(GLEN COVE, NY) The Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center recognizes Tanvi Abbi as Upstander of the Month for September 2013.

“Life is like a photograph, you need the negatives to develop.” – Author unknown. This is the motto Tanvi Abbi lives by. Tanvi is 16 years old, beginning her junior year at the Mary Louis Academy. She resides in Searingtown and has experienced bullying most of her life.  Tanvi says, “It was terrible . . . but it has shaped me by giving me great insight about facing and overcoming struggles in life.” This bright young woman believes in working for a better future and advocates finding a silver lining in every situation.

Due to her experience with bullying, Tanvi became actively involved with the organization “The Inner You.” Through the organization, she donates her time to work with other victims of bullying in order to create a shared space through building acceptance, respect and positive self-esteem.  According to Tanvi, “Having insight about what it’s like to feel alone and misunderstood is what allows me to nurture and create bonds that have impacted people in many different ways.”

Tanvi realizes that helping victims is one step in bullying prevention and response. In addition, we must use education as the key ingredient in preventing bullying and to empower students to be Upstanders. “Education about bullying is the only way to end this epidemic. People have to know that bullying is more than just a rite of passage or just ‘kids being kids.” Tanvi brings her compassion and experience to everyone she meets and exemplifies all that encompasses an Upstander.

Each month the Center accepts nominations from teachers, civic leaders, family and friends of a Long Island youth that has implemented the HMTC’s mission by advocating respect for all people.  The student’s action as an Upstander could be one of intervention or prevention.  To nominate a student for “Upstander of the Month” or learn more, email Jennifer Carpenter Low at jenniferlow@holocaust-nassau.org or call 516-571-8040 ext. 107.

About the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County
The Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County is the pre-eminent Holocaust resource on Long Island, with a contemporary museum and is one of the largest and most comprehensive education program providers in the region. Since 2007, nearly 210,000 students, educators, employers and law enforcement personnel have participated in the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center’s education programs.

Under construction and scheduled to open in January 2014, the Claire Friedlander Education Institute will accommodate four classrooms with state-of-the-art audio-visual aids and cutting edge technical equipment for specialized Holocaust video-conferencing programs and a wide variety of workshops for youth and adults.

With the Louis Posner Memorial Library, the Center offers over 7,000 volumes of Holocaust, genocide, multicultural, anti-bias and anti-bullying material for youth and adults, from Kindergarten through post-graduate researchers. It is the largest such collection on Long Island. Additional information is available online at www.holocaust-nassau.org.

(NEW YORK) Five years ago this weekend, Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, triggering a global financial crisis. Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today issued the following statement on the fifth anniversary of the financial meltdown of 2008 and the steps he has taken to help New York’s working families recover:

“Five years ago, fraudulent acts, misjudgment, and a pursuit of profit over principle brought the American markets to the verge of collapse, undermining the economic security of families across our state. While our economy is on the road to recovery, the fight to give working families a fair shake continues. We still have a long way to go to rebuild the wealth of the middle class, restore investor confidence in our financial system, and make the housing market an engine for faster job growth, the biggest impediment to our overall recovery.

“With too many New Yorkers still fighting foreclosure, and banks that still refuse to play by the rules, we must do everything in our power to stand up for hardworking families. That includes helping rebuild communities, educating homeowners on their rights, and expanding access to legal guidance that can make the difference between a family keeping their home or facing foreclosure. It means continuing the fight for real accountability for the illegal and deceptive conduct that created the housing bubble and crashed the global economy. The 2008 financial crisis was a tragic and powerful reminder that when the rich or powerful play by their own rules, it undermines our whole nation. By returning to our founding principle of equal justice under law, we can not only restore the trust of the American people in our financial system, but also guarantee that this kind of crash will never happen again.”

In the past two years, Attorney General Schneiderman has made several significant efforts to bring accountability for the misconduct that led to the crash of the American markets and to support homeowners impacted by the financial crisis.

In January 2012, Attorney General Schneiderman was named co-chair of President Obama’s Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Working Group, a state-federal task force dedicated to investigating those responsible for the financial crisis. Since joining the Working Group, the Attorney General has filed lawsuits against J.P. Morgan and Credit Suisse for deceiving investors as to the quality of loans packaged in residential mortgage-backed securities, which contributed to the financial crisis.

