(Long Island, NY) Today, Howard Weitzman is proud to announce Lew Yevoli as campaign chairman of Weitzman 2013. With a history of public service dating to 1970, including his tenure as Oyster Bay Town Supervisor and nine terms in the New York State Assembly, Yevoli will be an indispensable resource for this campaign as we move into the summer months. This announcement comes on the heels of last week’s endorsement by New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and is further evidence of the growing momentum behind Howard Weitzman 2013.

“Throughout his distinguished career in government, Lew Yevoli has broken barriers to deliver results for Long Island,” said Weitzman. “After becoming the first Democrat in thirty years elected to the office of Oyster Bay Supervisor, Lew immediately cut government waste and abuse, reduced taxes, and increased the transparency of the office. I look forward to working with him to bring fiscal sanity and professional leadership back to Nassau County.”

After serving nine terms in the New York State Assembly, Lew Yevoli was elected to the office of Supervisor of Oyster Bay, becoming only the second Democrat to hold that office since the inception of Oyster Bay. Under his leadership, Oyster Bay achieved some of the largest annual reductions of government costs of any town in New York. He was the first Supervisor in Oyster Bay’s history to present four consecutive budget reductions with record tax cuts, and was re-elected three times.

“I know Howard Weitzman to be a man of integrity who will be focused only on how best to protect Nassau taxpayers,” said Yevoli. “His record as Nassau Comptroller proves that he is the only Democrat in this race with the background and experience to return Nassau to sound financial footing. I am thrilled to join the campaign and will work every day to return him to the office of Nassau Comptroller.”

About Howard Weitzman
In 2001, Howard Weitzman became the only CPA ever elected to the office of Nassau County Comptroller after a 30 year career as a healthcare financial executive. He was subsequently re-elected to a second term in 2005. During his eight years as Comptroller, Howard Weitzman played a central role in the financial rescue of Nassau County. Under Howard’s leadership, the office of Comptroller became a national model for transparency and accountability while at the same time developing a reputation for groundbreaking audits, independence and integrity. A graduate of Brooklyn Technical High School and Queens College, Howard is the former Mayor of Great Neck Estates, where he and his wife resided for 35 years and raised three children. He is currently a resident of North Hills.

More Than $4 Million In Funding For Green Infrastructure Projects To Ten Bronx And Westchester Entities To Help Improve Water Quality; Schneiderman: Successful Projects Around The State Are Protecting New Yorkers’ Right To Clean Air To Breathe, Pure Water To Drink, A Stable Climate And Healthy Communities In Which To Live

(NEW YORK) — In honor of Earth Day, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today highlighted important environmental protection initiatives taken by his office and announced that more than $4 million is going to local Bronx and Westchester County entities to help them improve water quality in the Bronx River. The Attorney General’s Bronx River Watershed Initiative has dedicated more than $2.1 million to support local efforts in the Bronx and Westchester Counties focused on restoring water quality in the waterway by controlling storm runoff and snow melt. With matching funds, the initiative is bringing over $4.1 million to ten local entities for “green infrastructure” projects that combat principal causes of the Bronx River’s continuing water quality problems.

“I am proud to fight to protect every New Yorkers’ right to clean air, pure drinking water, a stable environment and healthy communities,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “From safeguarding Long Island’s Pine Barrens, cleaning up the Hudson River, protecting the Adirondack wilderness and waterways in the Southern Tier and securing air quality in Western New York communities, we’ve made tremendous progress across New York improving our environment. While I am proud of our accomplishments, we will continue to press for much tougher protections, including fighting against climate change pollution and for a tightening of national air quality standards. ”

The Bronx River Watershed Initiative:

Attorney General Schneiderman announced today that his office has dedicated over $2.1 million to join local efforts in the Bronx and Westchester County focused on restoring the Bronx River. The funding from the Attorney General’s Bronx River Watershed Initiative combines with $2 million in matching and leveraged funds to bring over $4.1 million to ten local entities, government and not-for-profit groups, for “green infrastructure” projects.

