Living In Merrick 2021

MERRICK Living in

2021-2022

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8/17/21 2:06 PM

Femy Aziz Ira Reiter President Chamber President

VISIT WWW.MERRICKCHAMBER.ORG For a Complete List of our Member Directory CALL TODAY TO FIND OUT THE BENEFITS OF BECOMING A MEMBER

516.771.1171

The Merrick Chamber of Commerce Working for You!

1140822

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P.O. Box 53, Merrick, NY 11566 516.771.1171

Membership applications available online at

www.merrickchamber.org

8/17/21 2:06 PM

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Living In Merrick

2021-2022

A special supplement to the __________________

Merrick

_________________

HERALD Editor

Andrew Garcia Reporter

Jordan Vallone Editorial Interns

Anna DeGoede Marjorie Rogers Publisher

Stuart Richner Vice President of Operations

Michael Bologna Vice President of Sales

Rhonda Glickman Executive Editor

Scott Brinton Account Executives

Robert Cummings Creative Director

Jeffrey Negrin Photo Editor

Christina Daly

Stuart Richner Publisher

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No one saw the coronavirus pandemic coming.

No one expected it to last more than a handful of weeks. No one could have imagined the terrible death toll it would exact.

The past 18 months tested all of us beyond our limits. The Merricks, however, remain strong.

These communities are full of fighters. Now we understand just how resilient we are.

Just as we saw in Superstorm Sandy's wake in 2012, neighbors have been helping neighbors Stuart throughout the Covid-19 crisis, delivering food Richner and medical supplies to vulnerable residents, providing meals for the jobless and just checking in on one another.

Thankfully, as of this writing in early August, some 80 percent of Nassau County residents had received at least their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccines, and the infection rate had dropped locally about 3 percent. Let us hope and pray it remains at or falls below that level so people remain safe, and we can continue our successful reopening of the economy. That will depend on all of us doing our parts — most importantly, scheduling a vaccination appointment if you have not already made one.

Throughout the crisis, the Merrick Herald has provided invaluable news to the community, including information on institution closings, new safety protocols and, unfortunately, remembrances of lives lost.

I want to thank our journalists for their commitment to the community. Our staff, categorized as essential workers by Governor Cuomo, have been out in the field regularly, even during the height of the pandemic, to ensure people who work and live in the Merricks had access to the best and most up-to-date information.

Additionally, Richner Communications, the parent company of the Merrick Herald, was proud to provide hundreds of thousands of dollars in small business marketing grants to entrepreneurs across the South Shore, including many in the community. We know small businesses are the lifeblood of any community — especially the Merricks — so we are hopeful these funds will help your favorite stores and restaurants get back on their feet.

In this edition of our annual community guide, we look at all that is wonderful about the Merricks, at the same time that we examine what has changed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Living In the Merricks is a special publication of the Merrick Herald, hometown newspaper of this community. Living In is published in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce, and we are honored to mark another year as the chamber's official publication.

We hope you find this issue of Living In Merrick useful and informative, and that you enjoy reading the Merrick Herald 52 weeks a year. Be well and be safe.

Merrick

MERRICK

PUBLISHER

Living in

2021-2022

a letter from the

Living in

2021 - 2022

R O F CO M M

Cover photo courtesy Merrick School District Cover design by Jeffrey Negrin P.S. If you're not currently receiving the Herald by mail each week, please help keep quality local journalism alive in the Merricks by subscribing. See our ad on Page 7 for subscription information, or find us online at www.liherald.com/subscribe.

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Living In Merrick

What's

INSIDE Schools

A look at the past ..................... 22 Clubs & Organizations .............. 21 Elected Officials......................... 29 Fall Festival ................................ 18 Fast Facts ................................... 13 Greeting from the chamber ....... 6 Medical Services ....................... 25 Merrick Chamber of Commerce List .....................31-34 Levy Park and Preserve ............. 19 Living in Merrick ..................10-12 Merrick Historical Timeline.......8-9 Mepham softball....................... 27 Mount Sinai South Nassau ....... 24 Places of Worship ...................... 16 Police and Fire ........................... 23 Reaching the Herald ................. 28 Schools .................................14-15 Seniors ..................................... 26 Superintendent Parade ............. 20 Publisher Letter .......................... 3 Town officials ............................ 30

Fire Departments

Superintendent Parade

Fall Festival

Clubs & Organizations

Living in Merrick

2021 - 2022

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Living In Merrick

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Living In Merrick

Greetings from the

Chamber of CommerCe The Merrick Chamber of Commerce invites you to get involved and see what we are all about! parade, Santa’s visit, two The Merrick Chamber annual street festivals and of Commerce is way the many networking and more than a business general meetings that adorganization — we are a dress members' businessvital community organirelated needs. zation that is all about All of this is possible informing local residents, because of our dedicated while also acting as a board members and the liaison representing the many volunteers who selfarea to elected officials. lessly care about this com I have been given the munity and want what’s opportunity to tell you best for it. We live and work exactly what the ChamIra Reiter here, our patrons live here, ber of Commerce does for President and we will do whatever it our community, and I hope takes to help this community thrive you will find it interesting enough to so we can all be proud of the reach out and join us. If you live in Merrick or own a business here, then community that we live and work in.

At the same time, I must mention this is important information for you the utmost support and dedication to know. In fact, once I became a I have from our board members, chamber member, I got involved on past presidents and administrative many committees. assistant.

