_________________ bellmore ________________
HERALD $1.00 $1.00
MECA is open for the summer
Volunteer gets FASNY award
New school in North Bellmore
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Vol. 24 No. 32
AUGUST 5 - 11, 2021
Local opens martial arts studio
what he taught me — I want to give back to the community.” A five-time amateur kickboxMerokean Andrew Ball, an ing champion, Ball has also accomplished kickboxer with fought internationally at the years of experience, recently Glory World Series. Glory is the opened a martial arts studio on largest kickboxing promotion the Merrick-Bellmore border company in the world, featuring called AB Martial Arts. Special- some of the sport’s highest-level izing in kickboxing, fighters. the studio of fers Fulfilling a longmany classes in varitime dream, Ball ous styles of martial opened AB Martial arts to people of all Arts last December. ages. The studio offers Ball, 34, began training in a variety training in martial of fighting styles, arts when he was 19 including karate, under Louis Neglia, kickboxing, selfa 10th-degree black defense and boxing. belt and three-time “I remember tellworld kickboxing ing people in high Courtesy Andrew Ball champion. Neglia is school that this is a Grand Master of NorTh MErriCk something I wanted martial arts, creator NATiVE Andrew Ball to do,” Ball said. of the Louis Neglia recently opened a “This is a dream for Martial Arts System, martial arts studio, me. and owner of the AB Martial Arts. “We’ve had a lot Ring of Combat, an of clients come in East Coast profesafter Covid regulasional mixed martial arts league tions eased,” he added. “Things that has sent over 100 fighters to are getting better now — I want the Ultimate Fighting Champi- to go all the way with it.” onship. He recently hired two coach“It was the first day of the es, Anthony Morales, a black belt rest of my life,” Ball said of his in Brazilian jujitsu from Anifirst time sparring under Neglia. “I’m a much better person from Continued on page 11
By JorDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
Jordan Vallone/Herald
VolUNTEErS CArl BUCkiNG, left, and Jennifer Henning showed off some of the garden’s fresh produce.
Garden at St. Francis Church hosting produce pickup By JorDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
St. Francis Episcopal Church in North Bellmore hosted its first produce pickup Aug. 1 in conjunction with its community garden. The Garden at St. Francis is in its 11th growing season, and provides fresh produce to local shoppers, donating remaining goods on a weekly basis. “There’s a farmstand every weekend,” said the Rev. Christopher McNabb, a priest at
the church. “We sell whatever we bring in from the garden, and whatever is left, we donate.” The garden has had a few setbacks this season, according to Kristin Talbot, its new manager, who started in June. “A branch fell down during Tropical Storm Elsa, which took out the beehives,” Talbot explained. “The church is under construction, and our irrigation system also went down.” Despite the setbacks, the
church opened last weekend for its first-ever produce pickup. Produce pickups will continue through October, every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Talbot said that throughout the pandemic, she has watched the garden become a sanctuary for many people. “It attracts more than just people of the Christian faith,” she explained. “It has become a social refuge for a lot of people.” Volunteers at the garden Continued on page 4