Tomorrow (Sat Jun 1) marks the start of the 2013 Atlantic basin Hurricane season.

Hurricane Preparedness - Watches & Warnings

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Understanding the difference between National Weather Service watches and warnings is critical to being prepared for any dangerous weather hazard, including hurricanes.

A watch lets you know that weather conditions are favorable for a hazard to occur. It literally means "be on guard!" During a weather watch, gather awareness of the specific threat and prepare for action - monitor the weather to find out if severe weather conditions have deteriorated and discuss your protective action plans with your family.

A warning requires immediate action. This means a weather hazard is imminent - it is either occurring (a tornado has been spotted, for example) - or it is about to occur at any moment. During a weather warning, it is important to take action: grab the emergency kit you have prepared in advance and head to safety immediately. Both watches and warnings are important, but warnings are more urgent.

Hurricane / Tropical Storm Alerts

• Tropical Storm Watch: An announcement that tropical-storm conditions are possible within the specified area.
• Hurricane Watch: An announcement that hurricane conditions are possible within the specified area.
Because outside preparedness activities become difficult once winds reach tropical storm force,watches are issued 48 hours in advance of the anticipated onset of tropical-storm-force winds.
Action: During a watch, prepare your home and review your plan for evacuation in case a Hurricane or Tropical Storm Warning is issued. Listen closely to instructions from local officials.

• Tropical Storm Warning: An announcement that tropical-storm conditions are expected within the specified area.
• Hurricane Warning: An announcement that hurricane conditions are expected within the specified area.
Because outside preparedness activities become difficult once winds reach tropical storm force,warnings are issued 36 hours in advance of the anticipated onset of tropical-storm-force winds.
Action: During a warning, complete storm preparations and immediately leave the threatened area if directed by local officials.

• Extreme Wind Warning - Extreme sustained winds of a major hurricane (115 mph or greater), usually associated with the eyewall, are expected to begin within an hour.Action: Take immediate shelter in the interior portion of a well-built structure.

Additional Watches and Warnings may be issued to provide detailed information on specific threats such as floods and tornadoes. Local National Weather Service offices issue Flash Flood/Flood Watches and Warnings as well as Tornado Warnings.

Air Quality Alert Alert Issued by N.Y.S. D.E.C.

THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION HAS
ISSUED AN AIR QUALITY HEALTH ADVISORY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

RICHMOND...KINGS...QUEENS...NEW YORK...BRONX...WESTCHESTER...ROCKLAND.

IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING.

AIR QUALITY LEVELS IN OUTDOOR AIR ARE PREDICTED TO BE GREATER THAN
AN AIR QUALITY INDEX VALUE OF 100 FOR THE POLLUTANT OF GROUND LEVEL
OZONE. THE AIR QUALITY INDEX...OR AQI...WAS CREATED AS AN EASY WAY
TO CORRELATE LEVELS OF DIFFERENT POLLUTANTS TO ONE SCALE. THE HIGHER
THE AQI VALUE, THE GREATER THE HEALTH CONCERN.

WHEN POLLUTION LEVELS ARE ELEVATED...THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH RECOMMENDS THAT INDIVIDUALS CONSIDER LIMITING STRENUOUS
OUTDOOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ADVERSE HEALTH
EFFECTS. PEOPLE WHO MAY BE ESPECIALLY SENSITIVE TO THE EFFECTS OF
ELEVATED LEVELS OF POLLUTANTS INCLUDE THE VERY YOUNG, AND THOSE WITH
PRE-EXISTING RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS SUCH AS ASTHMA OR HEART DISEASE.
THOSE WITH SYMPTOMS SHOULD CONSIDER CONSULTING THEIR PERSONAL
PHYSICIAN.

YARD SALE Fundraiser - Broad Channel VFW Prince-Wynn Post 260 Saturday & Sunday

Take The "A" Train...Danny Ruscillo did!

Danny Ruscillo Jr., President of the 100th Police Precinct Community Council, took the "A" Train earlier today when Rockaway service resumed around noon!

He was accompanied by none other than the great Duke Ellington!

