Legislation Seeks to Curb Longtime Problem  

(Shirley, NY) Assemblyman Edward Hennessey has introduced legislation that seeks to curb sober living home abuses through certification and regulation. “People who live in these homes are in recovery from substance abuse. They need a safe, clean place to live that is drug-and-alcohol free and where there is access to services. Too often, however, that is not the case and everyone knows it,” said Assemblyman Hennessey.

 left to right:  Islip Town Councilman Steve Flotteron; Assemblyman Edward Hennessey; Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Connie Kepert; Brookhaven Town Deputy Supervisor/Town Councilman Dan Panico; Assemblyman Fred Thiele; Suffolk County Legislator Kate Browning, and Senator Lee Zeldin. 

Assemblyman Hennessey, who sponsored the bill in the Assembly stood with Senate sponsor Senator Lee Zeldin and colleagues and organizations who are in full support of the bill.

“So many people have worked tirelessly and for a very long time on this issue of sober home abuse. All credit really belongs to them, and I am pleased to have been able to be a moving part of it all and push it forward,” said Assemblyman Hennessey.

In brief, the legislation will require sober living home operators in Suffolk County to become certified and outlines circumstances under which a certificate can be revoked. The legislation further ensures that all recipients of public assistance living in sober homes live in housing that meet the new legislation’s requirements.

“It has been abundantly clear for a long time, that the bad sober homes have been little more than cash cows for unscrupulous landlords who don’t care about the welfare of the people who live in them or the neighborhoods homes like these help to ruin. This legislation, should it pass in the Legislature, will make it much harder for these bad landlords to operate,” said Assemblyman Hennessey.

(Oceanside, NY) According to the Prevention Committee of the American Head and Neck Society, an annual screening for head and neck cancers assists in the early diagnosis and successful treatment of them.

Unfortunately, nearly 13,000 of the 55,000 Americans diagnosed with a head or neck cancer this year will die despite the fact that head and neck cancers are highly treatable and the cure rate is good when they are detected in the early stages.

The Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center at South Nassau Communities Hospital in collaboration with New York State Senator Dean Skelos will hold a Free Head and Neck Cancer Screening Day on Friday, April 19, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. in the Hewlett – Woodmere Public Library (1125 Broadway, Hewlett, NY).

Risk factors for head and neck cancers include habitual smoking or use of smokeless tobacco; frequent alcohol consumption; or excessive exposure to the sun.  Tumors most often occur in the nasal passages, sinuses, mouth, throat, larynx (voice box), swallowing passages, salivary glands, and the thyroid gland.

“Our mission is to safeguard the quality of life of the residents of the communities we serve by providing services and programs that prevent or detect debilitating or life-threatening diseases or illnesses,” said Rajiv Datta, MD, medical director ofThe Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center and chairman of the Department of Surgery at South Nassau.  “If you are at risk or are experiencing symptoms, I strongly encourage you to visit the Hewlett – Woodmere Public Library on April 19 for a free screening.”

For more information, call (516) 632-3350 or (516) 377-5333.  Information may also be obtained by sending an email to oncology@snch.org.

South Nassau Communities Hospital is one of the region’s largest hospitals, with 435 beds, more than 900 physicians and 3,000 employees.  Located in Oceanside, NY, the hospital is an acute-care, not-for-profit teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art care in cardiac, oncologic, orthopedic, bariatric, pain management, mental health and emergency services.  In addition to its extensive outpatient specialty centers, South Nassau provides emergency and elective angioplasty and is the only hospital on Long Island with the Novalis Tx™ and Gamma Knife® Perfexion radiosurgery technologies.  South Nassau is a designated Stroke Center by the New York State Department of Health and Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons and is recognized as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. 

For more information, visit www.southnassau.org.

(Oceanside, NY) – South Nassau Communities Hospital, along with other national, state and community organizations, is part of a massive effort to highlight the importance of advance healthcare decision-making—an effort that has culminated in the formal designation of April 16 as National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD).

