The Merrick Chamber of Commerce’s Fall Festival went off without a hitch this past weekend, attracting thousands to downtown Merrick. more

Scott Brinton, senior editor of the Merrick and Bellmore Heralds, and an adjunct journalism professor at Hofstra University, took home a first place for Editorial Writing and a second place for Business News in the Press Club of Long Island’s annual Media Awards competition. more

It was a day of friendly, vocabulary-building, competition in the Merricks last Wednesday at the annual fifth- and sixth-grade Scrabble tournament sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Merrick and the Merrick Herald. more

Elected officials, fires officials, school principals, librarians, and community members met up at Levy-Lakeside Friday morning for the school;s annual Community Read In. They came to read special books to classes and discussed what they do in their work. Among the participants were Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray and New York State Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr. more

The Bellmore and Merrick Heralds are now on Facebook! Friend us and be the first to find out what's going on in your community, schools and with your neighbors. Share your thoughts, pictures and opinions. Get up-to-the-minute hyper-local updates and links to in-depth stories on www.LIHerald.com. Log on to www.Facebook.com/BellmoreMerrick.Herald to join the conversation. more

More than 600 people dressed in costumes of all kinds walked up and down Merrick Avenue this Halloween, making this year's annual costume parade sponsored by the Merrick Chamber of Commerce and the Merrick Herald the biggest to date. What's N Store was a contributor to the event. more

Thousands of local folks thronged Merrick Avenue last Saturday and Sunday for the annual Fall Fest, sponsored by the Merrick Chamber of Commerce. At this year's festival, there was a little something for everyone, from carnival rides to crafts to fire demonstrations to pony rides and a petting zoo. Additionally, there was entertainment at the Town of Hempstead Showmobile throughout the weekend. And in the middle of it all, the Merrick Herald had a booth, staffed by Merrick Herald Accountant Executive Ilene Dixel, Senior Editor Scott Brinton, and reporter Sari Zeidler and Nancy Hiler. more

Calhoun, Kennedy and Mepham high schools all celebrated Homecoming on Saturday, and students had a blast at the pre-game parades and at the big football games, despite all three home teams losing. Calhoun went down to Massapequa, 24-20. Kennedy lost a heartbreaker to Division, 21-20, after being up 20-0 at halftime. And Mepham was overpowered by No. 4 seed Wantagh, 30-7. more

Each year, drunken drivers cause deadly accidents and claim innocent lives. Their stories often become local and sometimes national lore, cautioning others about the potentially deadly consequences of a crime that some see as socially acceptable. But there is another type of loss that goes with drinking and driving, I recently learned. One that may be considered insensitive or politically incorrect to discuss. Three defense attorneys I interviewed saw the possible loss of one's reputation and even future employment as an unfair fate that befalls many of their clients. I contacted the lawyers after the Nassau County Police Department and the district attorney's office gave me a firsthand look at what a DWI arrest entails. Police simulated my arrest for DWI, including everything from handcuffing me to locking me up. Later, the district attorney's office brought me to District Court, where I took a tour of holding cells, courtrooms and assistant district attorneys' offices. I wrote about the experience for Herald readers. But as I spoke with defense lawyers, expecting to hear mainly about the financial burden of a DWI conviction, I learned that some of the most serious consequences for the convicted are harder to quantify. more

Fall fun is only only days away in Merrick. The 2009 Merrick Festival, sponsored by the Merrick Chamber of Commerce, is coming to town the weekend of Oct. 2, complete with rides, games, snacks, and a chance to enjoy all that Merrick has to offer. The festival will be held on Merrick Avenue from Sunrise Highway to Loines Avenue. more