Natalie Milbrodt takes top honor in Long Island Script Writing Competition

 (Long Island, N.Y.) Screenwriter Natalie Milbrodt, a New Yorker transplanted from Michigan, won first prize in the Long Island International Film Expo Script Writing Competition this month for “The Last Weebler,” her highly original screenplay about Constance Weebler, an elderly woman who introduces carnivorous jungle hawks into her quaint small town with the misguided hope of leaving a family legacy.   While the birds do share her family name, they turn out to be a poor substitute for human descendants.  They become a menace she must either help to exterminate or rescue from her bloodthirsty townspeople.  “I am thrilled that an off-beat script like mine is getting such positive reception,” said Milbrodt, who will be honored on July 17th at the festival’s annual ceremony.

“The Last Weebler” uses elements of surrealism to explore themes of personal identity and social activism.  Ms. Milbrodt’s Midwestern upbringing informs this hyper-real version of the small town.

Ms. Milbrodt, who hails from Bloomington, Indiana and then Farmington, Michigan, came to New York in 2006, leaving behind a career writing scripts for commercials and local television programs, to pursue her dream of writing screenplays for films and works for stage. Winning the Long Island International Film Expo Script Writing Competition is an important step toward achieving that goal.  Ms. Milbrodt has optioned Sundance finalist feature screenplay, “Crisis Line” and is currently involved in several other projects.  She is the director of short documentary, “feet,” associate producer of feature documentary “Into The Pit” as well as writer of “Angeline” a short play to be staged by the New York Grand Guignol theater company.

The Long Island International Film Expo’s ceremony will be held at 7:00 PM at the historic Bellmore Movie Theatre, 222 Pettit Avenue, Bellmore, New York.  For more information about Ms. Milbrodt’s work, visit www.NatalieMilbrodt.com. Event information is available at http://liifilmexpo.org/sections/schedule.html

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Juliana Panovski,
Public Relations
Phone: 917-617-2528

Babylon Tuna Club’s 52nd Annual Invitational Tuna Tournament

Bohemia, New York – Babylon Tuna Club’s 52nd Annual Invitational Tuna Tournament is Saturday, July 26th and Sunday, July 27th from Babylon Town Dock.  Rain or shine.  Enjoy a fun-filled atmosphere with a variety of food, games, and crafts.  Watch the boats come in and buy fresh fish caught that day!!!  Proceeds from fish sales will benefit Suffolk AHRC (Association for the Help of Retarded Children).

Suffolk AHRC is a not-for-profit organization which provides a lifetime of therapeutic programs and services to children and adults with intellectual developmental disabilities. Currently more than 2,500 people receive educational, vocational, residential and respite services through AHRC’s thirty-four facilities.  Tuna Tournament festivities begin at 12:00pm and continue until dusk.  For further information, contact Babylon Tuna Club at (631) 321-8549.

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Suffolk Chapter

Association for the Help of Retarded Children
2900 Veterans Memorial Highway
Bohemia, NY  11716
(631) 585- 0100   
www.ahrcsuffolk.org

Enhance Your Summer with Dowling College’s New Continuing Education Courses

OAKDALE, NY - Dowling College’s Continuing Education department is now offering a host of new courses.  Over 30 courses for the general community are offered through the Dowling Institute, including a new Summer Children’s Enrichment Program. Children can engage in classes such as The Wonders of Science, Scrapbooking, Guitar Lessons or
Video Game Design.  Personal Enrichment courses for adults include a wide variety of Health & Fitness courses, Computer courses and Crafts. Listed below is a sampling of popular courses and please visit the website for all courses available. Online courses are available as well.

