Feb. 28 – March 2; Games to Webcast in Full HD

(Long Island, NY) Athletes from 16 junior and community college men’s and women’s basketball teams will be featured at the 2013-14 National Junior College Athletic Association Basketball Region15 Championships hosted by Suffolk County Community College in Selden later this month.

College teams representing Division I and III men and Division III women will take to the College’s Ammerman Campus Brookhaven Gym’s hardwood  from February 28 to March 2.  Suffolk County Community College last hosted the regional championships in 1995.

Front Row – #21 Brianna Williams, #23 MaryKate O’Connell, #5 Marta Czaplak, #14 No longer on team, Back Row – #32 No longer on team, #10 Naysha Trent, #35 Veronica Marino, #24 Larissa Ellermann, #30 Symphony Paschall, #33 Meagan O’Connell, #12 Rynese Smith, #25 Cindy Edwards

“This is a tremendous opportunity for local basketball fans and the community to watch talented junior college athletes in action,” said Suffolk County Community College Athletic Director and Women’s Basketball Coach Kevin Foley. “And while they’re here for the games, they can see all that Suffolk has to offer:  22 different competitive teams in 14 sports,” Foley said. Foley added that both Suffolk  men’s and women’s basketball teams are competing in the tournament.

“Suffolk County Community College is delighted to welcome the NJCAA Region XV Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships,” said Suffolk County Community College President Dr. Shaun L. McKay. “Intercollegiate competition is an integral part of our educational experience and we look forward to welcoming the athletes, their coaches and familes to our College. We are also very proud to webcast the games utilizing the expertise and talents of our Radio and Television Production Department here at the College,” McKay said.

Front Row- #10 Kadeem Toppin, #2 Ruben Terrero. #1 Stephen Knight, #12 Aaron McCree Back Row- #15 David McLeod, #23 Josh Taylor, #30 Chris Millender, #22 Steven Moore, #24 Pierre St. Simon, #3 Vincent Abbondola ; Missing in photo- #11 Armand Correa

All games will be webcast via Sharks TV in association with the Radio and Television Production program of Suffolk County Community College utilizing six cameras and four replay angles. Color and play-by play will be provided by Justin Cirillo, Matt Jackson and Mike Moore. Jackson and Cirillo are Suffolk County Community College graduates.

The webcast will be accessible from Suffolk County Community College home page at sunysuffolk.edu.

Friday February 28

• 5:30 pm  Mens Div. 3 Quarterfinal game #3
• 7:45 pm  Mens Div. 3 Quarterfinal game #4

(Highlights of games 1 & 2 will be shown at halftime of games 3 & 4)

Saturday March 1

• 2:30 pm Womens Div. 3 Semifinal #1
• 4:45 pm Womens Div. 3 Semifinal #2
• 7:00 pm Mens Div. 3 Semifinal #1
• 9:15 pm Mens Div. 3 Semifinal #2

Sunday March 2

• 11:00 am Mens Div. 1 Final
• 1:30 pm  Womens Div. 3 Final
• 4:00 pm  Mens Div. 3 final

Authorizing Legislation to be voted on March 4th

(Brookhaven, NY) On February 26, County Executive Bellone was joined by Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine, Legislator Tom Muratore and Deputy Supervisor Dan Panico to announce yet another shared services agreement between Suffolk County and the Town of Brookhaven which will provide bus shelters on County roads within the Town of Brookhaven.

Legislator Tom Muratore, Deputy Supervisor Dan Panico, County Executive Steve Bellone, Supervisor Ed Romaine

Supervisor Ed Romaine offered to extend its advertiser supported bus shelter program to the county for the construction of bus shelters on County roads. This Intermunicipal Agreement was approved by the Suffolk County Public Works Committee on February 24, 2014 and will be before the full legislature for approval on March 4, 2014.

This program will allow Signal Outdoor Advertising to construct bus shelters along county roads at no cost to the County or the Town. This initiative once again highlights an opportunity where the County and Town can share services and the residents of Suffolk County are the beneficiaries.

“As we have worked to improve our Suffolk County bus services through the expansion of bus lines, implementing Sunday Bus service, shortly rolling out GPS tracking in all buses and para-transit buses to be able to provide enhanced information to our riders, this initiative provides yet another opportunity to improve services for our residents without costing taxpayers additional dollars,” said County Executive Steve Bellone. “Working across municipal lines to explore shared service opportunities is the perfect way to reduce costs to our taxpayers while continuing to deliver vital services. We have a solid partner in Supervisor Romaine and the Town of Brookhaven. This particular shared services agreement will encourage more use of public transportation and it fits right in line with the County’s mission to expand public transportation throughout the county.”

