Have faith Northeast, spring will come – eventually

(Long Island, NY) Samantha Borisoff, climatologist with the NOAA Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University, discusses the weather pattern that brought the Northeast a frosty March – and how it will give way to warmth in about 10 days.

Borisoff says: “Does this March feel a little cooler than normal? It’s not your imagination. When looking at data from March 1 to 24 in 35 Northeast cities, temperatures were below average at 32 of those sites. The coolest spot was Beckley, W. Va., at 6 degrees below normal.  Though it has been on the cool side, many stations were within 2 degrees of normal. That’s a big contrast to last year when temperatures were 8 to 16 degrees above normal!

“As for snowfall, 24 of the 35 cities were snowier than normal. Multiple storms brought snow to places such as Worcester, Mass., which has accumulated an extra 21.3 inches of snow this month. Other areas, like Buffalo, N.Y., have missed out. The city is 2.6 inches below its usual snow total.

“So what’s going on? An area of low pressure lies over the north Atlantic while an area of high pressure resides a few thousand miles to the south. The interaction between these pressure systems affects our winter weather. Last March the two systems were strong, or in a positive phase, which allowed for record-setting warmth and little snow. This March the two systems are relatively weak, or in a negative phase, the opposite of last year. In this scenario, the jet stream dips south bringing cold air into the eastern U.S. and the East Coast sees more frequent storms.

“A change in the pattern is coming ­– eventually. A continuation of cool temperatures is predicted for much of the East for the next 10 days, but the outlook for April is for warmer weather.”

State Senator Encourages Uninsured / Insured Local Men to Get Regular Check Ups 

(Queens, NY) – On Monday, April 15, NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. and Integrated Medical Foundation are cosponsors of a free prostate cancer screening done by Dr. Riccardo Ricciardi from Advanced Urology Centers of New York – Flushing West. The screening is open to men ages 40 and older who have not been previously treated for prostate cancer, regardless of whether they have insurance. Appointments are recommended; however, walk-ins are accepted.

The event will take place at Martin Luther High School, 60-02 Maspeth Avenue in Maspeth, from 4 PM – 6 PM.

The health check-up will include a PSA blood test and a digital rectal exam. The patients will be notified of the testing results by bringing a stamped, self-addressed envelope. It is important for patients to also bring their physician’s name and address on a separate paper. Patients must also bring a photo ID with an address (e.g., driver’s license).

To make an appointment, please contact Senator Addabbo’s office at 718-738-1111. There is a parking lot located at the left of the main entrance. All guests must enter through the high school’s front doors located at 60-02 Maspeth Avenue. For more information about prostate cancer, visit www.IMFCARES.org.

(Queens, NY) – NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) was the special guest at the 9^th Annual Community Read Aloud held at PS 254 on Friday, March 22.

The elementary school, also known as the Rosa Parks School, is located at 84-40  101^st Street, Richmond Hill.

5th graders from PS 254 with their teacher, Ms. Ramirez (R) with classroom assistant (L) during Community Read Aloud Day with Senator Joe Addabbo (center).

Each month at the school, an award-winning book is selected for a school-wide Read Aloud, which culminates in the annual Read Aloud celebration for the community. The literacy coach provided a package to the teachers to introduce vocabulary words, develop background knowledge, and to make predictions, before the book was read to the students. Appropriate comprehension strategies were reviewed and then several times during the month, the teacher read the book aloud to the students. A plethora of discussions and activities were initiated that gave all of the students the opportunity to appreciate different kinds of literacy, develop a love of reading, all while improving their comprehension skills.

(Long Island, NY) State Senator Lee M. Zeldin (R-C-I, Shirley) today announced that the Senate has passed the portion of the State Budget that permanently eliminates the Saltwater Fishing License Fee.

“The elimination of the Saltwater Fishing License Fee was one of many important priorities for me since taking office in 2011,” said Senator Zeldin.  “The three year moratorium we secured in the 2011-2012 budget was a big victory for all Long Islanders, but there is no better to build on that success than to permanently eliminate the fee in this year’s budget. I am very grateful that Governor Cuomo included the elimination of this fee in his 30 Day Executive Budget Amendment.”

Earlier this year, Senator Zeldin and Assemblyman Thiele introduced legislation to permanently eliminate the Salt Water Fishing License Fee (S3709/A4838). The elimination of the Fee is part of a larger budget bill (S.2608-D) that also simplifies, consolidates and reduces the prices of hunting and other fishing licenses.

