(Long Island, NY) Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the men who stole tools from a store in Lake Grove this month.

Suffolk County Police are seeking the public’s help to identify the men who stole tools from a store in Lake Grove this month. Photo Credit: SCPD.

Two men entered Sears, located at 4 Smith Haven Mall, on March 10 at approximately 6:30 p.m. and stole two Dewalt cordless impact guns.

Two men entered Sears at Smith Haven Mall and stole two Dewalt cordless impact guns. Photo Credit: SCPD.

The men were described as white or Hispanic in their mid-20s. One of the men had a stocky build.

Picture of the vehicle the suspects used to flee the scene. Photo Credit: SCPD.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.

(Long Island, NY) Assemblyman Michael Montesano (R,C,I-Glen Head) is co-sponsoring legislation known as the Family Crisis Addiction Act (A.9619) that will provide family members with necessary tools through the court system to help loved ones suffering from addiction.

“Addiction, relapse, overdose – these are words we never want to hear, especially about someone whom we know and love” said Montesano. “Communities throughout the state have been victimized by the grave heroin epidemic, and we desperately need to regain control and help the many individuals and families who have already been affected.”

The Assembly Minority conference introduced a plan earlier this year that would help tackle the dangers of drug abuse by providing suitable treatment and rehabilitation for those suffering, educating communities on the severity of addiction and working with law enforcement to ensure they are properly equipped to protect communities throughout the state.

“The new legislation that I am sponsoring goes a step further by allowing concerned family members the ability to intervene with their loved one’s life-altering addiction through involuntary rehabilitation and treatment programs. While taking this step can be scary for everyone involved, it will direct suffering individuals to the help that they desperately need.

“Far too often, families are not provided with adequate options to help a loved one combat the dangerous disease of addiction. Rather than being forced to watch a spouse, sibling, parent or child continue down a dangerous path, this legislation grants families the ability to take legal action and seek court intervention to protect them,” Montesano said.

(Long Island, NY) Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who stole items from a store in Medford.

A man entered Target, located at 2975 Horseblock Road, on March 20 and stole three headphones worth approximately $500.

Suffolk County Police are seeking the public’s help to identify the man who stole items from a store in Medford. Photo Credit: SCPD.

The suspect is described as a black male who was wearing a dark-colored knit cap and a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.

Press event begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Ice Rink lobby at Eisenhower Park and walk immediately follows

(Long Island, NY) Take a walk in Eisenhower Park (East Meadow) on Wednesday April 6, 2016, National Walking Day, with Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano, and the Nassau County and Suffolk County Health Commissioners, Dr. Lawrence Eisenstein and Dr. James Tomarken, respectively. They will lead members of the public and the Long Island Health Collaborative (LIHC) on a two-mile walk (rain or shine). The walk begins at the park’s ice rink at 9:30 a.m., where the commissioners will hold a press event on the day marked by theAmerican Heart Association that celebrates walking and all its healthful benefits.

The LIHC chose the Eisenhower Park location (Merrick Avenue entrance) because this area has undergone renovation and upgrade to make the sidewalk and paths more walkable and accessible. The improvements are part of the county’s Department of Public Works’ Complete Streets policy – a public policy which the LIHC supports in its efforts to get more people walking.

To promote both healthy habits and awareness about the walkability that Complete Streets lend to residents, members of the LIHC and the health commissioners ask, “Are You Ready, Feet?” This is the name of the Collaborative’s walkability initiative that is also debuting April 6. It offers walkers/exercisers an opportunity to log into the Collaborative’s website www.lihealthcollab.org and post their step/miles walked/moved and to compete for prizes. The website will launch the following week.

Countless studies suggest that moderate physical activity has proven benefits for an individual’s overall health, such as maintaining blood pressure, controlling weight, and promoting emotional stability. These improvements can help control and prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Reduction of chronic diseases, especially those related to obesity, is the overarching goal of the LIHC.

The American Heart Association, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recommends that adults participate in at least 150 minutes of moderately intense physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorously intense physical activity or a combination of both each week.

Members of the Long Island Health Collaborative invite friends, family, community members, and local organizations to join them and the health commissioners for a celebratory walk in the park. There is no fee and no registration necessary. Just show up with your feet and sneakers. Participants can enter and park near the southwest Merrick Avenue entrance of the park and attend the press event in the lobby of the ice rink.

For information about the walk or the press event, contact the Long Island Health Collaborative at (631) 257 – 6957 or LIHC@nshc.org.

