TWF 339: Air Quality Warnings To Continue Due To Canadian Wildfires

Update 1:  Freeport Schools are closed tomorrow, 6/8/2023.

 Hello, friends,

I hope you're all okay, and I do mean that sincerely because of the air quality situation we have on Long Island.  And New York.  And at least ten other states, if my recent weather report on News 12 was any consideration.

I have to keep this post kind of quick because I have appointments, but I wanted to put out a short thing about the air quality situation we're facing.  After all, if you've taken a look outside your window, you've probably noticed that the sky is orange and the air smells like smoke.

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation put out an air quality warning not just for today, but for tomorrow (Thursday the 9th) as well.  News Twelve (I watched their live broadcast, so I don't have a link) said this could continue not just until Friday, but until Saturday as well.

But what's causing this?

First off:  It's mostly global climate change.  That area of Canada is experiencing a heavy drought combined with higher-than-usual temperatures, although supposedly the big fires were accidentally created by Human fires.

But as to this specific event: To my absolutely-amateur understanding, the Jet Stream is pulling the smoke from major wildfires in Canada down through New York, New England, and other states.  Here's what the jet stream looks like at the moment.

Image taken from https://www.netweather.tv/charts-and-data/global-jetstream#2023/06/07/1200Z/jetstream/surface/level/overlay=jetstream/orthographic=-78.61,27.26,712

That lines up pretty well with the New York Times' smoke map:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/us/smoke-maps-canada-fires.html

And, thus, we can't breathe well.

There's not much we can do about it at this point, other than to consider that we need to fix our environment as much and as fast as possible to minimize the number of times this happens in the future.

Mitigation efforts include not going outside  as much as possible (So for the kids in school that means not having outdoor recess), closing windows, making sure air conditioner filters are cleaned out, and all that.

You could also download an air quality monitoring app to your phone.  The Weather Channel just told us that New York's in 355, which is among if not atop the worst in the world.

Be safe.

Jesse Pohlman is a Sci-Fi/Fantasy author from Long Island, New York, born and raised in Freeport.  If you're interested in his writing, check out his website here.

TWF 338: Some Goings-On In Freeport (Memorial Day, Nautical Mile Festival, Pride!)

Hello, friends!

Freeport's got some events coming up I thought I'd touch on real quick.

 - I know it's late notice, but tomorrow (5/29/2023) is Memorial Day, and that means it's time for the Memorial Day Parade.  The Parade will be held along Merrick Road, from Freeport High School to the Freeport Memorial Library.  Step-off is at 10:00 AM.  Many civic groups such as the NAACP will be marching, and the Freeport school bands will be playing.  May you all have a thoughtful Memorial Day.

 - The Freeport Nautical Mile Festival will be held on, well, the Nautical Mile on Saturday, June 3nd, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.  Traffic restrictions and parking limitations are definitely going to be a consideration.

 - On Saturday, June 10th, from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, Freeport will be hosting a Pride parade called "Pride On The Mile."

Jesse Pohlman is the editor and all-around show-runner for The Weekly Freeporter.  He's a Sci-Fi/Fantasy author born and raised in Freeport (Well, born at South Nassau, but that's about as close as it gets, these days), whose website can be found here.

TWF 337: May 4th School Board Candidate Forum To Be Held By PTA/League Of Women Voters.

 Hello, friends,

Really, *really* short little one, today.  It's pretty much all in the title, except for the time and location, but here goes:  The Freeport PTA is hosting a candidate forum for the school board candidates, to be moderated by the League of Women Voters.

The event will take place on Thursday, May 4th at Dodd Middle School at 7:00 PM EST.  I'd suggest getting there a little early to find a seat, just in case its crowded.  Sadly, it will not be livestreamed, but I encourage you to attend if at all possible, or to appoint a friend to bring back notes/thoughts if you can't.

Please remember that the election itself will be on Tuesday, May 16th - two school board positions are open, but we're also looking at a vote for the school (and, I believe, library) budget, so even if you can't be at the forum, you should definitely get out and vote.

Lastly, please remember that The Weekly Freeporter does not promote or endorse candidates for local elections.

The Weekly Freeporter is a no-longer-weekly publication by Jesse Pohlman, an author from Freeport NY.  Check out his website here.

TWF 336: Nor'Easter Inbound - Expect Some Snow

 Hello, friends,

Just a quick one to remind you (as if you didn't already know) that there's a Nor'Easter headed to New York.  Well, really to the whole north-east.

Here's a look at the current AccuWeather map:  

Now, there's no guarantee there's going to be a lot of snow.  In fact, it seems like there won't be all that much.  Still, here's a list of our usual winter weather advisory tips, though you might not need to get the car off the road for this one (? that's to-be-determined):

- Try to stock up on anything you need before the snow gets heavy.  It goes without saying that if you can't drive safely, if you can't move well, then you are at risk of getting injured while walking around, or crashing your car if you risk driving.  I know it's kind of an old motif, but get your "bread and milk" now.

