Human-service cuts

The roughly $9.8 million cut from Nassau County social service department by County Executive Thomas Gulotta, an attempt to close the budget gap caused by the repeal of the real-estate transfer tax, went into effect on January 1.Mr. Gulotta's December 7 directive that the department cut overall spending in discretionary contracts by 50 percent became official as agencies were notified on, or immediately before, Christmas Eve. The cuts were yet an another installment in the ongoing saga of bailing the county out of a then close to $200 million deficit. The Long Island Crisis Center in Bellmore and Tempo Group, a drug-rehabilitation clinic in North Merrick, each lost $100,000 after the cuts.

Rallying behind Tempo

Bellmore-Merrick school officials rallied behind Tempo Group in January after the North Merrick substance-abuse-treatment center received official word that it was hit with more than $100,000 in county cutbacks.Dr. Marc Bernstein, the then Bellmore-Merrick superintendent, sounded a clarion call to local residents during a school-board meeting, calling upon them to apply pressure to county and state elected officials to restore the cuts to Tempo.Dr. Bernstein said that Bellmore-Merrick must "unite as a community to insist that different levels of government" meet their responsibilities in funding Tempo.State Senator Charles Fuschillo Jr. (R-Merrick) stepped in shortly thereafter, providing a special state grant of $100,000 for Tempo in order to keep the clinic alive. Tempo, though, would face continued cutbacks .

Discontent over theater expansion

Residents living near the Bellmore Playhouse on Bedford Avenue began voicing discontentment in January with the possible expansion of the movie house, saying a bigger theater would bring traffic congestion, limit parking and pose safety hazards.Theater owners said the expansion was needed to stay in business. The matter had not yet been settled as of press time.

State aid disappoints

State aid for education figures arrived at school districts throughout New York in January. In Bellmore-Merrick districts, the numbers disappointed school officials as they again were hit with decreases or negligible increases in operating aid.Governor George Pataki's proposed $12.9-billion education package for 2000-2001 knocked off $393,630 form the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District's operating aid. The governor's spending plan also reduced the Bellmore Elementary School District's aid figure by $112,001.The Merrick, North Merrick and North Bellmore School Districts saw increases in operating aid of $73,288, $30,314 and $273,761 respectively. However, officials in the elementary districts noted that, with school spending up to meet tougher standards mandated by the state, their aid packages did not nearly cover the districts' rising education costs.

Protests against the county

Protesters' shouts demanding that County Executive Thomas Gulotta reverse plans to reduce Nassau's growing debt by slashing human services were heard loud and clear at the County Executive Building in late January - so loud, in fact, that people in the legislative chamber five stories above peered out windows to see the source of those cries.An estimated 500 service-agency representatives and social-welfare recipients flooded West Street, brandishing protest signs and chanting many of the civil-disobedience anthems heard during the 1960's. Numerous placards of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. served as reminders of the protesters' cause that day - social justice.

Full-day kindergarten

An estimated 100 North Bellmore residents braved the bitterly cold January weather to hear findings of the North Bellmore Board of Education's Kindergarten Committee. Instituting full-day kindergarten was only one of the committee's recommendations.In the end, the district went with full-day K.

February

Central redraws its lines

In February, the Bellmore-Merrick Central Board began weighing whether to redraw the district's attendance map so that all of the Bellmore Elementary District would attend Kennedy High School in Bellmore, rather than splitting the district between Kennedy and Mepham High in North Bellmore.The proposal came after school officials studied district demographics last fall and found that the student population in North Bellmore was growing at a surprisingly fast rate. With potential new home construction in the area, that rate could jump considerably higher. All that meant Mepham High would reach capacity limits and beyond within the next five years, officials said.Rerouting 35 students annually from Mepham to Kennedy and adding new classrooms at Mepham would enable the district to accommodate students at both schools comfortably while providing them with an equitable education, district officials said. In the end, the board of education approved the shift.

Army base cleanup winds down

Three years and $1.5 million later, cleanup of the former U.S. Army base in North Bellmore began winding down in February.After years of soil testing and remediation at the 16-acre base, officials said that potentially hazardous materials had been removed and that cleanup was essentially complete."The contamination was found and removed," said Mark Lowry, spokesperson for the State Department of Environmental Conservation. "As far as we are concerned, the remediation is complete."

Little Village moving out

The Little Village School, a private, non-profit center for children with disabilities in Bellmore, announced in February that it was moving. The school, which is located in the Bellmore School District's Reinhard Early Childhood Center, lost its lease. The district needed space at the school to create a full-day kindergarten program.The Little Village School, a 30-year-old institution, had called the Reinhard Center home for the past seven years. Little Village officials had hoped to build a $9-million school of their own in Westbury, but were awaiting approval for the project by the Town of Hempstead.

