Happy St. Patrick's Day

photo courtesy of Alida Thorpe

St. Patrick's Day on Long Island, 2010

Here are some ideas to help you celebrate St. Patrick's Day with parades and other activities. Be sure to check their websites and confirm the information in case there is a change in plans.

Saturday, March 13

Bay Shore Patrick’s Day Parade. St. Patrick's Church, 9 North Clinton Avenue, Bay Shore. Mass begins at 12 noon. The parade starts at 2 pm on Saxon Avenue and travels west onto Main Street to St. Patrick's Church. For more information: http://www.stpatricksparadebsbw.com/

Saturday, March 13 and Sunday, March 14

The Long Island Children's Museum presents Pinch Pot O'Gold at 3 p.m. on Saturday. This program for ages 5 and up will feature some of the famous myths and legends of Ireland, including those of leprechauns. Children then crafts their own pinch pots to fill with treasures of their own. Fee: $3 with museum admission ($2 for LICM members.) Celtic Fun with Darlene Graham at 1:30 p.m. each day. At the LICM Theater, this performance explores traditional Irish music. The audience is welcome to join in and sing. For ages 3 years and up. Fee: $4 with museum admission ($3 for LICM members), $8 for theater only.

Sunday, March 14

Long Island’s oldest and largest parade, the 76th Annual Huntington St. Patrick’s Day Parade starts at 2 p.m., north of the Huntington Station along New York Avenue, then turns west onto Main Street, and ends at Saint Patrick’s Church.

Sunday, March 14

Come to the Ward Melville Heritage Organization Educational & Cultural Center in Stony Brook for a St. Patrick's Day Celebration. Click here for more info: http://www.wmho.org/WMHOEventCalendar.asp

Sunday, March 14

The 19th Annual Bayport-Blue Point St. Patrick’s Day Parade,, starting 11:30 a.m. from Snedecor Ave to Blue Point Avenue along Montauk Highway, usually entertains 25,000 onlookers.

Sunday, March 14

The 60th Annual Miller Place-Rocky Point Parade kicks off at 1 p.m. More info here: http://friendsofsaintpatrick.com/index.html

Saturday, March 20

At 12 noon, Rockville Centre presents its 14th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Click here for more information: http://www.rvcstpatrick.com/

Sunday, March 21

Montauk: Starting at 12:30 p.m., Montauk will host its 48th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, starting at Edgemere Road. Go here for more information: http://www.montaukfriendsoferin.com/parade.htm

Sunday, March 21

Glen Cove presents its Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade starting at 1 p.m. Go to: http://www.glencoveirish.org/category/parade-news/

Sunday, March 29-Patchogue: The Patchogue St. Patrick’s Day Parade kicks off at 2 p.m., starting at Main Street.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from LongIsland.com!

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Mardi Gras 2010

photo courtesy of Alida Thorpe

Mardi Gras this year is Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Do you have plans?

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Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is here!

Are you planning a special day?

Long Island has an excellent selection of wonderful restaurants.

Make plans now to show your "special" valentine that you care!

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Win FREE tickets to Oleanna, the Broadway Play!

Come to Cutchogue for the Photography Exhibit!

See the information below.

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Award Winning Photography Show

Award Winning Photography Group Announces Upcoming Show.

Nature and Wildlife Photographers of Long Island (NWPLI)

is proud to announce their annual Autumn Exhibition of Nature Photography.

The Exhibit will once again take place at the Castello di Borghese Winery in Cutchogue, New York and will showcase the group’s work which presents nature, wildlife, and landscape photography at its best.

NWPLI and its membership have been awarded numerous honors for their work.

Exhibition photography will encompass a diverse variety of natural subjects that have been captured with digital and film based mediums, many from Long Island's own natural surroundings. Select images from the exhibition will be also available for purchase.

The exhibition will open Sunday, November 15 and will run through Saturday, December 12, 2009.

The exhibit is open to the public, free of charge, during the winery’s regular business hours.

An opening reception will be held on Saturday, November 21 from 12-3 PM. Many club members will be in attendance. Light refreshments will be served.

Castello di Borghese is located at:

Route 48 (Sound Ave) and Alvah’s Lane

Cutchogue New York 11935

Tel. (631) 734-5111

Directions are available online at: http://www.castellodiborghese.com/directions.html

For additional information, please contact Terry Buonomo at nwplisec@optonline.net or at (631) 877-1036.

