Bohemia Based Projector Lamp Services: The Revamped Relampit.com

Bohemia, NY - Projector Lamp Services, LLC (PLS), has experienced significant growth since its inception. With growth comes the time for change and innovation. With that said, PLS is pleased to announce the new and improved website for PLS, www.relampit.com.

Relampit.com is now available with the latest performance features to meet the needs of all of our new and
existing customers including distributors, installation service and rental companies, large corporations, educational and government facilities, houses of worship, museums and individual consumers.

The PLS website, www.relampit.com <http://www.relampit.com> has been under construction for quite some time, but as promised we now have a new look with several new features to accommodate clientele. The revamped relampit.com is more appealing and provides easier navigation making relampit.com incredibly user-friendly. Visitors will receive the information that they seek out faster and more efficiently. The new Relampit.com will also include enhanced ordering features that ultimately will improve productivity for both PLS and site users. Relampit.com is now more comprehensive and practical for everyone.

The purpose of the new look is to reflect the progress of PLS, as well as the commitment that we have to our clientele in providing them with an accommodating website that is more dependable and consistent with our services. Please visit our website www.relampit.com to see our progress and improvements and how our transformation will better serve you.  We invite you to share your thoughts regarding our new look, and send ideas about what we are missing that you would still like to see.  Send feedback to mktg@relampit.com

Projector Lamp Services, LLC, provides re-lamping services for the projection display industry.  PLS has developed a process that allows front and rear projector light sources to be remanufactured at a reduced cost without compromising lifetime or performance.  PLS also offers a no charge projector lamp recycling service. The PLS Projector Lamp Recycling Center, focuses on reducing waste and environmental mercury contamination from the lamps found in front and rear projectors.  We are dedicated to encouraging AV users to “think green” when it comes to replacement projector lamps.

For more information about PLS services call or email Gina Sansivero, Sales & Marketing Manager, at +1 (631) 244-0051 ext. 104 or gms@relampit.com or visit www.relampit.com

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LIPA Customer Base Increases Despite Slowdown in Single-Family Home Sales

Uniondale, NY - The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) today released its 2007 Population Survey.  Despite the lull in the residential real-estate market, the survey still shows growth in Long Island’s population.  The study for Nassau, Suffolk and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens illustrates a net increase of 21,172 residents from January 1, 2006 to January 1, 2007, resulting in the addition of 6,255 households to LIPA’s service territory.

“With more than 6,200 homes and 21,000 residents added to LIPA’s service area in 2006, it is imperative that we continue to explore new and alternative ways to satisfy Long Island’s electrical needs,” said LIPA President and CEO Kevin S. Law. “And as our appetite for energy continues to grow, it is incumbent upon all of us to make energy efficiency a priority.   The price for oil and natural gas continue to skyrocket, and these commodities are central to the production of electricity.  The best way for Long Islanders to keep their electricity costs in check is through conservation and efficiency,” Law said.

The survey points out that as of Jan. 1, 2007, Nassau County grew by 2,874 persons to a total of 1.35 million; while Suffolk County experienced much larger growth totaling 9,250 persons for a total of 1.50 million. During the same period the Rockaway Peninsula added 9,048 persons.

Nassau County’s three towns and two cities all experienced growth in population, with the Town of Hempstead showing the largest increase at 1,289 persons to bring its total population to 765,111.  North Hempstead had the second largest year-to-year gain, adding 904 new residents to bring its total population to 224,774 residents.

Suffolk County’s ten towns also expanded in population during 2006. Brookhaven continued to be the fastest growing town in Suffolk adding 3,960 new residents.  It remains Suffolk’s most populous town and the second most populous on Long Island with an estimated 489,255 residents. Islip placed second by adding 1,166 new residents; Huntington added 1,067.  The Town of Shelter Island had the third highest percentage of growth among Suffolk’s ten towns at 1.29% but the smallest increase in individuals at 32 for a total population of 2,515.

Over the last decade (1997-2006), electric use per-household on Long Island has increased by almost 20% or 1,600-kilowatt hours (kWh).  The increase has been fueled in large part by extra appliances used in more and larger homes as well as electric powered conveniences requiring daily charging such as iPods, Blackberries, and laptop computers.

Also contributing to the increase, household luxury items such as central air conditioning, High Definition large screen TV’s, fax and photo copiers and residential pools. In 1997 there were 2.5 televisions per LIPA household; today, the average is 4.3 and 72% of LIPA households have a television larger than 27 inches, almost half of which are High Definition. Nearly one in four homes on Long Island have either an in-ground or above-ground pool and more than one in ten feature a hot tub or home spa.