“Partnering with Suffolk County to provide additional bus shelters will greatly improve access to public transportation in Brookhaven,” said Supervisor Romaine. “I thank the County Executive for working with the Town to save taxpayer dollars.”

“I would like to thank County Executive Bellone for his leadership and working with Supervisor Romaine on a shared municipal agreement,” stated Legislator Al Krupski. “This will save the taxpayers money and provide them with safer, better service.”

Suffolk County Legislator Tom Muratore noted, “I want to applaud County Executive Bellone and Supervisor Romaine for coming together and aiding the taxpayer.”

Councilman Daniel Panico said, “This is only the beginning. We look forward to more Inter-municipal agreements with the County and the Town to provide more efficient services at a lower cost.”

This agreement represents the second opportunity where the County and the Town of Brookhaven have been able to enter into a shared services agreement. The first shared services agreement consisted of Suffolk County helping to facilitate access to counseling and assistance services for eligible veterans, their spouses, dependents and survivors. The agreement, which assigned one accredited Veterans Service Officer (“VSO”) from the County’s Veterans Service Agency to provide services at Town Hall or other designated Town facilities, has vastly improved services and saved taxpayer dollars.

“I commend Supervisor Romaine for working alongside me to take this step towards implementing another shared services agreement,” said County Executive Bellone. “Working smarter and more efficiently is paramount to good government. When municipalities have the opportunity to share services and resources it’s a win for everyone involved.”

Acting On Whistleblower Information, A.G. Uncovered Telecom Giant’s 7-Year Failure To Collect & Pay Sales Taxes; First-Ever Tax Enforcement Action Under Schneiderman’s Landmark False Claims Act That Increases Tax Fraud Penalties & Rewards Whistleblowers

(NEW YORK) Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a major victory in his first-of-its-kind lawsuit against Sprint-Nextel Corp. for deliberately undercollecting and underpaying millions of dollars in New York State and local sales taxes on flat-rate access charges for wireless calling plans. Brought under the New York False Claims Act, the Attorney General’s lawsuit requires Sprint to pay three times its underpayment of approximately $130 million, plus penalties, if found liable. All of Sprint’s major wireless competitors, including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and MetroPCS, have followed the law regarding these taxes.

Sprint had asked the court to dismiss the Attorney General’s lawsuit, arguing that the Attorney General had not adequately alleged that Sprint knowingly violated the tax law, and that the Attorney General’s lawsuit could not apply to conduct before 2010, when the New York False Claims Act was amended by then state Senator Eric T. Schneiderman. On July 1, 2013, Supreme Court Justice O. Peter Sherwood ruled against Sprint. Sprint appealed the decision to the Appellate Division, which today unanimously affirmed Justice Sherwood’s ruling.

“Today’s decision allows my office to proceed in holding Sprint accountable for deliberately evading sales taxes and costing state and local governments approximately $130 million,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “As long as I am Attorney General, I’m committed to ensuring that taxpayers’ money is protected, and that honest businesses aren’t put at a disadvantage for collecting and paying their fair share.”

David Koenigsberg of the law firm of Menz Bonner Komar & Koenigsberg LLP, who represents the whistleblowers in this action, said, “We applaud the court’s decision that recognizes the vital role New York’s whistleblower tax false claims law will play in ensuring New York’s tax laws are fairly observed by all of us. We congratulate the Attorney General’s swift, vigorous and skillful prosecution of this case.”

Since 2002, New York Tax Law has required mobile phone companies to collect and pay sales taxes on the full amount of the monthly access charges for their calling plans. For example, when a customer pays Sprint a fixed monthly charge of $39.99 for 450 minutes of mobile calling time, the law requires Sprint to collect and pay sales taxes on the entire $39.99. According to the Attorney General’s complaint, starting in 2005, Sprint illegally failed to collect and pay New York sales taxes on an arbitrarily set portion of its revenue from these fixed monthly access charges. To carry out this plan, Sprint repeatedly and knowingly submitted false records and statements to New York State tax authorities. Sprint concealed this practice from taxing authorities, its competitors, and its customers.

Sprint’s scheme is ongoing. Sprint did not correct its sales tax practices when it was informed of its illegality, and it has not corrected them even today. As a result of Sprint’s unlawful actions, its underpayment of New York sales taxes is growing by about a $210,000 every week, more than $30,000 a day.

