By Scott Brinton
In past Year in Review issues, the Herald has offered brief descriptions of major news events. This year, we're trying something a different: We offer you our new Year in Pictures. We trust that you will find it easier to read, and hope that you will preserve it as a keepsake edition that captures the news that made Bellmore-Merrick what it was in 2005.
Of course, we could not include all of the big events. We left out photos of people we would have liked to publish. That's unfortunate, but to have included everything and everyone, we would have needed several editions, and we have but one.
Personally, I judge a year by the people whom am I privileged to meet in my job as a Herald editor. I find great joy in sitting down with people, hearing their stories and conveying them in the paper. It is both immensely challenging and rewarding.
Most all of the people I meet -- and I meet many people -- make an impression on me in one way or another. But each year, certain people affect me in the most profound of ways. They teach me lessons. They transform me. They give me hope. 2005 was no exception.
In January, I met 90-year-old Dr. Alice Leadley of Merrick. She wrote me a letter after I had published a story about local efforts to preserve the woodlands along the Meadowbrook Parkway. She spoke of her fond memories of wandering through the forests with her older sister, Rita, nearly a century ago.
Rita was a painter who trained at the Art League of New York. Through her art, she spent years documenting Merrick-Bellmore at the turn of the century. Rita died a quarter century ago. All these years, Alice preserved her sister's works in a small bedroom gallery in the quaint Merrick cottage that the Leadleys' father built. Alice had spoken with a number of organizations, hoping that one of them would archive this astounding, historic collection, to no avail.
I was so struck by Alice's love for and devotion to her sister. Alice told me that her greatest fear was that she would die and her sister's art would be thrown in the trash. I published a story about the collection, "Portraits of the past," in Feb. 24 issue. Shortly afterward, I ran into Merrick Library Trustee Tim Whalen at the post office. I talked up the collection. He said he would take a look, and he and a contingent of library officials visited Alice at her home. They agreed to preserve eight of Rita's works in a permanent display at the brand-new Merrick Library. Tim told me that he loved the paintings, which unite the Merrick of old with the Merrick of the future.
So, thank you to the Merrick Library board and Director Ellen Firer. You made Alice Leadley a very happy woman.
Soon afterward, I met Eric Strezenec of Merrick. To me, he defines true grit. As a young man, Eric lost a leg to cancer, which also killed his beloved sister. Despite the enormous physical pain and mental anguish he endured, he didn't give up on life. I profiled Eric as one of the participants in the annual Merrick Special Education PTA wheelchair basketball game fund-raiser. The story, "Disabled? Who's disabled?" was published in the March 3 issue.
Eric survived cancer to become a stay-at-home father of four and a youth sports coach of numerous teams. He's a popular fellow. I interviewed him at the Merrick Road Starbucks. Every few minutes, someone he knew from around town stopped by to say hi. Eric taught me about how precious life is.
In May, I met 7-year-old Gillian Cohen of Merrick. She had suffered from biliary artresia, a rare liver ailment that caused her to itch all over all the time and could have killed her. She was the sweetest girl you'd ever want to meet, constantly giggling and smiling. I interviewed her a week after she received a liver transplant, which effectively cured her of the terrible disease that had ravaged her tiny body. I profiled her in "A story of strength" in the May 12 issue.
Gillian amazed me, because for much of the time that she suffered from this awful disease, she was out raising funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which offers dream vacations to children who are stricken with the worst ailments. Make-A-Wish had provided Gillian with a Disney extravaganza. Then Gillian wanted to give back.
So did Nick and Greg Cimino of North Bellmore. They suffer from mitochondrial myopathy, a degenerative neuromuscular disease with no known cure. I profiled them in "A family with loads of heart" in the May 19 issue. Greg's muscles seize up in painful spasms if he runs across a field. Nick suffers from uncontrollable seizures. Like Gillian, they have raised thousands of dollars for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, from which they, too, received Disney adventures.
Gillian, Greg and Nick inspired me to do more and never give up. And, after interviewing them, I went home and hugged my own kids as tightly as I could.
In the spring, the Herald began interviewing state Assemblyman David McDonough, a Republican of North Merrick, for our eight-month series Special Victims: Sex Crimes in Our Community. McDonough was working on a huge legislative agenda aimed at upgrading Megan's Law and a number of other state sex-crimes statutes. McDonough's energy and zeal impressed me. He collected thousands of petition signatures calling on the Assembly's Democratic majority to at least allow tougher sex-crime legislation to the floor of the house for a vote, which, for more than a decade, the Democrats had stubbornly refused to do.
McDonough joined Republican assembly members from throughout the state in collecting more than 15,000 petition signatures. Finally, just last week, the Democratic majority agreed to allow a vote by the full Assembly. So, in 2006, we'll likely see a change for the better in New York's sex-crimes laws.
Year in, year out, McDonough's Democratic opponents have charged that he could accomplish little as a member of the Assembly minority. So, his detractors have said, the good folks of the 19th Assembly District should just vote Democratic. Through good, old-fashioned hard work, McDonough proved them wrong. He showed me that underdog status is meaningless. What counts is the strength of your convictions.
Finally, in September, I met Keith McElwain Sr. and his sons, Keith Jr. and Peter. Keith Sr. was a New York City firefighter on the day terrorists attacked the World Trade Center. At the scene, he watched the twin towers fall to the ground, killing a number of his friends in the fire department. In 2002, he retired as a firefighter and vowed that he would make the world a better place.
When Hurricane Katrina struck, he and his sons jumped into action, organizing a supply drive at Calhoun High School, where Keith Jr. and Peter are students. They collected tons of food, clothing and chainsaws. Keith Sr. drove the supplies down to Biloxi, Miss. But he didn't stop there. All through the fall, Keith and his sons continued to collect supplies. They even began gathering gently used furniture, which they shipped to the devastation zone. Now, Keith Sr. is considering forming a non-profit to collect furniture for the poor right here on Long Island, proving that, yes, one person (and his two sons) can make a difference.
I consider my fortunate meetings with each of the extraordinary people above as beautiful gifts. And when I think back on all the wonderful people whom I've met over the past 12 months, I can only say that 2005 was indeed a very good year.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, Happy New Year and to all a good night.
Comments? SBrinton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 203.
