Sounds to avoid

April 26, 2012 (WABC) -- How's your hearing? I have a good friend who, when his kids were young, insisted that they wear ear plugs in the darnedest places like on airplanes.

The truth is we have noise pollution to the n-th degree. And it's all around us. And it's hurting our hearing. So many people and so many kids suffer hearing loss, and most go through life not ever getting it treated or diagnosed.

I remember going underground with a hearing expert to measure the decibel levels of the subway. Off the charts. Hey there's a reason those subway motormen wear ear plugs and head phones.

I'm just sayin'.

Do you cover your ears when an express train comes roaring by? I do and I get plenty of "he's such a nerd" stares.

Too bad for them. At least I'm protecting my hearing.

Tonight at 11, we offer some easy tips on how to preserve your hearing. And we're not just talking be careful at rock concerts. Everyday sounds can do real damage.

Also at 11, we'll preview tomorrow's arrival of the space shuttle Enterprise to its permanent retirement home, the Intrepid Museum on the Hudson.

And it's decision night for thousands of students and teachers at 2 dozen New York City Schools that are set to close because they've been deemed underperforming. The vote is tonight.

Finally, we remember Pete Fornatale tonight. If you don't know who he was, it's a shame. If you do, then your reaction to his death is emotional. He was a great radio disc jockey a great one, who believed that radio was indeed the theatre of the mind, and a great open door for up-and-coming musicians.

He had such an easy going style. We don't know how Pete died, just that he did today, in New York, at age 66. He was still working  his show "Mixed Bag" was must-listen programming on WFUV-FM, Fordham University's great progressive radio station. He worked at FUV ever since he was a student at Fordham. He will be missed.

We'll also have any breaking news of the night, plus Meteorologist Lee Goldberg's AccuWeather forecast, and Rob Powers with the night's sports including playoff game 7 for both the Rangers and Devils in the quest for the Stanley Cup. I hope you can join Sade Baderinwa and me, tonight at 11.

BILL RITTER

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