I manage Merrick Jeep Chrysler I encourage every business Dodge Ram, and when I am not there, you will find me at the Market owner, professional and resident in Merrick to join the Chamber of Place at the Merrick Long Island Rail Commerce and take advantage of Road station, with my business, The our LED sign at Merrick Avenue Barking Biscuit LLC, where dogs can and Sunrise Highway. We offer a enjoy freshly baked treats. Every residential membership for only $25, month, The Barking Biscuit donates so everyone who lives here can take to local animal rescues. part. Register today on our website This past January, I was installed at merrickchamber.org. If you would as the 86th president of this humble like to get involved or have any chamber. In joining this group, I questions, please don’t hesitate to came to learn that the chamber was email us at info@merrickchamber. run by a group of dedicated volunorg. teers. We are responsible for the holiday lights on Merrick Avenue and Merrick Road. The chamber sponsors scholarships to six deserving, hardworking students of the BellmoreMerrick Central High School District every year. Also, the chamber President is responsible for the Halloween Merrick Chamber of Commerce

Ira Reiter

www.liherald.com

2021 Executive Board President Ira Reiter Merrick Jeep Dodge Chrysler Vice President Margaret Mueller RS Beanery Secretary Margaret Biegelman Douglas Elliman Treasurer Andrew S. Nachamie Andrew S. Nachamie, PC Immediate Past President Femy Aziz Serengeti Design Studios

Board of Directors • Julie Marchesella Queen of Hearts • Douglas Mills Printing Emporium • Randy Shotland • Joe Baker South Merrick Community Civic Association • Arlene Gregory Coldwell Banker American Homes • Marian Fraker-Gutin Signature Premier Properties • Lori Berger Merrick Herald • Sharon Davis S.J. Edwards, Inc. • Christine Mooney Merrick Chamber Administrative Assistant

Courtesy Merrick Chamber of Commerce

Members of the Merrick Chamber of Commerce gathered at their 2021 installation dinner along with local representatives.

2021 - 2022

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Living In Merrick

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Merrick

HISTORICAL TIMELINE •1643

“Memories of the Merricks,” a 1977 booklet produced by the Merrick Historical Society, says a member of John Carman and the Rev. Robert Fordham’s group of settlers, Jonathan “Rock” Smith, became the first European to set up a farm in what is now considered Merrick.

•1840s

Joseph and Philetas Smith operated a roadhouse on Babylon Turnpike near Meadowbrook Road. This building served as a stop in the mid-19th century for a daily stagecoach carrying mail and passengers from Jamaica to Babylon. It also likely served as Merrick’s first post office.

•1869

The Long Island Camp Meeting Association established a Methodist campground on 60 acres in what is now North Merrick, as part of the Third Great Awakening in the United States.

•1891

The Merrick Library was founded

by Edward C. Cammann and Richard P. Kent, two young men in their late-teens. After being housed in three temporary locations, the library was moved to a cottage in 1897.

•1902

An article in the Brooklyn Eagle, titled “Beauties of Merricks,” read, “The most beautiful section of the Merrick road is at Merrick, the village from which it takes its name. Here it runs under a grand foliage of big-girthed trees, between glimmering lakes and over rustic bridges spanning picturesque streams. Within sight at the waters of the Great South Bay and the beach.”

•1917

St. John’s Lutheran Church was founded.

•1649

The family of George Hewlett arrived in America, and some later settled in the Merrick area.

The Hewletts built a home on the northeast corner of Merrick Road and Merrick Avenue in 1687.

The Hewletts bought a thousand acres that stretched from Merrick Avenue to Newbridge Road.

There were Hewletts living in Merrick right into the 20th century. The house was torn down in 1963.

•1867

The South Side Rail Road — the LIRR’s predecessor — made Merrick more accessible to people from New York City, and Merrick started to become an area where families from Manhattan and Brooklyn had summer homes.

• 1880

William Hewlett built what would later be known as the Isaac Narwood house. In the early 1960s, the Merrick Library was moved to this site.

Courtesy Merrick Library Collection

A flag-waving crowd celebrated the electrification of the South Side Rail Road in May 1925. Since the system made Merrick more accessible, it soon became a place where people established their summer homes.

•1926

Bishop Thomas Edmund Molloy established Curé of Ars Parish.

• 1932

The first stretch of the Meadowbrook Parkway was built between 1932 and 1935 to relieve congestion on the Wantagh Parkway. The Meadowbrook was extended to connect with the Northern State Parkway in the 1950s.

• 1929

The Community Presbyterian Church of Merrick and the Merrick Jewish Centre-Congregation Ohr Torah were both founded.

•1934

A newspaper called the Meroke was first published. It later became Merrick Life, and, in 2013, Merrick Herald Life

•1949

The Kiwanis Club of Merrick was founded, with 25 members.

•1950

The Merrick United Methodist Church was established.

•1952

The Lakeside School was built.

•1961

•1900

Merrick now had its own school district: Common School District 25. Its first school board was headed by Hermann H. Cammann, and the first school was a one-room building housing 38 students and one teacher.

The Birch School was built. It was later expanded.

•1955

Borrelli’s Italian Restaurant opened in East Meadow.

•1962 •1920s

According to “Memories of the Merricks,” the decade hit Merrick “like a bomb,” with development, and a population approaching 5,000, aided by the electrification of the railroad in 1925, and the building of the Southern State Parkway in 1927.

The construction of a new library building, at 2279 Merrick Ave., was completed on Nov. 25.

According to a New York Times report at the time, the building was 14,000 square feet and held 75,000 books.

•1961

The Nassau County jail was moved from Mineola to East Meadow.

•1972

St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church was founded.

•1988

The Long Island Mar Thoma Church was incorporated, in a building first rented from the Church of the Redeemer. By 1994, the church purchased the building and property for $1.3 million.

