Heating oil companies get tough

With energy prices making it harder for the average American to pay gas and oil bills, you’d have to expect more people are going to fall behind on their bills.

However, it seems customers are changing oil companies when the debt mounts with other firms. And since oil companies do not send credit info to major credit reporting agencies, switching provides customers a chance to fill their oil tanks.

But, of course, oil companies don’t like it, and they’re cracking down.

Home heating oil companies in New York City, Long Island and Connecticut have begun using a customer tracking software called Oil Well that lets other firms know if prospective customers owe money to other companies.

From the Forbes story:

“In many cases, delinquent oil bills don’t get posted to the large credit-reporting agencies,” said John Maniscalco, executive vice president of the New York Oil Heating Association. “Given the current situation of the industry where bills are large and consumers are getting shut off, they tend to jump from one company to another.”

U.S. heating oil futures have shot up more than 60 percent from the same time last year, from $1.98 per gallon to $3.21.

The data-sharing software, called “Oil Well,” allows dealers to share information with each other about clients who do not pay their bills on time.

“We’re not a credit reporting agency — we don’t tell you to take them on or not to take them on. It’s up to you to assess the risk,” said Larry Smith, the founder and chief executive of Risk Assessment Data LLC, the consumer reporting agency that designed the software.

John Knief, owner of East Coast Petroleum, looked up a potential customer in Oil Well last week and found that he owed about $1,200 to two other companies, and then turned him down.

Getting greener

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy has named the latest county buildings to undergo a green makeover.

This time, the county is spending $1.07 million, along with additional monies to refurbish the following buildings with “green energy devices.

• Probations Building, Yaphank: The existing oil-fired water boiler and domestic hot water storage tank will be replaced with a 2 million btu condensing boiler and an indirect fired-water heater. National Grid has agreed to provide the new equipment at a discount to the county with installation slated for the end of September.
• Fire Academy, Yaphank: The water boiler and water will be replaced at this facility as well, with a 1 million btu boiler and heater. National Grid will provide the equipment, with work being expected to be done by the end of October.
• Building 831, Yaphank: The former Schraider Youth Home will receive a gas-fired condensing boiler and an indirect fired water heater to replace a failing oil-fired boiler and water heater. Installation is expected to be completed by the end of August.
• 4H Building, Yaphank: The existing oil-fired steam boiler will be converted to natural gas by the end of August.
• Surrogates Court, Riverhead: The air conditioning unit that serves the courtroom area will be replaced by December with a higher efficiency unit.

Levy said these fixes are part of the county’s global initiative to be more green and energy efficient. The county is working with National Grid, the Long Island Power Authority, the New York State Energy Research/Development Authority and the New York Power Authority to reduce emissions and control energy costs.

The county has also completed energy improvements at the Farmingville Health Center, is installing solar energy panels at the Suffolk County Police Headquarters in Yaphank and has implemented a number of green energy initiatives at the H. Lee Dennison Building.

“We might not be able to solve the national energy crisis on our own, but taking even the tiniest step toward increased energy efficiency is a further step in the right direction,” Levy said in a statement.

Clinton supporters, are you unified?

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s primetime speech at the Democratic National Convention last night was exactly what the party wanted: A call for her many supporters to throw their votes behind Barack Obama.

But since New York is Clinton country, LIBN wonders if supporters of our junior senator are convinced. Will you support Obama, or not? We’d love to hear from you.

FYI: Clinton supporters in Arizona are backing Obama.

From the New York Times story:

Mrs. Clinton, who was once certain that she would win the Democratic nomination this year, also took steps on Tuesday — deliberate steps, aides said — to keep the door open to a future bid for the presidency. She rallied supporters in her speech, and, at an earlier event with 3,000 women, described her passion about her own campaign. And her aides limited input on the speech from Obama advisers, while seeking advice from her former strategist, Mark Penn, a loathed figure in the Obama camp.

But the main task for Mrs. Clinton at the convention — reaffirming her support for Mr. Obama in soaring and unconditional language — dominated her 23-minute speech, and she betrayed none of the anger and disappointment that she still feels, friends say, and that has especially haunted her husband.

Declaring herself to be “a proud supporter of Barack Obama,” Mrs. Clinton urged Democrats to put aside their loyalty to her and unite behind Mr. Obama — or risk continuing Bush administration policies under the presumptive Republican nominee, Senator John McCain.

“Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose,” Mrs. Clinton said, beaming as the convention hall burst into applause. “And you haven’t worked so hard over the last 18 months, or endured the last eight years, to suffer through more failed leadership.”

She added, “No way, no how, no McCain.”

Paterson goes national for Obama

Gov. David Paterson had his chance to speak at the Tuesday session of the Democratic National Convention in Denver last night. And though he was only given five minutes to speak, he managed to pack in a story about his blindness and success thereafter, criticism of the current Republican president, criticism of the presumptive Republican nominee and a pledge of support to Barack Obama in that time.