About the Long Island Health Collaborative
The Long Island Health Collaborative (LIHC) is the hub of population health activities on Long Island. It is a partnership of Long Island’s hospitals, county health departments, community physicians and health providers, community-based social and human service organizations, academic institutions, health plans, local governments and the business sector, all engaged in improving the health of Long Islanders. The LIHC is funded by the New York State Department of Health through the Population Health Improvement Program grant, which is managed by the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council.

Investigation Finds Chain Falsely Claimed Indoor Tanning Posed No Significant Cancer Risk And Could Even Prevent Certain Cancers

(Long Island, NY) Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that his office has reached an agreement with Salon Management USA, LLC, a New York Company that licenses the use of the “Beach Bum Tanning” trademark under which Beach Bum Tanning salons operate and BBT Retail, Inc. a New Jersey company (collectively “Beach Bum”). Among other allegations, the Attorney General’s investigation found that Beach Bum made false and misleading health claims about indoor tanning, suggesting that the practices posed no significant cancer risk and could even prevent certain cancers.

The agreement prohibits Beach Bum from making health claims, from offering “unlimited” tanning packages, and from targeting high school students. Beach Bum also agreed to comply with all New York State tanning regulations. Beach Bum paid $20,000 in costs and penalties.

“Today’s agreement is part of a continuing effort to protect consumers from the documented skin cancer risks of indoor tanning,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “Indoor tanning salons should not make misleading health claims when there are rising cancer rates associated with indoor tanning, particularly for young people.”

Beach Bum Tanning salons operate approximately fifty salons in five states; there are currently twenty-nine Beach Bum branded salons in New York with locations in Manhattan, Staten Island, Queens, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, and Westchester Counties, nine of which are corporately owned.

Indoor tanning increases the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer – which is responsible for 9,000 deaths in the United States each year.  Indoor tanning also increases the risk of other skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.  While usually not fatal, these cancers can cause noticeable disfigurement.  In addition to increasing the risk of skin cancer, UV exposure can also harm the immune system and cause premature skin aging.  New York State tanning law currently prohibits tanning for children under 17 and requires parental consent for children between the ages of 17 and 18.  Additionally, New York law requires that current tanning hazards information sheets and acknowledgement forms be distributed to tanning patrons and that free protective eyewear be made available to tanning patrons.

Beach Bum’s website featured a “Tanning Truth” section that provided links to organizations that promoted tanning and contained many unsupported cancer-related health statements such as “Many scientists and dermatologists have taken firm positions that melanomas’ connection to UV light is unclear or doesn’t exist at all,”  “Many forms of cancer – including breast, colon, prostate and ovarian tumors – now appear to be retarded or even prevented by regular exposure to ultraviolet light,” and “…customers of tanning salons had NO SIGNIFICANT  INCREASE in melanoma” (emphasis in original).  These statements misrepresent the risks of indoor tanning and lead consumers to believe that indoor tanning is not only risk-free, but contributes to improved health.  In fact, indoor tanning poses risks for everyone and is particularly harmful when initiated at younger ages.

Investigators also visited a number of Beach Bum Tanning salons that offer UV tanning and spray-tanning services and found numerous violations of New York State tanning laws, including failure to provide required warnings and acknowledgment forms to consumers, failure to possess parental consent forms, and failure to provide protective eyewear at no additional cost, a public health hazard.

Some Beach Bum locations offered LED or “red light” treatments that were advertised as providing various health related benefits.  However, these red lamp devices are approved by FDA only for cosmetic purposes. Beach Bum has ceased offering red lamp services at all locations.  Beach Bum also promotes “sunless” airbrush and spray-tanning services.  The investigation discovered that a Beach Bum promotional video featured the application of a spray tan without the use of protective eye, nose and mouth guards as required by law.  The agreement requires Beach Bum spray-tan or “airbrush” promotions to adequately depict required safety measures.

Beach Bum has also agreed to cease prom related and other UV service promotions that target high school students and not to promote spray-tanning services that are combined with UV services offers to high school students. Beach Bum also ceased the promotion of “unlimited” tanning services to members of legal tanning age during the course of this investigation.  These promotions may imply that frequent indoor tanning is safe and may encourage more frequent indoor tanning.