As a participating organization, South Nassau is providing information and tools for the public to talk about their wishes with family, friends and healthcare providers, and execute written advance directives (healthcare power of attorney and living will) in accordance with New York state laws.

These resources are also available at www.nationalhealthcaredecisionsday.org.

From 10 AM to 3 PM in South Nassau’s atrium there will be a large exhibit hosted by healthcare decision specialists offering free information to the public about advance care planning and advance directive forms.

“As a result of National Healthcare Decisions Day, many more people in our community can be expected to have thoughtful conversations about their healthcare decisions and complete reliable advance directives to make their wishes known,” said Kathi Morse, administrator, Palliative Care & Geriatric Services.  “Fewer families and healthcare providers will have to struggle with making difficult healthcare decisions in the absence of guidance from the patient, and healthcare providers and facilities will be better equipped to address advance healthcare planning issues before a crisis and be better able to honor patient wishes when the time comes to do so.”

South Nassau Communities Hospital is one of the region’s largest hospitals, with 435 beds, more than 900 physicians and 3,000 employees.  Located in Oceanside, NY, the hospital is an acute-care, not-for-profit teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art care in cardiac, oncologic, orthopedic, bariatric, pain management, mental health and emergency services.  In addition to its extensive outpatient specialty centers, South Nassau provides emergency and elective angioplasty and is the only hospital on Long Island with the Novalis Tx™ and Gamma Knife® Perfexion radiosurgery technologies.  South Nassau is a designated Stroke Center by the New York State Department of Health and Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons and is recognized as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

For more information, visit www.southnassau.org.

Competitive grants and loans will be made available for construction-ready municipal and private sewer infrastructure projects; Program will help protect Suffolk County’s drinking water; facilitate economic development & growth

(Hauppauge, NY)  Today, County Executive Steven Bellone announced that applications for a competitive grant and loan program will be made available on April 5, 2013 for construction-ready municipal and private sewer infrastructure expansion projects within Suffolk County.  With less than 25% of Suffolk County currently served by sewage treatment facilities, this program will assist in expanding sewers, protecting the drinking water supply and spurring economic development.

“Investing in sewers makes both environmental and economic sense,” said County Executive Bellone.  “Sewer expansion is essential to creating jobs in Suffolk County in an sustainable way.  We also know that water quality is critical to our way of life, and that expanding our sewer infrastructure protects our groundwater, estuaries and public drinking water.”

Legislator Horsley stated, “This pool of funds gives Suffolk County a way to ‘grow’ sewers in Suffolk, which is both an environmental and economic development necessity.”

“There are key locations where sewers are a necessity, not a luxury item.  Growing downtowns and creating transit oriented communities can be accomplished while enhancing the protection of groundwater and our estuaries,” said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

Approximately $30 million in funding will be made available through Suffolk County’s Asset Stabilization Reserve Fund for sewer expansion projects. The projects submitted will be evaluated by the Suffolk County Sewer Infrastructure Committee and then presented to the Suffolk Legislature for approval and will be analyzed based on the following criteria:

• Project is consistent with at least one of the following plans: Suffolk County’s Comprehensive Plan, Long Island Regional Economic Development Council Strategic Plan, current estuary plans, the draft Suffolk County Comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan, Local Waterfront Revitalization Plans adopted by NYS, or applicable community-based, locally-adopted municipal plans that have also been appropriately referred to the Suffolk County Planning Commission.
• Project applicant demonstrates the financial capacity to successfully implement and carry out the project.
• Project applicant demonstrates the ability to begin construction within 12-24 months of contract execution.
• Project protects or improves the quality of drinking waters within groundwater-contributing area to public supply wells, areas served by private wells, or improves the quality of nitrogen-sensitive water bodies.
• Site and its proposed use will not compromise or reduce any environmentally sensitive natural habitats.
• Site and its proposed use has all of the following characteristics: promotes to the maximum practical extent long term growth and benefit to Suffolk County, environmental sustainability components, within a ½ mile of a rail transit hub, mixed use and housing diversity component, and creates a “place of interest” or provides sewer connections for existing commercial or residential properties currently on septic/cesspools in areas that do not conform to Article 6.

