Blogs 12 Long Island

Restroom Ransom

by Lea Tyrrell

Like every Long Islander right now, I’m pretty tired of being “nickel and dimed” by every company and level of government trying to wring every last cent out of me. But I couldn’t believe one of the latest money-making proposals from an airline.

 

The head of Ryanair, an Irish airline, proposed making passengers pay to use the onboard bathrooms.   The CEO, Michael O’Leary, has been described as “arrogant,” “extravagantly outspoken,” and “ruthless” in his management style.  In other words, not above doing or saying something just for the publicity.  So a lot of people didn’t know whether to take his proposal seriously.  But these days, money is so tight, anything’s possible.

 

 But then O’Leary insisted to reporters he was serious.  He told them he’d asked engineers at Boeing to design toilets with doors that open only if you swipe a valid credit card.  O’Leary’s original idea, he says, was to make them coin-operated, but that couldn’t work because the airline operates in areas using both the euro and the British pound.  O’Leary estimated pay toilets would make the airline about $20 million dollars a year.

 

I had visions of poor moms and dads rummaging through purses, wallets and pockets looking for change after their toddler waited until the last minute to tell them they had “to go!”  It’s a situation, as a mom, I’m familiar with and I can’t imagine having to do that on a plane.  C’mon, even the LIRR doesn’t charge you to use the bathroom on the train (although a lot of passengers say you couldn’t PAY them to use those bathrooms.  “Bathroom cleanliness” doesn’t usually get high marks from commuters in the annual LIRR report card.)

The good thing is that O’Leary recently admitted to a tourism conference that the whole thing was nothing more than a PR stunt.  He said “It’s NOT LIKELY to happen.”  Although that doesn’t sound to me like an idea that’s completely off the table .  But O’Leary’s let the cat out of the bag!  Remember when the first airline proposed charging you for anything more than one piece of luggage?  Boy, was that an idea that caught on fast with the other airlines!  Who’s to say another airline won’t implement the “pay to pee” plan, as it’s been dubbed.   Like I said before, these days money is so tight, anything’s possible!   

  

    

No More, Please!

By Lea Tyrrell

I don't like winter.  Specifically, I don't like snow.  And I really don't like a lot of snow.  I did when I was a kid.  What kid doesn't love snow?  But as a grown up, unless you're skiing, it's not fun.  It's just the way I see it.  I know everyone doesn't agree.

So as you can imagine, I was not happy when I first got wind of the forecast that was predicting about a foot of snow Monday.  I was even less happy about it when the snow started falling Sunday night, just as predicted.  And even less happy when I woke up this morning and couldn't open my back door because there was that much snow drifting in my backyard.

What adds insult to injury with this storm is that it's late in the season.  Just as we're holding on to the hope that spring is just a few weeks away, we get walloped with the worst storm of the winter.  That's cruel, Mother Nature!  

As one of our viewers said during our snow coverage, "Hey, that's just the way it is!"  He's right.  That is the way it is in winter.  But the dead of winter.  Not as we're just turning that corner.  Those late season snowfalls are easier when a) they're just a few inches or b) the very next day it's in the 40's or 50's and the snow quickly disappears.  Neither of those apply to this storm.  It made me really grumpy.

However, all that grumpiness disappeared when my young daughter burst into my room this morning, full of excitement, exclaiming, "Mommy, there's a lot of snow outside!"  Okay, what I really wanted to do was roll my eyes and say, "Uhhggggggggggg!"  But what I said instead was, "Really??  How much??"  And she stretched out her arms as wide as they could go and said happily, "This much!"  And we both ran to the window so she could show me. 

I still don't love snow.  But I like it a lot better when I see it through the eyes of my daughter!!!!!!! 

Signed, Sealed and Delivered

by Lea Tyrrell

As I'm writing this, I'm watching President Obama sign the $787 billion dollar economic stimulus bill into law. That's $787,000,000,000!  Did I get all those zero's right?  I wanted to put it in numeral form because it just doesn't have the same impact when you write it out in words.

Will it work?? Is it the right thing to do?? Or should we just let the economy take its course and correct itself?  Can we afford to do that??  I don't know whether this economic stimulus plan is a good idea or a bad idea. I've spoken to so many people on both sides of the issue who are certainly more learned about  economics than I am. But whether you agree or disagree with the stimulus, I just hope it works.

It's sad having to deliver the discouraging news every day.  Record high unemployment numbers, more people about to lose their jobs, retirements savings being wiped out, 401ks dropping by at least a third or more, people losing their houses, stores and businesses closing.  I've never seen anything like it in all my years of journalism.

But even as the bill was being signed by the President, the stock market was falling.  The stimulus package did little to send the Dow in the other direction.  We've been warned that a recovery is not going to happen overnight, but it would have been encouraging to see a little uptick.

The Associated Press has put together a good breakdown of what's in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  To see what's in it for you, click here.

So now that the wheels of the stimulus package have been put in motion, all we can do is watch and wait (and keep our fingers crossed!)  And in the interest of transparency, which was a big part of Mr. Obama's proposal, we are supposed to be able to watch where the money is going.  The White House has set up a website, www.recovery.gov.   It's already up and running, and begins with a short video of the President describing the site, and explaining how you can use it to track the Recovery Act's progress.

 

Your Money or Your Job!

by Lea Tyrrell

 What a tough choice for any employee to have to make - a paycut or layoffs!  Nassau County workers are being asked to make that decision now. And with the economy the way it is currently, and no significant improvement predicted this year, I suspect it's a decision many other workers around the country may be facing as well.

 In Nassau, it's a 7% cut workers are being asked to take or face hundreds of job cuts, all to help close a $130 million budget gap.

When we asked this News 12 Long Island Question of the Day "Do you think county workers should take a pay cut to balance Nassau's budget?" 61% of those who responded said yes. As expected, we got a lot or responses on this topic on the News 12 Sound Off Board and our [email protected] email address.

You can read the Sound Off Board responses by heading over to that button our our website.  The debate was interesting.  Some viewers felt a lower salary was better than no salary at all, while others thought a few hundred more people on unemployment would be better than a few thousand people, who are already struggling, taking home even less money and falling way behind on their bills.  What do you think?