The decision not to collect and pay these taxes arose out of a nationwide effort by Sprint to obtain an advantage over its competitors — not by cutting its prices or offering better service, but by failing to collect and pay sales taxes that its competitors properly collected and paid. Right before deciding to underpay its taxes, Sprint concluded that this practice would position its calling plans as cheaper than competitors’ plans by $4.6 million per month, collectively, because of sales taxes not collected and paid.

The Attorney General’s lawsuit is the first ever tax enforcement action filed under the New York False Claims Act. The Act is one of the state’s most powerful civil fraud enforcement tools because it allows whistleblowers and prosecutors to take legal action against companies or individuals that defraud the government. Fraudsters found liable under the False Claims Act must pay triple damages, penalties and attorneys’ fees. Under the False Claims Act, whistleblowers may be eligible to receive up to 25 percent of any money recovered by the government as a result of information they provide.

Twenty-nine states and the federal government have passed False Claims Acts, but only New York’s expressly covers tax fraud as a result of a landmark law authored by Attorney General Schneiderman. In 2011, as one of his first acts in office, Attorney General Schneiderman created a Taxpayer Protection Bureau, which is charged to work with whistleblowers and enforce the False Claims Act in tax and other government fraud cases.

The Office’s investigation of Sprint began with a whistleblower lawsuit – also called a “qui tam” action– filed in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan in March 2011, just after the Taxpayer Protection Bureau was created. The Bureau, working with the New York State Department of Taxation & Finance, then conducted an extensive investigation and determined the extent of Sprint’s illegal conduct. The Attorney General has taken over the action from the whistleblower on behalf of New York’s taxpayers. If found liable, Sprint could be required to pay more than $300 million to New York state and local governments, including school districts.

The Attorney General’s complaint also seeks to protect Sprint’s current customers, to whom Sprint falsely marketed its wireless calling plans. Sprint promised its customers that it would collect and pay the correct amount of sales taxes on their behalf. The Attorney General seeks to ensure that Sprint — and not its customers — will be liable for any back taxes, and to empower Sprint’s current New York customers to terminate their contracts without having to pay termination fees.

The Attorney General’s appeal was argued by Assistant Solicitor General Brian Sutherland, Deputy Solicitor General Richard Dearing and Special Counsel to the Solicitor General Cecilia Chang are supervising the appeal. The lawsuit is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Lisa White, Acting Bureau Chief Scott Spiegelman and Former Bureau Chief Randall Fox of the Taxpayer Protection Bureau, along with Assistant Attorney General Daniel Smirlock. Gregory Krakower, Senior Advisor and Counselor to the Attorney General and Kelly Donovan, Executive Deputy Attorney General for the Division of Criminal Justice are supervising the case.

(LONG ISLAND) County Executive Edward P. Mangano and Acting Police Commissioner Thomas C. Krumpter are urging citizens to be vigilant when receiving telephone solicitations requesting payment via Green Dot cards or Western Union.

It has come to the attention of the Nassau County Police Department that individuals are receiving calls from persons claiming that they owe money for unpaid taxes or utility bills. In these cases individuals are contacted by scammers claiming that they are federal or utility company employees and that the individual called owes money. These victims are told they can avoid arrest, foreclosure or suspension/termination of services if they make payment to the caller using Green Dot cards or Western Union.

In another scam a caller states that an individual has missed jury duty, or a family member has been kidnapped, held hostage, or involved in an auto accident. The caller may claim to be a law enforcement officer. The victim is told to send money either through Western Union or via Green Dot card to keep from being arrested or to help the family member.

In addition to these, we have seen scams advising individuals that they have won large sums of money, phone calls or notifications, by mail or online, advising that individuals are approved for a loan or grant, or winners of a sweepstakes lottery. In some instances they even receive a partial bank check of the winnings that appears to be legitimate, but an up front payment for processing fees is requested before funds can be claimed.

These scams cost honest citizens thousands of unrecoverable dollars.

This information is being provided to residents to make them aware of these ongoing scams. If you believe you may have been a victim of any of these scams, please call 911 immediately.

Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the individual(s) responsible are asked to call Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS (8477). All calls remain anonymous.

Tax Department says he will pay the State $321,235 in Withholding Tax over next 5 years

(NEW YORK) The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance announced today that a Flushing, NY owner of two transportation companies was sentenced to five years probation for tax evasion and ordered to pay the State $321,235 in back taxes.