From the New York Sun article:

The governor spoke shortly before 6 p.m. Eastern time to a convention hall that was mostly empty of delegates, but a New York contingent of several hundred party officials and activists greeted Mr. Paterson with an extended standing ovation and chants of, “David, David.”

“Thank you. My time is up,” the governor joked as he tried to quiet the delegation, cognizant of the brief time — less than five minutes — he had been allotted on stage.

His speech contained a mix of personal biography and criticism of the Bush administration and Mr. McCain, driving the message and themes that the Democrats have crafted for the four-day convention.

Reciting the story of his blindness — one that has become familiar to many New Yorkers in the past few months — Mr. Paterson attributed his life success to a combination of pluck and luck. “Whatever achievements I have made, I am always aware of how lucky I am,” he said. “There were people I knew who were smarter than me. There were those who worked harder and perhaps were more dedicated. But for the lack of opportunities, one of them would be standing here talking to you this evening.”

Mr. Paterson said his accomplishments were also a result of “the overall promise that this nation has made that if a person works hard enough he can make the most of their God-given talents.”

Pointing to high unemployment statistics for disabled Americans, he said the policies of the Bush administration had threatened the kinds of opportunities that allowed him to flourish.

“So the question in this race is, which of the candidates will make the change that will restore the promise of America? Well, let’s see, is it John McCain?” he asked, waiting as the New York delegation responded with a loud, “No.” “I’m shocked,” Mr. Paterson replied, characterizing Mr. McCain as an extension of the Bush policies. “So if he’s the answer, the question must be ridiculous.”

Mr. Paterson praised Mr. Obama as a man of “honesty” and “integrity.” He did not mention the candidate he had supported in the primary, Senator Clinton.

Levy pledges another road fix

A plan to fix a traffic bottleneck on County Road 58 in Riverhead is a little too backed up for Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy. The politician has therefore fast-tracked the $11.5 million for the project in order to move it along, merging two phases into one, the county said. The work will begin in the fall of 2009.

The plan will place a turning lane in the center of the road between Osborne Avenue and Roanoke Avenue as well as replace a single lane traffic circle with a two-lane traffic circle.

More details:

Levy will be submitting an amendment to the Capital Budget shortly that will advance funding for the planned second phase of the project into the initial phase, and allow the county to save approximately $1 million through economies of scale.

“This plan will allow us to quickly and cost-effectively address the traffic congestion along County Road 58 – The gateway to the North Fork — without having to wait for federal transportation dollars and without bearing the cost of land acquisition,” said Levy.

Riverhead Supervisor Phil Cardinale said, “ The Town appreciates County Executive Levy’s responsiveness and applauds the County’s decision to move forward with a prompt and comprehensive resolution of this critical issue.”

Levy said the plan will be built along existing right-of-ways, following a similar, widely-applauded approach used on County Road 39 on the South Fork.

While the work was initially planned as a two-phase project, Levy said that money will be offset into the CR58 project from another project that has experienced permitting delays.

Additionally, he said, favorable feedback from the New York State Department of Transportation about the proposed two-lane roundabout gave county engineers an added level of comfort to accelerate the project.

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Change is a good thing

Friends, Long Islanders, county executives, lend me your ears.

A recent barrage of comments assailing Suffolk’s deputy county executive, James Morgo, has led the scales of a long-entertained debate at LIBN over blog commenters to tip at last to one side.

The last issue had to do with “sock puppetry,” which is when one commenter posts several comments under different aliases in order to appear like he or she is leading a posse of like-minded individuals.

This has happened a lot.

LI Biz Blog is a newspaper-run blog, so as of today we are requiring commenters to follow similar rules to the ones papers employ in their letters to the editor pages. Users must register and be logged in, as well as have one approved comment, to participate in discussions on this blog. By doing this we can make sure people aren’t falsely representing themselves on this blog.

For example, it would be a disservice to our readers if we let County Executive Steve Levy write a letter to LIBN, under the moniker Awesome Bill, claiming Steve Levy’s ideas for Suffolk are the best-hatched plans the world has ever seen.

Lastly, the majority of commenters to this blog have brought sincere, intelligent and necessary discussions to this site. Please, don’t be dissuaded to register and continue to share your valuable inputs.

Discussion is critical to a good blog, which is why we want to ensure the integrity of the discussion.

Thank you.

New look at Stop & Shop

Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. is about to get a makeover.

Last weekend, the grocery store chain rolled out a new logo. On Long Island, many of the store’s locations will also soon include a Citizens Bank branch.

There’s more to come, according to this report out of Cape Cod.

Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. has redesigned its classic logo, but executives at the Quincy-based supermarket chain hope that’s not the only change that customers will notice.

