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L.B. teen struck by SUV is ‘improving’

Abdul Bird, the 14-year-old Long Beach Middle School student who was hit by an SUV while skateboarding on Lido Boulevard at Greenway Road on June 19, continues to show signs of improvement, according to his wrestling coach, Miguel Rodriguez.

“Abdul has been taken out of the ICU and relocated to the adolescent recovery unit,” Rodriguez said after visiting Bird on June 24 at North Shore-LIJ. “His condition is improving. He is responding to commands, but still unable to speak.”

After a visit from his wrestling coach last week, Bird was said to be moving his arms and legs, but was still unconscious.

“He opened his eyes for me and nodded his head when I asked him questions,” Rodriguez said.

Police said the incident occurred at 7:55 a.m. on June 19, when a 2011 Mercedes Benz travelling west on Lido Boulevard struck the eighth-grader, who was skateboarding east. According to 4th Squad detectives, Bird was taken to Long Beach Medical Center and then airlifted to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, where he was listed in critical condition.

He was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, and Nassau County Police Department spokesman James Imperiale said that Bird sustained a serious head injury. He was later transferred to North Shore-LIJ.

Schools Superintendent David Weiss said that Bird, a member of the Long Beach Gladiators wrestling team, was on his way to the middle school for a rehearsal for Wednesday’s moving up ceremony when the incident occurred. Bird’s family could not be reached for comment.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the student and his family and friends,” Weiss said in a statement. “We hope for a full and quick recovery.”

Bird’s doctors have declined to provide an update on his condition.

Alex Michelman, whose son was on the wrestling team with Bird, said that stretch of Lido Blvd. is particularly hazardous for students who walk to school because sections of the sidewalks …   More

The great Freddy Patacchia on the Quik Pro N.Y.

Shortly before Kelly Slater and Owen Wright went head to head in the final round of the Quiksilver Pro N.Y. competition on Sept. 9, The Herald caught up with pro surfer Freddy Patacchia of Hawaii in the lobby of the Allegria Hotel. He was so cool, he allowed us an interview right on the spot -- without any public relations people present. Patacchia -- who was eliminated in round five during his heat with Julian Wilson, but is currently ranked 23 in the 2011 ASP Men's World Title -- spoke about his experience during the ASP’s first competition ever held in New York and on the East Coast. Patacchia noted some early concerns among the pros in the months leading up to the event over whether there would be waves worthy of such an ASP tour. And, because Mother Nature delivered in a spectacular fashion last week, he said that he is confident the competition will return to Long Beach.

Herald: Everybody was talking about the waves early on, and a lot was made about how they may be a little too iffy for an ASP tour such as this. What did you think about all of that?

Freddy P: To be honest, coming here, yeah, the waves were a big issue, we weren’t sure if we were going to get waves or not. I’ve been to the East Coast a few times, but it turns out that we got great waves. Even with the weather, we don’t mind -- a lot of places that we go, it’s stormy and rainy -- and we’re basically used to that. So I thought we got some really great surf, and there was some really high performance surfing going on out there. For the most part, man, it’s been a great event.

Herald: For a pro such as yourself, what was your experience with the tour’s stop in Long Beach?

Freddy P: I’m having a great time, the city is great. It’s a big change for us because we’re always going to these little surf towns that are off the beaten path, so it’s nice to come here and have such great crowd support.

…   More

That’s The Way Things Are

Do You Want an Angel or a Devil?

 

Who do you want to end up with?

Angel vs. Devil. The continual battle…

Well, not quite to that extent, but the empirical premise holds true.  More accurately in this case, for us guys anyway, the party girl vs. the nice girl. For you ladies out there, the bad boy vs. the nice guy who treats you well.

I’ve had a number of conversations with friends on the topic over the last several years. The yield of those conversations, to an extent has surprised me.

Time to time, a friend of mine has told me that they’d like to end up with the bad boy or the party girl. This is kind of perplexing to me, frankly. I mean, the behaviors that go with those types of personalities aren’t exactly conducive to having a productive and successful marriage.