Applications will be available for download on April 5, 2013 at 4:00pm.  The accessible website is: http://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Planning/SpecialProjects.aspx.

The deadline for submittal of applications is June 4, 2013.

Elite Eight Head to Chicago to Compete Against Top Students From Across the Nation

(Washington, D.C.) – The Biotechnology Institute today named eight students across the nation as the winners of the 2013 At-Large BioGENEius Challenge, the premier competition for high school students that recognizes outstanding research in biotechnology.  Next up:  The Elite Eight will be granted insider access to the biotechnology industry through their attendance at the 2013 BIO International Convention in Chicago, the industry’s trade conference, where leading companies, scientists and innovators will offer students a first-hand experience on what a dynamic career in the industry can encompass.

2013 At-Large BioGENEius Challenge Winners:

• Nebiyou Getahun – Jericho, New York
• Sunny Zheng – Plainview, New York
• Sahir Jaggi – Latham, New York
• Michelle Campeau – Rochester, Minnesota
• Eric Chen – San Diego, California
• Michelle Guo – Hackensack, New Jersey
• Vikul Gupta – Portland, Oregon
• Rena Weis – New Prague, Minnesota

While in Chicago, these students will compete against students from across the country in the U.S. National BioGENEius Challenge.  If named a finalist, they will go on to compete against a select number of students from the U.S., Canada and Australia in the International BioGENEius Challenge.  Each stage of the competition will take place in Chicago during the2013 BIO International Convention.

The first place winner in the International competition will receive a $7,500 cash prize, the second place winner will receive $5,000, the third place winner will receive $2,500 and the fourth place winner will receive $1,000.

“At a time when the U.S. is struggling to engage students in the sciences, the BioGENEius Challenge has found a way to encourage those students who are excited about biotechnology to reach for the next level,” said Jeffrey Almond, Ph.D., Vice President for Discovery Research at Sanofi Pasteur.  “We are thrilled to participate in a program that cultivates young, innovative minds to address our global challenges in new ways.”

“Through the BioGENEius Challenge, students gain an appreciation for the fascinating aspects of scientific experimentation and the tremendous potential for biotechnology to continue to address some of the most pressing issues of our time,” added Jay P. Siegel, M.D., Chief Biotechnology Officer and Head of Global Regulatory Affairs, Janssen Research & Development, LLC.  “It is our expectation that this program will draw bright young people into the endeavor of biotechnology and help accelerate the development of the next-generation of scientific leaders.”

The BioGENEius Challenge is organized by the Biotechnology Institute, the national organization dedicated to biotechnology education.  Generous Co-Lead Supporters of the Challenge include Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of leading global pharmaceutical company Sanofi, and Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.

In addition to Sanofi Pasteur and Janssen, support for the BioGENEius Challenge is provided by International Supporters: The Astellas Foundation, Genentech and MedImmune; and U.S. National Supporters: Acorda Therapeutics, The Allergan Foundation, BioMarin and Sangamo BioSciences.

About the Biotechnology Institute
The Biotechnology Institute is an independent, national nonprofit organization dedicated to education about the present and future impact of biotechnology.  Its mission is to engage, excite and educate the public, particularly students and teachers, about biotechnology and its immense potential for solving human health, food and environmental problems.  For more information, visit www.biotechinstitute.org.