Stop & Shop spokeswoman Faith Weiner said the new logo will accompany major changes to store interiors to give them a fresher, brighter look, along with added features and shopping options.

“The whole purpose of the new logo is it is a symbol to customers that there are exciting changes going on inside and we want them to come inside and take a look,” Weiner said.

The company has had most of the changes in effect at its Cohasset store since mid-July, and changes have already started to appear in other stores. The new logo will be unveiled on Stop & Shop’s corporate headquarters tower in downtown Quincy on Friday.

Weiner said the changes will be rolled out across the company’s 360-plus stores in the Northeast, along with stores in its sister Giant Food chain, during the next two years.

“Starting Friday, customers will see pieces of the new look in every store,” Weiner said. “It will take time before it’s fully in place in every store.”

Other changes that Stop & Shop customers and employees will notice include:

A wider variety of “fresh prepared” foods, including the recent rollout of rotisserie chickens in the stores.

At least one “family friendly” checkout lane that will not have candy or tabloid magazines, but will feature healthy snack alternatives for kids such as animal crackers and bottled water.

Stop & Shop and Giant are both owned by Dutch retail firm Royal Ahold N.V.

Jamming at the Arches

The Tanger Outlets at the Arches is slated to open Oct. 23 with … a concert?

Shopping center General Manager Curt Fickeisen said Tanger is talking to a local radio station about a promotional package that would include concerts on Friday and Saturday nights of opening week. If successful, the Babylon outlet center could host a few concerts each year.

Fickeisen wouldn’t say which radio station the outlet was talking to. Perhaps they can drag 1980s pop queen Tiffany back on the road. The former opening act in the 1989 New Kids on the Block tour made a name for herself touring shopping malls. Imagine this: The sun sets over Deer Park, teenagers hold hands and listen to Could’ve Been while sipping on coffee they bought at the Starbucks near the mall’s entrance. God help us all.

Separately, Fickseisen said about 50 percent of the mall’s stores will be ready to open on Oct. 23, with about 70 percent open by the holiday shopping season.

Fit to be King

The Democrats are spending the week waxing poetic about Jimmy Carter while trying to get Hillary Clinton supporters to recognize Barack Obama as their rightful nominee at the Democratic National Convention, but that isn’t keeping a Long Island Republican from making some news.

Rep. Peter King of Seaford says that John McCain should make the surprise pick and select Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut to be his running mate. Lieberman represented the Nutmeg State as a Democrat from 1988 to 2006. However, he lost a tight primary to a Greenwich millionaire because he supported the war.

Lieberman then went on to easily win the general election as an independent.

From the New York Sun:

With social conservatives up in arms over the possibility that Senator McCain may tap a supporter of abortion rights, Senator Lieberman, as his running mate, one staunch McCain ally and abortion opponent says the Connecticut lawmaker is the perfect choice.

Rep. Peter King, a Long Island Republican, said social conservatives are making a mistake by opposing Mr. Lieberman, arguing that the 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee could help deliver Mr. McCain the election in November. While ardent abortion foes have said the “pro-life” principle is too important to give up for the sake of political pragmatism, Mr. King turned the argument on its head, saying that electing an anti-abortion president in Mr. McCain outweighs the risk of a more conservative vice presidential pick that would ultimately lose to Senator Obama in November.

“They would be the ones morally responsible for electing a pro-choice president,” Mr. King said of Mr. Lieberman’s right-wing critics in an interview with The New York Sun yesterday.

His comments came as the Republican National Committee announced yesterday that Mr. Lieberman will address the Republican convention next month.

Fix this intersection, please

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy said today he allocated an undisclosed amount of money to fix the troublesome intersection of Smithtown Boulevard (County Road 16) and Rosevale Avenue (County Road 93) in Ronkonkoma.

The details:

As it currently stands, CR 93 is offset from Gibbs Pond Road by about 100 feet. Drivers going north from CR 93 to Gibbs Pond Road must make a right onto Smithtown Boulevard, followed by a quick left onto Gibbs Pond, causing both safety and capacity problems. The reconstruction planned for this intersection will line up Rosevale Avenue with Gibbs Pond Road along the CR 16 corridor, creating an easier transition from one road to the next.

“This reconstruction program will ease traffic on three heavily traveled roads in the town of Smithtown,” Levy said. “Perhaps even more important than that though is the fact that it has the potential to reduce accidents in this vicinity caused by the roadway’s current inefficient design.”

Levy’s latest resolution infused $450,000 into the $1.5 million project when it was approved at the August 19 general Legislature meeting. A contractor has already been designated for this project and construction will begin later this year.

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Fundraiser remembers lost pets

Several weeks ago, Save-A-Pet animal rescue president Dori Scofield lost her 11 companion animals in a tragic house fire. Now, in memory of them, Save-A-Pet will hold a fundraiser at Danfords Hotel & Marina in Port Jefferson on Sept. 9.

