By Lea Tyrrell

I’m writing this on a Thursday, which for some people is now the last day of their work week.  Every week.  Because their employer has switched from a five day work week to a four day one.   Sounds pretty good to me if it also means there’s no cut in pay.  We all know just how fast our weekends zoom by.  I often find myself thinking “if I just had one more day” I’d get all those things done that I didn’t get to Saturday and Sunday.

Sign Of The Future?

The idea of the four-day work week has been kicked around alot during this recession.  (It also gets me thinking “hey, who came up with the idea of our now standardized five day work week in the first place?”   But that’s another discussion.)  Anyway, companies and municipalities have been thinking about closing that one extra day, usually Friday, as a way to save on overtime and energy costs.

Of course, there’s a trade off.  You still have to put in your 40 hours.  So those eight hour work days have been extended to 10 hours.  What do you think?  Could you do that?  Or would those two extra hours just feel too long?   But the truth I think is alot of people are already putting in those 10 hour work days, and still working five days a week!

So far, mostly municipalities are experimenting with the idea.  They’re trying to save their taxpayers as much as they can in these cash crunched times.   The city of El Paso, Texas tried it at the beginning of the summer.   Early numbers showed it saved them $100,000 in energy costs so they decided to extend it for the entire summer.

Now a story from the AP today that a lot of media outlets have picked up on showing that closing Utah state offices on Fridays generated an unexpected savings – in overtime!  Seems employees were so ready to leave after the longer work day they weren’t eager to stick around for any more hours.  It saved the state $4.1 million in the first year.  Utah had calculated the shorter week would save them big bucks in energy costs but that’s not how it turned out.   The state saved only 1/6th of what they thought they’d save in energy.

What do the employees think??   They seem to like it.  One survey found that 85% of the workers like working four longer days than five shorter ones.  And they’ve really grown fond of their three day weekend.

So now Utah’s new governor has to decide if he’s going to stick with the new program.  They’re going to poll public sentiment because the people of Utah did lose one day a week of government services with the switch.

Nothing like that yet in Nassau or Suffolk county government, as far as I know, although I do remember one Suffolk legislator proposing a four day work week for some county employees last year.  I don’t think we’ve heard anything more about it since then.

But Utah’s results are getting some attention.  Queens Assemblyman Michael Gianaris was quoted in one article today saying he believed switching to a four day work week would save New York State $30 million.  Everybody’s looking for a way to make the cuts needed to help with Albany’s $15 BILLION budget shortfall a little less painful.  Could shutting city, state or county agencies down one day a week help?  Or cause too much chaos??  One thought - would that make the line at the DMV even longer??

Ready To Work

Our instructor, Joan LaFemina, is quite the Ms. Fix-It! She and her husband, Richie, have essentially taken their house apart and put it back together over the last decade or so. Joan tells me there used to be a waiting list for the Home Maintenance Training Program, but that hasn’t been the case recently. That’s too bad because a lot of people are missing out on a really helpful program.  So I’m hoping to get the word out. I know there have to be a lot of homeowners out there in this economy who could benefit from this.

The program is open to everyone and you don’t have to have any previous experience with tools or repairwork. There’s a nominal materials fee for the course that’s based on your income and family size. It’s starts at a very reasonable $25. Classes are held one night a week from 7 to 9:30 for eight weeks. And it’s all HANDS-ON. You’ll be taking the tools and doing the work yourself.  The next classes start in January.  There’s one class in Nassau and one class in Suffolk.

Expect to learn how to put up sheetrock, repair holes in your walls, fix basic plumbing leaks and toilet problems, replace electrical outlets and light switches, install tile, and so much more!!!

All the information you need to know about the program is on the CDC’s website. If you’ve always wanted to take on those DIY projects around your house, this is a great way to start!

A huge thanks to Joan, and my fellow Mr. and Ms. Fix-Its in training!  We’ve had a lot of fun. Now it’s time to get to work. I’m ready to put in the tile backsplash in my kitchen that I’ve wanted for the past nine years!

By Lea Tyrrell

What fun to get to talk to the guys of Rescue Ink on Long Island Talks. We’ve done a number of stories on their unconventional approach to rescuing animals over the last couple of years. I always knew they’d be great guests for LIT for all those animal lovers, like me, out there.

If you’ve never heard of Rescue Ink, they’re tattooed, motorcycle-loving, tough guys who love animals, even the littlest ones, just as much. Not the kind of guys you’d peg as animal activists.

The first time I saw them I thought “these guys should have their own show.” When I had my LIT producer call to book them for the show, I found out somebody else had the same idea I did. The guys now have their own show “Rescue Ink Unleashed.” Beginning September 25th, it airs Friday nights on the National Geographic Channel at 10 PM.

