(Huntington, NY) Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci (R,C,WF,I-Huntington Station) recently attended the NAACP Long Island Region 10th Annual Awards Luncheon to present Naomi Brown, Gold Life Member of the NAACP Huntington Branch, with an Assembly Citation in her honor.

“I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to recognize Ms. Brown for the hard-work she has contributed to the NAACP Huntington Branch, as well as many other areas of the Huntington community,” said Lupinacci.

“Her undeniable kindness and determination have assisted her in achieving great success throughout the years.”

In addition to her dedication to her family, career and community, Ms. Brown has generously donated many years of her life as a prominent member of Evergreen Missionary Baptist Church in Huntington, where she served for over thirty-five years as Superintendent of the Sunday School.

As Superintendent at Evergreen, Ms. Brown utilized her leadership skills and organized countless fundraisers, which resulted in major repairs that the Church greatly needed.

Brown has also received numerous awards and certificates from her Church for outstanding service.

(Long Island, NY) The Nassau County Police Department has arrested five defendants in connection with a robbery that occurred in a residence on Broadway in Massapequa Park.

According to the report, a male victim, 24, was at his residence when three male defendants known to him entered his residence. After about twenty minutes, Nicholas Vairo, displayed a handgun and demanded the victim’s wallet and for him to get on the floor. The defendant removed the victim’s cash along with a tablet computer and two X-Box controllers. The three defendants entered defendant Corsale’s 1996 Geo Prism, where the two female defendants were waiting for them; all fled the scene. No injuries were reported. Proceeds were recovered with all arrests.

According to Nassau County detectives, five defendants were arrested in connection with a robbery that occurred in a residence on Broadway in Massapequa Park. File photo by Christopher Boyle.

Arrested on February 10, 2014 for this Robbery were:

• Nicholas Vairo, 21, of 208 Wantagh Avenue Levittown;
• Michael Myers, 21, of 3635 Tonopah Street Seaford;
• Rajiv M. Singh, 19, of 2496 N. Jerusalem Road North Bellmore;
• Melina James, 18, 31 Sanford Street Huntington Station and
• Jessica Taylor Corsale, 20, of 274 Seaford Avenue Massapequa.

All five defendants are each charged with one count of Robbery 1st Degree. Additionally charged are defendant Myers for one count and defendant Singh for two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. All five defendants will be arraigned in First District Court 99 Main Street Hempstead on February 11, 2014.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the prosecution to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Winter Storms Cancel Drives, Lead to Critical Shortage

(Hauppauge, NY)  In the midst of an unprecedented string of winter storms, New York Blood Center  is urgently asking donors to roll up their sleeves to replenish the community blood and platelet supply.

Dozens of blood drives have been canceled because of bad weather. Blood drives that are continuing have experienced greatly reduced attendance, while operations at NYBC’s many walk-in donor centers are similarly affected.

“I urge residents to donate to this vital cause,” Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said. “So many people depend on donations to survive serious illnesses or accidents. Giving blood is an easy way to help others in need.”

To donate blood or platelets or for information on how to organize a blood drive please call toll free: 1-800-933-2566 or visit: www.nybloodcenter.org

Of the six major blood types, five are below target levels. The supply of O-Negative blood – “universal donor” blood that can be transfused into anyone in a trauma situation – is now below the minimum emergency “safety level.”  Also, platelets- needed for clotting- have only a 5-day shelf life and meeting the needs of cancer patients and others who require this lifesaving blood component has been a challenge.

“While we’re confident in our ability to supply our partner hospitals, we’re still struggling with the effects of the snow and ice for the past two weeks, and worried about an even bigger hit this week,” said NYBC Vice President Rob Purvis.  “It is critical that we all pitch in by donating blood to ensure that supplies aren’t further diminished in the days ahead.”

There is no substitute for human blood, with about one in seven hospital admissions requiring a blood transfusion.  Blood is especially important for people with leukemia, other forms of cancer, and of course for trauma victims. With a limited shelf life, supplies must be continually replenished.

