(Long Island, NY) On Saturday, May 7th, 2016 Angela’s House will be hosting their 1st Annual Walk aptly titled: Angel of Hope: A Walk to Remember. This event will take place at Eisenhower Park, where the statue has stood since 2008. During the past eight years we have had a candle light vigil on the first Saturday of December that gives hope to over 300 that attend this spiritual gathering. Due to popular demand we have created this event as the second gathering of the year.

The Angel was brought to Long Island by Bob Policastro the founder of Angela’s House. It comes from a best-selling book and television movie called The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans, who inspired this statue. In the story, an elderly woman mourns the death of her little daughter by making regular trips to the child’s grave, which is marked with an angel statue (Angel of Hope). The statue evokes a profound and miraculous connection between mother and child and helps convey valuable lessons about the true meaning of life to others. This simple, non-religious but spiritual story has brought hope to thousands of parents who have endured the death of a child.

As spring begins, Mother’s Day is celebrated by most families, but sadly there are many who walk with the pain of losing a child. They always have a space in their heart where that love is still carried. Our hope is to allow the Angel of Hope to be a reminder that the love shared with their child was a blessing and can always be cherished and remembered. All who knew the child, but especially their parents, need to feel hope that they will survive and move on, and that these children will never be forgotten.

Registration for the event will begin promptly at 9:30am at the Kite Field, located next to the statue, which is located in the Veterans Memorial section of Eisenhower Park. Parking field 6 is the ideal location to park. Our ceremony, which will begin by 10:15am, will include a 20 minute non-religious, non-denominational, Spiritual Ceremony which has been written to be reflective, focusing on the love that is missed and will always be carried by the loved ones of these children. Led by Executive Director, Bob Policastro, we will also be joined by our guest speaker is David Roberts, who lost his daughter in 2003 from Cancer. David speaks nationally at conferences, writes blogs reflecting his life experiences for the Huffington Post, Open to Hope and various other online periodicals and websites. In addition, Interfaith Minister, Rev. Patty Furino will lead a quiet reflection, and a simple prayer to inspire peace.

To conclude the ceremony we have invited the voices of choirs and chorus’s from around Long Island. Members of the New Apostolic Church and the Willow Interfaith Women’s Choir will lead the attendees and participants in singing “Clouds,” a beautifully touching song written by Zach Sobiech, who touched so many lives with this song, and continue to do so despite losing his battle to cancer a few years ago. (You can view this song by searching for it on YouTube or clicking here.)

Upon its completion, the attendees will then follow a path around Salisbury Lake, hopefully inspired to look up at the clouds, knowing their child has been remembered and cherished. The walk, which is less than a mile long, will conclude at the statue. We hope to invoke the feeling of faith and hope and make this event an inspiring day for all who participate. We truly believe this type of event will help families dealing with the loss of a child during Mother’s Day weekend.

For additional information, please contact Johanna Rotta at 631-796-2723 or via email at jrotta@angelashouse.org.

For additional information, please visit:

Website:

• Angel of Hope: www.angelashouse.org/angel-of-hope/
• Angela’s House:  www.AngelasHouse.org

Facebook page:

• Angel of Hope: www.facebook.com/Angel-of-Hope-of-Long-Island-217347748323143/
• Angela’s House: www.facebook.com/angelashouse

About Angela’s House
Founded in 1992, Angela’s House offers hope for families and children living with severe medical conditions.  Their home care programs works with over 650 children that live at home with their parents, by coordinating the home care services needed to support these children living at home.  This may include services such as: medical equipment, nursing support, therapies, medications and making their homes handicapped accessible.

Angela’s House also has three beautiful specialty homes that have the ability to offer children, with often very severe medical needs, the therapeutic, nursing and potential long-term care required. The best part of these homes is the loving environment the children are embraced with. More information about Angela’s House can be found at www.AngelasHouse.org.

(Long Island, NY) On Friday, April 22, who’s who in New York metro media and Long Island business will be in attendance at the Island’s biggest media event, the Fair Media Council’s Folio Awards, where a record crowd is expected to be on-hand to congratulate the best in news.

For the first time, FMC will be presenting a Lifetime Achievement Award and it goes to Ernie Anastos, who has spent his career serving the public interest. A host of news media favorites will be on-hand, including Rosanna Scotto and Greg Kelly, Mary Calvi, Dick Brennan, Craig Allen, Brenda Blackmon … and many more.

