21st Century: Sim City

On Tuesday, April 6^th the non-profit organization Sustainable Long Island, sponsored by the Levitt Foundation and Bethpage Federal Credit Union, gave students the opportunity to plan out the future of our very own Bethpage. Bethpage High School Senior and Sustainable Long Island representative, Colby Sim, presented and organized the 21^st Century event.

She described the people from Sustainable Long Island as “All-arounders …they do it all. … We look forward to the future, for a long lasting Long Island.”

Ms. Sim went into some of the specifics of being a “professional planner.”

She focused on an area’s assets and opportunities. She also included the crucial nature of the support of the residents, and how it leads to government support.

After Colby’s presentation, students valued Bethpage’s assets and opportunities. They listed certain issues that need to be addressed, as well things Bethpage is lacking. There was an extensive collaboration including treescaping, shopping areas, roller skating rinks, indoor sports facilities, bus stops, and much, much more.

Students then voted, using sticky dots, for the ones they liked the most. The tops ones included adding a plaza, investing in the train station and green energy, and building a karaoke bar, an outlet mall, and a movie theater.

Afterwards, kids huddled over their table-sized aerial maps of Bethpage. They utilized the 105 acres given to the county from Grumman for the majority of their building projects. No one wanted to tear down homes to build an amusement park.

Halfway through, students took a little intermission, and had some Pappardelle's Pizza. Then, the groups finished up their planning and presented their improved towns to everyone. Groups included parks, sports facilities, walk bridges connecting Bethpage and Hicksville, go-cart tracks, trees, green energy technology, shopping districts, and even Derek Zoolander’s Center For Children Who Can't Read Good.

Mr. Clark wrapped things up giving out a special thanks to Mr. Kay, Mr. H. Clark, Mr. Granieri and Ms. Yale for facilitating the event.

Keep an eye out for the up-coming Build a Better Burbs contest.