Town of Hempstead Go Direct Month

Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray has proclaimed February "Go Direct Month" and is encouraging seniors who receive federal benefits, such as social security income, to use direct deposit.

"Hempstead Town is very proud to join dozens of other municipalities throughout the country in declaring February 'Go Direct Month,'" said Supervisor Kate Murray.

Go Direct is a national campaign, sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve Bank, designed to motivate more seniors to direct deposit their social security checks and other federal benefits. Direct deposit eliminates the risk of stolen checks and forgeries and helps protect people from identity theft. Go Direct works in conjunction with local municipalities such as the Town of Hempstead, so seniors are informed about the program by an entity that they already know and trust.

"Identity theft is a serious crime that can wreak havoc with your finances, ruin your credit and impact your daily life," stated Supervisor Murray. "Not only is it extremely convenient to have monthly social security income checks directly deposited into bank accounts, it eliminates the risk of stolen checks and forgeries."

According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, electronic payments are more secure, reliable and cost effective than paper checks because they help to protect against check theft and fraud, they provide easier access to funds during emergencies and natural disasters and provide citizens with more control over their money.

"I encourage all seniors to consider having their federally-issued checks directly deposited so that their money and identity do not end up in the wrong hands," concluded Murray.

To sign up for direct deposit, please call the toll-free helpline at (800) 333-1795, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. or visit GoDirect.org.

The Go Direct campaign is sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Federal Reserve Banks. The Go Direct and Direct Express logos, Go Direct and Direct Express are service marks of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Financial Management Service (used with permission). The Direct Express Debit MasterCard card is issued by Comerica Bank, pursuant to a license by MasterCard International Incorporated. MasterCard and the MasterCard Brand Mark are registered trademarks of MasterCard International Incorporated.

Hate Crimes

In the late summer and early fall of 2009, 39 teens from all over Nassau County volunteered to participate in a plain, straight, uninhibited video about hate crime. Teens talking to teens about what a hate crime is and the real world ramifications of committing a hate crime. This video visually demonstrates that turning hateful thoughts about a group into action is Crossing the Line

http://www.pjads.com/ncpd-hatevideo.htm

This video was produced for the Nassau County Police Department, under the auspices of Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi and Nassau County Commissioner of Police Lawrence W. Mulvey, which is only part of a greater educational project created by bias crime experts and Nassau County educators.
For more information about this program please email: communityaffairs@pdcn.org

Town of Hempstead Haiti Relief Efforts

Hempstead Town To Collect Non-Monetary Items For Haiti Relief Efforts
January 21, 2010

Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray, Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby and Councilman Edward Ambrosino, along with the entire town board, have assembled collection sites throughout Hempstead Town, encouraging residents to support the ongoing relief efforts in the wake of the recent earthquake disaster that has ravaged Haiti.

"Residents want to help in any way they can, and for some that means donating items," said Supervisor Murray. "We want to assist residents in their efforts to provide meaningful support to our brothers and sisters in Haiti."

The Town of Hempstead will be setting up 11 locations throughout the town as collection sites. Those locations are:
1. Hempstead Town Hall, One Washington Street, Hempstead (ground floor and first floor)
2. The lobby of 200 North Franklin Street, Hempstead
3. Town of Hempstead Sanitation Administration Building, Merrick Road, Merrick
4. Elmont Road Park, Elmont
5. Averill Boulevard Park, Elmont
6. Hendrickson Avenue Park, Elmont
7. Dutch Broadway Park, Elmont
8. Uniondale Avenue Park, Uniondale
9. Smith Street Park, Uniondale
10. Cedar Street Park, Uniondale
11. Levittown Hall, Levittown Parkway, Hicksville

Items that are being collected for donation include bottled water, non-perishable foods, bedding, tarps, collapsible water containers, summer clothing, disposable gloves, toiletries, baby supplies, flashlights, batteries and over-the-counter medical supplies. The town web site at www.toh.li will provide the listing of items to donate as well as a complete listing of relief agencies and their phone numbers to make a financial donation.

In addition, the Town of Hempstead has partnered with the Elmont, Uniondale and Levittown School Districts in relief collection efforts for non-monetary donations. "The community of Uniondale has suffered many losses," noted Councilwoman Goosby, "and Hempstead Town remains committed to helping them in this time of great need."

