at someone’s expense.

• Rapport is your opportunity to establish yourself as someone they would like to get to know better and maybe even do business with.

Is there a secret formula for building rapport?  No – but the key actions from you are friendly and approachable.  The key to success is “ask.”

And during the brief time you ask questions and exchange dialog, you may find the LINK.  Something you both like and know about.  The moment the link is realized, rapport deepens.

Maybe it’s a sports team, or a college or a child.  Maybe it’s a vacation spot or a piece of art.  Whatever it is, it’s personal and business gold.  Story exchange, smiles, mutual good feelings and emotional thoughts and memories.

Once you have built some personal rapport, it’s time to segue to business rapport.  Start with a career question – maybe something about length of service, the best accomplishment, goals for future success – and then say something about your business career.

When I finally segue to the business at hand I get right to the point. I tell my prospective customer, “The reason I asked for this meeting was to find out … .”

NOTE WELL: I DO NOT SAY, “The reason I asked for this meeting was to tell you about … .” Subtle, but powerful. Telling is selling.  I want my prospective customer to BUY. So do you.

Some people tell me that trying to build rapport is awkward.  Awkward is not a problem; it’s a symptom. The problem is a total lack of preparation on the part of the salesperson – that would be you.

Maybe if you spent less time boning up on the economy, and did some personal research on your prospective customer, YOUR economy would be better.

For a few more rapport insights go to http://www.gitomer.com/ and enter RAPPORT in the GitBit box.

Long Island Inaugurates Hydrogen Refueling Station

Source: Newsday
Class: SYNDICATED NEWS

SYNOPSIS: $2.2-million station will be used to refuel retrofit vehicles including shuttle bus.

Long Island's newest refueling spot is an exclusive club: It's open only to drivers of hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered vehicles.

The $2.2-million hydrogen fuel station, financed by a combination of local and state funding with partners such as LIPA and National Grid, sits in a parking lot next to the Town of Hempstead's Department of Conservation and Waterways in Point Lookout.

Posted 

On

PhysOrg.com

 Anyone who has ever stepped barefoot onto blacktop pavement on a hot sunny day knows the phenomenon very well: Black surfaces absorb the sun's heat very efficiently, producing a toe-scorching surface. In the wintertime, that can be a good thing: A dark roof heats up in the sun and helps reduce your heating bill. But in summertime, it's definitely a bad thing: Your house gets even hotter, and your air conditioning has to work harder. In most places, the summertime penalty is greater than the wintertime gain, it turns out, so that's why many people, including U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, strongly advocate switching to white roofs.

It's no small matter. In fact, Chu says that turning all the world's roofs white would eliminate as much greenhouse gas emissions in 20 years as the whole world produces in a year. But some critics point out that in northern cities, the gain in summer could be outweighed by the loss in winter. The ideal situation, then, would be to get the advantage of white roofs when it's hot and black roofs when it's cold.

Now, there may be a way to have both. A team of recent MIT graduates has developed roof tiles that change color based on the temperature. The tiles become white when it's hot, allowing them to reflect away most of the sun's heat. When it's cold they turn black and absorb heat just when it's needed.

The team's lab measurements show that in their white state, the tiles reflect about 80 percent of the sunlight falling on them, while when black they reflect only about 30 percent. That means in their white state, they could save as much as 20 percent of present cooling costs, according to recent studies. Savings from the black state in winter have yet to be quantified.

The team, which the students call Thermeleon (rhymes with chameleon, because of its color-changing property), was one of the competitors in this year's Making and Designing Materials Engineering Contest (MADMEC), a competition for teams of MIT students (or 2009 graduates). Now in its third year, the contest this year was specifically devoted to projects aimed at improving energy efficiency through innovative uses of materials. The final showdown was held Wednesday night, and the Thermeleon team took first place, earning $5,000 in the process.

Nick Orf PhD ’09, a member of the Thermeleon team, explains that he and his teammates originally tried to develop a color-shifting roof tile using a system of mixed fluids, one dark and one light, whose density would change with temperature: the dark substance would float to the top when it was cold, and white would float when it was hot. But the system proved too complicated, and instead they hit on a simpler, less expensive method.

Now, they use a common commercial polymer (in one version, one that is commonly used in hair gels) in a water solution. That solution is encapsulated — between layers of glass and plastic in their original prototype, and between flexible plastic layers in their latest version — with a dark layer at the back.

When the temperature is below a certain level (which they can choose by varying the exact formulation), the polymer stays dissolved, and the black backing shows through, absorbing the sun's heat. But when the temperature climbs, the polymer condenses to form tiny droplets, whose small sizes scatter light and thus produce a white surface, reflecting the sun's heat.