You expect to see these guys walk around with pit bulls or bull dogs, but instead, when Ink members Joe Panz, who heads up the group, and Eric showed up for LIT, what was on the end of the leash?? An adorable, fuzzy, little Shih Tzu named Brooklyn. Brooklyn was rescued in that borough after being abused and critically injured. Joe and his family fostered the little pup as she recovered, but when it came time to give her up for adoption, he just couldn’t let her go. I could understand that. I would have taken her home after meeting her for just the hour they were here for the show! Brooklyn had the entire News 12 staff wrapped around her paw. She sat quietly on the table during the entire half-hour live show. I think at one point she even fell asleep.

If you didn’t get the chance to call in and talk to the guys, you can do that in person. They’ll be at the Book Revue in Huntington village on Friday, October 2nd at 7 PM. The guys will be signing their book, and I know from talking to them, they’re looking for a big, hometown crowd turnout.

To my dear friend Glen,

It is so hard to believe that it has been eight years since you were unfairly taken from us.  All of us here at News 12 miss you.  I want you to know that we have not forgotten.

Still so vivid in my mind are the last images we ever saw of you.  You and your fellow officers responding to the chaos at the World Trade Center – you descending a flight of stairs at the South Tower with your beloved video camera planted firmly on your shoulder – determined, I know, to get the most amazing shots of your fellow NYPD officers and FDNY firefighters in their most challenging and heroic moments.  I know those images were there on your camera when they found you, although we never got the chance to see them.  Some comfort has come from knowing that you died doing the TWO things you loved – photography and being a police officer.

You’re still here with us in all the memories we have of you.  I smile when I remember your always red, sunburned face and scalp (oh, that fair Irish skin and receding hairline!) when you came back from covering a story on a sunny, summer day, even though you always wore a baseball cap.   It was painful just to look at you.  It had to hurt.  And every time I scolded you about slathering your head in sunscreen (I have very fair skin too) you’d just laugh at me and say “Yea, yea, yea.  I know!”

It’s been so long, but it also seems like just yesterday.  I know you’re in a better place where you’re resting in peace.  But we miss you, bud!  We have not forgotten.  We never will.  I just wanted you to know.

Lea

Writer’s note:  Glen Kerrin Pettit was a News 12 Long Island cameraman before he left us to fulfill his dream of becoming a New York City Police officer.  He was also a volunteer firefighter.  Glen managed to combine the two things he loved to do most, photography and police work, when he became a member of the New York City Police Academy’s Video Production Unit.  It was a unit that usually took years to get into, but Glen was such a talented videographer they recruited him right away.  As a News 12 cameraman Glen captured the sights and sounds of the biggest Long Island stories ever, including the aftermath of the crash of TWA Flight 800.  He was going to do the same on the morning of September 11, 2001, but this time for the NYPD for future training films.  He died in the line of duty when the South Tower fell.  His body was recovered on December 15, 2001.  Glen was 30 years old.

By Lea Tyrrell

It’s September, and with it come the two things expected to bring the swine flu (more correctly known now as the H1N1 virus), back with a vengeance. The virus survives better in the lower fall temperatures, and kids go back to school, giving the virus lots of opportunity to spread.

The difference this time is that we now have a vaccine for it – almost!  It’s still being tested on adult and child volunteers, but some vaccine is expected to be ready around mid-October for the public. The Centers for Disease Control says so far the vaccine trials haven’t turned up any “red flags.”

For some people, deciding whether to get the vaccine is an easy decision. For others, it’s a tough choice. On Monday’s Long Island Talks we discussed both sides of the issue to give Long Islanders more information to help make the choice they feel is best for them.

There’s some new information on the number of doses that might be needed that I wanted to share on the program, but since we had some callers waiting on the line with good questions for the doctors, I didn’t get to it. So I’ll do it here.

It’s not clear yet who will need how many shots this flu season. Here’s how researchers say it’s shaping up right now. Remember, the swine flu vaccine would be IN ADDITION to the shot for the regular, seasonal flu.

One shot:  Older adults currently aren’t on the priority list to get swine flu vaccine but they should get the seasonal vaccine, which is already available.

Two shots:  There’s a potential for the regular vaccine in one arm and the swine flu vaccine in the other if that one requires just one dose.

Three shots:  The swine flu vaccine might require two doses three weeks apart, plus the regular vaccine.

Four shots:  This might be a possibility for some children.  Youngsters under 9 who are getting their first-ever regular flu vaccination need two doses of it.

The other thing to note is that immunity takes awhile.  If the swine flu vaccine requires two doses, they’d be given three weeks apart.  And it takes a week or two after the last shot for the vaccine to take full effect.