Another factor in the region’s increasing energy demands are close to a dozen major projects planned Island-wide over the next five years including Suffolk County’s Yaphank Center and jail projects, the Nassau Hub and the Heartland Business Center.

Miscellaneous Factors Contributing to Increased Energy Demand

* PC printers, including those used for photo printing, increased household use by 85 kWh, 5% of the total increase in electric use per household.
* Cell phone chargers increased household use by 60 kWh, almost 4% of the total increase in electric use per household.
* Cordless phone chargers increased household use by 54 kWh, over 3% of the total increase in electric use per household.
* Telephone answering machines increased household use by 50 kWh, 3% of the total increase in electric use per household.
* Fax machines and Photo Copiers increased household use by 31 kWh, almost 2% of the total increase in electric use per household.
* 4 out of 5 homes have either a Cable Box or Satellite Dish; and 93% have a DVD or VCR.
* Today nearly 1 in 4 homes have a swimming pool, and over 1 in 10 homes have a Hot Tub or Jacuzzi. Hot Tubs and Home Spas increased household use by 8 kWh, less than 1% of the total increase in electric use per household.
* Appliance/Power Tool Chargers increased household use by 5 kWh, less than 1% of the total increase in electric use per household.

“Continuing to develop more resources and capacity to meet our region’s increasing power demands remains a top priority for LIPA,” said Law. “At the same time, it is vital that homeowners and business people become more energy efficient and get better educated about the energy demands associated with their planned purchases.”

To meet increased electric demand, LIPA has added over 1,800 megawatts (MWs) of new electric supply since 2001, including 660MWs from the Neptune Regional Transmission Cable that came on-line this summer.  The Caithness Long Island Energy Center in the Town of Brookhaven is expected to add 350MWs to our supply capacity when it comes on-line in 2009.

LIPA’s vast array of energy efficiency programs and incentives for residential and commercial customers provide many tools to help incorporate energy efficient practices and technologies in homes and businesses.  Visit LIPA’s Web site for more information.

The annual population estimates for LIPA’s Population Survey are derived from U.S. Census data and utility records of active residential electric meters.  For each of the approximately 300 communities in Nassau and Suffolk, plus the Rockaways in Queens, the number of persons per household is determined based on the most recent census.  Also, a relationship is established between households and residential electric meters.  Each year these factors are reviewed and adjusted to reflect demographic changes.

A copy of LIPA’s 2007 Population Survey may be obtained by sending a request to:  LIPA-2007 POP Survey, Communications Dept.- Suite 403, 333 Earle Ovington Blvd., Uniondale, NY 11553.  The survey may also be viewed or downloaded at LIPA’s Web site:
http://www.lipower.org/company/pubs/popsurvey.html

LIPA, a non-profit municipal electric utility, owns the retail electric Transmission and Distribution System on Long Island and provides electric service to more than 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens.  LIPA is the 2nd largest municipal electric utility in the nation in terms of electric revenues, 3rd largest in terms of customers served and the 7th largest in terms of electricity delivered.  In 2006, LIPA outperformed all other overhead electric utilities in New York State in all three major reliability categories.  LIPA does not provide natural gas service or own any on-island generating assets. More information about LIPA can be found online at: http://www.lipower.org.

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LIPA Contact Information:
Ed Dumas- VP of Media Relations
516.719.9838 (Office)
631.872.2790 (Cell)

LIPA Media Pager: 516-525-LIPA (5472)
media.relations@lipower.org

LIPA News Center
www.lipower.org/newscenter

Ghost (Hunters) in Your Long Island Neighborhood!

Turn on almost any channel on the television and you’ll find shows on ghosts, hauntings and other paranormal activity. Let’s face it; the paranormal is all the rage now. But did you know that Long Island has its very own ‘ghost busters’?

Despite the plethora of paranormal groups on Long Island, the Long Island Society for Paranormal Research (LISPR) is the only TAPS Family member in lower New York State (TAPS are the well-known investigators of Sci-Fi’s Channel’s Ghost Hunters).

LISPR, which was founded by Peter Franz in 2003, uses state of the art equipment to come up with a scientific explanation for strange paranormal activity. The all-volunteer group gathers information about a case through research, interviews, and word-of-mouth.