Here are the details:

There will be an open bar from 7-10 PM, Hors D’oeuvres, a buffet, wine tasting, live entertainment, raffle prizes, and more.

As news of this tragedy was learned, many of the thousands of families that Save-A-Pet has united with loving pets have reached out to the non-profit organization to see how they can help.  Ms. Scofield has asked that any donations be made to Save-A-Pet in the name of Gianni, her traveling companion and canine soul-mate

“We would like to thank everyone for all of your donations and prayers during this very hard time for us.  With your help, we hope to save more animals and to expand our shelter even further.”

For tickets to this event, a $50 donation is required.  All proceeds will go towards restructuring the shelter and installing new and safer wiring, and an alarm, so that no tragedy like this will ever happen at Save-A-Pet.  Tickets are available at Save-A-Pet in Port Jefferson Station or at Danfords Hotel and Marina.

An even greener Greenport

Will today mark the beginning of the next big big-box? Only time will tell.

Green Depot, a warehouse specializing in environmentally friendly home and building products, today opened its first Long Island showroom in the North Fork village of Greenport.

The Brooklyn-based company already has four other showrooms.

Much like a Home Depot or Lowe’s, Green Depot will work with customers to design rooms and purchase materials, only these designs and materials are intended to be a bit kinder to Mother Earth.

LIBN will have to make a visit out east.

From the statement:

The store’s general manager is Jim Holiber, who oversees all five Green Depot retail stores. He will oversee the six Green Depot staff members at Greenport, who all have extensive knowledge in eco-friendly building and environmental supplies such as those that will be on display in the showroom.

Green Depot offers environmentally sound and healthy home products and alternatives including zero-VOC paint, soy foam insulation and eco-friendly cleaning supplies. Green Depot is proud to feature products such as AFM Safecoat paints and finishes, FSC-certified lumber, UltraTouch natural cotton insulation and Moldex, to name a few. Green Depot also offers customers access to its 360 Network of qualified green experts and LEED accredited professionals.

Through their “Flip It Green” program, the Green Depot team works one-on-one with builders to take conventional blueprint specs and re-work them to offer better, healthier and greener alternatives on any project.

Boat race claims businessmen

Long Island’s top story today: An accident at a Patchogue boat show resulted in the deaths of two men, Kevin Graff, of Port Washington, and Phil Dejana, of Bayville. Dejana helped run Dejana Industries, a huge trucking, waste management and snow removal company headquartered in Port Washington.

Islip Supervisor Phil Nolan worked as operations manager for Dejana for many years.

From the New York Post story:

A speedboat racing off Long Island at 150 mph flipped over yesterday, killing both people aboard.

The driver lost control of the craft in the Great South Bay off Patchogue, shortly before 5 p.m., witnesses said.

It was taking part in The Battle on the Bay, a daylong series of races.

“It flipped backwards and landed upside down,” said witness Catherine Hogan.

Frank Buckley, who races speedboats, said he saw a spray two miles off shore.

“I knew something was bad down there,” he said. “You don’t get that kind of spray when you’re OK.”

Buckley said there were about 40 boats competing in the race and about 5,000 spectators.

“We were enforcing the security zone around the race and I noticed the water going everywhere,” said Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Jeremy Clouse, who was patrolling the race course. “One of the race helicopters dropped a diver who was able to get the emergency hatch open and pull the victims out.”

Alleged NYCB robber caught

If the cops got it right, we should expect to see a few less bank robberies now.

Authorities have nabbed a Mastic man they say robbed a New York Commercial Bank branch in Ronkonkoma as well as a Capital One branch in Blue Point.

From the EmpireStateNews.net brief:

Police arrested Edward Motl, 41, on a service road of the Long Island Expressway in Medford.

Minutes earlier last week, Motl had entered the New York Commercial Bank branch on Veterans Highway in Ronkonkoma and robbed a teller by giving her a note and making verbal demands in which he threatened the use of a gun.

He was charged with third-degree robbery.

Motl was also charged with third-degree robbery for the robbery of the Capital One Bank branch on Montauk Highway in Blue Point on August 15, 2008.

Where ya gonna find it?

If you’re like me — with no life at all — you’ve been wondering whatever happened to the ambulance in “Ghostbusters.” I’m telling you, this area of contemplation will keep you up nights. It can drive to you to sobriety. Don’t ask.

Thankfully, we have an answer. According to The Westbury Times the who-you-gonna-call vehicle will be featured at a three day event kicking off with a tailgate party August 23 at The Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City.

The C of A is hosting a fundraiser to establish a Long Island museum dedicated to all things internally combustible.

