Restoration of the Grist Mill

photo: Alida Thorpe

Grist Mill, Connetquot River State Park Preserve

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The mill originates from the 1700s.

Over the years, weather and age have taken their toll on the structure.

The restoration project, initiated by the Friends of Connetquot, is now in progress.

A mill expert has been hired to oversee the restoration which includes plans to stabilize the structure, eventually raise it and build new stone piers. It needs a new foundation, new shingles and roof. Eventually, the interior and milling machinery will be restored to create a working mill.

This project is a major undertaking and will take much time and require major funds.

Monetary grants have been received from both the federal and state governments.

The Friends of Connetquot are working to contribute additional money raised from donations and fund raising events.

Read more about the efforts and the October 2007 deadline to match funds!

If you would like to donate or help in some way, please call the Park at 631-581-1005

or send contributions to:

Friends of Connetquot, P.O. Box 472, Oakdale, NY 11769

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A New Hurricane Season

Welcome back. I have not had time to post in a while but today as I was doing some "homework" I found that I needed to change the look of the blog, because with Google's new system, they had new template designs, and I had to choose one. I hope you like the look, though I know I don't have that many 'regular' readers. After all, not many people choose to while away their hours reading about insurance. I do have some regular readers of my other blog, http://www.aroundbabylon.com/, but that's because I write about local happenings in our Village.

But while I'm here, I will write a short post. The market for homeowners insurance on Long Island is continuing to change. This past week we had our first call from someone who's being canceled by State Farm. They were told that State Farm is canceling people within a half mile of the water. I had heard that they stopped writing new business within a half-mile of the South Shore of Long Island but not that they were canceling anybody.

I say this not to pick on State Farm in any way. I happen to think they are pretty good company, and they are the biggest in auto and home insurance. Unfortunately, I just point it out to show what is happening in the Suffolk County and overall Long Island insurance marketplace. Even the largest insurance carriers do not have the capacity to absorb the business being shed by their competitors.

We need a lot of changes in not only the insurance business but also in the codes for new home construction and in other government regulations. But in the meantime, what we need most is a number of new carriers to come in the market and each take a small percentage of the business.

A big part of my job these days is keeping my eyes and ears open all the time for these new players. We wrote our first policy with one such insurance program this week. Our agents Association works hard on this issue all the time but Independent Insurance Agents only represent about 35% of the personal insurance market (meaning car and house insurance). And so we are not the "big players."

That would be Allstate, State Farm, Farmers and a few others. The problem is that, as I pointed out above, size is not an advantage here, because of the massive damage that would be possible in a Katrina size hurricane. Allstate is in favor of a government 'backstop', which is the only thing that would help them because of the sheer volume of business they wrote in coastal areas. But that idea has not caught on with most of the other companies, who would rather see a competitive market with risk-based pricing.

And while the public may debate about global warming, and whether it's caused by humans or not, the fact remains that sea levels are rising and temperatures are going up. And so the insurance companies simply don't know what's going to happen. Even if there is no such thing as global warming (and I personally think there is such a thing), we are at the very least in a period of rising temperatures and increased storm activity, even if it's just a natural cycle that will go away at some point.

That point may still be 20 or 50 years away during which time we may or may not have some pretty strong storms. When you add that in to the amount of property value there is here on Long Island it's a pretty scary scenario.

Meanwhile, there are also a number of major insurance companies, who need no introduction here, who are chasing just the automobile insurance market without taking any share of the risk 0f catastrophic loss that mainly affects the property market. As these companies suck dollars from the insurance buying public, the effect is to weaken the financial positions of those companies who also take their fair share of the property insurance market.

We live in interesting times. As always, more information is available by visiting our web sites at http://www.nyinsurancewithservice.com/ and http://www.floodinsuranceny.com/.

Long Island's ''Feast of Feasts'' July 11-15, 2007 - Wellwood Ave. Lindenhurst, New York

OLPH International Feast 2007

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church
2007 INTERNATIONAL FEAST
July 11-15, 2007

Celebrating it's 25th year, Our Lady of Perpetual Help(OLPH) Parish has expanded their annual feast making it bigger and better than ever! The festival committee has turned this local event into an International delight. More rides, more food, more vendors and more fun than before...

