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Mostly Cloudy Special elections debate blocked for third time
Appointed Republicans pass rule to keep debate on appointments from coming up again
For the third time in recent months, Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen tried to open discussion on Tuesday on how the Town Board should fill vacancies when seats open up outside the election season, and for a third — and possibly final — time, Republican members blocked discussion on the subject.
Merrick courts are pickleball central
Pickleball players have taken over the tennis courts of Merrick Road Park. On Aug. 3, for instance, in the sweltering heat, more than two dozen pickleball players gathered with friends to play. They took up five of the six available tennis courts, engaging in matches that ranged from casual to high-intensity.
County to help libraries beef up security
A new emergency alert system is coming to Nassau County libraries. The Rave Panic Button, an application that provides a fast response in emergency situations, will be available for implementation in all 54 Nassau County public libraries, including each of the four Bellmore and Merrick facilities.
Inside the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High shooting
At Stony Brook University, two Parkland students tell their stories of survival
Part seven in an ongoing series.Sixteen-year-old Taylor Yon found comfort in Pine Trails Park, virtually in the center of Parkland, Fla. There, she and her friends wandered its sidewalks, past its …
Bellmore, Merrick lifeguards make the grade
The newest class of Town of Hempstead lifeguards was honored at a graduation ceremony at Lido Beach on July 11. Town Supervisor Laura Gillen, a former lifeguard herself, distributed golden whistles to the graduates, including Grace Hernon and Connor Desmond of Merrick and Bellmore, respectively.
Former Merokean Michael Otterman authored two books on war
Editor’s note: Choudhry, 17, recently graduated as salutatorian from Elmont Memorial High School. She wrote the following during Hofstra University’s annual High School Summer Journalism …
South Shore business owners rally for online sales tax equity
Following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, Bellmore and Merrick business owners are calling for state legislation that they say would level the playing field be-tween in-state and out-of-state online retailers.
North Merrick school pilots Google technology
The Old Mill Road Elementary School in the North Merrick School District was selected to be one of the first schools to participate in the Google Expedition Pioneers Program and pilot augmented …
North Merrick thanks its Board of Education
The North Merrick School District thanked the Board of Education – President Wendy Gargiulo, Vice President John Pinto, and Trustees Edward Corona, Steve Enella, Jennifer Hyland, Tracey Miller, and Todd Ransom – at the November 14th Board of Education meeting as part of School Board Recognition Week.
Editorial
Online sales tax would aid small businesses
Thanks to a 5-4 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in June, states are now allowed to mandate the collection of state sales tax on items purchased online from out-of-state retailers. Passing such a measure in New York, with certain stipulations, would benefit small businesses of all types.
Christopher Capece
Multifamily housing is right for Long Island
Since the 1960s, there has been a raging debate about the proper place of multifamily housing on Long Island. Opponents warn of “Queens creep,” implying . . .
Scott Brinton
The first job I ever loved
I can still picture the last day of my fourth and final summer as a Fresh Air Fund counselor at Camp Hayden Marks, on the 2,000-acre Sharpe Reservation in upstate Fishkill, 28 years ago. The campers . . .
Randi Kreiss
Breathing hard, and moisturizing, in northern California
Not every weekly newspaper has a foreign correspondent, and we don’t, either. So, I bring to you, at my expense, a firsthand account of a summer in the wilds of northern California.