(Long Island, NY) The Suffolk County Downtown Revitalization Citizens Advisory Panel has recommended a $15,000 grant toward the construction of a walking trail through County parkland from Flanders Road (State Route 24) to the nearby Peconic River. The 5.5-foot wide, 1000-foot long, walking trail will be created using permeable natural stone material.

The trail will end at the shore of the Peconic River across from the Riverhead Aquarium. The ADA compliant trail will allow residents and visitors to access the Riverside waterfront for recreational uses. A small sitting area with two benches will be installed to encourage passive enjoyment of the scenic surroundings along the waterfront. A bike rack will be installed at the Flanders Road trailhead to facilitate use of the park. The trail will connect directly to the existing sidewalk along Flanders Road. A small ground level sign at the Flanders Road trailhead will identify the trail entrance.

The trail will lead pedestrians through a wooded 14-acre waterfront park purchased by Suffolk County in 2011 for $2.4 million. A separate grant has been submitted to New York State to fund the construction of a pedestrian bridge to connect the trail end to the Riverhead business district.

“I am happy to see we are moving forward with this very important grant from Suffolk County,” said Vince Taldone, president of the Flanders Riverside and Northampton Community Association (FRNCA). “Along with substantial financial support from Southampton Town, this Suffolk County money will fund the construction of the first phase of the town’s long planned Riverside Maritime Trail. That trail is the first step in developing a waterfront park and revitalized commercial center in Riverside.”

“The Town has partnered with FRNCA on a number of grant opportunities in pursuit of improvements for the area,” said Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst. “It is terrific news that the County is poised to make this grant award. Hopefully there is more good news to come,” she added.

Legislator Jay Schneiderman first suggested that Southampton Town apply for a County Downtown Revitalization grant for the trail at a May Riverside Economic Development Committee meeting chaired by Supervisor Throne-Holst and attended by Mr. Taldone. The Suffolk County Legislature must still approve the grant recommendation. Legislator Schneiderman said he is confident that the trail will receive the full support of the body. “The trail will encourage park use by providing access to the scenic Peconic River,” said Schneiderman. “It is part of a broader vision to revitalize the blighted Riverside community.”

The hamlet of Riverside is an economically depressed area in the Town of Southampton located just south of, and within walking distance of, downtown Riverhead. The 2000 US Census reported the poverty rate in Riverside to be more than twice the national rate for families. Only 32% of residents are in the labor force and its families earn only 71% of the median US family income.

It is expected that upon signing of a County-Town intermunicipal agreement (IMA), the trail project could be completed within nine months. The IMA will commit Southampton Town to the maintenance of the trail on County property.

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.

Assemblyman Ramos Presents $3,000 to the Suffolk County PAL for Continued Outreach to Youth

(Brentwood, NY) Today, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone was joined by Assemblyman Ramos, the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) and Bishop Donald Hudson of Common Ground Church of Central Islip to tour the Suffolk County Youth Police Academy and receive $3,000 from Assemblyman Ramos for ongoing efforts to expose youth from underserved communities to the Suffolk County Police Department.

Suffolk County Police Personnel, Reverend Roderick Pearson-Director of Suffolk County Youth Bureau and Human Services, Detective Lt. Bob Donohue, Devante Mayes-Youth Academy participant, County Executive Steve Bellone, Bishop Donald Hudson-Common Ground Church of Central Islip, Assemblyman Phil Ramos, Suffolk County Police Personnel, Captain Richard O’Carroll

“In an effort to ensure a diverse applicant pool and representation within the Suffolk County Police Department, this week-long training for youth between the ages of fifteen through eighteen was specifically designed to reach out to and attract ethnically diverse students,” said County Executive Bellone. “Allowing students to have first-hand experience of police recruit training and interaction with police personnel will help youth to consider a career in law enforcement. I thank Assemblyman Phil Ramos for his commitment to the youth of our communities and for providing the opportunity for students who may have not had access to funds to participate in this most invaluable law enforcement program.”

The program provided an opportunity for those students who have thought about a career in law enforcement or those students who believe that they would never be considered for a position as a Police Recruit the opportunity to experience five days of an actual Police Academy where students take part in similar training as a Suffolk County Police Recruit.

“I’m excited for the opportunity that more children from underserved communities are having to experience firsthand the inner workings of the Suffolk County Police Department. Historically, people of color have been underrepresented in the police ranks and the youth police academy,” said Assemblyman Phil Ramos. By securing this funding for the Suffolk County Youth Police Academy, we’re taking the right steps to increase the probability of having more minorities in the ranks in the next exam to take place in June 2015. By bringing state funding to the Police Athletic League, we’re benefitting 43 children from underserved communities and exposing them to a potential career in law enforcement.”