Timeline continued on next page

2021 - 2022

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Living In Merrick

Merrick

HISTORICAL TIMELINE continued from previous page

The Merrick community lost 15 service members, including first responders, in the Sept.

11 terror attacks.

•2006

The first Robbie’s Run was held at Lakeside in honor of Merokean Robbie Levine. The event is a major fundraiser of Forever 9-The Robbie Levine Foundation, which raises money to donate AEDs to youth leagues to protect children and adults wherever they play sports.

•2021

•2005

The current Merrick Library building opened in the fall, with an expanded children’s area, room for community groups and programs, a teen room, wireless Internet and self-service checkout.

• 2012

Hurricane Sandy swept through Merrick and South Shore communities, with waters that reached three to six feet in areas and destroyed homes and cars, while also bringing hurricaneforce wind gusts that toppled trees, tore the siding off houses, and ripped apart fences and decks.

Information courtesy Bill Keogan, the Merrick Library and the Merrick Historical Society

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Living In Merrick

Pre-Pandemic

Highlights

Courtesy Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District

Students and staff members from Wellington C. Mepham High School installed the annual Flag Field of Honor on Nov. 3.

LIVING IN

MerrIck Courtesy Marie Deacon

The Deacon family, of Merrick, led an initiative to hang American flags throughout the neighborhood.

Courtesy Marie Deacon

The Flags Flying High group was awarded a citation for its efforts to hang flags in the neighborhood by Hempstead Town Councilman Christopher Carini, far right, and Nassau County Legislator Steve Rhoads, far left.

Courtesy Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District

Wellington C. Mepham High School’s Flag Field of Honor stood on the Camp Avenue side of the high school.

M

ost days in the summer, someone is using the athletic fields at Brookside School in North Merrick: sports teams playing games, fathers and sons having catches, groups of friends holding batting practice, a single soccer player juggling a ball. Across the field often comes wafting the mwusical jingle of an ice-cream truck passing through the residential blocks behind the school.

It is a common suburban scene set against the backdrop of two of Merrick’s centerpieces: the community’s much sought-after homes and its top-notch school districts, like the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, which has its administration offices at Brookside.

Stretching from North Jerusalem Road in North Merrick south to the peninsulas that jut into Merrick Bay, the community of 34,369 spreads across multiple distinct residential and business areas.

Ron Luparello, an ex-chief of the Merrick Fire Department and lifelong resident of Merrick, said that he wanted to raise his two children, Salvatore and Vincent, in the community where he has had so many positive memories.

“I like the location of the town,” he added, citing its proximity to the South Shore’s beaches, ease of access to New York City via the Long Island Rail Road, and the Norman J. Levy Park and Preserve, which in 2000 opened on land converted from a former landfill.

In recent years, Merrick’s downtown commerce zone on Merrick Avenue underwent a major revitalization. Many businesses refurbished their facades. Sidewalks were redone. The train station received a complete makeover, as did the Merrick Library.

Since 2006, the Robbie Levine Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Merokeans Jill and Craig Levine that donates automated external defibrillators to youth ball fields and funds CPR/AED classes, has each spring held its annual Robbie’s Run, a 5K fundraiser that draws thousands of runners and supporters to Levy-Lakeside School and the streets of south Merrick.

The Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District is renowned for its academics, with its three schools routinely counted among the nation’s best. Ninety-four to 98 percent of the district’s graduates attend college, compared with the state average of 78 percent.

Susan Helsinger, an associate broker at Douglas Elliman Real Estate and longtime resident, pointed to the strength Continued on next page

2021 - 2022

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Living In Merrick

Courtesy Chabad Center for Jewish Life

Campers at Camp Gan Israel of Merrick along with C.I.T. campers of Camp Pardas Chanah of Montreal came together and jointly shared messages of kindness on the streets of Merrick.

Continued from previous page

of the library, civic organizations and her friendships with neighbors as the community’s strong points for her.

“It’s a wonderful place to raise our children, speaking from both a Realtor’s point of view and as a resident. The parks are great and safe for children,” Helsinger said. “I have wonderful friends here. We call ourselves ‘the moms.’ We’ve known each other since our kids were in preschool together, and we still go out for dinner all the time.”

Randy Shotland, a former president of the Merrick Chamber of Commerce, said the community has shot up in population since he graduated from high school here in 1969, but it still has a “small-town” feel.

Merrick has “lawyers, doctors, realtors, gyms, food stores, clothing stores,” Shotland said with pride. The chamber “puts on two festivals each year.

We do a Halloween walk and Christmas and menorah lightings. We do a networking meeting for our local business owners.”

Merrick was founded in 1643 when British colonist John Smith moved here from Connecticut and bought land from the Merri-auke-ut Indians. The tribe, which was known as Merric, Meroke and Merikoke, provided the name for the community. Merrick is remembered in those days as a picturesque wilderness of woods, plains, lakes, ponds and a river that ran along its western border. It is described as a rustic paradise.

Also arriving in 1643 were John Carman and the Rev. Robert Fordham, both of whom bought 64,000 acres for $100 and other “trifling considerations.”

England brought Merrick the George Hewlett family in 1649. Many of the Hewletts settled in the community, buying property from Jonathan Smith.

A community begins John Smith Jr. built the first home in the area in 1687 near what is now Merrick Road and Central Boulevard. Six generations of Smiths lived there.

Merrick remained a rural community for roughly two centuries. Merrick Path, which ran north to Hempstead and east to Babylon, was Merrick’s first

road. In time, its name changed to Babylon Turnpike.