About NWPLI

NWPLI is Long Island based photography organization whose members have combined a love for nature with a passion for photography. This award winning team is comprised of approximately 65 members, many whom have also received individual recognition. The main focus of the group is capturing the essence of nature while not disturbing the elements. Their team approach promotes the exchange of ideas and knowledge, fostering the growth of each team member’s photographic skill. While photography from exotic locales is always welcome, the group’s main subject matter is the diverse natural beauty of Long Island.

Learn more at: http://www.nwpli.com

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Fishing on Long Island

photo courtesy of Alida Thorpe

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There are many opportunities for fishing on Long Island. The photo above was taken at Davis Park on Fire Island at sunrise.

These fishermen/women were fishing for bluefish and striped bass. There are many places on Fire Island where you can surf cast.

Follow the links on the sidebar right for fishing information.

Take advantage of all that Long Island has to offer!

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Great South Bay Baymen

After Labor Day the Great South Bay is reclaimed by the baymen.

No more vacationing boaters to create turbulence around them, the clam boats and eel catchers can work undisturbed.

~~~

Photo © and courtesy of Alida Thorpe

LONG ISLAND ARTIFACT MUSEUM

LONG ISLAND ARTIFACT MUSEUM OPENS AT JFK HIGH SCHOOL

IN PLAINVIEW-OLD BETHPAGE

Museum made possible with a grant from the Long Island Index

Plainview, NY (June 23, 2009) -The new Long Island Artifacts Museum at Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School opened on May 27. The museum, created by Nick Ventimiglia of Merrick and a social studies teacher at the school, was made possible by a grant from the Long Island Index for the development of a program that engages Long Island students in learning more about the region. The museum will be utilized by students in the Plainview-Old Bethpage district and will be available, by appointment, to school groups from other districts.

Mr. Ventimiglia was inspired to create the museum after taking classes from local historian Beverly Tyler and believes that the museum’s exhibits will be an excellent supplement to the new course he has created called, “Long Island’s History through its Economics”, and a great project for JFK’s students.

The first exhibit entitled “Tools of the Trade” spans over 300 years of Long Island history, and includes farming implements, medical instruments, fishing and manufacturing tools used on Long Island. The oldest artifact in the museum is a tobacco shearer from the 1700’s. Other objects are from Native American cultures, the Industrial Revolution and the Great Depression. Most of the items on display are on loan from a private collector and will be rotated each semester.

The students studied the history of farming and industry on Long Island in order to learn more about the donated relics. As part of the project they used their research to create the placards that describe each of the articles and researched patent information to date several items.

Rochelle Morgan, an art teacher at the school, worked with her students to create the montage of Long Island scenes that wrap around the exhibit. The school’s marketing club, DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) will be taking over the business of running the museum next year including running tours, creating a web site and outreach programs, raising funds and developing new programs as the exhibits are rotated.

“We are trying to make it an interactive learning experience for kids outside of the classroom” said Mr. Ventimiglia. “Our goal is to make this fun every year. We’re going to come back in September with a whole new set of artifacts.” The next exhibit will be called “Long Island Leisure: Games, Toys, Recreation and Sports of the last 200 years.”

Gerard Dempsey, Superintendant of Schools, commentated that “the development and launch of the museum was a unique and remarkable achievement. It involved several departments, numerous students and a variety of disciplines all working together to accomplish a common goal. I am very proud of everyone who participated. Every student will benefit from this extraordinary learning experience.”

From fourth graders who are learning about local history, to seventh graders learning about New York State history, Mr. Ventimiglia says that he “is confident that the museum will benefit all 5400 students in the Plainview-Old Bethpage school district, because the museum brings history to life”.

~~~

"Breakfast at Belmont"

Photo courtesy of Alida Thorpe

The morning exercise at the Belmont Park Racetrack.

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Belmont Park has "Breakfast at Belmont" on weekend mornings.

It's free!! 

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the world of thoroughbred racing, including guided tram tours of Belmont’s remarkable stable area, trackside commentary of live morning workouts, daily starting gate demonstrations, and much more!

Breakfast at Belmont Park is open to the public on weekends and holidays during the Belmont Spring/Summer Meet 

(May 2 – July 26)

Admission and activities to Breakfast at Belmont Park are free, and an optional breakfast can be purchased.

Check out the info here: Click Here!

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New Online Defensive Driving Course Available

Once again I find myself having to apologize to all you big insurance fans out there for not posting more often on what I'm sure is your absolute favorite subject. 