“I would like to thank not only my Senate colleagues who have worked with me on this goal, but I would also like to thank the thousands of fishermen, including the Recreational Fishing Alliance, NY Sportfishing Federation and Captree Boatmen’s Association, who called, wrote, faxed and signed our petition,” continued Senator Zeldin.  “I also commend Assemblyman Fred Thiele who took the lead in the State Assembly to ensure that the fee was eliminated in this year’s budget.”

Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I-D-WF, Sag Harbor) stated, “Fishing in our local oceans, and bays is considered a birth right by our residents that goes back to colonial times. Recreational fishing is a critical sector in New York State’s economy.  Recreational marine fishing in New York creates $812 million in sales, directly supports 5,365 jobs, provides $424 million in value-added economic impact, and $126 million in tax revenue, according to a 2006 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) study. Permanent repeal of the saltwater fishing license eliminates this unnecessary burden on this important economic engine as we recover from the worst recession in decades.  This is a major victory for Long Island.”

“Recreational and commercial saltwater fishing is one of the many great treasures of Long Island,” concluded Senator Zeldin. “It’s part of our history, and for many, it’s a primary reason why we live here.  This is a big win for Long Island’s saltwater fishermen.”

Senator Zeldin will be hosting an event with local saltwater fishermen to commemorate the elimination of the Saltwater Fishing License Fee at the start of the upcoming 2013 fishing season.

Bill Would Make it Illegal for Driver to Leave Scene After Vehicle Hits Any Object

(Long Island, NY) The New York State Senate today passed “Alix’s Law”, sponsored by Senator Patrick M. Gallivan (R-C-I, Elma), to close a legal loophole and hold intoxicated drivers accountable for leaving the scene of an accident.

The legislation (S1698A) responds to a drunk driving accident that killed a teenage girl in Amherst, Erie County. On July 8, 2011, 18-year-old Alix Rice was killed by a drunk driver as she road home on her
longboard. The driver argued that he was not aware he had hit a person and he was acquitted on the felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident.

“Intoxicated drivers are arguably the most likely to flee the scene of an accident to avoid being caught driving under the influence, and due to their intoxication and diminished awareness, they are also the least likely to know if they have struck an object or a person,” said Senator Gallivan. “This bill will close a dangerous loophole in the state’s vehicle and traffic law, and give prosecutors the tools necessary to ensure that intoxicated drivers are held accountable for the tragic outcomes of their actions.”

“It is terrible enough that some individuals choose to drink and drive, but compounding that crime by leaving the scene of an accident is absolutely unacceptable,” Senate Republican Conference Leader Dean G.
Skelos said. “Current law does not go far enough to address this issue, however, Alix’s Law would fix it and trigger appropriate penalties for violators.”

The current law only requires drivers to report an accident when they know or have reason to know the accident resulted in an injury or property damage. Under this loophole, drunk drivers are able to flee the scene of an accident they caused and later claim they did not know any injury or damage occurred.

Alix’s Law would close that loophole so that drunk drivers are held responsible for leaving the scene of an accident.

The bill was sent to the Assembly.

(Oceanside, NY) South Nassau Communities Hospital has been awarded The Joint Commission Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers.  The certification confirms that South Nassau is making “exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care.”

“This signifies to the communities we serve that the quality care we provide is effectively managed to meet the unique and specialized needs of stroke patients,” said Richard Murphy, president and CEO at South Nassau.

Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects a hospital’s commitment to fulfilling demanding performance standards.  Joint Commission Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Center is available only to stroke programs in Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospitals.  The certification was developed in collaboration with the American Stroke Association (ASA) and is based on the Brain Attack Coalition’s “Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers.”

To earn the certification, South Nassau underwent a thorough and rigorous on-site review by surveyors with expertise in stroke care.  The certification is based on successful demonstrated compliance in stroke care standards, clinical practice guidelines and performance measurement.  At the end of the first year of the two-year certification, the organization is required to participate in a conference call to attest to its continued compliance with the standards and to review performance improvement activities.  Certified primary stroke centers must collect and report on eight core stroke measures.