BALLROOM & LATIN DANCE
Tuesdays: 7/22, 7/29, 8/5, 8/12 & 8/19 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fortunoff Hall Ballroom, Rudolph Campus in Oakdale $50
A rewarding experience that promotes both physical and mental health, you will enjoy learning basic dance concepts and skills while engaging your body in aerobic activity and building self-confidence. All classes will work on developing posture, dance frame, technique, movement and basic dance steps.  The curriculum may include the Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Rumba, Cha Cha, Salsa/Mambo, Merengue, Bolero and Samba, depending on student interest and abilities. Singles and couples at all levels are welcome

GOLF LESSONS
PGA golf professional Mike Jacobs will teach you the basics of golf and the necessary skills to improve your game and gain maximum benefit from your personal practice time. Participants receive complete long and short game instruction in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Emphasis will be on building a swing with sound fundamentals, developing playing strategies and becoming familiar with the rules of the game. Each student’s swing will be videotaped and analyzed by the instructor. Students may bring their own clubs or equipment will be provided by the instructor. All sessions will be held off campus at the Rock Hill Country Club in Manorville.  Student Materials Fee is $25 for Golf Range; Golf Course fee to be paid at first class. BEGINNER GOLF: Wednesdays, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23, 7/30 & 8/6 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. $75
INTERMEDIATE GOLF: Wednesdays, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23, 7/30 & 8/6 6:30 p.m. -
7:30 p.m. $75

TENNIS LESSONS
Wednesdays: 7/30, 8/6, 8/13, 8/20 & 8/27 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Tennis Courts, Rudolph Campus in Oakdale $50 The adult program has been designed as an easy introduction into the game of tennis. The main focus of this class is basic fundamentals. Students are introduced to the basic vocabulary along with forehand, backhand and service instruction. Tennis is a social sport, making it a great way to meet people as well as gain increased movement, coordination and overall fitness.

BELLYDANCE BEACH WORKOUT
Mondays: 7/7, 7/14, 7/21 & 7/28 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
PAC - Dance Room, Rudolph Campus in Oakdale $40 Belly dance works the entire body: arms, waist, abdomen & thighs will be targeted. Tone up for summer & have fun using belly dance moves. Bring light wrist weights (optional), mat & water bottle.

“The Dowling Institute is committed to offering relevant classes to help participants advance their careers through online courses, take an active role in their finances or simply tap into their talents by enjoying fun and engaging courses,” said Lawrence Kazemier, Director Continuing & Professional Development. For additional information,
please call 631-244-3420, e-mail INSTITUTE@dowling.edu or visit www.dowling.edu/dowlinginstitute.

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.

RC-2252 router bit with 2 + 2 design ideal for creating Shaker-style doors
 
Farmingdale, N.Y. – Amana Tool, manufacturers of high-quality tungsten carbide woodworking tools, today announced its new RC-2252 insert spoilboard router bit with scorers that features a 2 + 2 knife design. The unique 2 + 2 design contains two cutting flutes and two up-shear scorers, which provide a smoother finish at the bottom of the cut. The RC-2252 is ideal for spoilboard, planing and rabbeting large surface areas in MDF, Balsa Core, hardwood, softwood and all man-made materials.
 
The RC-2252 router bit is engineered from an Amana-exclusive carbide grade that is designed for the highest quality of cut, maximum cutting efficiency and the longest tool life. Featuring insert knives with four cutting edges that allow users to flip the knife over when one side becomes dull, the industrial router bit is available in 3/4″ shank size with the highest-quality grind finish available on woodworking tools.
 
“The RC-2252 router bit provides woodworking professionals with a faster material removal process and smoother finish than traditional two-knife router designs,” said Eitan Spiegel, president of Amana Tool. “Amana strives to provide our customers with the highest-quality tools that make projects more economical and less labor-intensive while producing superior results.”
 
Using the RC-2252 and Amana’s 45200 straight plunge router bit, industrial woodworkers can now economically produce Shaker-style doors from MDF. Typical Shaker doors are constructed of a wood panel surrounded by a four-piece stile and rail frame. Creating the door from MDF requires routing the center panel to achieve the recessed look of a Shaker door and eliminates the parts, alignment and assembly normally required. MDF doors won’t warp, making them ideal for use in humid climates and rooms such as the kitchen and bathroom.
 
The RC-2252 is available immediately for $234 through Amana Tool’s authorized distributors. For the location nearest you, visit www.amanatool.com.
 
About Amana Tool
An industry leader for more than 35 years, Amana Tool specializes in solid carbide, carbide insert and carbide-tipped cutting tools for the woodworking and plastics industry. Amana Tool’s full line of high-quality woodworking tools includes saw blades, router bits, shaper cutters, boring bits and more for both wood and plastics. The company was founded in 1972 and has corporate headquarters in Farmingdale, N.Y. For a complete listing of Amana Tool’s products, visit www.amanatool.com.
 