Investigations consist of scientific experiments that include Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP), photo analysis, dramatic temperature change, electro-magnetic field anomalies, and other various testing.

All investigations are FREE OF CHARGE. LISPR will never, under any circumstances, use a Ouija board or conduct a séance of any kind. LISPR’s goal is to help families and individuals who are confused and concerned about what is going on, and to collect proof of ghosts and life after death.

LISPR has investigated over 40 private homes, as well as some of Long Island’s notable haunted houses, cemeteries and roads, including Raynham Hall, Sweet Hollow Road, Mount Misery, Old Bethpage Village and the Suffolk County Cemetery.

LISPR has also had speaking engagements on subjects such as ghost hunting, haunted Long Island and Long Island Legends. Two more topics will be added in the fall of 2008: Demonology, and Monsters and Legends. Later this year the group will be giving a presentation at Hofstra University.

For more information about the Long Island Society for Paranormal Research, or to make arrangements for LISPR to come and give a presentation at your location, please visit www.lispr.com

East End Arts Council Sets Date for Teeny Awards Ceremony, Program Grows in Sixth Year
 
Riverhead, NY - The Teeny Awards, the groundbreaking student theatre arts recognition program of the East End Arts Council (EEAC) in collaboration with the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, will celebrate its sixth anniversary on Sunday, June 8, 2008. The Tony Awards-style festivities start at 4 pm.

“We are thrilled that this year marks our first offshoot in another region of Long Island,” said Patricia Snyder, Executive Director of EEAC. “Greater Port Jefferson Northern Brookhaven Arts Council (GPJAC) has organized their own Teeny Awards for their service area of seven schools. Bonnie Grice, the WLIU radio personality and host of the popular syndicated talk show, The Song is You, has agreed to serve for Mistress of Ceremonies for a 6th year with us, as well as the first for GPJAC.”

Before opening remarks, each nominee will be introduced individually. This tradition gives all nominees, whether they win or not, an opportunity to literally shine in the spotlight that evening. In addition to the presentation of awards, some schools will perform a selected scene from their productions.

The Teeny Awards are presented to students to recognize their outstanding achievement in various areas of the theatre arts. Schools under the jurisdiction of the East End Arts Council are eligible and are invited by the committee in the fall. Participating high schools this year include Center Moriches, East Hampton, Eastport-South Manor, Greenport, Hampton Bays, Mattituck, Pierson in Sag Harbor, Riverhead and Mercy-McGann in Riverhead, Ross School in East Hampton, Shelter Island, Shoreham-Wading River, Southampton, Southold, and Westhampton Beach.

“The Teeny Awards celebrate the dedication, concentration and teamwork required to put on a production and focus on individual and group achievement irrespective to the size of the school or the amount of money allotted to the production,” said Toni Munna, Teeny Awards Coordinator.

Qualified judges are sent into participating high schools to review plays and, through a scoring system based on the educational rubric form, select three nominees in each of category. Through sponsorship and fundraising, scholarships are bestowed along with the awards.

Current sponsors include Target Stores, Bridgehampton National Bank, Joseph & Mary Ann Martorano, Mary Tiedemann, Tanger Outlet Center, Riverhead Building Supply, Riverhead Faculty and Community Theatre, Astoria Federal Savings Bank, Hudson City Savings Bank, Riverhead Rotary, Dr. Joseph Duva, Linda Dieterich, Esq., and The Open Book. Anyone interested in actively serving on a committee or becoming a sponsor of the Teeny Awards may contact Cathy Gerardi at EEAC, 631-727-0900. For more information on the program, please call 727-0900.
 
About The Teeny Awards
A collaborative project of East End Arts Council and Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, the program was established in 2002 to provide recognition and encouragement to high school theatre students and to raise awareness in the community of the importance of theatre arts in education. The program is made possible due to its sponsors, including Target and Bridgehampton National Bank.
 
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Laura Helms
Communications Coordinator
East End Arts Council
133 East Main Street
Riverhead, NY 11901
631.727.0900

Copyright Awareness Week Sheds Light on Often Overlooked Protections

NEW YORK, NY – The International Trademark Association (INTA) today announced its partnering with the Copyright Society of the USA (CSUSA) to draw attention to the concept and importance of copyright protections during Copyright Awareness Week, which runs March 10 –14.
 
Copyright Awareness Week is a public education program that highlights the role of copyrights in society’s music, literature, art and film.
 
As a type of intellectual property law, copyright protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software and architecture. The copyright protection is granted to all works, both published and unpublished.
 
