Tuesday Tips is a series of articles from local experts to help you save money, make better decisions and plan for a better future.
Do you have Long-term Care Insurance? You know you should. I don’t. I waited too long. I now have type II diabetes. (Why didn’t I listen to myself years ago?)
Our Government believes that every worker should have long-term care insurance, and to that end has created CLASS, or the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports program. This part of the new government-run health care law will be administered by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Congressman Anthony Weiner unleashed an oral onslaught on Republicans yesterday, after a bill was killed that would have provided up to $7.4 billion in aid to those sickened by toxins resulting from the 9/11 attacks.
At the heart of the debate was a procedural maneuver made by Democrats to suspend the rules before consideration of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. The move allowed leadership to block potential GOP amendments to the measure (there was worry that Republicans would attach something overtly partisan in hopes that it could pass on the otherwise widely-popular measure). It also meant that the party needed a two-thirds majority vote.
When the final tally was announced, there were 255 representatives for the measure, 159 against. The defeat of the bill, which would have provided free health care to those affected during the 9/11 rescue and recovery, likely means that the court system will have to settle compensation issues.
Weiner spoke right before the vote when it was clear that Republican lawmakers would stake their opposition on grounds of procedural concerns.
Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz’s office reported today that his third annual blood drive was a “big success.”
People may have noticed the big ol’ bloodmobile – a.k.a. the New York Blood Services donation van – parked on the corner of Sheepshead Bay Road and Emmons Avenue. And good thing, too, because the office said they collected 25 pints of blood, potentially saving as many as 125 lives.
We’ve said before how important donating blood is, and there’s no shortage of opportunities to do so in our neighborhood. So if you haven’t donated recently (or ever), next time you see a donation truck, stop in, roll up your sleeve, and save a life.
And for those who did stop by yesterday – good on you. Thanks for your service, and hopefully you’ll do it again when you become eligible in 56 days.
We’ve written before about the need for blood donations, and how it’s a simple, quick way to save a life. Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz is organizing a blood drive, so you have the opportunity once again to turn over some sangre. Cymbrowitz’s drive is also accepting appointments, so make one today to make your visit even more hassle-free.
From Assemblyman Cymbrowitz’s office:
Assemblyman Cymbrowitz Sponsoring Local Blood Drive
TRADITIONALLY, BLOOD SUPPLIES ARE LOW DURING SUMMER MONTHS
Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz is sponsoring a blood drive in conjunction with the New York Blood Center, Thursday, July 8th, between 12 Noon and 6:00 pm outside his community office [1800 Sheepshead Bay Road]. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are appreciated. Most people between the ages of 17 and 70 may donate. Please call Assemblyman Cymbrowitz’ office at (718) 743-4078 to either make an appointment or for more information.
The Office of Emergency Management is opening cooling centers across the city in response to forecasted temperatures above 95 degrees.
For those in the Sheepshead Bay-area, there are five local cooling centers – two are community centers and three are senior centers. The locations are:
Sheepshead Bay Library at 2636 East 14th Street (open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
JASA Manhattan Beach Senior Center at 60 West End Ave. (open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Jay Harama Senior Center at 2600 Ocean Ave. (open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
JASA Senior Alliance Senior Center at 161 Corbin Pl. (open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Sheepshead/Nostrand at 3679 Nostrand Ave (open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.)
But if you’ve got to be out and about during the day, remember to wear sunblock and avoid strenuous activity. Wear light-colored loose-fitting clothing, and drink lots of water. Avoid sharp temperature changes like cold showers. For those with their own air conditioners, set it for 78 to avoid stressing the city’s electrical grid (Marine Park and Gerritsen Beach had power outages yesterday because of this).
Make sure to check in on your neighbors, especially if they’re elderly or disabled. The elderly and the young are the most susceptible to heat-related illness and may require a helping hand to cool off. At the very least, maybe you’ll gain some brownie points and be able to “borrow” their parking spot for a day.
Lastly, the State Department of Environmental Conservation is putting the NYC Metro area on notice for increased levels of ozone. We’re at 105 today, a level deemed unsafe for sensitive groups. Active children and adults, and people with lung disease, such as asthma, should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors.
I’ve never set foot in the Bally’s Total Fitness at 1720 Sheepshead Bay Road (and it’s probably fairly obvious from my squishy disposition). But I thought it was a pretty popular place and must be doing well financially.
