The following are profiles of candidates running for seats on the Nassau County and district court. more

Gov. David Paterson gave the green light for the New York State Department of Transportation to install a guardrail along the Wantagh Parkway bike path at an Oct. 22 meeting with state Sen. Charles Fuschillo, Assemblyman David McDonough, and the family of Matthew Scarpati, who was killed on the path by an allegedly drunk motorcyclist this past summer. The new guardrail will be what DOT spokeswoman Jennifer Post described as a "cable design," which will consist of three metal cables suspended by posts reaching about 33 inches high, spaced roughly 10 feet apart. more

NextG Networks filed a motion in New York State Eastern District Court on Oct. 21 to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Merrick Gables Association against NextG, the Town of Hempstead and cell phone provider Metro PCS. The Merrick Gables Association and a group of Nassau County residents filed suit in late August after months of frustration with cell phone antennas and 40-foot-tall poles that were installed near homes and schools, on town-owned public rights of way, by NextG Networks, a wireless frequency provider contracted with Metro PCS in Nassau County. more

At a New York State Women of Distinction ceremony on Oct. 15 at the Levittown Public Library, five of nine honorees hailed from Merrick. Ilene Dixel, account executive for the Merrick and Bellmore Heralds, Dr. Beverly Adler, Margaret Mueller and Ildi O'Gorman, all of Merrick, were honored by State Assemblymen David McDonough, Republican from North Merrick, and Joseph Saladino, Republican from Massapequa. more

Tens of thousands of local folks thronged Bedford Avenue and its environs last Saturday and Sunday for the annual Bellmore Family Street Festival, sponsored by the Bellmore Chamber of Commerce. At this year's fair -- touted as Nassau County's largest -- there was a little something for everyone, from carnival rides to crafts to live marshal-arts demonstrations to pony rides, a petting zoo and any number of expos, from crafts to sports. Additionally, there was entertainment at the Town of Hempstead Showmobile throughout the weekend. And in the middle of it all, the Bellmore Herald had booth, staffed by Bellmore Herald Accountant Executive Ilene Dixel, Senior Editor Scott Brinton, and reporters Nancy Hiler and Sari Zeidler. more

Kathleen Rice ascended to the district attorney’s post four years ago as a virtual unknown -- a former federal prosecutor and Brooklyn assistant district attorney who had never run for political office before. Back then, she appeared a tad unsure of herself, slightly nervous in her interviews with the Herald. And why not? She was opposing the legendary Denis Dillon, who had served as Nassau County district attorney for 31 years. Despite being a political neophyte, Rice ran a strong campaign, and was elected with 51 percent of the vote to Dillon’s 49 percent. Four years later, we’re happy that Rice was elected. She has proven herself to be a consummate professional who only improved an already well-run D.A.’s office. Cases are processed nearly twice as fast as they once were. Conviction rates are up. And Rice has garnered a national reputation for her aggressive stance against driving while intoxicated. Many now call her the toughest DWI prosecutor in the country. more

State Assemblyman David McDonough, a Republican from North Merrick, is reminding his constituents that the law banning texting while driving will take effect Nov. 1. The law was passed by the state to supplement the current law banning the use of a cell phone without a hands-free device while driving. more

Only 6 months old, Sophia Gaynor of Bellmore is bringing out the best in hundreds of local high school students. Around 300 people turned out at Mepham High School's track on Oct. 22 to take a part in a walk-a-thon to benefit the charitable organization, Sophia's Cure. The organization is named for a local newborn who was diagnosed with fatal spinal muscular atrophy, a group of diseases that affect the motor neurons of the spinal cord and brain stem. more

It’s hard to argue with a track record like that of Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, a Democrat from Glen Cove. Over the past eight years, he took a fiscally mismanaged, virtually insolvent county and turned it around, consistently balancing a budget that seemingly could not be balanced. Suozzi saved money by cutting the county work force by 1,000 employees and instituting tried-and-true management practices that were previously nonexistent. At the same time, he has put in place a host of programs to improve residents’ quality of life, from smoking-cessation regimens to energy-efficiency incentives. more

Calhoun High School students got a small taste of what it's like to drive drunk last Friday, the final day of National Teen Driver Safety Week. The students suited up with bicycle helmets and special glasses that obscure users’ vision, hopped aboard one of two pedal carts and attempted to negotiate an obstacle course of orange highway cones. The students, who were not drinking, smiled and laughed as they maneuvered slowly -- and quite awkwardly -- through the course. But the message was serious: Drinking makes you lose your sense of control, and that can lead to dire consequences if you drive. more