Three factors are combining together to prompt NYBC’s emergency declaration:

1. Many blood drives have been cancelled because of accumulated or predicted snowfall.
2. Many donors haven’t been able to make scheduled donation appointments due to the weather.
3. Hospital demand for blood types – notably O-negative, the universal blood type because of its usefulness in trauma situations – remains high.

If you cannot donate but still wish to participate in bringing crucial blood products to patients in need, please ask someone to donate for you, or consider volunteering at a local blood drive.  NYBC also offers special community service scholarships for students who organize community blood drives during summer months.

Any company, community organization, place of worship, or individual may host a blood drive. NYBC also offers special community service scholarships for students who organize community blood drives during summer and winter months. Blood donors receive free mini-medical exams on site including information about their temperature, blood pressure and hematocrit level. Eligible donors include those people at least age 16 (with parental permission or consent), who weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, are in good health and meet all Food & Drug Administration and NY or NJ State Department of Health donor criteria. People over 75 may donate with a doctor’s note.

(Hauppauge, NY) Today, the Suffolk County Food Policy Council (SCFPC) released its annual report to the Suffolk County Legislature and to Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. This report summarizes the actions and steps taken by the Council over the course of 2013. It also identifies future steps and actions to be investigated in 2014.

Click here for the report.

The SCFPC is made up of members of the Department of Health Services, the Department of Economic Development & Planning, the Department of Social Services, food equity advocates, community-based groups, food growers, retailers, and distributors, and Legislator Kara Hahn, the Chair of the Suffolk County Legislature’s Environment, Planning, and Agriculture Committee.

The mission of the Food Policy Council is to:

• Promote the production, distribution, and awareness of locally grown food.
• Strengthen and prioritize policies that will improve food access, health, and nutrition.
• Enhance the regional food system by utilizing local agriculture and farming.

“Access to fresh, healthy foods is absolutely essential to the continued success and growth of our local communities, said County Executive Bellone. “Suffolk County has a rich, vibrant agricultural industry and we must continue to do better to ensure that all citizens, regardless of income status, are able to purchase healthy, affordable food. I applaud the Suffolk County Food Policy Council in their efforts to encourage local food production and to improve local fresh food accessibility.”

Some of the Council’s 2013 successes include:

• The creation of a position on the Suffolk County Food Policy Council for a “local public school district administrator, to be selected by the Legislature” who can assist and offer expertise on “farm-to-school” initiatives.
• The production of a “How to Guide” describing the process of beginning a community garden.
• The update of a 2010 map created by the Long Island Victory Garden Task Force identifying parcels of County-owned land that could potentially be used for community gardens.
• The Council helped advocate for the successful passage of legislative changes to Chapter 8 of the Suffolk County Administrative code, the code that governs Suffolk County’s Purchase of Development Rights program. These changes will help expand direct marketing and processing activities on preserved Suffolk County farmland and will help bring fallow, uncultivated preserved farmland back into agriculture production.

The Council expects to see exciting completion of recent initiatives in the near future including:

• The identification of a corner store owner in a “food desert” in Gordon Heights who will host an event featuring educational materials and displays, food sampling and cooking demonstrations, and opportunities to eligible attendees to enroll in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance (SNAP) Program. The event is planned to be held in March. It is hoped the event can serve as a pilot project for future efforts.
• The Council is working on developing a community gardens website. The website, though still under construction, will serve as a comprehensive resource for people and organizations that want to begin or participate in community gardens on Long Island, including information on how to organize, how to grow or start a garden, possible funding opportunities, and a calendar of events coordinated or hosted by local gardens.
• The creation of an online presence for the Suffolk County Food Policy Council. The SCFPC should serve as a resource for Long Islanders seeking information about healthy foods, news about proposed policies, and notification of relevant workshops and events. The first step is to create a Facebook and Twitter feed to serve those needs.

“The Suffolk County Food Policy Council is committed to developing practical and actionable policies and programs that will help support our local farmers and fishermen and ensure local food security as we work to alleviate food access inequities in our communities” said Suffolk County Food Policy Council Chair, August Ruckdeschel, Farmlands Administrator in the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development & Planning.

