__________________ Merrick _________________
HERALD Pirates win big at Homecoming
Young engineers take on soccer
Chabad Center celebrates Sukkot
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Vol. 25 No. 43
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oCToBER 20 - 26, 2022
Showing they care, three straight years Father-daughter duo raises money, collects food ahead of holidays By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
Courtesy Josh Brown
JoSH BRowN AND his daughter, Tara, 16, a junior at John F. Kennedy High School, are in their third year of fundraising for Long Island Cares.
For one family in Merrick, what started as a desire to give back to those in need during the coronavirus pandemic has become a commitment to giving back consistently. Josh Brown and his daughter, Tara, 16, are in their third year of running a fundraiser for Long Island Cares, a leading local food bank that has been combating food insecurity since 1980. Tara, a junior at John F. Kennedy High School in Bell-
more, was a regular volunteer at the Bellmore-Merrick Community Cupboard, a pantry that provides food to local families in need, when she was a student at Merrick Avenue Middle School. She was a member of the school’s Honor Society, and completed many community service hours at the cupboard. “I went there for a lot of my hours, and I enjoyed working there, and then when Covid hit, everything stopped,” Tara said. “I like being out in my community, because it feels good to do Continued on page 2
Board OKs $39M bond resolution for school renovations By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
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hanges may be coming to elementary buildings in the North Bellmore Public School District. Following an extensive review of its facilities and a number of meetings with the community, the district Board of Education, at its Oct. 13 meeting in North Merrick, adopted a bond resolution totaling roughly $39 million for renovations in six district buildings. Taxpayers will decide on the bond in a special vote on Dec. 8. The school district serves stu-
dents through sixth grade living in North Bellmore and a portion of North Merrick. Its schools feed into the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District. In July, the district released the findings of a survey on building conditions. Surveys are mandated by the State Education Department, and must take place every five years. The inspection in North Bellmore was completed in 2020 and submitted to the state in March 2021.
Renovations included in the bond
The inspection found that the district’s buildings — John G.
Dinkelmeyer, Martin Avenue, Newbridge Road, Park Avenue and Saw Mill elementary schools — were in need of some major upgrades. Jacob Gunther Elementary School, which is leased to the Wee Friends Too nursery school and day camp, and houses the North Bellmore Teachers Center as well as some office space, was also inspected, with similar findings. The main areas of concern, according to the district, are the buildings’ HVAC systems — which control heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and are in need of upgrades — and a lack of elevators. Only Martin Avenue has one, and the district
would like to make all of its buildings compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The bond also leaves room to update the schools’ playgrounds and complete additional, smaller projects. The buildings range in age from 65 to 98 years, and every HVAC system needs a total overhaul. “The priority is creating
healthier buildings,” Superintendent Marie Testa said. “A healthy school environment, as we know, supports learning and productivity in the classrooms. “This is about clean, fresh air and adequate filtration,” Testa added. “It keeps our students safe and comfortable, with minimal exposure to germs.” Continued on page 4