Carrying mail and passengers between Jamaica and Babylon was a stage coach, which came through daily. Samuel Smith built a store on Babylon Turnpike near Meadowbrook Road, which served as a coach stop, general store and post office. The community flagpole was erected there during the Civil War. When the flag was raised, the villagers came from all over to hear battlefront news. Today, the flag is in the collection of the Historical Society of the Merricks.

In 1866, the South Shore Railroad was built through Merrick to Babylon. Charles Fox, a Merrick resident whose home once stood at Merrick Avenue and Merrick Road, was the railroad’s president.

At the turn of the century, summer residents began to appear upon completion of the railroad.

The Long Island Camp Meeting Association was the biggest summer group.

Two young men, Edwin Cray Camman and Richard Peabody Kent, opened the Merrick Library in 1891. An association was formed and incorporated on April 27, 1897, to raise funds to support the library; a building was then erected. At the time, the area’s population was about 500.

World War I accelerated growth in Merrick.

Then, the 1920s hit. Houses went up on all sides, and prices were high. Merrick’s population quickly approached 5,000.

The Merrick Woods development was considered a huge success. The Gables neighborhood, which served as home to many famous actors and actresses, was even more popular. Gables homes accented a “Spanish castle” motif.

The railroad was electrified in 1925. At the same time, motor vehicles grew more common, particularly after the Sunrise Highway was built out to Amityville circa 1927.

After World War II, the community’s population grew exponentially. Numerous schools, firehouses and houses of worship were added.

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Living In Merrick

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Alyssa Seidman/Herald

George Schultze, owner of Spirit Sky Drum in Freeport, beat on a djembe drum to attract visitors to his booth at the Merrick Chamber of Commerce’s pop-up market.

LIVING IN

DOWNTOWN MerrIck

T

hough not a small town by most any definition, Merrick offers its own version of “Main Street” on the ever-bustling Merrick Avenue, in the heart of its downtown. Between Sunrise Highway and Camp Avenue, Merrick Avenue serves as a center for business during the week and a favorite leisure spot for Merokeans of all ages on weekends. Families can dine out, with Italian, Greek, Southwest, Thai and Japanese options, while teenagers looking for a quick bite with friends or a date can head to the Merrick Mall, which after decades has finally been redone, featuring new sidewalks, facades and signage.

Ice cream, frozen yogurt and Italian ice shops line both sides of the street and offer delicious desserts, while older crowds can gather at any of several local pubs to catch games.

The Merrick Cinemas, a popular weekend and nighttime destination, recently had a modern makeover.

Merrick Veterans Memorial Plaza, formerly Broadcast Plaza, at Merrick and Fisher avenues, offers a quiet spot to sit and chat in the gazebo. Robert E. Purick Park, at Merrick and West Loines avenues, is another great spot to sit back and enjoy the summer weather, complete with benches and a breathtaking mural. For children, Chatterton and Camp Avenue elementary schools, which are in the middle and at the northern end of the downtown, respectively, both contain playgrounds, baseball fields and soccer fields.

The Merrick Fall Festival, sponsored annually in September or October by the Merrick Chamber of Commerce, was sadly canceled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Cordoned off from traffic, Merrick Avenue normally swells with thousands of smiling families and groups of friends who gather for the rides, carnival games, food vendors, arts and crafts, and live animals at this popular local event.

Alyssa Seidman/Herald

Merrick resident Lucille Munson, who turned 100 on Oct. 14, made it a point to vote in-person on Election Day.

2021 - 2022

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Living In Merrick

Merrick FAST FACTS

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

• Merrick has a population of roughly 20,000.

• The average median household income is $154,770, almost double the average for New York state.

• The median house price is around $650,000.

• Around 96 percent of the population

• Merrick has almost 700 veterans as of 2018.

has a high school degree, and around 60 percent holds a bachelor’s degree or higher.

(Source U.S. Census Bureau)

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Living In Merrick

Welcome to

Bellmore-Merrick Schools

Courtesy Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District

Wellington C. Mepham High School Italian teacher Kristen Montuori, left, stood with Italian National Honor Society members Samantha Spencer, Jaclyn Trapani, Danielle Scalamandre, Elisabeth Bracco, who was learning remotely, Emily Boccone and Juliana Cifarelli.

B

ellmore-Merrick’s five school districts — consisting of four elementary districts and one high school district — are consistently ranked among the top school systems in New York state, even the country, with an array of programs to nurture “the whole child.”

The four elementary districts — Bellmore, Merrick, North Bellmore and North Merrick — feed into the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, one of a few such central districts across the state.

The Central High School District boasts a 94 to 99 percent graduation rate annually, with many students receiving acceptances to top-rated colleges across the country. Just this year, Niche.com ranked the district among the Top 20 in New York state.

The elementary districts comprise three to five schools each.

The Central High School District is made up of Calhoun, Kennedy and Mepham high schools and Grand Avenue and Merrick Avenue middle schools. Each of the high schools offers advanced programs in the arts, business, engineering and science research.

Magnet cosmetology and drama programs, which attract students from all three high schools, are housed at Calhoun.

Additionally, the Meadowbrook Alternative Program, an alternative high school housed at the Brookside School in North Merrick, offers a special program for students who wish to excel outside their home high schools.

Andrew Garcia/Herald

Cheers rang out from the Sanford H. Calhoun High School stadium as football coach Joe Migliano popped the question to cheer coach Christine Meiselas — and she said yes.

Courtesy Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District

Michael Harrington

Central High School District officials pass the torch Earlier this year, the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District announced that John DeTommaso, superintendent for the last eight years, would retire, effective June 30.

Mike Harrington, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, was appointed to assume DeTommaso’s role starting July 1.