They are now working on an even simpler version in which the polymer solution would be micro-encapsulated and the tiny capsules carried in a clear paint material that could be brushed or sprayed onto any existing surface. The tiny capsules would still have the color-changing property, but the surface could easily be applied over an existing black roof, much more inexpensively than installing new roofing material.

Although they have not yet made specific plans for forming a business to commercialize their concept, Orf says the team members are determined to pursue the project and develop it into a marketable product.

Because the materials are common and inexpensive, team members think the tiles could be manufactured at a price comparable to that of conventional roofing materials — although that won't be known for sure until they determine the exact materials and construction of their final version.

The biggest remaining question is over durability, and answering it will require spending some time to do accelerated testing by running the material through repeated hot-cold cycles.

Hashem Akbari, leader of the Heat Island Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, is a long-time advocate of white roofs as an energy-saving measure. He says that some other groups, including a team at the University of Athens, have done research on the use of color-changing materials for roofs, but that in those tests, "the cost and durability has been a serious issue."

The Thermeleon team hopes to address those concerns. "It's got to stand up to very harsh conditions," Orf says. "Those sorts of tests would have to be done before we'll know if we have a viable product."

Provided by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (news : web)

Green Drinks Babylon

A Force for the Sustainable Development and Future of Long Island.

Green Drinks Babylon is a monthly gathering of like-minded individuals committed to shaping our future and making Long Island a greener community. Come out and charge your eco-spirit and make some new connections.

Our 1st meeting is set for Oct 14th, 2009 @ Horace & Sylvia's Publick House in Babylon, NY.

Signup for Free@ Green Drinks Babylon

For more info email me @ emartin@advancedrestoration.com

We have a lively mixture of people from NGOs, academia, government and business.  Come along and you'll be made welcome.  Just say, "Are you green?" and we will look after you and introduce you to whoever is there.  It's a great way of catching up with people you know and also for making new contacts. Everyone invites someone else along, so there’s always a different crowd, making Green Drinks an organic, self-organising network.

These events are very simple and unstructured, but many people have found employment, made friends, developed new ideas, done deals and had moments of serendipity.


Find us on FaceBook.

That New House Smell

Love That New Home Smell?

Today's new-home construction materials contain an excessive amount of chemicals that evaporate and off-gas into VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds. Kitchen and bathroom cabinets, moulding and paneling, drywall, flooring and roofing materials are manufactured using toxic chemicals such as Urea-Formaldehyde and phenolic resins. Paints, stains, and sealants are used extensively in just about every room in the house, and contain VOCs that can cause serious health effects. A newly-constructed house will have a significant amount of VOCs in the air because the rate of off-gassing for VOCs is highest initially. This accounts for the “new house smell” that most new home buyers experience. After several weeks the rate of VOC off-gassing from building materials will decline; however, the off-gassing will continue at a slow and continuous pace and the gases will remain in the air for many months, and possibly years.

There have been many cases of homeowners who have developed mysterious health ailments shortly after moving into a new home.


Products that emit VOCs in Newly Constructed or Remodeled Homes:
Paints & varnishes
Building materials
Carpeting
Wallpaper
Vinyl flooring
Glues & adhesives
Cabinets and built-in bookcases made from pressed wood
Roofing shingles

All of these products are now available with low or no VOCs used in the production of these materials. New green products are made available every day. Stores like The Green Depot are popping up all over Long Island. Usually these products are cheaper as well as more sustainable.

What Makes A Product Green?

An important tool in the effort to build greener buildings and live greener lives is the selection of products and materials that were made using environmentally friendly processes and are used in environmentally friendly ways.

Green products are available for just about any daily need, and the ways they are green are many and varied:

They are energy or water efficient
They use healthy, non-toxic materials; they are made from recycled or renewable sources
They make current products you use more efficient or more durable
They are recyclable or biodegradable, among many other things.

But among all the truly green products comes the risk of “greenwashing;” that is, products that are advertised as green without truly offering environmental or health benefits. The directories below will help you sort through the claims and find the products that best meet your needs. But please note: Inclusion or exclusion of any product in these directories does not represent endorsement by ASID or the U.S. Green Building Council:

• GreenSpec Directory: The online GreenSpec® Directory lists product descriptions for over 2,100 environmentally preferable products. Products are chosen to be listed by BuildingGreen editors. They do not charge for listings or sell ads.

• GREEN BUILDING PAGES: Green Building Pages is an online sustainable design and decision-making tool for building industry professionals and environmentally and socially responsible consumers.