About Sanofi Pasteur Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, provides more than 1 billion doses of vaccine each year, making it possible to immunize more than 500 million people across the globe. A world leader in the vaccine industry, Sanofi Pasteur offers the broadest range of vaccines protecting against 20 infectious diseases. The company’s heritage, to create vaccines that protect life, dates back more than a century. Sanofi Pasteur is the largest company entirely dedicated to vaccines. Every day, the company invests more than EUR 1 million in research and development. For more information, please visit: www.sanofipasteur.com or www.sanofipasteur.us

About Janssen At Janssen Research & Development, LLC, we are dedicated to addressing and solving some of the most important unmet medical needs of our time in oncology, immunology, neuroscience, infectious diseases and vaccines, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Driven by our commitment to patients, we develop innovative products, services and healthcare solutions to help people throughout the world.  For more information, please visit: www.janssenrnd.com

Program airs for two weeks beginning Sunday, May 5, 2013 in NY and CT on Cablevision 29 and 137; and FiOS 296; and streaming simultaneously at www.telecaretv.org

(Uniondale, NY) Adelphi University President Dr. Robert A. Scott, host of the television series, Exploring Critical Issues, has gathered together colleagues from Adelphi University for a discussion on “Violence in America” — continuing an examination that began earlier this year with the Exploring Critical Issues broadcast, “The Fascination with Guns in America.”   “Violence in America” airs over a two-week period beginning Sunday, May 5, 2013 at 10:00 p.m.

Exploring Critical Issues: Violence in America: Joining Adelphi University President Dr. Robert A. Scott (center) for a discussion on violence in America is Adelphi University’s (l to r):  Sam L Grogg, Ph.D., Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; Jessie Klein, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Sociology and Criminal Justice; Michael LaCombe, Ph.D., Associate Professor, History, and Paul Thaler, Ph.D., Chair/Professor, Department of Communications.

“Violence is the result of contributing societal factors – poverty, bigotry, mental illness, indifference,” said Dr. Scott.  “But what part does our culture play in promoting or deflecting violence?  Television starts us on a visual diet with cartoon violence.   Song lyrics, fashion images and even citizen YouTube uploads have qualities or images that seem to endorse sexism, bullying, and other violent aspects of human nature.  Members of Adelphi University’s faculty share their knowledge, research and expertise in exploring this critical issue.”

Joining Dr. Scott for the program  “Violence in America” are members of Adelphi University’s faculty:  Sam L Grogg, Ph.D., Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; Jessie Klein, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Sociology and Criminal Justice; Michael LaCombe, Ph.D., Associate Professor, History; and Paul Thaler, Ph.D., Chair/Professor, Department of Communications.

“Violence in America” airs in New York and Connecticut on Cablevision 29 (Long Island) and 137 (CT and NY area outside of Long Island), FiOS 296 (NY and Fairfield, CT), and streaming simultaneously at www.telecaretv.org on airdates and times as follows:

• Sundays, May 5 and May 12 at 10:00 PM
• Sundays May 12 and May19 at 7:00 AM
• Wednesdays, May 8 and May 15 at 10:30 PM
• Thursdays, May 9 and May 16 at 1:30 PM

Seen by over seven million households, Exploring Critical Issues has earned three Telly Awards, the cable equivalent of the Emmy. As the engaged University, Adelphi is proud to sponsor Exploring Critical Issues to provide scholars, advocates, and other distinguished guests with a forum in which to explore critical local, regional, national, and global topics, such as the environment, health, business, the arts, politics, law, and government regulations.

About Adelphi University:
Adelphi is a world class, modern university with excellent and highly relevant programs where students prepare for lives of active citizenship and professional careers. Through its schools and programs—The College of Arts and Sciences, Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Honors College, Ruth S. Ammon School of Education, University College, Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, the Schools of Nursing and Social Work—the co-educational university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as professional and educational programs for adults. Adelphi University currently enrolls nearly 8,000 students from 43 states and 45 foreign countries. With its main campus in Garden City and centers in Manhattan, Hauppauge, and Poughkeepsie, the University, chartered in 1896, maintains a commitment to liberal studies in tandem with rigorous professional preparation and active citizenship.