Dean D’Elia, 53, of 47-24 197^th St., the operator of D’Elia Express, Inc. and DEXP, Inc. located at 248 Wyandanch Ave. in West Babylon, NY, appeared in Suffolk County Court following a guilty plea to Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree.  He was charged with filing false Withholding Tax returns from 2004 to 2008 in an effort to evade taxes he owed the State.

The case was investigated and prosecuted by the office of Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas J. Spota with the assistance of the Tax Department’s Criminal Investigations Division.

D’Elia will pay the State the $321,235 to settle his tax liability over the five year probation period.

In New York State, 96% of taxes are paid by businesses and individuals who voluntarily meet their tax responsibilities. The remaining 4% is collected through the Tax Department’s audit, collections and criminal investigations programs. Through its enforcement programs, the Department ensures fair tax administration for all New Yorkers.

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Schneiderman: I Am Proud To Have Assisted Homeowners And Communities All Over New York, And I Will Do Everything I Can To Further That Recovery

(NEW YORK) Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today published an op-ed in the Press & Sun-Bulletin of Binghamton on the success of his Homeowner Protection Program. In its first 15 months, HOPP has funded 90 housing counselors and legal services agencies, providing assistance to thousands of New York homeowners at risk of foreclosure. Along with detailing his efforts to help struggling families, the op-ed also discusses legislation he has proposed to aid neighborhoods destabilized by the housing crisis, which has threatened cities and towns statewide.

The following are excerpts from the op-ed:

ON FIGHTING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY FROM THE BANKS: As attorney general, I have been recovering funds from some of the banks whose conduct contributed to the market crash. Under our settlement agreements, these banks are providing real relief to both New York families and municipalities, and I have proposed legislation to extend that aid even further.

ON THE NEED FOR HOPP: When I took office in January 2011, 345,000 New York families were facing foreclosure and half of those families had never spoken to a lawyer at any stage of the process. In response, we created the Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP), a network of free housing counseling and legal service providers serving families in every community in our state.

ON THE SUCCESS OF HOPP: There are now more than 90 HOPP grantees across the state — including in Broome County, which has had more foreclosures than any other county in the Southern Tier … Since the HOPP program began in October 2012 through the end of 2013, our service providers have helped nearly 24,000 homeowners. More than 6,660 of those families have already received mortgage modifications or have modifications pending.

ON FUNDING LAND BANKS TO REHABILITATE STRUGGLING TOWNS: We have distributed nearly $13 million to eight land banks — including in Broome and Chautauqua counties — and another $7 million will be awarded through a competitive process this summer. Current state law allows only two more land banks to be created, but many more communities could benefit from access to these valuable resources. That is why I proposed legislation to raise the maximum number of land banks from 10 to 20.

ON NEW YORK’S ZOMBIE PROPERTY EPIDEMIC: RealtyTrac data show that four of the 10 New York counties with the highest percentage of zombie foreclosures [properties that residents abandon after receiving a foreclosure notice] are in the Southern Tier — Chautauqua, Chemung, Steuben and Tioga. RealtyTrac estimates there are 15,000 zombie properties statewide, with nearly 1,000 across the Southern Tier. But research by my office has found that these numbers are probably too low. The truth is that no one really knows how many zombie homes there are.

ON OUR ZOMBIE HOME BILL: I am introducing legislation to force banks to shoulder the burden of these zombie properties far earlier in the foreclosure process … My bill would create a statewide registry to help municipalities and regulators figure out which properties are zombies and who is responsible for them.

The full op-ed by Attorney General Schneiderman can be read here.

Common Redpolls with Salmonella Frequented Bird Feeders across 13 Counties in 2013

(NEW YORK) In January and February 2013, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) confirmed infections with the bacteria Salmonella in common redpolls that frequented bird feeders across 13 counties. No confirmed cases have been identified to-date in 2014, however it is the time of year when DEC receives reports of dead common redpolls that became infected with Salmonella at bird feeders. Proper maintenance of bird feeders can help prevent disease transmission, particularly in these late winter months when songbirds are especially vulnerable.

Salmonellosis or “Songbird Fever” is among the most common diseases associated with bird feeders. Outbreaks can affect many bird species including cardinals, goldfinches, sparrows, cowbirds and pine siskins. The bacteria can be shed in the bird’s feces even when the bird appears healthy. Salmonellosis can spread through contact with infected birds, contaminated seed, seed waste on the ground or water in bird baths. It is important to note that salmonellosis is a zoonotic disease and can be spread to both people and domestic animals. Other common songbird diseases that are spread through bird feeders are Mycoplasma Conjunctivitis (an eye infection of House Finches) and Trichomoniasis (an oral parasite of songbirds, pigeons and doves).

