Good afternoon — Despite the spring-like weather yesterday, many parts of Connecticut and Long Island will receive patches of snow and a wintery mix this week. Bundle up!
Here’s a bite-sized look at what we are hearing:
A fifth Long Island Starbucks has voted to unionize. Lynbrook employees cite understaffing and unsafe working conditions as the main reasons for unionizing.
Rentschler Field at the Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford may soon receive funding to renovate its facilities. The University of Connecticut often uses the field to host their football games and has agreed to play at the stadium for another five years. Lawmakers must first approve a bill that would provide $24 million in two years to conduct roof, concrete, and technology repairs at the field.
The Long Island Rail Road will launch a full-time service to the Elmont-UBS Arena. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will keep the service in place even on days when there are no events at the arena. However, now trains will only stop at Mets-Willets Point station during event days, such as Mets games at Citi Field — starting on Feb. 27.
New York seniors have one more week left to apply for Enhanced STAR property tax exemption this year. The state Department of Taxation and Finance recommends seniors apply by the March 1 deadline, as roughly half a million seniors in the state saved a near total of $800,000 from the property tax exemption in 2022.
Emmy-award winning composer Gerald Fried, of Bridgeport, died on Friday at the St. Vincent's Medical Center. He was 95. Fried is perhaps best known for composing scores for shows in the 1960s and 70s, including the original Star Trek, Mission Impossible, and Roots series.
Police are investigating anti-LGBTQ graffiti at the Connetquot High School on Long Island. Graffiti was found on a classroom door on Feb. 10 and again on a hallway wall on Feb. 17. Suffolk County Police are working with the school to investigate the origins of the hateful graffiti.
The Bridgeport, Connecticut Bijou Theater will be merged with the Stratford-based Star Factory, a children’s party venue. According to the theater's new owner, Louie Zayas, the merger is intended to boost both venues popularity and open the theater to daily activities including children’s vocal and acting lesson programs.
Several Long Island lawmakers have opposed a planned tax increase to support the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, claiming suburban communities wouldn’t benefit from the proposal. The payroll tax increase would be applied to the New York City area to boost MTA funding by $800 million.
The Mario M. Cuomo Bridge might be renamed back to the Tappan Zee Bridge. The bridge, connecting Rockland and Westchester counties, had its name changed in 2017 by then-Governor Andrew Cuomo. Despite the name change, many locals still refer to the bridge as Tappan Zee, named after the native Tappan tribe.
A survey of Connecticut farmers found nearly half would be willing to consider planting solar arrays alongside their crops. American Farmland Trust conducted a poll with 175 Connecticut farmers and found that 47% were open to solar development, and 26% would consider solar if they can continue to use their land for agriculture.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong has called on lawmakers to handle bank reforms after the fraught merger between People’s United and M&T banks. His office has received over 400 complaints regarding the merger, including missing customer funds. The proposal, if approved, would give the state attorney general power to enforce state laws to protect consumers from deceptive practices — even if the banks are based in a different state.
A World War 1 Maxim MG 08 machine gun was stolen from the rooftop of a Long Island veterans group. While the gun is inoperable, Suffolk County Police have asked for help in locating the missing weapon. Its owner, the Bay Shore Marine Corps League Detachment, estimates that the gun is worth up to $20,000.