Most of my posts have been about keeping everybody informed about the coastal/waterfront homeowners insurance problems. The problems are still there but there has not been enough change to require me writing about it.

What HAS happened in the car insurance area is that New York State recently approved an online version of the Defensive Driving Course that gets you 10% off your car insurance and up to 4 points off your Motor Vehicle record. Find out more by clicking here.

Jones Beach Air Show, May 23 & 24, 2009

photo courtesy of Alida Thorpe

The Bethpage Federal Credit Union NY Air Show at Jones Beach

Memorial Day Weekend: May 23 & 24, 2009  10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Don't miss this amazing show.

There will be many events and performers: the USAF Thunderbirds, the US Army Golden Knights, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, the Super Hornets and 

so much more!

Don't miss it!

If you are going, arrive early!

Also, dress for the beach but bring warmer clothing for cool breezes and a change in weather. 

Don't forget your sunglasses and sun screen!

Bring a towels and beach chairs and be prepared to be dazzled!

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Laughing Gull, Summer

Laughing Gull, Summer

photo courtesy of Alida Thorpe

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A sign of the Long Island summer 

is the abundance of gulls in their summer plumage!

~~~

WLIW21 NEEDS HUNTINGTON MEMORIES

WLIW21 NEEDS HUNTINGTON MEMORIES

FOR A NEW DOCUMENTARY

Share Your Stories, Photos & Home Movies

In the tradition of WLIW21’s award-winning New York The Way it

Was series, the New York public television station is getting 

ready to explore the story of one of Long Island’s most

interesting communities – Huntington.

Following the tremendous success of New York War Stories, which featured viewer- contributed videos and letters, 

WLIW21’s production team turns to viewers like you once again for stories, photos and home

movies of family celebrations, sporting events, carnivals,

parades and other Huntington activities.

If you lived in

Huntington Village, Cold Spring Harbor, Huntington Station,

Northport, Greenlawn, Dix Hills and Lloyd Neck

between 1950 and 1990,

please share your memories of the places and people that

will always remind you of your hometown, Huntington.

WLIW21’s

cameras can capture Huntington today, but need your help to

tell the story of yesterday.

Visit wliw.org for details.

Send your photos or movies (any format) to:

Stephanie Marsh

WLIW21

P.O. Box 21

Plainview, NY 11803

Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you want

your submission returned.

All photo submissions will also be considered for the film’s

DVD cover.

Email your stories of life in Huntington as you knew it to

Hometown@wliw.org.

Call 516.367.2100 x8461 with any questions.

Submissions will be accepted through June.

~~~~

contributed by Alida Thorpe

Photo courtesy of Alida Thorpe

Brookhaven Wildlife & Ecology Center

This peacock, showing his full colors, is at the ecology center in Holtsville.

It is a great place to take young children!

 Goats, chickens, an eagle, bears and more, are there for you to see.

Where is it? Buckley Road Holtsville, N.Y. 11742  Hours of Operation: Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Spring is here!

Photo courtesy of Alida Thorpe

Spring has arrived on Long Island!

The crocus are popping through the garden soil

and tulips and daffodils are getting ready to show their blooms!

Also, we've spotted some Robins and Red-winged Blackbirds!

Hurray for spring!

HAPPY ST. Patrick's Day

photo courtesy of Alida Thorpe

A Snowy Long Island

photo courtesy of Alida Thorpe

Long Island Winter

HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2009!

photos courtesy of Alida Thorpe

© Alida Thorpe

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Happy New Year, 2009!

~~~

The photo above was taken just after sunrise, January 1, 2009 

New Years Day

Browns Creek near Sayville, Long Island

Click on the photo to see a larger size!

We wish you and your family good health and happiness in the New Year!

~~~

Long Island Duck, Flanders

Flanders Duck in its present location

~~~

Photo courtesy of Alida Thorpe

© Alida Thorpe

In 1931, duck farmer Martin Maurer built this 20-ft. high, 30-ft. long, concrete-over-wooden frame "duck" to use it as a Riverhead (Flanders) shop. 

Maurer sold ducks and duck eggs from this location. 

When the land was sold for development, the Giant Duck preservationists and the Friends for Long Island's Heritage petitioned to save the structure which had become a Long Island attraction. 

The owners donated the Big Duck to Suffolk County in 1987.

 In 1988 it moved from Flanders to Hampton Bays along Route 24 at the entrance of Sears-Bellow County Park. 

It has now moved back to Flanders and rests near the original duck farm, on Flanders Road.

The shop still operates -- now as a tourism center for the East end of Long Island, selling souvenirs to tourists and New York City weekend visitors.

Each year, on the first Wednesday in December, the Suffolk County Parks Department sponsors the Annual Holiday Lighting of the Big Duck. 

This year, it will happen on December 3rd. 

Visitors join in singing carols and once Santa arrives, transported by the Flanders Fire Department, the switch is activated and the Big Duck lights up for all to see.