“I commend the Suffolk County Food Policy Council for its work thus far in identifying ways to promote access to healthy, locally grown, food for all of our 1.5 million residents,” said Legislator Kara Hahn, Chairwoman of the Legislature’s Environment, Planning and Agriculture committee.  “As I continue to look toward ways of curbing the national epidemic of obesity and heart disease here in Suffolk County, I welcome their informed judgment of nutritional disparities that are commonplace throughout our culture.”

“Now is the time to strengthen Long Island’s local food sector,” said Amy Engel, Executive Director of Sustainable Long Island. “Sustainable Long Island is proud to serve on the Suffolk County Food Policy Council and looks forward to the continued collaboration that will advance our food system in a more equitable, environmentally just way.”

“Island Harvest is proud to be joining with our colleagues in different fields as a member of the Suffolk Food Policy Council, all working together to move important issues like food safety, food equity/access to healthy foods, and buying local from simply ideas and concepts to real action and direct benefits to the people of Suffolk County,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, President & CEO of Island Harvest.

“Cornell University Cooperative Extension is committed to boosting food security by promoting healthy lifestyles, improving access to fresh, local, nutritious foods and striving for food sustainability. Together with the Food Policy Council we strive to decrease the burden of obesity in Suffolk.” Vito Minei, Executive Director, Cornell Cooperative Extension.

“In the spirit of the mission of the Food Policy Council, community gardens offer food access with the aim of improving health, all while emphasizing local eating.  This locavore philosophy results in utmost nutrient consumption, and a gentler carbon footprint,” said Iman Marghoob, the Community Gardens Coordinator at Stony Brook University Medical Center and the Chairwoman of the SCFPC Subcommittee on Community Gardens.

The Suffolk County Food Policy Council meets every two months. The next meeting will be held Today, February 11th at 9a.m. at the W.H. Rogers Legislature Building, 725 Veterans Memorial Highway, Smithtown, NY 11787. All meetings are open to the public and interested parties.

Strong support for sustainability, with some notable exceptions; Senators score a perfect 100

(NEW YORK) The New York League of Conservation Voters unveiled scores for the New York delegation this morning as part of the League of Conservation Voters’ 2013 National Environmental Scorecard.

The Scorecard reflects how continued attacks on the environment and public health safeguards have led to record low scores in many parts of the nation.

“There is a jarring disconnect between the frightening climate change developments of 2013 and the results of the 2013 National Environmental Scorecard,” said LCV President Gene Karpinski. “Together with our allies in the Senate, the Obama Administration was able to defend against the worst attacks on our environment and protect public health.”

The 2013 Scorecard covers votes during the first session of the 113th Congress. It includes 13 Senate votes and 28 House votes on issues ranging from public health protections to clean energy to land and wildlife conservation. It comes on the heels of another record-breaking year of climate change impacts with more than 100 climate change deniers serving in Congress.

Compared with the rest of the nation, New York’s senators and House representatives scored relatively high. In New York, 12 House members earned a score of 90 percent or greater, while two earned an abysmal score of just 4 percent. The average House score for New York was 72 percent.

Both of New York’s senators scored perfect 100s.

Nationwide, the average House score in 2013 was 43 percent and the average Senate score was 58 percent.

“New Yorkers care a lot about their environment, and it should come as no surprise that most of our elected representatives tend to vote for the environment and clean energy,” said Marcia Bystryn, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters. “But as the low scores from Congress Members Collins and Reed underscore, a number of New York House members remain out of step with their own constituents.”

While the New York scores reflect some trends along party lines, the Scorecard shows that neither party voted monolithically.

For example, at Chris Gibson, a Republican who represents the 19th District in the Hudson Valley, scored 43 percent — which is far from perfect, and NYLCV will continue to work with him to improve that score. But Congress Member Gibson had the highest score of any Republican House member in the nation, underscoring the environmental leanings of the Hudson Valley as well as his own efforts to find a middle ground, a notion that is sadly out of fashion in Washington.