For more on Dr. Scott, see: http://administration.adelphi.edu/president/index.php

(Huntington, NY) – Councilwoman Susan A. Berland and the Huntington Youth Council give Huntington’s youth an active role in the democratic process at the Town of Huntington’s biannual “Youth Forum,” an innovative event geared towards engaging young people in local issues. Huntington Youth Council members invited high school students from high schools in the Town of Huntington to this Town Board meeting for the opportunity to testify in a series of public hearings. The proposed agenda for the “Youth Forum” was compiled by student representatives of the Huntington Youth Council and consists of three topics pertinent to the youth in our community: industrialization of Huntington, wind turbines/sustainable energy and security measures in public schools.

The Huntington Youth Council was founded in 2003 by Councilwoman Berland and is comprised of students from every public high school in the Town of Huntington. They meet twice a month to discuss issues that affect the youth in our community and plan events that engage their peers in local issues.

For more information on the Huntington Youth Council’s “Youth Forum” or the organization, please call Allison Jones in the office of the Town Council at 351-3018.

WHO:  Councilwoman Susan A. Berland, Huntington Youth Council
WHAT:  Huntington Youth Council biannual “Youth Forum”. Town Board meeting for high school students run by high school students.
WHEN: Monday, April 15, 2013 @ 7:00 pm
WHERE:  Huntington Town Hall, 100 Main Street, Huntington, NY 11743

Administration Has Helped Create 850 New Housing Opportunities

(Long Island, NY) Nassau County announced the award of $500,000 in Federal HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program funding that promises to help make the dream of home ownership a reality for some first-time homebuyers.

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano said that the Long Island Housing Partnership (LIHP), as agent for Nassau County Office of Community Development, will be accepting applications from first-time homebuyers for down payment/closing cost assistance towards the purchase of a principal residence beginning Monday, April 1st.

“My administration has made it a priority, working with the Long Island Housing Partnership, to create ways in which to assist families, seniors, and young adults with housing options,” he said. “With this Federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program funding, we will truly help residents achieve the American Dream of home ownership. Since taking office, my administration has helped create 850 new housing opportunities in NassauCounty.”

Under provisions of the federally funded program, NassauCountyhas set aside the HOME Program Funds, which are provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), to provide eligible first-time homebuyers with up to $20,000 towards down payment/closing costs for the purchase of an eligible new or existing single family home. The applicants must provide a minimum down payment of at least $3,000 in addition to satisfying the mortgage lender’s minimum down payment requirements and being able to secure a mortgage. Homeowners are required to reside in the home for a minimum of 10 years or HUD will require a full repayment of the grant.

More than 30 applicants were assisted in the home buying process under the same program during FY2012-13.

To be eligible, an applicant must be a first-time homeowner having not owned a home during the three years immediately prior to purchasing a residence with HOME assistance funds and must occupy the property as a principal residence. In addition, their gross annual income must not exceed income limits as outlined in HUD guidelines.

(GARDEN CITY, NY) – Adelphi University’s Diversity Committee is sponsoring an interactive panel discussion, “Deliberating Diversity and Equality,” on Tuesday, April 16, 2013, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. at Alumni House, 154 Cambridge Avenue, Garden City, NY. The panel will talk about the recent and upcoming Supreme Court deliberations on issues of diversity and equality: gay marriage, affirmative action, and the Voting Rights Act. The event is free and open to the community.

Facilitator:

Carl Mirra, Ph.D., is associate professor and director of childhood education at the Ruth S. Ammon School of Education at Adelphi University. His research focuses on peace education and civil rights and ideology of U.S. foreign policy to historiography/movements of the 1960s. Dr. Mirra received his Ph.D., M.Phil and M.A. in history and education from Columbia University. He teaches childhood special education, global and societal development and conflict, adolescent education, youth movement and childhood education. Dr. Mirra has authored four books and over half a dozen articles. He has lectured and presented papers around the U.S. and internationally.

