By Nancy Hiler and Scott Brinton
In Bellmore, three candidates are running for two open seats in an at-large election, meaning all candidates are competing for the two available positions. Candidates include incumbent Marion Blane, and newcomers Brian Desmond and Fredric Hertzberg.
In North Bellmore, Marc Berkowitz is vying against incumbent Joseph Perrone, while two other incumbents run unopposed, Grace Cramsie and JoAnn DeLauter.
Each of the four local elementary boards -Bellmore and North Bellmore as well as Merrick and North Merrick - select two of their trustees every year to serve on the Central High School District Board of Education. All trustees serve without pay.
The school board trustee elections and the two elementary school district budget votes, in conjunction with the consolidated Central High School district budget vote, will take place on May 19.
Polls will be open at the Reinhard Early Childhood Center in Bellmore from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and at the Newbridge Road School in North Bellmore from 1 to 10 p.m. Below are candidate profiles.
In Bellmore
Marion Blane
Marion Blane, the sole incumbent in the race for the Bellmore Board of Education this year, has served on the board for six years. The former elementary school PTA president has three children, two of whom are grown and out of the public schools and one of whom now attends Kennedy High School, where Blane serves on the Site-Based Committee.
Blane said the board has acted in a fiscally responsible way, and this year's budget is no exception, coming in with a 3.43 percent increase in spending.
Blane said she is running to ensure that Bellmore's programs, including foreign language, remain intact. She would also like to see the district pursue more grants to help fund special programs.
Brian Desmond
Brian Desmond, a special-education physical-education teacher for the Rockland County Board of Cooperative Educational Services, is a lifelong Bellmore resident. For 16 years, he served as a Bellmore fire volunteer.
Desmond also owns his own business, All About Pools, which provides maintenance and lifeguards for private pools across Long Island.
Desmond, whose wife teaches in the Bellmore district and is now on child-care leave, has three children, ages 7, 3 and 2.
Desmond said he is running to ensure that the Bellmore district maintains student services.
Frederic Hertzberg
Frederic Hertzberg, a 28-year resident of Bellmore, is a retired school administrator and teacher and a current adjunct education professor and student-teacher supervisor at the New York Institute of Technology.
Hertzberg served for 20 years as a social studies teacher in the Freeport School District and for 13 as an administrator there - 12 as an assistant principal and one as the assistant superintendent for instruction. He has also helped write curricula for the New York State Education Department.
He earned his bachelor's degree in history from Adelphi University, his master's in education from Queens College, his professional diploma in educational administration from C.W. Post and his doctorate in education from Nova Southeastern University.
Hertzberg, whose wife is a part-time teacher in the Bellmore School District, said his objective on the Board of Education would be to maintain programs at current levels while respecting taxpayers by keeping costs to a minimum.
In North Bellmore
Marc Berkowitz
Marc Berkowitz, a graduate of the Cornell University Cooperative Extension with a degree in industrial and labor relations, is formerly a 12-year director of mediation and arbitration for the Long Island Better Business Bureau and is now in business for himself as a general contractor.
Berkowitz, who grew up in Oceanside and has lived with his family in the Bellmores since 1988, is a graduate of the Nassau County Police Department's Citizens Police Academy. The Berkowitzes have two children, a fifth- and a second-grader.
Berkowitz has served as co-chairman of the North Bellmore School District's Buildings Facilities Committee and the 100-Year Committee. Additionally, he is an active member of the Gunther Elementary School PTA and was the point person in organizing the Gunther Greeter Program.
"My construction knowledge and negotiating and mediation skills," Berkowitz said, "will be invaluable for the issues the school district faces over the next few years. These include the restoration and maintenance of our school buildings and class sizes, while keeping our tax concerns a priority."
Joseph Perrone
Twenty-year North Bellmore resident Joseph Perrone has served on the North Bellmore Board of Education for five years and on the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District Board of Education for two.
Perrone, who grew up in Valley Stream, is a district sales manager for FedEx in New York City. He has worked for FedEx for three decades and is a recipient of the company's top management awards, including the Five-Star, Hall of Fame and President's Club honors. Additionally, he was cited in Fast Company Magazine for his leadership at FedEx.
Perrone is the recipient of the PTA Honorary Life Membership award and is New York State School Board-certified in all areas required by the state Department of Education.
During his tenure on the North Bellmore Board of Education, the district has implemented foreign language in grades five and six, as well as universal pre-K.
"Much has been accomplished in the past five years since I joined the Board of Education, and there is still more to do. One of the main issues I believe we face is the economic and financial challenges in funding education. I feel that with my 25-plus years in business management, that I am best-suited to tackle this challenge."
Grace Cramsie
Grace Cramsie, who is running unopposed for the North Bellmore Board of Education, was first appointed to the board and then elected in 2006. As a board member, she has served on the district's Strategic Planning Committee.
"I feel that I have a lot to contribute to meeting the goals and strategic objectives adopted by our district," Cramsie said. "With that experience, I feel that I would like the opportunity to continue as a member of the Board of Education as we strive to fulfill our strategic plan."
Joann DeLauter
Joann DeLauter, who is also running unopposed for the North Bellmore Board of Education, was first appointed to the board last June to fill the seat vacated by Mary Oporto.
She has made her home in North Bellmore with her family since 1986. All four of her children completed the North Bellmore elementary system.
DeLauter is a former co-president of the Mepham High School PTA, the Grand Avenue Middle School PTSA and the Park Avenue Elementary School PTA. She is also a Girl Scout leader.
Professionally, she has been a nursery school music teacher since 2004. She holds a bachelor's degree in animal science from West Virginia University.
Comments about this story? Nhiler@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 234.