Horseshoe crabs are mating like crazy in Jamaica Bay, attracting poachers and onlookers

Horseshoe crabs are mating like crazy in Jamaica Bay, attracting poachers and onlookers 

BY MARK MORALES / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013

When Martin Schreibman heard that four men were arrested for poaching horseshoe crabs in Jamaica Bay, the local sea creature expert wasn’t surprised.

This is, after all, this is the time of the year when the crabs — so-called living fossils who’ve been on the planet for 420 million years — emerge from the surf to engage in a frenzy of copulation that litters the beach with interlocked chelicerate for miles.

“It’s like an orgy,” said Martin Schreibman, marine biologist with Brooklyn College who has been called “the sex god” in several local papers.

“You can’t miss them. You see them right at the edge of high tide,” said Schreibman about the horny horseshoe crabs in heat.

On Monday cops nabbed two men for allegedly stealing 200 horseshoe crabs from Jamaica Bay. The men were likely planning to drain the animals of their blood, which is prized for medical research.

“I'm not surprised they were stealing them. I’m surprised they were caught,” said Schreibman. “There is no protection. You can go to the beach and take as many as you want.”

The arrests were a bit of a fluke. An NYPD helicopter crew conducting night-vision exercises spotted four men taking the sword-tailed creatures from the shoreline of a small island known as the Ruffle Bar and throwing them into 35-foot motor boats. Two men escaped.

Schreibman said more enforcement is needed to keep the horseshoe crabs safe and on the shore.

The U.S. Park Police said it would step up patrols along the beach to stop poachers from their illegal horseshoe crab harvest.

So far, six poachers have been arrested in the last two years, including two who tried to speed away with 950 horseshoe crabs.

“It’s like a target of opportunity,” said police spokesman, Lt. David Buckley. “[Horseshoe crabs] happen to be here right now so this is what they’re after.”

Meanwhile, Schreibman said he’s still in awe while he trolls the shore spying the group sex show.

When they mate, larger male crabs hold down the female crabs using two boxing glove-like appendages. Several males typically copulate with each female.

Each lady crab has 80,000 eggs that can be fertilized over several mating cycles during the season. The females deposit their fertilized eggs in the sand. When the offspring are born, they’re carried out to see on the tide.

“When you see thousands of them right on the shore it’s incredible,” said Schreibman. “It’s a biological phenomenon.”

DOT on West 12th Road re: new bulkhead

                   

Representatives from DOT and DDC were present on West 12th Road assessing the end of block outfall regarding the pending installation of a new bulkhead later this summer.

Thank You Guardians of Rescue....

"The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!"

Dolce

5/25/2013

On Saturday, May 25, 2013, Erika and Frank from the Guardians of Rescue delivered the newest member of our household here at 55 West 12th Road.

"Dolce" is a one and a half year old pit mix female who was rescued from an abusive household where she was forced to remain outside at all times in all sorts of weather and was starving to death.

Even worse, her owners would burn her face with lit cigarettes.

Erika and Frank rescued "Dolce" and spent 3 months helping her regain weight and recuperate from her abuse and ultimately delivered her to our family here on West 12th Road where she is happily getting along with myself, Grace, Amy, Vicki and our

other dog "Zack"...
our cat "Louie",
our Rabbitt Belle...
our two Guinea Pigs, Tom and Jerry, and
our Turtle, "Crush"

[we had two white rats but I haven't seen them for awhile...]

The above picture says it all!


.



  

Horsehoe Crab Rustling at Ruffle Bar!

Horseshoe crabbers busted in Jamaica Bay poaching: cops

Two Brooklyn men — Robert Wolter, 28 and Joseph Knauer, 33 — have been charged with fishing for the protected bottom-dwelling arthropod.

BY THOMAS TRACY / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013

Marine Biologist Dr. George Frame holds a horseshoe crab, which is considered an endangered species, by Jamaica Bay at Gateway National Recreation in Breezy Point, Queens.

These guys are criminals with a tough shell.

Cops cuffed two men they say were stealing 200 horseshoe crabs from a Jamaica Bay island Monday night.

An NYPD helicopter crew conducting night-vision exercises spotted four men taking the sword-tailed creatures from the shoreline of a small island known as the Ruffle Bar and throwing them into two 35-foot motor boats anchored nearby about 10 p.m.