So I was shocked to hear from a reader about the conditions in there. The reader wrote:
to begin with there is no AC at 90F outside, no paper towels, no hand dryers, disgustingly dirty and barely cleaned restrooms and showers, most of the machines are not working, water fountain w warm water and 1 out of 3 of them is not working; manager ignores requests from members and usual excuse is they are working on it, it been like this for about 4-5 months already; conditions are unbearable and unhealthy… i’m not even going to describe their pool
I wasn’t sure if the reader’s experience was just a lark or if he had an ax to grind, so I turned to Yelp and Citysearch. On both sites, the Bally’s Sheepshead Bay location has low ranking (1.5 of 5 starts on Yelp; 1 of 5 starts on Citysearch).
The complaints? Dirty, smelly, hot and constantly filled with ugly, old naked people – according to the critics. One Yelper wrote “that my poor little lock seemed to have disappeared into the crevice of” an “older Russian lady.” She abandoned her lock, bag and everything. Just up and walked out and never returned.
Some, though, stood up for the facility, pointing out that it’s cheaper than others and you get what you pay for. And even some of the critics praised the staff.
But what say ye, Sheepshaed Bay? Ever been to Bally’s Total Fitness in our area? Is it as bad as it sounds?
Did you know that when this building, at 3121 Ocean Avenue, was originally built, it won awards for design? That’s what the architect told us when we ran into him a few months back. So you’d think maybe they’d give it a paint job before they put the sign up. You know, gussy up the joint a bit; restore some of its glory.
Well, maybe this is a temporary sign. I didn’t bother to ask. Or maybe they’re waiting to get more money, since the city keeps stripping funds from public healthcare. I guess it’s better they spend the dough on something that’ll save someone’s life.
Anyway, in case you don’t remember, Maimonides reclaimed the building in the beginning of May. Before that, Coney Island Hospital owned it, but shut it down because of said healthcare cuts. And before Coney Island Hospital, it was converted from Beefsteak Charlie’s by Maimonides. Maybe when Maimonides is done with it, it’ll turn back into a Beefsteak Charlie’s and we can gather ’round and sing “Circle of Life.”
Oil collected in a skimming boom - Courtesy of Deepwater Horizon Response via Flickr
As oil gushes out of the ocean floor, the Gulf’s highly sought after seafood is vanishing from menus nationwide.
Here in Sheepshead Bay, Randazzo’s Restaurant is feeling the pain. According to a CBS News report, owner Paul Randazzo said the price of Gulf seafood is rising as availability disappears.
Before the spill, certain seafood was readily available. “It’s ‘how many cases do you want?’ What’re you kidding? And I’m paying two dollars over market. And now it’s not so available, it’s ‘why don’t you try this, why don’t you try that’?” he said.
…
“The longer and longer this clean-up takes? I think the higher the prices of seafood is going to get,” Randazzo said.
Louisiana, the state most hurt by the spill, makes up nearly a third of the nation’s domestic seafood supply. Staples like shrimp, blue crab and oysters have taken the largest hit, caught up in the 30 percent of the state’s coastline that has been closed to fishing since the spill.
Smog over Manhattan and Brooklyn - Courtesy of urbanfeel via Flickr
Whenever I see a Notify NYC alert in my inbox, I half expect it to be announcing the end of days.
Usually, though, reality falls far short of my expectations, and Notify NYC is sending a note about low-flying planes or something banal going on nowhere near here (and that’s good… boring, but good).
Today, though, I got this one:
Notification issued 06/04/10 at 11:40 AM. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and The Bronx from 1 PM to 10 PM today. For more information visit the NY State DEC website at http://bit.ly/ddZ0rw
As one of its key proponents, Congressman Anthony Weiner has been all tied up since the health care vote passed in March. He’s been doing a lot of bouncing around, speaking to reporters, constituents and community groups; he’s established himself as the face of national health reform.
If you haven’t yet had the chance to hear the congressman speak, he’s hitting the ‘hood again tonight to discuss the effects of the bill, and battle a lot of the misinformation surrounding it. In our neighborhood, Weiner made few friends with his support for the bill; those against reform criticize any role in passing the bill, while those for reform are angered by the many compromises it represents.
No matter which camp you sit in (or if you’re in the middle), it’s not too late to have your say or pick the congressman’s mind. He’ll be at Kingsborough Community College in the faculty dining room at 6:00 p.m. He’ll speak briefly before opening up the discussion for questions.
