Blogs 12 Long Island

Health Care Boost

by Scott Feldman

Governor Paterson took a step toward giving greater access to health care for all New Yorkers in his State of the State address on Wednesday. Paterson wants lawmakers to require private employers to offer health insurance to workers' dependents who are ages 19 to 29. According to the governor's office, 31 percent or about 800,000 of New York's uninsured are ages 19 to 29. I have talked to a number of college graduates who are uninsured because their parents can no longer afford to cover them on their family policy. And even those who find work aren't always offered health insurance by their employer.

So, who would pay for this? Paterson says his plan would not cost the state or businesses a dime. Picking up the tab would be familes that opt for the expanded coverage on their kids. The cost--about $300 to $325 dollars a month compared to $900 if the young person had to pay for the policy on their own.

If lawmakers okay this legislation, the state is expecting that about 10 percent, or 80,000 people, will participate. With the state budget deficit standing at $15 billion and growing every day, legislators have a lot to digest in Albany. But it seems a plan certainly worth their consideration: A social safety net that would benefit a lot of young people in the midst of a severe economic downturn. 

Hello Again!

By Elizabath Hashagen

12 weeks.. boy a lot can happen in 12 weeks.

If you haven't heard already, 12 weeks ago I became a mom and my whole world changed.  Allison Rae is amazing!  I just love my new job as a mom, but this week it's back to the reality of also being a journalist!  So right now, I'm trying to figure out how to juggle my newborn and my career.

I tired to set myself up for success because I knew it was going to be very hard to leave my little one. I thought I'd share my ideas on getting back on track and keeping a work life balance. If you have tips to share feel free to add on to this post!

Be organized! I make a daily to-do list. I try separating it into work and home columns. I'm a big list maker-- I also keep a weekend to do list so I'm not overwhelmed when I get home from work and finally have time to be with Allison ( it's also great because my husband can help)

 I try to stay connected. I have a daily call over to my house to see how Allison is doing. It gives me a chance to ease my fears and clear my head of any unnecessary worry so I can concentrate on work.

I put up pictures of Alli in my office and as the screen saver on my computers.. that way if I need to I can see her smiling face.

I also have backup plans in case Allison is sick or my Nanny can't make it -- knowing I have it covered is one less thing to worry about.

I am also asking for help--I know I can't do it all and I don't want to take on more than I can handle & I'm so lucky that I work with such amazing people!

My other tip-- that I'm trying to do-- nap when Allison naps-- it's hard because my instinct is to try and get stuff done-- but if I don't sleep I won't be good to anyone.  I

If you know of any other tips or tricks -- this new mom would love to know.

 

Jets Need To Step It Up

By Michael Coleman

      Way back in August the Jets made a splash when they shipped QB Chad Pennington out and brought Brett Favre in to run the offense.  How'd that work out?

     Let me count the ways: Let's see...  Favre had a lackluster season, Eric Mangini was fired, and along the way the Jets faded, in the last 5 games of the season going 1-4.  This after posting an 8-3 record.  That's why Mangini's gone. 

                   The door is open for Favre to return, but will a new coach (especially one that's established) want to deal with him?  Favre's time has pretty much run out and no coach with NFL experience is going to want a future hall of famer hanging around. 

                  As for Mangini, he landed on his feet, being named the Cleveland Browns new coach.  He actually has a better situation than the one he had with the Jets.  The Browns are loaded with talent, but the issue will become Mangini's decision making skills.  During the last part of the season, questionable calls were made by Mangini that in all likelihood cost the Jets at least two wins.

                 The Jets sometimes come off as being serious about winning a Super Bowl, but they make many bad moves in the process.  Favre, while not a bad move, became the face of the team.  Resentment settled in among his teammates, while their old quarterback won come-back of the year.  Chad Pennington used to be the face of the Jets--now that he's in Miami and had a big hand in turning them around. The Jets are nearly faceless.

            It's been 41 years since the Jets won a Super Bowl, and its not a very good sign if Jets fans are still talking about Joe Namath.  Joe's old team has a lot of growing up to do.

