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 will meet 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, holds Masses Monday-Friday at 6:30 A.M. and 8:30 A.M; Saturday's at 8:30 A.M.Sunday services 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.

Eucharistic Celebrations. The Parish of Saint Barnabas the Apostle, 2320 Bedford Avenue, Bellmore, offers Masses Monday-Friday at 6:30 A.M. and 9:00 A.M.,Saturday at 8:00 A.M. and Sunday at 7 A.M., 9A.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 10:00 A.M. in the Holy Family Chapel

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. to 6:15 P.M. The Word Shoppe at Christian Joy Fellowship is open Monday through Friday from 10:30 A.M. to 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 birthday/anniversary part on Wednesday, November 22 and horse racing on Wednesday, November 29. Call Eileen at 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 794-8924 for information.

Library Seniors meet every Monday from 1 P.M. to 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. A General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 14 at 1 P.M; a Thanksgiving Social on Tuesday, November 14 at 2 P.M. (ticket required); and an Executive Board meeting on Monday, November 27 at 9:45 A.M. For more information, call the Town of Hempstead Department of Senior Enrichment at 485-8100. The Center will be closed on Friday, November 10 (in observance of Veterans Day) and Thursday, November 23 (in observance of Thanksgiving)

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 located at, 6900 Jericho Turnpike, Syosset. For more information or to register, please 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 located 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.

Vehicle donations. The American Red Cross in Nassau County is seeking the donation of cars, trucks, sports utilities vehicles, recreational vehicles, motorcycles and boats. For more information please call 1-877-RED-CROSS.

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. to 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 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 please 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. Upcoming meetings are set for November 21. A special post meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 7. The Post is also planning to construct a veterans monument on Merrick Avenue and Little Whaleneck Road and a trip to Gettysburg and Baltimore on October 21 and 22. For more information, please contact Tom Riordan, commander, at 546-8765.

Sons of Italy. Giovanni Caboto Lodge No. 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 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 please call Herb Friedman at 781-2043.

Bellmore libraries

Defensive driving. Participate in the North Bellmore Public Library's defensive driving course and reduce up to four points on your driver's license or receiver a 10 percent discount on your liability and collision insurance. The course will be held on Monday, November 27 and Thursday, November 30 from 6 P.M. to 9 P.M. Attendance at both nights is required. Please make checks payable to '3D Insurance Services." A photocopy of your driver's license is required the first night of class. Call 785-6260 for information.

Saturday Storytime. The Bellmore Memorial Library will offer Saturday Storytime on Saturday, November 18, and Saturday, November 23. Registration is required for each session. Call 785-2990 for information.

Harry Potter. The North Bellmore Public Library will discuss the book "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling on Monday, November 20 at 3:30 P.M. Children who already read the book are welcome. Call 785-6260 for information.

Lil' Playmate.The North Bellmore Public Library will offer a Lil' Playmates program for children, ages 18 to 29 months, and their parent/ caregiver. Sessions, which will be held on Thursdays, November 2, 9, 16, 30 and December 7 at 10 A.M., include free-play, a story and a craft. In-person registration for first time participants is currently under way in the Library's Community Room. Children who have previously attended the Lil' Playmates program may register by call 785-6260, ext. 113 beginning Monday, October 30 at 9:30 A.M. Space will be granted on the basis of availability. Proof of age is required at registration.

Fall festivities. The Bellmore Memorial Library will offer the following programs for children throughout November: "Little Red Riding Road," presented by Hofstra Spectrum Players, at 2 P.M. on Sunday, November 12 (registration begins Monday, November 6); and "Thanksgiving Craft Program" at 2 P.M. on Sunday, November 19 (registration begins Monday, November 13) for children four and up.

Merrick Libraries

Holiday closing. The North Merrick Public Library will be closed on Saturday, November 11 in observance on Veteran's Day.

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 1 P.M. and Sunday, 1P.M. to 5 P.M.