 - Keep your pets and beloved animals inside!!!  They won't be able to move through two feet of snow any better than you will, and if the temperature is cold out, they can get sick or even freeze to death.  Have some compassion.  If you can, put out a large styrofoam box/cooler/something, stuffed with straw, for local stray cats/animals to take shelter in; in these days, compassion is a must.  If you've got some spare pet food, put that out - staying warm burns calories.

 - Help your neighbors clear the snow from their sidewalks if you can.  If possible - and I mean unless you absolutely cannot - clear out a 3-feet circle around your nearby fire hydrants.  (via TJ Johnson.)  Make sure to dress warmly, wear sturdy and stable boots, and take your time shoveling!

 - If the power goes out, be careful with candles! Nobody needs a fire!

 - Keep a cell phone handy; a battery-powered radio is a good idea, too.  If you need to report a non-life-threatening emergency, call the Nassau County line at 1-888-684-4274.  For medical emergencies ONLY, use 911.  Charge it up as much as you can as early as you can.

 - Get your car off the road!  Park your cars in your driveway, if you can. (Via FFD member Robert Volpe).  Village lots are typically available for public parking if you can't.

 - Try to have cash available!  In the event that there is no electricity to run credit cards or operate ATMs, you'll want to have money around if you need to pay for anything.

 - Once the storm is over, call your friends and family and see if they're alright!

Anyway, that's really about it.  Just care for each other and we'll be through this hopefully quick!

TWF 335: Lots Of Library Events Coming Up!

 Hello, friends,

A short one, today.  I've talked about the Freeport Memorial Library previously.  It's awesome.

I saw a post on one of the Freeport Facebook groups that I wanted to talk about.  There's a Freeport Camera Club meeting on Wednesday, January 25th, from 7:00PM-8:45PM.  That got me looking at the library schedule and, hooo boy is it busy!

I encourage you to look for yourself, but here are some highlights:

 - There are apparently multiple sessions of ESL (English as a Second Language) classes for those looking to learn English.

 - There's a social work intern, Kathleen Willig, who will be available at times to help people with any social services, such as emergency housing.

 - There are Yoga, Zumba, and healthy-living classes available, as well as substance abuse counseling.  It's good to have these things in our community!

 - There's a whole chess-club meeting!  I mean, I used to be big into chess.

 - There's even tween anime viewing sessions!

The bottom line is that there are some really cool programs going on, and they shouldn't be forgotten about!

Jesse Pohlman is a science-fiction/fantasy author born and raised in Freeport.  His novels are available through his website.

TWF 334: A Casino Complex To Replace The Nassau Coliseum?

 Hello, friends,

This'll be a medium-length dive, since news is still breaking on this issue.  Today, our county executive, Bruce Blakeman, declared proudly that Las Vegas Sands is entering into an agreement to build a mega-entertainment complex at the site of the Nassau County Veterans Memorial Coliseum.  

I...Have thoughts.

First up:

What Happened To The Hub?!

If there's one thing Nassau County needs, its homes for our children as they grow into adulthood.  With property values orbiting somewhere beyond the moon, it's unlikely that most just-turned-18'ers with full time, low-wage jobs are going to be able to afford to buy a house any time soon.  And it just so happened that the Coliseum site had 70-odd acres of undeveloped land around it.

The Nassau Hub was supposed to be the answer to this problem.

Developed by RXR, the Hub was billed as "a new suburbia," a "vibrant, walkable mixed-use downtown" in Nassau County.  There would have been a mixture of homes and employers, including an emphasis on research and development centers.

Now, I know the website for the Hub was threadbare and devoid of recent information.  It's latest bulletin was from around the 2019-2020 era.  It spelled a nice picture:  500 housing units (which, while not a lot, is still 500 more than we'd have had otherwise), a massive innovation center organized by Northwell Health, entertainment and retail opportunities, and more.

Unfortunately, the site seems derelict at best, with no updates past 2020.  Maybe that's just from CoVID putting the brakes on things?  Well, the latest news I have was that RXR was granted an extension on the project in September 2022.  RXR's website still lists the Hub as a project. 

...But the casino idea was suggested in December 2022?

This is weird.  Maybe the idea was floated and RXR decided it didn't want to be involved?  I can't tell, and a deeper dive is hard to accomplish at this time, but I'm open to tips.

So What's The New Plan?  And how can (will) it go wrong?

Well, there's a lot still to be determined.

First off, the casino everyone's using as the headliner is only 10% of the entire scope of this new version of the Hub.  But with Hofstra immediately adjacent to the property, how long will it be until we read a headline that states, "Hofstra student loses tuition at the roulette tables."  Having been a college student once upon my life (though I was at Hofstra's friendly-rival school Adelphi), I can confirm with 100% certainty that that time in one's life is not necessarily bringing the best impulse control.