• GREEN2GREEN: Green2Green.org features comprehensive information regarding green building products, materials and practices. The site offers side-by-side comparisons of products using a variety of environmental, technical and economic criteria.

• OIKOS: Oikos is a World Wide Web site devoted to serving professionals whose work promotes sustainable design and construction.

• THE GREEN GUIDE: National Geographic’s Green Guide offers staff-written reviews of a host of products, ranging from appliances, home furnishings and home improvement products to personal care and pet supplies.

• GOOD TO BE GREEN: Good To Be Green is a directory of green building products, sustainable building materials and green building service providers. Products must: be made out of recycled materials; ensure a low environmental impact during the construction, operation and/or demolition of the building; conserve
natural resources like energy, wood and water; and improve air quality.

Questions To Consider When Buying A Green Product or Material

• MANUFACTURER COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
• Is there a written, working environmental policy in
  place? Is it easy to find on their Web site or product
  literature?
• Does this policy strive to make important
  improvements in manufacturing, reducing and reusing
  first, then recycling?
• Do they comply with their industry’s voluntary testing
  programs?

• EXAMINE THE PRODUCT’S COMPOSITION
• What are the raw materials used to create the product? And where do they come from?
• Did the materials come from renewable resources?
• Is the manufacturing process energy efficient?
• Does the manufacturing process release harmful
  substances?
• Are adhesives needed to make the product viable? What are they using?
• Are coatings or finishes needed to make the product
  viable? What are they using?

• EXAMINE OTHER ASPECTS OF THE PRODUCT
• Does the product nurture the health and well-being of
  its occupants?
• Does the product do the job well?
• How much energy does it use?
  Does the product release VOCs? At what rate?
• How is the product packaged and transported?
• How is the product installed and maintained?
• Does it have a color or texture that can lead to reduced
  lighting energy or an expanded range of thermal
  comfort conditions?
• Can the product be maintained in a benign manner?
  Using safe cleaning products?

• EXAMINE STRATEGIES FOR DISPOSAL
• Is the product durable? Biodegradable? Recyclable?
• Can the parts be separated for recycling?
• Can it be made into something else?
• Can the product be returned to its manufacturer at the
  end of its useful life?

• COST CONSIDERATIONS
• What is the price range for the product?
• Does the manufacturer provide life cycle cost analysis
  on this product?

USGBC: Long Island Chapter

I am now a member of the Long Island Chapter of the United States Green Building Council.

The U.S. Green Building Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community of leaders working to make green buildings available to everyone within a generation.

This is the place to:

Certify your green building
Join USGBC as an organization
Join a chapter as an individual»
Sign up for courses and workshops
Purchase LEED Reference Guides
Learn about Greenbuild 2009
Sign up for e-newsletters
Become a LEED AP
Learn about green building

The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation's foremost coalition of leaders from every sector of the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.

USGBC's core purpose is to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life. USGBC-LI works to bring these values to the communities of Long Island.

The Strategic Plan 2009-2011

Vision:
The purpose of the Long Island Chapter of the US Green Building Council is to mirror and advance the core purpose of the US Green Building Council locally; to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.

Mission
The USGBC-LI is committed to working with our fellow Long Islanders to improve our quality of life by improving the quality of the structures we build, and the environment in which we all live, work, and play. We are committed to leaving the world a little better than we found it so that future generations have an unfettered opportunity to do the same.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Long Island’s economy has been driven by the real estate and building sectors. With these sectors at the core of the economic meltdown, the challenges for Long Island are particularly pronounced. The Presidential blueprint for addressing these challenges features energy efficiency in the built environment. Energy efficiency opportunities are abundant on Long Island. Both the interior and exterior atmosphere benefit as a result. Existing buildings account for 40% of U.S. energy use. A 25% improvement in efficiency would lower our carbon footprint by 10%, equivalent to the total output of the United Arab Emirates, the world’s third largest oil producer. To the list of efficiency benefits add energy independence and security. Over the last decade, the U.S. Green Building Council has set the bar for the new built environment. USGBC national has marked 2009 as the year for expanding its influence with the theme for Greenbuild 2009 being “Main Street – Beginning the Conversation.” The Long Island chapter of the USGBC has already established itself at the forefront, with eleven out of thirteen municipalities requiring Energy Star standards plus a role in crafting one of the country’s most rigorous municipal LEED standards for new commercial construction. Now, having supported the development of Long Island Green Homes, the residential energy retrofit program, the chapter is poised to establish itself as a model for suburban Main Street and partnered with the Town of Babylon to launch The Babylon Project. This project was designed and positioned to take this Long Island Initiative nationally.