The panel includes:

Jamal Greene, J.D. is a constitutional law professor at Columbia University and former clerk to Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. Dr. Greene received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 2005 and received an A.B in economics in 1999 from Harvard College. His current courses and research includes constitutional law, constitutional theory, federal course and legal theory workshop.  Dr. Greene has published over a dozen journal articles. He has been honored with the Burton H. Brody Prize for best paper on constitutional privacy, Smith- Doheny Legal Ethics Writing Prize and Edgar M. Cullen Prize for best paper by a first-year law student.

Marsha J. Tyson Darling, Ph.D. is professor in Adelphi’s History Department and director of the African, Black and Caribbean Studies Program. Dr. Darling received her Ph. D. and M.A. from Duke University. Her recent courses include topics such as black history in America, civil rights movement, ethnicity in American history, women and international development, world citizenship and conscience, and social justice movement. Much of her current research has been focused on emerging biotechnologies, contemporary and emerging public policy, social development issues, ethics and governance challenges for public and civil society stakeholders in the 21^st century.  Dr. Darling has written and published four books, over half a dozen book chapters and has lectured extensively in the U.S. as well as internationally.

Stephanie Lake, Ph.D. is the director of Criminal Justice Program at Adelphi University. Dr. Lake received her Ph.D. and M.A. in sociology from University of Virginia. She has delivered courses on criminology, criminal justice, terrorism, white collar crimes and social problems.

Hugh Wilson, Ph.D. is professoremeritus in the Political Science Department at Adelphi University. He taught in the department for 35 years in the areas of American and comparative politics. Prior to his academic career at Adelphi, Dr. Wilson was an organizer of poor people’s movements in Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties. His work centered on economic, social, and racial justice issues including welfare, housing and employment rights.  His justice work transitioned as he became a consultant to nonprofits and served as a trainer for nonprofit boards and staff.  Professor Wilson was also a participant in the 1960s civil rights and anti-war movements. He has published numerous articles on Black politics, the suburbs, the politics of nuclear power, and Black families.

About Adelphi University:
Adelphi is a world class, modern university with excellent and highly relevant programs where students prepare for lives of active citizenship and professional careers. Through its schools and programs—The College of Arts and Sciences, Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Honors College, Ruth S. Ammon School of Education, University College, Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, Schools of Nursing and Social Work—the co-educational university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as professional and educational programs for adults. Adelphi University currently enrolls nearly 8,000 students from 43 states and 45 foreign countries. With its main campus in Garden City and centers in Manhattan, Hauppauge, and Poughkeepsie, the University, chartered in 1896, maintains a commitment to liberal studies in tandem with rigorous professional preparation and active citizenship.

All Mortgage Foreclosure Resources in One Room

(Mineola, NY) – Every month since March 2009, Nassau County Bar Association attorneys have volunteered to assist Nassau homeowners concerned about mortgage foreclosure, helping thousands of families with advice and strategies to keep their homes during one of the worst recessions in modern history. Next month, NCBA will present its 50th consecutive free Mortgage Foreclosure Free Legal Consultation Clinic on Monday, May 6, 2013, 3-6 p.m. at the NCBA headquarters, 15th and West Streets, Mineola, NY.

NCBA’s unique program allows homeowners concerned about foreclosure matters or are already in the foreclosure process involving property in Nassau County, to meet one-on-one with a volunteer attorney for free legal guidance, to receive loan modification assistance and bankruptcy information – all in one room. The attorneys do not provide legal representation, but help homeowners find out if, indeed, they need a credit counselor or a lawyer, and put them in touch with the available resources. To date, NCBA has helped more than 2,000 families who have attended the clinics. This program is made possible in part by grants from the NYS Office of the Attorney General.

Reservations are required by calling the Bar Association at 516-747-4070. Attendees are asked to bring their mortgage documents to the clinic.

• Bi-lingual attorneys fluent in Spanish will be on site. Attorneys bi-lingual in Russian, Haitian Creole, Korean, Chinese, Hindi, American Sign Language and many other languages will be made available upon request when homeowners call to make reservations.

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.