School Boards

Bellmore meetings. The Bellmore Board of Education meets every third Tuesday of the month in the library of the Charles A. Reinhard Early Childhood Center at 8 p.m. North Bellmore Board of Education meets at 8 p.m. every second Thursday of the month. Meetings are held at the North Bellmore district administration office.
Merrick meetings. Every second and fourth Tuesday, the Merrick Board of Education meets at 8 p.m. at the Norman J. Levy Lakeside School. The North Merrick School District meets every second Tuesday of the month at 8 p.m. at the Harold D. Fayette School.
High schools. The Bellmore-Merrick Central High School Board of Education meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month at 8 p.m.at Brookside High School. Call 623-8900 for more information.

Religious news

Sacred Heart Church, on Merrick Avenue in North Merrick, celebrates Masses Monday-Friday at 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.; Saturday's at 8:30 a.m. Sunday Masses are offered on Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 7:30 a.m., 8:45 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:15 a.m. 12:30 a.m., and 5 p.m.
Rosary Altar Society meetings are held at Sacred Heart on the first Monday after the first Sunday of the month at 8 p.m. in the school meeting room. All are welcome to attend.
Holy Name Society meetings are held the second Monday, after the second Sunday of the month. All are welcome to attend.
St. Barnabas. The Parish of Saint Barnabas the Apostle, 2320 Bedford Ave., Bellmore, celebrates Masses Monday-Friday at 6:30 a.m. and 9 a.m.,Saturday at 8:00 a.m. and Sunday at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., Noon, and 5 p.m. Vigil Masses are Saturday at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. A Family Mass is celebrated at 10 a.m. in the Holy Family Chapel.For more information call 785-0054.
Christian Joy. Christian Joy Fellowship, located at 36 Broadway in Bellmore, offers services on Sunday at 10 A.M. for adults and children and Thursday at 7:30 p.m. for adults. Office hours are available Monday through Friday from 10:15 a.m.-6:15 p.m. The Word Shoppe at Christian Joy Fellowship is open Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information, call 781-4JOY.

senior Spotlight

Friendly Seniors. St. Barnabas Apostle Church in Bellmore holds its Friendly Seniors meetings the first and third Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m. in the school cafeteria. For more information, call 785-0054.
Bellmore Center. The Bellmore Senior Center offers a variety of special services and activities including Bingo, crafts, billiards, group discussions, line dancing and card games Lunch is also available on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for only $1.50. Weekday events include current events on Tuesdays and a humanities discussion on Thursday. Call 221-9696 for more information
AARP. The Bellmore-Merrick Chapter of AARP meets on the second Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. in the Mepham High School cafeteria, located on Camp Avenue one block west of Newbridge Road, Bellmore. The public is invited to attend and new members are welcome. Call 785-3337 for information.
Library Seniors meet every Monday from 1-4 p.m. in the community room of the Bellmore Memorial Public Library. The club offers arts and crafts sessions, programs on health and safety as well as general coffee and fellowship, films and parties. All activities are open to any adult in the community over the age of 50. For more information, contact Patti Paris at 785-2990.
Merrick seniors. The Merrick Senior Center will meet at Lido Beach Monday through Friday. The Center offers lunch daily. Upcoming events include bowling, dance class, ping pong, cards and games, nutrition set-up and current events.The center also offers a Creative Writing Class on Wednesdays at the Uniondale/Merrick Senior Center, 750 Jerusalem Avenue, Uniondale. For more information, call the 431-6930.

Support Groups

Substance help. Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are held every Thursday evening and Alanon meetings are held every Sunday evening in the school cafeteria of St. Barnabas Church in Bellmore. All meetings start at 7:30 p.m.
Helping mothers. The Sunrise Mother's Center, a non-profit, nonsectarian, member-run organization of mothers helping mother. The center is a place for mothers to meet, share experiences and develop new or existing skills. Discussion groups, committee work and special events, as well as a Time for Two program for children ages 12 months to three years old and their caregivers are also available. Quality, affordable childcare is also available for mothers attending discussion groups. For more information, call Jodi at 781-4740.
Interfaith support. FEGS Long Island Division is offering a free five-week group for family members of interfaith couples. FEGS is at 6900 Jericho Tpke., Syosset. For more information or to register, call 496-7550.
Self-Help. Recovery, Inc., a self-help mental-health community organization helping people deal with fear, depression and anxiety, meets every Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m. in Room 11 of the St. Francis DeChantel School at 1309 Wantagh Avenue. in Wantagh. For more information, call Recovery, Inc.'s 24-hour hotline at 733-5622.