The members of the USGBC-Long Island have come together to change Long Island’s status from the “birthplace” of suburban sprawl into one of leadership in environmental stewardship, through the construction of environmentally sound, healthy, and profitable buildings.

HISTORY OF CHAPTER
The Long Island Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council owes its foundation to the vision, and initiative of Catherine Shawn. Catherine Shawn was instrumental in assembling a group of like minded professionals and instilling in them the belief that together they could make a difference. It was her inspiration and driving force that propelled Peter Caradonna to believe that he could help start a local Long Island Chapter.

On August 9th, 2005 the Long Island Chapter Organizing Group held a successful Inaugural Event that helped begin the process of membership leading to the first official Board elections.

In November 2005, the first Board of Directors of the newly recognized Long Island Chapter of the USGBC was elected to a term beginning January 01, 2006.

I: Challenges
Many challenges face the Long Island community and must be responded to by the Long Island Chapter. Not only do we face the political and economic issues of the era, but how do we educate the community in the benefits of green construction and change the perception that green does not have to cost more.

The challenges for the chapter are both organizational and operational in responding to the community’s needs.

Challenges include:
Continuity in administrative staffing with integration of paid staff with our volunteer members

Increased value to membership

Change perception from “green costs” to “green saves” to address perceptions that green building is not cost effective and to make an effective case for green building to the financial community.

Expand knowledge and education programs.

Meet the demand for green building with regards to increasing the capacity and training of many sectors such as building trades, designers, developers, and code officials.

Meet the educational needs through the address the education needs for building owners, operators, and occupants on how to manage, operate, and inhabit green buildings.

Creating and maintaining consistent revenue streams to the chapter to maintain programs and operations.

Expand membership base and community involvement.

Developing meaningful and productive relationships with other Long Island not-for-profit organizations.

II: Principles
Promote triple bottom line by promoting and creating solutions that clarify and strengthen a healthy and dynamic balance between environmental, social and economic prosperity.

USGBC-LI will strive for honesty, openness and transparency.

Promote Design with nature - harmonizing human activities and natural systems.

Support efforts to develop affordable LEED-certified housing (in conjunction with municipalities, LIHP, Sustainable Long Island, and Habitat for Humanity).

Support efforts of other organizations in helping to expand ‘green’ residential development (such as LIBI, Neighborhood Network, Vision Long Island)

Reconfigure workplaces, homes and communities in consonance with eco-systems to mitigate building impacts.

Increase access of populations to the benefits of green building by educating building owners and occupants in mobilizing public and private capital for green building projects.

AGENDA: Goals and Objectives
Goal 1: Serve as the portal for USGBC national and the go-to organization for green building on Long Island.

Objectives:
1.1 Transform our web-site into a resource-rich, go-to destination for green searches from throughout the nation. Launch the national web-zine and blog-site, Green Burbs as a core attraction

1.2 Create Resource directory providing access to relative links and a directory of local providers.

1.3 Clearinghouse for policy makers and other advocates.

1.4 Develop relationships with media contacts at the local and regional level.

1.5 Develop replicable process for disseminating information to media contacts.

1.6 Build off the energy efficiency retrofit operations of Long Island Green Homes through directorship of The Babylon Project to promote Green Homes’ operations in other municipalities across Long Island and around the state.

Goal 2: Education - Increase the awareness and level of education to the general and professional communities on the benefits of green construction. Educate professionals and trades in green construction processes and techniques as well as occupants in green building operations and maintenance policies.

Objectives:
2.1 Provide education to building owners and users about the role of the built environment in climate change and resource depletion and the tools available to reduce carbon footprints and resource use associated with the built environment.

2.2 Promote the use of LEED programs, particularly Homes, Neighborhood Development, and Existing Buildings.

2.3 Offer technical training for both professionals and tradespersons in the region, work to promote good sustainable practices in their day-to-day businesses, and provide materials and resources to designers and builders at all levels in support of LEED guidelines and process.

2.4 Encourage the integration of relevant aspects of green building into the curricula of secondary, undergraduate, and graduate education.

Goal 3: Reach out to develop alliances with the building community, i.e. LIBI, AIA, etc.

Objectives:
3.1 Establish a steering committee of building stakeholders and NGOs who work in this area like Neighborhood Network, Sustainable Long Island, LIHP, Habitat for Humanity (provide not just a seat at the table, but entire table at the gala).

3.2 Partner with industry trade associations, professional societies, and other organizations. USGBC will continue to work with an ever‐widening range of public, private, and non‐profit organizations in pursuit of its strategic goals and objectives.