Attorney General Schneiderman also led a coalition of 49 state attorneys general in reaching the $25 billion National Mortgage Settlement with the country’s five largest mortgage servicers. The settlement required the participating institutions to provide direct relief to victims of wrongful foreclosures and preserved a wide range of claims for further investigation and prosecution.

Attorney General Schneiderman has since used New York’s $136 million settlement award to assist the recovery of at-risk homeowners and communities. In June 2012, the Attorney General launched his Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP), a three-year, $60 million commitment to fund housing counseling and legal services for struggling New Yorkers. HOPP has since subsidized free foreclosure prevention services for 35 legal services organizations and 59 housing counseling agencies statewide. HOPP has also funded a 24/7 foreclosure hotline and a public service announcement to enhance statewide awareness and access to these services.

In addition, Attorney General Schneiderman has announced his intention to dedicate $20 million of the settlement funds to develop “land banks” across New York, which will help communities restore properties vacated or abandoned through foreclosure.

Though the National Mortgage Settlement has already provided billions of dollars in consumer relief to New Yorkers, Attorney General Schneiderman demanded consistent compliance with the Settlement by all participants, taking action against Bank of America and Wells Fargo for violating its terms by failing to improve their servicing practices.

Attorney General Schneiderman has also brought the concerns of the many New Yorkers currently facing foreclosure to the New York State Legislature, proposing two important pieces of legislation. First, the “Certificate of Merit” Bill, which was signed into law, will help expedite homeowners’ participation in court-supervised mediation sessions where they can negotiate alternatives to foreclosure with their lender. Second, the Foreclosure Fraud Prevention Act, which was passed by the Assembly, would impose criminal penalties on mortgage lenders and servicers who intentionally engage in deceptive conduct in their handling of foreclosures.

Features Jerry DeMeo and Naomi Margolin & Mark Newman

(Long Island, NY) Long Island’s own Jerry DeMeo and Naomi Margolin & Mark Newman are the featured artists when the Folk Music Society of Huntington’s monthly Hard Luck Café series resumes at the Cinema Arts Centre on Thursday, Sept. 19. The 8:30 p.m. concert in the Cinema’s Sky Room will be preceded by an open mic at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 for Cinema Arts Centre and FMSH members; $12 for non-members. The Cinema Arts Centre is at 423 Park Avenue in Huntington.

For more information, visit www.fmsh.org or call (631) 425-2925.

Jerry DeMeo is a Huntington-based singer-songwriter and guitarist with an expressive singing voice, engaging guitar work and ebullient stage presence. Drawing his guitar-playing influences from artists such as Leo Kottke, Stephen Stills and Jorma Kaukonen, Jerry performs original material along with an impressive array of covers — all marked with his own individual imprint.

Says former My Father’s Place owner Michael “Eppy” Epstein: “Jerry DeMeo, with his multifaceted personality, brings … not only great singing and original songs…. He’s both witty and funny and brings a friend-and-family milieu to any venue [where] he performs.”

DeMeo released his first album of original songs earlier this year. Entitled Headin’ East, Headin’ West, the CD features an acoustic sound highlighted by electric guitar and a combination of country sensibility, rhythm and blues feel, and bossa nova accents.

Naomi Margolin and Mark Newman are a singing and songwriting duo from Long Island whose all-too-infrequent musical appearances together are a rare treat for their audiences.

Naomi is an accomplished vocalist and songwriter who, along with Mark, hosts the monthly Music from the Hive songwriter series in Westbury. Mark is an acclaimed guitar, mandolin, lap steel and dobro player whose career has taken him around the world several times as a sideman to the stars. He is part of The John Oates Band and also has toured with artists such as Sam Moore, Sam the Sham and the late Willy DeVille. Also a singer-songwriter in his own right, Mark’s most recent solo album is Walls of Jericho (2010).

Naomi Margolin and Mark Newman were among the artists who performed at this summer’s Huntington Folk Festival and also were part of the Folk Music Society of Huntington’s tribute to Harry Chapin and benefit concert for WhyHunger last December.