For the next 40 minutes, cops trailed one of the Carolina skiffs to Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.

They caught suspects Robert Wolter, 28, and Joseph Knauer, 33, both of Brooklyn, loading the crabs into a large plastic tub on Emmons Ave., police said.

Cops handed Wolter and Knauer over to the U.S. Parks Police, who charged them with taking wildlife without a permit and disturbing wildlife breeding practices

The two men in the second boat were still at large Tuesday.

It was unclear why Wolter and Knauer were collecting the creatures, which can reach 2 feet in length and weigh up to 10 pounds.

The Flood Insurance Implementation Reform Act of 2013

Congressman Cedric Richmond and Louisiana Delegation Introduce Flood Insurance Legislation

Congressman Cedric Richmond (LA-02), along with Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) and Members of the Louisiana delegation, have introduced The Flood Insurance Implementation Reform Act of 2013 - H.R. 2199...113th Congress. 

This bipartisan legislation will improve the National Flood Insurance Program by ensuring that the implementation of new rates do not burden homeowners or slow the recovery of our housing market.

“A consistent, affordable flood insurance program is critical to the U.S. economy, especially for areas recovering from recent flooding,” said Rep. Richmond “The Flood Insurance Implementation Reform Act delays certain provisions of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 to make sure flood insurance rates don’t burden homeowners and home sales can move forward. The bill also makes sure FEMA is working with local communities to draft the most accurate flood maps possible – a fix that is sorely needed for many Louisiana communities.  I am extremely proud to work with Representative Waters on such important legislation that will help so many homeowners across the country.”

Original cosponsors include: Congressman Steve Scalise (LA-01), Congressman Bill Cassidy (LA-06), Congressman Rodney Alexander (LA-05), Congressman Charles Boustany (LA-03), Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), and Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-06).

“Since FEMA clearly is not ready to enact Biggert-Waters in a way that is fair and affordable for families in Southeast Louisiana, I’m proud to help lead the charge to delay the implementation of this Act as we work to fix these flawed changes to ensure the affordability and solvency of the flood insurance program for current and future generations,” said Rep. Scalise.“Louisiana families deserve a clear and full understanding of the upcoming NFIP changes and FEMA's inability to provide this information has jeopardized the viability of the entire program.”

“In April, I sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Fugate demanding transparency from FEMA. Today, along with Representative Richmond, I’m co-sponsoring bi-partisan legislation which would codify that request into law and allow for enough time for Congress and FEMA to ensure flood insurance rates remain reasonable,” said Rep. Cassidy. “While these are important initial steps, much more needs to be done to protect the homeowners of Louisiana. To that end, I will be working with Leadership and the Chairman of the relevant committees to develop a comprehensive long-term strategy to accomplish flood insurance reform.”

“This bill will protect countless homeowners from sudden, devastating hikes to flood insurance premiums, and will provide other common-sense clarifications to the Biggert-Waters Food Insurance Reform Act,” said Rep. Alexander.  “I am proud to join the other sponsors of this legislation, and urge prompt consideration by the House, so unnecessary hardships on many households and communities are averted.”

The Flood Insurance Implementation Reform Act of 2013 would:

·                       Delay the “sale requirement” in Sec 205 (g)(2) for five years allowing homes to be bought and sold without rate increases. *The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 directed FEMA to charge actuarial rates to new home buyers.  This has had an adverse effect on real estate markets, as sellers want to keep their existing rates and buyers don’t want to pay new, higher rates. Under this bill, new home buyers would keep the rate of the previous owner.

·                       Delay increases to grandfathered rates under Sec 207 for three years *Section 207 of BW12 directs FEMA to increase rates over a five year period on any community that receives a revised or new flood map.  The bill would delay implementation of Sec 207 for three years, allowing FEMA and Congress the opportunity ensure the affordability of this provision.

·                       Eliminate the 50% cap on state and local contributions, encouraging local investment in flood mitigation measures. *Currently, while federal expenditures on these activities are counted toward a community’s eligibility for these reductions, there is a cap on the amount of state and local funds that can be included in this calculation.