Some more good responses, ideas and questions came in to the Long Island Talks email, and since I don't always get a chance to share them with viewers because of time constraints, I thought I'd share them here. 

"First, my husband is currently unemployed. My suggestion to Mr Suozzi is to post 2 police officers in any given school zone at anytime of day. The money that they will make issuing speeding tickets ( not warnings) will more than pay for our police offers and benefits. I would be willing to do this job for a SMALL per cent of the money this would pull in. Simple little things like this can generate thousands. I do not support Mr Suozzi in many areas bit I do support the 7% cut.  We are currently paying $1300.00 a month for COBRA. We can not do this much longer. I would have welcomed a pay cut for my husband instead of unemployment and no medical. They could contribute 10% towards their medical insurance and still be way ahead of the game."

"We are all in this together!  Things are very tough all around.
I work in a private company.
My company just announced paycut for every employee who makes over $40K/year."

"As a proud employee of NC for almost 22 years, I am again disappointed by a sitting county executive’s plan to balance the budget on the backs of the civil service workers.  Over the years, the county workforce has decreased dramatically and with that has come a decrease in services…just look at our county parks.  The public does not realize that many county workers make less than $30,000 and are expected to live here in NC.  I want to do my part to keep the county solvent and do not want a layoff of my fellow employees, however, I would love to see a campaign to “chop at the top” of the executive staff, instead of starting with the lowest salaried employees.  We CSEA workers keep this county moving in so many ways people don’t readily see.  I know from experience that all unions will sit down with the county executive and negotiate in good faith, as long as we’re not blindsided by the “smoke and mirrors” the legislature and county executive are fond of promoting."

"While you are seeking union concessions, I hope the use of county vehicles will be a subject of concessions. Am I correct that the use of such vehicles is embedded in some CSEA contracts?

If that is the case, it is outrageous that any administration negotiated the use of those vehicles into a labor contract."

 

"Mr. Suozzi, how do you plan on serving those parents who, based on the cuts outlined today, will have no after school setting for their children to be cared for and a percentage may be forced between working or going on some form of public assistance?  Recognizing that such after school care is far more economical and keeps parents on the tax roles than providing services through social services where are the savings you propose to realize?"

"Nassau county workers are the low men on the totem pole.  A 7% pay cut would cause a good percentage of those workers not to be able to meet their bills.  It would mean forclosures to hard working citizens.  The county executive needs to find another way, and not put the county woes on the backs of people who make very little to begin with."

 

"Mr. Suozzi, if these service cuts or layoffs affect the Nassau University Medical Center, I hope you look to cut out alot of the supervisors positions at the hospital. This is a place that has more nursing and radiology supervisors then workers. Radiology alone, has high paid supervisors doing desk work and working overtime on weekend shifts. A $100,000 dollar a year supervisor doing chest xrays for overtime.  The day shift alone has five supervisors, most hospitals have one supervisor in the radiology dept.

Nursing dept has so many supervisors on the floors, and they have hardly any nurses to cover all the patients. Ten years ago they had one supervisor on the floor for the nurses, and the work got done, now some floors have two supervisors.  The housekeeping dept has alot of supervisors walking around all day, and then those same supervisors are working overtime on the evening shift."

 

"I’m a County Employee, I’ll hold off on saying from which union. I wouldn’t like to see anyone lose their jobs. But, it’s not fair to ask for a 7% give back from employees. Some unions don’t receive timely contracts from the County to begin with. Some contracts are four years overdue, with zeros included. They don’t bargain in good faith even when times are good!!!   

It’s my opinion that it’s the County’s own debauchery and fiscal irresponsibility that has brought us to this point in the first place!  The economy provided the nail in the coffin, that much is true.  Suozzi will make all County workers look greedy, and he will blame the layoffs on our unwillingness to sacrifice.  In reality, it’s their own fault!!"   

 

Thanks for taking the time to write in.  We're still waiting to see what the eventual decision is for Nassau County and its workers.  We'll continue to follow this story and bring it to you when the decision is announced.

 

 

                 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are We There Yet?

By Lea Tyrrell

Some dismal economic reports out for Long Island this week. Over the past year the Island has lost more than 21,000 jobs in the private sector. And in the last 3 months alone - New York State has lost more than 100,000 jobs. The state labor department says many of those jobs were in retail and construction. 

Add to that a report out by a Manhattan-based appraisal firm that found median home sale prices on Long Island are down 6.2% for the third quarter of 2008, compared to the same time in 2007.  So it sure looks like we haven't hit bottom yet, and it seems no one can really tell if we're anywhere near it.

So how long will it take for us to get out of this economic free-fall?  Predictions range from the middle or end of this year to 2010 or 2011.  Long Island Association Economist Pearl Kamer tells News 12 that even if we get a stimulus package out of Washington, Long Island won't feel the bounce from it until late this year or next year.

But the most dire prediction I've heard came on a recent Long Island Talks.  Economist Dr. Thomas Conoscenti of NYU said we could be stuck where we are now for four or five years if the economic recovery plan Washington is putting together doesn't work.  And that's another thing to think about. What if all this doesn't work?  Is that even possible?  How can you spend nearly a trillion dollars on an economic bandage and not fix the problem?  But in covering both politics and this economy for a while now, I've learned that anything is possible.  I hope in this case, though, logic prevails.

No Digital TV??

By Lea Tyrrell

The economic crisis is being felt in almost every aspect of our lives, and now it's even

threatening to mess with our television.

On February 17th, the nation's broadcasters are scheduled to stop transmitting in analog in favor of digital.  No doubt by now you've seen one of the numerous public service announcements reminding you constantly of the big changeover.  The government's actually been warning us about it since 2005.   That's when Congress approved the digital shift.  It frees up chunks of wireless spectrum to be used for emergency response networks and commercial services.  By auctioning off this spectrum, the government has raised about $19 billion. 

The change is a big deal that could negatively affect millions of people.  It's estimated that as many as 8 million U-S households that rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air channels could be blacked out.

But the Commerce Department has RUN OUT OF MONEY for coupons to subsidize digital converter boxes.  If you don't have cable or satellite service or a TV with a digital tuner you'll need a converter box to get a picture on an old analog set.  Some people may even need a special antenna to go along with that converter box, and critics complain the government is not doing anything to subsidize the antenna which could cost between $75 and $150.