LI Housing Update

by Scott Feldman

There is good news and not so good news on the housing front. The Long Island Association, the area's biggest business group, says median home prices since the peak in housing values in 2007 have dropped 18 percent in Nassau and 20 percent in Suffolk. Back in August 2007, the median home price in Nassau was $502,500 compared to $410,000 in November 2008. In Suffolk, median home price for June 2007 was $420,000 versus $335,000 for November 2008. So where are home prices headed? LIA Chief Economist Pearl Kamer is forecasting another 15 percent decline before the market bottoms out at around 35 percent. Now for the good news. Long term mortgage rates are around 51/2% today. Kamer thinks action by the Federal Reserve could knock that down to 41/2%. If 30 year rates get that low, combined with lower home prices, Kamer says that would make a more attractive market for potential buyers. But there is a big IF. The risk, she tells me, is that layoffs will accelerate and if more people lose their job, low interest rates won't help prospective buyers qualify for a mortgage. Kamer's crystal ball sees the housing market stabilizing by the end of this year or sometime next year. Of course, realtors are touting low home prices and low mortgage rates as the perfect reason to buy NOW. If you are a seller, realtor Fern Karhu says the key is pricing your home right. Listen to your realtor. Get comparable prices of homes that have sold in your area in the past three months. As for buyers, you've also got to check what homes are selling for in the neighborhood. But, at the same time, there's no point to making a ridiculously low offer to the seller. Karhu says prices will rebound over time. But, the days of double digit increases Long Island experienced in the past, are just that, history.

King of... Stony Brook!

By Elisa DiStefano

There really must be something in the water--or something really funny about Long Island. So many of the best comedians in the world grew up here! Eddie Murphy was raised in Roosevelt (so was Howard Stern). Jerry Seinfeld went to Massapequa High School. Billy Crystal is a Long Beach High grad. Rosie O'Donnell was Commack High's class clown. Jackie Martling went to Oyster Bay High School... and oh the list goes on and on! Even those who grew up on our outskirts--like Ray Romano--worked the Long Island comedy circuit before hitting it big.

I had a chance to sit down with one of my favorites, Stony Brook native Kevin James. I love King of Queens. It's funny--even though the show takes place in Queens--if you look closely in the pilot you can see Carol Silva on the television in the bedroom! I guess they forgot we are only as Local as Local News Gets!

Just thinking of Kevin doing that dance in Hitch has me laughing! Kevin was in town for 2 live performances at the Capital One Bank Theatre at Westbury. He was so down to earth. We chatted about him growing up in Stony Brook's S section. He played Little League. I assumed he was class clown at Ward Melville High School, but he said he was actually shy! He was, however, on the wrestling team with Mick Foley and hung out in his black KISS tee shirt at the Smithaven Mall! Good thing he spent so much time at the mall--he needed to draw on his mall knowledge for his new movie "Mall Cop".

He plays Paul Blart, a mall cop. He wanted to shoot the movie on Long Island, but he didn't want to make fun of our malls! He also ran into some other issues, so he had to shoot in MA.  He talked about his dear friend (and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry co-star) Adam Sandler who helped produce the movie. I was surprised to hear that his mustache in the film was real. He gained 15 pounds by eating food court food while shooting the movie! He did just about all of his own stunts, and pulled his hamstring the first day of shooting! He had me cracking up quite a few times.

I asked him if he'd ever move back here. He said  "I definitely want to. I was looking at places to come back and stay because I want to be here for the Mets and their new stadium, so I'm trying to work it out somehow. We'll see, we'll see what happens".

I also asked him why he thinks our island produces some of the greatest comics. His reply: "I think we have good lives ... I think it's just the family life, bbqs, people getting together, going to malls, movies, all that stuff. You know, people have good spirit on Long Island and I think it translates to comedy for some reason."

We do have a good spirit!

Mall Cop hits theaters on Jan. 16th!

Here we go again!

by Jill Wagner

In this gloomy economy, there's been one bright spot: cheap gas prices!!  Ok, some people may not consider $1.75 a gallon cheap, but it's all relative.  Remember, it was just a few months ago, during the dog days of summer, when we were paying well over $4 a gallon.  Now THAT hurts!

But then the economy tanked, and so did the price of crude oil.  That's the raw stuff that gasoline and home heating oil is made of.  So when the price of crude goes up---inevitably, the price at the pump and the price of home heating oil will go up too.  And vice versa. 

Just look at the numbers: over the summer, a barrel of crude peaked at nearly $150 dollars.  Less than five months later, on December 19th, a barrel bottomed out at around $33.  And even though today prices dropped again, the trend since the 19th has been back up! 