In a recent interview with the Herald, Harrington said he looked forward to his new position — despite having some big shoes to fill following DeTommaso.

“Mr. DeTommaso has been wonderful,” he said. “He’s left a mark here — a legacy.”

Harrington, who has been in the district since 2003, first worked as a social studies teacher in Island Trees before becoming assistant principal at Sanford H. Calhoun High School in North Merrick. After spending nine years as principal of Wellington C. Mepham High School in North Bellmore, he assumed his current role, which he has held for the last four years.

Amid the pandemic, the Central District was among the first school districts on Long Island to open for in-person learning.

Harrington recounted the district’s reopening efforts, which included meetings with a Reopening Committee as early as May of last year.

After Central’s 2021-22 budget passed this year, district officials are planning some big changes. They will implement a 1:1 Chromebook initiative, which will supply every student in grades seven to 12 with Chromebook laptops.

“Every day I am thankful to be part of the Bellmore-Merrick community,” Harrington said.

2021 - 2022

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Living In Merrick

Educating Merrick’s children Public Schools

Barry & Florence Friedberg JCC Early Childhood Program 225 Fox Blvd.

379-9386 Director: Ellen Hoffman

Merrick District Administration Office 21 Babylon Road 992-7200 Superintendent: Dr. Dominick Palma www.merrick.k12.ny.us

Jewish Early Learning Center Preschool and Daycare 833-3057 ext. 103 2174 Hewlett Ave., Suite 100 www.JewishELC.org

Birch Elementary School (K-6) 2400 Central Parkway 992-7250 Principal: Kerri Galante

Educational Programs Bellmore-Merrick Child-Care Program Brookside School 1260 Meadowbrook Road 868-6027 Director: June Smith

Roland Chatterton Elementary School (K-6) 108 North Merrick Ave. 993-7270 Principal: Dana Bermas Norman J. Levy Lakeside School (K-6) 21 Babylon Road 993-7270 Principal: Elizabeth Trencheny North Merrick District Administration Office 1057 Merrick Ave. 292-3694 Superintendent: Cynthia Seniuk www.nmerrickschools.org Camp Avenue Elementary School (K-6) 1712 Merrick Ave. 379-3732 Principal: Ronald Reinken Harold D. Fayette Elementary School (K-6) 1057 Merrick Ave. 489-3090 Principal: Howard Merims Old Mill Road Elementary School (K-6) 1775 Old Mill Road 379-0945 Principal: Laura DeLuca

Andrew Garcia/Herald

Meadowbrook Alternative Program students, from left, Syeda, Jared, Alex and Frankie were excited to get outside and work with the soil to celebrate Earth Day.

Sanford H. Calhoun High School (9-12) 1786 State St., Merrick 11566 992-1300 Principal: Nicole Hollings John F. Kennedy High School (9-12) 3000 Bellmore Ave., Bellmore 11710 992-1400 Principal: Gerard Owenburg Wellington C. Mepham High School (9-12) 2401 Camp Ave. Bellmore 11710 992-1500 Principal: Eric Gomez Grand Avenue Middle School (7-8) 2301 Grand Ave. Bellmore 11710 992-1100 Principal: Carlo Conte

Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District Administration Office 992-1000

Merrick Avenue Middle School (7-8) 1870 Merrick Ave. Merrick 11566 992-1200 Principal: Taryn Johnson

Brookside School 1260 Meadowbrook Road Superintendent: John DeTommaso www.bmchsd.k12.ny.us

Adult Education 1260 Meadowbrook Road Brookside School, N. Merrick 992-1062 Contact: Cheryl Fontana

Meadowbrook Alternative Program 1260 Meadowbrook Road 992-1083 Principal: Susan Ellinghaus

Parochial Schools St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Regional School (N-8) 2341 Washington Ave. Bellmore 11710 785-5709 Principal: Leeann Graziose

Private Schools Merokee Day School 2655 Clubhouse Road 378-6333 Director: Tracey Ferguson Progressive School of Long Island (K-8) 1426 Whaleneck Ave., Merrick 11566 868-6835 Director: Eric Jacobson www.progressiveli.org South Shore Country Day School and Camp 1149 Newbridge Road North Bellmore 11710 785-3311 Director: Chris Vicedomini

The Bellmore-Merrick Cultural Arts Foundation Brookside School 1260 Meadowbrook Road 992-1044 Contact: Cheryl Fontana Long Island Infant Developmental Program 2174 Hewlett Ave. Merrick 11566, Suite 105 546-2333 Long Island Crisis Center (24 hours, seven days a week) 2740 Martin Ave. Bellmore 11710 Hotline - 679-1111 Business - 826-0244 Executive Director: Linda Leonard www.longislandcrisiscenter.org Nassau BOCES 71 Clinton Road Garden City, 11530 396-2500 District Superintendent: Dr. Robert Dillon www.nassauboces.org

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Living In Merrick

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Places of

WORSHIP

M

errick welcomes a broad spectrum of religious denominations and diverse religious backgrounds, with seven churches and five temples and synagogues.

From charitable acts such as food drives and coat drives to extracurricular religious education for Merrick’s youth, these institutions continuously bring residents together.

Andrew Garcia/Herald

Top Photo: In May, Merrick’s Jewish leaders gathered with local parishioners to voice support for Israel.

Scott Brinton/Herald Life

Rabbi Shimon Kramer, left, of the Chabad Center for Jewish Life, accompanied Chabad supporter Steve Horowitz as he said a blessing over the grand menorah in December.

