(Hempstead, NY) Inspiring Tree Consulting® will have its Elevated Ladies Unite Conference on Saturday, June 2nd, 2012 from 1:00P.M to 5:00 P.M located on 9 Centre Street, Hempstead New York 11550. The theme of the conference is to educate, inspire and elevate one another. This conference is geared towards women entrepreneurs and aspiring women entrepreneurs. Come and be inspired and elevated with dynamite keynote speakers, performance, fashion show, vendors and networking. 
 
Stacie Grant is one of the featured keynote speakers for this year conference. Ms. Grant is an empowerment specialist and event strategist; she lives by her principles which are to Lead, Teach and Inspire. As the professional Empowerment Specialist, Ms. Grant is on very high demand as the sought after inspirational speaker, trainer, life coach and mistress-of-ceremonies. She is the weekly radio of the popular Monday Mid-day motivation show entitled “Create your own luck with Stacie N.C. Grant”. Her platform focuses on self-Empowerment, power networking, women & organizational leadership, entrepreneurship, Youth Development and Civic Engagement. Stacie Grant has the distinction of being one of Les Brown’s notable Platinum Speakers. 
 
When you hear the name Terri Banks you get a reincarnation of Madame CJ Walker, Bessie Coleman, and other women figures that has shaped America. Terri Banks is the owner and founder of Having Her Say a dramatic arts company that specializes in oral history and character portrayals. Ms. Banks is a master story teller who draws both children and adults into her living history vignettes. Each performance is animated, interactive in style and will leave the hairs on the back of your necks stand up. 

For information regarding the conference registration, vending or placing your advertisement in the journal; you may call 516-532-2181 or email lforbes8@inspiringtree.com. Journal Ad deadline is May 25th, 2012. You can also go to www.eventbrite.com and type in the website search bar Elevated Ladies Unite Conference or you can copy this link http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3389394771.

(Long Island, NY) Does your business or nonprofit have a great story, but nobody knows about it? Now is the time for your story to be heard. FMC Executive Director Jaci Clement will teach you step-by-step how to pitch your story to the New York media.

The Fair Media Council’s Create the Perfect Pitch: Media Fix Workshop will be on Tuesday June 19, from 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. at Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst, N.J.

The Fair Media Council (FMC) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that educates businesses, nonprofits and the public to become media savvy. FMC also advocates for quality local news coverage and has about 200 New York Metro area businesses and nonprofits as members.

Tickets for the workshop are $35 for FMC members and $50 for nonmembers. Program, networking and continental breakfast are included in the ticket price. Walk-ins add $10 at the door. Tickets are nonrefundable.

For more details, and to purchase tickets online go to www.fairmediacouncil.org, or by phone at 1.855.432.4763, ext. 700. or 1.516.224.1860, ext. 700.

(Long Island, NY) The New York State Senate today passed legislation to prevent the tragic injuries and deaths that can occur due to hazing at colleges and universities. The bill (S.1937), sponsored by Senator Kenneth LaValle (R-C-I, Port Jefferson), would help cut down on hazing by strengthening a college or university’s enforcement authority and increasing awareness of the consequences of hazing, underage drinking, and illegal drug use.

“Hazing can create physical as well as emotional scars that may last a lifetime,” Senator LaValle said. “There is nothing ‘good-natured’ about hazing and it cannot be tolerated on our college and university campuses.”

“Hazing and the consequences that follow play no positive role in a student’s well-being,” Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos said. “This legislation will help schools develop and enforce policies that deter this harmful and potentially deadly behavior.”

In spite of good faith efforts on the part of institutions of higher education to implement policies and procedures to combat hazing, problems continue and show no signs of decreasing. Last month, SUNY Binghamton halted all pledging activity on campus due to an alarming number of serious hazing complaints, and in November, a member of Florida A&M’s marching band
was beaten to death during a hazing ritual. Parents, administrators and trustees have become increasingly concerned about the safety of their children and students on campus.

This legislation passed today would build upon existing criminal laws against hazing, underage drinking and illegal drug use to deter such activities by requiring colleges and universities to implement more serious consequences and disciplinary charges for offenders. The bill:

• Requires colleges to adopt rules prohibiting hazing, underage drinking and illegal drug use and establish penalties for non-compliance;
• Expands authority of colleges to regulate conduct by college and student government organizations and clubs, athletic teams and clubs, alumni organizations, fraternities, sororities, and any other organization that has access to and use of the college facilities;
• Requires colleges to educate the campus community on bias-related crime, hazing, underage drinking and illegal drug use; and
• Requires colleges to inform incoming students of and to train residence hall staff in the prohibitions against hazing, underage drinking and illegal drug use.