A bird feeder surrounded by the various species of birds is a common sight in many residential backyards. Bird feeders can be a safe and enjoyable way to watch birds from the comfort of one’s home but under the right circumstances birdfeeders can also be a place where diseases can spread very quickly between birds because of their close contact with each other.

New Yorkers can help curtail the spread of disease in songbirds by emptying and cleaning feeders and bird baths with hot soapy water at least every two weeks. It is also a good idea to soak feeders in a dilute 10 percent bleach solution and allow them to dry before re-hanging them. Waste seed on the ground beneath feeders should be cleaned up and discarded. Spreading feeders out and relocating feeders periodically can also limit the build-up of waste. Practice good hygiene when cleaning feeders and bird baths by wearing gloves to handle seed waste and washing hands after performing maintenance. If you observe multiple sick or dead birds at your feeder, please report them to your local DEC office. A list of DEC’s regional offices can be found here: http://www.dec.ny.gov/about/558.html.

The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s Project Feeder Watch has a great deal of helpful information about feeding backyard birds at http://feederwatch.org/learn/feeding-birds/.

Schneiderman: These People Paid A Debt They Didn’t Owe; New York Must Make Good On The Debt We Owe Them

(NEW YORK) Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today published an op-ed in the New York Daily News on his Unjust Imprisonment Act, which he proposed last week during a speech at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The legislation – which will be introduced by Assemblyman Joseph Lentol – would remove burdensome provisions from current law that make it harder for people who were wrongfully convicted to recover financial relief from the State. The Attorney General’s op-ed argues that all those unjustly imprisoned deserve their day in court, and that New York has an obligation to help them achieve long overdue justice.

The following are excerpts from the op-ed:

ON THE CASE OF FERNANDO BERMUDEZ: For 18 years, Fernando Bermudez was locked up in state prison — until a judge overturned his murder conviction. Once freed, he did what you or I would have done: sought financial relief to give him a small measure of justice and help get his life back together. Unfortunately, because of a technicality in state law, he can’t even bring a case.

ON CURRENT STRICT, TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS: The statute barring Bermudez’s lawsuit is part of the Court of Claims Act. When someone makes a claim against the state, that person must legally verify that the facts in the claim are true. It’s fundamentally a technical matter, and in most cases, an attorney can verify the claim. But for people seeking relief for unjust conviction and imprisonment like Bermudez, the verification must be signed personally. He did not do that; his lawyer did. So, because his claim did not comply with this strict and highly technical requirement, my office must challenge his case in court.

ON RIGHTS FOR THOSE WHO FALSELY CONFESSED: Since 1991, according to the Innocence Project, 27 people had their convictions overturned because of DNA evidence in New York State — and 10 had also falsely confessed to crimes they didn’t commit … People plead guilty or admit to crimes they didn’t commit for various reasons. Certain interrogation procedures produce high rates of false confessions. Some defendants become convinced that taking a plea would avoid a much worse sentence after a trial …  Some defendants are simply too young to know better … But under state law, only someone who “did not by his own conduct cause or bring about his conviction” may sue for damages, even after a court determines he or she was wrongfully convicted. Someone who pleaded guilty or confessed cannot pursue a claim — unless he or she can prove the confession, admission or plea was the result of coercion or duress.

ON EQUAL JUSTICE FOR ALL WRONGFULLY CONVICTED: A statute that lets some wrongfully convicted individuals seek restitution but denies that right to others is an unjust and unequal application of the law. We must fix this fundamentally flawed, outdated statute.

ON THE DEBT WE OWE THE UNJUSTLY IMPRISONED: The measures I am proposing in the Unjust Imprisonment Act represent long overdue justice for people who have been doubly victimized by New York State — first, by being wrongfully locked up, then by being denied the right to seek compensation for years spent away from families, careers destroyed, income lost … These people paid a debt they didn’t owe; New York must make good on the debt we owe them.

The full op-ed by Attorney General Schneiderman can be read here.

CBS News Correspondent Barry Petersen Named Keynote Speaker at Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center Inc.’s Annual Education Conference And Expo

(Bay Shore, NY) Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center, Inc. (ADRC) has announced that Emmy Award-winning CBS News Correspondent Barry Petersen will be the Keynote Speaker at its 10^th Annual Alzheimer’s Disease Education Conference and Expo on March 6, 2014. The Education Conference and Expo will be held at the Melville Marriott Long Island, located at 1350 Old Walt Whitman Road.