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Mr. Mouse Comes to the Mills Pond House For Tons of Summer Fun

The Smithtown Township Arts Council is pleased to celebrate summer with “The Mr. Mouse Show” at the Mills Pond House on Saturday, July 19. The performances, which include a puppet workshop, are geared for children Pre-K through 3rd grade. Advance reservations are required and space is limited to 45 per performance.

To register please call STAC at 631-862-6575. Tickets are $8.00 per person. Performance time: 11 A.M. and 1 P.M.

“The Mr. Mouse Show” is a participatory puppet performance workshop offering young children a fun, positive experience with sing-along songs and their own puppet project.

Long Island puppeteer Katie Polk believes her puppet art helps people develop their own creativity.  She builds all her own puppets, using items she finds on beaches, in thrift stores and anywhere that may be home to clothes pins, buttons, empty thread spools, odd material and the like.  Just about any item around may give life to one of Katie’s puppets. Combining sounds, textures, colors and rhythms Katie uses her inventive imagination to bring her puppet characters to life. She likes to incorporate “fun, silliness, imagination and a sense of wonder” into her puppets so “anyone, at any age can enjoy themselves.”

Smithtown Township Arts Council is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization

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Smithtown Township Arts Council
Mills Pond House Gallery
660 Route 25A
St. James, NY 11780
www.stacarts.org
631-862-6575

Top Students From New York Are Recognized for Academic Excellence

BALTIMORE, —Andrew Salerno, a student from smithtown, was recently honored at a statewide awards ceremony for gifted children held by The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY).

Andrew Salerno was invited to this awards ceremony sponsored by CTY (www.cty.jhu.edu) based on an exceptional performance on a rigorous, above-grade-level test given to second through eighth grade Talent Search participants. Seventh and eighth graders took the SAT or ACT—the same tests used for college admissions. Second through sixth graders took the SCAT, an above-level test scaled for younger students.

Since 1979, CTY has sought the most academically able elementary- and middle-school students and encouraged their enrollment in the annual fall CTY Talent Search, open September through November. Students then test in December or January.

The results of these tests give families a better idea of a child’s academic talents, particularly in comparison to the thousands of other academically talented students in the Talent Search. Students can also earn recognition at CTY’s awards ceremonies, and their test scores may qualify them for CTY’s summer programs and distance education courses.

In 2006-07 alone, over 73,000 students from 19 states and the District of Columbia participated in the Talent Searches offered through CTY. About 30% of the 2nd and 6th graders who tested this winter earned an invitation to CTY’s Awards Ceremony, and about 25% of the 7th and 8th grade testers earned an invitation to an Awards Ceremony.

Salerno, who attends Accompsett Middle School, joined other award recipients at the recent state ceremony, and was individually honored by Johns Hopkins for his academic performance and promise.

“With our annual award ceremonies, we’re committed to giving these exceptional young people a stage on which to recognize their academic achievements, just as we celebrate achievements in athletics or the performing arts,” said CTY executive director, Lea Ybarra. “Their performance places them in the top tier of students taking these tests, and they certainly deserve acclaim.” Who gets the credit for success? “The students,” said Dr. Ybarra. “They possess an academic fearlessness and intellectual ability that will benefit their entire generation.”

Leading them to their success, she said, are parents and educators. “Parents who support and encourage their children, and teachers who inspire through their knowledge and passion for a subject, create engaged young people who are well prepared to lead and shape tomorrow’s world.”

New York’s 2008 Awards Ceremonies were scheduled at SUNY New Paltz, Union College, and the University of Rochester on Saturday, June 7; SUNY Stony Brook on Sunday, June 8; and Sarah Lawrence College on Saturday, June 14.
 
About The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY)
 
CTY conducts the nation’s oldest and most extensive academic talent search and offers educational programming for students with exceptionally high academic ability. CTY parallels, and complements, a gifted child’s regular school experience. CTY’s programs and students have been profiled in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, and other premier American publications. Other Information:  

• CTY is a nonprofit center at The Johns Hopkins University.
• CTY draws students from 50 states and DC, as well as students from over 90 countries.
• 2006-07 saw over 73,000 second- through eighth graders participate in CTY’s Talent Searches.
• CTY provided $ 4.52 million in financial aid to over 1,700 students in 2006-07.
• In the 2006-07 Talent Search, 15.6% of students in CTY’s Talent Search were identified as underrepresented.
• Gifted students qualifying for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program may join the Talent Search virtually for free.

