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Week In Sound: NYC Indoor Dining Returns, Schools Unprepared, and Why We Will Never Forget
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced New York City restaurants can open their dining rooms on September 30, some teachers return to the classroom to find horrid conditions, including poor ventilation and remote learning problems, and the nation reflects and remembers the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that killed 2,977 people with survivors still suffering from health issues and PTSD today.
https://omny.fm/shows/880-weekly-rewind/week-in-sound-nyc-indoor-dining-returns-schools-un
Neil A. Carousso produced the Week In Sound as heard on WCBS Newsradio 880 for the week ending Friday, September 11, 2020. Hear it on the media player above.
You can listen to The 880 Weekly Rewind with Lynda Lopez Friday nights at 7 PM ET for a deeper dive into the top local, national and international stories of the week, featuring interviews with newsmakers and the Week/Month In Sound audio file.
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Downtown Brooklyn Looks to Attract Top Talent in a Post-Pandemic World
By Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — In an eerily quiet dark age of New York City, which was the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in March and April, economic development groups see the light at the end of the tunnel as they reimagine and prepare for the post-pandemic workplace.
Regina Myer is the president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, which sees an opportunity to become an innovation hub by attracting talented young professionals who live in walking distance to the growing number of technology, manufacturing and media companies.
“We’re studying specific streets among Fulton Street, Livingston and Willoughby to see how we can really make those environments more pedestrian friendly,” she said.
She told Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by BNB Bank, about her experience leading the Brooklyn Bridge Park for a decade in which she spearheaded the joint initiative with the City to develop Willoughby Square Park that is set to open in 2022. A portion of the 1.15-acre green space opened last year in Downtown Brooklyn; some workplaces there feature individual air conditioning units, which are essential in the COVID-19 era.
“I want to do the same thing here in Downtown,” she said.
Myer told WCBS 880 “shared streets” create space for workers, cyclists and pedestrians and improve the quality of life. She believes that sparks better business practices. The Downtown Brooklyn Partnership developed their blueprint from the model of major cities, including Pittsburgh, Seattle and Barcelona.
“We want amenities that enhance our businesses like outdoor seating, we want it to be very clean, and people feel comfortable,” she said.
Myer was the senior vice president for planning and design at the Hudson Yards Development Corporation, which counts HBO, SAP, BlackRock, Wells Fargo, and Neiman Marcus among its tenants.
But the difference between Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn, she said, is that the outer borough relies on foot traffic from locals. Employers find their workers live nearby rather than commuting from the suburbs.
“When companies decide to locate in Downtown Brooklyn, they know they are accessing a tremendous amount of talent from throughout the borough,” said Myer.
Foot traffic is key for Downtown Brooklyn businesses to thrive, and right now, survive. Myer told Connolly and Carousso foot traffic is down 50 percent on weekdays, and is 20 percent higher on weekends due to tourist activity that ticked up this summer since the transmission rate of COVID-19 reached pandemic lows in New York City.
She believes a coronavirus vaccine and therapeutics are the answer for consumer confidence.
“I want to open, too,” Myer responded to the fact that most business groups, including the Chamber of Commerce, are demanding a full reopening as businesses close with tens of millions of Americans unemployed.
“I just know that people have to feel comfortable doing so,” she added.
Citing efficiency in remote work, Myer sees companies will usher in a new age of economic growth, and is encouraging businesses to consider locating in Downtown Brooklyn.
Hear about the opportunity Regina Myer sees for Downtown Brooklyn to lead in the local economic recovery and attract growing new businesses, plus new ways to sell your product or service on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight Podcast on the RADIO.COM app or on the media player above.
