Richard Macellaro On AED

Presented at the Smithtown Town Board Meeting Town Hall Smithtown, New York, 11780

October 8, 2013

Good Afternoon, Mr. Supervisor and Town Board Members.  My name is Richard S. Macellaro and I have been a resident for more than 22 years.  At this morning Town Board Work Session, an issue was discussed, regarding AED’s (An automated external defibrillator— a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias) and the Town’s position on maintaining them at its Parks and/or recreation centers.

Understandably, there will be more discussions to be held on the placement, implementation, possible vandalism and/or theft of these lifesaving devises, as well as other Town liability issues. However, I would like to propose some ideas and suggestions as to how to deal with these concerns.

First, any group or organization who seeks a Town permit to utilize these premises must provide their own AED’s to be staffed by their own certified AED personnel.  As part of the application process, the organization will indicate their acceptance of this requirement.  The application is then reviewed and approved by Public Safety Department or other jurisdictional entity.

Second, the Town will maintain an appropriate number of AED’s, for those organizations who are permitted to utilized Town facilities, and loan the AED to the organization’s representative, whose responsibility will be to staff the AED and return it back to the Town, in proper working order, at the conclusion of its event(s.) 

Third, the organization will pay an appropriate rental fee.

Fourth, if an organization is unable to pay a rental fee, the Town will provide the AED and staff its operation, during duly noted time frames.

I believe this is an important issue for our residents and the many groups and organizations who use these fine parks and recreation facilities.  I hope that the Town Board will act on these concerns in a timely manner. 

Thank you.

Richard Macellaro

Smithtown Author Jeb Ladouceur To Speak At Hofstra University

Jeb LadouceurSmithtown novelist, Jeb Ladouceur, has been invited to speak at Hofstra University. According to the author’s publicist, Debbie Lange Fifer, Ladouceur will join LTV executive producer Linda Maria Frank in a presentation addressing current trends in publishing. The occasion will mark the local writer’s third speaking engagement at the renowned institution, and Ms. Frank’s first.

Long associated intimately with the arts, Hofstra is the alma mater of such notables as motion picture director Francis Ford Coppola, actress Lainie Kazan, and Tony award-winner Madeline Kahn. The university is world-famous for its Shakespearian studies program and is the home of a magnificent replica of the Globe Theater in London, where many of The Bard’s works were introduced.

Numbered among Hofstra’s literary alumni are Long Island novelists Nelson DeMille and Marilyn French, as well as noted New York Times journalist George Vecsey.

Authors DeMille and Ladouceur have often shared the same lecterns as guest speakers at Hempstead’s Hofstra venue and at Huntington’s esteemed Book Revue bookstore. Nelson DeMille appeared there earlier this month to promote his new book, THE QUEST, and Jeb Ladouceur follows Monday’s Hofstra appearance with a speech and signing at Book Revue on Thursday, Oct. 17^th at 7:30. He will introduce his eighth novel, THE DEALER, at that time.

Op Ed - 7 Things Women Need To Know About The Affordable Care Act

7 Things Women Need to Know about the Affordable Care Act

October 1^st marked a turning point for nearly 12 million uninsured women, ages 19-44, in the U.S. Young women, in particular, stand to benefit dramatically from the Affordable Care Act, often called, “Obamacare”.

Women have unique health care needs during their reproductive years. The average woman spends three decades actively trying to prevent pregnancy and about five years trying to get pregnant, being pregnant, or in the immediate post-partum state. During these years, she experiences ongoing health care needs and major health care events. Yet this is also the age when many women have spotty health insurance coverage or none at all. Women ages 18 to 29 need access to health care mostly for reproductive health services, yet they are disproportionately in the ranks of the uninsured: representing more than one-fourth of all uninsured women.

The new law will dramatically change this statistic and improve the health coverage and care for millions of Americans.  That’s why it’s critical for women without insurance to understand what the law means for them, what sort of financial help they are eligible for, and how to get enrolled.

Here are 7 ways women will benefit from the Affordable Care Act: 

1. Prescription birth control will be available without a co-pay. Every plan will cover all kinds of birth control (pill, implants, IUDs) but the specific brands available without a co-pay vary by insurance plan.

2. Annual well-woman exams will be provided without a co-pay. These regular checkups may include pelvic exams, breast cancer screenings, STI testing, and counseling on birth control options.

3. Women cannot be charged more for their health plans simply because of their gender.’

4. Women can no longer be denied insurance for pre-existing conditions like breast cancer, having a C-section, or being the victim of domestic violence.

5. All insurance plans will have to cover birth control and maternity care, as well as doctor visits, hospitalizations, prescription medications, ER care and more.

6. Some maternity services will be available without a co-pay, including breastfeeding counseling and supplies.

7. Testing for HIV and other STIs will also be available without a copay.

As the leading women’s health care provider in Suffolk County, Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic is particularly aware of how the new law will impact young women – and we are committed to helping everyone understand how they can get covered. The website plannedparenthoodhealthinsurancefacts.org is the go-to destination for information for women about the new health care law and for help getting enrolled.  The site, available in English and Spanish, offers a plan finder, checklist, calculator, cheat sheets, infographics, FAQs, lists of insurance and health care words to know.  It’s all there to help women get themselves — and their families— covered. 

