Letter: Fix the Traffic Jam at Kilian & Hicksville Road

Heading east from the post office or the bank on Kilian Road, it is practically impossible to make a left turn onto Hicksville Road to Sunrise Highway. The traffic on Hicksville Road waiting for the traffic light to turn green can number more than 20 vehicles most of the time. Many times on Kilian Road there’s more than 10 cars waiting to make a left turn onto Hicksville Road and by the time the Hicksville Road traffic goes, the light is missed and traffic is crossing Sunrise Highway heading south and cars are still stuck. In my opinion there’s only one way to fix the problem. That is to make it a “no left turn” onto Hicksville Road any time. I have talked to many people and to elected officials about the problem and everyone seems to agree, “no left turn” would solve the problem. Make a right turn, go to the light, make a left at the Triangle Park to Sunrise Highway.

Letter: ‘Appalled’ by Rate Increase

As a state senator representing many communities in the Aqua service area, and as an Aqua customer myself, I am appalled that the state Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved a double-digit Aqua rate increase which will result in higher water bills for Aqua customers.

Letter: NuHealth Website Offers Access to Haitian Relief Efforts

As the island nation of Haiti struggles to recover from the unimaginable destruction resulting from the recent earthquake, our thoughts and prayers are with not only the victims, but with our many employees and patients of Haitian descent.

Letter: State of the State From the Governor

(This is a letter from NYS Governor David A. Paterson to all residents of the State.)

This is a winter of reckoning. And I write to you today not only about the state of our State, but also the state of our self-government – a fragile instrument of popular will that is breaking under the will to be popular.

All too often in Albany it is easier to deny reality and demand what we cannot afford than to accept that years of living on the margins of our means would one day have to end. Cultures of addiction to spending, power or approval have doomed empires, and now they threaten the Empire State.

But I do not write you today to replay old grievances or reclaim lost ground. We are here to rebuild. Rebuild our State’s economy into a national model of ingenuity and strength. Rebuild our people’s confidence in the stability of our State. Rebuild our manufacturing base to meet the energy standards of this enlightened age. And most importantly, rebuild the trust that the people of New York once had in their government.

Letter: A Thank You To Residents

I want to thank you for the honor of representing the place where I grew up and have lived my entire life. I went into public service because I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives and to fight for those who couldn’t fight for themselves. Whether in public service or as a private citizen I will continue to work to make the place that I call home a better place to live.

Over the years, I have worked with civic activists, PTAs, fire chiefs, village officials, school boards and school administrators. I thank them for their service as they work to improve the quality of life in our community without regard to politics or partisanship. I drive through the place that I call home and see how it has improved. Whether it was a blighted area turned into a beautiful pocket park, new playgrounds for our schools, downtown revitalization, or knowing that local fire departments have the critical life-saving tools they need, working with them proved that it truly does take “teamwork to make the dream work.”

Once again, thank you for the honor of representing you for the past six years. I will see you around town. Happy New Year!

 

 

What Every Long Islander Should Know: January 8, 2010

Getting Back Our Mojo

Back in the day, Long Island was a land of movers and shakers.

People came here with vision and purpose. They saw opportunity, and seized it.

Letter: How Can Town Officials Give Themselves Raises in This Economy?

It must be really nice to give yourself a raise (“Town of Oyster Bay Board Votes to Increase Salaries,” The Massapequan Observer, Dec. 25, 2009).

Letter: Aquifer System Still Being Replenished

The story “Underfoot and Underappreciated - Water, Slipping Through Our Fingers,” that appeared in the Dec. 4 issue of the Massapequan Observer perpetuates the misunderstanding that the Long Island aquifer system is being overpumped and overused. This is simply not true. There is sufficient data that has been established over the last 75 years that supports the fact that although the aquifer system has undergone periods of reduced elevations, it has continued to be replenished.

Parenting Plus: January 1, 2010

Building Communities of Care

What do the following have in common? Asthma, Cancer, Crohn’s Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Degenerative Disc Disease, End Stage Renal Disease, Hepatitis C, Hypoglycemia, Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Leg-Calvé-Perthes, Marfan Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Migraines, Polycystic Kidney Disease, Scoliosis and Supraventricular Tachycardia.

Letter: A Message From MADD

“Tis the Season” has an entirely different meaning for victims/survivors of drunk-driving crashes.