By VICTORIA A. CARUSO
Clifford Richner, publisher of Herald Community Newspapers, is pleased to announce that the Merrick Herald was recently named the official newspaper of Merrick's three largest civic associations: the Central Merrick Homeowners Association, the Merrick Gables Association and the Merrick Park Home Owners Association.
As part of the Herald's agreement with the civics, each dues-paying member of the three groups will receive a one-year subscription to the Merrick Herald.
"I'm pleased and excited to be working with these groups that fight so hard to maintain and improve the quality of life we enjoy here in Merrick," said Mr. Richner. "I give Barry Fox, Michele Walsh and Derek Donnelly a lot of credit for coming up with an idea that I believe will be a win-win-win situation, for the Civic Associations, the Herald and the entire Merrick community. The fact that they chose the Herald on the basis of the qualilty and depth of coverage we were giving to their issues is a real feather in the cap of our editor, Scott Brinton, and his staff."
According to the agreement, the civics will also receive a page in the Herald that will replace their biannual and quarterly newsletters. The page will include photos, articles, editorials, residents' inquires and updates about community issues. Information about upcoming events and fund-raisers will also be included in the "Community Update" section of the paper. We begin the partnership this week (see Civics page 14). The Herald will not censor the civics page, which is independent of our regular editorial coverage.
Each civic association will also receive a page in the next Merrick Almanac and Newcomer's Guide. Published annually, the Almanac includes the names, phone numbers and addresses of town, county, state and federal officials and agencies, as well as local information about schools, libraries, parks and post offices (see this week's insert).
The Herald will also provide the civics with either a mini-Web page or a link to an existing Web page, should one exist. The Herald's Web site can be accessed at www.LIHerald.com.
"Our goal is to provide local civic associations with a community forum they can find nowhere else," said Merrick Herald Editor Scott Brinton. "We look forward to providing that forum."
The Merrick Park Home Owners Association, established in 1951, covers the Merrick Woods area of Merrick, including those homes north of Sunrise Highway and south of Marion Avenue between Merrick Avenue and the Bellmore border. Barry Fox, president of the 225-member association since 1987, said the agreement between the civics and the Herald will benefit Merrick as a whole. "By receiving the paper every week, residents will not only be able to keep up with civic news," said Mr. Fox, "but also keep track of what else is going on in their community."
Mr. Fox added that the Herald will also serve as a "public forum where the ideas of the civic associations can not only be presented to members of our associations, but to a wider spectrum of residents."
Michele Walsh, president and founder of the Central Merrick Homeowners Association, agreed. "The paper will reach more people than we can through our individual associations," she said. "It's a great idea because the more people who know about an issue and get involved, the better off we will be." She added that, by using the pages of the Herald as an association "newsletter," the civics will be able to "update the community more often and include photos." The Central Merrick Homeowners comprises an area of about 1,200 homes north of Bedford Avenue and south of Camp Avenue between Merrick Avenue and the western border of Merrick. Formed in November, 1999, the association now boasts 150 members.
Derek Donnelly, president of Merrick Gables Association, said the partnership with the Herald will "benefit the civics greatly because it will give each participating association the chance to voice their opinions and give those residents living in different areas of Merrick the opportunity to read them."
Established in 1965, the 150-member Merrick Gables Association covers an area of some 800 homes from Merrick Avenue to Fox Street and south of Sunrise Highway to Brighton Way.