The action announced today is one of a number of steps taken by the Attorney General to help educate the public and raise awareness of the harms associated with indoor tanning. The Attorney General’s office has released a brochure on indoor tanning safety  that provides important information on the risks and harms associated with UV tanning

In 2013, the Attorney General launched an investigation into suspected misleading advertising in the indoor tanning salon industry.  The Attorney General reached settlements in March 2014 with HT Franchising Management LLC, the franchisor of the Hollywood Tans salons, and Hollywood Tans NYC, a Manhattan-based franchise of the national chain, requiring them to stop making health-related representations to promote tanning services.  The Attorney General also reached a settlement in November 2015 with Planet Fitness, which offers UV tanning at certain gyms, to stop offering “unlimited” tanning, to provide adequate training to employees who oversee indoor tanning services and to stop making health-related claims to promote red-lamp devices.  Planet Fitness also paid costs and penalties.

The Attorney General also has two  lawsuits  currently pending against Portofino Spas, LLC (“Portofino”) and Total Tan, Inc.(“Total Tan”), alleging that both franchises engaged in false advertising by denying or minimizing scientific evidence linking tanning to an increased cancer risk; promoting indoor tanning as a safe way to reap the benefits of vitamin D and other purported health benefits; and asserting the safety of indoor tanning compared to tanning outdoors. In addition, the Attorney General alleged that Portofino and Total Tan violated certain New York indoor tanning laws.  The lawsuits alleged that Portofino failed to provide the required notification of tanning health hazards and consent forms and that Total Tan failed to provide protective eyewear at no additional cost.

The Beach Bum settlement was handled by Assistant Attorney General Ellen Fried and Bureau Chief Jane M. Azia, of the Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau. The tanning salon investigations and litigation are being handled by the Consumer Frauds Bureau, the Health Care Bureau and the Environmental Protection Bureau.  The Health Care Bureau is led by Lisa Landau and the Environmental Protection Bureau is led by Lemuel Srolovic.  The Health Care and Environmental Protection Bureaus are in the Division of Social Justice led by Executive Deputy Attorney General Alvin Bragg.

Consumers with questions or concerns about health care matters may call the Attorney General’s Health Care Bureau Helpline at 1-800-428-9071.

UPDATE: Richard Dysart has been located, unharmed.

Below is the original Silver Alert.

(Long Island, NY) The Suffolk County Police Department has issued a Silver Alert for a missing elderly man from Bohemia.

Richard Dysart, 86, was last seen near Bohemia on April 4 at approximately 1:00 p.m. Dysart, who suffers from slight dementia and has heart problems, is a white male, 6 feet tall, approximately 145 pounds with Hazel eyes and gray hair. He wears glasses and was last seen wearing gray pants, a green and white shirt and black shoes.

The Suffolk County Police Department has issued a Silver Alert for Richard Dysart, 86, a missing man from Bohemia. Photo Credit: SCPD.

He was operating a 2004 burgundy Crown Victoria 4-door sedan with Florida registration H781LM. Detectives believe Dysart may have traveled to Barkley Avenue near the Throgs Neck Expressway in the Bronx.

Anyone with information on Dysart’s whereabouts is asked to call the Fourth Squad at 631-854-8452 or 911.

As a reminder, Silver Alert is a program implemented in Suffolk County that allows local law enforcement to share information with media outlets about individuals with special needs who have been reported missing.

UPDATE: Missing Persons Squad reports that the below missing person has been located in Montgomery, N.Y. with family in good health.

(Long Island, NY) The Missing Persons Squad is investigating a missing juvenile that occurred on Monday, April 04, 2016 at 6:00 am in New Cassel.

According to detectives, Amari Young, 13, was last seen leaving his residence in New Cassel at approximately 6:00 am on Monday, April 04, 2016.

The Missing Persons Squad are seeking Amari Young, 13, a missing juvenile from New Cassel. 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) Suffolk County Police Second Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash during which a woman was seriously injured when she was struck by her own vehicle in Dix Hills on Monday, April 4.

Karen Breden was found lying in the street by a passing motorist on Magnolia Lane, near the corner of Wolf Hill Road, at approximately 2:35 p.m.

Suffolk County Police are investigating a motor vehicle crash during which a woman was seriously injured when she was struck by her own vehicle in Dix Hills. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle.

It appears that after parking and exiting her 2002 Chrysler minivan in her driveway, Breden was struck by the unoccupied vehicle as it rolled down the driveway, which is on an incline.

Breden, 54, was transported to Huntington Hospital by Dix Hills Fire Department Rescue where she was admitted in serious condition.

The vehicle was impounded for a safety check and the investigation is continuing. Detectives are asking anyone with information on this crash to call the Second Squad at 631-854-8252.

(Long Island, NY) The Major Case Bureau reports the details of two arrests for Criminal Possession of a Control Substance that occurred in Massapequa.