So now the incoming Obama administration is calling for Congress to DELAY the February 17th analog shutoff!  Plus the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission believes the government isn't  prepared for the transition and the avalanche of help that's going to be needed once the changeover takes place.  Many experts believe the viewing public is not properly educated about the switch and how it might affect them, and won't realize it until AFTER they turn on their TV sets next month and find out they have no picture.

The good news is that won't be a problem for you.  As long as you have Cablevision service, you will be unaffected by the change whenever it takes place.  Whether it's from a digital cable box or even just a cable TV wire plugged into the back of your television, you'll continue to enjoy your favorite television programs, including News 12, without interruption.

                                                                                 

Happy New Year!

By Lea Tyrrell

New Year's Eve is upon us and it's time to celebrate. As many cheer the beginning of a new year, many others are celebrating the fact that 2008 is over! As one of my Long Island Talks guests, who's a financial planner recently emailed me, if there's any year that should be over, it's 2008.

I'm working New Year's Eve so I'll be watching the Times Square ball drop on television from home. But there have been two times that I've seen it in person. And it's quite something to see. If you've done it, then you know what I'm talking about. But if you haven't spent New Year's Eve in Times Square, you've got to do it once in your life. Just try to pick a year with a warmer forecast!

I made my trips before the September 11th terrorist attacks and I imagine things have changed quite a bit because of the tighter security. But I don't think anything can take away from the spectacle.

The roar of the countdown is deafening and gets louder and louder until the ball lights up the new year. Tons and tons and tons of confetti come raining down from the tops of skyscrapers. Then you find yourself being hugged and wished Happy New Year by people you don't even know. My first experience with that came courtesy of four Norwegian tourists who were drinking from bottles of champagne.

 It's complete chaos for about a half hour. And then all those people just disappear!  What's left in Times Square are small mountains of confetti and waves of sanitation crews cleaning things up. Amazingly, when you see Times Square the next morning, all that confetti is gone. A few wisps that got away from the sweepers go flying by in the wind, but considering the amount of paper that fell from the sky, the clean up crews do an incredible job.

The forecast for this New Year's Eve looks a little cold, so if you're going to be out in Times Square, dress as warmly as you can.  If you're going for the first time, enjoy the fun.  I imagine there's nothing quite like it around the world.  I'd like to do New Year's Eve in Times Square one more time, with my daughter when she gets a little older, but before she gets old enough to be embarassed by Momhanging around!

From all of us here at News 12 Long Island, have a Happy, Healthy and Safe New Year!  And thanks for helping us get to our 22nd year on the air.  We celebrated News 12's anniversary on December 15th.

 

Does Anyone Still Dream of a White Christmas?

by Lea Tyrrell

This time of year I am all Christmas music all the time.  Recently, while hearing Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" for the umpteenth time, I thought to myself "Does anybody really dream of a white Christmas anymore?"  I know I don't.  I'm closely watching Bill Korbel's forecast every night hoping NOT to see any snowflakes for the end of next week. 

I don't hate snow.  Snow is beautiful.  For 5 minutes.  Then it makes everything more complicated.  Getting dressed (especially choice of footwear), walking, and driving!  And as we try to clear all the white stuff away so it gets easier to walk and drive, it gets messy and ugly. 

The same goes for a white Christmas.  It's beautiful.  For 5 minutes.  It's great if you're not going anywhere.  But a whole lot of people are traveling for Christmas.   And if they're traveling to your house, they're not very happy when they show up because they've been sitting in traffic for hours.  That's if they show up at all.

I've hosted many a Christmas at my house where it either snowed the day before or started snowing on Christmas Day.  When my guests called to cancel because the roads were bad, I had no idea what I was going to do with all the food.  And one year when it started to snow hard and fast while we were eating dinner, some of my guests gulped down what was on their plates, said thank you, got their coats and left.  No dessert!  Hey, I don't blame them.  It's no fun traveling in bad weather.  But it wasn't quite the cozy, fun evening I was hoping for.

So that's why I prefer a dry Christmas.  It just makes thinks so much easier.  Everything that you've spent weeks getting ready for goes as planned. 

But I don't want to take any joy from the kids who love the snow around the holiday, and who believe the more the better.  Let the flakes pile up the day AFTER Christmas!  I know my daughter would be just as thrilled with that snow.

Whatever type of Christmas you're dreaming of, here's hoping you get what you want.  May your celebrations of Christmas, Hanukkah, and/or Kwanzaa be filled with food, family, friends and love.

     

Paying for Plastic (and Paper too!)

by Lea Tyrrell

Anytime we're asked to start paying for something we now get for free, expect sparks to fly.  You might be thinking that I'm talking about the MTA proposal to start collecting tolls on the East River crossings to close a humongous budget gap, but I'm not. I'm talking about the proposal introduced in the Suffolk legislature to have shoppers start paying for disposable grocery bags. If it's approved, you'll be charged 5 cents for every plastic or paper bag you use in the supermarket.

I remember when the idea of paying for TV was first proposed.  I thought it was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard.  Who would pay to watch television when we can do that for free??  Turns out, pretty much everybody!  Who can live now without cable??  I know I couldn't.  Perish the thought of having to give up the Discovery Channel, TLC, the History Channel and HGTV.  Not to mention News 12 Long Island and my job!.  And these days a lot of us are also paying for something else we can get for free - radio!

Still, having to pay for a bag for your groceries struck a nerve.  When we discussed the topic on Long Island Talks, some viewers didn't think now was the right time because we're paying more for everything else thanks to the tanking economy. 

One viewer commented:

"I just saw your segment about the legislator who wants to charge a fee for the plastic bags. I understand her point about the environment...however like someone had said on your show NOW is not the time, lady. Instead of trying to take money from the taxpayers why doesn't she try to think of a way to help the taxpayers.

But another viewer made a great observation.  We're really paying for the bags already.

"So what makes the consumers so negative about the charge system?  The answer is that people want convenience without being made aware that they are paying for it.  People want the “give away” bags because they are convenient (they don’t have to lug their own or keep them clean) and they are “free”. The truth is however, the bags are not free. The stores have to buy those bags and train their staff to pack them properly. They add those costs to the cost of the food. But because the bag costs don’t appear separately on the bill, consumers think the bags are free."

