A Bird’s Eye View: August 21, 2009

When Nature Evokes Art

There are moments in birding when the landscape or the birds evoke images of art. During one such moment, long blank seconds passed followed by a moment of clarity when, in my mind’s eye, a photograph replaced nature. Another such moment involving a painting evolved like a mystery. A third one is still evolving.

Over 60...and Getting Younger: August 21, 2009

The Goodbye Party

Rumor has come to me that the goodbye party is a thing of the past. Is it the falling of the economy that caused this ugly phenomenon? Was it that people in offices all over the USA were getting tired of picking out a gift and a restaurant every other week?

Were people in effect saying, “I’ve got my own ‘tsouris’ (troubles)? Goodbye and a firm handshake are quite sufficient for the departing person.”

From the Desk of Senator Carl Marcellino: August 14, 2009

Drivers Licenses and Registrations to Increase 25 Percent on September 1

If you drive a car, you will pay more to get or renew your license and register the vehicle. If you own a boat, an ATV or other vehicle, it will cost you more not only to register them, but to transport them as well, as fees on trailers will go up.

The motor vehicle fee hikes will hit Long Islanders the hardest because cars are not a luxury, they are an everyday necessity. People depend on them to get to work, go to school, shop and get around their communities. I voted against every one of these tax and fee increases. New Yorkers clearly have had enough.”

Over 60...and Getting Younger: August 14, 2009

The Old Days

I saw two films in the last week that somehow brought me back to the old, pre-computer, pre-iPod, pre-blogging and much simpler times.

The first film was Yoo Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg. The Goldbergs was first a radio show and then a television show that took America into the Bronx with a family called the Goldbergs. The brilliant Gertrude Berg leaned out her Bronx apartment window and solved the nation’s insecurities. Raising her two children Rosalie and Sammy, she influenced women all over America in proper child-rearing. Her easy manner while uttering Jewish malapropisms was laugh-provoking with a definite point to be understood. She also sold Sanka coffee as she did her believable ads while at the window.

From the Desk of Senator Kemp Hannon: August 7, 2009

Hannon Sponsors Vital Legislation Developed to Address NY Hospital-Acquired Infections

According to a recent report released by New York State Department of Health officials, New York hospitals have lower rates of surgical-site infections than the rest of the nation but the same or higher rates of central line-associated bloodstream infections in intensive care units than those reported nationally. This second annual Hospital-Acquired Infections Report was precipitated by legislation authored by Senator Kemp Hannon of Garden City, then chairman of the New York State Standing Committee on Health.

Over 60...and Getting Younger: August 7, 2009

Remembered Meals

As I grow older, I am occasionally snapped back by my youthful memories. As a boy growing up in the East Bronx, my experiences were limited. My apartment house, my block, my school and my friends were probably my total world. Today, I can look back and try to remember certain highlights that led to my present life.

Find It @ the Jericho Library

A new Low Vision Room just opened at the Jericho Library. Thanks to a grant from the Foundation for Sight and Sound, the library received a CCTV device and ZoomText software which provides assistive technology for those with visual impairments. The new software enhances the magnification of a computer and the CCTV enlarges the printed word. The visually handicapped will find a visit to the library a more fulfilling experience as a result of this new technology.

Mitch Shapiro, founder of the Foundation for Sight and Sound, began funding this equipment for libraries in 2005. To date, 18 libraries have benefited from his generosity. The Jericho community extends a hearty thanks to Mr. Shapiro and the Foundation.

Over 60...and Getting Younger: July 31, 2009

Returns

I have always been annoyed and uncomfortable when a fellow diner makes a “fuss” at a restaurant. I sink a bit lower in my chair and wait for the incident to be settled and finally be resolved.

Usually I am not the aggrieved party and I am only an impatient observer. Last weekend I was the culprit. Let me present my case.

Letter: Writing in Protest

(Editor’s Note: The following letter was sent to the Chargé d’Affaires of the Republic of Sudan and is being printed here at the author’s request.)

I write to protest the atavistic treatment meted out to the 13 young women arrested at a Khartoum café for wearing trousers, 10 of whom were publicly flogged and fined.

Over 60...and Getting Younger: July 24, 2009

A Summer Weekend

Who says you have to leave Long Island to have a great time in the summer? We have everything right here!

On Friday night we had reservations at Peppercorns Restaurant on East Marie Street in Hicksville with Paul and Jerilye Streich. The four of us were placed at a corner table, and it was cozy and easy to have a conversation. The service was gracious and the food was delicious.