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Week In Sound: Tri-State Seeks Impossible Normalcy, Election 2020 Heats Up in Wisconsin
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — New Jersey allows indoor dining at 25 percent capacity, starting Friday, making New York City the last area to hold out on dining in plus schools on all levels have been delayed over coronavirus cases and fears just days before the start of the school year. The presidential election heats up as President Donald J. Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden descend on Kenosha, Wisconsin, showing a stark contrast in political platforms in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake who is paralyzed. And, tributes pour in for New York Mets champion and Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver who passed away at the age of 75 due to complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19.
https://omny.fm/shows/880-weekly-rewind/week-in-sound-indoor-dining-opens-in-nj-election-2
Neil A. Carousso produced the Week In Sound as heard on WCBS Newsradio 880 for the week ending Friday, September 4, 2020. Hear it on the media player above.
You can listen to The 880 Weekly Rewind with Lynda Lopez Friday nights at 7 PM ET for a deeper dive into the top local, national and international stories of the week, featuring interviews with newsmakers and the Week/Month In Sound audio file.
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Pandemic Gap Year: Firms Providing Job Training, Career Development For Students Taking Semester Off
By Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Since the so-called “college experience” will be non-existent for the 2020-21 school year, some students are taking a gap year to find themselves in a job that provides career training and development.
Mohammed Alshatti, an entrepreneurship major at Hofstra University, told Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by BNB Bank, he is taking six months off to learn on-the-job training from his mother and sister who own food businesses in Kuwait.
“I feel like taking a gap year will allow me to focus more on the long-term goals,” the 21 year old explained.
His mother owns a bakery with eight employees in Kuwait while his sister operates a vegan restaurant.
“I gained a lot,” said Alshatti who is matching his studies from classes at Hofstra with practical experience in marketing and management.
“In a way, corona(virus) was very unfortunate, but I like to look at the positive aspect of it,” he said.
Alshatti told Connolly and Carousso he is “not too big of a fan” of online classes, which factored into his decision to get a jump-start in his career.
“Gaining connections is a huge part of, in my opinion, going to college,” he said, noting that those studying the same major as him will become his peers in the workforce.
Alshatti is not alone in taking a hiatus from expensive higher education to pursue career opportunities.
Dan Guido, co-founder and chief executive officer of Trail of Bits, told WCBS 880 that 1,000 college students applied for paid remote internships this summer to fill 10 openings at his cyber security firm in Manhattan.
“Whether you’re going to school in the fall or not, you should find something that you’re interested in and take every opportunity to master it,” he offered, adding, “Mastery ends up being a really easy way of finding someone that’s worth hiring.”
Trail of Bits’ internships are for skilled students interested in software engineering and cloud security, which are tenants of the firm’s portfolio. Guido assigns interns a project exclusive to them that the company publishes.
“They help the company build our brand and contribute something back while also giving a résumé builder to the students,” he said.
Trail of Bits worked with Zoom Video Communications to secure its infrastructure after breaches in March and April.
While in-person training is hard to replicate with its 70 employees working from home, Guido focuses on communication among his workers via Slack and virtual meetings. He even encourages his workers to talk about their projects with each other and socialize on video calls since that aspect of interpersonal collaboration is lost amid the pandemic.
“When we actually do have these video conferences, we make sure that there’s a norm that all the cameras are turned on since the mere exposure effect of seeing someone’s face ends up helping you relate to them,” he said.
Hear about the career training opportunities for students entering the labor force on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight Podcast on the RADIO.COM app or on the media player above.
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Month In Sound: August 2020
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — August 2020 featured both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in an unusual election year given the coronavirus pandemic, plans and fears over reopening schools and health clubs begin to open with restrictions. The Tri-State was hit hard with long-lasting power outages as a result of Tropical Storm Isaias as Louisiana is battered with Hurricane Laura.
https://omny.fm/shows/880-weekly-rewind/month-in-sound-august-2020
Neil A. Carousso produced the Month In Sound as heard on WCBS Newsradio 880 in August 2020. Hear it on the media player above.
You can listen to The 880 Weekly Rewind with Lynda Lopez Friday nights at 7 PM ET for a deeper dive into the top local, national and international stories of the week, featuring interviews with newsmakers and the Week/Month In Sound audio file.
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