(Long Island, NY) On May 24, 2013, Senator Lee Zeldin (R, C, I- Shirley) presented Certificates of Recognition to the 27 students and 3 teachers from Eastern Suffolk Boces who recently helped Hagerman Fire Department Firefighter Ralph Lettieri, Jr.
Ralph lost his left leg due to a flesh eating disease, just under a year ago. The students volunteered their time to upgrade his house and also donated Christmas toys to the Lettieri family.
Senator Lee Zeldin Honors Gail Hoag, Outgoing Executive Director, Patchogue Chamber of Commerce
(Long Island, NY) Senator Lee M. Zeldin (R, C, I- Shirley) honored Gail Hoag, who recently retired from her position as Executive Director of the Patchogue Chamber of Commerce. At the surprise retirement party on May 23, 2013, Gail was recognized for her 15 years of service to the Patchogue Chamber.
During her extended time with the Patchogue Chamber, Gail introduced a computerized membership program and oversaw the creation of the Chamber’s first website. She established evening networking meetings and the Chamber’s monthly newsletter. In 2003, Gail worked to create the Greater Patchogue Foundation, a charitable 501c3 organization that works to advance, promote and improve the charitable, cultural, and educational virtues of the Greater Patchogue area.
(West Islip, NY) – Recently, three Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center Emergency Medicine residents took first and third place for their poster presentations at a statewide poster competition sponsored by the New York State Osteopathic Medical Society. The competition was comprised of residents from throughout New York State in all medical specialties.
Pictured (L-R): Laura Fil, DO, Jacob Bair, DO, Director of Good Samaritan Hospital Emergency Medicine Residency Program David Levy, DO, and Brian Ault, DO.
Placing in 1st place in the research category for, “Does Patient Education in the Emergency Department Increase Patient Awareness that Acetaminophen is Contained in Percocet®?” was Laura Fil, DO.
Two third place winners were Jacob Bair, DO, and Brian Ault, DO in the research category, “Does the Use of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatments on Patient’s with Headache in the Emergency Department Result in Decreased Pain?” and the case study category for, “Not all Coins Pass: Case Report of an Atypical Quarter Ingestion.”
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. 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.
Settlements With Five Service Stations In Suffolk And Westchester Counties For Gouging Customers During Historic Storm Bring Total Agreements So Far To 30; Schneiderman: We Will Continue To Protect New Yorkers From Gougers
(NEW YORK) – As part of an ongoing probe of high gasoline prices in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that he has reached monetary settlements with five more service stations for violations of the New York State Price Gouging statute. The five new settlements are with three stations in Westchester County and two stations in Suffolk County. The agreements come on the heels of 25 previous settlements announced earlier this month and bring total penalties going to the state to $185,000 so far.
Beyond the 30 settlement agreements, the Attorney General’s office filed lawsuits against four gas stations early this month and investigations remain pending against dozens of other station.
“As thousands New Yorkers sat in line waiting for hours to buy critical supplies of gasoline during the state of emergency created by Hurricane Sandy, some unscrupulous business owners dramatically and illegally increased their retail prices,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “Today, we are continuing our enforcement actions against those who broke the law while their fellow citizens suffered. My office will make sure that businesses that rip off New Yorkers in a time of crisis are held accountable.”
In the days after the storm, areas of New York saw some of the largest jumps in gas prices in state history. The price jumps resulted in hundreds of complaints received by Attorney General Schneiderman’s office and showed that prices were changing at the pump, not only overnight but several times a day.
In Suffolk County, one service station increased its margin by as much as 98% during the storm-related state of emergency.
New York State’s Price Gouging Law (General Business Law § 396-r) prohibits merchants from taking unfair advantage of consumers by selling goods or services for an “unconscionably excessive price” during natural disasters. The price gouging law covers New York State vendors, retailers and suppliers. The law specifically says that a price may be considered excessive if there is a “gross disparity” between the prices charged immediately before and after the emergency and the disparity is not attributable to higher costs imposed upon the seller.
The latest settlements were reached with the following service stations:
Suffolk County:
USA Gasoline, 1080 Main Street, Holbrook, NY
Pars Auto Service, 540 Sunrise Highway, West Islip, NY 11795
Westchester County:
Sunoco of RBJ Service Station, 500 Halstead Avenue, Harrison, NY
Shell of DJ’s Auto Delicious, Inc., 905 North Broadway, North White Plains, NY
A&S Texaco, Inc., 1061 Nepperhan Avenue, Yonkers, NY
For information about lawsuits filed and settlements reached previously by Attorney General Schneiderman related to Gas Gouging during the emergency, please click here.