~~~

Internet Safety for Parents: Do You Know What Your Child is Doing Online?

By Jason Reis

Most school age children in today’s society have full access to the internet. While it is true that the internet possesses an infinite amount of information which can help with schoolwork, it also opens up a whole new social world and brings together people from all over the world that may be preying on children.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 1 in 5 children state they have received unwanted sexual advances while online.

And, a 2006 study by the Zandi Group of teenage students reported the following disturbing statistics:

54% of students surveyed said they frequently have private conversations with online strangers
42% of teens said they have posted personal information online
30% of teens reported that they have talked with a cyber stranger about
meeting in person
16% of pre-teens and teens discovered that someone online was an adult
pretending to be much younger.

In the same study;

33% of pre-teens and teens say that their parents know little or nothing about what they do online,
22% say their parents have never discussed Internet safety with them
42% of parents don't monitor what their children read or type in chat rooms.
95% of parents have stated they don't understand the shorthand lingo kids' use in chatrooms such as "A/S/L" which means age/sex/location, or "P911" which means parent over shoulder.

Parents need to know what their children are doing on the internet at all times. The internet is a world that is the total opposite of the offline “real world.” For instance, we teach our children never to talk to strangers or give out personal information. We even define a stranger as anyone the child has not met and does not know. Yet in cyberspace, with the popularity of sites like Facebook or MySpace, kids are talking to strangers and even exchanging personal information on a daily basis.

Even internet games have become a source for predators to contact children, as well as a place where children get harassed and bullied. X-Box, PlayStation and even many computer games now include features that allow children to talk to each other real time (using a microphone).

Many parents are still intimidated by computers because they simply don't understand them, yet kids seem to grasp technology much faster. However parents need to educate themselves and learn the lingo. It's only after they learn the language and put aside their technology fears that they can truly understand the threat and protect their child from it.

Here are important tips to keep your children safe online:

1. Create your own home computer rules that each child should read, understand and sign. Keep a copy posted near the computer.

2. Keep the home computer in a common space that can easily be seen by parent(s) as they do house choirs, not in a child’s room.

3. Look into purchasing filtering programs such as “spyware”, “adware” and anti-virus, and parental block software to safeguard web surfing.

4. If your child uses chat or e-mail, talk to them about never meeting in- person with anyone they first "met" online.

5. Talk to your child about who they are emailing and chatting with online.

6. Visit the websites your child visits on a regular basis. If your child has a MySpace or Facebook account, log in and become familiar with the site and review what your child has posted.

7. Type your child's full name, username and any alias you know your child uses into a search engine. Children often post on message boards and social networking sites. This is a good way to discover what your child is posting online.

8. Monitor where your child goes online. For example, all computers have a history folder and temp files folder which enable you to see what websites have been visited, as well as any files that have been downloaded.

9. Teach your child the golden rule of cyberspace: Never do anything online that they would not do offline.

10. Get involved with your child and stay in the loop of what he/she is doing online, while still allowing some level of personal space.

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Jason Reis is the owner of Session Media, a website development and branding solutions firm based out of Selden, NY. Session Media strives to provide the service and solutions that satisfy their existing customer needs—as well as to meet the needs of new customers. With access to some of the best resources for product development and branding services, Jason welcomes the opportunity to provide advice and solutions on a myriad of IT topics, including safety and security. For information, check out his website at www.sessionmedia.net and drop him an email.

NY Auto and Home Insurance in the Financial Crisis

By Aaron J. Stein

Greetings, all. Like most small businesspeople these days I have been very busy trying to make sure I do those things necessary to keep our office busy and profitable in tough economic times. So I thought this would be a good time to talk about how the financial crisis is affecting the insurance companies.

We have all been reading about the failure of many Wall Street firms and banks. Some even have divisions in the insurance business such as AIG whose a widely publicized problems have many people worried because of their insurance policies with various parts of that group. However while banks and brokerage firms were de-regulated a number of years ago which is part of the reason for the current mess, the same is not true of the insurance business.