In addition to the ambulance, General Lee from “The Dukes of Hazard” will be there along with Knight Rider’s K.I.T.T. Oh, and the original Batmobile from the TV series will be available to be ogled. It must be holding up well since I’m sure it was made of cardboard.

More from the The Westbury Times.

George Barris, a.k.a the King of Kustom Cars and the mastermind behind some of the world’s greatest high-profile and one-of-a-kind movie and television cars, together with Andy Perillo and Mike Manning of NY Custom Coach, recently announced the establishment of the Committee for the Autoseum to create a museum for the preservation of some of the most famous vehicles of all time as well as serve as a vocational, educational and industrial center for future generations. Additionally, the non-profit Autoseum will incorporate restaurants, cafes and retail shops, a catering hall and media center for weddings, press conferences and theme parties as well an inter-active center featuring a showcase for the public with the focus on community and family-oriented events.

Indianapolis and the birth of the Sixties

Hit the road to Indianapolis to see the original manuscript of “On the Road,” Jack Kerouac’s masterpiece, which was the opening shot of the social and cultural revolution called “the 60s,” even though it was published in 1957. (Eras have little to do with exact dates, some historians argue. Some believe the 20th Century didn’t really start until the late European summer of 1914 when the guns of August ushered in a new kind of war and a new era of technology sweeping the 19th century away within days. And didn’t the 21st Century really begin September 11, 2001?)

LIBN recently did an extensive take on Kerouac’s life and times when he lived with his mother in Northport. By the time he settled on Long Island he was already famous, part of his legend supported by the novel’s original manuscript typed on one long continuous scroll.

In 2001, Robert Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts, bought the 120-foot long scroll at auction for $2.4 million, still a record for a 20th Century literary manuscript.

Irsay has given the scroll to his hometown Indianapolis Museum of Art for an exhibition running until Sept. 21.

Check out the video of the scroll being unfurled by curators at the museum, looking very much as Kerouac had imagined, making his words on paper look like one long road.

A theory we can all get a big bang out of

The only thing I remember from high school chemistry class is a measure, called a “mole,” that is expressed as 6.02214 times 10 to the 23rd power.

That’s so big, that if you tossed a mole of particles into the ocean, there would still be hundreds of thousands at the same spot a year later.

And better to have moles in the ocean than your lawn!

My knowledge of science is otherwise limited to stuff my brother-in-law told me. A former research scientist at MIT, he’s now building godknowswhat for the Naval Laboratory in Washington. Back in Cambridge, he focused on fusion, nature’s fundamental collision of atoms that powers the sun and, I believe, at least one of the hybrids on the market.

OK, I’m kidding about the hybrid.

Scientists are excited because if they could ever control fusion, it would provide a limitless supply of energy for the world, eliminating war and the Long Island Power Authority in one fell swoop.

My brother-in-law’s experiments involved a particle accelerator and some magnets, all cooled down with liquid nitrogen. The Pentagon was very interested because the process also can be used in beam weapons and, perhaps, as a means of putting a little energy into the civil service work force.

Fusion is not to be confused with fission, the atomic process that powers nuclear plants. Fission occurs when a single free neutron strikes the nucleus of what is called a “fissile” atom, such as uranium 235. The nucleus splits, sending off flying neutrons, which bang into more nuclei, which spin off more neutrons. This “chain reaction” was famously proven by Enrico Fermi way back in 1942.

A few years ago, French scientists discovered evidence of naturally occurring fission in a deposit of uranium in Gabon, a former colony on the west coast of Africa.

As we all know, uranium 235 atoms make up .720 percent of the earth’s crust. In Gabon, however, uranium samples constituted just .717 percent.

The deposit appeared to be at least two tons short of uranium 235, enough to make a half dozen or so nuclear bombs.

Terrorists? Yet another “Back to the Future” sequel? No. The lab coats eventually determined that the uranium had been used up in a slow-smoldering chain reaction that lasted hundreds of thousands of years and produced as much as 100 kilowatts of power – enough to power at least 25 toasters all at once.

I think we can all imagine the excitement that rippled through the ranks of French cercheurs!

And don’t worry Gabonians: This all started 2 billion years ago, and the dangerous plutonium isotopes spun off by the chain reaction have a half-life of just 24,000 years. It’s safe to work in the yard.

Now that I have you properly warmed up to this science stuff, I want to share some really startling news: Physicists have recently decided that gravity is actually an illusion.

Whoa, you say. If gravity is an illusion, how do we stay put on the planet, which is revolving at a rate of 1,000 miles per hour? More importantly, if gravity is an illusion, does that also hold true for the sag in my gluteus maximus?

Maybe, but let’s back up. It has long been believed that we live in a three-dimensional world – up/down, left/right and forward/backward. Now, quantum theorists are suggesting that all the particles and fields that make up reality are actually moving around in just two dimensions and that the third – which includes gravity – is some sort of an illusion.