Superintendent moves on

With mixed feelings, Dr. Marc Bernstein, superintendent of the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District for 14 years, said in February that he would resign his post in April to become president of Kaplan Learning Services in Manhattan.The announcement came as a surprise to all except the Central Board of Education during a district budget hearing and elicited a collective gasp from the roughly dozen residents who convened for the meeting. Dr. Bernstein informed the board of education about his plans only hours before the budget session, he said.Dr. Bernstein's close colleagues in the district, including administrators, teachers and parent leaders, described the superintendent as a visionary who helped transform Bellmore-Merrick from an average school district into an academic powerhouse. They said he consistently anticipated changes in New York State education and reacted in advance - often years in advance - to those changes.

International drug arrest

A Bellmore man was arrested and charged in late February in connection with an international, multi-million-dollar, drug-smuggling ring allegedly run by six Israeli nationals, authorities said.During the investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New York State Police and New York City Police, officials seized 350,000 tablets of the illegal drug Ecstasy worth about $7.5 million and $550,000 in cash.Authorities with the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force arrested Anthony Rossito, 32, of 2635 Bellmore Ave., Bellmore, along with 31 others. He was charged with conspiracy to sell and distribute Ecstasy, a controlled substance. He faced anywhere from up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted of the charges against him, officials said.

March

Cell-tower construction

Construction of a 100-foot-high cellular phone tower in North Bellmore, to be shared by two and possibly three major cell companies, quickly came to a close along Jerusalem Avenue in March. The monopole today remains in the back parking lot of an office building at 2415 Jerusalem, next to a Board of Cooperative Educational Services school.The 10-story pole holds 18 cellular antennae divided between Sprint Spectrum, L.P. and AT&T Wireless Services. A third cellular provider, Intel Communication, was seeking a Town of Hempstead variance to add nine of its own antennae to the cell tower, which would bring the total number of antennae to 27.Shortly thereafter, the North Bellmore Civic Association formed to fight the cell tower's construction. The battle continues today. The next cell-tower hearing is scheduled for early 2001.

National championship

Some people called them "The Fearsome Foursome." Their Coach, Al Berkowsky, dubbed them his "Dream Team." Call the Bellmore-Kennedy boys 4x800-meter relay team what you would, but after the Nike Indoor Classic at Indiana University in March, you could call them All-Americans. You could call them National Champions.The Kennedy foursome, comprising seniors Justin Smith, Nick Riggio, Sean Devens and junior Elliot Rosenblum, were the field favorites going into the Nike Classic on March 11 and 12 to win the 4x800. The squad had not lost a race in 2000 and had already boasted a 7:51 in the 4x800, a time that was the fastest in the nation.In the spring, the squad would repeat its blazing performance, capturing a second place at the national level.

Scaled-back theater plans

Five Star Entertainment, owner of the Bellmore Playhouse on Bedford Avenue, proposed a scaled-back plan for expansion in late March. The company sought to increase the Playhouse's size by two theaters, for a total of seven in all. In its original proposal for the movie house in 1997, the company had sought seven screens. In early 2000, Five Star proposed construction of nine theaters.Residents protested, saying a larger theater would pose a traffic hazard along Bedford Avenue. Local residents in the area around the Playhouse have decried the plan ever since. The battle continues today at the Hempstead Town Board of Zoning Appeals.

Second bank job

Exactly two weeks after Nassau County's first bank robbery of 2000 at the Roslyn Savings Bank in Bellmore, a second Bellmore-area bank was held up on March 29 by an unknown suspect.Police officials said the robbery took place at the Dime Savings Bank, 2412 Jerusalem Ave., North Bellmore, at 2:45 P.M. According to police, the male white suspect entered the bank unnoticed and approached the teller's window with a note demanding cash. Police would not say whether he was brandishing a weapon.

April

Interim superintendent

Dr. Robert Ricken, former superintendent of the Mineola School District, assumed the helm of the Bellmore-Merrick Central District as an interim replacement for Dr. Marc Bernstein, who resigned his post earlier in the year. In July, the Central Board of Education appointed Dr. Thomas Caramore, the Central deputy superintendent, to fill Dr. Bernstein's position for good.

Final base cleanup

Final efforts to complete the three-year remediation project at the U.S. Army base in North Bellmore revealed that a 65,000-gallon septic tank, when removed from below the ground, held liquids that were potentially hazardous.The liquids were later found to be harmless.

Bank robbery arrest

Nassau County Police arrested Thomas Armour, 37, of 1122 McBride St., Far Rockaway, in connection with a string of bank robberies in Bellmore and throughout Nassau County in early 20000.Authorities charged Mr. Armour with three counts of first-degree robbery for the April 26 robbery at the Roslyn Savings Bank. He was also charged with two other robberies, including a March 15 robbery at the same Roslyn Savings Bank in Bellmore, and an EAB bank in Massapequa on March 22, according to police.

Fire commissioner dies

Former Fire Commissioner and Chief of the North Bellmore Fire Department, and fixture in the North Bellmore Community, Daniel Sabia, died on April 27 at the age of 86. Mr. Sabia was born in the he town of Smithville in 1914, which later became known as North Bellmore. He was raised in a North Bellmore home that at first did not have electricity or plumbing. Mr. Sabia graduated from the only school in the area, the Newbridge Road School. Mr. Sabia was recognized for this 63 years of devoted service to the North Bellmore Fire Department.

