September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. According to the to the National Childhood Cancer Foundation, one in every 300 boys and one in every 333 girls will be diagnosed with cancer by age 20. One of the organizations that Merrick resident and cancer survivor Andie Ofsink and her family are seeking to support is Make-A-Wish, which works with children affected by cancer and other life-threatening conditions during their treatment to grant children a wish of their choice to give them additional hope and incentive to make it through often difficult treatments. Andie and her family and friends, along with Studio NV in Merrick, are currently promoting "A Streak of Sunshine for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month." During September, children, as well as adults, can get a golden hair streak for $10 at Studio NV, and 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York. 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

A crash or a death. When caused by a drunk driver, the media is often all over it. But last week I went behind bars at Nassau County Police Headquarters to get an inside look at the less-publicized side of a DWI arrest. more

School is back in session and all around the Merricks, elementary schools have been celebrating in style. On Sept. 17, Old Mill Road School held picnic that seemed more like a party. With everything from a DJ to carnival treats, students at Old Mill Road were treated to an evening of fun, to be followed by a new year of learning and excitement. more

When the H1N1 virus, commonly referred to as the "swine flu," dominated headlines in April and May, it appeared to be business as usual at the Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, says the hospital's lead doctor. Dr. Steven J. Walerstein, senior vice president for medical affairs and the medical director at the Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, said there was not as much of a rush as was expected. "We were actually surprised we didn't have the surge and influx of patients we thought we were going to have," Walerstein said. However, the NUMC medical staff continues to prepare itself for what experts are projecting to be a rise in H1N1 cases this fall. One report from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology said up to half of the nation's population could potentially contract the H1N1 virus this fall. "It is a concern now," Walerstein said. "The problem is that obviously no one has a crystal ball." more

"Four DWIs [is what] it took before that woman killed my child," said Deena Cohen, president of the Long Island chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Cohen was speaking before an assembly of about 50 students at Seaford High School, arranged by State Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr., a Republican, and Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, a Democrat who is up for re-election. Cohen’s 21-year-old daughter, Jodi, was killed by a drunk driver 20 years ago. "I need you to understand the importance of [not] drinking and driving and drugging and driving," Cohen told the students. "The pain never goes away, ever ... The pain is still here. The 20-year number did something to my head. Jodi is gone almost as long" as she was alive. Tears were welling up in students' eyes as Cohen spoke. more

Months of negotiations between community liaisons and NextG Networks, the company that installed 35 cellular antennas on telephone poles in Merrick, were recently halted by a lawsuit filed against NextG, the Town of Hempstead and Metro PCS. Patrick Ryan, an attorney for NextG, abruptly postponed a Sept. 1 meeting with civic leaders and government representatives after members of the Merrick Gables Association filed the $100 million suit in New York State Supreme Court, according to Joe Baker, president of the South Merrick Community Civic Association. NextG spokesman Robert Delsman said, "NextG does not offer public comment on matters in litigation." The meeting was to be one of several held since June to potentially look at relocating certain antennas based on suggestions of community members who were disturbed to find the metal boxes affixed to poles about 10 to 20 feet from the ground. The antennas began appearing in the summer on town rights of way, often close to schools and people's front yards. By many accounts, the antennas were often installed late at night or early in the morning, with little or no notice to homeowners. more

Students at the Sacred Heart Elementary School in North Merrick were all smiles as they arrived for the first day of classes on Sept. 8. With the addition of many new programs at the school, the children are excited about what lies ahead this year. more

The Historical Society of the Merricks hosted an old-fashioned affair with a quaint flair at the Merrick Library on Sept. 12. The gathering, dubbed an old-fashioned tea party, boasted everything from snacks to snippets of Merrick's past. Historical documents, a slide show presented by Merrick's own judge Jerry Medowar and, of course, neighborly conversation gave party-goers the opportunity to spend an afternoon reveling in all things Merrick. Also on hand to add to the excitement were Mark Bonilla, the Hempstead Town clerk, with a presentation on the history of Hempstead, members of the Daughters of the American Revolution, who promote historic preservation, education and patriotism, and artist Barbara Lewin to present her work. more

As a sign of solidarity in their effort to settle a contract dispute after more than a year of negotiation, members of the North Merrick Faculty Association have attended Board of Education meetings clad in black from head to toe for months. But when teachers donned their dark garb on the first day of school Sept. 8, and left classrooms undecorated to make a point, some parents said they thought the educators went too far. "The teachers have to understand, if they were making a statement, they were making it to the parents because the school board wasn't at the school," Lynda Bekore, a Camp Avenue parent, said at the Sept. 8 Board of Education meeting. "And for the many parents who supported them up until now, we just looked at each other and said, 'They just crossed a line,' and they crossed a line that's going be very, very difficult to erase in our memory." more