Copyright is a critical component of the intellectual property law family, and the protection applies to all works, great and small. Educating consumers about the importance of copyright helps protect the artistic contributions that add depth and meaning to our culture.
 
Trademark and copyright law are related because each statute seeks to protect an original and recognizable work. The distinction between the two is that copyright protects music, art and literature, where trademarks safeguard words, phrases, symbols, or designs identifying the source of the goods or services of one brand from another.
 
For additional information about copyright law or Copyright Awareness Week 2008, please visit www.copyright.gov and www.csusa.org.
 
To learn more about the importance of trademarks, please visit http://www.inta.org/media/center
 
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About INTA
The International Trademark Association (INTA) is a worldwide association of member companies and firms that support and advance trademarks and intellectual property as elements of fair and effective global commerce.

Verizon Foundation to Launch Enhanced Thinkfinity.org Web Site, Which Provides Thousands of Free Educational Resources for Teachers, Parents and Students; Announce Grant to Train Teachers
 
NEW YORK – Innovative changes, enhancements and additions to the popular Thinkfinity.org Web site will be announced at 9:30 a.m. Friday (March 7) at WNET’s Teaching & Learning Celebration at the Hilton New York, 1335 Avenue of the Americas. Thinkfinity.org provides more than 55,000 free educational and literacy resources, including K-12 lesson plans and interactive materials, to teachers, parents and students.  One of the key enhancements will be aligning Thinkfinity.org resources to meet individual state standards.

The Verizon Foundation also will announce a substantial grant to the New York Institute of Technology and the New York State Teachers Centers to train teachers throughout the state to make the most of the resources on Thinkfinity.org. Thinkfinity.org trainers will lead demonstrations of the new Thinkfinity.org. New York City teachers will discuss how Thinkfinity.org has benefited their students and simplified class preparation.
 
WHO:

• Dr. Edward Guiliano, president, New York Institute of Technology
• Ira Faber, teacher at Middle School 226, District 27
• Kathy Brown, Verizon senior vice president – public policy development and corporate responsibility
• Monica Azare, Verizon senior vice president – public policy and government affairs – New York and Connecticut
• Patrick Gaston, president, Verizon Foundation
• Michael Aubin, Sr. manager – educational technology, Verizon Foundation

WHAT: 
Thinkfinity.org relaunch, announcement of partnership with New York Institute of Technology
 
WHEN: 
9:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. (media asked to arrive by 9:15 a.m.)
 
WHERE:
Hilton New York
1335 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019
                       
BACKGROUND: Since March 2007, the Verizon Foundation has committed more than $32 million to update and expand Thinkfinity.org and provide training to teachers. Content for Thinkfinity.org is created by 11 of the nation’s leading education and literacy organizations including the National Geographic Society, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, the National Council on Economic Education and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Thinkfinity.org is aligned to national standards and is now being correlated to individual state standards.

 East End Arts Council Holds Musicians Think Tank

Riverhead, NY - The East End Arts Council is happy to announce the Musician’s Think Tank: 2008 Networking Session, to be held on Saturday April 5, 2008 at 1:00 pm in the EEAC Carriage House, located on the grounds of the EEAC, 133 East Main Street, Riverhead. There is a $10 requested donation.

The event is open to the entire music community to share ideas in an open forum, and to discuss the issues and needs of musicians on the East End. Specific discussion topics include the formation of an East End Musician’s Registry, recording and rehearsal capabilities at the EEAC and grant opportunities. Don Palmer, Director of the Individual Artists Program, and Lisa Johnson, Director of the Music Program, both from the New York State Council on the Arts, will speak on support opportunities through their organization. East End composer George Cork Maul will lead a discussion on “the shifting paradigm of value in performance” in an attempt to assess the inherent impacts of live music on any audience.

For more information or to reserve a place, please call 631-369-2171, by March 30, 2008.
 
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Laura Helms
Communications Coordinator
East End Arts Council
133 East Main Street
Riverhead, NY 11901
631.727.0900

Dowling College Long Island Economic & Social Policy Presents Roadmap for Permanent Property Tax Relief At State Commission On Property Tax Relief

OAKDALE, NY - “It’s time to tear down parochial interests,” said Martin Cantor, Director of the Long Island Economic and Social Policy Institute at Dowling College, upon releasing LIESP’s “Three C’s” for permanent property tax relief for New York’s beleaguered homeowners. The plan is to be presented at the March 5, 2008 hearing of the State Commission on Property Tax Relief.