The bill will be sent to the Assembly.

• North Shore-LIJ
• NuHealth
• Queens-Long Island Medical Group
• American Dental
• Carmen Pineyro - Chief Staff for Assemblyman Phil Ramos
• Carrie Solages - Nassau County Legislature
• Charles J. Fuschillo Jr. - NYS Senator 8th District
• Frank Intagliata - Chief of Staff New York Assembly Member, 21st District- NYS
• Gabriel Pedreira - Assemblyman, Nassau County Legislature
• Phil Ramos - Assemblyman

About Healthfirst
Established in 1993, Healthfirst is a not-for-profit managed care organization that offers low or no-cost health insurance to eligible individuals and families living in the New York metropolitan area and New Jersey. It provides a variety of government-sponsored health insurance programs, including New York State’s Child Health Plus, Family Health Plus, and Medicaid, as well as Medicare Advantage. The Healthfirst family of companies includes Healthfirst in New York, Healthfirst NJ in New Jersey, and Senior Health Partners (SHP), a managed long term care plan serving Medicaid-eligible clients in New York City. For more information, visit the company’s websites at www.healthfirst.org and www.healthfirstnj.org.

(Long Island, NY) Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick), Chairman of the Senate’s Transportation Committee announced that the Committee approved legislation to help prevent wrong-way driving crashes on New York’s roadways.

Under the legislation (S938, Senator Marcellino), the Department of Transportation would be required to create a program in consultation with the Department of Motor Vehicles to address wrong-way driving.  The program would investigate the reasons for wrong-way driving crashes; examine what other states have done; set forth possible solutions; and implement measures to address wrong-way driving.

“Wrong-way driving is becoming more and more common, and that puts lives at risk.  While stronger penalties are needed for wrong-way drivers, the state must also develop a plan to address this continuing problem which is jeopardizing safety on our roads. This legislation would ensure that happens,” said Senator Fuschillo.

Over 30 wrong-way driving crashes and/or arrests occurred on Long Island alone since November 15, 2010 when off-duty NYPD Officer Andre Menzies was killed by an accused wrong-way drunk driver on the Northern State Parkway.  Wrong-way driving crashes have also occurred in New Rochelle and Westchester County.

This continues the committee’s efforts to address wrong-way driving incidents and crashes.  In January, the committee approved legislation (S3452), sponsored by Senator Fuschillo, which would create felony charges for motorists who drive the wrong-way, either knowingly or because they were intoxicated or impaired.  The legislation has been passed by the full Senate.

Additionally, the Committee approved legislation which would:

• Establish a statewide “next of kin registry” through the Department of Motor Vehicles in which drivers could voluntarily enter two emergency contacts to be notified by emergency personnel in the event of an accident. This would make it easier for the police officer responding to the accident scene to notify an accident victim’s next of kin if the victim is injured, killed, or incapacitated (S5276, Senator Ritchie).
• Require the Department of Transportation to conduct a study examining the risk of motor vehicles departing the travel lane and overturning or colliding with fixed objects, other vehicles or pedestrians, or leaving the roadway.  The study would focus on portions of state roads with high numbers of fatal crashes and areas with steep slopes, embankments, cliffs, drop-offs, or deep bodies of water (S7399, Senator Diaz).

(Long Island, NY) The New York State Senate today passed legislation (S.7407), sponsored by Senator Martin Golden (R-C-I, Brooklyn), that would make the  viewing of child pornography a felony crime. The bill amends current state law to say that a person is guilty of a crime when the person knowingly accesses child pornography with the intent to view.

The legislation comes after a state Court of Appeals ruling earlier this month that said viewing child pornography on the Internet is not a crime. This legislation closes that loophole.

“Today we have approved legislation to enable more appropriate prosecution of individuals who view child pornography here in New York State,” said Senator Golden. “Federal regulations are already in place, and today, we are one step closer to having New York adopt these same policies. I introduced this bill because I believe that simply the fact that an individual is viewing child pornography is a crime and New York should treat it as such.”