OLPH International Feast takes place on Wellwood Avenue in Lindenhurst, New York. Festival activies start on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 and run through Sunday, July 15, 2007.

The International schedule of events include Polish, Irish, Italian, American and German themed nights. Rides, games and attractions. Expanded vendor area with an assortment of ethnic inspired foods and specialty items. Air-conditioned Vegas area located in the School will be open every evening. Live music and entertainment is scheduled for each themed evening.

Polish Night - Wednesday, 7/11/07
Celebrate your Polish heritage on Wednesday July 11th, or learn about Polish tradition at the OLPH International Feast's Polish Night. Dance to the music of Polka band "Retro" performing live on stage in the entertainment area. Dine under the stars in the food court where Polish delicacies include pierogies and kielbasa. Enjoy all the other foods and browse through the specialty showcase items in the vendor area.

Special Benediction, Procession and Blessing begins at 5:00pm from the Church led by Monsignor Rev. Daniel S. Hamilton. The United States Marine Corp. will be making a special appearance providing the color guard for the opening ceremony!



Irish Night - Thursday, 7/12/07
OLPH International Feast's Irish Night celebrates and honors the Irish with music, dancing and delicious Irish food on Thursday. A changing of the flag ceremony followed by the Award Winning New York Shields. Gerry Finlay and the Cara Band will be performing live on stage in the entertainment area.

Irish delicacies, including corned beef and cabbage as well as other delicious ethnic food will be served in the food court. Additional vendor areas with ethnic inspired specialty items make this a fun-filled evening with a bit of the Irish for everyone.


Italian Night - Friday, 7/13/07
Dance "The Tarantella" when the OLPH International Feast Italian Night takes place on Friday, July 13, 2007. A changing of the flag ceremony will be held at the beginning of the evening. Enjoy live music in the entertainment area and stroll through the vendor areas for all things Italian.

Delicious food prepared by Joe's Italian Deli will be served in the outside eatery. Sausage and peppers, peaches and wine, cannoli, funnel cakes, ice cream and other ethnic treats. So, bring the family and don't miss this fun-filled evening when lil' Little Italy comes to Lindenhurst, New York.


American Night - Saturday, 7/14/07
Rock n' Roll American Style on Saturday, July 14, 2007 with special showcase 50's Band "The Beltones" at the OLPH Annual Feast. A changing of the flag ceremony takes place at the beginning of the night. Savor a variety of foods along Wellwood Avenue in Lindenhurst. Vendor areas with ethnic specialty items on sale as well rides, games and attractions. It's American, it's International, it's fun for all ages and backgrounds.




International Fair and German Day & Night - 7/15/07
The final day of the OLPH International Feast, Sunday, July 15th, 2007, will be one to remember with the biggest addition in 25 years. Wellwood Avenue from West Gates to Hoffman Avenue in Lindenhurst will be shut down for the International Street Fair! Fun filled activities begin at 10am and last until the festival closing bell at 9pm. The street fair features hundreds of vendors with food, crafts and novelty items.

The changing of the flag ceremony starts off the evening for German night. Live music in the entertainment area by long-time favorite performers, "The Spitzbaum". Knockwurst, Bratwurst, Sauerkraut and Potato Pancakes are on the menu at the outside eatery as well as other ethnic treats.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help International Feast features rides, games and attractions. Vendor area with an assortment of ethnic inspired food and specialty items. Air-conditioned Vegas area located in the School will be open every evening. Live music and entertainment is scheduled for each themed event.

For general information visit the OLPH International Feast Website
OLPH Feast Coordinator 516-242-9531.
Vendor space available 631-539-4942.

OLPH International Festival is sponsored by:
LongIsland.com, Walk 97.5 FM, Artusa Construction, Four Seasons Sunrooms, Manhattan Beer Distributor, Pepsi Cola, Joe's Italian Market, Johnstons' Funeral Home, Lindenhurst Funeral Home, OLPH Kinghts of Columbus, The Cannoli Factory, OLPH Holy Name Society, OLPH Parents Association, Allstar Midway, Carnival Amusements, Sal's Fruit Tree, All County Business Machines, Eye Values, Inc., Johnny Mica, Inc. Ridgewood Savings Bank, Giannini Landscaping and Babylon Dental Care.