Cantor said that, “the ‘Three C’s’ call for consolidation of teacher salaries, pension costs and fringe benefits by economic regions financed by the New York State Department of Education, thus cutting homeowner property taxes by nearly 47%; capping the remaining local school budgets to annual increases of the greater of the increase in Consumer Price Index or 3%; and, controlling remaining budgets and classroom educational improvement.”  Cantor said, “only the financing of teacher costs will be consolidated, not local control of education and administration, which will remain the responsibility of local school boards.”

The “Three C’s” have other benefits, Cantor said, including “equity to underfunded school districts by leveling the playing
field between wealthy and poor school districts, thus allowing for competition for the best teachers; making housing affordable to young people by lowering the carrying costs from property taxes and stretching household budgets; and, bringing billions of dollars of new economic activity from the saved property taxes to every part of New York State.”

Cantor concluded, “the money to do this is already in the state budget. It makes no sense to have New Yorkers pay an income tax to the state, which once collected, is transferred back to regions in the form of education subsidies and STAR payments, which get absorbed by local school district spending.”

About Dowling College
Dowling College is an independent, coeducational college that serves more than 6,500 students at its historic Rudolph Campus on the banks of the Connetquot River in Oakdale, NY, and the 105-acre Brookhaven Campus in eastern Long Island and a business center located near the Nassau-Suffolk border in Melville. Dowling offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees in several disciplines through its four schools: Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Education.

National MS Awareness Week highlights needs and resources available to individuals with MS and their families; one person every hour is diagnosed with MS
 
During the week of March 10-17, 2008, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is helping communities and organizations across the country raise awareness and raise funds in the battle against MS. Organizations, including Allsup Inc., which is a national SSDI representation company, are raising awareness about this disease and the resources that are available.
 
According to the National MS Society, one person every hour is diagnosed with MS, which is an autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system. This disease affects about 2.5 million people worldwide and 400,000 people in the United States, including many people who must stop working because of the disease.
 
“Though our efforts to build awareness, understanding and support for the MS cause will certainly continue long past the parameters of this week, we hope by helping to shine a weeklong spotlight on a disease that strikes someone new each hour, we can strengthen the nationwide commitment to unraveling the mysteries of multiple sclerosis,” said Joyce Nelson, president and CEO of the National MS Society.
 
The National MS Society has developed a new resource to help people who are no longer able to work due to an MS-related disability. The SSDI Guidebook for People with MS is among the materials the society offers on its Web site, http://www.nationalmssociety.org. The guide can be found by clicking on the “Living with MS” link from the home page. The guidebook explains the process of applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), which often is a complex and lengthy process.
 
The MS Society also provides materials to people who are recently diagnosed and working on how to handle the diagnosis, how to communicate with their employers, and how to decide whether to continue working.
 
Allsup salutes the MS Society and related organizations across the country in recognizing the difficulties facing people who are diagnosed with this disease and the repercussions for their families.
 
Free posters highlighting National MS Awareness Week, March 10-17, are available through Allsup to hospitals, clinics and other community groups by calling Karen Hercules-Doerr at (800) 854-1418, ext. 5770.

New York Students Named to Dean’s List At Southern New Hampshire University
 
Manchester, N.H. (March 4, 2008)–The following students from New York have been named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2007 semester at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester. To be eligible for this honor, a student must compile an academic grade point average of 3.0-3.49.

TOWN —– STUDENT —– MAJOR
 
Alden ———— Rebecca Foss ——— Advertising
Altamont ——— Miora David ———- English language & literature
Brooklyn ——— Ransford Shand ——- Justice Studies
Clayton ———- Maggie Lynn ———- Social Science
East Rockaway —- Melissa Loughran —– Sport Management
Elmira ———– Jon Jacobus ———- Business Studies
Kingston ——— Andrea Clausi ——– Social Studies Education
Malverne ——— Gregory Gukumuck —– Business Administration
Mattituck ——– Mary Ashley Finnican - Advertising
Mineola ———- Stephanie Dluginski — Sport Management

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About Southern New Hampshire University
The university has approximately 1,900 traditional, full-time undergraduate day students and a total enrollment in all divisions of about 9,425. Programs are offered on campus, online and on location at our centers in New Hampshire and Maine. The university offers programs in business, community economic development, culinary arts, teacher education, hospitality management and liberal arts.