May

Senior of the year

North Bellmore resident Bernard Tzall was named Nassau County's Senior of the Year in May.Mr. Tzall said the word retirement never entered his vocabulary. Almost 65 years after receiving his Bachelor of Science Degree from the College of the City of New York, Mr. Tzall was still pursing his life-long goal of earning his doctoral degree. While studying intensely for his doctorate, Mr. Tzall also put in more than 20 hours a week at Certified Laboratories, Inc., in Plainview, a place he first began working in 1947 when the lab was just a milk and food testing laboratory.

Political conventions

Nassau Republicans were hoping in June to rebuild their once-indomitable political machine after the GOP suffered humbling defeats in 1999 on both the County Legislature, where Democrats wrested control with a 10-9 majority, and the Town of Hempstead Council, where Dems Picked up three of six seats.In a very real sense, last June's GOP convention in Levittown to nominate candidates for elected office in 2000 served as a pep rally for the Nassau Republican Party's biggest game yet. County GOP Chairman Joseph Mondello, who joked many times during the evening, had a serious mission at the convention: to rally the troops while calling for unity among Republican ranks. His oft-repeated words that night were party and loyalty.The GOP went on to retake the Hempstead Town Council with a 5-1 majority in November.Despite declaring their intention to take control of the remaining Republican strongholds, the Nassau County Democrats were unable to name challengers for several key races at their May 24 nominating convention. Touting a "revitalized" Democratic Party, members gave the nod to Jeannette Santos, in the Eighth Senate District, and Steve November, in the 19th Assembly District, but failed to name challengers to face State Senator Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) and Congressman Peter King (R-Seaford).

Budget support

Bellmorites turned out at the polls in May to show their support for the Bellmore and North Bellmore School Districts' budget proposals for the 2000-2001 school year. Both districts' budgets were approved by area voters, while two incumbent board of education members in each district, who ran unopposed, were re-elected.In North Bellmore, residents voted convincingly to approve the roughly $24.2-million school budget by a count of 1,077 yes votes to 341 no.In the Bellmore Public Schools, the margin of approval was tighter, with residents voting 490 to 409 to endorse the district's roughly $17.3-million spending plan.In North Bellmore, Charles Reinhardt and Irma Wilk were re-elected to their posts on the board. Incumbent Trustees Sherry Skolnik and Ted Tanenbaum retained their seats on the Bellmore School Board.

Recreation fees hike

As of May 31, Nassau County fees for recreational activities, including popular spring and summer sports such as golf and tennis, went up as part of an effort by County Executive Thomas Gulotta (R-North Merrick) to find cure for Nassau's budget woes.The rate increases were expected to pump almost $2.5 million into the county's deficit, an amount that many residents said was nowhere near enough to repair an estimated $178-million budget hole.

Recognition for life-savers

The Bellmore Volunteer Fire Department held its annual inspection before the community's Memorial day Parade on May 29. A highlight of the inspection was special recognition given to members of the department's Rescue Squad for their life-saving efforts on May 12. A member of a neighboring fire department suffered a full cardiac arrest during a softball game at Newbridge Road Park. Arriving BFD Rescue Squad members took over from the Wantagh and East Meadow firefighters already performing CPR.The combined efforts of all the volunteers resulted in bringing the victim back to life. Cited for their efforts at the scene were: BFD Rescue Squad members Paul Zuckerberh, Lois Lang, Maureen Curley, Dennis Szentmarlay and Jacqueline Beuth.

June

School board retiree

North Bellmore Board of Education Trustee Howard Pollitt announced on Tuesday, June 6 that he would retire from the North Bellmore Board. His tenure with the board ended June 23, leaving a vacant seat.

Civic associtaion forms

The North Bellmore Civic Association held its first public meeting on Monday, June 6, and officials of the fledgling group hailed the session as a great success. An estimated 50 people turned out for the meeting at the North Bellmore Library, with 30 individuals signing up for the association, according to President John Mulligan. "We were very, very pleased with the attendance for our first meeting," said Mr. Mulligan. "It's going to be a huge success, and the membership is going to grow."

Strawberry fest

Everything was coming up strawberries in the Bellmores during June, when the Bellmore Kiwanis and Lions Clubs held their annual Strawberry Festival at the Jerusalem Avenue BOCES School. The festival acted as a fund-raiser for a host of local charities, including the Bellmore-Merrick Central School District.

Businesswoman of the year

Dorothy Medico, owner of Dorothy's School of Dance at 2815 Merrick Rd. and vice president of the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores, was named Bellmore's Small Bsuinessperson of the Year by the chamber in June. Ms. Medico, who has owned Dorothy' School of Dance for some 22 years, received the honor in the fall at a reception hosted by the Nassau County Chambers of Commerce Council.