Reina Schiffrin,

President/CEO

Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic

Kings Park Girls Soccer Team Stays Strong For Lauren Lenardi

Alone With Lauren – KP Soccer Team Stays Strong

by Maureen Rossi

On March 1^st Kings Park High School Varsity goalie Carly Greco was sitting in her room when she read a Facebook post that would change the young athlete’s life and the lives of the girls on her soccer team.   She learned that her teammate Lauren Lenardi had left the world.   “I was so shocked, I felt optimistic about Lauren, the last time I saw her was the best I had seen her,” said the now HS senior.   Varsity soccer coach Bryan LaPalo had rang the captains of the team with the ominous news and like adolescents all over the world; they took to social media to share their innermost feelings.

Greco’s mother was out of state on a road trip when her daughter received the news.    “I felt so helpless, I was all the way in Pennsylvania, I didn’t know what to do,” she recalled.    Greco’s mother knew that her daughter should not be alone so she prompted her youngest child to call the team and invite them to the house.   Before long, Junior Varsity coach Bridgit Keenan and Coach LaPalo were present with the entire team.   “Carly began to bake, that’s what she does,” said her mother.    Greco’s dad appeared with some food for the team.   As the sweet treats erupted from the professional grade kitchen, (Greco’s dad is one of Long Island’s celebrated chefs), the girls cried, they talked, they shared memories.   “The coaches were telling stories about Lauren, we were more celebrating her life than mourning, it was really good for the whole team,” explained Greco.  

Their fellow teammate and friend Lauren Lenardi had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer in freshman year while playing on the J.V. team.    She fought a long and harrowing battle of multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation.   However, despite the horrific physical journey she endured, the child was a beacon of light to all who knew her.  Known to be wise beyond her years; she stole the hearts of her friends, coaches, teammates and an entire town.   Greco said the LaurenStrong organization they started after Lauren got sick was to help raise funds for her treatments.   The girls sold baked good, t-shirts and held a host of various fundraisers.   “Yellow was her favorite color so it’s been all about the yellow,” said Greco.    She said this year; the money was for a scholarship for someone on the soccer team.   Despite Lauren’s gaping absence, her teammates and coaches held the third LaurenStrong game on September 12^th, the day before what would have been the teen’s 17^th birthday.   The Lenardi family was on hand for the game and the dedication of a plaque in Lauren’s memory.  Beside the stone was a soccer ball and a beautiful picture of the teen with her cropped hair and a glorious smile.

“We played West Islip, they were there last year when we celebrated Lauren’s 16^th Birthday, they knew the situation and they were very understanding,” added Greco.  The girls took the game 3 and 0 but after the very emotionally wrought halftime dedication, it was difficult for the tearful athletes to continue with the game.    “Every game we play we say it’s for her, we don’t’ want to lose, we know she’s always there for us,” said Greco.  The team has been pulling through for Lauren this entire season; their record is 6, 2 and 2.  

The evening before the LaurenStrong game, the girls planted yellow flowers by her memorial, they wrote letters to Lauren and they lit candles.   “It was kind of like speaking to her, it was like we were with her,” said Greco.   This was not to be a feeling that was short lived for Greco or her team.  The day after the LaurenStrong game, in the late afternoon, in a small break in the clouds a rainbow appeared over Kings Park.   Once again the teens took to Facebook to report the news- one by one the girls looked into the sky, one by one they looked into the rainbow and they felt Lauren’s presence.   Scientifically speaking, a rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection of light in water droplets in the Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky.   It takes the form of an arch.   In many cultures it is a symbol of a bridge from earth to heaven. For the Kings Park Varsity Soccer team it was their friend Lauren acknowledging their love.  For Lauren, they will all remain Strong.  

44 Tons Of Household Hazardous Waste Collected At Town's Collection Event

Residents in the Town of Smithtown took advantage of the Town’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event in a big way. On Saturday, October 5th, four hundred and thirty-five families went to the Municipal Services Facility on Old Northport Road in Kings Park to rid their homes of 88,490 pounds of hazardous waste.

According to the Town collected items included pesticides, liquid mercury, waste base oil paints, gasoline, paint thinners, waste gases, petroleum distillates, flammable solids, liquid and solid oxidizers, sodium and potassium nitrates, acids, corrosives, miscellaneous toxic liquids and solids, lacquers and other toxic compounds. The improper disposal of these items can damage the environment and cause health problems. 

The event was conducted by Care Environment Corp. of Landing, New Jersey. Care Environment specializes in waste removal. They were awarded the contract in a competitive bid process with a bid of $11,900.00. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will reimburse the Town for one half the cost or $5,950.00.

“The household hazardous waste collection event has been a real success. Participating in a household hazardous waste collection event allows people to safely dispose of old chemicals. It also heightens awareness that not everything offered for sale is a good thing to have and use around the house.  We should try to minimize or avoid buying toxic products in the first place,” said Smithtown Town Supervisor Patrick R. Vecchio in a released statement. 

The Town hosts two collection events a year. The next Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event will be held in the spring of 2014.