The New York delegation scores are:

SENATE

• Gillibrand, 100
• Schumer, 100

U.S. HOUSE

• Bishop, 89
• Clarke, 96
• Collins, 4
• Crowley, 96
• Engel, 93
• Gibson, 43
• Grimm, 14
• Hanna, 11
• Higgins, 93
• Israel, 93
• Jeffries, 89
• King, 14
• Lowey, 96
• Maffei, 86
• Maloney, C., 96
• Maloney, S., 79
• McCarthy, N/A – missed a majority of votes due to illness.
• Meeks, 86
• Meng, 89
• Nadler, 96
• Owens, 50
• Rangel, 96
• Reed, 4
• Serrano, 93
• Slaughter, 86
• Tonko, 93
• Velazquez, 96

For over 40 years, the National Environmental Scorecard issued by LCV has been the nationally accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental, public health, and energy issues. LCV has released an interactive National Environmental Scorecard, which allows users to easily see how every member of Congress voted since the launch of LCV’s first Scorecard in 1971. It can be found online at http://scorecard.lcv.org/.

(West Islip, NY) Recent studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine have shown young inexperienced drivers who are distracted while driving by using a cellular phone or adjusting radios and controls for example, are more than 700 percent more likely to be involved in a crash. Other studies have shown the risk of being involved in a car accident is highest for drivers aged 16- to 19-year-olds than any other age group. For each mile driven, teen drivers are four times more likely than other drivers to be in an accident during the first year. These are startling statistics but unfortunately a reality.

Even a single momentary distraction while driving can cause a lifetime of devastating consequences.

There are proven methods to helping teens become safer drivers. Research suggests delaying full licensing, limiting the number of passengers in the car and restricted hours of driving, while allowing teens to get their initial driving experience under low-risk conditions.

Join Good Samaritan Hospital and the Aram Chowdhury Foundation at a free Parent/Teen Program for Driving Safety on Saturday, March 29, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at West Islip Fire Department. Registration begins at 10:00 am. Program will include hands-on demonstrations and compelling presentations about the dangers of distracted driving.

“Many teens are testing the limits instead of properly driving a car,” said Ellen Chowdhury, founder of the Aram Chowdhury Foundation. “Teen drivers’ inexperience leads to poor decision making and a greater chance of car accidents.” The Foundation came about after Dr. and Mrs. Chowdhury lost their 18-year-old son Aram, in a car accident nearly 19 years ago involving inexperienced teenagers out for a ride.

For more information, please call (631) 376-4444.

Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center is a 537-bed (including 100 nursing home beds), voluntary, not-for-profit hospital located in West Islip. The medical center, which has more than 3,500 employees and 900 physicians on staff, had nearly 28,000 patient admissions and nearly 100,000 emergency department visits in 2012. Good Samaritan is a member of Catholic Health Services of Long Island. Visit the website at www.good-samaritan-hospital.org.

The medical center supplies residents with the tools necessary to maintain good health. This includes community lectures, screenings, health fairs and other community programs and services.

Cuomo says it is not about the money in education, but a comparison of New York and New Jersey demonstrates that money matters in student outcomes

(ALBANY, NY) A new report provides evidence that flies in the face of Governor Cuomo’s repeated assertions that “it is not about the money” in schools. The report finds that on school funding and student performance New York compares quite unfavorably with neighboring New Jersey. The “Tale of Two States” report examines funding levels, the all-important way that funds are distributed, and the results – stark disparities in student test scores and graduation rates.  The report was prepared by the Campaign for Fiscal Equity Project at Education Law Center, the Alliance for Quality Education and Public Policy & Education Fund.

For the full report, click here. For the executive summary, click here.

Both states are high spending–New York ranks second among states and New Jersey ranks fifth. However, while New Jersey is a leader in educational equality, New York is a laggard.  New York spends 87 cents in high need districts for every dollar spent in high-wealth, low poverty schools. New Jersey spends $1.42 in high need districts for every dollar spent on more affluent students.  New York’s high average spending masks major differences in funding from district to district that shortchange high need students of educational opportunities.