·                       Allow FEMA to use other money in their budget to complete the currently required flood insurance affordability study and require that they notify Congress within 60 days of an alternative method of gathering this data. * Currently, TheBiggert-Waters Food Insurance Reform Act of 2012 directs FEMA and the National Academy of Sciences to complete a study of the affordability of flood insurance nine months after enactment of the law.

·                       Require FEMA to account for non-structural flood mitigation features in Flood Insurance Rate Maps. It would also require FEMA to work with states and local communities and property owners to identify these features. *Currently FEMA only acknowledges levees on flood maps that provide a 100 year level of flood protection. While FEMA is currently drafting rules for how non-accredited (below 100 year protection) levees should be included in flood maps, they don’t fully account for non-structural flood mitigation features like forests, marshland and other natural features.

The above bill was introduced on May 23, 2013 and referred to the House Commitee on Financial Services that same day.

Broad Channel Memorial Day Parade - 2013

[View Slide Show - Click Here]

What is it? - Yellowish border surrounding ponded water throughout the neighborhood.

For the past several days I have been noticing a yellowish border surrounding the ponded water in front of my house on West 12th Road.  Initially I assumed it was the result of some sort of "run off" from further up the block.

Yesterday I observed this same type yellowish border surrounded standing water on blocks throughout Broad Channel.  Can't be run off isolated to West 12th Road as it is all over town so now I an scratching my head wondering what the heck it is.

Early this morning I observed the same condition to be present in areas where water had ponded in Howard Beach and Ozone Park. 

Now this condition has really piqued my interest so I took a sample home with me and upon closer examination I reached an assumption, albeit a non-scientific one, that the yellowish substance is pollen!

My assumption in this regard was strengthened when a neighbor stopped by this morning whose eyes were red and red and swollen.  When I asked him what was the matter he exclaimed - "It's my allergies, didn't you notice all the pollen in the water on our streets?"

Right now I am going to go with the "pollen" cause of this issue, unless someone has any other ideas?

This week's WAVE - Schumer Backs New Effort To Fight Flood Premiums

Schumer Backs New Effort To Fight Flood Premiums

[From The WAVE]

Senator Charles Schumer announced support for the Strengthen, Modernize, And Reform The (SMART) National Flood Insurance Program Act which would stave off looming flood insurance premium increases until six-months after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) conducts an “affordability study” on the impact of rate changes expected under recent changes to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

The legislation was introduced by Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. The affordability study would specifically investigate whether homeowners could afford the rate changes and what can be done to make the program more affordable. The data provided by the study and the six month window will give Congress the time and information to make potential changes to the NFIP. Right now, premium increases could go into effect before the affordability study is even completed.

“This legislation would ensure that flood insurance premiums are not allowed to go up until we know for sure what impact they will have on communities and individual homeowners, and can take action to blunt the impact. Congress passed legislation to stabilize the National Flood Insurance Program, but intended for the affordability study to be completed before premiums changed, so that necessary changes in the law could be made. This legislation ensures that Congress will have the necessary time and data to make changes to NFIP before any premium increases go into effect, so communities aren’t overwhelmed and property values aren’t decimated,” said Schumer.

Currently, New York City is in the midst of having its flood maps revised and updated by FEMA, which will require many new homeowners to acquire or strengthen their flood insurance. The next version of the maps – still subject to change – are likely to be issued within the next two weeks.

The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act includes a provision that requires FEMA to conduct an affordability study of the higher premiums and their impact on homeowners, as well as to make recommendations to Congress on ways to maintain affordability through targeted assistance. Although the study was due on April 6th, it has yet to be commenced by FEMA. Under current law, premiums could go up before the affordability study is completed, which is at odds with congressional intent.

Schumer originally supported a similar amendment, filed by Landreiu in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The amendment was blocked from receiving a vote and “unanimous consent” is required for the Senate to vote on an amendment.