Special thanks to contributors, vendors and volunteers, the OLPH Feast Committee, The Incorporated Village of Lindenhurst as well as the church staff for helping to make this event possible.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church 210 S Wellwood Avenue Lindenhurst, NY 11757 Rectory Phone: 631-226-7725 OLPH School 240 S Wellwood Avenue Lindenhurst, NY 11757 School Phone: 631-226-0208

Long Island Rail Road

The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) which is a state agency. The MTA provides a resource of information on their website, but it is not always easy to find information quickly, especially when there are unexpected train delays.

LongIsland.com provides Long Island Rail Road information and news as a courtesy to our site visitors. LIRR news is updated on a continuous basis through feeds from a variety of news and media outlets. Although we are not directly affiliated with the Long Island railroad we have received quite a few emails from people frustrated by the system. Basic information with quick links to the MTA and LIRR schedules is provided below.

  MTA Web Site

  LIRR Train Schedules and Information

  MTA Feedback form for Questions/Comments

24 Hour Travel Information
  Nassau 516-822-5477
  Suffolk 631-231-5477
  New York City 718-217-5477
  In case of emergency call the MTA Police directly at 888-MTA911PD

The mailing address of the MTA:
  Metropolitan Transportation Authority
  347 Madison Ave
  New York, NY 10017
  212-878-1063

Straphangers.org is website with information on how to send comments, suggestions or complaints....
http://www.straphangers.org/complaints.html

Management and Government contacts:
Peter S. Kalikow - Chairman, MTA
347 Madison Ave
New York, NY 10017
Phone: 212-878-7200
Fax: 212-878-7031

Howard Roberts, President
MTA New York City Transit
2 Broadway
New York, NY 10004
Phone: 646-252-5800
Fax: 646-252-5815

Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor
City of New York
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
Phone: 311
Fax: 212-788-2460

Eliot Spitzer
Governor, State of New York
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
Phone: 518-474-8390

You are welcome to post your comments.

Have you been to Watch Hill?

Photo by Alida Thorpe

The photo above was taken at Watch Hill on Fire Island.

Have you been there lately"

There is so much to do and see that you must check it out for yourself.

(Click on the photo to see the larger version.)

You can take the ferry from Patchogue. The ocean beach has life guards.

There are nature trails, a marina and an information center.

The restaurant and snack bar are now open after having been closed for the last few years.

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For more information, click here for the National Park Service, Watch Hill site.

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Don’t Stop Bellyaching

By Michael Watt

Okay, so Tony Soprano didn’t die. Or maybe he did. We’ll never know, at least until the movie comes out. The movie? Oh yeah, there will be a movie. “Sopranos” creator David Chase can deny it all he wants but just as you can be sure a Lohan Family reunion will require at least one restraining order, you can be sure “The Sopranos” will make it to the silver screen.

I did not have a big problem with how “The Sopranos” ended Sunday. Remember “Lady, or the Tiger”? That short story, which many of us had to read in grammar school, leaves the reader hanging, wondering whether the princess in the story points her would-be lover toward the door hiding a tiger or the door hiding a beautiful woman. The way I see it Chase did the same thing with “The Sopranos” ending, and he did for a couple of reasons.

For one thing, Chase wanted to make fun of us for paying so much attention to such silliness. They’re fictional characters, for gosh sakes. Murderers. Liars. Cheaters. The kind of people who – when they’re late returning books to the library - use the drop off bin to avoid paying the late fee. I’ll bet you Tony - and AJ, too, for that matter – doesn’t ever put the cap back on the toothpaste. Chase’s message was, “You people should have a lot more important things to worry about than whether Tony’s going to flip or die.”

I also think Chase was in a Malthusian no-win situation. There was no way to close the series that would please everyone. He’s not the first creative force to face this dilemma, either. Some of the great television series of our time ran into the same problem. Very few people, for instance, were happy with how “Seinfeld” ended. The final episode of “M*A*S*H” was a disaster that seemed to last longer than the Korean War; and the final “Friends” was sappier than a stack of pancakes slathered in Aunt Jemima syrup and left out in the hot sun.