Mr. Petersen will recite excerpts from his 2010 book, Jan’s Story: Love Lost to the Long Goodbye of Alzheimer’s, which chronicles his late wife’s battle against Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease. In the book, Mr. Petersen explains how he took on the role as her caregiver until her passing in May 2013, and the many obstacles they both faced as her condition worsened. Not only does the book reflect his emotions through years of coping with his wife’s disease, but it gives readers a look into the struggles that caregivers face.

Mr. Petersen has been reporting for CBS for more than three decades. As an accomplished correspondent, he has covered numerous conflicts, wars, and natural disasters from around the globe. To this day, he continues to support Alzheimer’s Disease research by funding countless organizations and donating 10% of the proceeds from his book to nationwide Alzheimer’s Disease programs.

“We are proud to have such an esteemed journalist such as Barry Petersen speak at our event,” says Mary Ann Malack-Ragona, Executive Director/CEO, Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center, Inc. “We feel saddened by the tragic loss of his wife to the disease, but we know that stories like his will help those who currently struggle with caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease.”

For more information on the upcoming Alzheimer’s Education Conference and Expo, please contact Mary Ann Malack-Ragona, Executive Director/CEO at (631) 580-5100 or visit www.adrcinc.org.

Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center, Inc., headquartered in Bay Shore and has a satellite office in Southampton — is the only local Alzheimer’s Disease advocacy and educational facility whose mission is to provide hands-on support and services to families on Long Island and the New York metropolitan area. ADRC works with family members, health care professionals and researchers to ensure quality health care and support to those impacted by Alzheimer’s Disease through care and consultation, information and referral, training, support groups, and caregiver safety products.

Opening Tuesday, March 4, 2014, through April 4; Opening reception March 4, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM  at Lobby Gallery, 430 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022 (Park Avenue between 56^th and 57^th Streets)

(NEW YORK) Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts (www.usdan.com), the nationally acclaimed summer arts day camp once again named a “Best Camp for 2013” by TimeOutNY/Kids, will present In Focus, a month-long exhibit of student photography from Tuesday, March 4, 2014 through Friday, April 4^th, 2014 in the lobby gallery of 430 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022. An Opening Reception will take place on Tuesday, March 4 from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

The exhibit is curated by Rochelle Morgan, Chair of Usdan Center’s Visual Arts Department. The images chosen for the show were all taken last summer by 16 Photography students, grades 4-12, in Usdan’s celebrated Visual Arts Department. Four of Usdan Center’s teachers worked with the students over the course of the summer to prepare the work being displayed in the exhibit. They included Daniel Gosnell, Melissa Johnides, Dena Mortell, and Lori Sklar.

The students, from Long Island and New York City, are: Rebecca Agurto, from Douglaston; Diya Chadha, from Woodbury; Aidan Dunlap, New York City; Allison Elkowitz, Roslyn Heights; Nicole Fegan, Merrick; Emma Gaedie, Stony Brook; Emily Halper, Dix Hills; Sydni Harris, New York City; Rebecca Karpen, New York City; Elizabeth Kunkov, Woodbury; Lillian Molesky, Glenwood Landing; Haley Mortell, Huntington; Natan Oster, New York City; Gabrielle Picard, Plainview; Alexa Pisano, Commack; and Caroline Vance, Stony Brook.

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, whose alumni include Natalie Portman, Mariah Carey and Jane Monheit, is now entering its 47^th season, and has introduced the arts to more than 60,000 Tri-State Area children since its founding in 1968. The Center is open to all young people from age 6 to 18. Usdan’s program features more than 40 four and seven-week programs in music, dance, theater, visual arts, writing, nature & ecology, and chess. No audition is needed for most programs – rather, admission is based on an expression of interest in the arts. Each summer, 1,600 students are transported to the Center in air-conditioned buses each day. One-third of Usdan’s students attend on scholarship. Although the mission of the Center is for every child to establish a relationship with the arts, the unique stimulation of the Center has caused many to go on to arts careers. Alumni include members of Broadway shows and major music, theater, and dance ensembles such as the Boston Pops and the New York City Ballet.

In addition to its regular programs, Usdan offers opportunities for advanced high school- age performing and visual artists. These include Music Staff Internships, a Summer Ballet Intensive, and a program of immersion in the visual arts. Usdan is an agency of the UJA-Federation of New York.

Usdan Center is currently holding Open Houses for its 2014 season, which begins June 30. For information, call (631) 643-7900, write to info@usdan.com, or visit www.usdan.com.