These settlements are being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Sandra Giorno-Tocco and Rachael Anello, under the overall supervision of Executive Deputy Attorney General for Regional Affairs Martin J. Mack.
(Long Island, NY) Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today launched an inquiry into the steps that insurers are taking to keep their customers and companies safe from cyber threats. New Yorkers entrust a wide variety of sensitive health, personal, and financial records to their insurers and it is critical to make sure that information is safeguarded.
The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) today sent “308 Letters” to the largest insurance companies that DFS regulates, requesting information on the policies and procedures they have in place to protect against cyber attacks. A “308 letter” is a request for information to which insurers are legally required to respond.
“The extraordinarily sensitive health, personal, and financial information that New Yorkers entrust to their insurance companies is a virtual treasure trove for hackers,” said Governor Cuomo. “We’re intensely focused on making sure that banks have the protections in place they need, but we always have to keep at least one eye on the lookout for the next big threat. It’s vital that we stay ahead of the curve on cyber security because we know hackers aren’t going to give us any breathing room.”
Benjamin M. Lawsky, Superintendent of Financial Services and Co-chair of the Governor’s Cyber Security Advisory Board said: “Cyber security at insurance companies is something that often gets overlooked, but it’s far too important to get caught in a blind spot. We need to make sure that those insurance records are protected from hack attacks that could put New Yorkers at risk.”
The 308 letters that DFS sent to insurers today request a wide variety of information as part of the Department’s extensive inquiry, including:
Earlier this year, DFS sent similar inquiries to the largest banks that it regulates, requesting information on their cyber security policies.
Today’s announcement comes on the heels of the formation of Governor Cuomo’s Cyber Security Advisory Board, which is charged with advising the administration on developments in cyber security and making recommendations for protecting the state’s critical infrastructure and information systems. The Governor first outlined the Cyber Security Advisory Board in his State of the State Address this January.
Earlier this month, Governor Cuomo named the members of his Cyber Security Advisory Board. The board members are among the world’s leading experts in cyber security and bring vast experience in both the public and private sectors. They include: Richard Clarke, Chairman and CEO, Good Harbor Consulting , LLC and Former White House Counter-terrorism and Cyber Security Advisor; Shawn Henry, President, CrowdStrike Services; Will Pelgrin, President and CEO, Center Internet Security (“CIS”), and Founder of the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (“MS-ISAC”); Phil Reitinger, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer, Sony Corporation; and Howard Schmidt, Former White House Cyber Security Coordinator and Special Assistant to President Obama. The advisory board will be co-chaired by Deputy Secretary to the Governor for Public Safety Elizabeth Glazer and Superintendent of Financial Services Benjamin M. Lawsky.
The full list of insurance companies that received 308 letters from DFS as part of the Cuomo Administration’s inquiry on cyber security include:
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(Long Island, NY) Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci (R,C,WF,I-Huntington Station) recently attended the installation of Cold Spring Harbor Fire Department’s 2013 Officers.
Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci joins First Assistant Chief Robert Hahn, Chief Christopher Ingwersen, Second Assistant Chief Daniel Froehlich and Huntington Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia.
This year the department will be led by Chief Christopher Ingwersen, First Assistant Chief Robert Hahn and Second Assistant Chief Daniel Froehlich.
“Cold Spring Harbor Fire Department is made up of tremendous leadership and a dedicated group of men and women who each day ensure the continued safety of the community,” said Lupinacci. “Thanks to the loyalty and bravery of the firefighters and emergency medical personnel, the people of Cold Spring Harbor can rest assured they’re receiving top notch care and protection. I would like to thank all members for their continued service and I wish Chief Ingwersen best of luck in the upcoming year.”
(Medford, NY) Assemblyman Edward Hennessey was honored to participate in the annual Medford Memorial Day Parade, sponsored by American Legion Post
#1848. Keeping to tradition, the parade lined up at Tremont Elementary School and made its way down the designated parade route of Route 112 to end at Medford Memorial Park. There a brief ceremony was held honoring our veterans.