I have documented in this space the genius featured in the ending of the second “Bob Newhart” show: Bob waking up in bed with his wife from the first “Bob Newhart” show, freaked out by a “dream” he had about owning an inn in Vermont. But in my book the best “last episode” was the ending of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” Everybody but Ted Baxter the buffoon anchorman (redundant?) gets fired and they all have to leave the newsroom. Nobody wants to, of course, so while still in the midst of one last group hug they shuffle out en masse, while singing “It’s a long way to Tipperary.” I laughed. I cried. So do the rest of America.

No, I did not have a problem with how "The Sopranos" ended. I did have a problem, however, with Mr. Chase’s use of the Journey song, “Don’t Stop Believing.”

Like a lot of people as I watched “The Sopranos” over the years I became more and more enthralled with the show. The word “genius” gets tossed around too much these days but Chase certainly had a genius for drawing the viewer into the program, so much so that almost every time the show ended I would be caught by surprise when the credits started to roll, forgetting that I was watching a television program as I became totally absorbed in the drama and action.

As a result, after a while I began to think that this Chase fellow might be smarter than your average bear. Then he picks a Journey song. Journey! A mediocre band from a mediocre musical era. Just look at sample verse:

Some will win,
some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

Now, the hours spent learning literature from Len Gougeon at the University of Scranton may not have resulted in my becoming an imagery expert, but for my money there are not a whole of lot creative juices at work here. Couldn’t Chase have gone with something from Tom Waits or even that noted Jersey native, Bruce Springsteen?

More aggravating than anything, however, is that I have had that stupid song stuck in my head all week.

Whatever. Now it’s so long “Sopranos.” I’ve already canceled my subscription to HBO (who needs to pay a channel that runs “Momma’s House 2” six times a week.) I’ve also sworn off getting roped into watching another serial show. I hope to use the extra hour a week to finish the book I am working on, which no doubt will one day be made into a movie. I have to believe that to make it happen, but you can be sure the theme song won’t be “Don’t Stop Believing.”

Thank you for reading this column.

Coastal Homeowners Insurance - Has it stopped getting worse?

BY AARON STEIN

Apologies for not writing in a while. I'm not unhappy to say that it's because our office has been very busy. We're having other adventures as well, having just installed a new 'paperless office' software and hardware system. There is still paper on everybody's desk, but the piles are slowly going down and will not return.

In any event, there is news, and some rumors, to report. In the very short term, like right now, insurance companies are still tightening up and cancelling or non-renewing homeowners insurance for many people on Long Island and other coastal areas. In the past two weeks, two fairly large players shut off new business in Suffolk County and most of Nassau. This is a matter of how much capacity they have overall, not a fear of any one house getting damaged. Another major carrier, one of the biggest in the country, in fact, stopped writing within a half mile of the shore and rumor has it they may start canceling those within 1000 feet of tidal water.

Insurance companies can buy reinsurance to protect themselves from major catastrophes. But how much they can buy is limited to some extent by their overall size and capital reserves (that's grossly oversimplified but the longer explanation is so boring that it hurts). And the insurance regulators as well as the financial companies that give insurance carriers their precious A and A+ ratings are threatening to lower them if they don't reduce their waterfront and coastal insurance exposure.

Add in to those issues that there are a number of large carriers that have come in to the market just writing car insurance, taking no part of the risk in the homeowners insurance department, and most especially not the coastal properties. That has also reduced the capital and reserves of the remaining companies that write both auto and home insurance. That's why one of the big criteria that a certain company is using to decide who to cancel is whether they have their car insurance with them or somewhere else. They are giving preference to customers who also insure their cars along with the home, and why not? Most businesses are expected to give some discount or other incentive to those who buy more from them.

But there may be some light at the end of the tunnel. For the first time in a long time I heard at a meeting the other day some news of early discussions with insurance carriers who are not in the Long Island homeowners insurance market at all. That's what we need, some companies who can balance their exposure in other parts of the country against some new business in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. This will still take probably the rest of this year to show any real progress, but at least it's a rumor in the right direction.

