__________________ Merrick _________________
CoMMuNIty uPDAtE Infections as of March 29
7,437
Infections as of March 25 7,315
$1.00 $1.00
HERALD
Pirates start spring season
Electrical skills put to work
‘March Madness’ at Chatterton
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Vol. 24 No. 14
APRIl 1 - 7, 2021
Alumni create scholarship for late teacher his former students — which include Michael Bianco, Nicholas Licata, Patrick Marzano, For a group of six Wellington Gregg Penny, Mario Tesoriero C. Mepham High School alumni, and Ed Thompson — knew they Jack Rice was much more than a had to honor his legacy. teacher. In school, he was a menIn 2019, after a Christmas dintor, a guide and, perhaps most of ner with Brogan, the group gave all, a friend — a presence in her a written proposal to form their lives long the Jack Rice after they stopped Memorial Scholarroaming the high ship Fund, which school’s halls. would annually Rice introduced award a graduating his students to so senior a $1,000 much of the world, scholarship. The the friends said. He program had made them realize already been the convenience of approved by the living near a train PAtRICk MARzANo Bellmore-Merrick that travels to the Central High heart of Manhat- Co-founder, Jack Rice School District. tan, where Rice Memorial Scholarship The scholarship and the group often Fund is awarded to a found themselves senior who intends during adventures. to major in journalRice shared with them his appre- ism, education, theater or ciation for the arts, which humanities. It was given out for included a deep understanding the first time last year to graduof films and music. He was a ating senior Casey Fahrer. Applimajor influence on the close-knit cations are now open on the Jack friends’ lives, they said. Rice Memorial Scholarship Years later, the graduates, Fund website, www.jackricemsf. who left Mepham in 1984, org, where donations can also be remained close with Rice and his made. wife, Jeanine Brogan. Besides being their English When Rice died of prostate cancer in August 2016, at age 67, Continued on page 3
By ANDREW GARCIA agarcia@liherald.com
A
Andrew Garcia/Herald
She said yes! Sanford H. Calhoun High School football coach Joe Migliano proposed to his girlfriend, cheer coach Christine Meiselas, on the field prior to Calhoun’s game against Sewanhaka High School last Saturday. The crowd burst into cheers as Meiselas answered, “Yes.” Story, more photos, Page 6.
JFK Drama Club goes digital with ‘Head Over Heels’ By REINE BEtHANy agarcia@liherald.com
Last spring, members of the Drama Club at John F. Kennedy High School, in the BellmoreMerrick Central High School District, saw weeks of rehearsal stymied when Covid-19 prevented their performance of “The Wizard of Oz.” One year later, the students are still learning through electronic platforms, and live theater
is still on hold. Facing a new reality, they were left with one question: What’s a Drama Club to do in a pandemic? At Kennedy, the answer is to turn frustration into opportunity. The students are using their forced familiarity with virtual tools to make a colorful, ebullient, full-length movie musical — a distinct change from their usual live shows on the school’s stage. Production advisers and Ken-
nedy teachers Brad Seidman and Jonathan Hof fman helped choose the right show to adapt. “The main goal of this was to allow these students to have a final product,” Hoffman said, recalling last year’s disappointment. The show also needed a “lot of lead roles and principal parts that could showcase many of the students,” he added. Hoffman and Seidman recomContinued on page 7
fter we graduated, he was just one of the gang.