The next entrance exam for the Suffolk County Police Department will take place in 2015.

(New York City) The NAACP released the following statement in response to the New York City Council’s decision to override Mayor Bloomberg’s veto of the Community Safety Act.

From Benjamin Todd Jealous, NAACP President and CEO:

“This is a big day for New York City and America. This is the beginning of the end of our democracy tolerating police using race, ethnicity, LGBT-status, or faith as a substitute for reasonable suspicion. We are thankful to the 34 City Council members who heroically stood up for the American ideals of freedom and justice, and stood together in the face of fact-defying and fear-mongering by the Mayor and Commissioner.  As we move on to the March on Washington this weekend, we can do so knowing we have moved New York City and our nation one step closer to realizing Dr. King’s dream.”

The Community Safety Act is a bundle of legislation that bans racial and religious profiling, establishes an NYPD Inspector General Office, and provides greater protection against unlawful search and seizure.  The legislation was championed by Councilmembers Jumaane D. Williams and Brad Lander.

On Father’s Day 2012,  the NAACP, more than 50,000 civil and human right advocates and scores of outraged community members marched in silent solidarity down Fifth Avenue in New York City to bring attention to racial profiling and to protest the city’s abusive and discriminatory stop-and-frisk policing practice.

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities.  You can read more about the NAACP’s work and our five “Game Changer” issue areas here

(West Islip, NY) After graduating from Copiague High School, 17-year-old Amityville resident Devante Faines-Grandison earned Boy Scouts’ highest honor by completing his Eagle Project. He organized a toy drive through local merchants, churches and family members, collecting more than 1000 toys for children in Good Samaritan Hospital’s Pediatric Unit.

Pictured (L-R): Jana Crnogorcevic, Devante Faines-Grandison, Good Samaritan Hospital Child Life Coordinator Joan Alpers, Matthew Spadone, Zachary Zito and Boy Scouts of America Troop 2000 Leader Horace Lucas.

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 3,775 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.

For more information please visit 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.

25th Year of Nassau County Bar Association’s Free Legal Consultation Clinics for Seniors Kicks Off Thursday, September 19

(Mineola, NY) The Nassau County Bar Association (NCBA) provides free monthly legal consultation clinics for Nassau County residents 65 or older. Seniors have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with an attorney who volunteers to provide a half-hour private consultation on any topic of concern.

The next Senior Citizen Free Legal Consultation Clinic will be held Thursday, September 19, 9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. at NCBA, 15^th and West Streets, Mineola.

This popular free program regularly fills up quickly.

Registration is required by calling 516-747-4070.

Founded in 1899, the Nassau County Bar Association, with a membership of nearly 6,000 private and public attorneys, judges, legal educators and law students, is the largest suburban bar association in the country. NCBA demonstrates its commitment to the community by offering a variety of services for the public, including lawyer referral services, senior citizen and mortgage foreclosure clinics, judicial screening, public education programs and support for the Volunteer Lawyers Project, which provides much-needed free legal services for the indigent of Nassau County. The WE CARE Fund, the NCBA’s charitable arm, assists children, the elderly and others in need, through countless projects and donations.

For more information, call (516) 747-4070 (language translation available), email info@nassaubar.org, or visit www.nassaubar.org.

Public Testimony is Invited

(Brooklyn, NY) Responding to the public’s call for greater transparency of the NYC public education system, state lawmakers will hold a legislative forum to solicit comment on legislation that proposes sweeping school governance reform (S.1406/A.792).

The bill seeks to restore a Democratic system of checks and balances by changing the composition of the Board of Education, ending mayoral control of the school system, and giving parents greater involvement in education policy creation and decision making.

“Our schools must be put back in the hands of educational professionals who have a deep understanding of our children’s needs – and the skills to produce positive educational outcomes,” said Senator Velmanette Montgomery, who is the lead sponsor of the bill.

The forum will be held on Tuesday, October 8, 2013; 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at St. Francis College, Founders Hall (1st Floor), 180 Remsen Street Brooklyn, New York

NYS Senator Bill Perkins (D-Harlem) and NYS Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Queens), co-sponsors of the bill, are also scheduled to attend.