Theodore Roosevelt Bird Sanctuary

Photo by Alida Thorpe

Barred Owl

at the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center

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Are you looking for something to do this weekend?

Why not visit the Theodore Roosevelt Bird Sanctuary in Oyster Bay?

For information and directions, visit the Audubon.org site:

http://ny.audubon.org/trsac.htm

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There is always something to do on Long Island!

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Sunset on Long Island

West Sayville Golf Course

Beautiful sunsets are an added bonus to living on Long Island.

Notice how the tall pine tree is sculptured by the wind coming from the Great South Bay.

I love Long Island!

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Photo by Alida Thorpe

Click on the photo to see a larger version.

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Ode to a Carbonated Beverage

By Michael Watt

I attended my first college fair as a parent earlier this week and quite frankly I went in there thinking, “If nothing else, I should be able to get a column out of this.”

Alas and alack: After hours of trying the only thing I can come up with is, “Boo hoo my kid’s going off to college. Now I feel old because it seems like just last week I was going off to college and blah blah blah.” Nobody wants to read that and I certainly don’t feel like writing it.

As I contemplated what else I might want to write about, however, I poured myself a tall glass of seltzer. Now there’s something worth writing about: seltzer. It just sounds funny.

I love my seltzer. I can drink it all day and it doesn’t make me nauseous or jumpy or stupid like so many other beverages I can name. Right now under my desk is a case and a half of the stuff and I don’t have to count the bottles after I’ve been out of the house for a while to determine if my impressionable young sons got the urge to “experiment” and “explore” in my absence.

It’s fun to drink, too. If I drink a big glass quickly, for instance, I can almost always count on a huge belch ensuing. Sometimes all you need to break up your day and/or lighten the mood is a good belch. As my son Max likes to say, “Some things never get old.”

It can be a pain in the neck to order in restaurants, though, especially when I’m out with a group of friends (like that ever happens) or at a business dinner (more likely). Most folks order something cool or adult sounding, like “I’ll have a glass of Chardonnay,” or “I’ll take an unsweetened Iced Tea.” When it comes around to me I order my seltzer and for some reason I almost always have to repeat myself. Sometimes I think they think I’m saying salsa, which wouldn’t make any sense for obvious reasons. It doesn’t matter, though, because invariably they bring me club soda anyway.

Now, not too many people know that there is a difference between seltzer and club soda, primarily because not too many people care. I know I didn’t know, or care, until I was in my late teenss. I was filling in as a bartender at a Bar Mitzvah when one of the party attendees asked me for a seltzer. Not knowing (or caring) I poured him a club soda. He called me on it and when I asked – probably in a not-very-nice-way – what the difference was, he was kind enough to explain that seltzer has no sodium in it while club soda is rife with the stuff. He also explained that seltzer is Kosher and club soda is not. Unfortunately he explained this to me after several other party patrons were served club soda thinking it was seltzer.

Is that a big deal? Let’s put it this way: You don’t know guilt until you’ve discovered that several very nice folks may have to spend a few extra days in whatever it is Jewish people consider hell because their paths crossed with a brash, unthinking Gentile.

Seltzer can also be a pain because it’s not something most folks have on hand. I have gotten into the habit, therefore, of bringing my own seltzer with me on those rare occasions when I get invited to someone else’s home. You can just imagine how impressed my hosts are when I whip out two liters of “Vintage” or “Zazz.” Nothing screams “cheapskate” and “oh, this ought to be a laugh riot” like store-brand seltzer. (Don’t even get me started on what it’s like to show up at an all-night poker game packing a night’s supply of seltzer when everyone else is lugging in 12-packs of beer. Let’s just say I’m lucky they let me sit at the table).

Being a seltzer aficionado beyond the tri-state area can also be problematic. Anytime I go away on a business trip, for instance, the first thing I do when I get to my destination city is head to a local convenience store to stock up on the stuff I forgot to pack – a toothbrush, matching socks, a re-charger for my cell phone, etc. I also like to buy the basic food staples - bananas, chocolate and cookies - I need to get me through the next couple of days. I would get some seltzer, too, but for some reason seltzer does not exist west of the Hudson. I am sure it is just a coincidence but my rule of thumb is, “If you can’t find any good bagel places in the neighborhood then there’s not going to be any seltzer on the supermarket shelves, either."