Murder-suicide

Moments after residents on Hillside Avenue in Bellmore notified police that a gunshot had echoed from a neighboring two-story home, Seventh Precinct police officers discovered two bodies - one fatally stabbed, the other shot to death.According to detectives, police officers were dispatched on Wednesday night, May 31, to 2184 Hillside Ave. Neighbors reported that they heard officers shout warnings of a man wielding a gun. Upon entering the house, police found the bodies of Frank Buttafuoco, 28, and his mother, Edith, 55.Homicide detectives reported that Mr. Buttafuoco had inflicted multiple stab wounds to his mother, fatally injuring her. After stabbing his mother several items, Mr. Buttafuoco sought a hunting rifle that belonged to his recently deceased father. With that rifle, Mr. Buttafuoco fired a single shot, killing himself. (According to officials, the deceased had no relation to Joey Buttafuoco.)Detective Sergeant Robert Edwards of the Homicide Squad said that Frank Buttafuoco's drug problem was the root of an ongoing family dispute and might have even caused Mr. Buttafuoco to kill his mother.

Class ranking nixed

Starting with 10th graders as of June 2000, the Central High School District nixed class ranking for 90 percent of its students, according to a policy enacted 8-0 by the Bellmore-Merrick Board of Education. Only the top 10 percent of students in their classes at Calhoun, Kennedy and Mepham High Schools will be assigned rankings according to their grade-point averages.The policy, proposed by the Central District administration earlier in 2000, generated considerable controversy. At least some parents, particularly those at Kennedy, said the policy did not go far enough. Ranking, they said, should be eliminated for all Central students. The ranking system places undue pressure on teenagers who are ill-equipped to handle it, the parents said. However, other parents said raking should remain in place, as they believe it provides an objective measure of student achievement.

Iron-man effort for charity

Twenty-year-old Tal Azoulay completed an estimated 350-mile bicycle trek around Long Island in order to raise $3,000 for cancer research.Mr. Azoulay originally figured that his ride would span four days, but on a blistering Sunday, June 4, he pedaled 170 miles, putting him a full day ahead of schedule.

Superintendent named

Central Board of Education President Charles Reinhardt announced at the board's June meeting that the Bellmore-Merrick District had narrowed its search for a new school superintendent to one candidate - Dr. Thomas Caramore, the district' deputy superintendent for 12 years. The board confirmed Dr. Caramore's appointment on July 11. He succeeded Dr. Marc Bernstein, who resigned his post in April to become president of Kaplan Learning Services in Manhattan.

Central grad goes for the Gold

Sharpshooter Thrine Kane had kept her eyes trained on the prize for years - a bull's eye the size of a dime that most people couldn't hit with a baseball from 30 feet away, much less a rifle from 150 feet out.However, the 19-year-old stunned many of her competitors - and even herself - when recently in Atlanta, Georgia, she hit that target again and again and again, qualifying first for the U.S. National al Rifle Team. That's right - the same rifle team that represented the United States in the Sydney, Australia Olympics in September. Ms. Kane placed 35th in the Olympics.

Principal moves on

Corinne Banach, principal of the Intermediate Center at Shore Road in Bellmore, resigned her position in June to become assistant superintendent for elementary instruction in the Seaford School District.Ms. Banach served the Bellmore School District from 1994 through June this year. Bellmore Superintendent Sheldon Dumain said of the beloved principal: "She continually promoted education and standards. She worked well with parents and teachers."

July

School chief takes the reins

For 12 years, he served as a behind-the-scenes man, helping to steer the Bellmore-Merrick Central District from an average school system to one of Nassau County's finest. In July, Dr. Thomas Caramore, Central's deputy superintendent, assumed the helm of the district he had called home for a total of 23 years.On Tuesday, July 11, the Bellmore-Merrick Board of Education confirmed Dr. Caramore's appointment as superintendent of schools. Foremost, Dr. Caramore, 54, said he would focus on staff development in the immediate future. The Central District hired some 60 new teachers in 2000, and in all, 160 of its teachers had fewer than three years in the district. "I want to make sure we are providing appropriate staff development for them," said the West Babylon resident.Appropriate staff training included the fundamentals of teaching; that is, "how to navigate a classroom," said Dr. Caramore.

BZA ready to rehear cell-tower case

The Hempstead Town Board of Zoning Appeals ruled last summer that when Sprint Spectrum, L.P and AT&T Wireless submitted an application for a 100-foot cell phone tower on Jerusalem Avenue in North Bellmore last fall, they did so improperly. According to the BZA, the companies failed to notify the Central High School District, which owns an adjacent property, of the application as required by law.What will become of North Bellmore's so-called phantom tower remains to be seen. The tower stirred little controversy at first, with only two residents turning out for the original BZA hearing over it. Then, in the spring, the Herald broke the story of its construction. North Bellmore residents quickly gathered against the tower, with a North Bellmore Civic Association forming shortly after.James Rooney, a trustee of both the North Bellmore and Central High School Districts, took up the cause, calling upon local elected leaders to apply pressure for a new hearing. Mr. Rooney said, "The Jerusalem Avenue school is right by the tower, and as a member of the board of education, the board was never notified [of the cell tower hearing]."At least some studies have linked the non-ionizing radiation given off by cell towers with cancer, particularly leukemia. However, experts note that, to date, nothing of the kind has been proven. Still, residents remain leery of the North Bellmore cell tower, saying that they wish to take no chances with the health of the children who attend the Jerusalem Avenue BOCES school.

