Safe Summer Recap

Dear Friends,

I wanted to take a moment to wish you a safe and happy Labor Day weekend and to update you on some important, family and safety oriented initiatives I and my staff worked on this past summer. Please take a moment to read about them, and have a great weekend!

Kids Safety Event

This event was held on the evening of July 22nd at Mary Jane Davies Park in Manhasset, directly across from North Hempstead Town Hall. Kids of all ages were be taken through a series of safety stations and at the completion were awarded with Ralph's Italian ices. Each station included an educational demonstration on a specific issue where kids received free activity books, pencils, stickers, bubbles, t-shirts, coloring books and more. Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department kindly stepped in and provided a fire truck, smokehouse and fire extinguisher demonstration.

Educating kids about fire safety, beach and pool safety, the proper way to cross the street, the safe way to ride a bike, the appropriate way to utilize the internet and what to do when approached by a stranger, among others, are just a few ways we can help make Long Island a safer place to live. It is the importance of events like this which help parents and teachers alike enforce good habits within our communities.
 

As a Nassau County Legislator, I have encouraged residents to observe updated bike safety laws, issuing statements regarding the laws and regulations for proper use of a bicycle, which included obeying all rules of the road, wearing a helmet if you are a rider under the age of 14, having the proper equipment and being safe when riding. Since being elected to the Senate, I have worked adamantly to keep kids safe by visiting elementary schools in the district educating 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grade students about Cyberbully prevention. Cyberbullying is when children or teens harass others their own age using computers or digital devices. It is a growing epidemic affecting children as young as 9 and is extremely difficult to control. Through educational literature for parents and educators, as well as in-classroom dialogue, I hope to create a safer atmosphere for children in the 7th Senatorial District.

This event was not only for kids, but for parents too. My staff and I put together a table solely dedicated to parents. It included emergency management information, Cyberbullying information, and a Child Safety Record that can be filled out with you and your child and placed in a safe and readily available location.

I would like to thank the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department, as noted earlier for their assistance in facilitating fire equipment and demonstrations; Sue Auriemma of Coalition for a Safer Manhasset for her presentation on Pedestrian Safety; Rori Benson and Ginger Leiberman, co-authors of Bully Frog, an educational book for elementary school students; Nassau County Red Cross for donating literature; and Nassau CERT for their informational brochures and dialogue regarding emergency management.

A special thank you goes out to Nassau County Police Commissioner Lawrence Mulvey; Chief of Patrol William McHale of the Sixth Precinct; Inspector Stephen Williams of the Sixth Precinct; and Deputy Inspector Thomas DePaola of the Sixth Precinct for facilitating Officer Robert Browne and Officer Peter Chuchul, who both attended and spoke to children and families about their roles protecting and safeguarding the community. 

Sun Safety

I have just recently announced the successful conclusion to my Summer Sun Safety Program.

During the months of June and July, staff members and I visited beaches, parks and pools across the 7th Senate District to hand out free samples of sun block and other UV protection, as well as literature on the dangers of prolonged sun exposure, and detecting the early warning signs of skin cancer. More than 4,100 free samples of sun block and sun-blocking cosmetics were handed out to residents during the program's duration.

I am proud of the work we have done reminding people to always keep safety in mind while having fun in the sun. I want to thank all of those who partnered with us for this important program.

According to the American Cancer Society, a vast majority of the more than 1 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosed each year are considered to be sun-related. Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, accounts for 59,940 cases of skin cancer in 2007 and more than 8,000 of the 10,850 deaths due to skin cancer each year. Sun Safety tables were set-up at Clinton G. Martin Pool in North New Hyde Park; Memorial Park and Nuzzi Field in the Village of New Hyde Park; Stewart Manor Pool in the Village of Stewart Manor; North Hempstead Beach Park (formerly Bar Beach), Manorhaven Pool and Blumenfeld Park in Port Washington; Steppingstone Park, Allenwood Park and Cuttermill Park in Great Neck; Whitney Pond Park and Mary Jane Davies Green in Manhasset; Christopher Morley Park and Pool in Searingtown; and the Park at East Hills in Roslyn.

The program was administered in conjunction with the Town of North Hempstead, the Village of Stewart Manor, the Village of New Hyde Park, the Village of East Hills, the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums, and the Great Neck Park District.

Craig