In honoring Anastos, expect a Mediterranean-style menu created specifically for the event by Crest Hollow Country Club Chef Chris Palmer, complete with baklava for dessert. Fox 5 News Vice President Byron Harmon will do the official honors of presenting to Anastos — and all the top brass will be in attendance.

Long Island high school student and former NBC’s The Voice contestant MarissaAnn performs the National Anthem with a touch of rock and roll tossed into it, and an overview of Long Island’s changing media landscape will be delivered by FMC CEO Jaci Clement.

The event includes nearly 40 business and community leaders who served as judges of the program and are among the best-known names on the Island.

Sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Northwell Health, WeiserMazars LLP, Briarcliffe College, Hofstra University, NYIT, South Nassau Communities Hospital, YMCA of Long Island, PSEG, Protiviti, Murphy, Bartol & O’Brien – – and more, as things are just now heating up.

For reservations to attend the Fair Media Council’s Folio Awards Luncheon on Friday, April 22 from 11 am to 2 pm at Crest Hollow Country Club, click here. 

About Fair Media Council
FMC has been serving the public interest in media matters since 1979. A 501c3 nonprofit organization, FMC advocates for quality local news and works to create a media savvy society.

(Long Island, NY) Assemblyman Michael Montesano (R,C,I-Glen Head) proudly supported passage of Assembly Bill 1193, which would offer protections to all medical providers, as well as those for the disabled community, and procedures to ensure that providers are guaranteed due process.

“Establishing protocol and requiring specific measures to be taken if extrapolation is used to determine whether or not a provider has received overpayments is critical and will be a huge help to healthcare providers and caretakers for disabled individuals throughout the state.

“Far too often the determination of whether a provider received overpayments is made by mere estimation. By taking a shot in the dark or bundling past results, many of these agencies feel significant negative impacts. I am proud to support passage of this long-overdue bill, and hope this is the year my Senate colleagues will join us in moving it forward,” said Montesano.

(Long Island, NY) The Queens Economic Development Corporation is looking for vendors to participate in a boutique pop-up shop and tourism center that the agency will open in Long Island City in June 2016.

Dubbed “MiQ” as an abbreviation of “MadeinQueens,” the new retail store will offer local and small batch artisan products, handmade crafts, designer goods, house wares, and packaged food items. The shop, located at 27-24 Queens Plaza South, will also provide information on tourism, entertainment, and restaurant options in the borough. It will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 am until 8 pm.

QEDC Executive Director Seth Bornstein. Photo Credit: QEDC.

MiQ will host a rotating selection of items as per a monthly curatorial theme, and merchants will get 30-square-foot display areas. Online sales are planned in the near future. (The website www.madeinqueens.nyc is active right now.)

Long Island City resident Michael Darouiche, a native of Lebanon who makes customized, handmade jewelry through his company De Dandy, has already agreed to participate. Other expected vendors will include an artisan leather crafter, a t-shirt designer, and various food and beverage makers from the Entrepreneur Space, a commercial kitchen that QEDC operates in Long Island City.

“In our constant efforts to generate economic development, we have noticed that many entrepreneurs simply need a place to sell their products,” said QEDC Executive Director Seth Bornstein. “MiQ solves this problem, and since it’s located in a booming neighborhood, we hope to get a constant stream of foot traffic.”

Rent is $600 for two weeks or $1,000 for four weeks. For now, only New York State-based companies can participate and Queens manufacturers get priority consideration. For more information, try www.madeinqueens.nyc or contact QEDC Director of Business Services Sante Antonelli at 718.263.0546 or info@madeinqueens.nyc.

MiQ is a project of the Queens Economic Development Corporation with funding from Capital One Bank, support from Gotham Realty, and assistance from MILES.CITY.

Update – April 18, 2016 – The below juvenile has been located.

(Long Island, NY) The Missing Persons Squad is investigating a missing juvenile that occurred on Sunday, April 10, 2016 at 1:25 am in North Bellmore.

According to detectives, Karisma Faines, 15, was last seen leaving her residence in North Bellmore at 1:25 am on Sunday, April 10, 2016.

Nassau County Police seeking Karisma Faines, 15, a missing juvenile from North Bellmore. Photo Credit: NCPD.

Detectives request anyone with information regarding the above missing juvenile to contact the Nassau County Police Department – Missing Persons Squad at 516-573-7347 or call 911. All callers will remain anonymous.

(Long Island, NY) The Major Case Bureau reports the arrest of a New Hyde Park man for Criminal Possession of a Firearm that occurred on Saturday, April 9, 2016 in New Hyde Park.