Drinking seltzer does have its advantages. There are no calories, for instance, and I have never consumed excessive quantities of the stuff and then surrendered to the urge to call an old friend collect in the middle of the night. My only hope is that my older boy embraces my passion for seltzer when he goes away to college because it seems like only yesterday I was going off to college and I can tell you now the carbonated beverage I wrote odes to back then was definitely not seltzer.

Thank for you for reading this column.

Storm Damage at Davis Park, Fire Island

I just thought you might like to see some photos of the recent damage to the Davis Park area on Fire Island.

Although none of the homes were totally swept away by the waves, many were damaged and need to be moved or reinforced. Some may have to be torn down.

Here above is just one photo, but you can follow the link to see a slideshow of addtional photos.

Slideshow of a recent Davis Park.

Our First Storm Scare of the Season

BY AARON STEIN

This past weekend, Long Island and the surrounding areas got our first scare of this season. For those who don't realize it, we are already in the beginning weeks of what is considered hurricane season for our part of the world.

Here in Nassau and Suffolk counties, we got pretty lucky this past weekend. New Jersey was not so lucky and they continue to dig out of the mess. This was a nor'easter, as opposed to a tropical storm. There are a couple of things that were different. One is that it came from over the middle of the country, as opposed to tropical storms and hurricanes, which originate (strangely enough) in the tropics, out over water.

So that means that our deluge of rainfall was preceded by a bunch of snow being dropped on the middle part of the country. Usually they are laughing at us when we get hit by a tropical storm, because those rarely make it far inland. Once they do go over land, they quickly lose much of their strength.

The other thing that makes nor'easters so treacherous, especially here on Long Island and in the sort of inverted coastal corner that is the New York metropolitan area, is that the wind comes from a different direction than what is normal for us. Typically, our winds are the 'prevailing westerlies'. (Wind is named for the direction where it originates). That's why our weather patterns usually run from west to east. So if it's raining in central Pennsylvania, most times you can watch as the weather forecasters tell us how long it will be until that reaches us.

Even in this nor'easter, it came from the west relative to us. But the wind is from the northeast instead of the usual west. That means that to a certain extent, these high winds are blowing water in towards our south shores as they circulate around the storm's center! That's why nor'easters can cause heavy flooding even though it might not seem, walking out into our back yards, that things are all that horrible.

Let's hope this does not portend a more active hurricane season here on Long Island. In the past few weeks several more major insurance carriers have stopped writing in Suffolk County. The markets that are open are getting more expensive. And a couple of bad storms could really cause a crisis. We shall see.

As always for more information please visit our web sites at www.NYInsuranceWithService.com and www.FloodInsuranceNY.com.

Just a reminder...

photos by Alida Thorpe

Just a reminder to stay off the dunes while visiting Fire Island.

The dunes protect the beaches and the shores of Long Island. If you walk on the dunes or let your children play on the dunes, the grass is disturbed, and the sand will blow away in a storm.

Fire Island is our barrier beach and protects us in many ways!

Learn more about it!

Important Information About the Pet Food Recall

By Dennis Leon, DVM

As everyone probably knows by now, there is a nationwide recall on specific canned dog & cat foods manufactured by Menu Foods and sold under various other brand names. Affected pets seem to have signs and symptoms of kidney disease, including, but not limited to anorexia, lethargy and vomiting. A complete list of foods currently affected by this mass recall can be found at:

http://www.menufoods.com

Most of the foods affected are cheaper "supermarket brand" foods, but included on the list are a few manufacturers who sell "premium" foods: Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet and Nutro. Not all of their foods are affected by the recall -only specific canned foods produced at a specific plant in Kansas within a certain date range. More specific info can be found at the following sites:

http://us.iams.com/iams/...

http://www.hillspet.com/menu_foods/...

http://www.nutroproducts.com/menufoods.asp

Menu Foods says they have narrowed down the culprit to wheat gluten, an ingredient used in the affected foods. They had a "new" distributor for wheat gluten at their Kansas manufacturing plant between 12/3/06 and 3/6/07. It is unclear at this time what other foods were manufactured in this time range using wheat gluten from the same source. Other manufacturers and brand names of food may or may not be recalled as more information is gathered.

