By Christine Insinga

Erik DiOrio’s father found his son dead in his bedroom- 16 months ago. He was just 19 years old. I sat down with his mother Linda- in their Farmingdale home just last week to listen to her story.

She told me Erik was always a “challenging kid”, but she says he brought so much love into their home- even talking her into buying a mushy black lab who they named Sadie. Linda said Erik always had a lot of friends whom he would do anything for- and vice versa. “He was the kid who everyone’s parents wanted to take on vacation with them,” she told me. He was very lovable. But sometime in his 18th year- Linda said Erik came to her with news no parent could ever plan on hearing. He had a heroin problem…and he wanted help. It hit her like a brick wall- like living in a movie, she said. He went to rehab- he wanted to- but after just a few days she says he couldn’t take it anymore. Since he was 18 he was able to check himself out.

It didn’t take long before Linda says her life was upside down. She was finding tiny powder-coated plastic bags in his room and soon – needles under his bed. The ultimate wake-up call. She shook her head and told me she and her husband did everything they could to help him and- she says- ‘he wanted so much to be helped.”  They went to a hospital- “your son has a drug problem”, she says they were told, “he needs rehab.”  They went’ to another rehab- but even with insurance there was no way they could pay the bills.

Erik went back home and soon was stealing his mother’s jewelry and any money lying around the house. “I’ll pay you back mom”, he told Linda, “I’ll pay you back for everything when this is over, I promise.” She was heartbroken and says she believes he knew what he was doing was wrong- but he couldn’t help it. “It’s not my son stealing from me,” according to Linda, ” it’s the addiction.”

June 11th 2008- Erik went to his room to get dressed. He planed to meet up with friends. After some time she says his father went down to check on him. He wasn’t breathing. They called 911 but it was too late. At 19, Erik DiOrio’s life was over. The life of his family- changed for ever. {##}

By Christine Insinga

I’m sure most of you know that this is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

I’m sure most of you know that the chance of a woman in the U.S.  having invasive breast cancer some time in her life is roughly 1 in 8, according to the American Cancer Society.

I’m sure that most of you ALSO know someone directly or indirectly affected by the disease.  I’ve lost a number of relatives to cancer of all kinds–including my mother–who lost her oh sooo courageous battle just over 4 years ago.

This coming weekend is the annual Making Strides Againt Breast Cancer Walk!. They’re being held all across the country and, YES, that includes right here on Long Island at Jones Beach Field 5.

True, we step closer and closer to a cure every day, but so far the finish line is not in view, so we walk on.  Just to be clear, I have no intention of using this blog as a ’soap box’ of any kind,  but this is a cause very near and dear to my heart… I know I’m not alone in that and I ALSO know I’ll see some of you out on the boardwalk this coming Sunday, proudly wearing your pink ribbons in support of YOUR loved ones!

I hope you’ll stop and say hi:)

By Christine Insinga

Diane Moore was walking her two grandaughters to Hemlock Elementary School around 9:30 Monday morning. Like so many others do- Diane brought the girls through and unlocked gate at the back of school property off of Pine Acres. She told me she no sooner stepped on school property and was taken aback by what she – and the little girls – were about to step on. More than 100 hypodermic needles- some of them used she says- disposable razors and plenty of other medical waste. It was sitting in piles lined along the back fence. Her one young grandaughter kept asking- what is that– what is it? Diane said- they’re needles- stay away! She reported her find to school officials immediately- but when we (reporters) started to talk to parents we quickly realized WE were the ones breaking the news to them. Many didn’t have a clue that county and state officials had spent the day analyzing- investigating and cleaning up medical waste from their childrens’ schoolyard.

Suffolk Police say they believe the materials were stolen from a medical facility- and are running serial numbers to figure out which one. Sgt. Kevin Beyrer says it appears the materials were just dumped on the property and rifled through. When he was asked – by a reporter- if it’s possible it could be the work of a drug addict trying to get his hands on whatever fix he can….he replies- it’s possible.

Residents in the area say there is a tremendous drug problem in housing just about a block or two from the school. Many were not surprised to learn what had been dumped.

