Posted by Jim on July 28, 2020
FDNY WTC Health Program & BHS Authorizations
Now Available Online
The FDNY WTC Health Program recently announced a new initiative to issue and access BHS and WTC authorizations electronically.
Effective as of June 29, all authorizations will be issued electronically through the online system Claim Connect. Members can retrieve their authorizations via computer or cell phone.
You will be able to view all authorizations issued to you in the last 12 months for WTC Authorizations, as well as all BHS Authorizations issued to you in the last 3 months.
To use Claim Connect, please visit https://www.claimconnect.us/. Registration instructions can be found in the “Announcements” section of the homepage.
Contact the FDNY Claims Department at 718-403-4436 with questions.
Posted by Jim on
Para leer este mensaje en español, haga clic aquí.
Dear Family of the Archdiocese of New York,
The Covid-19 pandemic, which has caused disruption across many aspects of our daily lives, is having an especially profound impact on young people, including those in our Catholic schools, whose education is being altered or interrupted.
The pandemic and resulting economic impact have dramatically reduced the number of parents who can afford to make tuition payments for the upcoming school year. Two weeks ago, I shared the sad news that 20 of our schools, already facing soaring deficits, would not be able to re-open this Fall due to steep declines in enrollment. Without assistance to our parents and children from the Federal government, many more of our Catholic schools may have to close permanently. These closures will harm thousands of students from our archdiocese, and across the nation.
Many of our nation’s elected officials of both parties recognize the crisis that is confronting all schools, including Catholic and other non-government schools. Congress is working on another bill to provide relief from the Covid crisis for critical parts of our economy and society such as our schools. Catholic and other non-government schools must be included in that relief.
The time to make your voices heard is now. If Congress does not provide assistance to our schools within the next few weeks before the school year opens, many parents may find themselves unable to meet even our modest tuition costs, and we will be forced to write you again announcing yet more school closures.
Please contact your elected officials – Senator Chuck Schumer at (202) 224-6542 or (212) 486-4430, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand at (202) 224-4451 or (212) 688-6262, and your local Member of Congress (you can find the name and contact info of your Representative here) – and implore them to provide assistance to prevent our Catholic schools from closing permanently.
With gratitude and prayerful best wishes, I am,
Faithfully yours in Christ,
Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan
Archbishop of New York
Posted by Jim on July 27, 2020
Well we made it through the first of its kind National Convention and a new Board has now taken Office. Our new Executive Board are as follows:
President – Danny O’Connell
Vice President.- Sean Pender
Secretary – Jere Cole
Treasurer.- Liam McNabb
Also elected as our National Directors
Director – Ray Lynch
Director – Tim McSweeney
Director – Ed Halligan
Director – Sean O’Dowd
Director – Rick Thompson
Director – Bob Mahrens
With this new National Committee, I hope that we grow our Organization to new Heights
Jim Sullivan
Posted by Jim on July 24, 2020
A-TEAM SCHOLARSHIP
The A-Team Scholarship was set up by the family and friends of Lt. Joseph Cavalieri, FF Christopher Bopp and FF James Bohan in their memory.
Award:
The scholarship will award a freshman entering a private high school in September 2020 $500 dollars each year.
Eligibility:
The scholarship competition is open to any child of an active or retired member of the UFA or UFOA.
Application & Requirements:
The student must submit an essay describing why they want to attend the particular private high school.
Applicants must include their parent’s name, address, phone number and work unit with their essay submission.
All information should be sent to FF Andrew Spadaro, L-170, 1361 Rockaway Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11236, Attn: A-Team Scholarship FDNY.
The student must maintain a C or better average throughout high school.
Deadline:
Postmark deadline to submit essay is August 15, 2020.
Posted by Jim on July 20, 2020
Trevor Ringland touts a ‘competing narrative’ where “families whose loved ones were brutally murdered at Loughinisland” stop questioning collusion because victims’ families and constabulary “both wanted the same outcome” (July 1).How could constabulary arresting the journalists who named alleged killers be the same outcome as arresting the suspected loyalist killers themselves? The legacy crisis exists because families want facts not British fairytale narratives about the murder of their loved ones.Mr Ringland mischaracterises the issue as a dispute between those who think ‘violence outside the law was justified’ and their opponents. He implies families of nationalist victims do not go to British crown courts, ombudsmen or investigatory bodies seeking justice for murdered loved ones, but want some sort of justification for republican armed struggle between 1968-98.He seems unable or unwilling to face the real question at the heart of the crisis.Did violence within British law, mean British troopers, constabulary and loyalist agents were permitted to carry out or collude in murders, which the state legal machinery then justified, or simply would not prosecute the murderers?Mr Ringland cites Loughinisland. The film No Stone Unturned named and filmed suspects and revealed that besides DNA evidence available from the recovered car, weapons and clothing, the wife of one of the suspected loyalist gunmen telephoned and wrote, confessing her role and naming the alleged gunmen.No-one was charged except the filmmakers. Why should these families not suspect collusion or conclude that no prosecutions despite so much evidence, meant the loyalist killers were being protected by crown forces?The legacy backlog worsens, 22 years post Good Friday Agreement, because nationalist victims’ families must fight to get truth from inquest courts (Ballymurphy) ombudsmen (Loughinisland), or historical investigations (Glenanne). It exists because British officials deny and delay the quest for truth with legal roadblocks, apparently hoping, that relatives will be frustrated, die off or give up.Today, instead of truth mechanisms they agreed five years ago at Stormont House, the British plan to create an ‘independent body’ which many fear will be used as a magic wand to make hundreds of cases disappear, by repeating the words “no new compelling evidence and realistic prospect of prosecution”.If Britain did not fear legacy truth why do they go to such lengths to bury it?
MARTIN GALVIN
New York