Assemblyman Edward Hennessey pictured with wife Joan had the honor of being driven by American Legion Post #1848 Commander Pete Bugala in the Medford Memorial Day parade.
“It was a beautiful day for a parade. Post #1848 did a great job in organizing a successful and dignified event. Memorial Day is a special day of remembrance and gratitude so there is a serious tone that must be and was observed. Still, there is also a sense of joy to see a community come together the way Medford did to show its appreciation and support,” said Assemblyman Hennessey.
(Cedarhurst, NY) – The Long Island Chapter of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) held its Annual Gala on May 22nd at the Sephardic Temple in Cedarhurst, New York, where 400 prominent lay leaders and supporters from across the Five Towns and Greater South Shore attended and showed their support for Israel’s soldiers. $300,000 was raised from the event, which will go toward FIDF wellbeing and educational programs for the brave men and women of the IDF.
Rebecca Feld, FIDF Director of Long Island; David Ostreicher, FIDF Committee Member; 2nd Lt. Yael Orbach; Sgt. Daniel Orvomaa; Stephen Weinrib, FIDF Committee Member – Photo credit to: The Visual Image
Rebecca Feld; Sgt. Daniel Orvomaa; Martin Elias, FIDF Committee Member; 2nd Lt. Yael Orbach; Maj. Gen. (Res.) Yitzhak (Jerry) Gershon, FIDF National Director and CEO – Photo credit to: The Visual Image
Ronny Ben-Josef, FIDF National Board Member; Sgt. Daniel Orvomaa; Jay Spector, FIDF Committee Member; IDF veteran Sgt. Izzy Ezagui; Maj. Gen. (Res.) Yitzhak (Jerry) Gershon, FIDF National Director and CEO – Photo credit to: The Visual Image
Ben Brafman, Esq., FIDF Committee Member and Master of Ceremonies – Photo credit to: The Visual Image
Sgt. Daniel Orvomaa of the IDF Givati Brigade addresses the event attendees – Photo credit to: The Visual Image
Veteran volunteers of the IDF, who served Israel as early as 1948 in the War of Independence: (L-R) Ira Feinberg, Donna Parker, Simon “Si” Spiegelman, Susan and Paul Kaye, Rafi Marom alongside Maj. Gen. (Res.) Yitzhak (Jerry) Gershon, FIDF National Director and CEO – Photo credit to: The Visual Image
The event hosted a tribute to over 50 local Lone Soldiers (with no immediate family in Israel) who have served, or are currently serving, in the IDF, as well as to a group of veterans who volunteered to fight in Israel’s War of Independence in 1948, and became some of the first Lone Soldiers in the IDF. The event also featured Ben Brafman, Esq. as Master of Ceremonies.
“We are so grateful for the community’s warm embrace of FIDF and the incredible outpour of support. The success of our 2nd Annual Event is testament to the community’s generosity and devotion to the wellbeing of Israel’s soldiers, not to mention the many past and current Lone Soldiers who are from the area,” said Rebecca Feld, FIDF Director of Long Island. “I look forward to many more celebrations with the South Shore community and strengthening the bond between Long Island and the soldiers of the IDF!”
The event was celebrated by the participation of IDF soldiers who came to Long Island from Israel and shared their stories with FIDF supporters. The soldiers included IDF veteran Sgt. Izzy Ezagui, who was wounded in 2008 while serving in the Haruv Unit during the “Cast Lead” Operation in Gaza; Sgt. Daniel Orvomaa, a Givati Brigade combat soldier who participated in Operation “Pillar of Defense”; and 2nd Lt. Yael Orbach, an operational officer in the Givati Brigade.
“This gathering serves as strong motivation and reminder of the important work by FIDF to support the brave men and women who protect Israel,” added Brafman, who serves as FIDF Committee Member and Master of Ceremonies.
The proceeds from this event will go to the Givati Brigade, an IDF Brigade that the FIDF Long Island Chapter has adopted through the FIDF Adopt-A-Brigade program, which provides funds for various wellbeing and recreational events that will boost the morale of these soldiers.