The best analogy is a hologram, a two-dimensional object that, when viewed under the right lighting conditions, produces a three-dimensional image. It’s kind of like three-card monte with only two aces.

Scientists are hot to figure out gravity because it’s the key to determining what happened in the nanoseconds following the big bang that created the universe. This is the Holy Grail for physicists, and it’s not fully explained by quantum mechanics, string theory or even Einstein’s magnum opus, general relativity.

Quantum mechanics and general relativity are, in fact, often at odds. There are also gluons, black holes and negatively curved spacetime called de Sitter space to consider.

A piece I read in Scientific American simplified it this way: Imagine disks of hyperbolic space stacked atop one another, each representing the state of the universe at one instant. Physics operates strangely in such spacetime: a tennis ball thrown away from the center of the universe always falls back in a fixed period of time, while a laser beam can travel to the boundary of the universe and back in that same interval.

There, I think that sums it up nicely. If you understand any of this, please call me right away. Otherwise, I’m left with but two questions:

If gravity is an illusion, can you still toss a mole as far as the ocean?

Or would it only make the Sound?

Gaps in LIRR service this weekend

Be sure to check the train schedules closely before boarding the LIRR this weekend, as the final phase of the months-long “Queens Interlocking Switch & Signal Improvement Project” will be causing 48 hours of pain for anyone traveling between Mineola and Jamaica and Hempstead and Jamaica on Saturday and Sunday.

The MTA’s website has all the info, but basically, the best thing to do is not to take the train. That is, unless, you enjoy riding the bus.

The closures will affect the Hempstead, Huntington/Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma and Oyster Bay branches.

From the site:

Buses will replace some trains, other trains will be rerouted, and special schedules will be in effect. Special weekend timetables will be available at stations.

To avoid delays, customers should take other branches if possible, including the Babylon, Far Rockaway, Long Beach, Montauk, Port Washington and West Hempstead Branches. Special weekend timetables will be in effect.

We thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to complete this weekend’s work in the shortest time possible. We urge you to plan ahead by reviewing the special timetables or by calling the LIRR’s 24-hour Travel Information Center at 516-822-LIRR; 631-231-LIRR; or 718-217-LIRR.

Should he pick Hillary?

Sen. Barack Obama will at some point in the next 48 hours announce his choice for  vice president, and the speculations is filling up the Web.

The biggest name, Sen. Hillary Rodham-Clinton, seems the biggest long shot, but that didn’t stop the Daily News announcing its hope that Obama will pick the junior senator from New York.

Do you agree. Do you want our local politician, an one-time front runner for presidential nominee, on the ticket?

From the Daily News story:

Clinton is head and shoulders above the names that have been bruited about as being on Obama’s short list: Sens. Joe Biden and Evan Bayh, of Delaware and Indiana, and Govs. Kathleen Sebelius and Tim Kaine, of Kansas and Virginia.

Clinton has exponentially more support than any of them, as shown by the 18 million voters who cast ballots for her in the Democratic primaries.

She proved herself tough as nails through the long contest, and she outdoes the others in the heft factor.

Nassau gives back

Here’s another local industry struggling thanks to the flagging economy on Long Island and nationwide: non-profits.

As a result, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi announced today, along with EGC Media and other business leaders, the creation of a $1 million national media campaign to try to boost donations to groups such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island, Autism United, Rain Forest Alliance, Dress for Success, Art Start and others.

The media campaign, called CreateAthon, will encompass print, Internet and television advertising.

“Everybody has been hit in these hard times, but not-for-profits are really feeling the pinch,” Suozzi said in a statement. “These are the organizations that do humanitarian work. We can’t let them falter.”

Ripped off at the pump

Turns out high gas prices aren’t the only thing making you feel ripped off every time you fill up for gas.

At a time when gas prices are 32 percent higher than last summer, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo conducted an investigation that found one-third of Long Island gas stations surveyed engaged in deceptive practices.

Those practices include wrongfully surcharging credit card customers, as well as only listing the lower cash prices on street signs to lure drivers to the station.

Cuomo’s office inspected about 120 stations in Nassau and Suffolk and found that they either charged customers more for using a credit card or by only posting the lower cash price, they lured them to the station, where they were charged a higher price.

Under New York state law, retailers are not allowed to impose a surcharge on customers for using a credit card.

As a result, Cuomo’s office is sending “cease and desist” letters to 43 stations found to be engaging in these illegal practices.

“Today’s gas prices dictate fewer and fewer customers have enough cash on hand to pay the ‘cash-only’ price to fill up their tanks,” Cuomo said in a statement. “Therefore, it is inexcusable that business owners would use the lure of lower prices to entice customers and rip them off. These stations are breaking the law and they must immediately stop these deceptive practices, or they will be subject to further action by my office.”

