Helene's Blog

  I'd like to share a speech I delivered to the LIPA Board of Trustees on May 29th, 2014. "On May 28th, 2014, Long Island Businesses For Responsible Energy, Inc., LIBFRE,  filed a complaint with the New York State Supreme Court in Riverhead, regarding the installation of your 6.2 mile overhead high-transmission line from East Hampton to Amagansett. The toxic poles, ladened with Pentachorophenol, have caused serious injury and will continue to cause serious injury to Plaintiffs and members of the class they represent in the following manner: 1) The poles have been treated with a wood preservative that contains pentacholorophenol (otherwise known as penta or PCP). We’ve been informed that these poles were not properly cured and rushed to be installed along the chosen route, in some places less than 25 feet from people’s homes. The rush is due to what I believe to be a misrepresentation of the reliability need. During the late 1980’s, we were told the same thing with regards to the need for the now defunct Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant.) 2) PCP and crude oil is leaching from these poles into the soil and groundwater. It is a dangerous poison, outlawed in 26 countries, that causes serious injury to humans if its fumes are inhaled, or it is ingested or touched. Our properties have been contaminated. 3) The power transmission and distribution lines to be operated will produce, transmit, and maintain unreasonable, harmful, and dangerous electromagnetic fields that are dangerous to the health of humans. 4) The new poles and lines have damaged the vegetation, natural quality, and scenic beauty of our area. This project has butchered our trees and damaged areas of local scenic significant vistas. East Hampton has been recognized as an area of unusual beauty and natural resources. The Nature Conservancy has designated the area as one of the “Last Great Places” in the Western Hemisphere. 4) The newly installed poles have significantly devalued the properties they run along. These properties are now perceived by prospective buyers, rightfully so, as being dangerous to the health of residents. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman stated at a meeting I attended last Tuesday evening at Suffolk Community College at the Brentwood campus, that, “There is one set of rules for everyone. People are entitled to be safe in their homes, in their schools, and in their communities.” Governor Cuomo is perhaps not aware, that he is responsible for creating the long term LIPA agreement with PSEG-LI, LLC, a subsidiary, whose members are unknown, of a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc, a New Jersey holding company. He has transferred to this parent holding company, control of all energy decisions on Long Island, has created a lucrative deal with PSEG that has no oversight, no citizen participation, and no respect for the health and safety of the residents of Long Island. This deal will leak the yearly net profits of the subsidiary, and billions of dollars out of Long Island’s economy. Everybody, including PSEG, agrees that the poles and overhead lines can and should be removed and buried, without impairing the power supply of the East End. The issue remains as to who shall pay the cost. I urge this LIPA board to join in such agreement to bury the lines, and to assure us that the cost will be allocated fairly between the ratepayers and the stockholders of the New Jersey parent holding company of its subsidiary PSEG-LI. I wonder if the members of the LIPA Board of Trustees want as their legacy and the legacy of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to be remembered and cursed for your participation in this travesty? Both the LIPA Board members and the Governor do have the power to make this right by halting this project, pulling the poles, and burying the lines underground along a direct major corridor away from residential areas." Pamela Miller, a member of the research committee for the Stockholm Convention, and the founder of the citizen's group, Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT), has invited myself and my Co-Chair, Rebecca Singer, to speak at the UN. The Stockholm Convention started with the banning of 12 substances. Later, the European Union nominated the addition of Pentachorophenol to the ban. They have a very intense review process. The POP's (Persistent Organic Pollutants) Review Committee did a lot of research and found penta in breast milk, in water, and in the Artic. They found penta to have effects on the endocrine system, blood serum, and wildlife. In October 2013, they determined that penta was a global contaminant and should be subject to global elimination. The United States and Canada have been the biggest fighters of the ban because of the wood preservative groups. It's all about money and power. Our website has launched, http://www.libfre.com.  Check us out. Read what we are doing. Read what our experts say. Sign our petition at: http://www.change.org/petitions/gov-andrew-cuomo-ban-overhead-utility-poles-ban-penta. Our petition calls for the banning of pentachlorophenol (penta or PCP) use on utility poles. Penta is a toxic substance that leaches form PSEG's utility poles into our soil and groundwater. Our expert hydrogeologist found 300 times the acceptable level of penta in the soil 6" from the base of the poles. In addition, we are fighting to remove the 61' high-tension voltage utility poles from in front of our homes, and bury the lines underground along a direct major corridor away from residential areas. We just launched Go Fund Me on our website: http://gofundme.com/libfre.  Help us in this David and Goliath battle against PSEG/LIPA. And finally, check out our Facebook page and like us: http://facebook.com/libfreinc. When will our leaders wake up and stop working with big business at the expense of the health and safety of the people and the environment of the world?      