Community support

Cars for kids. Big Brothers and Big Sisters in Long Island is looking for unwanted cars. They will accept almost any car, and the title must be handed over at the time of pickup. For more information, call 1-800-859-6526.
Catholic Charities. Does your food budget stretch as far as you would like? Are you having problems making ends meet? If you are pregnant , up to one year post partum or have children under six, Catholic Charities Food and Nutrition (FAN) Program may be able to help. Free nutritious supplemental food is available monthly for those who meet financial eligibility requirements. Infants on the program receive a free monthly supply of formula each month. For more information, call 623-4568.
Volunteers needed. The Long Island Crisis Center in Bellmore, which serves all Nassau County youth and their families, is looking for people to help with the center's 7-day/24-hour confidential hotline, help in the office and help counselors. For more information, call 826-0244or visit the Long Island Crisis Center's Web site at www.licrisiscenter.org.
AHRC volunteers. The Nassau Association for the Help of Retarded Children (AHRC) is seeking volunteers to help adults with developmental disabilities fill grocery lists, teach knitting and crocheting, and to help an adult with developmental disabilities improve their reading skills. The program is held in Plainview, Farmingdale, Massapequa and Glen Cove, Monday-Friday from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Call Susan Brody-Wood at 626-1000, ext. 1313 for more information.

Community Groups

Merrick Kiwanis. The Kiwanis Club of Merrick, serving the community for more than 50 years, is looking for motivated people to serve Merrick and its citizens. The public is invited to attend the club's weekly Thursday evening dinner meeting at 6:45 p.m. at the Merrick Mall Restaurant. For more information, contact membership Chairman Robert Rivere at 623-7092.
Legion 1282. Merrick Post #1282 of the American Legion meets every third Tuesday of the month at 8 p.m. For more information, contact Tom Riordan, commander, at 546-8765.
Sons of Italy. Giovanni Caboto Lodge 2372, "The Family Lodge" in Bellmore, meets every third Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Bellmore Exempt Hall on Petit Avenue in Bellmore. New members are always welcome. Call Tommasa Dato, president, at 735-9875 for more information.
Legion 1749. The Executive Committee of the North Bellmore American Legion, Post 1749, Inc. meets on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call Herb Friedman at 781-2043.

Bellmore libraries

Check club. Registration for the North Bellmore Public Library's Chess Club is currently under way. The club, which is led by Chess Master Joel Salman will meet on Tuesdays, June 5 and 19 from 7-8 p.m.for students and from 8-8:45 p.m. for adults. Salman will offer tips and strategy for beginner and skilled players. New members are welcome. Call 785-6260 for information.
Defensive driving. The North Bellmore Public Library will offer a defensive driving course for drivers of all ages on Monday, June 4 and Thursday, June 7 from 6-9 p.m. Completion of the course can reduce up to four points on your driver's license and entitle you to a 10 percent discount on your liability and collision insurance. The cost of the program is $35, payable by check only, to "3D Insurance Services." Participants must bring a photocopy of their driver's license to the first night of class. Call 785-6260 for information.
AARP 55-Alive. Registration for the next AARP driving class at the North Bellmore Library is currently under way. The course will be held on Tuesday, June 12 from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.mand is open to North Bellmore Library district patrons age 50 and older. To register, bring your library card or a driver's license with a North Bellmore district address and a check for $10, made payable to AARP. Please print your name, address and telephone number on the check. Cash will not be accepted. Call 785-6260 for information.
Saturday storytime. The Bellmore Library will present Spring Saturday Storytimes on May 26 at 10:30 a.m. for ages one and two; 11:30 a.m. for ages two and three; 2:30 for ages three and four. Registration for each session will take place the Monday prior after 6 p.m. Call 785-2990 for information.
Safe driving.The Bellmore Memorial Library will offer the following defensive driving classes:Thursday, August 9 and Thursday, August 16 from 7-10 p.m. The cost is $35; An AARP Safe Driving Class will be held on Thursday, July 12 and July 19 from 7-10 p.m. The cost is $10. Call Bellmore Library at 785-2990.
Ballet at the Met.The North Bellmore Library will sponsor a trip to the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center for a matinee performance of the American Ballet Theatre's production of "The Merry Widow" by Franz Lehar on Wednesday, May 30. The bus will leave the Bellmore Presbyterian Church at Bellmore and Martin Avenues at 10 a.m. and return at approximately 6 p.m. The cost of the trip $62. 75, is payable by check to the North Bellmore Pubic Library, and includes a Dress Circle seat at the ballet, buffet lunch, bus transportation and all gratuities. There is a two ticket per cardholder limit. Call 785-6260.
Sunday quartet. The Dick Smolens Quartet will present "Swinging Musical Standards" at the North Bellmore Library on Sunday, June 3 at 2 p.m. For more information call 785-6260,
Babysitting workshop.The North Bellmore Library will offer a babysitting workshop on Thursday, May 31 from 6:30-8:39 p.m. There is a $2 registration fee and each participant must bring a cabbage patch or similar sized doll to class. Call 785-6260.
Side by side. Plaza Theatrical Production will present "Side by Side" by Sondheim on Sunday, June 3 at 2 p.m. at the Bellmore Library. The play contains an array of Stephen Sondheim's best-known songs from such shows as "West Side Story," "Gypsy", "Follies" and "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." Free tickets, a limit of two per cardholder, are available at the reference desk. Call 785-2990 for information.
Broadway Follies. The Bellmore Memorial Library is selling orchestra seat tickets for the Wednesday, September 12 matinee performance of the Broadway play Follies at the Belasco Theater. Tickets are $96 per person. Call 785-2990 for information
Summer books. Bring a sandwich and a book to the Bellmore Library's book discussion on Thursday, July 5 at 12:30 p.m. Join Isabel Katzin for a discussion on the Susan Vreeland novel "Girl in Hyacinth Blue." A discussion on "Wait Till Next Year: A Memoir" by Doris Kearns Goodwin will be held on Monday, July 16 at 7:30 p.m. Call 785-2990 for information.