Anyone that sees stations advertising cash-only prices and then indicating that credit card customers will be charged more should call 1 (800) 771-7755.

Tilting at windmills

Earlier this week, while at a clean energy summit in Las Vegas, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg suggested that the city could save some money and the environment by putting wind turbines on city skyscrapers, bridges and off the coast of Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island.

Turns out, however, that while it might be feasible to do it, it won’t actually produce that much energy.

In addition, much like the failed wind farm project off of Jones Beach that was rejected by the Long Island Power Authority, the up front costs far outweigh the long-term benefit. At least for now.

Instead, experts say solar power is the way of the future for New York. In April, LIPA released a request for proposals to produce 50 megawatts of solar energy on Long Island. That would be the largest source of solar power in the state and enough to sustain 6,500 households and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20,000 tons.

From the New York Times:

“The smaller turbines that he’s talking about almost don’t pay in terms of kilowatts per hour produced,” said Daniel Karpen, a Long Island engineering consultant who has studied the feasibility of wind power. “He’s going to need money to build them, and then you end up with a tremendous amount of red tape. It’s a nightmare.”

The thought of making the most of a clean, bottomless resource like wind is certainly an attractive one. But the challenges of harvesting that resource in a densely populated city like New York are manifold, which is why several initiatives to experiment with wind in recent years have not taken flight.

Skyscrapers would have to be designed - or retrofitted at great cost - to accommodate the extra weight, vibration and swaying of the turbines. Insurers would have to be persuaded that turbines are worth the risk. And New York is not a particularly windy city, so a few buildings facing New York Harbor might be the only sites that make sense.

Even if Mr. Bloomberg could find investors willing to build turbines capable of generating 1,000 megawatts of electricity, experts said, operators of the city’s grid would be able to count on only 100 megawatts, or less than 1 percent of peak demand.

Solar panels, by contrast, can be put on an array of structures and are active on hot, sunny days when electricity use is high. (New York is windiest on winter nights, when demand is low).

“New York is really a solar city,” said Anthony Pereira, chief executive of altPower, a company that helps design, develop and install solar and wind power and is a member of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, an industry group.

Mr. Pereira said that some solar panel installations could pay for themselves in four years, compared with as many as 25 years for small wind turbines.

Speaking on Wednesday in Washington Heights, the mayor said that his proposals for wind power were only the “very beginning” and that “if you don’t ask, you’re never going to find out” whether new ideas make economic sense.

“Windmills are no panacea for our problems, but they can help,” he said, a day after making his proposal in a speech at the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas. “No one thing will fix the problems we have created over the years.”

DiNapoli to audit Islip

The Town of Islip has asked the state to help look into its finances.

After Islip Comptroller Joseph Ludwig found a 30-year-old $3 million deficit amongst the town’s books, the town has called in state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli to investigate further.

DiNapoli, Ludwig and town Supervisor Phil Nolan announced today that DiNapoli’s office will complete an audit of the town’s finances, spokesman Robert Whalen said.

“The town wants us to take a look at his finances,” Whalen said. “We are going to come down there to take a look at it and do an audit.”

Stay tuned.

Forever Jets

The New York Jets today held their final training camp practice at Hofstra, ending a 40-year long bond between the football team and the university.

The team is relocating to Floreham Park, N.J., where it has built a new facility, much closer to East Rutherford, N.J., where the team plays. The corporate offices are also relocating.

Here is a link to the Long Island Business News video report on the move to the Garden State.

The Jets will keep their ties to Long Island, returning each year to play their green vs. white scrimmage. There’s nothing like watching offensive lineman take false start penalties while Kellen Clemens overthrows receivers in a practice game.

Radio is not dead

Do you want to be Richard Neer or Mike Greenberg?

Do you even know who Greeny is? OK, I digress.

Anyway, WBAB and WBLI, part of the Cox Radio group, are looking to hire college students as interns. In exchange, they will earn credits.

From the New York Radio Message Board:

Apply for a Fall Internship at WBAB/WBLI, a part of Cox Radio Long Island!

As an intern here, you will learn the ins and outs of radio through the Programming and Promotions Department.

Enjoy seeing all of Long Island during Promotional events with our street team, then rock out in the studio, while assisting a live DJ.

Spaces are limited so apply now:

Email resumes to Sean.Croft@coxradio.com

Specs:
15 hrs per week, flexible (consists of 1 studio shifts, 2 promotions gigs, and 1 office shift)
Can be given for college credit

Quick note: Mike Greenberg is a co-host of Mike & Mike in the Morning, ESPN Radio’s morning show. He likes the Jets. Good enough for me.

Another Spitzer appointment resigns

Deputy Secretary of Education Dr. Manuel J. Rivera resigned yesterday, the latest in a string of appointments by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer who has left state government.