These project directly combat a principal cause of the Bronx River’s continuing water quality problems: The rainwater and snowmelt that flows into the river over impervious surfaces, picking up raw sewage, litter, gas and oil, pesticides, fertilizers and other harmful pollutants along its path. Projects funded by the Attorney General include a $400,000 storm-water capture and treatment project at the Bronx Zoo, a $260,000 green roof project at the Bronx River Art Center and over $725,000 for rainwater runoff control projects in the Village of Tuckahoe and Town of Greenburgh. The Initiative has brought a total of almost $15 million to Bronx River restoration efforts since funding began in 2007.

In the last two years, Attorney General Schneiderman has led efforts to protect our environment around the state. Recent environmental victories include:

In Central New York/Hudson Valley, Attorney General Schneiderman:

• Is leading the state’s fight to ensure that the relicensing proceeding for the Indian Point nuclear power plant includes a full, fair and open examination of many critical questions about the safety of the reactors before any decisions are made about their continued operations.
• Obtained a felony guilty plea, including a jail sentence, from the operator of a large, un-permitted construction and demolition debris landfill containing ash and slag, which can be carcinogenic. The illegal landfill was located within the New York City Watershed which provides drinking water to nearly one-half of New York State’s population.
• In partnership with the state Department of Environmental Conservation and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the office created a nearly $450,000 grant program to help the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District transform school buildings into healthy, energy-efficient “high performance” schools at no cost to taxpayers.

In New York City, Attorney General Schneiderman:

• Arrested eight motor vehicle inspectors who issued more than 13,000 fraudulent inspection certificates to vehicles they were paid not to test at seven of the city’s busiest inspection stations. The inspectors and several of the companies they worked at were charged with numerous felonies and face up to seven years in prison. By flouting state requirements, thousands of substandard vehicles were allowed to remain on New York roads, leading to increased safety risks for drivers and the significant degradation of New York air quality.
• Along with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, reached a landmark agreement that will keep the City on track to reduce discharges of nitrogen by municipal wastewater treatment plants’ into Long Island Sound by nearly 60%. The agreement also committed the City to cutting its plants’ nitrogen discharges to Jamaica Bay by nearly 50%. Because fish and other marine life are significantly harmed when nitrogen reduces the oxygen in coastal waters, the agreement requires the city to fund extensive marshland restoration in the bay.
• Following a criminal investigation, cracked down on the sale of thousands of pounds of contaminated clams purchased out-of-state and sold in Chinatown. Consumption of raw shellfish with the type of extreme contamination found places a person in substantial risk of serious physical injury or even death.

On Long Island, Attorney General Schneiderman:

• Won an important victory for endangered and threatened species by successfully defending State regulations requiring a specific permit be obtained when proposed development activities and other land use changes may cause “significant modification or degradation” to a protected species’ habitat, such as Long Island’s short-eared owls and tiger salamanders.
• Continues to protect the Long Island Pine Barrens, including its unique ecosystems and critical drinking water supplies, by ensuring the full and fair enforcement of the Long Island Pine Barrens Protection Act.

In the North Country, Attorney General Schneiderman:

• With the state Department of Environmental Conservation, federal agencies and Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, spearheaded legal action that resulted in a $18.5 million settlement from Aloca Inc. and Reynolds Metals Company for natural resources damages to the St. Lawrence River environment. The settlement will provide approximately $7.3 million for wetlands, stream bank, fisheries and other natural resource restoration projects and $8.4 to fund tribal cultural restoration projects, including those promoting Mohawk language and traditional teachings. In addition, the settlement will fund the acquisition of lands valued at $1 million for wildlife protection and projects valued at $1.5 million to increase public access to fishing.
• In defense of the public’s right to travel on navigable waters in the Adirondack Park, joined a successful lawsuit against landowners who used intimidating signs, cameras and steel cables they placed across Adirondack waterways in an effort to prevent kayakers, canoeists and other boaters from traveling through public waterways that traverse their property.
• Provided $400,000 to create the “Adirondack Acid Rain Recovery Program,” a grant program to fund projects aimed at restoring hundreds of lakes and streams in the Adirondacks still suffering the damages of acid rain pollution.