Late in the afternoon- Brentwood School released this statement:

This Morning we received a report that several bags of bio-hazardous waste containing hypodermic needles were dumped on the perimeter of the Hemlock Park Elementary School grounds. No students were in contact with the waste material. At this time, the matter is being investigated by the Suffolk County Police Department.

The Health and Safety of our students is our upmost priority and we continue to work with the police department in this investigation……Donna Jones Superintendent

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Diane Schuler’s trip goes like this…

9:30am:

She- her son- daughter and 3 young nieces were seen smiling and laughing as they left the Hunter Lake Campground in Parksville.

10:30-10:45:

NY State Police now say the group were seen leaving the McDonald’s on Sullivan Ave. in Liberty. Investigators say the West Babylon woman did NOT appear to be ill or intoxicated.

Then, sometime later, a red Ford Aerostar minivan that police believe to be Schuler’s was seen driving erratically on Route 17 and Interstate 87, straddling 2 lanes of traffic. At the Ramapo Service Station witnesses say she drove over a grass median.

Traveling that route the minivan should have crossed the Tappan Zee bridge around 12, maybe 12:15. But the very earliest she got there was at 1:02. That’s when police say she called her brother, Warren Hanse, and reportedly told him she wasn’t feeling well. Her phone was later found on the Westchester side of the Tappan Zee.

Schuler may have hit traffic, though it’s not likely she hit much upstate on a Sunday morning.

Toxicology reports say Diane Schuler was extremely drunk and high on pot at the time she called her brother. Did she pull off the side of the road to drink and smoke ? Did she do those disturbing things while she was BEHIND the wheel? Those are questions we may never have answered.

What we do know is that according to police Schuler entered the Taconic at the Pleasantville Road exit ramp, crossed over oncoming traffic, and then traveled south for 1.7miles in the northbound lanes, reportedly oblivious to oncoming traffic. Less than half an hour after the call with her brother, Diane her 2 year old Daughter, 3 nieces, and 3 men from Yonkers were dead.

Just a side note here: As reporters we must build up a bit of a wall to deal with the unpleasantries that often come with the job. This time seems different. As I’ve blogged in the past, we get absolutley NO joy out of knocking on the door of a grieving family. It’s something that must be done from time to time, however. Sometimes folks gladly share their stories of their loved one, knowing it’s just another way to let their spirit live on. MOST times, however, we get the complete opposite reaction from families dealing with tragedy, and I absolutley–100%–get that too. That’s why we need that protective shell.

I’ve spoken to so many journalists about this story. 90% of them say (myself included) nothing really surprises us anymore…until this. For so many reasons and on so many levels this story is nearly impossible for a wide variety of people to wrap their heads around. So many here deserve to find peace. {##}

By Christine Insinga

Get those crummy old gas guzzlers off the road and bring consumers back INTO the showroom for more fuel efficient vehicles:  that’s the result the government was hoping for when they created the Car Allowance Rebate System.  Dealers say in some respects it is working, but dealers and consumers agree finding out if you can GET cash for your clunker can be confusing!

The EPA announced it’s eligibility requirements last month.  At that point I’m sure many ’eligible clunker owners’ ran out to their dealers and bought some new wheels.  After all, who wouldn’t want to cash in on $3,500 to $4,500 in government vouchers towards the purchase of a more fuel efficient car?

Jack Maratore of Wantagh says that was a sign he HAD to part with his 1988 Mercedes. While I’m not comfortable really calling ANY Mercedes a ‘clunker,’ he did have over 200,000 miles on the old gal.

Jack bought a new Nissan!  And couldn’t wait excited to get those big bucks from the government. But this morning Jack got a call from the dealership, his old car no longer qualified- ughhh.

Just before the program officially went into effect this past weekend, the Environmental Protection Agency changed its eligibility requirements. Now your vehicle must get 18 miles per gallon or less, and that’s city and highway combined. It must be ‘drivable’ and registered and insured by the same person for one year. Under the new rules there are 78 vehicles that no longer qualify, but there are 86 new vehicles that now DO meet the criteria that didn’t before.

Thankfully Legend Nissan of Syosset did work out a deal for Jack, and he drove his shiny new ride off the lot today!

If you want to save yourself some precious time and quite possibly money,check the list of NEW elegible vehicles before you head down to the dealer!!   {##}