Rivera was appointed by in January 2007 after a nationwide search. In this newly-created position, Dr. Rivera served as the administration’s senior education policy adviser, overseeing the implementation of Spitzer’s education reform policy including greater accountability and a more transparent school aid formula.

He is leaving to return to the private sector.

From Gov. David Paterson’s press statement:

Manny Rivera oversaw the largest infusion of state aid to education in the history of New York. Under his leadership, new education accountability legislation was developed which includes an unprecedented requirement that school districts with low performing schools must complete a Contract for Excellence detailing their investments in proven practices and programs. In addition, he provided oversight to the Commission on Higher Education which developed recommendations to build one of the premier systems of higher education in the nation.

“Manny has accomplished so much for the State of New York over the past eighteen months. In his role as Deputy Secretary of Education, Manny worked tirelessly to demand greater education accountability and provide meaningful reform. In the process, he oversaw the greatest infusion of education aid that our State has ever seen,” said Governor Paterson. “Manny has had a long and successful career serving New York State’s students. After devoting so much of his life to public service, I wish him the best in his future endeavors in the private sector.”

Paterson primed for primetime

First, he was all for Hillary.

Next, he changed his tune and decided to support Bam.

Now, he’s getting his shot at speaking at the Democratic National Convention.

Ladies and gentleman, the man, the myth, the legend: New York’s Gov. David A. Paterson!

Paterson, along with nine other Democratic governors, will be speaking on Tuesday, day 2 of the party’s Denver convention.

It’s the same night that Hillary Clinton is supposed to address the crowd. The theme of the evening: “Renewing America’s Promise.”

From WNBC.com:

NEW YORK — Gov. David Paterson will get a chance to speak from the podium at the Democratic National Convention next week in Denver.

Paterson will speak on Tuesday night along with nine other governors, a couple of senators, and a whole bunch of members of the House of Representatives. The theme Tuesday is “Renewing America’s Promise” and the prime-time slot Tuesday goes to Hillary Clinton.

Until this afternoon only one New Yorker (other than Bill and Hillary Clinton) was slated to speak, Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez.

New York Democrats had been quietly fretting that Obama’s team seemed to be punishing New Yorkers for supporting his rival Sen. Clinton.

A sad loss for the HIA

Ed Pruitt, past chairman of the Hauppauge Industrial Association, has died.

Here is the statement from the HIA:

Ed was a driving force on the HIA Board as both a leader and innovator.  He created and launched the HIA Manufacturing Revitalization Initiative.  He was passionate about manufacturing on Long Island, helping local companies obtain funds to operate more efficiently and creating opportunities in developing a skilled workforce. We are committed to continue that work.

His sense of “team” spirit was apparent whether he was “winning the ribbon” at the 2008 HIA picnic or dancing up a storm on the boat ride.

I feel very blessed to have worked with Ed in his last year as HIA Chairman. He was always a phone call away and always doing the right thing for HIA members and businesses alike.

Please join us in offering our prayers during this very difficult time to his wife Cynthia, son Matthew and the entire Pruitt family.  He is a friend that will be greatly missed by all.

Peace in Albany?

A deal to slash $500 million from the New York budget is close, according to this report in the Daily News.

Direct healthcare funding to hospitals and nursing homes would be spared as would money for the college tuition assistance program, education, and local government assistance.

While talks are still fluid, Skelos said member items for local projects and community cuts will be cut as will programs added to the 2007-08 budget.

Gov. Paterson, who called the Legislature back for a rare summer special session to address the state’s dwindling finances, had proposed cutting member items in half.

State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos said there will be no new taxes despite a push by Assembly Democrats to increase the personal income tax on millionaires.

“We’re not going to do any taxes,” he said.

Horsley’s for hybrid-only parking

Suffolk County Legislator Wayne Horsley wants to keep Suffolk County on top of the green wave, and stick it to big oil companies.

The Lindenhurst legislator has proposed creating “hybrid-only” parking spaces at 792 county office buildings and county-owned and operated facilities.

He is directing the Commissioner of Public Works to designate a minimum of 5 percent of parking spaces at all county facilities for exclusive use by hybrid vehicles.

If passed by the full Legislature, Suffolk County would be the first New York municipality to institute such an initiative.

It would follow the lead of the city of Los Angeles and Miami Beach in creating preferential parking for hybrids. Many private businesses such as IKEA, The Home Depot and Office Depot also have designated spots for fuel efficient cars.

Long Island’s RexCorp also recently announced that all its office buildings would include preferential parking for hybrid owners.

“This is less about rewarding hybrid owners, and more about saying to OPEC, through whatever means possible, be it local or otherwise, America is moving away from our gasoline addiction and towards a renewable future,” Horsley said. “This is just a small way for the county to say we want to support those who don’t support big oil.”