EHVOR's Junior Ocean Lifeguard Program 2014 is for kids from ages 9-14. This program is taught by EHVOR members and certified ocean lifeguards and is designed to teach basic ocean safety and lifeguarding skills.

Join us on Saturday & Sunday, August 2 & 3 for the Annual EH Junior Lifeguard Tournament at Indian Well, 9am. See you there!

  Yes, my wonderful and talented editor, Nancy Butts, has given me the thumbs up! After a long year of many grueling rewrites, I have finally finished my second YA novel, Stoked - 1969, and have sent it off to traditional publishing houses for their consideration. Two years ago, while teaching my grandson how to read, he suggested I write a story about our year-long journey together.  The result of his request is my story about Jake Edwards. The year is 1969 and thirteen-year-old Jake is more worried about the war going on in his family than he is about the one in Vietnam. His parents and his Grandma Rose haven’t spoken since his older brother, Aaron, has enlisted in the Army. And furious with his principal and teachers for not teaching Jake to read, his mother has just yanked him out of school – without telling him first. As the summer ends, Jake desperately wants Aaron to come home from the war, safe and in one piece. Just as desperately, Jake wants to be like everyone else – to be able to read. Jake is forced to leave everything he knows to go and live with his wacko, hippie grandma. What were his parents thinking when they agreed to let Rose take over his education? Jake is sentenced to live among rebels – hippies who believe that the war is wrong. How will he ever fit into a group of tight-knit peaceniks? He needs a plan – relax and go with the flow, not an easy thing for a kid with dyslexia. Jake wonders if he’ll ever learn to read. His grandma thinks so, but he has his doubts. And then there’s Oliver, the long-haired creep who likes Hetty, the most beautiful girl Jake’s ever met. Anything this girl says sounds like music to his ears. But the evening news brings Jake right back down to planet Earth, right back to the horrors of the Vietnam War. He finds himself at a fork in the road. Jake needs to make a decision – to participate in the non-violent civil disobedience rallies his Grandma Rose is organizing or not. He decides to participate, realizing that protesting doesn’t mean he’s a traitor to his country. But the Vietnam Moratorium in Boston turns into a trap as Jake and his grandmother and the students in Rose’s class are corralled in Harvard Square and tear gassed by the National Guardsmen. This is a turning point for Jake. Weren’t the police and National Guardsmen supposed to serve and protect? Nothing made any sense anymore. Then when the horrific My Lai massacre is exposed in the press, Jake loses even more faith in the government and in the president. He has a falling-out with Hetty when she says that all American soldiers have gone berserk. Jake insists that his brother would never do anything like the soldiers in Charley Company had done – or would he? To make matters worse, Jake and Oliver are confronted by teenage bullies from the town of Peaceable who accuse them of being anti-American Communists. This is a turning point in their friendship. When he finally gets back to Rose’s cabin, he learns that Aaron is missing-in-action. Jake is now clear that he wants the war to end. He wants his brother to come home. “It sure was hard being a kid who stood up for what he believed in.” As the school year draws to an end, Jake realizes he had the intelligence to read all along; he just needed to be taught the right way. His hard work, perseverance, and patience took care of the rest. Rose helps him discover that he is fine the way he is. Different is good. “I wasn’t disabled or broke; I didn’t need to be fixed. I was a writer now, the author of my own life. What I’d say, and how I’d be, was solely and completely, up to me.” Jake's story is just waiting for the right publisher to represent it. I look forward to the publication of Stoked - 1969, and to hearing from all my fans.