But shoppers who are already devotees of the "bring your own bags" practice think the idea is long overdue.  And with good reason.  The United States is behind the pack on this issue.  In 2002, Ireland instituted a levy on plastic shopping bags.  They call it a "plastax."  And it's been hailed a huge success.   The 15 cents per bag charge has cut their use by 90% and raised millions of euros in revenue.

Earlier this year, the government of China, where they use about 3-billion plastic bags a day, banned the use of free plastic bags and ordered that customers be charged for them.  Uganda, South Africa, and Bangladesh have also banned the bags.  Here in the U-S only San Francisco has gone forward with a plastic bag ban requiring all large grocery stores, and soon pharmacies, to only offer biodegradable bags typically made from corn byproducts. 

It's all an effort to prevent THIS:

Landfills full of plastic bags.  The group, Worldwatch Institute, estimates Americans throw away 100 billion polyethylene (crude oil or petrochemical based) plastic bags each year.  The group says only 0.6% of bags are recycled.  But a group that represents the supermarket industry, the Food Industry Alliance, wants Suffolk to give the county a chance to improve those numbers.

Next month, a Suffolk law goes into effect promoting the recycling of plastic bags.  It calls for retailers to set up in-store bag collection sites, such as a bin, for customer to deposit bags after using them.  It also requires retailers over 20,000 square feet to make reusable, cloth bags available for shoppers to buy.

Will it make a difference keeping more plastic bags out of the waste stream?  We'll have to wait and see.  But, in the meantime, many environmentalists are just glad the issue's being debated.  Maybe enough to get more people to remember to keep those reusable, cloth bags in the trunk.

 

 

Talking with Nelson DeMille

by Lea Tyrrell

It was such a pleasure recently to have bestselling author and Long Islander Nelson DeMille as a guest on Long Island Talks.  He's appeared on News 12 Long Island before, but this was the first time viewers were able to ask their questions directly.  I had plenty of questions to ask him myself, but I was happy to see the phone board light up when the program started.  His fans had plenty of great questions themselves.

I love reading his books that are set on Long Island especially to see which communities, streets and landmarks he mentions.  DeMille's latest book, The Gate House, is one of those novels.  It's a sequel to The Gold Coast, and no location is more Long Island than that.  The Gate House debuted at number one on the New York Time's bestseller list this month.  Even with all his success and previous bestsellers, DeMille admits he still gets nervous about whether his book will hit number one.  Then he smiled and said it makes the publisher happy.  And you want to keep your publisher happy.

As a writer of news, I have a great admiration for writers of fiction.   Good writing is a challenge even when you have to deal with only the facts.  But to add characters, locations, plots, subplots, and intrigue (just to mention a few of the things that go into a great novel) I find that all quite astounding.  No wonder DeMille says it takes him 18 to 24 months to write a novel, plus a great deal of research.  He writes six to eight hours a day in an office several blocks from his home -  no music, no radio, no tv.  Also no computer or typewriter.  DeMille still prefers to write his books longhand - pencil or pen to paper.  Just that simple. 

Quite a few of the callers last time were fans of a character who's appeared in a few of DeMille's books, Detective John Corey.  Those fans will be happy to know that DeMille tells me he's working on another story that will feature Corey.

One viewer who hadn't had a chance to read one of his books yet had a great question for the author.  And perhaps some of you reading this blog aren't familiar with his books either.  She wanted to know which book DeMille would recommend for a first read?  He said The Gold Coast. 

If you missed your chance to ask Nelson DeMille your question, I've extended him an open invitation to come back to Long Island Talks when his next book comes out.  That may be some time in the spring.

If you can't wait until then, you can meet DeMille at his next book-signing.  It's here on the Island at Old Westbury Gardens on December 10th at 6 PM.

To find out more about that, his books, and everything DeMille, he's got a great website.  It's www.nelsondemille.net.   

For the Love of Chocolate

by Lea Tyrrell

This is a pretty dangerous time of year for those of us who love chocolate!  No other holiday centers around candy as much as Halloween, and chocolate has long been the candy of choice.  Ever since Labor Day the aisles of every supermarket, drug store, convenience store and big box store have been overflowing with colorful bags chock full of every type of cocoa confection you can think of.   And I love them all.  But I work hard at staying away.  The slogan "you can't eat just one" might have been written for potato chips, but for me that means Hershey's Kisses.  I can't eat just one.  One bag, maybe, but not one Kiss.  For some reason, my brain doesn't register when I've had enough chocolate.   And I'm not alone.  There are millions of chocoholics out there.

Turns out there might be a biological reason for our chocolate cravings.  I came across an Associated Press article on the science behind the need for chocolate.  It summarizes a study that shows a type of bacteria living in our digestive systems could be responsible for it.  It also goes on to say that initially the study had to be delayed because it took researchers a year to find 11 men who don't eat chocolate.  It seems they're a rare bunch.  I could have helped them with that.  One of my colleagues here at News 12 doesn't eat chocolate.  He doesn't like it.  A statement that blew my mind when he first said it because I can't fathom how that can be possible.  I didn't think there was anyone on the planet who didn't like chocolate.  Actually, I'm jealous.  I wish I was one of them because it would save me a lot of calories and time on the treadmill. 

Scientists have done a lot of research on chocolate.  Why we love it so much.  Why it makes us feel better.  Why woman love it more than men do.  Researchers have picked apart the ingredients in chocolate and found there are chemicals in it that mimic drugs or stimulants that make us feel better.  Dark chocolate is even considered healthy because it contains a large number of antioxidants (more than strawberries according to one article) that protect the body from free radicals.

The people who are looking at the bacteria in our stomachs think if they can isolate the type or types that cause our chocolate craving, they might be able to change or alter the bacteria so that craving would go away.  Sounds like a great idea, but the more I think about it...I have to say "no thanks."  I'd rather deal with it in my own way.  Ah, there's that bag of Hershey's Kisses in my desk drawer. Mmmmm!

Helping the Uninsured

by Lea Tyrrell

We know thousands of Long Islanders don't have health insurance.  Now we have a better idea of just how large that number is.  A new report based on U.S. census numbers puts it at 400,000.  That's about 15% of the Island's population.  Specifically 173-thousand people in Nassau and  198-thousand in Suffolk.