South Nassau is in the vanguard of hospital stroke care.  It is a recipient of the Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and is on the ASA’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll for improving stroke care.   To qualify for the honor roll, a minimum of 50 percent of the hospital’s eligible ischemic stroke patients must have received tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) within 60 minutes of arriving at the hospital (known as ‘door-to-needle’ time).  A thrombolytic, or clot-busting agent, tPA is the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the urgent treatment of ischemic stroke.  If given intravenously in the first few hours after the start of stroke symptoms, tPA has been shown to significantly reverse the effects of stroke and reduce permanent disability (unfortunately, tPA therapy is not an option for patients who are having a hemorrhagic stroke, which is when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or bursts, or have one or more of the following conditions: bleeding ulcer, blood clotting problems, brain cancer, extremely high blood pressure, prior bleeding problems or are on certain blood-thinning medications).

South Nassau’s Emergency Services Department is designated a regional Stroke Center by the New York State Department of Health.  Including highly skilled, board-certified physicians with expertise in treating stroke, the department provides:

• Rapid assessment of patients with stroke symptoms
• On-site new generation CT scanner that minimizes exposure to radiation
• Prompt treatment using advanced therapies and procedures
• Comprehensive neurological and neurosurgical care throughout hospitalization
• Nurses with special training in stroke care
• Stroke support group
• Community education

As southern Nassau’s only Trauma Center, the department has over 35 large independent treatment bays and specialty areas including Pediatrics and Behavioral Health as well as its own dedicated Digital Radiology suite for rapid access for testing and results.

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability.  On average, someone suffers a stroke every 45 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every three minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.  All of the major symptoms of stroke appear suddenly, and without warning and they are often not painful.  The most common symptoms of stroke can be remembered by the acronym FAST:

• F = Face: Is one side of the face drooping down?
• A = Arm: Can the person raise both arms, or is one arm weak?
• S = Speech: Is speech slurred or confusing?
• T = Time: Time is critical!! Call 9-1-1 immediately!

Other, less common symptoms of stroke are sudden trouble seeing, sudden dizziness, and generalized weakness.  If you or someone you are with is experiencing some or any of these symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Music at the Basilica Series  Continues; Acclaimed  Soprano Ashley Bell & Concert Pianist Chao Liao to Perform April  13; Basilica  Church of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus & Mary,  Southampton

(Long Island, NY) The  Music at the Basilica Series launched by newly installed pastor Father Michael Vetrano will next  present internationally acclaimed soprano Ashley Bell in concert with renowned  young pianist Chao Liao on Saturday,  April 13, 3013 at 7 pm at the Basilica Church of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus & Mary, 168 Hill Street, Southampton, New York 11968. There is a suggested  donation of $10.

Ashley  Bell (photo right) has been performing from an early  age, starting at age 9 as a member of the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus  and making her Off-Broadway debut at 16 in the world premiere of the musical The Golden Touch. Ms. Bell has since performed as a soloist in the United  States, Italy, Spain and France. Recent performances include Adina in L’Elisir D’Amore in New York and Tuxedo Park, Serpina in La Serva  Padrona Off-Broadway and on tour in Arizona, Violetta and Donna  Elvira with the Hawthorne Symphony, and Molpe in Choreo Theatro’s world premiere  of the Odyssey at the 92^nd Street Y. Ms. Bell is a Phi  Beta Kappa graduate of Yale University and speaks five languages  fluently.

She is a recipient of Yale’s Browne  Irish Performing Arts Award and of a Scholarship Award at the Crested Butte  Music Festival. Ms. Bell was a participant in Renata Scotto’s Opera Studio at  the Accademia Santa Cecilia in Rome. Last summer she performed selections from Luisa Fernanda, El Cabo Primero and other zarzuela in Spain under the  direction of Pablo Zinger and she perfomed La Serva Padrona with the  Salome Chamber Orchestra. Upcoming performances are to include Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro  with Teatro Lirico D’Europa, Musetta in  La Boheme with Long Island Opera, Dorothee in the America premiere of  Offenbach’s La Bonne D’Enfant with Salome Chamber Orchestra and recitals  throughout the United States and Europe.

Chao Liao (photo right) has  served as the Church Organist at St John’s Episcopal Church in East Hartford and  was the Senior Assistant Organist and John Rose Organ Scholar at Trinity  College. Born in Beijing China, Chao Liao started his musical career at the age  of 4, when he began intensive piano instruction under the tutelage of well  renowned instructor Han, Jianming, professor of the piano department in Central  Conservatory in China. His piano pursuit culminated in a second place finish in  all of China in the Rising Stars of Tomorrow competition in 2001 and again a  second place finish in 2003. Chao graduated from Trinity College Phi Beta Kappa  as a math major after spending his junior year at Oxford University studying  pure mathematics. He currently works at BuzzFeed.

