The New Health Care Law: What It Means To You – October 2

(Garden City, NY) The Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island will host a free community seminar on the Affordable Care Act on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.

“The New Health Care Law: What It Means To You” brings together community outreach and public health experts to educate the public about obtaining health insurance, enrollment specifics, preventive and wellness care, controlling costs and how the law benefits uninsured and underserved individuals.

Expert panelists include:

• State Senator Kemp Hannon, chair, Senate Health Committee;
• Kelly Ann Murray, Director of Healthcare Programs for the Health & Welfare Council of Long Island;
• Jacqueline Moline, MD, Vice President of Public Health, NSLIJ Health System and chair of population health, North Shore University Hospital;
• Lisa Tyson, director, Long Island Progressive Coalition (LIPC); and
• Kenneth Feiffer, associate dean, Icahn School of Medicine, Mt. Sinai Hospital.

A Q&A session is planned, following panelist presentations.

“Many people are unaware or confused about the requirements of the Affordable Care Act,” said EHSLI Humanist Religion Director Calvin Dame. “We are delighted to offer this seminar to help our community better understand the law, what they need to do, and when they need to do it.”

Health insurance exchanges begin signing up consumers on October 1. Attending an information session early in the process gives attendees ample time to shop around for the best plan, armed with the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions, Dame said.

Starting January 1, 2014, the Affordable Care Act requires everyone to have at minimum, a basic health insurance plan or pay a penalty. Many who already have insurance through an employer, spouse, or other source can simply keep their current plan. However, with nearly 50 million people in the U.S. lacking any type of coverage at all, the law guarantees that most will be able to obtain essential benefits, including preventive and wellness care, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, and rehabilitative services.

The Ethical Humanist Society is located at 38 Old Country Road, Garden City. Admission to the seminar is free, but space is limited – anyone interested in attending is asked to RSVP to 516–741–7304.

Event to Take place September 18 (3:00 PM TO 5:00 PM)

(Long Island, NY) “Statistics show that 34% of parents in the United States don’t know their child’s exact height, weight and eye color,” said Senator Kemp Hannon (R-Nassau). “When a child is reported missing, time can be the greatest adversary. Possessing up-to-date photos and important information about one’s child are important proactive measures a parent can take to assist law enforcement should a child disappear.”

To assist parents in this endeavor, Senator Hannon is proud to host a “Safe Child ID” program at the Plainedge Library on September 18, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. Families who participate will receive a free, walled-sized ID card containing a child’s name, biographical information (date of birth, age, gender, height, weight, hair and eye color) and a fingerprint image of both index fingers.

“The card is created in under two minutes,” said Hannon. “It can be carried in a wallet or purse.”

Interested parents can also choose to store the fingerprints, basic biographical information and photos of children – this information may be critical in the event of a lost or missing child. The storage of the information is entirely voluntary and requires the express written consent of a parent legal guardian.

Should the parent wish to share the information, it would be digitally recorded and stored in a state database; in the event the NYS DCJS (the agency which stores the information) receives a missing child report, the fingerprints of that child could then be used to help in the return of the missing child.

For more information, please call Senator Hannon’s Community Office at 516-739-1700, or E-mail Senator Hannon at hannon@nysenate.gov.

(Long Island, NY) Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci (R,C,WF,I-Huntington Station) today announced he would sponsor a Hurricane and Emergency Preparedness Program on Tuesday, September 24, at 7:00 p.m at the South Huntington Library, 145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station. During the event, representatives from the Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management will be on hand to provide residents with tips on how to prepare for future natural disasters and answer questions.

“Over the last few years, Long Island has experienced two powerful natural disasters, Topical Storm Irene and Superstorm Sandy,” said Lupinacci. “While both storms highlighted the strength of our community and the skill of our emergency workers, the results of the storm were still tragic. It’s important to reflect on these events and learn from them in order to be better prepared for future storms. I’m sponsoring this preparedness program because I know that the more prepared we are as a community before a natural disaster, the easier the cleanup and recovery will be.”

The program will include preparedness information and instructions from members of the Suffolk County Office of Emergency Services and other government officials.

NYAGV calls for Congress to act to stop the flow of illegal guns into our communities

(New York City, NY) The shooting death last night of a one-year-old baby in a stroller on a Brooklyn street is shocking and barbaric. When babies are senselessly slaughtered in their strollers it is a sure sign that there is something terribly wrong with our society. Although few details are known at this point, it would not be a surprise if the shooter were found to have used an illegal gun.