The SMART National Flood Insurance Program Act will:  Delay premium increases until six months after FEMA’s affordability study is submitted to Congress.  Expedite FEMA’s affordability study. To expedite this, the legislation permits FEMA to use available funds outside of the National Flood Insurance Fund to complete the required study and makes a technical change to the affordability study to ensure the timely completion of the study.  Allow properties currently receiving a subsidized rate to keep that rate when sold.  Study voluntary community-based flood insurance options which could provide communities with the option to purchase blanket policies for all properties in their communities or a portion of their communities. This could allow for communities to offer more affordable insurance policies to their residents and provide greater incentives for community wide migration activities.  Eliminate penalties on communities for self-financing flood protection. FEMA’s AR and A99 flood-zone categories provide more affordable flood insurance to qualifying communities in the process of flood protection projects. Currently, while flood expenditures on these activities can be fully counted toward community eligible calculations, there is a cap on the amount of state and local funds that may enter this calculation. Proactive communities who are sharing cost burdens with the federal government for flood protection should not be penalized for self-financing these projects. This bill will eliminate the 50 percent cap on state and local contributions to these projects.  Federally funded new construction is currently prohibited in V-zones. In some situations, new construction should be permitted in the V-zone when relocation is impractical, provided the facilities are built to strict, established flood protection standards. These facilities will also be subject to a FEMA evacuation plan to promote the safety of the persons who occupy or access them.

NOAA predicts active 2013 Atlantic hurricane season

NOAA's Climate Prediction Center released its 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season outlook earlier this afternoon.....

NOAA predicts active 2013 Atlantic hurricane season

Era of high activity for Atlantic hurricanes continues

May 23, 2013

In its 2013 Atlantic hurricane season outlook issued today, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Centeris forecasting an active or extremely active season this year.

For the six-month hurricane season, which begins June 1, NOAA’s Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook says there is a 70 percent likelihood of 13 to 20 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which 7 to 11 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 3 to 6 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher).

These ranges are well above the seasonal average of 12 named storms, 6 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes.

“With the devastation of Sandy fresh in our minds, and another active season predicted, everyone at NOAA is committed to providing life-saving forecasts in the face of these storms and ensuring that Americans are prepared and ready ahead of time.” said Kathryn Sullivan, Ph.D., NOAA acting administrator. “As we saw first-hand with Sandy, it’s important to remember that tropical storm and hurricane impacts are not limited to the coastline. Strong winds, torrential rain, flooding, and tornadoes often threaten inland areas far from where the storm first makes landfall.”

Three climate factors that strongly control Atlantic hurricane activity are expected to come together to produce an active or extremely active 2013 hurricane season. These are:

• A continuation of the atmospheric climate pattern, which includes a strong west African monsoon, that is responsible for the ongoing era of high activity for Atlantic hurricanes that began in 1995; 
• Warmer-than-average water temperatures in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea; and
• El Niño is not expected to develop and suppress hurricane formation.

“This year, oceanic and atmospheric conditions in the Atlantic basin are expected to produce more and stronger hurricanes,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “These conditions include weaker wind shear, warmer Atlantic waters and conducive winds patterns coming from Africa."

NOAA’s seasonal hurricane outlook is not a hurricane landfall forecast; it does not predict how many storms will hit land or where a storm will strike. Forecasts for individual storms and their impacts will be provided throughout the season by NOAA’s National Hurricane Center.

New for this hurricane season are improvements to forecast models, data gathering, and the National Hurricane Center communication procedure for post-tropical cyclones. In July, NOAA plans to bring online a new supercomputer that will run an upgraded Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting (HWRF) model that provides significantly enhanced depiction of storm structure and improved storm intensity forecast guidance.

Also this year, Doppler radar data will be transmitted in real time from NOAA’s Hurricane Hunter aircraft. This will help forecasters better analyze rapidly evolving storm conditions, and these data could further improve the HWRF model forecasts by 10 to 15 percent.

The National Weather Service has also made changes to allow for hurricane warnings to remain in effect, or to be newly issued, for storms like Sandy that have become post-tropical. This flexibility allows forecasters to provide a continuous flow of forecast and warning information for evolving or continuing threats.

“The start of hurricane season is a reminder that our families, businesses and communities need to be ready for the next big storm,” said Joe Nimmich, FEMA associate administrator for Response and Recovery. “Preparedness today can make a big difference down the line, so update your family emergency plan and make sure your emergency kit is stocked. Learn more about how you can prepare for hurricane season at www.ready.gov/hurricanes.”