But one of my guests on a recent Long Island Talks believes the numbers are higher than that because things have changed since the last census.  Gwen O'Shea, President and CEO of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, believes it's more like 20% of the Island's population going without health insurance.  She expects the situation to get worse with the current economic crisis, plus the numbers don't include Long Islanders who are UNDER-insured.  They have only the very basic coverage and pay a lot of their medical expenses out-of-pocket. 

As a New Yorker, there are programs that can help you get coverage if you're eligible.  There's Family  Health Plus for adults ages 19 to 64 who don't qualify for Medicaid.  Then there's Child Health Plus for kids, and there's Healthy NY which can help small business owners provide health coverage for their employees and their families, plus self-employed individuals and other uncovered workers.  You can go straight to those websites to get more information, or call the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island.

One caveat, though.  Gwen O'Shea tells me it can be difficult to get access to those programs.  Specifically, she says many families on Long Island have to wait months for the local departments of social services to determine if they're eligible for coverage even though federal law states local districts must make determinations for children in 30 days and adults in 45 days.  So this means if any of these programs can work for you, the sooner you start the process, the better.

The Great Debates

by Lea Tyrrell

After saying he wouldn't attend the first presidential debate in Mississippi unless a financial industry bailout package was approved by Congress, Republican John McCain was forced to backpedal on that pledge when his colleagues in Washington couldn't agree on anything.  So the presidential debate season is now in full swing.

There are three presidential debates and one vice-presidential debate scheduled.  The final presidential debate will take place here on Long Island at Hofstra University, and most interestingly, it will focus on domestic and economic policy, the issues that have everyone's attention right now.  News 12 Long Island will bring you team coverage of every angle of that final debate as it plays out in our own backyard.

We take these televised debates for granted these days to the point that some people have no plans to watch.  A recent News 12 Long Island Question of the Day asked "Do you plan to watch the first presidential debate?"  44 percent of those who responded said no.

But imagine what it was like when you didn't even have the opportunity to watch the candidates vying for the most powerful office in the world.  There were no televised presidential debates until 1960 when Richard Nixon squared off against John F. Kennedy for a total of four debates.  After that, there were no general election debates for the presidential races in 1964, 1968 and 1972.   They resumed with the 1976 election between Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford and have been held for every presidential election since then.

  The debates are sponsored and produced by the Commission on Presidential Debates, which was established in 1987.  The Commission chooses the locations and establishes the formats.  This year the first and third presidential debates will be traditional Q&A format with a moderator asking the questions.  The second one will be a town meeting format with a moderator, but with the questions coming from members of the audience and online.

The Museum of Broadcast Communications has a great section on its website on the History of the Televised Presidential Debates.  It includes photos, video, the top headlines, and even documents pertaining to the debates going back to 1960.   One document I found most fascinating was a memo from Kennedy lawyer and adviser Clark Clifford to JFK after the first Nixon/Kennedy debate.  In it Clifford tells JFK why Kennedy clearly came out the winner and offers suggestions on what Kennedy needs to do in the next debates including "adding warmth to his image."

It'll be interesting to see what this year's series of debates adds to an already storied history.

My Friend, the Author!!

By Lea Tyrrell

Life can get pretty busy these days, but it's always important to make time for friends. Especially those who go way back with you.

I reminded myself of that recently when I found out a friend of mine, who I hadn't been in touch with lately, had written a book. You may know her, especially if you're a sports fan and watch a lot of ESPN. I'm talking about sports anchor Linda Cohn.  She's the proud author of Cohn-Head: A No-Holds-Barred Account of Breaking Into the Boys' Club.  Linda recently made an appearance at the Book Revue in Huntington to sign copies of the book and do some Q & A with her fans.  I made sure I was there to cheer her on.  The best part was being able to surprise her because I didn't let Linda know I was coming.  Pretty easy to do, too, because our busy lives have kept us from staying in touch.

Linda's spent most of her life trying to break into the boys' club. She writes in her book about growing up a die-hard sports fan, and playing goalie on the boys' hockey team in high school.  Linda worked here at News 12 Long Island for a very short while when the station first went on the air. It was mostly as a news reporter, but what she wanted more than anything was to be a sports reporter and anchor. 

By the time she worked with me here at News 12, she had already proven herself as a top-notch sports reporter on radio (America’s first full-time U.S. female sportscaster, for ABC radio).  But there were few women doing sports on national television at the time, and practically no female sportscasters on local stations.  And sadly, the sports department at News 12 didn't have a place for her so she started looking elsewhere.

She had her sites on ESPN but they weren't interested. But somebody else was.  Linda got her "big break" when she was hired to do sports by the CBS affiliate in Seattle.  She recounts in her book some of the pep talks I gave her to help get through some of the anxious moments when she first started working there.  Seattle is a sports town so she knew she had a lot to prove.  She obviously did something right because ESPN took notice of her and not too long after that she got her dream job. And she's been doing it ever since.

I'm so proud of my long-time friend, and I hope her book is a huge success.  Now that we've exchanged ALL of our e-mail addresses and phone numbers, I just hope we can find the time to sit down for lunch and catch up.  You know two people who talk for a living have a lot to talk about.

Battling the Bugs

By Lea Tyrrell

We tend to think of mosquitoes as summer pests, and since we see Labor Day as the "end" of summer, you might think the worst is over.  Well, we've actually got another month of summer to go and this is the most active time of the year for mosquitoes.

Those little buggers have been around for more than 30-million years.  They like to munch on mammals and birds, and they have lots of ways of finding us.  Mosquitoes can sense the carbon dioxide we breathe out and the lactic acid in our bodies.   They can see us move, especially if you're wearing clothing that contrasts with your background.   Plus, they can sense heat so our warm bodies lead them right to us.

According to the American Mosquito Control Association, (yes, there is one) mosquitoes cause more human suffering than any other organism.  More than a million people die from mosquito-bourne diseases each year.   Those diseases include Malaria, Yellow Fever, and of most concern to us here on Long Island, West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

The AMCA says the best way to protect yourself against mosquito bites is to remember the three D's - DRAIN, DRESS, DEFEND.

