State Senator Shirley Huntley Arrested and Charged with Corruption...

State Sen. Shirley Huntley, a Queens Democrat, was arrested earlier today on charges of corruption, falsifying business records, tampering with an investigation and running a "sham" education nonprofit, according to state investigators.

Ms. Huntley, 74, turned herself into Nassau County officials earlier today after holding an unusual press conference Saturday to say she expected to be arrested.

The joint investigation was announced by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a former Senate colleague of Ms. Huntley's, and Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli as part of their Joint Task Force on Public Integrity initiative.

The two state officials said Ms. Huntley, two of her aides and a third individual used the nonprofit to bilk taxpayers of almost $30,000. Parent Workshop Inc., founded by Ms. Huntley, was used to allegedly funnel public money to her aide Patricia Savage and Lynn Smith, her niece, according to the indictment. Ms. Savage and Ms. Smith are accused of pocketing $29,950 from discretionary money allocated by Ms. Huntley.

Ms. Huntley provided documents to the attorney general and Department of State that claimed Parent Workshop had used the money to hold workshops and conduct community outreach. But Mr. Schneiderman and Mr. DiNapoli claim the documents were forged and that the nonprofit existed only on paper.

One piece of evidence displayed by the attorney general was a handwritten letter that Mr. Schneiderman said served as a template for a falsified, backdated letter from the Southern Queens Park Association, a separate nonprofit. The superseding indictment also charges David Gantt, a consultant, with falsifying documents to claim that he was paid in cash for conducting workshops for Ms. Huntley's nonprofit.

"The individuals who schemed to profit at the taxpayers' expense and cover it up will be held accountable," Mr. Schneiderman said in a statement.

Mr. DiNapoli added: "Public service is a privilege and a trust that should never be violated."

Senate Democratic leader John Sampson released a statement soon after the indictment to announce that he had stripped Ms. Huntley of her committee ranking and leadership positions, effective immediately.

Ms. Huntley's indictment marks the first time Mr. Schneiderman has brought charges against a member of the state Legislature since he took office in January 2011. Mr. Schneiderman and Mr. DiNapoli both served in the Legislature before taking their current posts. At a press conference Monday, Mr. Schneiderman claimed this was the first time an attorney general had filed charges against a sitting lawmaker in New York state.

Ms. Huntley's spokeswoman said her indictment was politically motivated. The senator is facing a primary challenge from City Councilman James Sanders and another Democrat on Sept. 13.

"Senator Huntley maintains her innocence and believes in our judicial system, and will be exonerated on all charges," a spokeswoman said. "The fact this came out weeks before the primary election is no coincidence."

Broken Pipe Endangers Fresh Water Pond at Preserve

Dan Mundy Jr. of the Jamaica Bay EcoWatchers views broken pipe allowing salt water to enter fresh water pond at the Jamaiaca Bay Wildlife Preserve...

A busted drain pipe and valve system is slowly ruining the ecology of Jamaica Bay, driving away birds that usually breed along two freshwater ponds.

The freshwater ponds, located in Broad Channel near the entrance to the Gateway National Recreation Area, are filling up with salt water from Jamaica Bay.

Local environmentalists are calling on the National Park Service to move quickly on a project that would replace the decades-old drainage and valve systems on the ponds.

“It cannot be overstated how critical this is to the ecology of the bay,” said Dan Mundy Jr. of the Jamaica Bay Eco-Watchers. “This is such a unique area because it includes wetlands and freshwater ponds.”

Mundy pointed out the ponds were part of a master vision and design by then-Parks Commissioner Robert Moses for the Jamaica Bay area.

The mix of freshwater and wetlands draws a large number of wildlife and the site is a haven for bird watchers.

“It’s been unbelievably successful and drawn praise from everyone,” said Mundy. “We want it fixed so it will be around for future generations.”

Don Riepe of the American Littoral Society said several species of freshwater birds, such and American Coot, Least Bittern and Common Moorhen, will no longer breed in the salt-filled West Pond.

The National Park Service, which oversees the Gateway National Recreation Area, admits money is tight for the project.

Workers have patched up the systems at both ponds. But a longer-term replacement project is needed.

“Although funding to fully fix the pipeline is not yet available, routine maintenance will help maintain the original system so that birds and bird watchers alike can continue to enjoy the ponds,” the National Park Service said in a statement.

Rep. Bob Turner (R-Rockaway) said his office has been lobbying the Park Service to find the funding for a $1 million valve and pipe replacement project.

It has been included in a five-year plan for Gateway, contingent on congressional funding.

“We have and will continue to push to make this a budget priority with the National Park Service and the Obama administration,” Turner said. “We are going to continue to work with all of the offices involved to resolve the issue.”

Riepe pointed out that the salinity — or salt content — of the West Pond is now the same as that of Jamaica Bay.

“They say this is the jewel of Gateway,” he said. “Then they should prioritize it and get it fixed.”

Above Average Snow Predicted For The Coming Winter Season....

Following a snow drought during winter 2011-2012, the mid-Atlantic and southern New England will get a snow dump this winter.

Above-normal snowfall is forecast for the major I-95 cities, including New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., during winter 2012-2013.

Normal Seasonal Snowfall for the I-95 Cities

City	Normal Snowfall Amount
New York City	25.1 inches
Philadelphia	22.8 inches
Baltimore	20.2 inches
Washington, D.C.	14.6 inches

Normal snowfall amounts from the National Weather Service.

"The I-95 cities could get hit pretty good. It's a matter of getting the cold to phase in with the huge systems that we are going to see coming out of the southern branch of the jet stream this year," AccuWeather.com Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said.

The cold is expected to phase with the big storms during January and February with the potential for large snowstorms to make headlines and create travel headaches in the major cities.

Threat of Severe Thunderstorms and Heavy Rain Tomorrow....

A vigorous disturbance has the potential to bring severe thunderstorms across our area here in Broad Channel tomorrow with heavy rain continuing through Saturday.
Heat and humidity will build across the region into the end of the week to help fuel the stormy weather.

Strong winds can lead to downed trees and power outages across the region, while torrential downpours can produce flash and urban flooding.

SOLAR SUMMER ENDS TODAY....

Solar summer is the three-month period with the most sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere. This period begins during the first week of June and ends the first week of August. In the weeks that follow, we will notice a marked decrease in the daylight period and a gradual lowering of the sun in the sky....Yes, it's still going to be warm!