Next week, May 26 - June 1, is National Hurricane Preparedness Week. To help those living in hurricane-prone areas prepare, NOAA is offering hurricane preparedness tips, along with video and audio public service announcements in both English and Spanish, featuring NOAA hurricane experts and the FEMA administrator at www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/.

Final Project Update Power Point Presentation (Flood Mitigation Project)

As promised, below you will find the power point presentation utilized by DOT and
the RBA Group to provide a final project update for residents on the current status
of the Flood Mitigation Project for West 11th, 12th and 13th Roads at last Thursday's
civic association meeting.

Related posts(s):  http://w12thrd.blogspot.com/2013/05/flood-mitigation-project-update.html

5-22-2013_Final Project Update (HWQ1182A)

Flood Mitigation Project - Update

GOOD NEWS....

It looks like the Flood Mitigation Project (new bulkhead and street raising)

for West 12th Road will soon become a reality!

DOT Queens Commissioner Dalila Hall and Mr. Joseph Menzer from the design firm "The RBA Group"

provide an update on the ongoing Flood Mitigation Project for West 11th, 12th and 13th Roads 

at the American Legion Hall Thursday evening.

[photo by: Sophia Vailakis-DiVirgilio]

New York City Department of Transportation, Borough of Queens, Commissioner Dalila Hall and Mr. Joseph Menzer from the design firm "The RBA Group" provided a presentation on the current status of the Flood Mitigation Project (Capital Project #  HWQ182)  regarding the construction of new bulkheads and raised streets on West 11th, 12th and 13th Roads at the Broad Channel Civic Association meeting Thursday evening, May 22, 2013, at the American Legion Hall.

Representing West 12th Road at this meeting were:

Donna Kramer

MaryAnne Nellan

Sophia Vailakis-DiVirgilio

Jessie Cowan

Scott Valentine

Dashima Valentine

Gwen O'Toole

Trish McCarthy

Peter Mahon

John Heaphy

Jonna Barnes

Summary of Project Status

Final project design, to include new sanitary and storm drainage systems prompted by Hurricane Sandy, is near completion.

It is expected that the final project design and specs will be put out for contractor bids by late June 2013 with construction to start in late summer 2013.

Initial construction will consist of the placement of new bulkheads at the bay end of West 11th, 12th and 13th Roads.

Street raising work will then start initially onWest 12th Road, to be followed by West 11th Road and then West 13th Road.  

It is expected that the entire project will take 3 years, with each of the 3 blocks undergoing construction activity for approximately 1 year.

DOT has arranged to designate approximately 75 parking spaces on the Cross Bay Boulevard median to accommodate displaced parking as each street undergoes street raising work.

There still exists some administrative issues regarding completion and submission of work "consent forms" by  West 12th Road residents; however these will be resolved promptly.

We are awaiting receipt of a copy of the power point presentation utilized by DOT and RBA Group at this meeting.  As soon as we receive it we will post it here.

FEMA To Hire Independent Arbitrator For Dispute Resolution Pilot

FEMA To Hire Independent Arbitrator For Dispute Resolution Pilot

By: Mickey McCarter

05/22/2013 ( 8:00am)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) plans to hire an independent arbitration service to adjudicate disputes that arise over eligibility and expenses for disaster relief funds, the agency said Tuesday. 

The Sandy Recovery and Improvement Act (Public Law 113-2), passed in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, directed FEMA to establish procedures for a Dispute Resolution Pilot Program. 

After presidential disaster declarations, state and local governments and nonprofit organizations can apply for public assistance (PA) grants from the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund. In a solicitation, FEMA announced its plans to hire an arbitrator for disputes that arise over these funds for eligible disasters dating back to Oct. 30, 2012. The dispute resolution timeframe therefore would include applications filed after Hurricane Sandy struck the coast of New Jersey on Oct. 29, 2012.

"On occasion, disputes arise between FEMA and applicants who have applied for federal funding under the PA Program regarding the eligibility and sum of the expenses that should be provided from federal funds to the applicant, pursuant to the Stafford Act and related FEMA regulations set forth in Title 44, Code of Federal Regulations, and agency policies," FEMA said.