Playhouse fight rages on

In an 11th-hour, closed-door session arranged in late July by the Hempstead Town Board of Zoning Appeals, representatives of the Central Bellmore Homeowners Association and the Bellmore Playhouse attempted to iron out a compromise solution over expansion of the five-theater movie house.Since Playhouse officials announced plans to enlarge the theater in the spring - at first by four theaters, then by two - residents living in the neighborhood around it had cried foul, saying the theater expansion would further tie up traffic along the already-congested Bedford Avenue, possibly endangering pedestrians and motorists. Residents also contended that theater-goers occupy the parking spaces in front of their homes.With Jill Murtha and Kathy Whelan, Marge Congello co-founded the Central Bellmore Homeowners Association, which formed in large part to fight the theater expansion. Ms. Congello said, "It's a matter of over-congestion. There is not even enough parking now, and new businesses are vying for the same parking. We don't want to see anyone get hurt. It's really about the safety and traffic. Those two items go hand in hand."Of particular concern, residents said, is whether emergency vehicles would be able to maneuver through Bedford traffic, if the expansion went through. The residents said no.

All-Americans x2

Most high school students were busy preparing for AP exams, Regents, finals, proms and graduation in early June. Four students from John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore had an additional goal in mind, which added hours of physical and mental preparation to their schedules - and ultimately resulted in national track honors. In preparation for the spring track and field season, junior Elliot Rosenblum and seniors Justin Smith, Nick Riggio, and Sean Devens trained in order to compete in the Adidas Footlocker Outdoor Championships (a.k.a. the National Scholastic Track and Field Competition) at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina.Under the guidance of Coach Al Berkowsky, the boys had already scored a hugely successful winter track season by winning the 4x800 relay at the New York State Championships and the Nike Indoor Classic (National Championships) at the University of Indiana in March. That extended season flowed into spring track, giving them little time off, but the boys were equal to the task that lay ahead of them.After a long season, the team won the Nassau County Championship in their specialty, and on June 10, in Syracuse, the "Fearsome Foursome" ran their relay in 7:47.9, their best time of the season, as they were crowned New York State Champions. The next weekend, they went on to North Carolina ranked seventh in a race that included the best teams in the United States. The Cougars ran step for step with Don Lugo High School as these two great teams ran away from a powerful field. Both teams broke the National Scholastic Meet record, as JFK-Bellmore finished a few yards back in second place, with an impressive time of 7:40.21, some seven seconds faster than they had ever run.

Bellmore filmmaker documents life

Bellmore filmmaker Leslye Abbey received the Best Documentary award at the Long Island International Film Expo Awards Ceremony for her new film, "Bob's Rolling Reefer." The ceremony, held at the Woolworth Estate in Glen Cove, honored winners of the Long Island International Film Expo in Malverne from July 14 through 20."My films are about my life and what comes to me," said Ms. Abbey. Nine years ago, she met a friendly truck driver named Bob while traveling in California. In 1998, she went on the road with Bob, filming their adventure. During a six-day journey, Bob transported a load of pork to Seattle and potatoes to an Iowa warehouse. Throughout the documentary, Bob spun stories about life on the road, met interesting people and drove through some of the most magnificent scenery in the country. The film also featured original music from Long Island artists like country musician Mary Lamont and bluegrass musician Buddy Mirriam.

August

Camp Ave. construction

Camp Avenue between Camp Avenue Elementary and Mepham High Schools had for years meant a bumpy ride for motorists. With a road-rehabilitation project under way there, that ride got significantly bumpier in August. Town of Hempstead officials, however, promised nothing but smooth pavement come Friday, Sept 29. That was when the roughly $1 million project was scheduled for completion. Jeff Hayduck, the town's on-site inspector for the project, said the road revamp would help alleviate area flooding that residents had complained about for many years. "They've had a lot of flooding...." he said.Mr. Hayduck also noted that the town had condemned not one property for this project. Often, a government agency must condemn at least part of a yard in order to make room for a wider road or sidewalk.

Town terms

Town of Hempstead residents in three of the six new council districts would see more than they might have expected of their newly elected representatives after November, thanks to a lottery drawing held in August to determine the initial length of the councilmatic terms. As a result of the court-ordered drawing at the Nassau County Board of Elections in Mineola on Wednesday, Aug. 23, candidates elected to fill council seats in Districts 1, 4 and 6 will serve initially for one year, meaning they will need to begin campaigning for reelection almost immediately. The lottery drawing also determined that the initial terms of representatives in Districts 2, 3 and 5 will be for three years. After the initial terms of one and three years, all council members will run for four-year terms.