In the Southern Tier, Attorney General Schneiderman:

• Defeated a lawsuit brought by the natural gas drilling company U.S. Energy that sought to block enforcement of New York’s water pollution regulations that protect New York water from pollution originating from the company’s Pennsylvania fracking operations.
• Reached a landmark agreement with Chesapeake Appalachia, L.L.C. to allow over 4,400 landowners who were locked into unfavorable natural gas leases the opportunity to renegotiate with another energy company. The Oaklahoma-based company claimed that, because of New York State’s continuing review of fracking prevented it from performing any exploration and development operations for shale wells, the company had the right to unilaterally extend expiring leases. Since executing this agreement, a federal judge ruled that New York’s current fracking moratorium did not give Chesapeake the right to unilaterally extended leases.

In Western New York, Attorney General Schneiderman:

• Reached an agreement with the operator of a Tonadwanda-based funeral home crematory to temporary suspend its operations while pursuing solutions to eliminate odor, particles, smoke and other emissions that have been the source of persistent community complaints.
• The office is participating in the implementation of Buffalo Green and Healthy Homes Initiative which was created with $2.1 million from Attorney General Schneiderman’s office to fund energy efficiency measures and catalyze health and safety improvements in residential housing in Buffalo’s underserved communities.

Statewide, Attorney General Schneiderman:

• Successfully defended the State against a lawsuit backed by the out-of-state organization Americans for Prosperity that sought to force New York to withdraw from the “Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative” (RGGI), a multi-state effort to reduce emissions of pollutants that contribute to climate change and harm our health.
• Successfully defended restrictions that New York added to a federal Environmental Protection Agency permit that address the discharge of “biological pollution” by commercial ships. The Agency’s permit set specific limits on the number of invasive species that can be released with commercial ship ballast waters. The restrictions were specifically added by New York to ensure New York waters are properly protected from these harmful, non-native species.

Attorney General Schneiderman’s office is recognized as a national leader for spearheading a number of environmental protection efforts:

• The office won a landmark victory that ensures, for the first time, that the nation’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission cannot issue new or renewed operating licenses for nuclear power plants until it thoroughly reviews the public health, safety and environmental hazards posed by long-term storage of nuclear waste at power plants around the country.
• Leading a coalition of 11 states, Attorney General Schneiderman reached a settlement with the federal Environmental Protection Agency that compelled the agency to update national air quality standards for soot pollution and ensure all Americans, including the most vulnerable, will be protected.
• Leading a coalition of seven states, the Attorney General filed notice of intent to sue the federal Environmental Protection Agency for violating provisions of the Clean Air Act by failing to address methane emissions from the oil and natural gas industry, including those from “fracking” operations. The oil and natural industry is the single largest source of man-made methane emissions in the U.S. and the second largest industrial source of domestic greenhouse gas emissions behind only electric power generating plants.

St. Johns University Students Walk to Benefit Services provided by DDI for Children & Adults with Autism and other Developmental Disabilities

(Smithtown, NY) — Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI), the leading service provider for children and adults with Autism on Long Island, will be the recipient of a very special fundraising effort by two St. John’s University seniors, an effort that will also serve to bring about more awareness of Autism and other developmental disabilities. Nathan Holmes and John Kenny will hit the pavement on May 28^th at the Brooklyn Bridge and will finish up their walking journey across Long Island on June 4^th at Montauk Point.

Pictured (L-R) are St. Johns University walkers John Kenny, Morgan Zajkowski, Marita Rausch, Nathan Holmes, Liam Kenny, and Michael Sardone.

“These students have decided to celebrate the milestone of their own graduation by taking on a journey to better the lives of others.  It’s really wonderful to see the dedication and generosity that Nathan and John have shown.  We are truly honored that John and Nathan have chosen to support DDI, and to also bring about greater awareness of disability,” stated John Lessard, Executive Director of DDI.

The 128-mile walk will take the students eight days to complete, averaging 17.5 miles per day.  Stops along the way will include multiple DDI sites as well as St. John’s University. Along with fellow classmates from St. John’s, students will be staying with DDI host families throughout their journey. Joining Nathan and John on the journey are Morgan Zajkowski, Marita Rausch, Liam Kenny, and Michael Sardone.

“This walk captures the spirit of my fellow classmates of giving back,” stated John Kenny.  “We have gained an increased appreciation for the ways in which we can improve the lives of those around us. With that in mind, we decided we would like to do one final project to commemorate our time at St. John’s and start our transition to serving the community post graduation.”