Established in 1973, the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington (www.cinemaartscentre.org) seeks to bring the best of cinematic artistry to Long Island and use the power of film to expand the awareness and consciousness of our community. Long Island’s only not-for-profit, viewer-supported, independent cinema presents a wide array of films that are often accompanied by discussions and guest speakers.

Now in its 45th year, the Folk Music Society of Huntington presents two monthly concert series, a monthly folk jam and sing-along, and an annual folk festival in conjunction with the Huntington Arts Council. Its First Saturday Concerts at the Congregational Church of Huntington (30 Washington Drive, Centerport) will feature James Maddock, a popular British singer-songwriter now based in New York, on Saturday, Oct. 5. Popular folk-rock duo The Kennedys will be the featured performers during the Oct. 17 Hard Luck Café.

(Long Island, NY) Senator Joseph Griffo (R-C-I, Rome) announced today that Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed legislation (S.3469A/Chapter 341) to stop the sale and use of deadly bath salt-type drugs that have been connected to recent deaths of young party-goers in New York City.

The new law, sponsored by Senator Griffo, would further curb the use of bath salts by adding new compounds used to make these types of drugs to the state’s banned substances list. It classifies these compounds as Schedule I stimulant controlled substances and imposes criminal penalties on those who sell, use and/or possess these drugs. The law makes it a felony to sell the substances to a minor or on school grounds.

“I applaud Governor Cuomo for signing this measure into law because these drugs are very dangerous and cause violence and death,” Senator Griffo said. “News reports today blame bath salt drugs for the recent deaths of as many as three people in New York City.”

“The latest danger posed by these drugs involves dealers passing the bath salts off to young people as the party-drug ‘Molly,’ by claiming the substance is pure ecstasy, when, in fact, the drug is the same kind of dangerous narcotic that causes violence and death,” Senator Griffo said.

“I commend Senator Griffo for his leadership on this issue and I am pleased that Governor Cuomo requested the bill be sent to him today and he has signed it,” Senate Majority Coalition Leader Dean Skelos said. “Bath salts are very dangerous drugs and we have to do everything we can to keep our state laws current to keep them off the streets and prevent people from becoming victims.”

The Senate passed the bill unanimously at the conclusion of the legislative session in June. It is common practice for the Governor to determine when a bill is sent to him and request that it be delivered for his consideration.

Bath salts are a commonly-used term for man-made stimulant drugs that are similar to methamphetamine’s. These drugs can stimulate both the nervous system and the cardiac system and can cause heart attacks, seizures, permanent brain damage and severe hallucinations. Reports have shown that an individual’s behavior on bath salts can sometimes lead to suicide or the harm of others.

In 2011, the state enacted a law proposed by Senator Griffo, that banned the sale or distribution of any product containing Mephedrone and MDPV, which were being marketed at the time for recreational use as bath salts, and classified these stimulants as controlled substances.

Senator Griffo said, “These so-called ‘bath salts’ are not the same as aromatic bath salts. They contain a potentially lethal mix of synthetic drugs and serve no purpose other than to get the user high. This law bans these dangerous substances so we may help keep our young people safe. This action is needed because tragically, these incidents are still taking place across New York.”

(Long Island, NY) Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman (I-Montauk) today introduced legislation to expand the Suffolk County’s role in combating tick-borne illnesses. The legislation requires the division of Suffolk County Vector Control to submit a yearly plan to reduce the incidence of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

Suffolk County controls the spread of insect-borne diseases such as West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis through the division of Vector Control. To date, the division has focused its attention on mosquito-borne illnesses, despite the fact that it was specifically created to focus on both mosquito and tick-borne illnesses. The annual budget for the division of Vector Control is $2.5 million.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports 300,000 yearly cases of Lyme disease. There are 1,000 cases of West Nile per year making it 300 times more likely that a Suffolk County resident will contract Lyme disease than West Nile virus.

“The county has done a good job preventing West Nile, but needs to step up efforts to reduce Lyme disease,” said Legislator Schneiderman.