If you have any of these affected foods with matching date and plant codes, discontinue feeding them immediately. Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet and Nutro all carry a 100% guarantee, so you will get refunded for the food. I have also been advising clients to discontinue feeding (or eating?) ANY food containing wheat gluten until the food companies and FDA sort out this whole issue.


For more information, contact:
Dennis Leon, DVM
Levittown Animal Hospital
2703 Hempstead Turnpike
Levittown, NY 11756
516-796-2266

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Dr. Dennis Leon is the owner and chief veterinarian at Levittown Animal Hospital. After working in a variety of small animal practices since 1992, he earned his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2001. Following his veterinary education, Dr. Leon worked in a busy multi-doctor practice in Hayward, CA, where he also served as a veterinary consultant to the City of Hayward Animal Services Bureau, Hayward Animal Shelter, Alameda County Animal Control and San Leando Animal Shelter. His professional interests include preventative medicine, anesthesiology, pain management, kidney disease and and obesity treatment.

Fire Island

photos by Alida Thorpe

First day of Spring and the snow is melting!
As the temperature rises, people visit the beach for long walks and fresh salt-air.
This photo was taken just east of Parking Field 5 of Robert Moses State Park.

Snow and the Lighthouse

Photo by Alida Thorpe

The Fire Island Lighthouse in the snow.....Spring begins on Wednesday!

Fire Island in Winter

A panoramic view of Fire Island, today, after the snow of the last two days.

It was a beautiful day!

Many people were walking the walkways and along the beach for fresh air, exercise and sunshine.

Beautiful...in winter or summer!

Click on the photo to see the larger version.................photo by Alida Thorpe

The Homeowners Insurance Adventure Continues

BY AARON STEIN

These days, the insurance industry, especially in catastrophe hurricane exposed areas like Long Island, is changing very quickly. This is very different from not too long ago. Insurance companies and their employees tend to be very conservative, resisting changes sometimes for years before caving in. Agents tend to be the same, because our job is to protect against risk of loss, as opposed to many other business and personal models, where taking risks is part of the fun.

These days, change is fast and drastic. I have not posted here in about a month and a half, but in that time, several more carriers have stopped or severely cut back on writing home insurance on Long Island, especially within a half mile of the water. The latest one I heard about was State Farm, who stopped writing new policies within 2500 feet of the Bay. Adirondack Insurance recently severely limited their new policies in all of Suffolk County regardless of distance to water, and New York Central Mutual is not only limiting new policies, but they recently became part of the group that is actually canceling people.

Allstate continues to cancel thousands of policyholders, though they have made some efforts to bring other companies to the table so that their Long Island agents still have something to sell. There are almost no new players coming in to the New York market, except for some 'excess lines' carriers such as Lloyd's of London and Lexington Insurance Company. These carriers write policies at a much higher price, but at least they make coverage available.

If it turns out you are forced to seek insurance from one of these non-standard companies, be sure the agent you are dealing with has experience with them, especially with waterfront home insurance issues, and knows what to look for. We have seen policies that COMPLETELY EXCLUDE wind damage! What is the point of having insurance if you are not covered for a hurricane, which is just a big windstorm with a name? Some of these policies also carry exclusions for pets, underground oil tanks, and other unusual clauses. We have also seen policies that offer 'actual cash value' coverage on the structure itself, which takes depreciation based on age, as opposed to a 'regular' homeowners insurance policy which insured at replacement cost.

Of course, these policies still do not cover flood damage even though they may cost 2-3 times more than what was considered normal for Long Island home insurance only a couple of years ago. Flood insurance continues to be available through your local agent via the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program, and excess flood insurance is available from a number of companies, when the $250,000 maximum building coverage through the FEMA program is not enough.