September

Fresh face for Mt. Merrick

Richard Ronan, the Hempstead Town commissioner of sanitation, was perched atop Merrick Mountain, the 125-foot-tall former landfill and soon-to-be nature preserve. He breathed deeply, contentedly, as he took in the view of resplendent green wetlands surrounding Merrick Bay. The sun was shining brightly on this early September day, with storm clouds looming far to the North. Mr. Ronan pointed to a patch of assorted trees at the Mountain's southern base where, he said, construction workers spotted a fox last week. The thought of a fox living - and thriving - here on the edges of suburban Merrick had Mr. Ronan excited. The fox was one sign that the former garbage dump was "making a comeback;" that is, it was returning to its natural state as a wildlife habitat.The Town of Hempstead opened this habitat to local residents in October. The 49.6-acre plot, sandwiched between the Merrick Road Golf Course and Meadowbrook Parkway, is known now as the Senator Norman J. Levy Park and Preserve, named for the Merrick state senator who died in 1998 after dedicating much of his life to preserving the environment.The park is "here for the wildlife. We're the intruders," said Mr. Ronan. The preserve, which falls under the auspices of the Hempstead Town Sanitation Department, is known in the conservation field as a "passive park," where no human activity, save hiking, exercising, fishing and canoeing/kayaking, is permitted. Even its toilets are designed with the environment in mind. (Human waste is flushed into beds of sawdust, where it decomposes naturally.)

Second chance for seventh-grade sports

Seventh-grader Jonathon Hall was performing push-ups on the parched field at Grand Avenue Middle School in early September. He had come for a tryout for Grand Avenue's first seventh-grade football squad in almost a decade.With the sun burning down, Jonathon, 12, was sweating profusely. His determination to make the football team showed in his eyes. Jonathon need not have worried, however. Don Fleming, coach of the seventh-grade football squad with Pete Brideson, said no one would be cut from the team.A year ago, Grand Avenue had no seventh-grade football team, nor did it have any other seventh-grade squad, for that matter. The Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District eliminated all seventh-grade sports when New York State slammed area districts with enormous aid reductions during the early 1990's, said Saul Lerner, Central's athletic director.That left the competitive sports programs at Grand and Merrick Avenue Middle Schools without a critical proving and learning ground for athletes - the seventh grade. In 2000, the district reintroduced nine seventh-grade teams to its roster at both middle schools, including: football, and boys and girls soccer in the fall; girls volleyball and boys basketball during the winter I session; girls basketball during winter II; and baseball, softball and lacrosse during the spring.The rebirth of seventh-grade sports had many in the Central High School District excited. "It's fun. I like that they have seventh-grade sports so I don't have to wait a full year [to play]," said Jonathon, breathing hard between sets of calisthenics.Bryan Schmerler, 12, agreed with Jonathon. "You get more play time," said Bryan. "With the eighth graders up there, you [didn't] get a lot."

Regents-diploma rate

The Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District handed out the most Regents diplomas in the district's history this last June, according to a September district report. Some 78 percent of graduates received Regents diplomas, tying the district's previous record set in June 1998.Seventy-eight percent is counted among the highest Regents-diploma rates in Nassau County and in New York State, said Fred Cohen, the Central assistant superintendent for instruction. Bellmore-Merrick's Regents diploma rate was 76 percent in June 1999. Mr. Cohen also noted that not one 2000 Central graduate was excluded from a diploma because of failure on the new English Regent exam. Passing the English Regents is now required of all students, effective starting with last June's crop of graduates.

Pesticide notification

A bill requiring 48-hour notice of pesticide spraying at schools and day-care centers was signed into law by Governor Pataki in September. The measure, sponsored by State Senator Charles Fuschillo Jr. (R, Merrick-Eighth District), also allowed counties to require the same notification for neighbors who fall within 150 feet of any commercial pesticide application. "This new law creates an easy policy of shared information," said Senator Fuschillo, who is a member of the Senate Health Committee. "It's a good-neighbor bill that will allow parents to take precautions to limit pesticide exposure to their families."Under the law, businesses must post informational signs describing notification requirements where pesticides are sold.

N. Bellmore tower battle

Representatives of the cellular phone providers that erected an antennae tower along Jerusalem Avenue and members of the North Bellmore Civic Association failed to reach a compromise agreement as to what should be done with the tower during a meeting on Monday, Sept. 11. Local residents said they wanted the tower removed and transplanted elsewhere or disguised as a flagpole. The cellular providers contended that either option would simply cost too much to carry out, but they did offer to reduce the size of the tower's antennae from 12 to four feet in length, knowledgeable sources said. One source close to this story said that masking the tower as a flagpole could run $50,000.

October

Town ends cell-tower ban

A six-month Town of Hempstead moratorium on construction of cell-phone towers ended on Wednesday, Oct. 11. The temporary ban followed a series of cantankerous fights this year between cellular providers and town residents. On the one side, the providers said they needed to build more towers in local neighborhoods to fill service gaps. On the other, residents said they wanted the towers erected elsewhere, as they feared the radio-frequency radiation given off by the towers might cause cancer. The moratorium was intended to give the town's recently impaneled Cell Phone Task Force time to study the towers' potential effects upon residents.Three task force members, Ed Grilli, Vicki DeJong and Vicky Rosenberg, spoke with the Herald and offered a look at the six-member panel's exhaustive study. Their first conclusion: Cell towers are here to stay, and they will only grow more numerous.

