Islands in your stream
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Daily Point
Could the new Amazon headquarters end up on Long Island?
It’s possible.
One of Amazon’s top 20 finalists is the New York metropolitan area — including Long Island.
But where — exactly — is Amazon looking?
Is the company focused on New York City, where city officials had suggested west midtown, lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn and Queens?
Or is it looking at the other parts of the region, like Long Island, where officials had recommended three sites — Brookhaven Calabro Airport in Shirley, Heartland Town Square in Brentwood and Belmont Park in Elmont?
State officials aren’t answering that question — yet.
But if Amazon executives have kept up with Long Island or sports news, they should have crossed one of the region’s options off their list. The state’s Empire State Development agency has conditionally approved the New York Islanders’ proposal to build an arena at Belmont.
A source with knowledge of the situation told The Point that if Amazon actually wanted Belmont, the state could change its plans, or even back out of the arena deal, if necessary. But officials don’t expect that to be an issue. “It’s probably something we don’t have to worry about,” the source said.
The mega online retailer will now begin negotiations with the 20 finalists, but Islanders fans may hope Amazon makes it clear soon that its puck is heading for a different net.
Randi F. Marshall
Reference Point
#TBT: The more things change, the more they stay the same
Who doesn’t want lower taxes, enough housing for everyone on Long Island, and the elimination of grade crossings on the Long Island Rail Road?
Count among the supporters the Newsday editorial board, which advocated for those three things . . . in 1946.
Yes, 72 years ago, the board kicked off the new year with a 38-item wish list that included those three perennials. And there were other things we yearned for that the region is still working on: better bus service, a Nassau County water authority, a planning commission that gets things done, more and better cross-island transportation facilities, an indoor sports arena (we eventually got one but, well, you know), and two LIRR-related goals that deserve to be quoted: “enough railroad cars so everybody can sit down” and “a ton of soap and a carload of rags to give to the LIRR to clean its cars.”
A few things have come to pass, like first-run movies playing on Long Island and fewer labor strikes. There is one wish, however, we apologize for — more cars.
And some yearnings, perhaps motivated by shortages caused by World War II, are now just curiosities — more Scotch, more nylons and better girdles.
Click here to see the entire list.
Michael Dobie
Talking Point
Inside restoring Puerto Rico’s power
SAN JUAN — At the Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino in the posh Condado area, the control room for utility workers from New York (above) is less grand-ballroom glamorous, and more nuts and bolts.
Detailed maps of the city’s circuits cover the walls, computers sit on makeshift desks, and the mission is clear: Restore power as quickly as possible to an island battered by Hurricane Maria.
It hasn’t been easy.
Restoring all power to the San Juan area alone won’t happen until early spring, according to the New York Power Authority’s Roger Gural, the deputy incident commander for that area. And it’s expected to take months more, at least, to return power to all of the island.
NYPA crews have been in Puerto Rico since after the hurricane hit in late September. On Thursday, when the Puerto Rico power authority had 65 linemen working, the NYPA contingent provided 234.
Ahsha Tribble, deputy regional director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told The Point Thursday that the effort is “very fortunate to have the New York contingent,” noting NYPA’s work in paving the way as more help arrived.
“They came to do business, and they did,” she said.
Mark Chiusano