According to detectives, after receiving an anonymous tip, detectives from the Special Investigations Squad along with Homeland Security Investigation responded to the residence of Chandrakant Dhanak, 37, for possibly possessing several firearms and ammunition.

Nassau County Police reports the arrest of Chandrakant Dhanak, 37, of New Hyde Park for Criminal Possession of a Firearm that occurred on Saturday, April 9 in New Hyde Park. Photo Credit: NCPD.

After a consent search by Mr. Dhanak, nine (9) assault weapons were observed inside the house which is a direct violation of the Safe Act.

Defendant Dhanak was placed under arrest at his home on Saturday, April 9, 2016 at 8:40 pm without incident. Detectives recovered an additional 23 rifles and 5 handguns which were legally possessed by the defendant.

Defendant Dhanak is being charged with 9 counts of Criminal Possession of a Firearm. He was arraigned on Sunday, April 10, 2016 at First District Court, 99 Main Street, Hempstead.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the prosecution to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Assembly Minority Task Force on Protecting the Rights of People with Developmental Disabilities to hold series of statewide forums

(Long Island, NY) The impact of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Olmstead v. L.C. continues to generate concerns from family members, caregivers, community organizations and individuals with developmental disabilities throughout the transition process into more integrated work settings. As a result, the Assembly Minority Task Force on Protecting the Rights of People with Developmental Disabilities has been created to evaluate the effectiveness of current transition plans for those in sheltered workshops, developmental centers, and community homes and to ensure that the input and desires of people with developmental disabilities are being considered.

The task force will be hosting regional forums across the state in an effort to better address the current transition plans and other important issues facing individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. This forum, the fourth in a series of statewide events, will take place on Wednesday, April 20 from Noon to 2 p.m. at the Medford Fire Department, 171 Oregon Ave., Medford.

“As legislators, it is our job to gather information, assess it and propose meaningful solutions to issues affecting our community. This task force will provide us the opportunity to hear about concerns directly from those with developmental disabilities, their families and local organizations,” said Assemblyman Dean Murray (R,C,I-East Patchogue). “I look forward to an open discussion that will ultimately provide us insight to make meaningful reforms and improve the quality of life for those with developmental disabilities.”

“A concerted, statewide effort to improve services for those with developmental disabilities is the only way to make certain every New Yorker is fairly represented,” said Assemblyman Clifford W. Crouch (R-Bainbridge), task force chairman. “No New Yorker should be marginalized, and it is our job to make sure that never happens. Together, we will address the concerns of those with developmental disabilities and aggressively tackle those concerns head-on.”

Representatives from non-profit organizations and facilities, community leaders and mental health experts have been invited to attend and provide testimony. The task force is also encouraging individuals with disabilities and their families to share their firsthand experiences as a result of the Olmstead Decision.

For more information on the task force, please contact the Assembly Minority Office of Public Affairs at 518-455-5073.

Calls on All Poetry Enthusiasts to Submit a Poem, Attend the Event

(Long Island, NY) The Walt Whitman Birthplace Association (WWBA) is excited to announce the launch of its first Favorite Poem Project designed to encourage participants of all ages and from all walks of life to send in their favorite poem with a brief explanation of why it is significant and to attend the poetry reading event at the WWBA Interpretive Center. Elisa DiStefano news personality from Cablevision News 12 Long Island will emcee the event.

“On the day of the event 25 participants will read the poems they submitted and explain why they find them significant. We will videotape the readings and incorporate them in future exhibits at our Interpretive Center to serve as unique archival ‘documents’ for WWBA, scholars, and visitors. And we will honor all participants by displaying their submissions at our Interpretive Center for the day of the event,” said WWBA Executive Director Cynthia Shor.

The Favorite Poem Project was founded by former US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky shortly after the Library of Congress appointed him to the post in 1997. Pinsky created the project to celebrate, document, and encourage poetry’s role in American lives. When Pinsky put out a nationwide call for Americans from all walks of life to send in their favorite poems (a classic published poem, not self-written), he received over 18,000 responses. Pinsky’s project ignited a fire that spread across the country with communities holding their own Favorite Poem poetry readings. The Library of Congress videotaped for their archives 50 individuals from these communities reading their favorite poems (www.favoritepoem.org).The WWBA Favorite Poem Project will be following in their footsteps.