New York’s inequitable funding distribution leads to lower student performance, in sharp contrast to New Jersey’s higher performance due to its equitable funding. For all groups of students, New Jersey significantly outperforms New York largely due to the fairness of its funding system.  Low-income students, students with disabilities, students with limited English proficiencies, Black students and Hispanic students in New Jersey have graduation rates ranging from seven percentage points to twenty-nine percentage points higher than in New York.  These are the very students most hurt by New York’s unfair funding system. New Jersey considerably outperforms New York on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), among all students and also among low-income students in particular.

“Ignoring the needs of New York’s students has produced shameful results, as the ‘Tale of Two States’ report shows,” said Chairman of the Black, Hispanic, Puerto Rican and Asian Legislative Caucus Karim Camara. “Inequity in this state has produced a wide gap between the haves and have nots, which continues to grow each year that the state ignores the Campaign for Fiscal Equity. Just across the river in New Jersey, we have a great example of how to close that gap. Let’s take a lesson from our neighbors and stop the inequality.”

“I am disappointed that New Jersey’s education system does so much better than New York’s when it comes to educating Latinos, African Americans and English language learner students,” said Assemblyman Felix W. Ortiz, Chairman of the NYS Assembly/Senate Puerto Rican & Hispanic Task Force. “This report makes it clear that money matters when it comes to closing the educational achievement gap.  I support $1.9 billion in school aid that is fairly distributed based on student need.”

“As a New Yorker it hurts to say I am jealous of New Jersey, but they are clearly beating us when it comes to educational equity,” said Billy Easton, Executive Director of the Alliance for Quality Education. “For Governor Cuomo to keep saying money does not matter in education is simply ignoring the facts of educational inequality in New York.  New Jersey’s higher spending in high poverty schools results in substantially higher graduation rates.”

“New Jersey stands out as a beacon of educational equity,” said David Sciarra, Executive Director of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, a project of the Education Law Center. “Its commitment to fair school funding pays huge dividends in outcomes for kids.  By contrast, New York’s continued failure to support fair funding for schools shortchanges students in high needs schools of educational opportunities leading to significantly lower graduation rates than in New Jersey’s high needs communities. The Governor’s budget proposal is entirely inadequate to address this educational inequality, the legislature must act now to increase school aid by $1.9 billion and make sure it is fairly distributed.”

“New York State is one of the least equitable states in the country in supporting public schools,” said Robert Biggerstaff, executive director of the NYS Association of Small City School Districts. “Small city school districts spend $2,000 less per pupil than the average district despite the fact that their school tax rates are 15% higher than the state average. It is no surprise therefore that according to the state’s own aid formula, two thirds of them are classified as not successful. One example is Utica City School District which has by far the highest student need and the lowest graduation rate in Oneida County. Yet it spends the least per pupil among the county’s districts. That is the reason eight of the Small City Districts have had to resort to litigation and the court.  The Small Cities case is headed to trial in September and these districts are seeking a judgement which will provide their students the resources they need to fulfill their potential in school and the workplace.”

(Long Island, NY) the following statement was released today from former Councilmember Oliver Koppell on the Senate Majority Coalition’s blockage of UPKNYC:

Today’s report that Senator Skelos will block Mayor de Blasio’s pre-K plan from coming up for a vote is outrageous. The only reason Senator Skelos is allowed to block this and other progressive legislation is because of his backroom deal with Senator Jeff Klein. As a former Councilmember who represented much of Senator Klein’s Senate District and a current resident of this district, I call upon Senator Klein to immediately renounce his self-serving agreement with Senator Skelos and rejoin the Democratic Conference.

Legislation To Be Introduced By Assemblyman Robert K. Sweeney; Microbead-Free Waters Act Bans Plastic Beads Used In Facial Scrubs, Shampoos And Toothpaste; Beads Found At High Levels In Lake Erie, Beads Pollute New York Waters And Pose Emerging Threat To Wildlife, Public Health; Schneiderman: Protecting Our Waterways Is Among New York’s Most Important Responsibilities

(NEW YORK) Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today was joined by Long Island Assemblyman Robert K. Sweeney in proposing first-in-the-nation legislation that bans a form of plastic pollution that is an emerging threat to New York’s Great Lakes and other bodies of water. The Attorney General’s Microbead-Free Waters Act will prohibit the sale in New York of beauty and cosmetic products that contain tiny plastic particles that are often marketed as microbeads. The plastic beads, which were recently found in alarmingly high levels in the New York waters of Lake Erie, can persist in the environment for centuries and accumulate toxic chemicals on their surface, threatening fish, wildlife and public health.