For  more information about this & other programs visit www.shjmbasilica.org 

(Long Island, NY) Rakesh Gupta, former dean of the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business at Adelphi University, will give a lecture entitled, “India: Rooted in the Past, Present, and Future-Simultaneously” for the Garden City Community Club. The speech will consist of what he learned as he travelled India for three months during his sabbatical last semester. He will discuss the palpable excitement and seeming contradictions in India through photographs as well as economic and demographic data. The event will take place on Wednesday, April 3, 2013, at 1:30 p.m. at the Garden City Casino, 51 Cathedral Ave, Garden City, NY. Refreshments will be served. Guest are most welcome for a $5 fee at the door.

Professor Gupta is an expert on strategic management, with special interests in business ethics, management of technology, financial literacy, and action learning. He has more than 15 years of higher education administration experience and 40 years of teaching at Adelphi University, LIU Post College, and Baruch College. He has been nominated by students to Who’s Who among America’s Teachers.

The Robert B. Willumstad School of Business is focused on developing ethical, effective leaders in the industry. The professors are industry leaders themselves, and understand that the classroom experience is only the beginning. The school offers real-world connections and opportunities through corporate internships and mentorships—opportunities that can change a student’s life both personally and professionally.

To learn more about the Garden City Community Club, its vast array of interesting and informative programs, trips and fine arts classes, and how you can become a member, please call the office at (516) 746-0488, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

To learn more about the Adelphi University Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, visit business.adelphi.edu.

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, Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, Ruth S. Ammon School of Education, University College, and the Schools of Nursing and Social Work—the coeducational 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 its 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.

Landmark Restaurant Welcomes Back Loyal Fans

(Long Island, NY) Following a series of renovations and an early spring cleaning, Southampton’s landmark dining spot The Driver’s Seat is once again welcoming back the hundreds of loyal families and businesspeople who have made the historic restaurant the “meeting place of the Hamptons’ for over 50 years. Under the management of the Herzog Family – themselves longtime customers – since 2005, The Driver’s Seat continues to reign as one of the most family-friendly dining establishments on the East End. Owner Irma Herzog and her sons were on hand to welcome back guests this weekend.

Famed for such dishes as their lusty Clam Casserole, Irma’s Fajitas and great steaks and burgers, the restaurant offers a broad dining experience with all dishes featuring the finest in local produce, fish and meats.

The Driver’s Seat offers breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday through Friday from 8:am to 10:00pm; Saturdays and Sundays from 8:00 am to 11:00pm. Brunch on Saturdays & Sundays. The restaurant also boasts a lovely flower filled patio for Spring, Summer & Fall dining, as well as, an outdoor bar that has long been the favored meeting spot for both local residents and visitors.

The Driver’s Seat is located at 66 Jobs Lane in the heart of SouthamptonVillage. For reservations and more information call 631-283-6606 or visit www.Thedriversseatrestaurant.com

The Driver’s Seat, 66 Jobs Lane, Southampton, New York 11968

(Long Island, NY) A bill co-sponsored by New York State Senator Ken LaValle (R-C-I, Port Jefferson) that would increase the penalties for leaving the scene of a hit-and-run accident (S.2503) was passed by the New York State Senate.

The bill was introduced in the wake of the tragic hit and run death of Erika Hughes, a 24-year-old Mastic resident and mother of a 15-month-old girl. The driver who hit and killed Hughes only received a sentence of 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison.

Among other provisions, this legislation changes a fatal hit and run from a Class D Felony to a Class C Felony and increases prison time to a maximum of 15 years in state prison. Under this bill, the punishment for other types of hit and run offenses will also be upgraded.

“I have heard and read about too many instances in which individuals have been killed by hit-and-run drivers and it is later determined that the driver was intoxicated,” Senator LaValle said. “This bill, rightfully, closes loopholes in the current law.”

Current Law

Drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol can receive a lesser punishment if they flee the scene of an accident. For example, in the case of a first-time offender, a driver who wrongfully flees the scene of an accident where a personal injury has occurred can only be charged with a Class A Misdemeanor which carries a maximum penalty of only up to 1 year in jail. However, if the driver remains at the scene and is found to be intoxicated or impaired by drugs, he can be immediately charged with a Class E felony carrying a maximum penalty of four years.

“I have heard and read about too many instances in which individuals have been killed by hit-and-run drivers and it is later determined that the driver was intoxicated,” Senator LaValle said. “This bill, rightfully, closes loopholes in the current law.”