Drain any standing water around your house.  Most mosquitoes don't travel that far from where they breed.   Pour out the water in birdbaths, children's toys in your yard, roof gutters, garbage pails, recycling pails, your pet's water dish - ANYTHING that collects water near your house. 

Dress in light colored clothing that fits loosely.  The AMCA says a lot of the species are attracted to dark clothing, and if your clothes are too tight, mosquitoes can bite right through the material.

Defend yourself by using some kind of mosquito repellent.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using repellents that have ingredients that have been registered with the Environmental Protection Agency - DEET, Picaridin, and Oil of lemon eucalyptus.

If Nassau or Suffolk county decides the situation in our area warrants ground spraying of pesticides, they'll notify residents of when and where they're spraying.  News 12 Long Island will report that information to you as well.  The pesticides most often used for this purpose are Scourge and Anvil.   The debate continues to rage over whether this type of spraying is necessary and whether the pesticides cause harm to the environment.

So while they're still mostly an itchy nuisance, mosquitoes have become a little more threatening to us here in this area over the last several years.  Just to lighten up the topic a little, enjoy the "fun facts" below.  I found them to be quite interesting.  Did you know that women are actually more attractive to mosquitoes than men??

AMCA Mosquito Fun FAQS

• Mosquitoes are known from as far back as the Triassic Period – 400 million years ago. They are known from North America from the Cretaceous – 100 million years ago.
• There are about 2,700 species of mosquito. There are 176 species in the United States.
• The average mosquito weighs about 2.5 milligrams.
• The average mosquito takes in about 5-millionths of a liter of blood during feeding.
• Mosquitoes find hosts by sight (they observe movement); by detecting infra-red radiation emitted by warm bodies; and by chemical signals (mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide and lactic acid, among other chemicals) at distances of 25 to 35 meters.
• Mosquitoes fly an estimated 1 to 1.5 miles per hour.
• Salt marsh mosquitoes can migrate up to 40 miles for a meal.
• Bigger people are often more attractive to mosquitoes because they are larger targets and they produce more mosquito attractants, namely CO2 and lactic acid.
• Active or fidgety people also produce more CO2 and lactic acid.
• Women are usually more attractive to mosquitoes than men because of the difference in hormones produced by the sexes.
• Blondes tend to be more attractive to msoquitoes than brunettes.
• Smelly feet are attractive to mosquitoes – as is Limburger Cheese.
• Dark clothing attracts mosquitoes.
• Movement increased mosquito biting up to 50% in some research tests.
• A full moon increased mosquito activity 500% in one study

Odds & Ends

By Lea Tyrrell

Thanks for some of the feedback to my blog, most recently the one about the upcoming Huntington Lighthouse Musicfest.

Lifetime Huntington Bay resident and avid boater, Kevin, wants me to pass along some important information to those who may not be as familiar with Huntington waters as he is.  Before you head out to the Huntington Lighthouse on Saturday, August 30th to listen to some great music, he wants you to check the tides.   He warns there's a large rock jetty on the south side of the Lighthouse that is not visible at high tide.  It stretches from about 50' south of the light to the beach.  Kevin says to keep in mind the channel markers so you don't wind up like many other boats have with twisted props, shafts, and even torn off keels.  Thanks for the warning, Kevin.  We absolutely don't want any accidents to ruin a fun day.

KM tells me some have dubbed the Huntington light "The Sandcastle."  And looking at this picture it's easy to see why.  It does look like it's built from sand.  I agree, KM, it is an impressive structure.  The Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society has done an amazing job restoring it.  I haven't had the opportunity to see this historic light in person yet, but I plan to take one of the Society's tours to get a first-hand look inside and out.

Mike wants to know what it was like when I first joined News 12 Long Island.  He wants to know how it's different from today.  That is a great idea for a blog, Mike, but I need to know something first.   Your reference to my starting in 1886, was that a typo???  Or have we been around so long now that it seems like forever to you???  Honestly, I don't ever remember wearing a dress like THIS on the air.  For the record, News 12 Long Island went on the air in 1986.  True, it still wasn't THIS century but it wasn't that long ago.  The most I can be guilty of is "big hair."

Finally, an update on my co-anchor Colleen McVey.  If you read Colleen's last blog, then you know she recently went in for surgery.  She'll be off the air for a little while recuperating.  Several of you sent your good wishes and I just wanted to let you know that everything went well and Colleen is back home recovering, no doubt watching News 12 from the comfort of her couch.  Get well soon, Col.  We miss you.

2008 Huntington Lighthouse Musicfest

By Lea Tyrrell

Summer is rapidly (and unfortunately) coming to a close.  Labor Day weekend is not far away and if, like many Long Islanders, you're planning to stay close to home because it's too expensive to drive anywhere, here's an event you might want to put on your calendar.  And you probably haven't had the pleasure of experiencing it yet because it's only the second time it's being held.

Saturday, August 30th is the 2008 Lighthouse Musicfest in Huntington. (Raindate Sunday, August 31st.)  It is truly a unique event that pays tribute to Huntington's historic lighthouse and waterfront - a concert ON the water. 

Boaters anchor in front of the lighthouse to watch performers play from the rooftop stage.   There are five bands this year playing everything from Caribbean to Rock to Swing to Disco.  For the lineup go to the Musicfest website.  There's also an air show.

And the boaters enjoying the music can expect a visit from members of Ye Pyrate Brotherhood.   Yup, exactly what that sounds like.  PIRATES.  BUCCANEERS.  They'll be going from boat to boat "plundering" donations for ongoing restorations and maintenance of the Huntington Lighthouse. (The kids are gonna love that!)  If you don't own a boat and can't hitch a ride with a friend, there are a couple of charters taking reservations.  Go to the Musicfest website for that information.

 

This event is being organized by the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society - the same group that saved this historic beacon, built in 1912, from the wrecking ball back in the 1980s. 

They've worked so hard to bring this part of Long Island history back from ruin to the beautiful, proud structure it is today.  The Preservation Society offers tours of the lighthouse.  The annual Musicfest will help raise funds to make sure this light continues to shine guiding mariners through Huntington and Lloyd Harbors as it has for a century and a half.