LIPA President Law commends Governor Paterson and State Legislature for passing bill to authorize net metering changes statewide

Uniondale- NY- The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) is amending its electric service tariff to further encourage the use of solar generating resources and will become the first utility in the state to make commercial net metering available to commercial customers.

Under the proposed changes, LIPA will introduce new tariff provisions to allow for net metering of energy for commercial customers who install solar generating equipment at their facilities and would expand existing tariff eligibility provisions for net metering to residential customers as well.

LIPA’s tariff will conform largely to the legislation spearheaded by Long Island lawmakers Senator Owen J. Johnson and Assemblyman Steve Englebright that recently passed both houses of the Legislature and that authorizes utilities to implement these changes statewide.

Under LIPA’s existing net metering program, residential customers who generate electricity with solar power can in effect see their electric meters “spin backwards” and receive full credit for the electricity they generate with an opportunity to sell back any excess power they produce to LIPA. Net metering provides a significant economic incentive to customers considering the installation of solar generating resources in their homes and businesses.

“This legislation will help Long Island businesses and other businesses throughout the state become eligible for the same advantages residential customers already enjoy,” said Governor David A. Paterson, who called for an expanded and enhanced net metering law earlier this year as one of 16 recommendations from his Renewable Energy Task Force. “Expanding net metering opportunities to commercial customers will lighten the load on the utility grid and give us another renewable option as we continue to wean ourselves from our reliance on fossil fuels and foreign oil.”

“Including commercial customers, and expanding eligibility requirements for residential customers under LIPA’s net metering program is a key part of our continuing efforts to promote the use of renewable sources of energy,” said LIPA President and CEO Kevin S. Law. “As we move forward in these tough economic times when fuel prices continue to soar, it’s important we give all of our customers the same opportunity to reap the rewards of using solar energy resources in their homes and businesses.”

Law added that he expects these modifications to generate a significant number of “green collar” jobs for renewable energy manufacturers and installers. LIPA hopes to generate the momentum for a market transformation on the commercial side, as it already has for installation of residential solar power systems under its successful Solar Pioneer Program that has seen the installation of more than 1,200 photovoltaic systems since the program’s inception and has resulted in more than $30 million in customer rebates.

Just last month, Governor David Paterson and Law announced an RFP seeking the largest block of solar power (50 MW) in the state, to be generated on island, and produce enough energy to power approximately 6,500 homes and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20,000 tons.

“As long-time advocates for clean renewable energy technologies, we are thrilled to finally see that all Long Islanders will now be able to lower their electric bills and even sell excess solar power back to LIPA,” said Gordian Raacke, Executive Director of the not-for-profit Renewable Energy Long Island (RELI).  “Kevin Law must be commended for making Long Island the first region in the state to enact this simple and sensible policy.”

“We’re looking forward to working side by side with LIPA to make Long Island the solar capital of New York State,” said Kevin MacLeod, Chairman of the Long Island Solar Energy Industries Association (LISEIA). “We applaud Kevin Law for his leadership in moving solar power forward.”

“At a time of skyrocketing fuel prices and increasing global warming, clean, renewable energy makes more sense now than ever,” said Neal Lewis, Executive Director of the Neighborhood Network. “This vote by the State Legislature to provide the mechanism for commercial businesses to tap renewable energy resources is historic. Today’s announcement by LIPA means that Long Island can lead the state in implementing commercial net metering. This is a strong demonstration of leadership by LIPA that will create ‘green collar’ jobs locally while providing long-term relief to local businesses hit by skyrocketing fuel costs.”

“This will allow businesses to take advantage of the opportunity to sell power back to LIPA and reduce operating costs,” said Desmond Ryan, Executive Director of the Association for a Better Long Island (ABLI).  “As our region continues to struggle under the weight of high property taxes and the exodus of our highly-educated and skilled workforce for less expensive pastures, this opportunity for LIPA’s commercial customers could not have come at a more appropriate time.”