Blakeman also says there will be "outdoor community spaces," although without the construction of actual housing in that area, it's hard to tell what that would mean.  Would it be a large park like nearby Eisenhower, open to all County residents?  Or, would this imply that the 500-or-so housing units planned for the Hub are going forward and there will in fact be a community?

Bragging about adding hotels is great (Freeport is pretty driven to build one on the Mile), but while that would certainly add some low-entry-point jobs to the area, it would put even more of a tremendous strain on our transportation systems.  Even when the Coliseum (whose fate in this affair is unknown, according to Alex Costello of the East Meadow Patch) was the only major draw to the area, traffic was known to back up on the Meadowbrook badly, and Hempstead Turnpike was often hard to navigate.  Now - picture being a car accident victim trying to get transported to nearby NUMC, or being a Hofstra or Nassau Community College (it's closer than I thought!) student trying to get to class on time.

I'm not going to dive into the conventional crime-based scare tactics against casinos.  I have no idea how much, or if at all, they effect nearby crime statistics.  I can't imagine it'll be a positive change, but it might not be so bad.  Or, it might.  I don't know that research, and that's a lot of statistics to dig into to get a concrete answer.  The concern is therefore acknowledged.  Do with it as you will.

So What Do I Think?

I think I was much happier with the original Hub solution than I am with what I've heard, here.  We need affordable housing in Nassau County.  We need to reduce our dependence on our already-strained transportation infrastructure.  We need high-paying jobs in cutting edge fields to attract and keep people in our area.  Long Island is getting older; a major Northwell Health research facility was a great idea to address the area's medical needs.

These plans are still in their early phases, of course.  Things could change.  Things are uncertain.  For all I know, they're going to build 1,000 housing units with this! No, hotel rooms don't count.  I don't know, because I don't think there's been much shared about specific developmental plans.

But I'd like to see an area of affordable housing mixed with a modest entertainment suite (so, renovate the Coliseum, I like that place), plus a healthcare facility, plus some green space.  I'm a big fan of green space, especially in communities that might not have much.

Therefore, I would say I am tentatively against this plan.  There's too many unknowns and too many changes proposed from the original Hub idea to consider it a spiritual continuation.  It's a total change.  It's not widely publicized.  It's too focused on spectacles like high-end hotels and casinos, and not on things our community actually needs.

Oh, and, oh my. I must take this swing - One more thing:  Why are the "crime is so awful!" Republicans like Blakeman suddenly backing a casino if there's any crime risk, at all...?

I bet there are rea$ons.

Jesse Pohlman is an author from Long Island, New York, with thirty years of that time spent in Freeport.  His website can be found at this link.

TWF 333: NYS Attorney General James Sues Numerous LI Care Centers

Hello, friends,

First off, happy holidays for whatever you might celebrate!  Hell - celebrate more than one, if you're so inclined!

Now, then, on to business.  As first reported on her Twitter account, as well as her official website, and talked about by Newsday (which is behind a paywall), New York State's Attorney General Letitia James is out and about with regards to enforcing laws about how the people caught in such a place's 'care' are supposed to be treated.

And, honestly, that's basically all there is to say about it, right?  For example, CBS News reported on the Cold Spring Harbor case, citing the case of one victim whose wounds were deemed too horrible for TV.  There's more reporting out there, as well.

The bottom line is, Long Island is slowly getting older, especially as young people are priced out of the housing/apartment markets.  According to The Rauch Foundation's Long Island Index, between 2000 and 2013 the 55+ age range grew by about 2%/year.  It's legitimately hard to find data outside of the Newsday paywall, but according to this image that trend has only continued:

What that means is that there are more people who need care in a care home than there are people who can provide it, and that number is constantly growing more disparate.  When the need for care increases while the supply of it decreases, corners get cut.  Does that mean the wanton cruelty James has cited is necessary, or excusable?

Absolutely not!

But it does suggest that we need to make certain shifts in our economic system, on all of the levels (Local, state, federal) in order to retain young people, train them in how to take care of those who need it, and provide them a good lifestyle so that they can survive & thrive on Long Island.  I've talked about some things we can change on the federal level, like Medicare For All, and creating a "Care Economy," but those are Federal solutions that seem infinitely far away.  Passing the New York Health Act would help on a State level.

And for those who might say, "Well, my taxes will go up and I don't wanna!" there are two things to mention:

1 - You'll probably save more money off of not needing to pay premiums/copays/out-of-pocket bullshit.

2 - You'll be happier when you're 70 years old, break your hip, and have a care team that's experienced and well-paid so that they'll be extra patient and helpful.

Jesse Pohlman is a sci-fi/fantasy author, political commentator, and occasional journalist born and raised in Freeport, New York.  Got a bookworm in your life you want to buy a holiday gift for?  Check out his website!