Angel Pins. The North Merrick Public Library will hold an "Angel Pin Craft Workshop" on Wednesday, November 29. Carol Brosnan will conduct a special jewelry workshop in which participants will be able to create two elegant angel pins. The fee is $7.50, payable by check only to C. Brosnan. Registration is currently under way. Call 378-7474 for information.

Buon Appetito. The North Merrick Public Library will hold a cooking program, Buon Appetito, on Tuesday, November 14 at 7:30 P.M. Guy Bolognese and Anthony Orlich, owners of Buon Appetito, a restaurant and catering service on Jerusalem Avenue will share their fabulous secrets, hints and skills. Participants will be able to sample foods and recipes will be distributed. Call 378-7474 for information.

Beat the cost. Find out "How to Beat the High Cost of College" at the North Merrick Library on Thursday, November 16 at 7:30 P.M. Barry Fox, BA, MA, Financial Aid Counselor and member of the New York State Financial Aid Administrator's Association, will help you find out how to get your share of the billions of dollars in financial aid grants and loans available to students each year, as well as how to fill out financial aid forms and how to negotiate will financial aid officers. Special emphasis will placed on divorced and separated parental situations and New York State Aid (TAP). Call 378-7474 for information.

Musical delights. The Harmony Group of Francis Tarantino and Mary Sollitto will perform musical highlights from Broadway classics, as well as soaring ballads, pop, motown and disco, at the North Merrick Public Library on Sunday, November 12 at 2 P.M. Admission is free, but space is limited with preference given to North Merrick cardholders until 1:45 P.M. Call 378-7474 for information.

The Hurricane, starring Denzel Washington, will be the featured film at the North Merrick Library on Wednesday, November 15 at 1:30 P.M. and 7 P.M. The movie is a story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a strong contender for the middleweight boxing title, who, in June, `1966, was arrested for the murder of three people in a New Jersey bar and sentences to three life terms in prison. "The Hurricane" is rated R and has a running time of 125 minutes. Call 378-7474 for information.

Coming attractions. The Merrick Library will present the following movies, free of charge, throughout November and December: "American Beauty" (rated R) on Sunday, November 12 at 2:30 P.M. and Monday, November 13 at 1 P.M. and 7:30 P.M.; "Music of the Heart"(rated PG) on Friday, November 24 at 1 P.M. and 7:30 P.M., Saturday, November 25 at 1 P.M., and Sunday, November 26 at 2:30 P.M.; "The Cradle Will Rock" on Tuesday, November 28 at 1 P.M.; and "Topsy Turvy" (rated R) on Monday, December 11 at 1 P.M. and 7:30 P.M. Call 379-3476 for information.

Special events

Left behind. The Open Hand of God Church, 493 East Meadow Avenue, East Meadow, will present a pre-release showing of the movie "Left Behind" on Saturday, November 11 at 2 P.M. and 7:30 P.M. Admission is free and all are welcome. Call 794-4291 for information.

The Stage. The Stage Theater, located at 2222 Hewlett Avenue in Merrick. will present various productions for children throughout the fall and winter. Upcoming productions include "Rumpelstiltskin" from October 28 through December 9; and "Winnie the Pooh" from December 16 through January 27. Call The Stage at 868-7400 for information.

Defensive driving. The PTA of the Levy-Lakeside Elementary School in Merrick will sponsor a defensive driving course on Tuesday, November 28 and Tuesday, December 5 at 7 P.M. Attendance at both classes is required. The cost is $40 per person. To register or for more information, contact Lisa Tenenbaum at 867-4364.

Shlock Rock. The Bellmore Jewish Center will host the exclusive Long Island engagement of Shlock Rock, a rock and roll band with a Jewish twist, on Saturday, December 16 at 8 P.M. Shlock Rock has produced 14 albums and two videos. Call the Center's Temple Office at 781-3072 for information.