I sat down today with Kevin Rooney, CEO of the Oil Heat Institute of Long Island.  He says prices were artificially inflated in the summer months.  And then, when prices began to come down, they collapsed further then they should have.  Now the rules of supply and demand are once again straightening themselves out.      

So what SHOULD prices be?  Rooney thinks anywhere in the $60 to $70 range would be realistic.  At that price, home heating oil should cost about $2.80-$3.00 a gallon. 

But where does that leave the many Long Islanders who locked in home heating oil prices a few months back when it cost a whole lot more?  If you're one of them, you may have noticed it's not so easy to get out of your contract.  Rooney says that's because when a customer locks in a heating contract, the oil company then takes out their own contract with an oil supplier, and usually they have to pay a price to get out of that.   

So if you haven't locked in a price, would this be a good time to do it?  Rooney says it's really a gamble, but prices do seem to be heading back up.  

At the gas pump, drivers don't have much choice but to grin and bear it.  But there is a good website you can check out: www.gasbuddy.com.  You can type in you zip code and it will give you the price of gas at stations in your neighborhood.   

And before you get too down about the prices, just remember those 4 dollar a gallon days!!!  Rooney says it won't go that high for a looong time.  

Snow lovers

By Meteorologist Rich Hoffman

I've been looking back over the snowfall records at Brookhaven National Lab (http://www.bnl.gov/weather/4cast/snow.html).  When we have above normal Snowfall for December, we usually have above normal snowfall for the season. Seasonal Snowfall is 30.5 inches. There have only been 5 times when we had an above normal December that we did not reach 30 inches. Snow lovers hold out hope. January is the coldest month but February is the snowiest. 

The past two years we had below normal snowfall so the snow lovers have missed out. Our snowiest winter was in 1995-96 when we had 90.8".  On the other hand, in the Winter of 1997-98, we only had 4.5 inches all winter.

Don't forget when we are in STORM WATCH mode we need your help, and you can be a part of our "Hyperlocal Weather" by sending your storm reports to [email protected]

When severe weather strikes, keep it tuned to News12 for the very latest and local weather information.  Away from a TV during the day? Listen to us via mobile phone: 646-273-1212 for News12 to Go. Also, log onto news12.com for the latest weather updates including Live Dual Doppler 12 and to check for any closings or delays.

Shattered Dreams

By Christine Insinga

    Relatives say Walter Corea left Honduras for the United States when he was 23, like so many in search of the American Dream.  He left behind his parents and a young daughter.  For the past 8 years he shared a home with 6 friends & relatives in Bay Shore and worked as a deejay, sending all the money he could back to Honduras.  

   "He lived for his family," says Corea's brother- in-law Erick Monroy.  Still just 31 years of age and newly separated from his wife, Corea liked to go out from time to time and Monday night brought a young woman back to his home.  With a house full of people, including Corea's 13 year old son, who was visiting from Honduras, police say Corea and his 'guest'--23 year old Santos Rios Vasquez--were looking for some privacy.  They apparently found it in Correa's car in the garage. It was around 11pm and cold. They left the engine of the Nissan Sentra running. 

    Around 6:30 am the following morning, the homeowner wakes up and begins to feel ill.  He goes upstairs and sees Monroy.  They both smell gas and call for Walter.  No one answers.  The homeowner hears the car running, scurries to the front of the house, manages to swing the garage door open before becoming overcome by carbon monoxide and passing out on the driveway. 

   Walter's body is found on the garage floor, his friend lies dead in the passenger seat.

   The 6 other residents of the Stein Drive home (including the owner) are taken to good Samaritan Hospital where they are all treated and released.

   Walter's family tells me they want to hold a wake for him in Hempstead.  He had many friends there.  They hope to have him buried in his native Honduras, but say right now they do not have the money.  If you'd like to make a donation, you can go to our website www.news.12.com and click on number and links.

  There are so many ways this tragedy could've been avoided.  We think we know ALL the ways to keep our families safe in these situations, but it's information I feel we can never read often enough.

  A Happy and Healthy '09 to all!

  Thanks for checking in:)  {##}

The Slump Continues...

By Lily Stolzberg

We all know the Big 3 U.S. Automakers have taken a hit. That's putting it lightly. Chrysler is so bad some predict the company may go under. It's a scary time. Not for the CEOs who have to learn to do without private jets, but for the rank and file employees and consumers.