“Robert Pinsky’s Favorite Poem Project and the resultant videotaping and preservation of thereadings encouraged everyday people to see poetry as accessible and relevant. We encourage community members to join us for this free event and be a poetic voice in a historic narrative of Long Island American lives,” said Shor. 

• Favorite Poem Submission Deadline: April 10, 2016
• Send Submission to: administrator@waltwhitman.org (Please write Favorite Poem Submission in the subject line.)
• Event Date: Sunday, April 17, 2016, 2-4 PM
• Event Place: Walt Whitman Birthplace, 246 Old Walt Whitman Rd., Huntington Station, NY

(Long Island, NY) Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory attended the annual Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) New York Metro Law Enforcement Recognition Luncheon held Thursday, April 7 at the Crest Hollow County Club.

“It was an honor and a pleasure to be invited to MADD’s annual luncheon honoring the dedicated police officers who are in the front lines of the battle against drunk driving,” said Presiding Officer Gregory. “I was especially glad to see Suffolk County Police, Suffolk Sheriffs and the Suffolk District Attorney’s office honored for their hard work to end drunk driving. Our Chief Deputy Sheriff, Michael P. Sharkey, received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the luncheon.”

Presiding Officer Gregory , center, with the Suffolk County Police Department SAFE-T Team, honored by MADD as Department of the Year. Photo Credit: Suffolk County.

“I was pleased to see MADD honor Chief Deputy Sheriff Starkey for all his hard work to battle the scourge of drunk driving,” said Presiding Officer Gregory. “It was a richly deserved honor.”

Suffolk County Police Officers honored at the event included Kevin Csoka, Avital Donnenfield, Douglas Nassissi, Francesco Saracino, Weldon Drayton Jr., John Mercurio, Joshua W. Parsons and Christopher Weiner. Officers Harry Jos and Roger Kleber of the SAFE-T team were also honored. From the Sheriff’s Department, Deputy Sheriff Brian Grazidel and Deputy Sheriff Investigator William Weick were honored.

Receiving Recognition of Excellence Awards were members of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, including Assistant DA Patricia Brosco, Detective Steven Jacobs and Detective Sergeant James Madded.

Settlement Includes $670 Million For New Yorkers, Including $190 Million In Cash And $480 Million In Consumer Relief Committed To Mortgage Assistance, Principal Forgiveness, And Affordable Housing Programs

(Long Island, NY) Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today joined members of the state and federal working group he co-chairs to announce a $5 billion settlement with Goldman Sachs over the bank’s deceptive practices leading up to the financial crisis.  The settlement includes $670 million – $480 million worth of creditable consumer relief and $190 million in cash – that will be allocated to New York State. The resolution requires Goldman Sachs to provide significant community-level relief to New Yorkers, including resources that will facilitate a significant expansion of the New York State Mortgage Assistance Program enabling distressed homeowners to restructure their debt, as well as first-lien principal forgiveness, and funds to spur the construction of more affordable housing.  Additional resources will be dedicated to helping communities transform their code enforcement systems, and invest in land banks and land trusts.

The settlement was negotiated through the Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Working Group, a joint state and federal working group formed in 2012 to share resources and continue investigating wrongdoing in the mortgage-backed securities market prior to the financial crisis.

New York has now received $5.33 billion in cash and consumer relief from the National Mortgage Settlement (NMS) and all five Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Working Group settlements (RMBS). The combined $3.2 billion in cash and consumer relief from RMBS settlements is more than any other state.

“Since 2012, my number one priority has been getting New Yorkers the resources they need to rebuild,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “These dollars will immediately go to work funding proven programs and services to help New Yorkers keep their homes and rebuild their communities. We’ve witnessed the incredible impact these programs and services can have in helping communities recover from the financial crisis. This settlement, like those before it, ensures that these critical programs—such as mortgage assistance, principal forgiveness, and code enforcement—will continue to get funded well into the future, and will be paid for by the institutions responsible for the financial crisis.”

The settlement includes an agreed-upon statement of facts that describes how Goldman Sachs made multiple representations to RMBS investors about the quality of the mortgage loans it securitized and sold to investors, its process for screening out questionable loans, and its process for qualifying loan originators.  Contrary to those representations, Goldman Sachs securitized and sold RMBS backed by large numbers of loans from originators whose mortgage loans contained material defects.