Insurance is one of the most heavily regulated businesses and New York in particular is considered the model for other states and around the world in keeping New York insurance companies solvent and able to pay their claims. Even in AIG, it is the parent holding company not the insurance units that are having problems.

As long as you were insured with a New York licensed insurance company you would have nothing to worry about in terms of whether claim would be paid up to $1 million, which is a guarantee that is part of the New York State insurance guaranty fund. And if you are one of those people on Long Island who have coastal or waterfront property and have been forced to get your insurance with an unlicensed carrier such as Lloyds of London or any number of other carriers out there, you are probably even safer because these companies have been managed for the long-term as opposed to the short-term money making goals of some of the big American financial companies which is what caused them to get in trouble.

One of my biggest fears about the insurance industry is that up until recently, there was a lot of talk about deregulation for insurance. What we have seen in this financial crisis is that deregulation leads to sacrifice of long-term viability in favor of short-term profits. That might be fine if you are talking about selling TV sets, but insurance simply must be based on a longer-term perspective including reserves for catastrophes that might only happen every 50 years. If we allowed the same sort of short-term thinking that led the large brokerage houses to package up toxic loans and sell them to people and then run with their commissions, we could easily cause a similar disaster in the insurance business by allowing people to suck out this money instead of putting part of it away for long term catastrophe management.

What we are seeing is a huge drop in value of all stocks in the financial sector based on the problems of the banks and brokerage houses. There really is not much reason for this in the insurance industry but there are probably some great bargains to be had on their stocks right now because they have been trampled with the rest of the sector.

But for the average person just wondering if they would get paid if they needed to put in a claim on their flood insurance or homeowners insurance (or car insurance for that matter) then the answer is that in general there should be nothing to worry about and the vast majority of insurance companies have plenty of money to pay claims. What we will most likely see is some consolidation of companies who do have very strong balance sheets who will be out there looking for other companies they can buy at bargain prices.

NWPLI Exhibition

See the information below:

NWPLI Exhibition Information

Photo: Alida Thorpe

Do you love nature photography? Well, if you do, don’t miss this show!

The NWPLI (Nature and Wildlife Photographers of Long Island) will have its third annual Autumn Exhibition beginning October 18th through November 22, 2008.

It is being held at the Castello di Borghese Winery in Cutchogue.
The exhibit will showcase the group’s best work in nature, wildlife and landscape photography.

NWPLI has been awarded numerous honors for its work, most recently winning the Nature’s Best Photography International Awards (Camera Club Category) sponsored by Nature’s Best Photography Magazine.
Visit the group's website: http://www.nwpli.com

The photography on display will include natural subjects that have been captured with digital and film cameras. Photos are from Long Island's own natural surroundings.
Some selected images will also be available for purchase.

The Show will run from Saturday, October 18 - November 22, 2008

The reception, with refreshments, will be Saturday, October 25 from 1-5 pm 

For directions to Castello di Borghese…Click Here!

For additional information, contact Lou Buonomo at lou@nwpli.com

I hope you have the opportunity to stop by the exhibit on your yearly autumn visit to the wineries and to the pumpkin farms!
It’s nature photography at its best!
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Pumpkins on the North Fork

photo courtesy of Alida Thorpe

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The farmstands on Long Island, especially the North Fork, are abundant with pumpkins this time of year.

Why not head out to the East End and get your autumn displays?

~~~

You can also visit the vineyards and experience the agricultural ambience that is so enjoyable this time of year.  

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Blue Claw Crabs in Season

photo courtesy of Alida Thorpe

It's blue-claw crab season and the bay is abundant with crabs.

Actually, you can catch crabs on Long Island all summer, but it is not until late August into September that they are full size.

An interesting thing has been happening though, and my husband and I don't know why.

Usually, we throw the females back into the water so they will reproduce. This year we have only caught males, no females.

Just an observation, but I wonder why?

~~~

How do you cook crabs?

Do you have a favorite recipe? Do you steam them?

Well, this is how we make them in our family, a recipe handed down from my parents:

When you catch the crabs, immediately kill them with a sharp knife through the body.

(In my opinion, this is much more humane than steaming them alive, but I guess that's debatable!)

Then clean them by pulling off the top shell and cleaning out the insides. (I also know some people eat the insides, but we don't.)

When they are clean, throw them into a fresh pot of tomato sauce. 

That's it! Cook up some pasta and serve.

The crabs and sauce are so sweet this way.

 It is a messy dinner, so be prepared with lots of napkins, a washable tablecloth and don't forget the nut-crackers and picks.