Under Schneiderman’s legislation, the yearly Suffolk County Vector Control plan would include a section on the steps being taken to reduce the incidence of tick-borne illnesses. This section shall include the work to be done, the methods to be employed and methodologies to determine the effectiveness of the program.

“Lyme disease is an epidemic on the east end of Long Island. Most of us have been impacted in some way by tick-borne disease. Suffolk County needs to play an active role to control this growing health problem,” said Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski. Legislator Krupski is a co-sponsor to this legislation.

“Towns and villages are struggling to develop plans to respond to the growing Lyme disease cases,” said Schneiderman. “The county should be playing a leadership role in Lyme disease prevention.”

Areas like Shelter Island and North Haven have been exploring the 4-Poster system. The 4-Poster device is a passive feeding station designed to control ticks that utilize white-tailed deer as a host. The device uses 4 rollers to apply insecticides directly to feeding deer.

There are multiple types of tick-borne illnesses in Suffolk County including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis. In the late 20^th century, Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, was recognized as an important emerging infection. Since its identification nearly 30 years ago, Lyme disease has continued to spread, and there have been an increasing number of cases in the Northeastern and North Central parts of the U.S.

The Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, causes infection by migration through tissues, adhesion to host cells, and evasion of immune clearance. Ecological conditions favorable to the disease, and the challenge of prevention, make it certain that Lyme disease will be a continuing public health concern. Lyme disease is now the most commonly reported arthropod-borne illness in the U.S. Since surveillance for Lyme disease begun in the U.S. by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of reported cases has increased steadily, and in the year 2000, more than 18,000 cases were reported.

Lyme disease is now the most widespread vector-borne disease in the U.S. In 2013, as many as 300,000 Americans will be diagnosed with Lyme disease. The new figure is the CDC’s most comprehensive attempt at a better estimate. The number of cases comes from a survey of seven national laboratories, a national patient survey and a review of insurance information. Lyme disease is under reported according to the CDC, which estimates that the reported cases may be 10% of the total number of actual cases.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is a tick borne disease caused by rickettsia, a microbe that differs somewhat from bacteria and virus. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is characterized by a sudden onset of moderate to high fever, severe headaches, fatigue, deep muscle pain, chills and rash. Symptoms usually appear within two weeks of the bite of an infected tick.

Babesiosis is a rare, severe and sometimes fatal tick borne disease caused by various types of Babesia, a microscopic parasite that infects red blood cells. While anyone can get Babesiosis it can be more severe in the elderly or those with weakened immune systems. The disease can cause fever, fatigue and hemolytic anemia lasting for several days to several months.

Ehrlichiosis is a tick borne disease that can be caused by two different bacteria. It is caused by Ehrlichia chaffeensis, which is transmitted by the Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum). The symptoms are the same and usually include fever, muscle aches, weakness and headaches. Unlike Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a rash is not common. Infection may be life-threatening or even fatal.

Of the total vector borne illnesses found in the United States, Lyme disease is by far the most prominent. It accounts for more than 95% of vector-borne illness cases. “The County Health Department needs to develop a comprehensive approach to reducing Lyme disease and other tick borne illnesses, said Legislator Schneiderman. “A primary function of government is to protect the health and welfare of residents of Suffolk County. It is time for Suffolk County to take a leadership role in preventing Lyme disease.”

Representing the South Fork, Jay Schneiderman is the Suffolk County Legislator for the Second Legislative District. For more information, or to arrange an interview, please call (631) 852-8400.

(Oakdale, NY) Solar Power World, the solar industry’s leading media resource with its print publication, web site and social media outlets, today released the industry’s most definitive ranking of solar installers. The Top 250 Solar Contractors list offers the industry a look at how they stack up against their peers across all solar markets —residential, commercial and utility systems.

Coming in at No. 123 is Oakdale-based SUNation Solar Systems. This is the second year in a row that SUNation has been named to the list – the only Long Island based company to do so. Last year Solar Power World released a list of the Top 100 Contractors and SUNation was No. 78 – out of 100. Not too shabby. This year Solar Power World received so many applications they expanded the list to 250 solar contractors.

This achievement puts SUNation in rarefied company, and this kind of accomplishment is truly worth celebrating. The ranking includes companies small and large, privately owned and publicly traded.