“This legislation sends a strong message that watching child pornography for any reason is completely unacceptable,” said Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos. “I commend my colleagues for acting on this quickly and, in doing so, we’re conforming to federal guidelines. We must always work to protect children and work to keep them from being exploited in one of the worst ways.”

Earlier this month, the Court of Appeals dismissed two of 143 possession and promotion counts against James Kent, a former Marist College professor who was convicted in 2009. Kent argued that he had reviewed the images as part of a research project on how child porn is regulated. The court decided that to be guilty of possession a person must print, download or save computer files.

The bill has been sent to the Assembly.

(Long Island, NY) The New York State Senate today passed legislation, sponsored by Senator Michael Ranzenhofer (R-C-I, Amherst), that would close a loophole in the state health law that gave a Western New York man who killed his wife the sole rights to her remains.

In 2009, Constance Shepherd of Tonawanda was brutally murdered by her husband, Stephen Shepherd. Her family fought to gain control of her remains to ensure a proper funeral and burial.  However, under the state Public Health Law Stephen Shepherd had the sole rights to control the disposal of her remains.

The bill (S.4124A) would prohibit a person who was the subject of an Order of Protection obtained by the deceased person, or who has been charged with causing the death of the deceased person, from having control of the disposition of the deceased’s remains.

“It doesn’t make sense that if you’re accused of murdering your spouse, you get control over their body and the funeral arrangements,” Senator Ranzehofer said.  “This bill corrects a very real problem by closing a loophole in the law that only serves to compound a family’s grief after the tragic passing of a loved one.”

Senator Ranzenhofer announced the pending Senate action on the bill at a Capitol news conference today where he was joined by Elaine O’Toole of Tonawanda, the cousin of Constance Shepherd, and by Assemblyman Robin Schimminger (D-Buffalo), who is sponsoring the bill in the Assembly.

Stephen Shepherd was sentenced last year to 21 years in prison.  For an extended period of time, he refused to take any action to dispose of his wife’s remains, leaving her body in the county morgue.

When the husband did finally act, it was to dispose of her body in a way that her family believes was intentionally disrespectful, in violation of the woman’s beliefs and a further act of hostility towards her.

Another incident in Western New York also highlighted the need to change the law.  Family members of Aasiya Hassan of Orchard Park were not able to obtain the rights to her remains after she was killed by her husband, Mo Hassan.

“Persons who have exhibited the type of extreme hostility toward a decedent, as shown by an order of protection or criminal charges, are not suitable to act in a respectful manner to plan final funeral and burial arrangements,” Senator Ranzenhofer said.  “I look forward to this measure being passed by both houses and being signed into law so we can avoid these tragic situations in the future.”

The bill was sent to the Assembly.

(Long Island, NY) The New York State Senate today passed legislation that would make it a crime for school employees to engage in sexual activity with students, including those who are older than New York’s legal age of consent. The bill (S.6714), sponsored by Senator Betty Little (R-C-I, Queensbury), addresses inappropriate student-school employee relationships by criminalizing sexual conduct between school employees and full-time students of elementary and secondary schools.

“We have laws prohibiting sexual relationships between doctors and patients and harassment laws to ensure that workers are not subject to sexual advances from their bosses,” said Senator Betty Little.  “Although a student may be old enough to consent to sex with a school employee, it doesn’t make it right.  Students ought to have the same level of protection of other categories of people to ensure they aren’t manipulated by those in positions of power and trust.”

“For the mental and physical well-being of our children, teachers and others in positions of power at our schools should not be allowed to abuse the trust placed in them by having sexual relationships with students,”Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos said. “This bill is especiallyhelpful in protecting teens, regardless of their age, by making it illegal
for those working in our schools to use their position as a way to manipulate students into engaging in sexual activities.”

New York’s legal age of consent is 17. By taking a child’s school status into consideration, this bill would remove an elementary orsecondary school student’s ability to consent and prohibit sexual conduct between a school employee and a student. Violations would be a class E felony and carry a sentence of up to 4 years in prison.

This bill also addresses any possible adult that is in a position of trust in a school by defining school employees as anyone receiving compensation from a school district where services performed involved district student contact, as well as any person, other than an employee, who provides services to a school or school district which involve direct student contact.

Twenty other states have recognized the seriousness of the issue and criminalize this conduct under their current statutes.