This is all happening because people aren't buying cars. Some rather put some money into their aging car and hope to get just one more year out of it.

Last month sales of Chrysler vehicles were down 53%. Ford and GM saw a decline of over 30%.  What really surprised me though, sales for the three main Japanese automakers, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan also plunged over 30 percent.

So what is it? We can't blame gas prices anymore. I just paid $1.88 a gallon! Wahoo!

The simple answer-well there isn't one. Economists say ssome people who have the money are so uncertainin of the future of our economy they think it's safer to hold onto their money rather than spend it. Others simply don't have it and are watching their retirement accounts dwindle and home values fall.

I spoke to the owner of a local dealership who told me one of the biggest problems is people can't get a loan without a credit score of at least 700. Stinks for the majority of Americans whose credit score is in the late 600s. Maybe a bike isn't such a bad idea after all. Think about all the money you would save!  Plus, you might actually get started on that New Year's resolution of shedding that "winter coat."

But seriously, this is actually a great time to buy a new car. The incentives are through the roof and I bet you can really talk that salesperson down. And best of all, you are contributing to our economy that needs all the help it can get!

A Parent's Worst Nighmare

By Colleen McVey

   A parent's worst nightmare - I've read that headline too many times in my career and it hits home again with the tragic death of a 14 year old in West Babylon.

   I can't stop thinking about Garrett Quedens and his family. It is such a heartbreaking loss of a young life. What Garrett and his friend did on New Years Eve kids do all too often. I know a few parents who realize it could have been their son or daughter.  I hear about "close calls" all the time.

  Last year, a friend's 14 year old son passed out on a frigid night and his "friends" ran away in fear. He was lucky someone found him and called an ambulance. He had to be hospitalized for hypothermia.

 Another teenager I know was smart and brave enough to call an ambulance when her 16 year old friend passed out after doing shots of vodka at a New Year's Eve party. When they got to the hospital they found out another student from their high school was there having his stomach pumped.

 And in my own family a few years ago, my son was caught trying to leave the house with a water bottle filled with vodka. He was Garrett's age at the time.  We were lucky he didn't get too far.

 Even though kids learn about the dangers of drinking and drugs from their parents and in school - a lot of them just don't get it.  They don't believe it will hurt them. I wish I could watch over my children at all times, but I can't, so I will just keep talking to them about doing "the right thing." I just hope and pray they listen and will learn from Garrett's tragic death.

Funding for the Arts

By Doug Geed

   Those in the art community say it comes with the territory -- when times are tough, they're one of the first to feel the pinch. And with the recession we're in now, that's proving true once again.
   Arts Councils across Long Island are seeing serious cutbacks in their funding -- 20-to-40 percent to LI's largest, the Huntington Arts Council. The Brookhaven Arts Council lost all of its funding from the town -- 30-thousand dollars -- and faces cuts from other sources, including Suffolk County and the state.
   Ask any non-profit organization what it's like to ask for donations in these times when people are being laid off or have seen their life savings evaporate. As you can imagine, gifts, sponsorships and even volunteers are way down.
    But people in the art community are passionate about what they do and firm in their belief that especially in times like these, their work is vital. Huntington puts on a great summer arts festival in Heckscher Park. Programs in schools, libraries, for senior citizens and children could all be jeopardized. They're asking for help.

   Here are some links if you are interested.

http://www.huntingtonarts.org/
http://www.eastendarts.org/
http://www.brookhaven.org/AdvisoryCommitteesCommissions/ArtsHumanitiesCouncil/tabid/78/Default.asp

http://www.nysca.org/public/home.cfm

The Mailman

By Ken Grimball

Rain, shine, snow or hail, nothing stops the U.S. Mail.  With employees like Frank Hunter working to make sure we get our mail on time, we can rest assured those letters will be there when we need them.  For the past 45-years the Amityville Letter Carrier has fallen in love with the people on his postal route.  Unfortunately, Frank Hunter retired on January 2nd, 2009.  But his legacy lives on.

 

Born in Amityville 68-years-ago Hunter, one of eleven siblings, Frank later became a member of the United States Army.  He was stationed in Korea where he met his beautiful wife Kim.   With hope for the future, the two came back to his birth place.  Kim could not speak English well; however she found a job working at a Bay Shore Deli, where she remained 37-years. They have four sons, some of whom were enlisted in the Armed Forces as well. 