                                                                                           

Keeping Your Teen Driver Safe

by Lea Tyrrell

There's no doubt that one of the most exciting moments of our teenage years is getting our driver's license.  It means freedom, independence, and really feeling like an adult for the first time.

But, sadly, that thrilling milestone also puts teenagers in the most life-threatening position of their lives.  According to the National Safety Council, driving or riding in a motor vehicle is the most dangerous activity a teen can do - with car crashes accounting for 36% of all deaths between the ages of 16 and 24.

Why?  Mostly inexperience.  They're most at risk in the first 12 to 24 months of driving.  And the two most dangerous conditions, because they are so inexperienced, is driving with passengers, and driving at night.  Unfortunately, we have seen those two conditions, both alone and together, take young Long Island lives.

AAA New York says there's even more that can distract teen drivers.  Here are their 10 Deadly Teen Driver Mistakes.

SPEED * PEER PRESSURE * OVERCONFIDENCE      

DUI * RISK TAKING * CELL PHONES

LATE NIGHT CRUISING * ROWDY RIDERS

CD PLAYER * UN-BUCKLED

The statistics are so grim that a number of organizations are offering programs aimed at making teenage drivers safer drivers.  The most important component of every one of them is parental involvement.   Parents need to know what situations put their young driver most at risk, everything from what time of day they're driving to what type of car they're driving. 

Sit down and talk to your kids about the dangers of driving the same way you sit down and talk to them about anything else that can harm them.  There are a lot of sources out there that can help you do that.  The National Safety Council puts out A Family Guide to Teen Driver Safety.  It also developed the Alive at 25 Parent Program, a 3-hour course for parents that gives them a clear understanding of the risks their young drivers face and how to help them make the right decisions to become safe and responsible drivers.  AAA New York offers the Start Smart program. 

And some new driving programs are popping up that go way beyond Driver's Ed.  They're designed to give teens a "hands-on" driving experience in real world situations.  In a one-day course, trained instructors teach your kids in the very same car they'll drive everyday.  This way they get to know the vehicle's handling limits and how they can control them.  Check out the website for one program called Street Survival for more information.  To watch a Street Survival session, click here.

Suffolk Police just wrapped up a similar program here on Long Island.  They've offered it for the past three years.  They call it a "Crash Course in Crash Avoidance."  Last year about 140 kids participated in the program.

Here's some great advice from the National Safety Council:

No one regulation or procedure, Driver Education program, state law, or extended supervised practice can, by itself, make your teen a safer driver.  There's no silver bullet.  Only a combination of practice, gradual exposure to higher risk situations, and ongoing parental involvement, can reduce a teen's chance of crashing.

Cell Phone Caution

By Lea Tyrrell

It was a memo meant for his faculty and staff, but his warning made national headlines.  And made its way around the world, too.

Dr. Ronald Herberman, the Director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, sent out a memo to his faculty and staff members urging them to rethink their cell phone use because it could be affecting their health.  You can read what he said by clicking here.

He based his warning on what he says is a "growing body of literature" linking long-term cell use to adverse health effects, including cancer.  Although most experts say there is no comprehensive study that definitely links cell phone use to brain cancer, Dr. Herberman says he's basing his warning on early, unpublished data. 

Dr. Herberman, along with a group of international health experts, outlines the case for precaution in a separate paper.  That was not widely reported on by many news outlets but you can see it here.  Included in that paper is a very interesting graphic illustrating the estimated penetration into the brain of electromagnetic radiation from a cell phone based on age.   In a child of 5, that radiation appears to penetrate almost all the way through the brain.

Many people are not worried that cell phone use is doing them any harm, but if you are concerned about yourself or your children, there are ten precautions that Dr. Herberman and the international experts are suggesting to reduce your exposure.

1. Do not allow children to use a cell phone except for emergencies. The developing organs of a fetus or child are the most likely to be sensitive to any possible effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields.

2. While communicating using your cell phone, try to keep the cell phone away from the body as much as possible. The amplitude of the electromagnetic field is one fourth the strength at a distance of two inches and fifty times lower at three feet.

Whenever possible, use the speaker-phone mode or a wireless Bluetooth headset, which has less than 1/100th of the electromagnetic emission of a normal cell phone. Use of a hands-free ear piece attachment may also reduce exposures.

3. Avoid using your cell phone in places, like a bus, where you can passively expose others to your phone’s electromagnetic fields.

4.   Avoid carrying your cell phone on your body at all times. Do not keep it near your body at night such as under the pillow or on a bedside table, particularly if pregnant. You can also put it on "flight" or "off-line" mode, which stops electromagnetic emissions.

5.  If you must carry your cell phone on you, make sure that the keypad is positioned toward your  body and the back is positioned toward the outside so that the transmitted electromagnetic fields move away from your rather than through you.

6. Only use your cell phone to establish contact or for conversations lasting a few minutes as the biological effects are directly related to the duration of exposure. For longer conversations, use a land line with a corded phone, not a cordless phone, which uses electromagnetic emitting technology similar to that of cell phones.

7. Switch sides regularly while communicating on your cell phone to spread out your exposure. Before putting your cell phone to the ear, wait until your correspondent has picked up. This limits the power of the electromagnetic field emitted near your ear and the duration of your exposure.

8. Avoid using your cell phone when the signal is weak or when moving at high speed, such as in a car or train, as this automatically increases power to a maximum as the phone repeatedly attempts to connect to a new relay antenna.

9. When possible, communicate via text messaging rather than making a call, limiting the duration of exposure and the proximity to the body.

10. Choose a device with the lowest SAR possible (SAR = Specific Absorption Rate, which is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field absorbed by the body). SAR ratings of contemporary phones by different manufacturers are available by searching for "sar ratings cell phones" on the internet.

Dr. Herberman and his colleagues call the cell phone a remarkable invention and none of them is calling for a ban on cell phone use.  But what they do call for is an adaptation of the technology so that it never becomes a cause of major illness.  And to illustrate their case they point to tobacco and asbestos - popularly used and once thought harmless.  We now know very differently.