Under LIPA’s current tariff the net metering program is not available to business customers. In addition residential customers are limited to the amount of solar they can install and still be eligible for net metering. The proposed amendments would include the following:

1) To authorize net metering for non-residential customers with an overall capacity of up to the lesser of the customers peak demand, or 2MW
2) Increase the overall capacity for net metering on residential solar customers from 11kW to 27.5 kW
3) Increase the combined total allowed overall capacity for residential and non-residential net metering on LIPA’s transmission and distribution system from 3.6MW to 51.2 MW 

Law commended state lawmakers for passing the legislation to expand the net metering provisions statewide.  “By loosening the state’s net metering restrictions, the Legislature is allowing for the expansion of the use of solar power, which will no doubt lead to positive impacts economically and environmentally,” Law said.

Fore more information on LIPA’s net metering program visit www.lipower.org

LIPA, a non-profit municipal electric provider, 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

 

Department of Labor’s Workforce Development and Training Divisions

OAKDALE, NY - Dowling College has been recognized by the New York State Department of Labor’s Workforce Development and Training Divisions by being awarded a grant for the Development and Brokering of Student  Paid Internship Opportunities for students.  This wonderful opportunity could not have come at a better time for the college.  Since the arrival of President Robert Gaffney to Dowling College, many changes have taken place to strengthen the college’s reputation not only in the region but in the nation.

One of the most prominent and pressing issues facing New York State and Long Island, is the growing “brain drain.”  Many of the state’s talented young professionals are finding it too difficult and costly to live in New York and are deciding to move elsewhere.  New Yorkers can no longer afford to allow these problems to keep occurring. To help alleviate this growing problem, Dowling College will utilize this grant to help stimulate the Career Services Center.

One of the most prominent changes taking place at the College is the President’s efforts in finding ways to enrich student’s experiences not just in the classrooms, but outside the classrooms as well.  Current marketing research done by the college has shown that students at Dowling not only want to continue to have first-class professors in their classrooms, but also would like opportunities to work for companies that are located across Long Island and in New York State. Many of Dowling’s students have hopes of living and working on Long
Island and in New York State after graduating. Dowling College sees this grant opportunity as one that the College can contribute greatly to by helping New York’s young professionals retain and remain on Long Island and in New York.  Together with the State of New York, Dowling College can use its regional networks, young and motivated students and dedicated staff to solve New York State’s “retention” problem.

Dowling College has a current structure in place that enables students to seek not only job opportunities, but internships as well.  Located on campus is a Career Services Center staffed by two individuals.  Both individuals are responsible not just for ensuring the availability of internships, but also an array of other responsibilities that include
resume writing, information workshops for students and parents, academic advising duties and many other tasks as well. This grant will afford the Center the resources to support the staff to serve the students needs fully.

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.
www.Dowling.edu

Long Island Power Authority Creates Advisory Committee for Defunct Shoreham Nuclear Plan Site

Uniondale, NY- An advisory committee created by the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) consisting of government, civic, and educational leaders from the Shoreham-Wading River area held its inaugural meeting recently with an eye toward future potential uses for the decommissioned nuclear power plant site.

LIPA President and CEO Kevin S. Law formed the Shoreham Advisory Committee in April to openly share and evaluate options that may exist for the future use and redevelopment of the land owned by LIPA surrounding and including the $6 billion nuclear plant that was decommissioned in 1994.

“This advisory panel is an important component of our study,” said LIPA President and CEO Kevin S. Law. “I look forward to an open and transparent dialogue with our government and civic leaders that will help depict the best way for the property to be utilized.”

The advisory committee will provide suggestions and feedback on what to do with the 58 acres of LIPA-owned land which includes the 10-acre parcel upon which the plant’s shell sits, while paying close attention to how it will impact the environment, taxes, and overall quality of life.

“I appreciate LIPA’s efforts to ensure transparency in the initial stages of planning for this site and am pleased to be a member of the advisory panel,” said Senator Kenneth P. LaValle.  “The future use of this property will have an impact on the community.  Therefore, it is important that the residents and local governments have input into the recommendations for its use.”

“The old power plant property offers great potential to the community and I am confident in moving forward the best public interest will be served,” said Assemblyman Marc Alessi.  “LIPA, under the new leadership of Kevin Law, is taking the right step to addressing this land use situation through community involvement.  I am hopeful we can come up with a plan to make this property productive and help reduce the property tax burden for the surrounding community.”
 