 

The Letter Carrier is not your average garden variety employee.  When he landed his job, Hunter decided to help people along his Amityville route.   Not only would Hunter deliver mail, he delivered cakes that he baked the night before to people he felt were in need of being cheered up.  With a natural, melodic voice, he serenaded customers. The Letter Carrier has seen new born babies and grow into adulthood. Children sang to him, offered him cold drinks in the summer and hot chocolate in the winter.  He was an advocate and friend to many of his customers. 

 

Frank Hunter doesn't know exactly what he will do during his retirement years, although he has had a few job offers; however, the people along his Amityville route will never forget the humble man who delivered their mail  for almost half a century.

Cut Your Weight, Cholesterol, Blood Pressure & More with Low Carb Diet

By Mary Mucci

All the years I've tried to eat low carb…I've been having my carb allowance at the start of my day. According to Dr. James Carlson, that's a bad idea. And now I know why. First off , as soon as you have carbs, you want more. So eating them at breakfast sets up a day long craving. The reason Dr. Carlson gives is that the pancreas is a habitual organ. If it puts out enough insulin for a three stack of pancakes and syrup for breakfast…it will do the same at lunch even if you're eating a burger without the bun. And insulin don't forget is a STORAGE hormone. It is to be controlled at all costs.

However, if you just have a few grams of carbs at breakfast: a glass of milk, or say a few slices of apple , then a few more at lunch….you may then have slightly more with dinner. Because by then your pancreas is under control. It's just the opposite of what most of us think right?

Well it seems to work and it is a lot easier than several diets I've tried. First you always have some carb.. South Beach doesn't allow any for two weeks. Then you just get out of the habit of eating carbohydrates all day long.…. It is the healthiest? I am not a physican…but Mary Conway Nadeau's blood profile was very impressive.

Plus, she dropped sixty pounds…without even trying . So, eats lots of good fats…{" no margarine etc…} protein and your appetite will be satisfied. That's what it's all about right?

Now I must admit I've always been for the concept of eating low on the food chain. For seven years I was a vegetarian. I ate noting but carbs. But I changed course when my thyroid function slowed and I became ill. I still wish I could eat that way...at least some of the time. But eating carbs seems to pack on weight even if it's brown rice and black beans and pumpkin soup. I think that no one diet is right for everyone. And it's sometimes tough to find out which one is right. That's why I recommend metabolic typing. It's available on www.mercola.com . Mariaelle Sammis does it at the Northport Health and Wellness Center. { Dr. Alan Sherr's office} But if your doctor says you need medicaton to improve your blood pressure and diabetes etc....remember Mary Nadeau of Rocky Point. She was headed straight down hill and she turned it all around just by changing her diet.

To Your Health,

Mary Mucci

Contacts:

Dr. James Carlson

Low Carb Diet author , " Genocide"

631 928 9355 , Port Jefferson

Mariaelle Sammis, C.N.

Nutritionist, Northport Wellness Center

631 262 8505

Dr. Joseph Mercola, a Doctor of Osteopathy from Chicago

www.Mercola.com 

Great newsletter about low carb diets and natural health, will not sell your name to other sites.

 

Making a Difference

By Scott Feldman

I had heard for years about the good works of Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Now, they are one of a growing number of non-profit organizations that are struggling because of the economic crisis. 60 percent of their revenue comes from their thrift stores. Another 20 percent from donations. But, both were down dramatically in 2008. So they were forced to dip into their reserves and spend about 300 thousand dollars to keep their operations going. Over the past year, LI Director Douglas LaLone tells me they assisted nearly 200 thousand Long Islanders in a variety of programs that include temporary rent and mortgage assistance and helping the elderly maintain their homes and yards.

I was at Dismas House in Roosevelt today. 10 men --all ex-offenders--live there. They get counseling for their drug and alcohol addictions. And help to transition to mainstream society. I'm told their success rate to keep men out of jail is 90 percent. One of those success stories is 64 year old Freddie Jones. He had been in and out of jail and prison since he was 18 years old. He came to Dismas House nearly 7 years ago. Today, he is a social worker there counseling men who were in the same boat he was in when he walked through their doors. 

St. Vincent de Paul, like a lot of non-profits, is hopeful 2009 will be a better year financially for them than 2008. If you'd like to help, they welcome your support. You can contact the Society by: Phone (516) 822-3132. Or you can go online at  www.svdprvc.org