“From the Great Lakes to the Hudson River to Long Island Sound, our commitment to protecting and restoring New York’s waters is among our most important responsibilities,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “New York’s environmental leadership continues today with the introduction of common-sense legislation that will stop the flow of plastic from ill-designed beauty products into our vital waters, preserving our natural heritage for future generations.”

The Microbead-Free Waters Act would prohibit the production, manufacture, distribution and sale in New York of any beauty product, cosmetic or other personal care product containing plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size. Microbeads are commonly found in more than 100 products, including facial scrubs, soaps, shampoo and toothpaste, where they replace ground walnut shells, sea salt, and other natural materials as an abrasive.

Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Robert K. Sweeney said, “When people learn more about this issue, they will be unwilling to sacrifice water quality just to continue to use products with plastic microbeads. I never met anyone who has wanted plastic on their face or in their fish.  I want to thank Attorney General Schneiderman for partnering with me to take action on an issue that threatens to pollute our State’s environmental treasures.”

When products containing microbeads are used in the home, the beads are rinsed down the drain and into our sewer systems. Because of their small size and buoyancy, microbeads escape treatment by sewage plants and are discharged into rivers, lakes and oceans.

In 2012, a team of researchers that included scientists from the State University of New York at Fredonia discovered alarming levels of microbeads in the Great Lakes – with the highest concentrations recorded in the New York waters of Lake Erie. Half of all plastics collected on the surface of Lake Erie were the perfectly spherical, multi-colored beads identical to the microbeads used in beauty products. Other plastics collected included larger plastic litter that had broken down in the environment, such as detergent bottles and Styrofoam.

Once in the water, microbeads, like other plastics, can attract and accumulate certain toxic chemicals commonly found in waters across the state, and can be mistaken as food by small fish and wildlife. Scientific studies have shown that fish and wildlife of all sizes consume plastic. In addition, environmental pollution found in Great Lakes waters, such as PCBs (the industrial pollutants polychlorinated biphenyls), gravitate and attach to the surface of plastic. If fish and wildlife species low on the food chain eat these contaminated plastics, the chemicals might be passed on to larger birds, fish and other animals that people eat.

To date, the Great Lakes are the only New York open waters sampled for plastic pollution. However, microbeads in beauty products can pass through sewage treatment facilities in any part of the State, raising concerns about their introduction into other State waters.

Three leading beauty product manufacturers – Proctor and Gamble, Unilever and Colgate-Palmolive – have all made recent commitments to phase out the use of microbeads in their products. Other companies, such as Burt’s Bees, have never used these plastics in their products. Consumers can determine if their beauty or personal care products contain microbeads by checking the product ingredient list for “polyethylene” or “polypropylene.”

New York State Senator Mark Grisanti said, “Protecting our Great Lakes – especially Lake Erie – goes hand in hand with revitalizing our waterfront. From Grand Island all the way to Brant, our waterfront is undergoing an incredible transformation. I support the concept of the Microbead-Free Waters Act and I believe it will keep dangerous plastic pollution out of our water and protect regional assets like the Great Lakes, which have become epicenters for economic development.”

Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster, a board member of The Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, said, “Once we became aware of this significant new pollution threat recently uncovered in the Great Lakes, The Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Cities Initiative took a strong stance that the flow of microbeads into our waters must stop. We applaud Attorney General Schneiderman for spearheading this initiative, and we look forward to working alongside him to ensure that the future of the Great Lakes is microbead free.”

Mayor Keith Hobbs, of Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Chairman of the Cities Initiative, said, “We are moving forward with our actions to solve this problem, and these efforts in New York will be a big help in this important initiative.”