Chabad Center for Jewish Life 833-3057 2174 Hewlett Ave., Suite 101 Rabbi Shimon Kramer Congregation Ohav Sholom Affiliated with the Orthodox Union 378-1988 145 South Merrick Ave. Rabbi Ira Ebbin Merrick Jewish Centre Congregation Ohr Torah (Conservative) 379-8650 225 Fox Blvd.

Rabbi Charles Klein Mar Thoma Church 208-3523 2350 Merrick Ave. The Rev. Sajit Thomas John

Curé of Ars Roman Catholic Church 623-1400 2323 Merrick Ave. Religious Education: 623-1400 Pastor: Monsignor Frank Caldwell Director: Lee Hlavacek Grace Reformed Baptist Church 379-2408 36 Smith St. Pastor Marc Grimaldi Community Presbyterian Church 378-7761 2101 William Place The Rev. Moira Ahearne

Merrick United Methodist Church 378-9222 1425 Merrick Ave. The Rev. Akio Iyoda Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church 379-1356 720 Merrick Ave. The Rev. Stephen Brigandi, Jr. St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church 379-1368 2421 Hewlett Ave. Pastor: The Rev. Nikiforos Fakinos Sunday School Director: Cynthia Golding

St. John’s Lutheran Church 379-3858 1 Van Roo Ave. The Rev. Perry J. Kirschbaum Temple Beth Am (Reform) 378-3477 2377 Merrick Ave. Rabbi Ronald Brown Temple Israel of South Merrick (Conservative) 378-1963 2655 Clubhouse Road Rabbi Scott Hoffman Young Israel of Merrick (Orthodox) 378-2573 107 South Hewlett Ave. Rabbi Dov Winston

The Reform Jewish Congregation Templeof Beth Am 2021 - 2022 Merrick Bellmore The Reformand Jewish Congregation

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Living In Merrick

of

Reform Jewish Congregation The Reform Jewish Congregation TheThe Reform Jewish Congregation

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Call now togroup enroll for Fall classes! offering: • Certiied Hebrew and Judaic Teachers • youth Active youth • High Holiday • Bar/Bat Mitzvah • Bar/Bat Mitzvahs • Active group • High Holiday • Active youth grouplessons • HighServices HolidayServices Services • Smart Boards, Wi-Fi enabled classrooms • Family Shabbat Services • Bar/Bat Mitzvah lessons • Bar/Bat Mitzvahs • Bar/Bat Mitzvah lessons Mitzvahs • Our Music, dance and art • Adult• Bar/Bat Education Bar/Bat Mitzvah lessons • are Bar/Bat aMitzvahs vibrant Reform Temple on • Music, Award-Winning Hebrew •• Active youth group • We High Holiday Services • dance Music, dance •Education Adult Education and artand art • Adult for children Fall Classes Membership Pledge inPledge Lieu • Voluntary •• Bar/Bat Mitzvah lessons • Bar/Bat Mitzvahs Cfor lasses forand children entering Fall2019: 2019: Music, dance art entering • Voluntary Membership in Lieu of Dues • Adult Education Classes children entering Fall 2019: • Voluntary Membership Pledge in Lieuof ofDues Dues the South Shore of Long Island School features: • Music, dance and art • Adult Education • Torah for Tots (ages 2 ½ 4) 2019: • Discounted Rates for Social Hall Rental • Torah for Tots (ages 2 ½ 4) • Discounted Rates for Social Hall Rental • Torah (ages 2 ½ - 4) • Discounted Rates for Social Hall Rental Classesfor forTots children entering Fall • Voluntary Membership Pledge in Lieu of Dues CCertiied lasses for children Fall • offering: Voluntary Pledge in Lieu of Dues • Grades K, 4, 1, 5, 2,and 3,entering 5, 6, 7Teachers • Friendly, Warm, Membership Friendly, Supportive Classes for children entering Fall2019: 2021: • Grades K, 1, 2, 3, 6, 74, • Hebrew Judaic • Warm, Supportive Clergy Clergy • Torah Torah for (ages ½ -6,4)- 74) a of • Discounted Rates forPrograms Social Hall Rental • Grades K,Tots 1,curriculum 2,provides 3, 4,2 25, • Warm, Friendly, Supportive "Our provides balance study •"Our for Tots (ages • Discounted Rates for Clergy Social Hall Rental curriculum a½ balance study of time andtime and • and Social and Religious for Singles, • Social Religious Programs for Singles, SeniorsSeniors ••• Smart Boards, Wi-Fi enabled classrooms •Warm, Family Shabbat Services activities to allow our children to learn “the 3 activities to4,allow our to learn “the 3 time and Families with pre-school and school-age Grades K,K,–1,1,Hebrew, 2,2,3, 5,5, 6,6, 7 7children • Warm, Supportive Clergy "Ourhands-on curriculum provides a balance of -study and and withFriendly, pre-school and school-age childrenchildren hands-on Grades 3, 4, •Families Friendly, Supportive • Social and Religious Programs forClergy Singles, Seniors H's” and Heritage."

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- Rabbi Michael hands-on activities to allow our children to learn "Our curriculum provides a balance of study time and“the 3 Baum, Rabbi/Director Education • Active group High Holiday "Ouryouth curriculum provides a balance of study timeof and • •Social and Religious Programs forfor Singles, Seniors Baum, Rabbi/Director of Education • Social andServices Religious Singles, Seniors and Families with pre-school andPrograms school-age children hands-on activities to allow our children to learn “the 3 H's” – Hebrew, Holidays andchildren Heritage. " - Rabbi Michael and Families with pre-school and school-age children hands-on activities to allow our to learn “the 3 and Families with pre-school and school-age Families children H's” – Hebrew, Holidays and Heritage." - Rabbi Michael • Bar/Bat Mitzvah lessons • Bar/Bat Mitzvahs Interfaith are Welcome!