Yummy!

Here is a another hint:

If you only catch a few and/or are not ready to eat them, freeze them after cleaning.

Keep adding cleaned crabs to the freezer in zip-lock bags until you have enough.

Sometimes we catch crabs all week and make the sauce on the weekend.

It's an inexpensive dinner and so delicious!

Long Island Blue-Claws! Mmmmm!

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Quick Update on Long Island Flood Insurance

Summer is the season where everybody on Long Island has much better things to do than think about their insurance (as opposed to the rest of the year, when it's everybody's favorite pastime). But there is one item I wanted to post about since it may affect some of the readers.

FEMA, the government agency that oversees the National Flood Insurance Program, has been in the process of re-mapping Nassau and Suffolk counties, which is done about every 10 years. This is the first one for our area since Katrina so expect some changes.

The new maps take effect next summer. But in the meantime FEMA is hosting two meetings in Nassau County for anyone who might be interested in more information. The meetings will run from 4 to 8 p.m. and will be on September 9 at Valley Stream High School on Fletcher Blvd and September 10 at Long Beach Middle School on Lido Blvd.

According to the Newsday article, 28,000 more buildings will be brought into flood hazard areas next year when the new maps take effect, and of those, the people who have mortgages insured by FNMA and other government backed plans will get a letter advising that they are now required to buy flood insurance where they did not have to before.

In the meantime, people have an opportunity to be 'grandfathered' into the maps and plans that are in effect now. If you buy flood insurance before the change next summer, and your flood zone changes under the new maps to a higher rate, you will still be able to keep the previous zone. So if you think you might be on the border of a flood zone, and may be in a higher rate class next year, you might think of buying coverage now to lock in your current zone.

Summer on Long Island

Photo by Alida Thorpe

Summertime on Long Island is the time for:

beaches

sailing

boating

water skiing

jet skis

barbecues

sunning

outdoor concerts

reading

fishing...

the list is endless!

Check out the sidebar links for your favorite activity.

There is a place on Long Island for you this summer!

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Insurance Issues as we head into Hurricane Season 2008

Greetings all. have not posted in a while about the Long Island homeowners insurance market because it has been 'more of the same' for a while now. That's not to say the situation has gotten better, but change is what makes news, and there have not been many changes making their way to the public for a while.

It seems a little strange to be blogging about hurricane and flood catastrophes as I sit in my office and look out on to one of the most beautiful days we have had. Still, the 2008 hurricane season is underway, with Bertha chugging around the Atlantic as a reminder. Of course once again you can find experts who are saying that this season will be more active than normal, but those same experts have been saying that for several years and so far they have been wrong. I only wish I had a job like the weatherman, where I could be wrong half the time and still get paid.

There has been one interesting development recently that could make it easier to get homeowners or similar insurance down near the water. The New York Property Insurance Underwriting Association has been permanently authorized by the state legislature. This may not seem like much to the average person, but for years now, this New York State-backed insurer of last resort has had to be re-authorized every year, and has been held hostage by various groups within the legislature. They would only authorize the renewal if downstate legislators, who had to make sure this coverage was available to their constituents, would in turn vote for other things that they did not necessarily want. Ain't politics wonderful?

In any event, they have now been made permanent. In addition, they have been authorized to offer broader coverages, and incentives to partner with regular insurance companies who would then be able to write supplemental coverage known as 'wraparound' so that the two policies together will provide something closer to a homeowners policy. Naturally it will take some time to put this in place, but kudos to the state legislature for getting this done.

Meanwhile, on the flood insurance side, the re-mapping of Nassau and Suffolk Counties continues. Newsday had a big article this week on the changes that are being revealed now in Nassau. A lot of folks who were previously right on the edge of a 'special flood hazard area' as defined by FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program may now find themselves drawn into the hazard area by the new maps, which use more accurate mapping techniques as well as information drawn from the government's experiences with Katrina and other flooding situations.

If you think you are close to a flood hazard area but not in one, you might want to think about buying flood insurance soon. If you are outside the zone, in what's called a 'preferred zone' and buy coverage at those low rates, then it changes, you are grandfathered in to the low rates for as long as you keep your home. The difference can be thousands of dollars. And if it turns out that you were NOT one of those now lumped in to the higher hazard area, you can always stop carrying the flood coverage in a year or two when we know more about the new maps.

As always, for more information you can contact us through our web site at www.NYInsuranceWithSerivice.com.