Merrick Libraries

Library Hours. The Merrick Library's is open Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.,Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.
Song fest. Bill Lauter, whose rich baritone voice is complemented by his skill on the guitar, will present a heartwarming concert of traditional and contemporary folk songs during the North Merrick Library's "Songs in the Folk Tradition" on Sunday, June 10 at 2 p.m. For more information call 378-7474.
June bus trip. Registration is currently under way for the North Merrick Public Library's Thursday, June 28 bus trip to Connecticut. Take sail on Thimble Island Cruise, enjoy lunch at the U.S.S. Chowder Pot and visit Stew Leonards market in Norwalk. The cost of the trip is $57, payable by check only to Halpin-McCarney, and is due at registration. The bus will leave the library at 7:30 a.m. and return at approximately 6:30 p.m. Call 378-7474 for information.
Forrester film.The North Merrick Library will present "Finding Forrester," starring Sean Connery, F. Murray Abraham and Anna Paquin on Wednesday, June 6 at 1:30 and 7 p.m. "Finding Forrester" is the uplifting story of a brash 16-year-old basketball star who has a secret interest in writing. Call 378-7474.

special events

Class of 1982. Franklin K. Lane High School is seeking graduates from its class of 1982 for a 20th reunion. For more information contact Margaret Delahanty-Bey at (516) 771-4535 or at Margbey@aol.com.
The Rainmaker.The Stage Theatre, at 2222 Hewlett Ave. in Merrick, will present "The Rainmaker," the famous tale of drought, hope and magic. Performances will be held on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. through May 27. Tickets are $15 and $10 for students and senior citizens for
Free mammography. The Mammography Van will be at the North Merrick Library on Monday, June 18 from 8:30 a.m. -2:15 p.m. to offer women, 40 and over. A breast examination by a nurse, a mammography and instruction on breast-self examination will be provided. This is a "No Out-of-Pocket Cost" service, by appointment only. Appointments must be made in advance. Call Nassau County Legislator Norma Gonsalves at 571-6213 to schedule an appointment.
Walk for pediatrics. The Kiwanis Club of Merrick will sponsor its Annual Walk-A-Thon on Sunday, June 3. Proceeds from the event will go to Pediatric Trauma Center at North Shore University Hospital. The approximately 3.2 mile walk will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Chase Bank on Merrick Avenue. For more information or to register, please call Walter Mintz at 868-5578 or Nance Kruh-Meyer at 377-3987.
Merrick parade.The North Merrick Fire Department will be hosting the 2001 Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 28 at 8:30 a.m. The parade will proceed south on Merrick Avenue from Old Mill Road to the Merrick Avenue Middle School for a joint memorial service with the Merrick parade. North Merrick will not be stopping at the Camp Avenue School this year. For more information or to participate call Captain James Allen at 925-2284.
Annual carnival.Cure of Ars R.C. Church in Merrick will hold its 23rd Annual Family Carnival Bazaar and Las Vegas Nights on Thursday, June 7 through Sunday, June 10. Las Vegas games will also be held on Friday, June 15 and Saturday, June 16. The bazaar will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday through Friday and at 4 p.m. on Sunday. The Las Vegas games will begin at 8 p.m. A "Fifty/Fifty" Raffle will also take place. For more information call 623-1400.
Rummage sale. A rummage sale will be held at Temple Beth Am of Merrick on Sunday, June 3 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.. Temple Am is located at 2377 Merrick Ave., between Sunrise Highway and Merrick Road.
Jewish festival. Temple Beth-El of Bellmore will celebrate the Jewish Festival of Shavuot on Sunday, May 27, Monday, May 28 and Tuesday, 29 . For more information call the Temple office at 781-2650.