FEMA already had an administrative appeals process but the Sandy Recovery Act sought to speed up resolution of disputes between FEMA and public assistance applicants. Under the pilot program, a panel of three neutral arbitrators will weigh arguments in conflicts between FEMA and assistance applicants. Their rulings will become binding. FEMA must set up the pilot program by July 29.

To fulfill the requirement, FEMA will award an indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract to arbitration companies. The agency invited potential bidders to submit questions about the project by May 31; responses to the FEMA request for proposals are due June 12. FEMA anticipates a contract award in July, before the implementation deadline.

A successful bidder will have qualified personnel, technical capabilities, an appropriate management approach and past performance in arbitration suitable to fulfill the goals of the Dispute Resolution Pilot Program.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn realizes Q52 and Q53 bus service is lacking 204 days later!

Whoaaaa!

What happened here?

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn today sent a letter to the MTA regarding the "extremely long lines, overcrowded buses and unreliable service" on the Q52 and Q53 bus lines since all "A" train service went down some 204 days ago with Hurricane Sandy.

Of course, with "A" train service scheduled to resume 8 days from now, on May 30th, this issue will, hopefully, resolve itself.

Where was Speaker Quinn for the past 6 months on this issue?

Why wait this long to address this issue?

Oh, wait a minute....I forgot.

Our speaker is running for Mayor!

rockawaybusletter5-13

Don't forget - Broad Channel Memorial Day Parade - Sunday May 26th......

Broad Channel Memorial Day Parade 2012

Broad Channel

Memorial Day Parade

Sunday, May 26, 2013

On May 26th the VFW will be hosting the Memorial Day parade. The parade will start at 1:30 p.m. All participants will meet at Rock N Roll Bagel at 12:30 p.m. to line up. If anyone wishes to march, please leave a message at the Post. The phone number is 718-634- 5106.

We would gladly appreciate anyone or group who would like to participate. This year we will have Joe Addabbo, Eric Ulrich, Lew Simon and Phil Goldfeder marching with us. Our honorees will be the veterans from St. Albans Hospital, the VFW and the American Legion. Also marching will be the Broad Channel Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts.

Afterwards please join us at the VFW Post for some conversation, hot dogs and beverages with our veterans.

Remember it’s Memorial Day. Let’s come outside and greet and thank our men and women who have served us.

Josette Correa-Turchio

President
Ladies Auxilary

VFW

Prince Wynn Post 260

Broad Channel

Landrieu offers bill to delay increases in flood insurance premiums

Mary Landrieu offers bill to delay increases in flood insurance premiums

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. introduced legislation Tuesday (May 21) to block flood insurance premium increases.

 (J. Scott Applewhite, The Associated Press)

By Bruce Alpert, NOLA.com | Times-Picayune 

May 2, 2013

WASHINGTON -- As promised, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., introduced legislation Tuesday that would delay flood insurance premium increases authorized in 2012 legislation. The increases would be blocked until six months after the Federal Emergency Management Agency conducts an affordability study on the higher premiums. The study is mandated under the 2012 legislation.

Landrieu aides said the delay, along with the completed study, would provide Congress with the information it needs to develop a law that helps make the flood insurance program more sustainable without putting insurance out of the price range of homeowners and businesses.

In addition, the Landrieu bill would repeal provisions in the 2012 federal flood insurance bill that ended subsidized flood insurance rates when a parcel in a high risk area is sold. That would make many Louisiana homes unsellable, she said.

Her bill would also strike a provision blocking the rebuilding of community facilities destroyed in a disaster when the location is in a high-risk area.

The 2012 flood insurance bill, sponsored by Reps. Judy Biggert, R-Ill., and Maxine Waters, D-Caif., was added to a transportation bill that also included the RESTORE Act, legislation allocating 85 percent of Clean Water Act fines for the 2010 BP spill to the Gulf Coast. Biggert is now out of Congress. Waters has promised to work with Louisiana lawmakers to avoid unaffordable rate increases for residents and businesses.

Landrieu, who tried unsuccessfully to amend a Senate water resources bill with a provision delaying implementation of the higher premiums, is calling for quick consideration of her new stand-alone bill.

"Flood insurance must be affordable, accessible and self-sustainable. Biggert-Waters only addressed self-sustainability at the cost of homeowners in Louisiana and across the country living around water," Landrieu said.

