Small business center to open in Island Park

The Small Business Development Center at Farmingdale State College plans to open an office in Island Park to aid in the South Shore's long-term economic recovery.

The center, which provides free education for entrepreneurs and existing business owners, will open in April to serve communities hit hard by the storm, including Island Park, Long Beach, Freeport and Oceanside, said Lucille Wesnofske, regional director of the SBDC at Farmingdale State College.

The office, which will be open five days a week, will provide workshops, technical assistance and ways to hone entrepreneurial skills to both existing business owners as well as those aiming to launch an enterprise in the area, she said. The exact date hasn't been announced yet.

"We're looking at the long-term recovery for these areas," Wesnofske said. "We're doing what the SBDC does best: helping people with small businesses and helping the economic development of the area."