Remember also that if your policy is through an excess and surplus insurance company, you are NOT protected by the New York State Guaranty Fund. That fund provides up to $1,000,000 in coverage if an insurance carrier defaults or becomes insolvent. Lloyd's prides itself on never having defaulted on a claim in over 100 of years of existence. And Lexington is part of AIG, the world's largest insurer. Still, the fact is they are not subject to regulation by the New York State insurance department, nor backed by the Guaranty Fund.

Another solution that is being used is the New York Fair Plan, otherwise known as NY Property or NYPIUA. That is a state-run operation that was designed to provide basic fire insurance for properties in blighted areas or which have other problems. But the policies provide NO liability insurance, no theft coverage, no coverage for burst pipes, and have many other restrictions. Again, in some cases, this may be your only practical option, but you need to be aware of just what you are buying. We have come across insurance offices here on Long Island telling their clients that they are getting a homeowners policy from NY Property, and nothing could be further from the truth.

As always, for more information, visit our sites at www.NYInsuranceWithService.com or www.FloodInsuranceNY.com.

Help Keep Internet Radio Online

Dear Senator Schumer:

On March 2, 2007 the Copyright Royalty Board announced new royalty rates for all Internet Radio stations, with the new rates retroactive to January of 2006. These new rates are significantly higher than expected and are many times over what is being paid now. In fact, if they remain unchanged, many or perhaps most online radio stations will have to cease operations after having had to declare bankruptcy due to the retroactive-to-2006 aspects of these new rates.

Internet Radio is treated differently than Terrestrial (broadcast) Radio. While both Internet and Terrestrial Radio pay royalties to BMI, SESAC and ASCAP, when it comes to record labels and artists, Terrestrial Radio pays no royalties -- none at all. It is only Internet Radio stations that must pay royalties to Sound Exchange at a rate is set by the US Copyright Board.

In 2002, Congress passed the "Small Webcaster Settlement Act," that forced Sound Exchange to offer to small Webcasters a rate based on a percentage of revenue.

Last year, a new round of hearings was held by the Copyright Royalty Board to determine new rates for the 2006-2010 periods. The hearings lasted several months. Then, three judges retired to deliberate and render a decision, which decision was announced on Friday, March 2, 2007. The surprise in their decision was the elimination of the "Small Webcaster Settlement Act." This meant all small Webcasters could no longer make Sound Exchange payments based on a percentage of their revenues.

The new rates essentially levy a fee of $0.0011 per performance per listener in 2007, escalating to $0.0019 in 2010. Since each hour, the average radio station plays 16 songs, that's about $0.0176 per hour, per listener in 2007. An Internet Radio Station with a 500 listener average would now be required to pay $211 per day, $6,336 a month or $76,000 for the 2007 year!

This amount of money is beyond the resources of the small independent Internet Radio Stations, many of which are run by enthusiasts and hobbyists. These small stations are the ones bringing new music and old favorites to us every day, with their playlist fine-tuned to their listeners' choices by their listeners themselves. Music like this can not easily be found on the corporate-owned mega stations, Internet or Terrestrial.

As royalty rates were 8% of gross revenues, a $76,000 fee under the new rates equates to gross annual revenues of $950,000 under the old rates. Yet the "gross annual revenues" enjoyed by a station with 500 listeners on average, are more in the $15,000 range; most of which are derived from listener donations with the station run on a "break-even"
basis.

To expect these stations to increase their donations five-fold to cover this additional cost in 2007 is folly. To expect them to also "find" over $50,000 to pay the retroactive 2006 fee is more than a little unreasonable.

The Copyright Royalty Board must have known this.

Without your help to repeal this unfair Internet-Radio-only "tax,"
re-instate the more equitable Small Webcaster Settlement Act, or perhaps even to extend the "Act" to also include Terrestrial Radio stations, March 2, 2007 will be added to February 3, 1959 as yet another... "day the music died."

Very truly yours,
Walter C. Schmidt
383 Second Ave
Massapequa Park, NY 11762
(516) 799-8300
waltsdorsai@gmail.com

The Elizabeth A. Morton Wildlife Refuge

This photo was taken at The Elizabeth A. Morton Wildlife Refuge.

Click here for more details about this wonderful place to hike!