This is thanks to you our SUNation family members (those we already know and those who will be joining our family in the future). We couldn’t have gotten here without you. THANK YOU!!

For more information, contact Tammy Lea at 631-750-9454 or e-mail tammy@sunationsolarsystems.com.

About SUNation Solar Systems
SUNation Solar Systems has been in business since 2003, and has installed more solar PV systems than any other contractor on Long Island. Our success is predicated on our attention to detail and impeccable customer service. We are passionate about green initiatives. It is our goal to help reduce the carbon footprint for generations to come, and to help make Long Island a green corridor and an example to the rest of the country. It would give us great pleasure to get you on board.

(GLEN COVE, NY) Tracy Garrison-Feinberg, Senior Program Associate at Facing History and Ourselves in New York, has been named the new Director of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County’s (HMTC) Claire Friedlander Education Institute.

Tracy Garrison-Feinberg, Senior Program Associate at Facing History and Ourselves in New York and new Director of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County’s (HMTC) Claire Friedlander Education Institute.

Garrison-Feinberg will be responsible for creating the vision and strategic plan for the Claire Friedlander Education Institute, including the implementation of education programs to increase awareness in our schools and communities about the causes and consequences of racism, anti-Semitism, intolerance and indifference during the Holocaust and universal lessons to be acted upon.

Steven Markowitz, HMTC Chairman, commented on the appointment, “Tracy has developed some of the most thoughtful and inspired programming in the field and has worked extensively with numerous educational institutions and a broad range of educators and key stakeholders in the Long Island community. In addition, she brings considerable writing, publication, and teaching experience. I am delighted that Tracy will be joining us and am certain that she will lead the HMTC to new heights.”

Garrison-Feinberg stated, ““I am honored to be offered the opportunity to assist the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County in taking such a well-respected organization to the next level. To have the opportunity to develop the Claire Friedlander Education Institute’s education programs across Long Island and beyond is very exciting.”

With building already underway, the Claire Friedlander Education Institute is scheduled to open in January 2014. Generously funded by the Claire Friedlander Family Foundation, the foundation was established by Claire Friedlander, a Holocaust Survivor, whose life was saved by people who took a stand against prejudice. “Tracy’s appointment will make a tremendous impact on the HMTC to expand its programs within the existing structure in Claire’s name,” said Peter Klein, Claire Friedlander Family Foundation President.

About Tracy Garrison-Feinberg
Tracy Garrison-Feinberg taught social studies and United States History at the high school and community college level in Austin, Texas, before joining the staff of Facing History and Ourselves in 1995. Founded in 1976, Facing History and Ourselves offers education programs throughout the United States and abroad to combat racism, anti-Semitism and prejudice. Tracy has facilitated workshops and summer seminars for secondary school educators on genocide and Holocaust studies, the Eugenics movement, human rights and civil rights.

Tracy is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, earning a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and a master’s degree in U.S. History. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and daughter, serves on the executive committee of the PTA at her daughter’s school, is a board member of the New York chapter of the Texas Exes (alumni organization of the University of Texas), and sings with the Oratory Choir at St. Boniface in Brooklyn and the Gotham Rock Choir in Manhattan.

About the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County
The Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County is the pre-eminent Holocaust resource on Long Island, with a contemporary museum and is one of the largest and most comprehensive education program providers in the region. Since 2007, nearly 210,000 students, educators, employers and law enforcement personnel have participated in the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center’s education programs.

With the Louis Posner Memorial Library, the Center offers over 7,000 volumes of Holocaust, genocide, multicultural, anti-bias and anti-bullying material for youth and adults, from Kindergarten through post-graduate researchers. It is the largest such collection on Long Island.

