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Bellmore Herald 02-16-2023

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Student performs standout poetry

It’s Play Day in N. Bellmore

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Vol. 26 No. 8

FEBRUARY 16 - 22, 2023

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Hablamos Español

Bellmore seniors compete in symposium By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com

Jordan Vallone/Herald

JESSIcA BlUMBERg, AlYSSA Farber, Amanda Levine, Tyler Bissoondial, Luke Feldman and Ty Gelman, seniors at John F. Kennedy High School, were named semifinalists in the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. They presented their projects at a competition last Sunday.

For the second year in a row, seniors at John F. Kennedy High School were named regional semifinalists in the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, a premier research competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense. Following several rounds of presentations, they’ll have the opportunity to win up to $12,000 in scholarships for future collegiate expenses. From Bellmore, Tyler Bissoondial, Jessica Blumberg, and Amanda Levine, all 17, completed extensive Continued on page 2

Community takes strong stance against fentanyl crisis By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com

At the Bellmore-Merrick Community Parent Center’s “One Pill Can Kill” event last week at the Brookside School in Merrick, one thing was abundantly clear: Families and parents are concerned about the increase in teens’ and adults’ use of fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid that is infiltrating the national and local drug trade. “Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, one of the single deadliest drug threats our nation has ever encountered,” Wendy Tepfer, the parent center’s director, said. “No community is immune from

this poison.” In partnership with the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District and the BellmoreMerrick Community Coalition, the parent center hosted its second infor mative gathering focused on fentanyl on Feb. 9, led by Ron Riebl, an advocate and community member from Bellmore. “Last year, over 100,000 people died from drug overdoses driven by fentanyl, and the fastest-growing group of people that have been impacted are under 19 years old,” Tepfer added before turning the presentation over to Riebl. “Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin, 100 times

K

ids are supposed to learn from their mistakes, not die from their mistakes.

DEREK MAltz

Retired DEA agent stronger than morphine, and it is being laced into all kinds of other drugs, pills and powders and being sold by dealers to unsuspecting buyers.” Riebl, whose three children attended Mepham High School, got involved in drug use preven-

tion after losing his 31-year-old godson, Timothy Mulligan, to a heroin overdose. The toxicology report revealed that the heroin was laced with fentanyl. “He didn’t have a chance,” Riebl said. “I don’t ever want any parent of anybody to ever go through this.” Addressing a mixed crowd of families, parents and students,

Riebl explained that today it is almost too easy for children, preteens and teenagers to get their hands on drugs. On social media apps like SnapChat, it’s easy to find dealers who will sell to just about anyone. What kids don’t realize is that a pill that might look like Percocet, or oxycodone, may actually be pure fentanyl, Continued on page 11


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