Goal 4: Organizational Stability and Growth

Objectives:
4.1 Develop consistent financial resources in order to provide capacity for growth in order to fully achieve our mission

4.2 Development of specific indicators and metrics to measure organizational growth with respect to; finances, LEED projects, program developments, membership perceived value, outreach and institutional involvement.

4.3 Develop a paid administrative staff.

4.4 Evolve the board of directors’ role, structure, and composition to provide the vision, high‐level strategic guidance, organizational direction, financial resource development, and diplomacy necessary to achieve USGBC-LI’s strategic priorities. Diversify the USGBC-LI board.

Goal 5: Expand the green building market

Objectives
5.1: Analyze, aggregate and disseminate information that demonstrates the environmental, health, social, and economic benefits of green buildings.

5.2 Identify gaps in the green building delivery chain and build capacity to bridge them.

5.3 Analyze the market and identify key stakeholders by researching comparable markets, identifying and incorporating elements from other municipal initiatives.

Goal 6:Increase advocacy efforts for the voluntary inclusion of green building procedures in new construction, existing buildings, and major renovations

Objectives:
6.1 Assess City and County policies and resources and advocate for; Low impact development requirements, Preferential permitting for green buildings, Develop incentives for green building practices, and Reduce barriers to green building.

6.2 Develop "starter kit" for states/local governments including model guidelines, model legislative language, and common indicators, utilizing USGBC resources and tools.

6.3 Develop database of information on state/local successful initiatives.

6.4 Serve as a resource to local businesses of all sizes and functions on greening business operations, products and services.

6.5 Develop Speakers Bureau available to businesses and organizations interested in how to be more sustainable.

6.6 Assess and promote municipality integration of sustainable design principles into the core competency skill-set of the County/Town planners, architects, engineers, and project managers.

6.7 Survey stakeholders to identify most important information needs, gaps and sources; generate additional data from regional summits.

6.8 Develop media-oriented materials to expand visibility and impact with building industry and mainstream consumer press.

6.9 Maintain and strengthen working relationship with New York Chapters (Upstate and NYC) on statewide issues.

Goal 7: Transform the programs committee into the nerve center for all programs, salons, workshops and events where previously little coordination and logistical support existed.

Develop a brand identity and consistency that positions the chapter as the experts in the field within our region through interesting topics and programs.

Objectives:
7.1 Create a committee structure with tools and procedures that were previously lacking.

7.2 Create Monthly Salons - Develop monthly salons that recur consistently throughout the year as opposed to ad hoc. Salons are an intimate classroom style atmosphere about 2 hours in length (45 minutes networking and 1 hour and 15 minutes for presentation and Q&A. Salons are usually topical and product and technology related.

7.3 Monthly Salons serving two regions - USGBC-LI membership is drawn from Nassau and Suffolk counties covering 1,200 square miles of some of the most populous and congested regions in the nation. USGBC-LI recognizes that travel considerations to salons during peak rush hour times would be difficult at best. Therefore, the chapter will host two salons, one serving Central/Western Long Island and the other serving Eastern Long Island. This strategy will maximize the ability for all members to enjoy the educational value of the chapter salons.

7.4 Create Salon 1 - Audience is generally Nassau County and Western Suffolk. Salons will be held the first Wednesday of every month.

7.5 Create Salon 2 - Second presentation for the east end membership comprising Central/Eastern Suffolk County including the North and South Forks. Salon 2 presentations are scheduled ad hoc.

7.6 Create Programs - Programs are major evening presentations often with a panel discussion and multimedia presentation. Programs are 3 hours in length (1 hour networking/dinner and 2 hours for presentation and Q&A.

7.7 Develop a sales package that excites and entices potential presenters that USGBC is the premiere organization to show their products, services and technologies.

7.8 Change the negative revenue structure into a profit center by charging appropriate fees to presenters and membership alike.

7.9 Recruit new committee members to support the stated goals and objectives.

7.10 Develop quarterly workshops in conjunction with USGBC National.

7.11 Organize tours of LEED Certified properties
7.12 Offer coordination and logistical support by serving as the conduit for other USGBC-LI committees’ program activities

IV: IMPLEMENTATION [years 1-3]
Develop action plan for operation to ensure sufficient income to meet or exceed financial plan.

Recruit Chapter and Program Sponsors.

Continue Annual Awards ceremony.

Hire a full/part-time administrative assistant and Executive Director.

Host regional summits and local programs to expand the local membership base, provide networking opportunities for existing and potential new members, address issues of national and regional interest, and heighten awareness and support for green building efforts at the regional level.

Develop and distribute Annual member satisfaction survey that will provide dynamic feedback to the benefits of local Chapter membership.

Spread energy efficiency retrofits for existing building retrofit operations to municipalities across Long Island and the state.