The bill will be sent to the Assembly, where it is being sponsored by Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther.

(Long Island, NY) The New York State Senate today passed a bill (S.476), sponsored by Senator Michael Nozzolio (R-C, Fayette), that would protect the taxpayers of New York State by requiring state and county correctional facility inmates to make copayments for health care visits the same policy that is in place in the federal prison system and two-thirds of the states.

“Hardworking taxpayers are being forced every day to change or even drop their health care coverage because of rising premiums, unbearable co-pays and outrageous state taxes on healthcare benefits. Meanwhile, those convicted of violent crimes, murder, rape, robbery and drug offenses enjoy unlimited access to free health care at taxpayer expense,” said Senator Nozzolio, Chairman of the Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee.

New York taxpayers spend over $121 million per year to provide top-of-the-line health care to prisoners, amounting to about $2,000 per inmate. This legislation requires prisoners to pay  $7 per visit as a co-payment for medical treatment.  No inmate would be denied medical treatment for an inability to pay, but it would reduce the excessive and non-emergency health care visits currently taking place in our prisons and save millions of taxpayer dollars each year.

Senator Nozzolio pointed out that the health care benefits provided to the state’s inmates are often expensive and medically unnecessary. Often, inmates will schedule medical appointments when nothing is wrong simply as a way of passing their time behind bars, because it’s free.

In 2000, the federal government successfully adopted and implemented a copayment system for federal prisoners, saving the Department of Justice millions of dollars every year.  More than 2/3 of states have already enacted co-payments for inmate medical services, including California, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Nevada.   In states that have instituted a copay program, the abuse in the number of sick call visits by inmates was reduced by as much as 76 percent, also saving these states millions of taxpayer dollars.

“New York should join the federal government and many other states and require inmates to pay their fair share for health care services,” Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos said. “This legislation would provide a significant measure of relief for taxpayers.”

“Recently, we have heard shocking reports that New York State taxpayers are paying for expensive hormone treatments for inmates at Auburn Correctional Facility who are preparing to undergo gender modification,” continued Senator Nozzolio. “Instances like this only continue to illustrate the critical need for this legislation. The time is long overdue for the State Assembly to act and join my Senate colleagues and I in adopting this measure so that we can see it enacted into law.”

The bill was sent to the Assembly.

While Google is always secretive about the details of its algorithms, Google does publish specific guidelines for webmasters. There are guidelines for design and content, technical details, and quality. According to Matt Cutts (head of Google’s webspam team), the Penguin algorithm specifically targets sites which violate Google’s Quality Guidelines.

Seven Popular Tactics That Could Trigger Penalties:

1. Hidden text and hidden links. The once-popular sneak trick of keywords and links in a text color that matches the page background (visible to search engines but not the human eye) is considered spam.
2. Cloaking and redirects are also frowned upon.
3. Irrelevant keywords on a page are a guaranteed shortcut to the Google penalty box.
4. Multiple pages, subdomains, and domains with duplicate content are also considered spam.
5. Pages with “bad behavior” such as installing malware or phishing are also penalized.
6. “Doorway pages” created just for search engines are another prohibited tactic.
7. Many affiliate programs offer “instant websites” to participants. These sites are all virtually identical. Google suggests that affiliates customize their sites with original, quality content in order to avoid penalties.

Seven Action Steps to Avoid or Overcome Search Penalties

1. Monitor your site statistics to track your search traffic.
2. If you note a drop in search traffic, determine which keywords are no longer appearing in your search stats in order to identify problem pages.
3. Thoroughly review pages identified as “problem pages” and try to determine the nature of the problem. Look for keyword stuffing, repeated anchor text, and poor quality content. One of the best ways to improve a page’s ranking is with incoming links from “authority sites” in your niche. Brainstorm ways to make your page a desirable resource; implement the improvements; and invite others to link to you.
4. Manually check rankings for your top keywords and phrases.
5. Use link tools to check your link profile.
6. Make quality, “natural” content a higher priority than search engine “tricks”.
7. After thoroughly reviewing your site’s quality and revising it accordingly, you may submit your site to Google for reconsideration. Instructions are available at http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35843 .

The single best way to achieve top search results is to provide quality, original, relevant content designed for human visitors, with plenty of incoming links from topical and authority sites within your niche.