Going out and getting wasted, flirting with other people “just for fun,” the potential of having an affair, acting selfish in a variety of ways, etc. all are traits that to one extent or another go along with the bad boys and the party girls. How that lends itself to being an element of a positive and healthy relationship, well, I don’t understand.

And then there’s the nice girls and the nice guys who treat women well. They keep their behavior on the appropriate side of the line and behave toward their partners in a terrific way and are respectful, etc. They’re sweet and caring and genuinely care about their relationships and the person who’s in it with them.

Most of the time though when I’ve had these conversations with friends, they’ve gone with the “logical” answer, so to speak. Usually, they’ve said that they’ll go out with them, but just for some fun and not for something serious. Since as they’ve said, you don’t marry the bad boy or the party girl. And when actually considering a partner for life, they want the nice guy or nice girl.

Makes sense, right?

Now don’t get …   More

That’s The Way Things Are

What’s The Real Bottom Line?

I stopped by the drive through window at Burger King on my way home one day last week to use a coupon for a free four-piece box of chicken tenders (I needed a snack to hold me over until dinner… I eat a lot… gimme a break). When I arrived at the pickup window, I asked for an extra sauce, and I was told it would be 25 cents additional.

An extra 25 cents? For one lousy extra sauce? Really?

I know the economy is in the toilet and the bottom line for all companies has become ever more important and they’re all pinching pennies — even big companies like Burger King. After all, we’re in what’s most likely the worst economy this country has seen since the Great Depression (which started back in October 1929).

But, is it really necessary to be THAT frugal? With the bulk amounts that Burger King purchases EVERTHING in, relative to the amount of business they do, they surely get everything at an incredibly cheap per unit price, including those sauce packs they dispense. And while I, of course, have no precise numbers to go on, if each of those sauces cost the company more than two cents I’d be shocked.

I was listening to CBS News Radio during a drive home a couple of months ago, when they broadcasted a report on a new economic study. They said that the average American currently eats out approximately three times a week. With the poor economy, though, fast food chains are getting a lot of that business. So, with the traffic for those restaurants remaining relatively steady even in this poor economic climate, obviously, business isn’t that bad.

So where do companies draw the line between pinching pennies (literally, pennies, at times) and customer satisfaction and loyalty? In this economy, many companies are offering discounts on their products — whether it be clothing, electronics, or food — to generate increased revenue, while others take the opposite route and …   More

News

Town sues to stop consolidation

In June, the Nassau County Legislature approved a bill that would close the sewer plants in the villages of Lawrence and Cedarhurst and transfer their waste to the county’s facility in Bay Park. On Oct. 1, the Town of Hempstead board unanimously voted to sue the county as well as Lawrence and Cedarhurst in an attempt to stop the consolidation until state environmental agencies determine how the extra sewage processed by the Bay Park facility will affect Reynolds Channel, where the plant pumps treated effluent.

The plant consolidation would send an extra 2 million gallons of sewage per day to the Bay Park facility. The plant currently processes 60 million gallons per day, and the state Department of Environmental Conservation allows it to process up to 72 million gallons.

East Rockaway resident Connie Petrucci, who has been fighting the consolidation for two years, said she is glad someone is standing up for the residents of East Rockaway and Bay Park. “We are applauding the Town of Hempstead,” Petrucci said. “It’s the only government entity that steps forward to protect its constituents against the possible health hazards for the residents that live near the plant.”

Town Councilman Anthony Santino said that if the town wins the lawsuit, the county would be required to conduct an environmental review before the consolidation is completed. Santino explained that if the review concludes that the extra sewage adversely impacts the Western Bays — which extend from the town’s western boundary to the Suffolk County line — the county will have to upgrade the Bay Park plant before it begins processing more sewage. He noted, however, that the town does not have the power to stop the consolidation.

The environmental review, known as a Total Maximum Daily Load test, determines the amount of pollutants a body of water can handle without exceeding state water quality standards. But Ray Ribeiro, commissioner of the county’s Department of Public …   More