Last month, Mayor Bloomberg confirmed that ninety percent of crime guns recovered on New York City streets come from states with weak gun laws. This is not just a statistic – New Yorkers are dying as a result. When those New Yorkers include a one-year-old infant, we should not only take notice but take action.

Leah Gunn Barrett, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence said, “It’s outrageous that the Senate rejected background checks and an anti-gun trafficking bill last April, both of which would have cut down on the flow of illegal guns into our communities. All Americans must demand that Congress stop pandering to the gun lobby and start doing its job to protect our children from this senseless and entirely preventable level of gun violence.”

About New Yorkers Against Gun Violence
New Yorkers Against Gun VIolence (NYAGV) is a statewide advocacy group working to reduce gun violence through advocacy and education designed to encourage action, influence public opinion and lead to policy change. With a primary focus on New York State, the organization also advocates at the local and national levels for sensible gun laws, policies and practices that protect New York state residents from gun violence.

(New York, NY) The 2013 Atlantic Hurricane season will go down in the books as being free of hurricanes through August. However, data suggests that interests in the basin may not be so fortunate through November.

According to Meteorologist Adrienne Green, “Since 1960, there have been five years when there were no hurricanes through August.”

The years were 1967, 1984, 1988, 2001 and 2002.

*Images from this Forecast are credited to to AccuWeather.com.

“During each of those years, multiple hurricanes followed spanning September through October,” Green said.

The average number of hurricanes during the five years (5.8) is close to the average number of hurricane during all years (5.9). An average of about nine named systems with about six hurricanes occurred following August during those five years. Since the start of September, the 2001 season brought nine hurricanes, while 2002 brought four hurricanes. While there is no 100-percent guarantee any hurricanes will form for the balance of the season, the odds are greatly in favor of multiple hurricanes through November with some of these likely during September. Based on past data, there will be multiple major hurricanes and direct impact on land by named systems are likely moving forward this season.

Each of these five years without August hurricanes delivered deadly and damaging hurricanes later in the season ranging from the Caribbean islands to Central America, Mexico, the United States and Canada.

These include:

• 1967 – September Hurricane Beulah – Category 5 – 688 fatalities – $1 billion in damage
• 1984 – September Hurricane Diana – Category 4 – 3 fatalities – $65.5 million in damage
• 1988 – September Hurricane Gilbert – Category 4 – 550 fatalities – $7 billion in damage
• 2001 – October Hurricane Iris – Category 4 – 36 fatalities – $250 million in damage
• 2001 – November Hurricane Michelle – Category 4 – 22 fatalities – $2 billion in damage
• 2002 – September Hurricane Isidore – Category 3 – 19 fatalities – $1.3 billion in damage
• 2002 – September Hurricane Lili – Category 4 – 13 fatalities – $925 million in damage

The 1984 and 2001 seasons brought named systems lingering into December. The 2002 season ended early, during mid-October.

A lack of strong systems in the tropics to date this season means there is a great deal of potential heat energy that is locked up over the basin. This energy is likely to be released and transported northward in the form of hurricanes during the months ahead.

There does not have to be a major hurricane making direct landfall to bring great risk to lives and property. Dangerous and damaging effects from a storm passing near an area or diminishing while moving inland can bring tremendous flooding, for example..

Story by AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist, Alex Sosnowski.

Large Local Employer Supports Green Jobs

(Holtsville, NY) Assemblyman Hennessey toured H.O. Penn’s Holtsville facility, one of five New York locations from which the company operates. H.O. Penn has been providing Caterpillar machines and equipment to the region since 1923 and is currently a large local employer with a solid environmental record.

Left to right are pictured Suffolk County Legislator DuWayne Gregory, Assemblyman Al Graff; Senator Phil Boyle; Kevin LaValle; Assemblyman Edward Hennessey; Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel; and Senator John Flanagan.

“I was impressed with this operation. This company is a job creator that uses clean sustainable technology and has been a vital participant in disaster response and recovery efforts from recent hurricanes and September 11 emergencies. Companies like this know how to be good neighbors and a boon to the community,” said Assemblyman Hennessey.