Funds raised will go towards DDI’s Little Plains School and Children’s Residential Project. This ambitious project not only includes a new home and added classroom capacity at the school for 24 children with Autism, but includes sorely needed renovations to the school building, which is over 50 years old.  New handicap accessibility, an HVAC system upgrade, roof replacement, lighting upgrades and various other improvements to increase the energy-efficiency of the school building will be included in the work.

“We could not have found a better organization to support than DDI,” commented Nathan Holmes.  “Through financial assistance we hope to support the valuable projects DDI implements and the services it offers to the many children and adults across Nassau and Suffolk Counties.”

DDI is a not-for-profit agency headquartered in Smithtown, NY, with more than 40 locations throughout Suffolk and Nassau Counties.   DDI is the largest provider of services for individuals with Autism on Long Island.  It provides special educational, vocational, day and residential programs, as well as healthcare services for over 5,000 children and adults with autism or other developmental disabilities.  DDI also operates family-centered preschool programs for both children with disabilities as well as typically developing students.  DDI was founded in 1961 by a group of parents to address the special educational and therapeutic needs of their children with autism or other developmental disabilities.  DDI is a member agency of the United Way of Long Island.

For more information about DDI, visit www.ddiny.org.

Panel of LGBT elected officials to speak at University at Albany

(ALBANY, N.Y.) – On Monday, April 22, students at the University at Albany will gather to attend a discussion with a panel of 3 LGBT elected officials from the New York State Legislature.

Serving on the panel is State Senator Brad Hoylman, Assembly member Harry Bronson, and Assembly member Daniel O’Donnell. The panel will be moderated by University professor Nichole LaMarre.

The panel will discuss their personal experiences as openly gay elected officials, as well as a variety of issues facing the LGBT community like GENDA, DOMA, and Prop 8.

The event is sponsored by the College Democrats, University Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, Pride Alliance, University Transgender Group, and the Young Americans for Liberty.

The discussion is scheduled for 7:45 PM in Lecture Center 22. This event will be open to the press.

(GLEN COVE, NY) – The Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County’s (HMTC) Board of Directors has been strengthened by the election of three accomplished and well-respected leaders.

Steven Markowitz, Chairman of HMTC’s Board, announced today, April 22, that Keith Gutstein, Deidra Parrish Williams and Barry Skolnick, have been appointed, effective immediately.

“The Holocaust Center and Tolerance Center is greatly honored to have Mr. Gutstein, Ms. Parrish Williams and Mr. Skolnick join our organization’s Board of Directors,” says Mr. Steven Markowitz, Chairman of the Board of Directors. Markowitz continues, “These new members bring a wealth of leadership and experience and will be influential in helping continue our work to teach the history of the Holocaust and its lessons through education and community outreach.”

Keith Gutstein is a partner with the law firm of Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck LLP and concentrates his practice in labor and employment law on behalf of management. Mr. Gutstein regularly counsels clients in all issues arising from the employer-employee relationship, including the defense of employment discrimination and sexual harassment matters, compliance with workplace regulations and employment statutes, wage and hour lawsuits, and wage and hour audits initiated by both the New York State and United States Department of Labor. Mr. Gutstein is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received his J.D. from New York Law School. He resides in Hewlett, NY.

Deidra Parrish Williams was appointed chief executive of the NuHealth Foundation in 2010 and is responsible for generating support for the NuHealth System – Long Island’s essential public health system, which includes Nassau University Medical Center, and several other facilities devoted to providing care to Nassau County’s most vulnerable populations. She has earned several awards and distinctions, including being named one of the Top 50 Women in Business by Long Island Business News. Ms. Parrish Williams is a graduate of Fordham University and studied strategic corporate citizenship at the Boston College School of Management. She resides in Valley Stream, NY.

Barry Skolnick is president of CAMBR Company, Inc. (formerly Solgar Vitamin & Herb Company). He has been involved with the family business since 1979, spearheading a subsidiary CAMBR Realty – investing, acquiring and developing in residential, commercial and industrial real estate and now a privately-held family office, investing in a variety of diverse investment opportunities. Mr. Skolnick is a Trustee of the CAMBR Charitable Foundation. He is a graduate of the State University College at Oneonta and resides in New York City.

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 late 2013, 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.