For more information about the FIDF Adopt-A-Brigade, visit: http://www.fidf.org/page.aspx?pid=279
About Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF):
FIDF was established in 1981 by a group of holocaust survivors as a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit organization with the mission of providing and supporting educational, social, cultural, and recreational programs and facilities for the heroic men and women of the IDF. Today, FIDF has more than 120,000 loyal supporters, and 17 regional offices throughout the U.S. and Panama. FIDF proudly offers its support to the IDF soldiers and their families through a variety of unique and innovative programs. These opportunities reinforce the vital bond between the communities in the United States, the soldiers of the IDF, and the State of Israel.
For more information, please visit: www.fidf.org or contact Rebecca Feld, Director of Long Island Chapter at Rebecca.Feld@fidf.org.
(Queens, NY) NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens) recently joined his colleagues in the Senate in calling for action on legislation (S.4236-A) he co-sponsors to establish a moratorium on new permits for hydraulic fracturing, commonly called fracking. The proposed legislation would ensure that environmental and health experts have enough time to assess the full impact drilling would have on the public health and overall environment of New York State.
Addabbo noted that the overall effects of fracking on the environment have caused great concern over health risks and said that the state’s environmental, medical and agricultural experts need time to determine the short-term and long-term impacts of this controversial gas drilling process.
“I don’t think we should put substances in our water that we can’t pronounce and that we can’t be certain won’t poison us and our precious drinking water supplies,” said Addabbo, who is the sponsor or co-sponsor of several other bills to regulate or ban hydrofracking. “Shooting a toxic cocktail of ethan-diol potassium hydroxide, ammonia persulfate magnesium nitrate, cristabolite polyethyoxylated alkanol, formaldehyde sodium hydroxide and many other suspect chemicals into the earth, with potentially irreversible environmental and public health impacts, isn’t worth the risk, especially since there are so many unknowns about this process.”
Continuing, Addabbo said, “It is vital that we continue to delay the issuance of any drilling permits; do our homework with a comprehensive, unbiased health impact study; and have strict, smart laws and regulations in place to safeguard New York’s environment and residents from any possible harm if, indeed, hydrofracking is allowed to proceed.”
The bill under discussion would prohibit new hydrofracking permits until May 15, 2015. The moratorium would give legislators more time to evaluate studies and reports on environmental and public health impacts which can result from the mining process before deciding whether to allow hydrofracking in New York State. The legislation also mandates a health impact study aimed at understanding potential long-term health impacts.
“New York’s economic future depends in large part on a clean environment, including the protection of our precious drinking water supplies,” Addabbo said. “Before we allow any drilling to take place – which would only happen against my better judgment – we must be sure that any supposed short-term gains from hydrofracking will not irreparably damage our long-term future and health.”
Labor Department Inspects All Seasonal Amusement Parks, Encourages Parents and Youth to Follow Ride Safety Guidelines and Visit Website RideSafeNY.com
(Albany, NY) – Commissioner Peter M. Rivera today urged all parents and children to follow safety guidelines at the state’s 12 amusement parks over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The State Department of Labor inspects rides at every amusement park and traveling show located outside of New York City before they open for the summer season as well as one or more times during operation.
“As we mark the unofficial beginning of the summer this weekend with the Memorial Day holiday, I urge all parents and children to follow safety guidelines so that we can have a safe and fun summer at our state’s great amusement parks,” said Commissioner Rivera.
The Department of Labor is tracking 49 individual carnivals and separate events that will have amusement rides as part of their Memorial Day activities. These locations, which will host 59 different amusement ride companies, will also be inspected prior to opening this weekend.
“When you head to the park or to the fair this weekend for fun, food and amusement, please make sure that you are doing your part as parents to ensure everyone follows the guidelines of the rides,” said Commissioner Rivera. “But know that you can rest assured that our inspectors have made certain that everything is functioning up to standard.”
All New Yorkers can visit the Department of Labor’s park safety website at www.RideSafeNY.com. The website offers parents and children helpful tips on ride safety, along with a directory of amusement parks in New York State. The site also makes it simple to e-mail the Department of Labor to report unsafe conditions.
Department of Labor staff inspect all rides at stationary parks at least once a year and inspect rides at traveling carnivals or fairs every time the ride is set up in a new location. A ride cannot legally operate without a permit from the Department of Labor.
Last year, the Department of Labor inspected more than 1,500 venues and more than 9,700 amusement devices.
The Department of Labor offers consumers the following safety guidelines:
Parents with children:
For more information about the Department of Labor’s Park Safety inspections, please visit: www.RideSafeNY.com.