Interfaith Families are Welcome!

Baum, Rabbi/Director of Education H's” – Hebrew, Holidays and Heritage. " - RabbiofMichael Baum, Rabbi/Director Education • Music, dance and Baum, art Rabbi/Director of Education • Adult Education FOR MORE 378-3477 FOR MORE INFO:INFO: (516)(516) 378-3477 Interfaith Families are Welcome!

Classes for children entering Fall 2019: • Voluntary Membership Pledge in MEMBERSHIP@TEMPLEBETHAMMERRICK.ORG Lieu of Dues MEMBERSHIP@TEMPLEBETHAMMERRICK.ORG FOR MORE INFO: (516) 378-3477 • Torah for Tots (ages 2 ½ - 4) • Discounted Rates for Social Hall Rental MEMBERSHIP@TEMPLEBETHAMMERRICK.ORG FORClergy MORE INFO: (516) 378-3477 • Grades K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 • Warm, Friendly, Supportive FOR MORE INFO: (516) 378-3477 MEMBERSHIP@TEMPLEBETHAMMERRICK.ORG "Our curriculum provides a balance of study time and • Social and Religious Programs forMEMBERSHIP@TEMPLEBETHAMMERRICK.ORG Singles, Seniors hands-on activities to allow our children to learn “the 3 and Families with pre-school and school-age children

Interfaith Families Interfaith Familiesare areWelcome!

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H's” – and Hebrew,Bellmore Holidays and Heritage." - Rabbi Michael Temple Am of Merrick Temple Beth Beth Am of Merrick and Bellmore Baum, Rabbi/Director of Education Merrick Avenue, Merrick, NY 11566 23772377 Merrick Avenue, Merrick, NY 11566 Temple Beth Am ofwww.templebethammerrick.org Merrick and Bellmore Tel: 516-378-3477  Tel: 516-378-3477  www.templebethammerrick.org 2377 Merrick Avenue, Merrick, NY 11566 Tel: 516-378-3477  www.templebethammerrick.org

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Living In Merrick

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Merrick Chamber of Commerce

FALL FESTIVAL

E

very year, the Merrick Chamber of Commerce celebrates the changing colors, crisp air and local flavors at its annual Fall Festival.

More than 400 street vendors fill Merrick Avenue at Sunrise Highway to entice residents and visitors in one of the largest street fairs on Long Island.

The festival has been held since 2000, opened under rain or shine, and annually attracts 10,000 to 20,000 attendees, offering everything from cotton candy to amusement park rides and live music. There are even pony rides and special exhibits from the local fire departments.

Each year, the Merrick Kiwanis Club sets up camp to raise money for local causes. Students from the Central High School District volunteer to help run booths for children, and local businesses market their wares and services.

Last year’s festival was canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic, but it’s scheduled to be back on this fall. The rides, crafts and fun will return Oct. 22 to 24. Booths are available to rent out to vendors.

Photos by Alyssa Seidman/Herald Life

Top photo: The Merrick Fall Festival is hosted annually by the Merrick Chamber of Commerce.

In 2019, many local children enjoyed a ride on the swings.

Bottom Photo: The Bakers, from left, Sarah, Nathan, Marc and Lana, put on a happy face after claiming a prize from one of the festival’s many carnival games in 2019.

2021 - 2022

Living In Merrick

Norman J. Levy

Park and Preserve T he Norman J. Levy Park and Preserve is a plant and wildlife sanctuary, welcoming guests to explore its lush greenery and expansive waterfront throughout the year.

The 52-acre facility features three miles of hiking and jogging trails and 18 exercise stations.

The windmill at the top circulates the water in two ponds that are home to a variety of wildlife.

One of the preserve’s quirkiest and most popular characteristics is the herd of Nigerian dwarf goats that provide an ecologically sensitive method of controlling weed and brush overgrowth.

The park also features a 500-foot fishing pier that extends into Merrick Bay, where many people boat and kayak. However, all ranger-guided kayak tours were suspended until further notice because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The preserve reopened to the public on May 19, 2020, after a temporary shutdown that began in mid-March that year because of the pandemic.

Today, the preserve continues to welcome visitors. Residents who are looking to venture to the preserve for some fresh air or exercise are encouraged to wear masks and practice social distancing.

The park will be open from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. through August; entrance gates close 30 minutes prior to closing time.

Residents can call (516) 804-2000 for more information. Pamphlets and tide tables are available in the brochure boxes and on the kiosk at the entrance to the park.

Alyssa Seidman/Herald

Top Photo: The preserve’s windmill can be seen in the background from the south side of one of the ponds at the top of the preserve.

Jordan Vallone/Herald

Middle Photo: Hikers climbed over a bridge on top of the preserve, known locally as Merrick Mountain, for the Long Island Progressive Coalition’s healing hike in July.

Scott Brinton/Herald

Bottom Photo: The preserve is a prime location for wildlife viewing. Right, a pair of mallard ducks rested in the pond atop the park’s central hill.

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Photos by Jordan Vallone/Herald

Members of John F. Kennedy High School’s Special Education Department extended their congratulations.

Sending off the superintendent in style

By Jordan Vallone n June 2, 2021, a crowd gathered outside of Brookside School on Meadowbrook Road for a car parade honoring the outgoing superintendent of the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, John DeTommaso, who retired at the end of the 2020-21 school year. The assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, Michael Harrington, assumed his role.