According to Narcotics/Vice Bureau Detectives, after an extensive investigation for the sale of heroin in the Massapequa area, detectives were able to identify and arrest defendants Jennifer Lopez, 20, and Windsor Coleman, 26, both of Massapequa, on April 1, 2016.

Nassau County Police reports the arrest of Windsor Coleman, 26, of Massapequa for Criminal Possession of a Control Substance. Photo Credit: NCPD.

A subsequent investigation led to the recovery of a large quantity of heroin, cocaine, marijuana and assorted prescription pills in their home. Detectives also recovered drug paraphernalia and packaging used in the sale of heroin.

Defendant Lopez is being charged with 2 counts of Criminal Possession of a Control Substance 2nd Degree, 2 counts of Criminal Possession of a Control Substance 3rd Degree, Criminal Sale of a Control Substance 3rd Degree and Conspiracy.

Nassau County Police reports the arrest of Jennifer Lopez, 20, of Massapequa for Criminal Possession of a Control Substance. Photo Credit: NCPD.

Defendant Coleman is being charged with 2 counts of Criminal Possession of a Control Substance 2nd Degree, 1 count of Criminal Sale of a Control Substance 1st Degree, 2 counts of Criminal Sale of a Control Substance 2nd Degree, 3 counts of Criminal Possession of a Control Substance 3rd Degree, 1 count of Criminal Sale of a Control Substance 3rd Degree and Conspiracy.

Both defendants were arraigned on Saturday, April 2, 2016 at First District Court, 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.

(Long Island, NY) The Ramones are back! Check them out along with Appalachian dancing, Japanese tango, opera, Art Deco architecture, a literary crawl, and the launch of a new book on the Broadway hit Hamilton. Here’s the rundown.

April 7, Q-Boro Literary Crawl, 6:30 pm to 2 am. Poetry, performance art, comedy, and music with food-and-drink specials at 13 establishments in celebration of National Poetry Month. $20. Meet at Vernon Boulevard between 46th and 50th avenues, LIC, www.queenslitcrawl.nyc.

April 7, Tango, Soul & Passion: Piano Music from Japan & the Americas, 7 pm. Japan-born Junko Ueno Garrett captivates audiences with her colorful tone, poetry, expressiveness, dynamic technique, and wide repertoire. Free. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., www.flushingtownhall.org.

April 7-9, Così fan tutte, 7:30 pm (April 10 at 3 pm). This adaptation of Mozart’s comedic opera takes place in Coney Island in the 1920s. Friends Ferrando and Guglielmo are challenged by cynical Don Alfonso to test the faithfulness of their fiancées, sisters Dorabella and Fiordiligi. $10-$20. Queens College’s Goldstein Theatre, vicinity of Horace Harding Expressway and Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, www.kupferbergcenter.org.

April 8, Voices Beyond Bondage Poetry Slam, 6:30 pm. Local editors Erika DeSimone and Fidel Lewis present their new book, Voices Beyond Bondage: An Anthology of Verse by African Americans of the 19th Century, which contains 150 poems. Q&A and book-signing as well. Free. Lewis H. Latimer House Museum, 34-41 137th St., Flushing, www.latimernow.org.

April 9, Latin Dance Fiesta, 8 pm. Four countries represented. Enjoy Calpulli Mexican Dance Company, Fuákata Cuban Salsa New York, Estudiantina Bolivia, and Mestizo Dance Company (Colombia). $20. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Avenue South, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, www.queenstheatre.org.

April 9, The Murphy Beds in Concert, 7:30 pm. Jefferson Hamer & Eamon O’Leary present traditional and original Irish folk songs with close harmonies and deft instrumental arrangements on bouzouki, guitar, and mandolin. $22 in advance/$25 at the door. New York Irish Center, 10-40 Jackson Ave., LIC, www.newyorkirishcenter.org.

April 9, Crooked Road, 7 pm. An intro to flatfooting, a percussive style of Appalachian dancing that accompanies fiddle. Celebrate Southwest Virginia’s rich heritage with three award-winning artists showcasing soulful old time stringband sounds, to percussive flatfoot dance, to the plaintive strains of mountain ballads. Whitetop Mountain Band (old time stringband), Julie Shepherd-Powell (clawhammer banjo/flatfoot dancer), and Sandy Shortridge (Appalachian singer/songwriter). $16. Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., www.flushingtownhall.org.

April 9, Cinema GAHS: A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, 1 pm. A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is a 2006 American drama film based on a 2001 memoir of the same name by author, director, and musician Dito Montiel. It describes his youth in Astoria during the 1980s. Montiel wrote and directed the film adaptation which stars Robert Downey Jr. and Shia LaBeouf. Free. Greater Astoria Historical Society, 35-20 Broadway, Fourth Floor, LIC, www.astorialic.org.

