Letter: New York State Failing Its SUNY Schools

It’s the time of the year when students attending the State University of New York will be heading home for the holidays to be with their families. While parents will be expecting good grades from their sons and daughters, the financial grade of the State University they attend suffers by comparison.

Over 60... And Getting Younger: December 4, 2009

The Movies

Just about a year ago, in my humble opinion, there was not a worthwhile movie to view. Lorraine and I would cover the cinema pages and find nothing. We do not agree often on movies but we did agree the movies were a zero. We are avid movie-goers and for months we did not attend a movie theater. The movies presented were either childish, horror flicks or science fiction with too much fake special effects.

Letter: Thanks for Passing Legislation

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association is deeply appreciative that the Nassau County Executive and the Legislature have approved the legislation that requires certain chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus and menu boards. The policy will directly empower consumers to make healthier choices for themselves and their families.

Over 60...and Getting Younger: November 27, 2009

The Face in the Mirror

I had just brought my car into a garage in Queens when the attendant started to laugh. “What’s so funny?” I retorted checking all my buttons and zippers as I spoke.

From the Desk of Assemblyman Charles Lavine: November 20, 2009

Green Jobs, Green New York Law Will Stimulate Economy

New York State Assemblyman Charles D. Lavine (D-Glen Cove) has announced that legislation the Assembly approved with unanimous, bipartisan support earlier this year authorizing the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to create and administer the Green Jobs/Green New York program has been signed into law (A.8901).

The program provides financing to communities, homes, small businesses and not-for-profits to help revitalize the economy in an energy-independent and environmentally responsible way.

Over 60…And Getting Younger: November 20, 2009

Point of View

It was a red-hot discussion (battle) in the classroom and I was in the center of it!

The course was “Politics and the Media” and the SUNY Old Westbury students were a cross-section of the New York urban  area. The professor was John Friedman and he loves a good argument. The class was about 50 percent African-American, 20 percent Latino and the rest were an assorted group of Irish, Italian, Swedish and I was the only Hebrew (other than the professor).

Over 60…And Getting Younger

 Serendipity

Saturday night! Nothing scheduled. A rarity. Let me check the movies! Not one film that looks interesting! How about the plays on the Island? Is Jackie Mason at Tilles Center? I like him but we saw him recently. Nothing else looks appealing. Let’s look at the smaller, less costly shows. A last minute show on a Saturday night, in a local theater, would be ideal. Let’s see now. A mystery thriller in Lindenhurst; an A.C. Gurney in East Hampton, a musical in East Islip, Neil Simon in Freeport, a comedy in Bohemia, Chinese acrobats in Patchogue. Isn’t there anything closer to Jericho?

A Bird’s Eye View

During the fall migration season, observers stand on a hawk watch platform at Fire Island each day, September through the first week in November, counting and identifying raptors coming through on their annual flight south. Migrating raptors don’t always come through fast and furiously. On three consecutive Thursdays, starting with the last one in August, there were zero, eight and six migrating raptors, respectively. However, on those days, local birds, deer and Mother Nature offered moments of drama, beauty and mystery.

Letter: Protect Yourself

The Nassau County Police Department’s advising residents to protect themselves from burglaries by telling them  “If you are unsure of a person’s credentials ask for an office call-back number” seems to suggest that they ask the (possible) burglar himself for that phone number to call in order to confirm his identity. That’s a bad idea because a burglar would only give them  the number of an accomplice who would  verify his (false) legitimacy.  The suspicious homeowner should only call a number he knows to be legitimate from its presence in a phone book—-whether it be to his/her county or town office, the police,  LIPA, Verizon, Cablevision, etc.

Richard Siegelman

Over 60…And Getting Younger

Knock, Knock!

“Oh, my God!”

As I opened the front door, there in the doorway was a short black-robed figure with the face of “The Scream” by Edvard Munch. When the cadaver-like body spoke, it said in a high-pitched juvenile voice, “trick or treat.”

It was Halloween and the neighborhood was flooded with bands of oddly dressed children each carrying a loot bag. As the kids came to the door their parents waited protectively in the street. The costumes of the day included skeletons, Superman, Elvis, Spiderman, Batman, fairy princesses, Cinderellas, weird scary masks, Casper the Ghost, pirates, Big Bird, Elmo, Barney, baseball and football players and other weird and wonderfully imaginative outfits.