Drug Warning

By Lea Tyrrell

Like many people, I've taken both the antibiotics Cipro and Levaquin when I've been prescribed them over the years.  So it was a little unsettling to hear the federal government had decided to impose its strongest safety warning on this class of medications - the "black box" warning.  Cipro is one of the drugs stockpiled by the federal government in case of a bio-terrorist attack, and is effective against anthrax.  The Food and Drug Administration says there is evidence that these potent antibacterials, known as fluoroquinolones, may lead to tendon ruptures.

Scientists say this link of what's commonly thought of as a sports injury to the use of an antibiotic is highly unusual, and they admit they don't fully understand why it happens.  The FDA says the types of tendon ruptures reported suggest that fluoroquinolones may be toxic to some people.

Typically, most people felt some pain or inflammation for a week or two before they were injured, but some of the ruptures came without warning.  Something just "snapped" or "popped" soon after the patient started treatment with one of the drugs.  The most common rupture involved the Achilles tendon, but people also snapped tendons in the rotator cuff, hand, bicep, and the thumb. 

FDA officials say most of the serious injuries appear to be preventable if, at the first sign of pain or inflammation you stop taking the drug, and your doctor switches you to another antibiotic.  The agency says the prescribing literature for this class of drugs already carries clear warnings about the risk of tendon rupture, but I don't remember any doctor mentioning that to me when they prescribed them.  So if you'd like to find out more information about this, and see what other medications are on the list, go to the Food and Drug Administration's website.

Red Light Cameras

By Lea Tyrrell

One of these could soon be coming to a neighborhood near you.  It's a red light camera.  Both Nassau and Suffolk counties have created legislation asking the state legislature to approve their installation at dozens of intersections across the Island.  They take a picture of your license plate as you're driving through a red light and you get a ticket in the mail.  As of this writing, the counties were still waiting for approval.  But since the cameras are already in use in parts of New York City and Queens, those who support the use of red light cameras believe state lawmakers will give the okay. 

There's a big debate, though, on whether their primary intention is to make the streets safer or to raise money for local government coffers.  Red light cameras do generate revenue.  And the National Motorists Association contends installing the cameras is all about the money.   But recently, Dallas officials decided to shut their cameras down because they were working too well.  The cameras resulted in fewer violations and weren't generating enough money to pay for themselves.

The other discussion centers on whether the cameras really make things safer.  Red light cameras have been in use in many parts of the country for years now, and several studies have been done.  Some of the research shows that while red light cameras decrease the incidence of t-bone accidents, those accidents where one vehicle slams into the side of another vehicle, at the same time the cameras increase the number of rear-end accidents.  It seems rather than risk a ticket, some drivers slam on their brakes when they see the light turn yellow giving the driver behind them little time to react.

Once the cameras are installed, you'll know exactly where they are.  Nassau officials tell me there will be no attempt to hide them.  Signs will be put up at the intersections where they're in operation.

If you'd like to see how these cameras know when to take a picture of a violator, log on to HowStuffWorks.  And www.photoenforced.com will show you a map of where red light cameras are installed all over the country.

As for Long Island, stay tuned to News 12 Long Island to find out if and when the counties get the go-ahead from the state.  Plus we'll be sure to let you know where the cameras are!  And while you're driving this 4th of July weekend, stay alert, stay safe, and please don't drink and drive.

Bugged by Bird Mites

By Lea Tyrrell

Before today I don't think I'd ever heard of bird mites.  They're certainly something I'd never think humans would have to worry about, but that is certainly not the case, as we learned today. 

As News 12 Long Island reported, a Levittown woman had to be quarantined at Nassau University Medical Center after she became infested with the blood-sucking parasites.  They came from a bird nest in a bathroom vent of her house.

It sounded so unusual, but apparently it's not.  My research on the subject turned up a website dedicated to the problem - www.birdmites.org.  It has tons on information on what the mites are, how they affect humans, and how to get rid of them.  And getting rid of them is not easy and can be expensive.  But what's also interesting is how anyone can become infested.  You don't need to be in close proximity to a bird nest.  That's one of the biggest risks.  But if you're a fan of second-hand furniture or clothing, you can bring them into your home when you bring in furniture, rugs or clothing that has been infested.  They're so small, most of the time you can't see bird mites without magnification.  Your pets can become infested as well.

The intense itching and skin irritation the mites cause can be torture.  As one person writes on the website, "It is the worst torment a person can endure."  Another victim writes, "I would not wish this hell on my worst enemy."  Some people who have unidentifiable rashes and itching have bird mites and don't know it.

So if this story has peaked your interest about this "little-known but widespread condition," as one research paper calls it, take a look at www.birdmites.org.  It can link you to some other sites on the subject as well.

Born to Succeed??

By Lea Tyrrell

I was scanning the internet recently for stories that were making headlines, and one caught my eye.  It was a study on first-born children.  I'm a first-born, and I've always found it interesting to read about the characteristics of people attributed to birth order.  I think it's also my way of checking up to see if I'm living up to expectations!!

The study, conducted in Amsterdam, concluded that first-borns are likely to have the highest IQ.  But there's more to it than just biological birth.  If an older sibling died, the next child who is now reared as the oldest will have an IQ 2 or 3 points higher than their younger siblings.  The researchers found that second borns had higher IQ's than their younger siblings, and so on.

And while other research has indicated that we first-borns also tend to be more academically successful (okay, I was obsessed about graduating college with a 4.0 GPA) and win Nobel Prizes (oh boy, do I have a lot of catching up to do), we're apparently not big risk takers.  That same research finds that we tend not to be radical in our thinking, or pioneering.  Big risk-taking appears to be the role of the youngest in the family.  They're all about having fun, according to researchers.

Why are we a little more brainy?  It seems that while we were a learning experiment for our parents, they spent most of their time lavishing us with extra attention and stimulation.  Then once those other siblings came along, those who were there first often take up the role of surrogate parent for their brothers and/or sisters, which leads them to mature more quickly.

The downside for first borns??  Well, we tend to face more discipline from Mom and Dad, and get harsher punishments.  So if you always felt that your younger siblings seemed to "get away with murder" while you were growing up, you're probably right.  It seems parents are so exhausted by the time those younger kids come along, they ease up a lot.

Those behind this research found that some children can buck the "birth order system," but the order in which we're born plays a big role in the people we become and the careers we choose.  Interesting.

Have you seen any of this in your own family??