BILL OVERVIEW

Purpose: (1) To distribute the appointing authority of the members of the Board of Education of the City of New York among each borough president, City Council, and Mayor of NYC, (2) to give parents and education professionals a greater voice in the process, and (3) to grant the authority to appoint the city school district chancellor to the Board.

• Each borough president would continue to appoint one member, and each member would have to be a parent of a child in the NYC public school system.
• The City Council would appoint four members as follows: (1) A representative of a college, (2) A member of a parent’s organization, (3) A member of a parent’s Educational Council, (4), A member to be appointed at large.
• The Mayor would appoint four members who would have to be residents of one of the five boroughs, and at least one appointee would have to have a child in public school.

Reasons to support:

• This legislation will require that the New York City Board of Education be comprised of individuals appointed by several entities.
• This fact, coupled with the proposal that the Board appoint the city school district chancellor, will allow the Board to operate as an independent entity apart from the office of the NYC mayor.
• By removing mayoral control over the selection of the chancellor, there will be checks and balances and a chance for public review of decisions made by the Board to ensure transparency and accountability.
• Additionally, this bill will allow those with a vested interest in education, such as parents of school children and those in higher education, to be directly involved in the policy creation and decision making of the education system.

The October 8 Legislative Forum is open to the public. Persons wishing to comment on the legislation should RSVP to Senator Montgomery’s office at 718-643-6140. Oral testimony should be limited to three (3) minutes. The submission of written testimony is welcome.

(Long Island, NY) The New York Cosmos will recognize 15 Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) teams in a pregame ceremony on the field prior to their game against the San Antonio Scorpions on Saturday, August 24th, at Shuart Stadium on the campus of Hofstra University. The ceremony is scheduled to take place at approximately 6:45 pm.

The event is being tabbed “LIJSL Champions Night”, honoring local LIJSL member teams who won Premier League and State Cup championships this past year. Also being acknowledged are two teams that advanced to the National Championships in Overland Park, KS this summer; the Dix Hills Elite, national finalists in the Boys U15 division, and the Smithtown Arsenal, Boys U16 national champions.

The other teams being honored are:

• BU12 Bayport Tsunami – State Cup Champions, Premier League Champions
• BU17 Massapequa Arsenal – State Cup Champions
• BU18 Lake Grove United – State Cup Champions
• BU19 Massapequa Rough Riders – State Cup Champions
• GU12 NHP Firecats – State Cup Champions
• GU14 Brentwood Freedom – State Cup Champions
• GU15 Brentwood Pride – State Cup Champions
• GU16 Farmingdale United – State Cup Champions
• GU18 Albertson Silver Premier 94 Fury – State Cup Champions
• GU12 Smithtown Crimson Tide – Premier League Champions
• GU13 South Merrick Lady Cyclones – Premier League Champions
• GU14 Farmingdale Shamrocks – Premier League Champions
• GU17 Bayport Lady Hurricanes – Premier League Champions

The participating players and coaches will receive complimentary tickets to the game and a free Cosmos t-shirt as part of the event.

The Long Island Junior Soccer League is a 501c3 not for profit organization focused on increasing services and programs designed to benefit children, and promoting and growing the sport of soccer on Long Island. The LIJSL currently serves over 60,000 youth soccer players on 101 clubs across Long Island. It is the mission of the league to foster the growth and development of youth through the sport of soccer to individuals under the age of nineteen at all levels of competition.

(Long Island, NY) Just in time for the height of the hurricane season, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) today released a midterm update to its Rating the States Report, which reviews the progress that the 18 most hurricane-prone coastal states along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast have made in strengthening their residential building codes.

“As we approach the anniversaries of Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina, two of the most deadly and destructive hurricanes to make landfall in the U.S., we are reminded of the importance of strong, uniform state building codes and the role they play in protecting lives and homes,” said Julie Rochman, IBHS president and CEO. “This update provides each state a useful analysis of their latest building code activities and what steps they can take to better protect their communities. It also gives interested citizens useful information so that they can understand the need for, and demand, better building codes.”

Rating the States Midterm Update looks at building code activity in the same states featured in IBHS’ original report released in January 2012, assessing them according to whether they have taken positive action, negative action, or no action to improve their codes during the ensuing 18 months. Although this update does not re-score each state, it discusses actions taken to provide more current insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each state system. IBHS plans to issue a new report in 2015, which revises the rating for each state based on actions taken since the original report.