In the statement of facts, Goldman Sachs acknowledges that it securitized thousands of Alt-A, and subprime mortgage loans and sold the resulting residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”) to investors for tens of billions of dollars.  During the course of its due diligence process, Goldman Sachs received pertinent information indicating that significant percentages of the loans reviewed did not conform to the representations it made to investors.  Goldman also received and failed to disclose negative information that it obtained regarding the originators’ business practices.  Indeed, Goldman’s due diligence vendors provided Goldman with reports reflecting that the vendors had graded significant numbers and percentages of sampled loans as EV3s, i.e., not in compliance with originator underwriting guidelines.  In certain circumstances, Goldman reevaluated loan grades and directed that such loans be waived into the pools to be purchased or securitized.

Even when the percentage of problematic loans in pools sampled by it vendors indicated that the unsampled portions of the pools likely contained additional such loans, Goldman typically did not increase the size of the sample or review the unsampled portions of the pools to identify and eliminate any additional such loans.   In many cases, 80 percent or more of the loans in the loan pools Goldman purchased and securitized were not sampled for credit and compliance due diligence.  Nevertheless, Goldman approved various offerings for securitization without requiring further due diligence to determine whether the remaining loans in the deal contained defects.  A Goldman employee overseeing due diligence for a particular loan pool noted that the pool included loans originated with “[e]xtremely aggressive underwriting” and “large program exceptions made without compensating factors.”  Despite this observation, Goldman did not review the remaining portion of the pool, and subsequently securitized thousands of loans from the pool.

Goldman made statements to investors in offering documents and in certain other marketing materials regarding its process for reviewing and approving originators, yet it failed to disclose  to investors negative information it obtained about mortgage loan originators and its practice of securitizing loans from suspended originators.

Beginning in mid-2006, Goldman recognized that Fremont, a “key originator, was experiencing an increasing level of early payment defaults (“EPDs”) (i.e., loans for which the borrowers had failed to make one or more of their first payments).  Goldman was aware that EPDs were a sign of originators’ bad credit decisions and could be indicators of potential borrower fraud.  However, Goldman did not put Fremont on its “no bid” list and continued to purchase loan pools from Fremont during the period Fremont’s EPD claims remained unpaid.  Moreover, Goldman “[u]ndertook a significant marketing effort” to tell investors about what Goldman called Fremont’s “commitment to loan quality over volume” and “significant enhancements to Fremont underwriting guidelines.”    Likewise, Goldman identified issues with Countrywide’s origination practices.  Goldman’s head of due diligence, when presented with a “very bullish” equity report on Countrywide, another large originator, exclaimed “[i]f they only knew  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .”

Attorney General Schneiderman was elected in 2010 and took office in 2011, when the five largest mortgage servicing banks, 49 state attorneys general, and the federal government were on the verge of agreeing to a settlement that would have released the banks – including Bank of America – from liability for virtually all misconduct related to the financial crisis. Attorney General Schneiderman refused to agree to such sweeping immunity for the banks. As a result, Attorney General Schneiderman secured a settlement that preserved a wide range of claims for further investigation and prosecution. In his 2012 State of the Union address, President Obama announced the formation of the RMBS Working Group. The collaboration brought together the Department of Justice (DOJ), other federal entities, and several state law enforcement officials – co-chaired by Attorney General Schneiderman – to investigate those responsible for misconduct contributing to the financial crisis through the pooling and sale of residential mortgage-backed securities.

Under today’s settlement, Goldman Sachs will be required to provide a minimum of $480 million in creditable consumer relief directly to struggling families and communities across the state. The settlement includes a menu of options for consumer relief to be provided, and different categories of relief are credited at different rates toward the bank’s $480 million obligation, including at least:

• $220 million for debt restructuring
• $30 million for land banks and land trusts
• $30 million for code enforcement
• $150 million for first-lien principal reduction
• $50 million for the creation and preservation of affordable rental housing

In addition to the settlement with Goldman Sachs, the RMBS working group has reached settlements with four other major financial institutions since 2012:

• P. Morgan Chase: $13 Billion
• Bank of America: $16.6 Billion
• Citibank: $7 Billion
• Morgan Stanley: $3.2 Billion

The National Mortgage Settlement (NMS), reached with the five largest national mortgage servicers, has provided $51 billion in consumer relief and cash nationwide. The combined amount of cash and consumer relief that has been returned to New York as a result of all the RMBS and NMS deals is $1.481 billion in cash and $3.857 in consumer relief, for a total of $5.338 billion.

This matter was led by Senior Enforcement Counsel for Economic Justice Steven Glassman and Assistant Attorneys General Desiree Cummings and Kenneth Haim, both of the Investor Protection Bureau.