April 9, No Way Out, 2 pm; Buck and the Preacher, 4:30 pm. Screened as part of a retrospective on Sidney Poitier, No Way Out is about an idealistic doctor who is terrorized by a racist psychopath when a white criminal dies at his hospital. Buck and the Preacher is a revisionist western. An African American wagon master and a shiftless preacher join forces to protect a band of freed slaves from white bounty hunters. $12. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District, www.movingimage.us.

April 10, Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk, through July 31. This retrospective exhibition examines the Ramones rock group’s influence on music and art. Expect 350 objects, including concert t-shirts, album covers, and merchandise. Queens Museum, NYC Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, www.queensmuseum.org.

April 10, The Sinatra Century with Billy Stritch, Jim Caruso, and the Diva Jazz Orchestra, 3 pm. Enjoy an afternoon of world-class singing, dancing, and comedy with such hits as “The Best Is Yet To Come” and “Witchcraft.” $40. Queensborough Performing Arts Center, 222-05 56th Ave., Bayside, www.visitqpac.org.

April 10, The New World of the Number 7 Train, 10 am to 5:30 pm. This series of six walks and connecting rides along a major transportation corridor focuses on what the 7 train has done to — and for — surrounding neighborhoods since it began service in 1914. With official Queens historian Jack Eichenbaum, the tours take place in the Hudson Yards, the Long Island City shoreline, Flushing West, the Iron Triangle, North Corona, and Woodside-Jackson Heights. $45 and preregistration is necessary. More information at jaconet@aol.com.

April 10, Art Deco Architecture in Queens, 2:30 pm. Charles Hovanic from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation offers a lecture and leads a Q&A on the history of Art Deco architecture in the borough. Free. Queens Historical Society, Kingsland Homestead, 143-35 37th Ave., Flushing, www.queenshistoricalsociety.org.

April 10, Henry & Mudge, 1 pm and 3 pm. In this family-oriented play, Henry can’t find a playmate in his new neighborhood. Luckily, he has Mudge, a 182-pound pet dog. When Henry’s cousin Annie comes for a visit, Mudge is so charmed by her that Henry thinks Mudge must love Annie more than him. Very upset, Henry runs away into the cold dark woods to find adventures on his own. $14. Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Avenue South, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, www.queenstheatre.org.

April 10, Storytime and Craft, 2 pm. A relaxing afternoon of nature-inspired stories followed by a botanically-themed craft activity. Free. Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing, www.queensbotanical.org.

April 10, Decasia, 3 pm; Los Angeles Plays Itself, 5:30 pm. Decasia is a collage of decomposing found movie footage set to music. Los Angeles Plays Itself is an essay film using clips to look at the different ways that Los Angeles is depicted in such movies as Kiss Me Deadly, To Live and Die in L.A., Killer of Sheep. $12. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District, www.movingimage.us.

April 10, Edge of the City, 2 pm; The Defiant Ones, 4 pm. Screened as part of a retrospective on Sidney Poitier, Edge of the City takes place on the New York City waterfront. A drifter takes a job in the dockyards and his friendship with an African-American coworker makes them a target for a racist supervisor. The Defiant Ones depicts a pair of escaped convicts—shackled together and none too happy about it—who must work together to survive as they flee across hostile Southern terrain. $12. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Kaufman Arts District, www.movingimage.us.

April 12, Hamilton Book Release/Trivia Night, 7 pm. The brand new book Hamilton: The Revolution, co-written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter, highlights the hit musical’s development through interviews, pages from the creators notebook, and emails. Miranda also includes more than 200 footnotes and photographs. On this night, TriviaNYC, the city’s longest running trivia company, tests participants’ knowledge of this musical. To reserve a seat, pre-order a book for $40 online or at the bookstore. Seating is limited. Astoria Bookshop, 31-29 31st St., Astoria, www.astoriabookshop.com.

April 12, Childbirth in 19th Century America, 6:30 pm. Professor Jane Brickman from the U. S. Merchant Marine Academy lectures on Charity Hospital, which operated on Roosevelt Island until 1957. The caregivers there were recognized as leaders/pioneers in making childbirth a safe experience. Free. New York Public Library, 524 Main St., Roosevelt Island. www.rihs.us.

The “It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council with the hope that readers will enjoy the borough’s wonderful attractions. More info at www.itsinqueens.com.