The midterm update found that most of the states with strong building code systems in place at that time of the original report remain committed to building safety; they have updated their codes to the most recent model building codes, and in some instances, passed legislation to further strengthen code protections. By contrast, most of the states with very low scores in the original report have taken no action to improve their codes, thus falling even further behind best practices.

The assessment of states in the midterm update is based on their actions since the original 2012 Rating the States Report. Half (nine) of the states have acted to improve their codes, seven have taken no action, and two have acted to weaken their code systems. Below is a list of the states based on their 2013 assessment (with their ranking from 0-100 in the original report).

Positive Action:

• Florida (95);
• Virginia (95);
• South Carolina (84);
• Connecticut (81);
• Rhode Island (78);
• Maryland (73);
• Georgia (66);
• New York (60); and
• Alabama (18).

No Action:

• New Jersey (93);
• Massachusetts (87);
• Maine (64);
• New Hampshire (49);
• Texas (18);
• Delaware (17); and
• Mississippi (4).

Negative Action:

• North Carolina (81) and
• Louisiana (73).

The original Rating the States Report was a first of its kind, state-by-state assessment of individual state performance in developing and promulgating a residential building code system, which uses modern building codes, coupled with strong enforcement-related activities to enhance the protection of homes and families. Building codes are intended to increase the safety and integrity of structures, thereby reducing deaths, injuries and property damage from hurricanes and a wide range of other hazards.

Editor’s note: The full Rating the States Midterm Update with state-specific information and the original 2012 Rating the States Report are available on the IBHS Rating the States web page. For additional information about building codes, visit IBHS’ Building Code web page.

The Midterm Update contains:

• the report’s results in brief;
• information about the value of codes;
• an overview of the building code process;
• an in-depth state-by-state analysis; and
• a map and chart depicting the midterm state assessments and the original numeric rankings.

About the IBHS
IBHS is an independent, nonprofit, scientific research and communications organization supported by the property insurance industry. The organization works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other risks on residential and commercial property by conducting building science research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparedness practices.

(GLEN COVE, NY) A record amount of $200,000 was raised at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County’s (HMTC) Golf Outing on Monday, August 19th as David Rosen, Golf Outing Chair greeted 136 golfers at the prestigious Glen Head Country Club. He was joined by Co-Chairs Stewart Hescheles, Len Novick, and Matt Skidell.

>From L to R: Antony Smithie; Jonathan Satovsky; Peter Doyle; David Rosen, HMTC Golf Outing Chairman

“I am a father of five, and the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center’s mission to educate our youth on diversity and tolerance fuels my passion for spreading the word and doing good things,” Rosen said of the August 19th golf event. “Our children are our future. Dialogue and exchange between people of different views, cultures and faiths is the glue that will hold us together and enrich us all.”

Since 2007, David’s involvement with the HMTC has become greater and greater, including Chairman of the Golf Outing fundraiser and serving as the organization’s Vice Chairman. Steven Markowitz, HMTC Chairman, presented David with a plaque expressing the Board’s appreciation for his five years of service as the Golf Outing Chairman.

From L to R: Howard Maier, HMTC Chairman Emeritus; Adam Richman; Keith Gutstein, HMTC Board Director; David Rosen, HMTC Golf Outing Chairman

A Live Auction was held in the ballroom and, combined with the Silent Auction, brought in close to $25,000 for HMTC’s education programs and services. Howard Maier, HMTC Chairman Emeritus, started the Live Auction off before 250 enthusiastic guests and long-time supporter Neil Rosenfeld started the bidding.

The auction ended with a special appearance by Adam Richman, best known as the host of “Man vs. Food,” the highest rated show in the history of the Travel Channel. He attended in the memory of his grandma Rose, a Holocaust Survivor, for the 6,000,000 without a voice, and to make sure humanity and mankind never face these atrocities again.

HMTC is most grateful to the following 2013 Golf Outing Sponsors:

• Corporate: Rosen Associates Management Corp.; Title Associates, A Stewart Company
• Gold: B&B Coverage LLC; Sterling & Sterling
• Silver: Certified Financial Services, LLS; Andy Chavkin; Susan & Bruce Cohen; Farrell Fritz, P.C.; GCP Capital; Hippie Chips; The Izower Family; Kaufman, Dolowich, Voluck; Kiddsmiles; Stewart Senter Inc. Builders; Howard Maier; Realty Three LLC; The Skidell Family; Westerman, Ball, Ederer, Miller & Sharfstein LLP; Ed Streim
• Carts: Alderman & Company LLP

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.

For more information please visit www.holocaust-nassau.org.