Additional information is available online at: www.holocaust-nassau.org

For more information about this release and the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, please contact:

Contact: Jennifer Carpenter Low
Cell Phone: (516) 658-3249
Email: jenniferlow@holocaust-nassau.org

Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County
Welwyn Preserve, 100 Crescent Beach Road
Glen Cove, New York 11542
(516) 571-8040 x107
Fax (516) 571-8041
www.holocaust-nassau.org

(Mineola, NY) In a recent TV ad former County Executive, Tom Suozzi, accused current County Executive, Edward Mangano, of borrowing $2 billion in long term debt and of placing the burden on our children. This is at best a gross exaggeration and at worst flat out lying. The Mangano Administration in its three and half years in office has borrowed $1.24 billion, primarily for capital projects and to provide residents with relief from Superstorm Sandy. The Mangano Administration is further projected to borrow an additional $85 million before year-end bringing its total borrowing over the last four years to $1.33 billion, approximately one third less than the $2 Billion Mr. Suozzi falsely alleges. The sources quoted by Suozzi also make no reference to this falsely alleged $2 billion in borrowing.

It is Suozzi that borrowed $2.62 billion in the last four years of his administration from 2006 to 2009, leaving the County and our children with $3.47 billion in long term debt. These numbers are directly from his year-end audited financial statements. Compared to the Mangano Administration, Mr. Suozzi has borrowed almost 97% more ($2.62B versus $1.33B) during comparable 4 year periods.

Mr. Suozzi may think it is okay to lie to children but he cannot lie to adults and he cannot escape his record of adding $2.62 billion in new borrowing in his last four years.

About Comptroller George Maragos:
Mr. Maragos is the current Nassau County Comptroller. He brought 35 years of senior management experience in private industry and has been credited for helping hold the line on property taxes, delivering three balanced budgets, cutting $300 million in waste and fraud and reducing borrowing by 50%. Mr. Maragos holds a Bachelor in Electrical Engineering and an MBA in Finance. He was Vice President at two major financial institutions and Founder and CEO of a successful technology firm. Mr. Maragos is happily married to his lovely wife Angela of 40 years, has two sons and two beautiful grandchildren.

(Bethpage, NY) The Long Island Forum for Technology (LIFT, www.lift.org), the designated NYSTAR Long Island Regional Technology Development Center and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) for the U.S. Department of Commerce, working on behalf of the region’s 3,200 small and mid-sized manufacturers, wants Long Island to know that there are many thriving manufacturers across diverse industries right here on Long Island. The organization is joining MEPs across the nation and other organizations including the National Association of Manufacturers and the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International on October 4^th, 2013 for the official Manufacturing Day. This event was designed to raise awareness and improve the perception of manufacturing and its significant value to the North American economy. Additionally, the day is intended to help manufacturers learn about business improvement resources and services provided by their local MEPs such as LIFT on Long Island.

According to LIFT Executive Director Bill Wahlig, “Manufacturing Day is when students, parents, educators, customers, suppliers and the broader public will have the opportunity to observe manufacturing in action across America. Here on Long Island, LIFT is encouraging local manufacturers to celebrate their contributions to the region’s economy by holding plant tours and open houses. Manufacturing is a vital engine for driving Long Island’s growth and economic development.”

Among the local manufacturers that have already scheduled an open house from 9 AM to 4 PM at its facility is Festo (Hauppauge, NY, www.festo.com), a leading worldwide supplier of automation technology and the performance leader in industrial training and education programs. The company’s mission is to maximize productivity and competitiveness for its customers. Festo is located at 395 Moreland Road, Hauppauge, NY 11788. To register for the Festo Manufacturing Day event, visit: http://bit.ly/15Famqo.

A member of the LIFT Family of Companies, the Applied Science Foundation for Homeland Security (Bethpage, NY, www.asfhs.org) is also hosting an open house at its research facility located at 510 Grumman Road West, Bethpage, NY 11714. The open house will be from 8 AM to 4 PM. The Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization that focuses on accelerating the transfer of technology into end-user driven products and systems in support of first responders and other homeland security personnel. It achieves its mission through its “living lab” environment in its Morrelly Homeland Security Center, a one-of-a-kind, privately-owned homeland security C4I facility that facilitates unprecedented collaboration between the public and private sectors. Through its operations, the Foundation is effectively advancing the development and commercialization of products and services that homeland security end-users need and can afford. To register for the Applied Science Foundation for Homeland Security Manufacturing Day event, visit: http://bit.ly/19wZKPJ.