But she's likely to run into opposition from lawmakers who believe that the 2012 law, which authorizes increases of 20 to 25 percent per year, was needed to make the program more fiscally sound.

Landrieu said that there's nothing smart about raising rates so high as to make the program unaffordable. 

She's calling her bill the Strengthen, Modernize and Reform the National Flood Insurance Program (SMART NFIP) Act .

"Flood insurance is not just about business and commerce," Landrieu said. "It is about culture; it is about a way of life; it is about preserving coastal communities; and it is about being resilient in storms."

Two weeks ago, 20 parish leaders from South Louisiana traveled to Washington to urge Landrieu and others to take steps to block the higher flood insurance premiums they said would make the program unaffordable for many homeowners and businesses.

Civic Association Meeting Tonight....

REMEMBER

The Broad Channel Civic Association meeting for the month of May 2013 will be held this evening, Wednesday, May 22, 2013, at the American Legion Hall at 7:30 pm.

Related Posts

http://w12thrd.blogspot.com/2013/05/may-2013-civic-association-newsletter.html

http://w12thrd.blogspot.com/2013/05/important-advisory-broad-channel-civic.html

Rockaway Beaches Open this weekend....

From: NY Daily News...

Rockaway beaches readying to open Saturday after $140 million effort to repair Sandy's destruction

'Making the beach inviting to residents and visitors will help revive Rockaway,' says Jonathan Gaska, district manager of Community Board 14. 'We’re hoping people come out to the beach.'

BY LISA L. COLANGELO / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

DEBBIE EGAN-CHIN/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Work being done on Rockaway beach lifeguard stations to replace those destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.

The Rockaway Beach shoreline is turning shades of blue and chartreuse in preparation for Saturday’s unofficial kick-off of the summer season.

Superstorm Sandy dramatically altered the Rockaway landscape, stripping away miles of boardwalk and consuming tons of sand.

It’s taken $140 million and thousands of man-hours, and it’s going to require a lot more work to finish all that needs to be done along the seven-mile stretch of shoreline that’s managed by the city. Still, as of Monday, the beach’s busiest gathering spots were well on the way to being cleaned, secured and spruced up.

“Our goal for Friday is to have all the islands open and have access to the shore,” said Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski, who has spent most of the last few days on site as workers install new modular lifeguard quarters and bathrooms.

City contractors are working to install new boardwalk islands and breezeways, and they’re full of details designed to provide a haven for beachgoers, Lewandowski said.

A pathway speckled with tumbled blue and green glass leads visitors to the beach near 86th St. New silver-toned shaded structures provide relief from the sun. And recycled boardwalk wood has been fashioned into both a staircase and stadium seating leading to the sand.

The Robert Moses-era concession and bathroom stands at Beach 86th, 96th and 106th Sts. have been painted shades of beachy blue and tarty chartreuse. Artists will paint map-like grids of local streets around the sides of the buildings.

The popular concessions — which lured foodies from all over the city in recent years — will be back, operating out of carts or the stands as repairs continue, and a boardwalk island with modular restrooms is being installed at Beach 116th St.

The boxy pre-fab structures tower above the sand in an effort to meet future flood zone requirements. They’ll provide comfort to beach visitors, but some residents and officials are irked by their appearance.

We don’t like the looks of the lifeguard shacks and the new bathrooms,” said Jonathan Gaska, district manager of Community Board 14. “However, the areas around the buildings and the concessions are going to look really nice.”

Local activist Dan Brown said he is disappointed local residents didn’t have more input into the final designs and selection of modular buildings.

“They put up these things that look like trailers,” he said. “They cost $4 million a piece? I think we were ripped off.”

The agency has taken steps to include residents in the rebuilding, said Lewandowski, adding that many people who have stopped by the construction areas have been happy to note the improvements along the storm-ravaged beach.

“Making the beach inviting to residents and visitors will help revive Rockaway,” Gaska said. “We’re hoping people come out to the beach. Our merchants can use the help.”

City-operated beaches will be open for swimming beginning Saturday. Lifeguards are on duty from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For information, call 311 or visit nyc.gov/parks