Yesterday, Long Island Businesses For Responsible Energy, Inc. (LIBFRE) received a final report from our expert hydrogeologist witness who examined the soil around the utility poles used by PSEG-LI to string overhead high-tension lines along the 6.2 mile transmission line running from East Hampton to Amagansett. The report has confirmed our worst fears. Irving Like, our legal counsel, stated, "It's akin to the canary in the coal mine - warning us of danger." Peter Dermody, a geologist and environmental scientist with Dermody Consulting, sampled soil and gas-off vapors from three different poles along the 6.2 mile route. "The results indicate that significantly elevated concentrations of penta were detected in the soil at both shallow and deep location at two of the three poles. The use of penta has been banned in 26 countries. It was widely used in the United States until it was banned for public use by the EPA in 1987. Its use in the United States is now limited to wood preservation of utility poles and utility ties. The presence of penta on the poles and in the soil in the vicinity of the poles appears to represent a significant risk to human health and the environment." Why would the EPA allow Pentacholophenol to be used on poles less that 25 feet from people's homes? Who is responsible for oversight with regards to the electric upgrade on Long Island? Where is Governor Cuomo? Shame on him!  He has failed to serve and protect  the people of Long Island and of this great state of New York and should therefore be removed from office.  If he has his way, New York State will have NO CLEAN WATER to drink. Between the fracking he is considering and the hiring of PSEG-LI, he's sold us out. Based on his findings, Peter suggests that the following steps be taken to protect human health and the environment: ". An attorney should be provided with this report to determine if the release of penta to the subsurface represents a reportable contaminant release to the NYSDEC as per 6 NYCRR 613.8. . The saturated and other highly stained soil around the poles should be removed as soon as possible to attempt to reduce the potential for exposure and groundwater contamination. . Residences in the area hydraulically downgradient of these new poles should be evaluated to determine if these homes use private drinking water wells. Private well users risk ingestion of penta through contaminated groundwater. Residents in these areas should be advised to have frequent water sample analyses and may wish to consider drinking bottled water until it can be demonstrated that penta is not, and cannot reasonably be expected to impact their drinking water. The EPA drinking water standard for penta is 1 part per billion. . Since this recently-applied and extremely toxic chemical coats the surface of the poles and can easily be transferred to the skin through dermal contact, safety fencing should be installed around the poles to prevent incidental contact with the poles by children or to other persons, pets, and wildlife. In addition, placards should be placed on each new pole to warn residents not to touch or otherwise make contact with the pole or the soil in its vicinity. . Residents in the area should be notified of the potential hazard associated with the new poles and they should be instructed to avoid the poles so that they do not inhale or ingest penta (penta can be ingested by dermal contact with the pole or contaminated soil, and then transferred by touching the eyes, nose, or mouth)." The picture below was taken by my son, Michael. This particular pole is located on Town Lane in Amagansett - a road that is officially considered a significant scenic vista. The brown substance at the bottom of the pole is the chemical Pentacholophenol that has leeched out during wet events. A member of LIBFRE approached a PSEG-LI worker and asked if he knew what kind of chemical he was working with. The worker had no gloves on and no mask to cover his nose and mouth. When she showed him Peter's report he freaked, stopped  working, and contacted his union.  Why were these workers not informed of the hazardous chemicals they were being exposed to? It's time this country put its foot down and say NO to big business. It's time for the people to revolt and demand that the government hold these big companies accountable for the damaging effects to our health, safety, devaluation of property values, contamination of our environment, soil, and groundwater. These poles are a travesty that has negatively effected our beauty, historical, and scenic vistas. As Bob Marley wrote, "It's time to get up, stand up, stand up for our rights; get up, stand up, don't give up the fight!"      

 PSEGLI has stormed East Hampton town, raping and pillaging the very essence  of its soul. It is destroying the beauty and esthetics of one of the most beautiful villages in all of the United States. Our Main Beach was rated number one in the country last year.

In the village of East Hampton, the 6-mile high-tension line is being strung down quaint, tiny village streets less than 25 feet from children's bedrooms. These 61 foot toxic poles continue down East Hampton town roads passed historic sites and scenic vistas.

PSEGLI has created a strategy that is pitting ratepayer against ratepayer. This shouldn't be about ratepayers fighting each other.

I believe that the issue is the following: PSEG has created a lucrative deal with LIPA and our Governor. The utility is a subsidiary of a NJ subsidiary that is a subsidiary of the parent holding company, the Public Service Electric Group Company that is located in NJ. When Governor Cuomo gave them a long term agreement, 12 years if I'm not mistaken, he gave them the authority to invest their capital on Long Island and in turn he provided them with the opportunity to realize a return on their investments. What happens to those profits? My position is that the entire burden to shoulder the costs of this project should be paid for by the stockholders of PSEG, not the ratepayers.

I further believe that PSEG has fabricated the idea that we are in need of additional energy to get us through the summer of 2014. It should be noted that we had no brown-outs during the summer of 2013.

PESG wants the ratepayers to bury the lines once they've completed the project. This will increase their profits once again. After they've damaged our environment, depreciated our property values, butchered and killed our trees, damaged our esthetics, polluted our groundwater and soil, and exposed us to numerous health risks associated with high-tension wires, their profits will go back to NJ - an economic leak for Long Island's economy.