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

Contact: Jennifer Carpenter Low, Director of Development
Cell Phone: 516/658-3249
Email: jenniferlow@holocaust-nassau.org

Saturday, April 27, 2013 as Part of National Volunteer Week

(Rockville Centre, NY) The Rockville Centre Fire Department will be hosting a recruitment drive and Open House on Saturday, April 27 from 11 am to 2 pm at the 103 Maple Avenue Firehouse.

To Coincide with National Volunteer Week, the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) has launched their Recruit NY 2013 campaign. This is the FASNY’s annual recruitment based open house event wherein departments throughout the state are called upon to open their doors and bring in new recruits.

In an effort to recruit new firefighters and EMT’s, the Rockville Centre Fire Department will stage demonstrations of various firefighting, rescue, and EMS skills.

“I can’t stress how important volunteerism is to the ongoing success and well-being of our department. Rockville Centre Firemen and EMT’s were the first responders during Superstorm Sandy and other major events in and around the Village of Rockville Centre. They provide an invaluable service to our friends and neighbors”, said Chief of Department John Thorp.

(Long Island, NY) When cancer biologist Dr.Arti Datta turned inward and decided to pursue her passion for dance a decade ago, little did she know that she was on a path to taking her interest to a whole new level, with the founding of the non profit The Mudra Foundation: Art for a Cause.

Dr. Arti Datta and her team are thrilled to announce the debut production of the Mudra Foundation, a multi media dance presentation Water: the Flow of the Divine to be held on the 27th of April at the Madison Theater in Rockville Center, NY. This will be a first-of-its-kind concert on Long Island. More than 65 artistes from a variety of Indian classical dance form will perform under a unified theme. Dancers from the genres of Odissi, Kathak, Bharathanatyam and Mohiniattam will interpret “Water” in their own enchantingly unique styles. Additionally there will be Folk and Bollywood presentations as well.

Proceeds from the event will support the programs and services of Sankara Eye Foundation, the non-profit organization dedicated to the eradication of curable blindness in rural India. “The issue of blindness has always been close to my heart”, says Dr.Datta.

All through civilization water has connected people, cultures and continents. The inspiration behind Water: the Flow of the Divine, is not just to connect the medium of dance to an altruistic cause but also to connect various talented artistes within Long Island and New York City to come together symbiotically.

In 2003 Dr.Arti Datta had founded the Mudra Dance Studio in Syosset, NY where the focus was the teaching of the ancient dance form of Bharathanatyam to young and adult students. . “As we entered our 10th year, we felt a growing need to integrate our passion for dance with a desire to give back to society.” This was the inspiration behind the newly minted The Mudra Foundation: Art for a Cause.

“We had a good run for the past 10 years enjoying art for art’s sake. Its time now to elevate it to Art for a cause”, says Dr. Datta of their new mantra.

For more information www.TheMudraFoundation.org
Contact info: Arti Datta : artidatta1@gmail.com (516) 884 7862

Insurer Spent Less Than Required 60 Percent Minimum on Claims; Requirement is Designed to Protect Consumers and Hold Down Premium Costs

(NEW YORK, NY) — Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that Zurich American Insurance Company has agreed to refund $4.56 million to policyholders of its New York statutory disability insurance policies because the insurer failed to spend at least 60 percent of total premiums on claims – as required under law.

“Ensuring that insurers dedicate the required amount of money to paying policyholder benefits – rather than overhead or windfall profits – is critical to protecting consumers and keeping premium costs down,” Governor Cuomo said. “Today’s action continues the state’s work to hold insurers accountable to ratepayers and ensure that New York residents and businesses are not being overcharged.”

The money is being refunded to approximately 73,000 policyholders through an agreement with the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS). In this case, most of the policyholders are small businesses, which will benefit from the lower costs.

Zurich failed to meet the 60 percent minimum, called a minimum loss ratio (MLR), because it overestimated the amount of money it would spend to pay claims when the policies were priced by the insurer.

The refunds involve policies issued in calendar years 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Benjamin M. Lawsky, Superintendent of Financial Services, said: “We’ll continue to fight hard to make sure that insurers live up to their commitments. These refunds will put money back in the pockets of policyholders – many of which are New York small businesses.”