Council ushers in Safe Kids Month

The Community Wellness Council of the Bellmores and Merricks, the Nassau County Safe Kids Coalition of New York and Federal Express kicked off a national campaign to raise children's awareness of traffic dangers in October. The effort, which marked Children's Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Month, began with a news conference at Roland Chatterton Elementary School in Merrick. Gail Volk, the Wellness Council coordinator, said, "The Wellness Council's mission is mainly substance-abuse prevention, but pedestrian injuries many times have been caused by substance abuse." David Sills, Chatterton principal, noted how the elementary school is located on a main street, and students there must often walk to school by way of heavily trafficked roads. "We really appreciate this opportunity to participate," he said. "We want it to be more than a month, but we're excited about what we all can do within this month." Chatterton teachers started a traffic-safety poster contest. Safety stickers were distributed to all Chatterton students. On Monday, Oct. 23, Bellmore-Merrick Emergency Medical Services stopped off at the school with an ambulance; FedEx supplied its FedEx Safety Truck; and New York State Police were on hand with emergency equipment. In 1997, almost 830 children ages 14 and under died of pedestrian injuries. Of these, 675 were killed in motor vehicle-related crashes. In 1998, an estimated 20,000 children ages 14 and under suffered motor vehicle-related pedestrian injuries.

Central upgrading research

The Bellmore-Merrick High School District stepped up its successful science research program, which gives students the chance to pursue their own projects for entering in major competitions, such as the annual Intel contest (formerly Westinghouse). "We've had a fair success," said Elliott Solomon, chairman of the Calhoun High School Science Department. "We've averaged about two [Intel] semifinalists or finalists" annually. Now, Mr. Solomon said, "We've reached the point where we want to raise the bar."To do so, the district brought in two science research consultants at a cost of $11,000 to $12,000 a year. In previous years, the district assigned teachers as mentors for students. Mentors assisted pupils with their research projects from start to finish. The district will continue its mentoring program. However, officials noted that Bellmore-Merrick has not had an expert in science research, specifically research competitions, on hand. Many districts hire an in-house consultant or teacher whose sole job is overseeing research, they said.

Above-average scores

Fourth-graders in Bellmore and North Bellmore elementary districts taking the statewide math tests last spring scored higher than most Nassau County children and well above statewide averages, according to reports published in October. Eighty-nine percent of the 173 Bellmore students tested met or exceeded state standards for Levels 3 and 4 (with 4 being the highest). The district figure fell 1 percent below its 1999 score. Eighteen students tested at Level 2, and one student scored at Level 1 (remedial). The statewide average for students in Levels 3 and 4 is 65 percent and for Nassau County, 85 percent. The county mean (average) score is 669. Bellmore's mean is 666."Certainly those scores are good," said Bellmore Schools Superintendent Sheldon Dumain, but he added that he was "not pleased" with the overall results. "It's my goal to move every one of the students in the district to Level 3 and 4," Mr. Dumain said. North Bellmore's mean score was 672, with 88 percent of its 342 students who took the math exam testing at Levels 3 and 4. The figure dropped 1 percent below last year's number.Twelve percent scored at Level 2. None were at Level 1."Like districts in the surrounding area, we always do well. When you look at the average of New York State, our scores are much higher and a little above the average for Nassau County," said Superintendent James Parla. "But we're never satisfied. We want more of our kids to be a levels 3 and 4, and we have put programs in place to accomplish that. We're very, very proud of our principals and teachers who are working very hard to meet the needs of each individual child."

November

Tempo faces closure threat

Facing a $150,000 deficit in its $250,000 annual budget, Bellmore-Merrick's only drug-treatment clinic for young people was facing the possibility that it might close for good at the end of 2000, said agency officials.Tempo Group, which joined forces with the Bellmore-Merrick Central School District to create the clinic almost seven years ago, was hit with $100,000 in Nassau County contractual cuts in January, meaning Tempo could not pay the debts it had accrued in 1999. With help from state Senator Charles Fuschillo Jr. (R-Merrick), the state picked up Tempo's lost funds, enabling the agency to hobble along for the rest of the year. The state, however, also made no promise of future revenues for the clinic. With a potential budget gap running into the tens of millions of dollars, Nassau County again looked to cut its discretionary contracts with Tempo. As of November, the county had not renewed (and apparently would not renew) two contracts that were promised to the clinic in 2000: one for $75,000 with the County Department of Drug and Alcohol Services, and the other for $75,000 with the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, said Barry Wilansky, Tempo's executive director.

Voters return Murray

Like many folks, State Assemblywoman Kathleen Murray (R-Levittown) stayed up until 2:30 A.M. watching the returns pour in on election night, Nov. 7. She, though, had a greater stake in the election than most people. Her assembly seat was on the line the year after Democrats had scored big victories throughout Nassau. She had no need to worry, however. Voters returned her to the 19th-District seat with almost 54 percent of ballots cast. She walked away from the election with 24,035 votes to the 20,563 of her main opponent, Steven November (D-Merrick). John Hagan (L-Merrick) received only 272 ballots in the race.Ms. Murray celebrated her victory the same way she did after winning two years ago: by standing at 6:15 A.M. outside a train station, this time the Bellmore depot, and distributing as much free coffee to her constituents as possible. This year, she handed out $275 worth.