Let the stockholders shoulder the burden of these costs.

Helene Forst, Chair

Long Island Businesses For Responsible Energy, Inc. (LIBFRE)

 

 

   

Press Release April 1, 2014,

East Hampton, NY  Helene Forst has spearheaded a new nonprofit corporation of business people called Long Island Businesses For Responsible Energy (LIBFRE). 

LIBFRE aims to ensure that the future of Long Island utilities focuses on a safe and responsible energy infrastructure. LIBFRE supports an energy upgrade that preserves our health, safety, environment, property values, historic sites, and scenic vistas.  

The company’s immediate goals are to:

·         Halt the six-mile East Hampton to Amagansett high-tension overhead transmission lines.

·        Remove all newly installed toxic Pentachlorophenol pressure treated wood utility poles.

·        Reroute transmission lines underground along major public corridors away from residential neighborhoods.

·        Create another alternative for back-up electricity while underground power line burial is being researched and conducted.

·        Shoulder the cost of burial, or a reasonable share of that cost, to be borne by the utility, and not its ratepayers.

LIBFRE has retained Irving Like, founding partner of Reilly, Like & Tenety as Legal Counsel. Like, referred to by Newsday as one of the  “100 Most Influential Long Islanders of the Twentieth Century, “ is pulling together a group of Expert Witnesses on the environment, health, safety and property values.

LIBFRE has opened a business account to start receiving funds in support of its goals.

The Long Island Builders Institute (LIBI) has just written a letter to Ralph Suozzi, Chairman of  Long Island Power Authority, asking them to “stand down from the projects in East Hampton and Port Washington and allow each community and LIPA and PSEG, to take a moment and allow for a reasonable review, understanding that time is of the essence to get the projects finished.”  It is LIBI’s “firm belief that the option of underground power lines should be included within the permitting process for each and every power line upgrade or relocation across Long Island, and that each community must be given, up front, that option and the cost implications to the residents of each community at the beginning of the review process.”

LIBFRE has three Directors of the corporation, Helene Forst, Rebecca Singer and Michael Forst. Helene Forst is Chairperson of the group, Rebecca Singer is Co-Chair, Michael Forst is Treasurer, Ilissa Meyer heads up Social Media, Website and Technology. Amy Forst is Bookkeeper and Jack Forst heads up Fundraising.

For more information please contact Rebecca Singer, rebsinger@hotmail.com

 

 

I'm sorry to say that it's been almost two months since I've blogged. I've been rewriting my new YA novel, Flat-Tops and Ponytails -1969 and alerting, educating, and organizing my neighbors regarding a community travesty that has befallen us. Our East Hampton community, voted one of the most beautiful villages in America, is under siege. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, hired PSEG, a New Jersey based utility company to take over Long Island's antiquated electric system. What Governor Cuomo failed to tell the people of Long Island was that the contractual agreement he signed with PSEG-LI provided the utility with free reign to butcher our trees, install toxic 52 to 61 foot poles within 25 feet of our homes,  pollute our scenic vistas, pollute our groundwater and soil, devalue our property values, and string high-tension lines along quaint, narrow village streets 25 feet from our children's bedrooms.

This is an outrage!

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln reminded Americans that "this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Actions speak louder than words. The actions of the Governor, our local officials, and PSEG-LI have demonstrated that this is no longer a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

If the governor thinks he’ll win our votes by allowing PSEG-LI to bulldoze their way through our villages and towns, installing 61 foot toxic poles along scenic roads and tiny quaint village streets, he’s mistaken. These high-tension wires are known to cause the following:  brain tumors, childhood leukemia, breast cancer, miscarriages, birth defects, lymphomas, depression, fatigue, headaches, aggravate the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia and other known cancers, burning and/or tingling of the skin, and rashes for a starter. These fifty-six to sixty-one foot poles are rated for 130 mile an hour winds. What happens if and when we get a hurricane like the one we had in ’38? If these poles were to fall, they will fall on homes, homes with people and pets – the very same people who voted the governor into office. If these poles should fall in front of our firehouse, our first responders will not be able to get the trucks out to help local residents. The chemicals that have been applied to these poles smell badly. Residents in NJ claim that they are suffering from upper respiratory illnesses caused by the poisons used to preserve these poles. The chemicals used on these poles are toxic and carcinogenic and are leeching into our soil and ground water. The chemicals used on these poles have been outlawed on wood structures that are built in our playgrounds. In the HUD manual it states that a real estate appraiser should note if the property in question is near high-tension wires – if it is, lenders are advised not to lend money. There is no denying that Long Island needs to upgrade its electric system, but it needs to be done in a responsible, safe manner.