“I commend Kevin Law for developing a use for this property and for his willingness to gather input from elected officials and other community stakeholders,” said advisory panel member and Suffolk County Legislator Edward P. Romaine.  “Community involvement is essential to the decision-making process, as any plans for this site will have a profound impact on local residents.”

In 1965 the Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO) announced plans to erect a 500MW nuclear power plant but drew increasingly intense opposition after the 1979 Three Mile Island and the 1986 Chernobyl accidents, resulting in delays and cost increases. In 1983 Suffolk County legislators voted 15-1 on a resolution asserting that it was impossible to safely evacuate Suffolk in the event of a nuclear accident. In 1985, the federal government granted permission for LILCO to operate the facilities at test levels not to exceed 5% over the next two years, but in June 1989, following community protest, the facility was closed down and the nuclear energy used to fuel the power plants was removed. Three years later, the internal engines powering the facility were dismantled. The power plants were finally decommissioned in 1994.

“I applaud Kevin Law’s leadership and I think LIPA is moving on the right track,” said Brookhaven Town Supervisor Brian X. Foley. “The choices we make to develop the Shoreham site can help relieve the tax burden for many families who are struggling.  Assembling an advisory committee is a positive step to demonstrate transparency and ensure that the community is included in the process.”

“I am very pleased with LIPA’s open approach, it’s definitely refreshing,” said President of the Wading River Civic Association Sid Bail. “I believe that Kevin Law is interested in doing something useful with the property that the community can live with. I would urge him to strongly consider green energy for that site.”

“I was certainly encouraged by our first meeting,” said Law. “That is a $6 billion white elephant standing out there (in the Sound) and serves as a constant reminder of what once was.  It is my hope that forming this committee was the first step in the process of determining what might be.”

Members of the Shoreham Advisory Committee:

* Kevin S. Law, President and CEO, Long Island Power Authority
* United States Congressman Timothy Bishop
* New York State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle
* New York State Assemblyman Marc S. Alessi
* Town Of Brookhaven Supervisor Brian X. Foley
* Town Of Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner
* Suffolk County Legislator Edward P. Romaine
* Thomas A. Isles, AICP, Director, Suffolk County Planning Department
* Sid Bail, President, Wading River Civic Association
* Kevin Ward, President, Shoreham Civic Association
* Harriet Copel, Ed. D., Superintendent, Shoreham-Wading River Central S.D.
* Mike Fucito, President, Board of Ed., Shoreham-Wading River Central S.D.
* Dr. Matthew C. Cordaro, Professor, C.W. Post College, LIU

LIPA, a non-profit municipal electric provider, 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

KEROUAC, POLITICS, MEMOIRS, SATIRE, FICTION AND WINE ON THE BILL AT PALMER VINEYARDS 2008 ‘WRITERS ON THE VINE’ TALKS

AQUEBOGUE, NY – Palmer Vineyards’ long-running Writers on the Vine author series this year will feature a wide range of discussions with best-selling authors dealing with such varied subjects as Jack Kerouac, American politics, fiction, satire, memoirs, women’s views and the politics of wine.

The discussions, hosted by broadcast personality Larry Davidson, will be conducted each Sunday, June 22 through Aug. 26, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Palmer Vineyards winery, Sound Ave., Aquebogue. Admission to each session is $10, which includes a glass of Palmer’s award winning wines.
 
The series kicks off June 22 with a look at beat generation writer Jack Kerouac with playwright Patrick Fenton, and members of the cast from “Jack’s Last Call.  Fenton, a freelance writer from Massapequa, N.Y., and a frequent contributor to Newsday, The New York Post, and The Daily News, has been a keen observer of Kerouac’s Long Island days. “Jack’s Last Call” recalls a party held at a friend’s home in Northport, N.Y., in 1964, just before the writer’s move to Florida and is based on an actual tape recording of that night and more than 12 years of research about Kerouac’s life in Queens and Long Island.