"The people who survived the earthquake have lost just about everything and are living in very challenging conditions," said Councilman Ambrosino.

"Anything that our residents can donate will have a positive impact on the lives of those who have lost so much," concluded Murray.

Silver Alert

The Silver Alert Program has been established in order to disseminate immediate information to local media, hospitals and other organizations when a senior citizen or other individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or other cognitive disorders goes missing.


Date and Time: 01/05/10 5:00 P.M.

Missing Person’s Name: Eric Fornaris

Missing Person’s Age: 91

Physical Description: 5’8” tall, approximately 180 lbs., medium complexion, gray short straight hair, brown eyes, tattoo of a sword on his right arm

Last Seen Wearing: Unknown

Missing Person was last seen at: 60 Horton Ave., Lynbrook

Motor Vehicle and direction of travel: 1993 Toyota Pase 2Dr Blue, NY Reg. BKS9459, possible destinations Wendy’s in Lynbrook, Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds in Valley Stream

SILVER ALERT

The Silver Alert Program has been established in order to disseminate immediate information to local media, hospitals and other organizations when a senior citizen or other individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or other cognitive disorders goes missing.


Date and Time: 01/03/2010 2315

Missing Person’s Name: Mohammed Saleem

Missing Person’s Age: 22

Physical Description: Indian male, 5’4, 145 lbs., Down’s Syndrome, deaf, mute, tattoos on arms of former address and telephone number

Last Seen Wearing: Unknown

Missing Person was last seen at: Horton Avenue and Merrick Road, Lynbrook

Motor Vehicle and direction of travel: N/A

Leandra's Law

It is now a felony in New York to drive drunk or under the influence of drugs with a child in the vehicle, and will require first-time driving-while-intoxicated (DWI) offenders to install an ignition interlock device in their vehicles.
· Under the law, first-time offenders with a blood alcohol content of .08 or more or under the influence of drugs, and with a child age 15 or under in the vehicle, will automatically have their drivers license suspended, will have to install a ignition interlock device in their car and may be charged with a Class E felony punishable up to four years in prison.
· Intoxicated drivers who cause serious injury to a child may be charged with a Class C felony punishable up to 15 years in prison, and drunken drivers who cause the death of a child will be charged with a Class B felony that could bring up to 25 years in prison.
· In addition to the increased sanctions, parents caught driving impaired with their children will be reported to the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment.
Gov. David A. Paterson signed the Child Passenger Protection Act, known as Leandra's Law in honor of 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who was killed in a drunken driving accident in October.
According to Paterson, Leandra's Law will set some of the toughest DWI penalties in the nation and will provide law enforcement officials with the tools they need to prosecute DWI offenders.
New York now joins 35 other states that have child endangerment laws imposing tougher DWI sanctions against drivers who put children at risk. New York is also the 13th state to require mandatory interlock ignitions.
At the signing of the Leandra’s Law, Lenny Rosado, Leandra's father, stood nearby, holding a picture of his daughter while tears streamed down his face.
"On that night of October 11, I lost my only child," Rosado said while choking back tears. "As a single parent, she was my heart, my soul and my best friend."
On October 11, Leandra Rosado and six of her friends were packed into a car driven by Carmen Huertas, the mother of one of the girls. Huertas was taking the girls to a slumber party.
Authorities later said Huertas was driving drunk and played a guessing game with the girls, asking them to "raise their hands if they thought they would make it home without crashing."
While speeding up the Henry Hudson Parkway, the car flipped. Leandra Rosado was thrown from the vehicle and died from head and chest injuries. Her six friends and Huertas survived the crash.
Huertas has since been charged with manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, and assault, according to the Manhattan district attorney's office.
Since losing his daughter, Lenny Rosado has turned his grief into action. At the bill-signing ceremony, Rosado said that the day after Leandra died, he made the decision to fight for tougher DWI laws because he didn't want to see another parent or grandparent lose their child in such a reckless way. "From here on, those that think it's OK to drink and drive with children in the car ... will pay the price," Rosado said. "My daughter's name and Leandra's Law will save lives from here on. Her legacy will live."