STOP THE POLES – BURY THEM UNDERGROUND.

 

 This is a travesty created by the governor, and he’s the only one who has the ability to stop it. Who says that things in motion can’t be stopped?  In the late 1980’s, the governor’s father, former Governor Mario Cuomo, conceded that the on-line Shoreham Nuclear Reactor needed to be shut down. There was no safe evacuation for Long Islanders.  There’s no reason to think that any project PSEG has begun can’t be stopped. Anything in motion can be stopped – All the governor needs to do is stop it.  PSEG-LI failed to notify the majority of residents living along the 6 mile East Hampton to Amagansett transmission line project. We were denied a voice due to this failure to notify.  PSEG hasn’t followed our East Hampton 2005 Comprehensive Plan.  PSEG hasn’t created a reliable and responsible 21^st century upgrade for Long Island’s electric system.  PSEG has ruined our scenic vistas.  PSEG has disregarded our historic sites.  PSEG has put our residents in an unhealthy environment.  PSEG has contaminated our drinking water.  PSEG has devalued our property values.  PSEG has disregarded our safety.

 The governor recently held a phone - town hall meeting where he asked residents to contact their local state representatives asking them to encourage small local towns and villages to reduce their overhead spending by 1%. If the local government is successful, the Governor will "throw us a carrot" - he'll freeze our property taxes for a year.

So why is the governor wasting our money? Every day he allows this utility to continue work on this high-tension installation, he's spending money that doesn't need to be spent.  The governor needs to let this utility off the hook. David Daly, the chief-operating officer for PSEG-LI, has told us that they are under a contract to finish this project before summer 2014 or else they will be fired. The Governor needs to let them out of that part of their contractual agreement, so that they can stop and reevaluate the situation at hand.

When you look at this map you wonder why they zig-zagged though 6 miles of  tiny village roads and scenic town lanes instead of putting the lines on a direct route from one sub-station to another - only 4 miles in length, and not impacting anyone or anything.

 

The Governor needs to contact PSEG-LI and tell them that they will not be fired if they stop the installation.

The Governor isn't doing his job - to protect and serve the people of the state of New York. He needs to stop this travesty immediately.

 Our goals are clear:

1. Instruct PSEG to immediately stop all work on the new transmission line between East Hampton and Amagansett.

2. Insist that PSEG remove all newly installed utility poles.

And finally,

3. Demand that PSEG reroute the transmission lines underground along the Long Island Rail Road major corridor.

This is the safest, least invasive, most cost effective direct route for the East Hampton Community. We are asking Governor Cuomo to use the FEMA money he received from the federal government to upgrade our electric grid. The longer he hesitates to stop this travesty - the more expensive this project becomes. Why do we need to pay for the utility company to put up the toxic poles, take the toxic poles down, and then to bury the high-tension transmission lines. If he were doing what he's asked local governments to do - he'd be doing the least expensive, safe, reliable upgrade available to us. East Hampton’s Comprehensive Plan includes putting all future power lines underground. We want to:

·         Minimize electromagnetic fields.

·         Stop the butchering of our trees.

                        ·         Improve the safety of our roads, and,                         ·         Improve the aesthetics of our town. 

 Putting the poles underground is the only responsible 21^st century upgrade.

Governor Cuomo frequents East Hampton when he needs to raise money for his political campaigns. Scott Martella, the Governor's Suffolk County regional representative told me that the Governor had no intention of stopping this installation. What's up with that?

First it was Nixon and Watergate; then it was Christie and Bridgegate; and now it's Cuomo and PSEG/LIPAGATE. What a disappointment our federal, state, and local representatives have been with response to this horrific situation.

It is our Democratic right to peacefully protest and voice our opinions. It is our right and our responsibility. This is how we create change. Margaret Mead was right when she said that, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

During the entire month of April, Goodread's, Rory McLeod, moderator of YA Reads for Teachers, will be hosting an "Indie Extravaganza." The Journey of Hannah Woods will be one of the featured Indie books of the month. Join Us for lively discussions throughout the month! To order the book from Amazon CLICK HERE  

Rory McLeod

@YAReadsForTeach

Moderator of YA Reads for Teachers (And Any Other Adults!) on http://t.co/vg9DH2Q6.