The insurer reported the lower than required MLR to the Department of Financial Services and has submitted a corrective action plan detailing how the refunds will be made.

New York State statutory disability benefits insurance provides temporary cash benefits paid to an eligible employee to replace, in part, wages lost when the employee is disabled by an off-the-job illness or injury, and for disabilities arising from pregnancy.

Employers who hire employees in New York State are required to provide statutory disability benefits insurance unless they are exempt under New York State law. The coverage is part of workers’ compensation insurance.

Father Michael Vetrano Leads Discussion “The Moral Teaching of the Church Since Vatican II” at Basilica Parish Sacred Hearts of Jesus & Mary, Southampton May 6

(Long Island, NY) The well received discussion series “Faith & Belief for the Modern Catholic” continues at the Basilica Parish of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary , 168 Hill Street, Southampton, NY 11068 on May 7 at 7:30 pm.

Father Michael Vetrano

The discussion led by pastor Father Michael Vetrano will look at” The Moral Teaching of the Church Since Vatican II“.

The Second Vatican Council challenged moral theologians and catechists to renew our moral teaching with an emphasis on discipleship, conscience and responsibility in living the Christian life.

The evening will explore the roots of this call, the emphasis of the council and where the church is going as a moral teacher in this millennium.

The attendees will discuss how we teach and are taught about sin, virtue, forgiveness and responsibility and also look at the ways the church’s own successes and failures have influenced its witness to society.

The discussion will take place in the Church and refreshments will be served after the discussion.

For more information about other programs at the Basilica Parish of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, please visit www.shjmbasilica.org or call 631-283-0097 or email parishoffice@shjmbasilica.org.

A.G. Schneiderman, D.A. Vance, Other Law Enforcement Officials, Advocates And Community Members Gather To Commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week; Speakers And Victims Reflect On The Theme “New Challenges; New Solutions”

(NEW YORK) – The Downstate Coalition for Crime Victims, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr today hosted the 28th Annual Crime Victims Candlelight Vigil. The Annual Vigil brings together law enforcement officials, victim advocates, community leaders and members to commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. Reflecting on the theme “New Challenges; New Solutions,” speakers included A.G. Schneiderman, D.A. Vance, New York City Department of Corrections Commissioner Dora Schiro, New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Executive Deputy Commissioner Michael C. Green, and crime survivors expressing the shared mission to end violence and deliver justice for its victims. The Vigil took on special poignancy this year in the wake of the elementary school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut last December, and the bombing of the Boston Marathon just days before.

“We are proud to partner with so many leading voices at our annual NYC Crime Victims’ Ceremony and Candle Light Vigil,” said Susan Xenarios, co-Chair of the Downstate Coalition for Crime Victims. “This is an opportunity for all New Yorkers to share a moving and healing event together as we honor and commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.”

“In our work to achieve a safer and fairer society, we must honor and learn from those who have suffered most at the hands of injustice,” said Attorney General Schneiderman, whose office co-sponsored the vigil. “As we begin National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, let us remember the lost, celebrate survivors’ strength, and redouble our efforts to keep communities safe. For those of us in law enforcement, we also honor those who have been lost by reaffirming our solemn commitment that we will do everything in our power to ensure public safety in every community.”

“This important annual event promotes awareness about those who suffer from violence and those who have been silenced by it,” said District Attorney Vance. “By coming together to honor this event, we renew our commitment to serving our communities and remembering those who have been affected by crime.”

The Downstate Coalition for Crime Victims Annual Vigil is a forum for community members to share insights, engage in problem-solving strategies and speak as a united voice on behalf of the all victims of crime and violence in New York State. This year’s theme, “Honoring Our Journey,” inspires reflection on the victims we have lost, the survivors we celebrate, and our collective work to promote justice in our society.

The Downstate Coalition for Crime Victims provides a comprehensive range of direct services and advocacy for victims of violence and other crimes, their families and the communities in which they reside. The Coalition’s mission is to inform and educate members and the public about current developments in legislation, our criminal justice and law enforcement systems, victim service and trauma treatment modalities and resources which impact on services and justice for victims and the crime victim movement on a local, state and national level.

With 97 members, including crime victim assistance advocate programs, government agencies and community based programs providers, the Coalition covers the five boroughs of New York City, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Westchester counties.