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. Upcoming events include a Big Bingo at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 18; trip to Hunter Hills Playhouse on Friday, April 20 (ticket required); trip to Atlantic City on Monday, April 23 (ticket required); and a birthday/anniversary party on Wednesday, April 25. There will be no dance class on Thursday, April 26. 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.

Mothers 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 Trnpk., 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

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Checkmate. Registration for the North Bellmore Public Library's Chess Club is currently underway. The club, which is led by Chess Master Joel Salman will meet on Tuesdays, April 24, May 8 and May 22 and June 5 and 19 from 7-8 p.m. Salman will offer tips and strategy for beginner and skilled players. New members are welcome. Call 785-6260 for information.

Ladybug craft.The Bellmore Library will hold a Ladybug Box Craft Program on Saturday, April 21 at 3:30 p.m. for ages four and up. Registration begins on Monday, April 16 after 6 p.m. and is limited to 20 people. Call 785-2990 for information.

Book discussion. The Merrick Library will present a book discussion on the Louis Begley novel "Wartime Lies" on Tuesday, April 10 at 8 p.m. and Monday, April 23 at 1 p.m. Begley's first novel is the story of a Polish boy and his aunt depend on each other for mutual survival after the Nazis destroy their world. Copies of the book can be found at the Circulation Desk. Call 379-3476 for information.

Tax time. The North Bellmore Library will be offering tax assistance to senior citizens through the AARP Tax Aid Program. AARP volunteers will be at the library on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through April 12.Please be sure to bring your 1999 tax return as well as all W-2 and 1099 forms with you. Call 785-6260 for information.

Children's programs. The Bellmore Library will present "Candy's Magical Clown Show," on Saturday, April 28 at 10:30 a.m. for children ages 2-8. Registration begins on Monday, April 23 after 6 p.m.; "Mother's Day Craft Program" on Saturday, May 5 at 2:30 p.m. for ages four and up. Limit 15. Registration begins Monday, April 30 after 6 p.m.; "Mom's Bear Magnet Craft Program," on Saturday, May 12 at 3:30 p.m. for children four and up. Limit 20. Registration begins Monday, May 7 after 6 p.m. Call the Bellmore Library at 785-2990 for information.

Saturday storytime. The Bellmore Library will present Spring Saturday Storytimes on April 21, May 12, 19, and 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.

Garden Craft. The Bellmore Library will present a "Garden Fence Craft Program" on Saturday, May 19 at 3:30 p.m. for children ages four and up. registration begins on Monday, May 21 after 6 p.m. and is limited to 20 children.

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.

Defensive driving. The North Merrick Public Library will present a defensive driving course for all ages on Saturday, May 12 from 10:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. Registration begins Friday, April 20. The fee is $35, payable by check only to 3D Insurance Services. Bring a brown bag lunch and beverage. Call 378-7474.

Garden life. Louise DeNaro Bender, an active member of many gardening organizations and frequent lecturer at Hofstra University, will present a slide show entitled "Healing Plants of India and Organic Gardening" at the North Merrick Library at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25. She will discuss the many properties of herbs; sacred, medicinal, culinary, cosmetic and aromatic and share her personal experiences with the culture of India and organic gardening. Call 378-7474.

Book discussion. The North Merrick Public Library's April book discussion will be on the Isabelle Allende novel "Daughter of Fortune" at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, April 20.The novel follows the adventures of a young Chilean woman and her Chinese doctor friend in their incredible journey toward a new life. Copies of the book are available at the circulation desk. Call 378-7474.

PC chat. The North Merrick Public Library will present a program on all you ever wanted to know about computers on Tuesday, April 16 at 1:30 p.m. Topics to be discussed include how to determine your needs, what software you'll want to use and learning how to use it. A related course in technology for seniors will be offered in May. Call 378-7474 for information.

U-571. TheMerrick Library will present U-571, staring Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton and Harvey Keitel, on Monday, April 16 at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The movie is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 2 hours.Call 379-3476 for information.

Cooking. Carole Olkoski and Margaret Mueller of R.S. Jones Restaurant on Merrick Avenue will present a culinary program on Wednesday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. Learn how to make Gazpacho, a cross between a salad and a soup; Crazy Cowboy Chicken, an entree made with hazelnuts, Fra Angelica and a touch of cream; and Shoo Fly Pie, the old time Amish/Southern dessert. Call 378-7474.

Surfing the net.The Merrick Library will present an "Introduction to the Internet" class on Tuesday, april 24 from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. for persons interested in learning how to search the Internet. The class fee is $5 and registration will take place at the Reference Desk. Call 379-3476 for information.

Great decisions, 2001. The Merrick Library will present the series "Great Decisions, 2001," on Thursdays from April 19 through June 7 at 1:30 p.m. in the library Wing. Topics will include relations with Chine, Taiwan, Iraq, Mexico, the European Union and Africa; threats to international health; America's missile defense; and how globalization might affect U.S. trade. Registration will take place from April 2-18 at the library's Reference Desk. A $5 deposit is required and space is limited. For more information call Bob Luidmann at 379-3476, ext. 127.

April bus trip. The North Merrick Public Library's April bus trip to New York's lower east side and Little Italy will be held on Tuesday, April 24. Taste hot pastrami, pickles, cappuccino and Italian pastry and take home a souvenir knish from on of New York's best deli's. Along the way, a guide will discuss the emergence of Jewish, Italian and Chinese enclaves as well as the up and coming trendy club scene. Registration begins Friday, March 23. The cost of the trip, which includes food, is $58, payable by check only to Halpin-McCarney. The bus will leave from the library at 9:30 a.m. and return at approximately at 5:30 p.m. Call 378-7474.

Special Events

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Flea market. The Bellmore Lions Club will sponsor an Antiques, Collectibles and Hand-Crafts Flea Market on Sunday, April 22 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the Bellmore Long Island Railroad State (at Bedford Avenue and Sunrise Highway). The money raised from this event will go to local charities. To be a vendor or for more information call 785-0222 or 826-9839.

Garden Club.The Merrick Garden Club will meet on Monday, April 23 at noon in the Merrick Library Wing. The presentation will be "The Rock Garden Story" by John Bieber of the Rock Garden Society. Refreshments will be served.