New York League of Conservation Voters President Marcia Bystryn said, “New York’s lakes and waterways are among our most beloved natural assets. This legislation will not only help protect them for future generations – it will also set an example for other states around the country to address this emerging environmental threat. We thank Attorney General Schneiderman for forging a common-sense, effective strategy to safeguard the natural resources that we all cherish and depend on.”

Peter Iwanowicz, Executive Director of Environmental Advocates of New York, said, “It’s easy to underestimate the harm that products like this cause, but no matter the shape or size of the plastic, it is still plastic we are flushing down the drain. Plastic microbeads haven’t made a single New Yorker cleaner or more beautiful so their continued use is absurd. Environmental Advocates applauds Attorney General Schneiderman for proposing this legislation, and we urge its passage.”

Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter Conservation Director Roger Downs said, “Plastic pollution is insidious – it doesn’t degrade like natural materials and persists for decades, if not centuries in our environment. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has set the bar on holding the beauty products industry accountable, and we urge other states around Great Lakes basin, and across the country to follow New York’s leadership.”

5 Gyres Institute Dr. Marcus Eriksen, lead author on the paper reporting on the first ever open-water survey of the Great Lakes for plastic pollution, said, “We found more small plastic pieces in the Great Lakes than in the ocean garbage patches, and the majority were microbeads. The 5 Gyres Institute commends New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for his global leadership in responding quickly to this emerging source of plastic pollution.”

Erin Crotty, Executive Director of Audubon New York and Vice President of the National Audubon Society, said, “Small plastics like microbeads pose a growing threat to many bird species that feed at the water’s surface. Many waterbirds mistake plastics for food — or are susceptible to bioaccumulation of plastic in the fish they eat — with detrimental effect, including decreased food-absorption and starvation. Audubon New York applauds New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for his leadership and attention to the growing problem of plastic pollution, and the threat it poses to birds and people across the globe.”

Brian Smith, of Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE), said, “Plastic microbeads that can accumulate toxic chemicals and be consumed by fish and wildlife are unnecessarily polluting New York’s treasured waters and threatening public health. CCE commends Attorney General Schneiderman for his leadership to protect the health of the Great Lakes and all New York waters by proactively addressing this emerging threat.”

Jill Jedlicka, Executive Director of Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, said, “The emerging threat of microbead pollution has the potential to undermine the billions of dollars of public and private investment into our water-based economies and negatively impact the progress of Great Lakes restoration. We applaud Attorney General Schneiderman for demonstrating New York State’s leadership on this issue in the Great Lakes, and for advancing legislation that will directly benefit the health of our waterways.”

Paul Gallay, President of Riverkeeper, said, “Riverkeeper commends Attorney General Schneiderman and Assemblyman Sweeney for taking action to address the growing problem of micro bead pollution in New York’s waters. We have strived for decades to reclaim the Hudson River from its industrial, polluted past, and we have a cleaner, healthier river as a result. These plastic microbeads are an unnecessary and harmful product that do not belong in our waterways, and should be phased out of use as quickly as possible – this proposed law would be a precedent-setting first step in achieving this goal.”

(Long Island, NY) Suffolk County Police today arrested two Centereach teens that vandalized eight vehicles in Selden and Centereach.

According to police, windows were broken with a BB gun in Selden and Centereach between January 11 and February 8, mostly during evening hours. After a recent incident, a witness observed a red Volvo sedan leaving the scene.

According to Suffolk County police, windows were broken with a BB gun in Selden and Centereach between January 11 and February 8. After a recent incident and investigation Harold Brame, 17, and Cisco Serrano, 17, were charged with multiple counts of Criminal Mischief. File photo by Christopher Tozzi.

After an investigation by Officers Greg Pranzo and Sal Dabbraccio of the Sixth Precinct Crime Section, the vehicle and suspects were identified.

Harold Brame, 17, of 52 Jay Road, Centereach, was charged with four counts of Criminal Mischief 4th Degree. Cisco Serrano, 17, of 77 Eastwood Boulevard, Centereach, was charged with 7 counts of Criminal Mischief 4thDegree.

The investigation is ongoing.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the prosecution to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.