Wahlig commented that 2012 was the first year that Manufacturing Day was held. It was celebrated with over 240 events across the country including three on Long Island at Atlantic Industrial Technology (Shirley, NY), Accessory Technology (Farmingdale, NY) and B&R Industries (Medford, NY).

“This year, our goal is to double the number of Long Island Manufacturing Day events,” said Wahlig. He added, “There is still plenty of time for Long Island manufacturers and colleges with curriculum in manufacturing to plan and host an event to help raise awareness of manufacturing and the great career opportunities it offers. Manufacturers that would like more information can contact us at LIFT or visit the Manufacturing Day website: www.mfgday.com.”

About LIFT
The Long Island Forum for Technology (LIFT) is a non-profit economic development organization working with the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). LIFT is NYSTAR’s designated Regional Technology Development Center for Long Island and the region’s official MEP. Its role is far reaching, including helping members win government contracts and grants to grow their businesses; aligning companies with synergistic lines and missions; giving members access to critical business improvement and quality management systems across core areas; providing lean product design and development services, innovation engineering, feasibility studies, material analysis services and rapid prototyping; and offering industry-specific education forums. The LIFT Family of Companies reflects several major technology and related initiatives, including: the Applied Science Foundation for Homeland Security, the Rail Alliance, The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technology Innovation Center (AMMTIC), DHS Mantech, Information Technology, Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition and Workforce Development. LIFT’s primary mission is to commercialize Long Island’s technology.

For more information, visit: www.lift.org

Overdose Prevention Program Expected to Save Countless Lives as Overdose Antidote Becomes Available to Community

(Hauppauge, NY) The Suffolk County Department of Health Services this week received state approval to register as an Opioid Overdose Prevention Program. The designation will allow health officials to teach laypersons how to recognize an opioid overdose and reverse its effects.

Beginning next month, Suffolk County Emergency Medical Services will begin training adults who are interested in becoming Trained Overdose Responders (TORs). Trainings will address risk factors for opioid overdose, signs of overdose, contacting emergency medical services and administering intranasal naloxone, an opioid antagonist known by the brand name Narcan. Participants will receive at no cost a kit containing medication and supplies. Those who complete the program successfully will receive two-year renewable certification.

“This is very welcome news,” said County Executive Bellone. “With this designation as an Opioid Prevention Program, we are able to expand our outreach beyond the EMS System and offer greater community access to this potentially life-saving antidote.”

Narcan, is an opioid antagonist that is given to patients with opioid overdose to reverse the effects of the opioid. Patients respond quickly to Narcan, and there are minimal side effects or contraindications to its use.

New York State, prior to June 2012, allowed only advanced life support providers to administer Narcan. Typically, advanced life support providers have administered naloxone approximately 500 times per year, in Suffolk County. In 2012, Suffolk County was chosen as one of only three counties to participate in a demonstration project to test whether basic life support providers–including police officers who are trained as basic EMTs–can recognize opioid overdose and save lives by safely administering Narcan. Basic EMTs are trained to use a needleless atomizer, administering medication through the nose. Since the program’s inception, basic EMTs have saved 174 additional lives using Narcan.

“There are thousands of mothers and fathers out there who know their sons or daughters are facing devastating addictions,” said Suffolk County legislator Kara Hahn who has championed the use of Narcan in Suffolk County by authoring three laws to affect its usage. “Their greatest fear is that one day they will wake up to a child who has overdosed and not be able to help them. These trainings will empower those parents and/or friends or roommates of addicted individuals to be prepared to save their lives should that be necessary.”

“Reversing an opioid overdose through Narcan administration is time dependent,” said Health Commissioner James Tomarken. “This program will allow prompt on-site intervention by trained family members or friends of overdose victims, thereby eliminating the time interval between a 911 call and an ambulance arrival.”

Robert Delagi, Administrator of the Opioid Prevention Program, said, “We anticipate that those who are aware of opioid abuse among friends, families and social contacts will be eager to become trained overdose responders. We expect to the roll the program out in October, upon arrival of the kits from the New York State Department of Health’s AIDS Institute.”

Delagi was recently appointed to a technical advisory group convened by the New York State Department of Health to develop policies to guide community-based resuscitation of individuals who are presumed to have overdosed from opioids.