At approach of the 9/11 anniversary, formation flight of WWII B-25s will fly by the World Trade Center and Statue of Liberty during Labor Day weekend; Part of “Wings, Wheels and Tracks” celebration at the Airpower Museum at Republic Airport

(Long Island, NY) This Labor Day weekend the American Airpower Museum at Republic Airport will launch an unprecedented formation flight of  3 historic WWII B-25 Mitchell bombers and 3 WWII escort fighters for a tribute flight on Sunday, September 1, 2013 at about 12:30pm weather permitting, near the World Trade Center and circle the Statue of Liberty to salute our first responders, police, firemen and armed forces serving in the War on Terror. It will also honor those who have been working to rebuild the downtown area and especially the new towers!

On Saturday, August 31, 2013 weather permitting the Museum’s C-47 will offer one of two yearly D-Day flight experiences accompanied by WWII re enactors- a once in a lifetime experience only at the American Airpower Museum.

Throughout the upcoming holiday weekend, Saturday, August 31st through Monday September 2nd, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., these aircraft will also be on public display at the museum’s Farmingdale facility along with a squadron of other World War II planes, vintage cars and period armor as it hosts its annual Wings, Wheels and Tracks celebration.  Flight experiences will also be available in a B-25-a first at the American Airpower Museum, as well as in a T-6 and a WACO bi-plane.

Labor Day weekend adult admission at the museum is $15, Senior/Veteran (with ID) is $10, children between 4 and 12 are $4 and children three and under are free.

New Site features a streamlined look, designed with user experience in mind

(Norwalk, CT) It is with great pleasure that LongIslandJobs.net (www.LongIslandJobs.net) announces the successful migration of their regionally focused job board to a completely new technology platform, in partnership with Madgex (www.Madgex.com). The new site offers a wide range of new features for employers including multiple branding options, as well as means to market to the job seeking community on each site within the network. For the job seeker they will find new ways to search for jobs, be alerted to new openings, and see the sites on their mobile device. A new career information portal offers expert advice and resources designed to shorten the job search cycle.

David Lewis, CEO of AllCountyJobs.com, the parent company of www.LongIslandJobs.net, stated “The decision to upgrade our sites and the associated technology was tied to our ongoing mission to be the center of the job seeking universe for Long Island.” Lewis added “We are thrilled with the results and looking forward to leveraging the site for the benefit of the area job market in broad strokes.”

About AllCountyJobs.com
Founded in 1999, AllCountyJobs.com is a network of local & industry-specific online job boards covering the Northeast US Corridor. AllCountyJobs.com is located at 535 Connecticut Avenue, Second Floor, Norwalk, CT 06854 and can be reached at (203) 322-0538 or jgerwien@AllCountyJobs.com.

(Queens, NY) NYS Senator Joe Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) joins veterans during his 5th Annual Veterans BBQ, outside his Howard Beach district office.  Over 70 veterans enjoyed a lunch and live entertainment on Saturday, August 24, as the senator thanked them for their service.

NYS Senator Joe Addabbo (far left) joins veterans during his 5th Annual Veterans BBQ on Saturday, August 24.

A signed letter from NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) is attached below.

The senator would like to thank all the people behind the scenes who made his recent 5th Annual Veterans BBQ a success. Over 70 local veterans turned out with family members and enjoyed the food, beverages, and live entertainment. See his letter below.

(Long Island, NY) As children head back to school this week, the Suffolk County Police Department encourages parents to review basic safety instructions with their children and to discuss the traffic dangers around schools and school buses.

Parents should talk to their children about the proper way to cross streets, when to cross and what dangers to be aware of. Additionally, parents need to remind children about the dangers of taking rides from strangers as well as how to handle emergencies within the school building, including fires and other emergencies.

Motorists are reminded to slow down and be alert for children, especially during the morning and afternoon hours. Suffolk County Police officers will take a zero tolerance approach with motorists who pass stopped school buses and will target speeding and aggressive drivers in school zones as well as other roadways in the vicinities of schools.

“Ensuring our children are prepared for school is a priority of all parents,” Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said. “While we may think of that preparation as just educational, it is also important to ensure students receive safety instructions in an effort to promote safe travel to and from school. I wish all of the students returning to school a prosperous and safe year.”

“Our children’s safety is a top priority,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Edward Webber said. “It’s unfortunate, but necessary, that parents make sure their children are prepared to stay as safe as possible as they head off for another school year.”