Letter: The MTA’s At It Again

It has been reported that the MTA and the developer of the Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn are renegotiating the terms of their real estate agreement.  The modified agreement would allow payments over 22 years, at a most favorable interest rate, instead of the agreed-upon single payment of $100 million to the MTA. Another component of this new proposal is a smaller capacity LIRR train yard. The developer is now seeking to provide less than the agreed upon number of tracks for the important work of train storage, maintenance as well as the setting and accepting of equipment for scheduled commutes.

Phil-osophically Speaking: July 3, 2009

By July of 1776 a Continental army had been fielded and had met British Regulars in several bloody engagements. But the boldest move for independence came not on a battlefield but at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia where Richard Henry Lee read his resolution stating that all political connection between the American Colonies and the British Crown is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.

Letter: Yatauro Calls for Leadership in State Senate

(This letter is dated June 27.)

Unemployment is still rising. Businesses continue to fail. Municipal governments require assistance to avoid further slashing of vital social programs. Nassau County needs help from Albany to avoid layoffs and the closing of many of our offices, parks and facilities.

Mayor’s Message - June 26, 2009

FPM Girls Softball Team  

On behalf of the village board I would like to extend our congratulations to the Floral Park Memorial girls’ varsity softball team on winning the New York State Class A championship.

The Lady Knights took the long ride to Waterloo, NY last week to compete in the high school state finals. After a successful season with a 23-4 record they went on to beat the Pearl River Pirates 4-0 to secure the Knights their first softball state championship. Great job girls!

Letter: Pet Safe: It’s Time for a Plan

"The biggest potential hurricane disaster on the Atlantic Coast is in the New York City, northern New Jersey, western Long Island metropolitan area,” writes Bryan Norcross in his book the Hurricane Almanac where he says it is the very lack of preparedness in these areas that increases their vulnerability to disaster.

It is time to prepare, and to help Nassau County residents get ready for the unexpected Pet Safe Coalition would like to have families with pets send us their family’s disaster plans and the family may win a prize. Once a month the family with the best thought-out plan and resources will win a prize in the Pet Safe Coalition’s “Pet Safe Families” competition. Families with pets are invited to write or call the Pet Safe Coalition to share their plans to keep their pets safe in emergencies. This can include plans to evacuate from the home or plans to have a trusted person take care of the animals in the family’s absence.

Letter: Heart Association to U.S. Senators: Pass Josh Miller HEARTS Act

This past week was the American Heart Association’s National CPR and AED Awareness Week. It is an occasion to remind us all how vital it is to be trained in CPR and in the use of an AED (automated external defibrillator). When someone falls victim to sudden cardiac arrest, every minute without bystander CPR decreases 7-10 percent. The interval between the 911 telephone call and the arrival of Emergency Medical Services personnel is usually longer than five minutes. Without CPR being initiated, and the use of the life-saving shock delivery of an AED, a victim simply will not survive.

Our House of Representatives clearly understands the importance of this training. On Tuesday, June 2, they passed the Josh Miller HEARTS Act, bringing the nation one step closer to a more secure environment for victims of cardiac arrest. Specifically, the legislation creates a grant program for schools to purchase AEDs.

Letter: Thanks for Your Generous Support

This is a sincere thank you to all the volunteers and the community who supported our recent book sale. The proceeds of the sale support the children’s and teen’s summer library programs. We greatly appreciate the help and cooperation from our library board, the Department of Public Works and the village board of trustees.

From the Desk of Senator Craig Johnson - June 12, 2009

Legislation to Protect NY State Residents From Phone ‘Spoofing’ Passes Senate

The State Senate unanimously passed legislation sponsored by Senator Craig Johnson that would protect residents from deception, harassment and possible fraud over the phone lines.

The legislation (S.2753) would outlaw “spoofing,” a practice where telemarketers and others seek to mask their true identity by altering the number that appears on a person’s Caller ID.

From the Desk of Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy - June 12, 2009

Protecting, Supporting and Increasing America’s Nurses

On Thursday, June 4, Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy introduced three pieces of legislation focused on the state of nursing in the nation. The bills, the Student-to-School Nurse Ratio Improvement Act of 2009, Nurse Training and Retention Act of 2009 and a resolution recognizing the need for safe patient handling and movement, are a series of initiatives addressing such issues as increasing the number of school nurses, fixing the nation’s critical nursing shortage and improving workplace safety for nurses.

McCarthy, a nurse for over 30 years, has been at the forefront of issues regarding nursing throughout her tenure in the House of Representatives and was successful in including several nursing education provisions in the historic reauthorization of the Higher Education Opportunity Act last year.

From the Desk of Senator Craig Johnson - June 5, 2009

Belmont Happenings

Last week, the MTA reversed its short-sighted and wrong-headed decision to eliminate regular train service to the Belmont Park Race Track.

This is good news for Belmont’s host communities and for Nassau County and New York State as a whole. As we work together to make Belmont a world-class destination, the MTA’s decision to limit the availability of mass transit options was simply counterproductive.