June 29, brings two award-winning investigative reporters, Craig Unger the author of “The Fall of the House of Bush” (Scribner, 2007) and Newsday writer Thomas Maier, author of “The Kennedys: America’s Emerald Kings” (Basic Books, 2003). Unger’s book, subtitled “The Untold Story of How a Band of True Believers Seized the Executive Branch, Started the Iraq War, and Still Imperils America’s Future” is an sweeping account of the secret relationship between neoconservative policy makers and the Christian Right. Maier’s “The Kennedys” was one of the top annual holiday books chosen by USA Today in 2003, and recently was reissued along with a Warner Bros. Home Entertainment documentary based on this book. 

On July 6, the theme is coming to America as the microphone is handed to Victoria Redel, author of “The Border of Truth and Cardio-Thoracic surgeon Dr. Harold Fernandez” (Counterpoint, 2007), which traces the journey from illegal immigrant to prominent heart surgeon of a holocaust refugee, and Mingmei Yip, author of “Peach Blossom Pavilion” (Kensington, May 2008), a historical biographical novel that tells the story of the last surviving courtesan in China.

Seth Greenland, author of “Shining City” (Bloomsbury USA, July 2008) appears at the winery on July 20 along with actress, screenwriter and activist, Heather Thomas, author of “Trophies.” Greenland, a novelist, playwright and screenwriter, has worked on TV shows for Norman Lear, Richard Belzer and has written for HBO’s “Arliss.” Warner Brothers has purchased the film rights to Shining City.” His latest work, his second, is a witty and sexy satire about how contemporary American culture defines right and wrong, good and bad. Thomas’ “Trophies” follow the fictional adventures of a group of influential, wealthy Hollywood second wives.

Two authors discuss their memoirs on July 27. They are Pulitzer Prize winning former New York Times reporter Lucinda Franks and Felicia C. Sullivan. Franks is the author of “My Father’s Secret War” (Miramax, March 2007), an account of her investigation into her father’s past as she reconnects with him after decades of estrangement.  Sullivan and New York based writer, is the author of “The Sky Isn’t Visible from Here” (algonquin Books, February 2008), a look back on the author’s childhood — lived among drug dealers, users, and substitute fathers. 

Aug. 4 brings John Feinstein, author of “Living on the Black: Two Pitchers, Two Teams, One Season to Remember” (Little Brown and Co., May 2008), a look at the 2007 seasons of pitchers Mike Mussina and Tom Glavine.  Feinstein is the bestselling author of 10 sports books and two novels. He writes for Inside Sports, Golf, Tennis Magazine and Basketball America and is commentator on NPR and CBS. 

Another panel of women writers is featured on Aug. 10. They include: novelist Ellen Meister,  author of “Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA” (William Morrow, 2006) and the forthcoming “The Smart One” (Avon A); Ellen T. White,  author of “Simply Irresistible: Unleash your Inner Siren and Mesmerize Men, with Help from the Most Famous and Infamous Women in History” (Running Press, December 2007), a humorous how-to that uses the lives of history’s greatest sirens as case studies to help the modern woman unleash her own inner siren; and, “Women of the Vine” (Wiley, 2006) author Deborah Brenner, the owner of Women of the Vine Cellars.

Authors Jennet Conant and Paula Uruburu fill the bill on Aug. 24. Conant is the author of the soon to be published “The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington” (Simon & Schuster, September 2008), a look at writer Dahl’s years as a diplomat and spy. A Hofstra University professor of English, Uruburu is the author of “American Eve: Evelyn Nesbit, Stanford White: The Birth of the ‘It’ Girl and the Crime of the Century” (Riverhead Hardcover, May 2008), examines the notorious life of model and chorus girl Evelyn Nesbit, whose rise to stardom was as spectacular as her subsequent fall.

On Aug. 31, the series wraps up with Tyler Colman, a wine educator, blogger (Dr. Vino) and author of “Wine Politics: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters, and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink” (University of California Press, July 2008). He is joined by his wife, Michelle Sinclair Colman, author of the children’s book, “Eco Babies Wear Green” (Ten Speed Press, April 2008).

Established in 1986, Palmer Vineyards is the most-awarded winery on Long Island. The Palmer Vineyards tasting room on Route 48 in Aquebogue is modeled on an old British pub and has a adjoining, spacious tasting deck overlooking the vineyards. For more information about Palmer Vineyards go to palmervineyards.com or call (631) 722-9463 ext. 10.

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