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/19451.YA_Reads_for_Teachers_And_Any_Other_Adults_

 

Rory McLeod @YAReadsForTeach @HeleneForst will be our guest during the INDIE EXTRAVAGANZA! Enter to win a copy of her book! goodreads.com/topic/show/173

In 1958,  Gerald Holtom, a British conscientious objector, drew a sign to stand for nuclear disarmament. The symbol was a combination of the letters N and D taken from semaphoric signals used by the British navy. Over the years, this symbol became a universal symbol for peace.

In the late 1960's, hippies first used the symbol to represent peace rather than just for nuclear disarmament. Today it is seen on clothing, banners, buttons, jewelry, and painted walls throughout towns all over the world. It's an extraordinary example of branding that has become embedded in our every day lives.

Holtom's design was created to remind us of the dangers of the nuclear industry, be it the waste from nuclear power plants, the death and suffering from nuclear fallout, or the destruction from radiation poisoning for future generations.

The threat of nuclear proliferation still remains today as wars continue to be fought all around planet Earth. Isn't it ironic that Albert Einstein once said, "Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding."

Native Americans referred to the December full moon as the Full Cold Moon or the Full Long Night Moon for during the month of December, nights grew longer and darker and the winter cold gripped the earth. The full moon won't be seen tonight because of the clipper snowstorm that passed over Long Island today. The skies are dull grey and the rain is washing the little bit of snow we had away. Last night, however, I got a picture of the moon over Long Lane in East Hampton, New York. The scene captured for me the spirit of the season - a softening of hearts and a universal search for peace.

It is my wish for our world that peace dwell in our hearts, our homes, and in our world. Happy and Healthy holidays to everyone and Peace to all mankind!

As I continue with the rewrite of Stoked, my YA novel about Jake Edwards, a thirteen year-old boy with dyslexia growing up in the 1960's, I realize that our educational system continues to be flawed. Our teachers continue to be poorly trained; one out of five students, roughly 20% of the student population, struggles with reading. This is a statistically significant number of children. I keep wondering, why is it that children with dyslexia are still being told that their brains are broken and bad? No child should be left to fall through the cracks. The Orton-Gillingham method of instruction isn't just a method of instruction for dyslexic students; it's a great educational method for all children. Multi-sensory, direct, explicit, sequential, cumulative, language-based instruction is just good teaching. In order to be a successful reader, a child must master the sound system of our very complex language. The Orton-Gillingham method for teaching reading is based on the fundamental principles of the structure of the English language. This multi-sensory approach can be adapted to all content area subjects. It's time that our educators recognize that a person with dyslexia learns differently, and that it's their responsibility to teach to these learning differences. I doubt if dyslexia was a disability before the invention of the printing press. A dyslexic brain is a gift; these are the brains that think globally. These are the visual-spacial, critical thinkers who see the bigger picture of things. These are the problem solvers who think in images. The neurologist, Norman Geschwind believed that, "dyslexia was nature's way of producing different brains. In so doing, a survival mechanism of the human race was created to do things that the human race never knew it needed to be able to do." Speaking, a natural thing for humans, has been around for hundreds of thousands of years, but writing and reading have only been around for five thousand years. Our brains are not hard-wired for reading as they are for speaking. During the time of the cave man, a dyslexic brain would have been honored, for those were the people who could problem solve, could think outside the box for the good of the group. I am evolving with my protagonist, Jake, rooting for him to overcome the emotional baggage he picked up as he struggled in school. As I researched dyslexia, I came upon an awesome book called. Dislecksia: The Book, by Harvey Hubbell V. Harvey invited people to bring his documentary, Dislecksia: The Movie, for a pre-screening event in their home town. Harvey is dyslexic. He wants to spread awareness about what dyslexia is, how it can be treated through education, and how it is an advantage instead of a disability. I am hoping to bring Harvey out to the Hamptons where he'll host a screening of the movie. It's time for our educators and our administrators to understand that cracking the code isn't about intelligence. It's about adopting a successfully prove, scientifically-based, educational model that works. Check out the film's website at: www.dislecksiathemovie.com.    

Save the Date - Wednesday, June 18, 2014

 

Overview:  Organizational Study Skills Workshop

An Introduction to the Landmark Master Notebook System

In a hands-on, multi-sensory  approach, this workshop will cover the following topics:  Organizing time, materials, and information; reading textbooks, recognizing and formulating main ideas and details, taking notes from written and oral sources, summarizing and paraphrasing; and test preparation. 

Learn how study skills instruction can be adapted to regular content classes.

For more information contact Helene Forst at: https://heleneforst.com