Senator aims to save Tempo Group

State Senator Charles Fuschillo Jr. (R-Merrick) dropped his children off at school and returned to work at his Freeport office the day after winning reelection in the Eighth District on Nov. 7.The senator said he had no time to waste on relaxation with a string of big projects he hoped to accomplish during his upcoming term. First among his priorities was seeing Tempo Group, a North Merrick drug-rehabilitation clinic, remain open.Tempo Executive Director Barry Wilansky said his agency teetered on the brink of shuttering, because Nassau County had not come through with $150,000 in contract monies that were allocated for the clinic in 2000.Senator Fuschillo said, "I was on the phone with Albany the day after I read your paper, trying to help them [Tempo Group] out."

N. Bellmore tower hearing

The Town of Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals announced that it would hear arguments on Thursday, Jan. 11 at 9:30 A.M. for and against a cell-phone tower that now sits at Jerusalem Avenue and Newbridge Road, next to a Board of Cooperative Educational Services school. The tower, which now holds 18 Sprint and AT&T antennae, went up this past March. The cellular providers received the go-ahead to erect the monopole in the fall of 1999. Last spring, however, the Bellmore-Merrick Central School District, which owns the BOCES school, revealed that it had never been notified of the original BZA hearing for this case. The failure to inform the district violated town law. Thus, the BZA is to rehear the case.

A journey of addiction

In 1990, Anne unknowingly began what she called a journey. Not the spiritual or sightseeing kind, but one that would bring her pain, shame and, in the end, redemption. A decade ago, Anne's first son, then 15 years old, started abusing drugs, beginning with marijuana and alcohol. Her two other sons, 12 and 8, soon followed suit. "Each of them has been treated for some form of drug abuse," said Anne, a school nurse.Anne, who wished to be identified only by her first name, spoke of her sons' drug addictions during the Bellmore-Merrick Community Wellness Council's first town meeting to address local substance abuse. The forum at Calhoun High School on Nov. 30 featured a panel discussion by four South Shore residents, including Anne, as well as Family Court Judge Richard Lawrence, "resident grandmother" Robin, and Havi, a 25-year-old recovering drug addict.

December

North Bellmorite thinking green

North Bellmore resident Richard Schary unfolded a Nassau County map from arm to arm, stretched it across his kitchen table and pointed to his home community.The map was different than most. It provided only an overview of the county's parks; that is, its open green spaces. Mr. Schary, a retired New York City school teacher turned volunteer environmentalist, noted the absence of any green mark in North Bellmore. His hand hovered above nearby communities Freeport and Wantagh, which boasted an abundance of green blotches. North Bellmore, however, featured nothing but white paper."North Bellmore does not have one square inch of park," said Mr. Schary. "It is the only community in the Town of Hempstead without any open space. We have the [Jerusalem Avenue BOCES] school, but that's it."North Bellmore will likely never get a park to call its own. Full of houses and businesses, the community has no free land left for one.Mr. Schary, though, had an idea for a hiking/biking path that would run from the North Bellmore/Wantagh border south through Bellmore, all the way to the end of Cedar Creek County Park in Seaford.He proposed connecting state-owned land in North Bellmore that only served as a dumping ground for nearby residents, with the Town of Hempstead's Twin Lakes Nature Preserve in Wantagh, Nassau County's Mill Pond Park in Bellmore, and finally the county's Cedar Creek Park. In this way, Mr. Schary hoped to create one larger dirt - and possibly paved - trail that would be open to all.

County hailed for human-rights law

During the mid-1990's, Andrew Peters and his then-boyfriend tried furiously to rent a home. They scoured Nassau County's north shore. They checked out at least 10 apartments. Each was taken when they returned - often the next day - to sign a lease.Mr. Peters is a certified social worker and director of the Bellmore-based Pride for Youth Program, an offshoot of the Long Island Crisis Center that weekly provides a Friday-night coffeehouse for up to 100 gay and lesbian teenagers. Mr. Peters is certain that his partner and he had fallen victim to housing discrimination. He remains unsure, however, whether they were treated as outcasts because they were gay, because his partner was African-American, or both."We went to a number of apartments to find that they were rented fairly quickly," he said. "It wasn't easy. We ended up living in Jericho."Mr. Peters, who now calls Long Beach home, said, "If landlords have a choice, they will often opt to rent to a heterosexual couple, based on their own beliefs or perceptions."When Mr. Peters was searching for an apartment, he had no legal recourse to fight such housing discrimination. But a law passed 19-0 by the County Legislature last week now prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender, age, disability, religion, ethnicity and source of household income. Before the law, Nassau only restricted discrimination based on race, creed, color and national origin.The new measure, called the Human Rights Commission and Open Housing Law, was introduced by the Legislature's Democratic majority. It was modeled after similar legislation passed in New York City and Suffolk County and will allow residents to sue in civil court if they face housing or job discrimination, said Legislator David Denenberg (D-Merrick).