The parade, which began at Calhoun High School and headed north on Meadowbrook Road, included district trustees, administrators, educators and PTA members from the three high schools and two middle schools within the district, who came out in dozens of cars to extend their well wishes to the retiring superintendent. DeTommaso was also joined by his family.

Throughout and after the parade, attendees were entertained by a musical performance led by a group of administrators in the district.

The parade was followed by a Board of Education meeting, at which other retirees and the valedictorians and salutatorians from each high school were honored.

DeTommaso, who held his position for eight years, was visibly surprised and grateful.

“It’s been an incredible run here,” he said. “I want to thank everybody in this whole district and community.”

O

Left middle photo: DeTommaso walked out of Brookside School, surprised and smiling at the parade in his honor.

Left bottom photo: Cars entered the parade from Meadowbrook Road.

Right bottom photo: The band, comprised of Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District administrators, entertained guests throughout the event with classic songs such as “American Girl” and “Footloose.”

2021 - 2022

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Living In Merrick

Clubs & Organizations Circle of Hope (Illness support group) 833-3057, ext. 104 2174 Hewlett Ave., Suite 101 Community Parent Center 771-9346 1260 Meadowbrook Road, Brookside School, Room 31 Director: Wendy Tepfer Barry and Florence Friedberg JCC 379-9386 225 Fox Blvd.

Contact: Macy Hellerman Pnina Chapter/Dayan Lilah Group of Hadassah Nassau 766-2725 Presidents: Michele Friend, Susan Schlossberg and Rebecca Tepper Historical Society of the Merricks 868-9833 lg_2000@yahoo.com President: Lawrence Garfinkel Friends of the Merrick Library 377-6112, ext. 131 2279 Merrick Ave. President: Maureen Garvey Merrick Brotherhood Council 868-9833 President: Lawrence Garfinkel Merrick Chamber of Commerce 771-1171 P.O Box 53 President: Femy Aziz Merrick Chorale 378-2285 1872 Old Mill Road President: Frances Guercio Merrick Kiwanis Club P.O. Box 108 www.merrickkiwanis.com facebook.com/KiwanisClubofMerrick Merrick Lions Club 1-888-655-7999 President: Michelle Gagnon Merrick-Bellmore-Oceanside Auxiliary of United Cerebral Palsy 378-2000 www.ucpn.org Merrick Symphony Chamber Orchestra 623-6118 P.O. Box 125 South Shore Audubon Society 764-3596 P.O. Box 31 Freeport 11520 President: Brian Weiner

Civic Central Merrick Homeowners Assocation 458-2050

Andrew Garcia/Herald

Cub Scout Troop 206 Leaders Jen Casano and Mike Kearney stood with Boy Scouts, from left, Max Martins, Dezmond Pless, Adam Schachter, James Casano, Matthew Kearney, Jason Bowman, Quinn Bubloski, Colton Hyland, Tristan Mansourati, Connor Ryan and Alex Sivin after each crossed the bridge to being Boy Scouts.

P.O. Box 44 President: Michele Walsh

President: Gary Ouelette www.bellmoremerrickbraves.com

Merrick Estates Civic Association 867-9605 2935 Shore Drive President: Scott Kohen

Catholic Youth Organization Curé of Ars CYO 623-1400 2323 Merrick Ave. Contact: cureofarscyo@yahoo.com

Merrick Gables Homeowners Association 623-8924 P.O. Box 677 President: Derek Donnelly Merrick Park Homeowners Association 379-3232 P.O. Box 178 President: Barry Fox North and Central Merrick Community Association 97206988 ncmcivic@gmail.com Presidents: Sue Moller and Lou Ciccone Old Lindenmere Civic Association 546-5632 P.O. Box 298 President: Joe Kralovich South Merrick Civic Association 978-8310 P.O. Box 381 President: Joe Baker southmerrickcivic.org

Youth

Bellmore-Merrick Youth Association 361-0604

Sacred Heart CYO 379-1356 720 Merrick Ave. Contact: susancarroll925@aol.com Boy Scouts of Nassau County Theodore Roosevelt Council 797-7600 544 Broadway, Massapequa 11758 Scout Executive: Christopher Coscia www.trcbsa.org Girl Scouts of Nassau County 741-2550 110 Ring Road West, Garden City 11530 Contact: customercare@gsnc.org North Bellmore-North Merrick Little League 476-2185 President: Craig Kute Merrick-Bellmore Little League P.O. Box 435 info@MerrickBellmoreLittleLeague.org President: Nick Ippoliti www.merrickbellmorelittleleague.com

Fraternal Organizations Knights of Columbus Council No. 3689 785-9407 101 Frederick Ave., Bellmore Grand Knight: Brian K. Knights of Columbus Council No. 6561 679-5639 North Merrick Grand Knight: Ed Ronan Sons of Italy in America Giovanni Caboto Lodge No. 2372 375-4516 2301 Penatiquit Ave., Seaford11783 President: Janet Galvin Jewish War Veterans Post No. 652 2080 Kenneth Road 868-1393 Ensign: Laurence Solowey Commander: Gary Glick American Legion Post No. 1282 521-6989 160 W. Merrick Road Commander: Robert Dishman Veterans of Foreign Wars Merrick-Freeport Post No. 1310 1 Harvard Ave. 546-6976 Commander: Paul Zydor

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Living In Merrick

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a look into the

PAST

The South Shore community of Merrick that the Brooklyn Eagle said in 1902 lay "under a grand foliage of big-girthed trees, between glimmering lakes and over rustic bridges spanning picturesque streams,” got its start in 1643, when British colonists swindled local Native American tribes out of tens of thousands of acres of land.

The tribe — which was known as Merric, Meroke and Merikoke — provided the name for the community.

Since then, Merrick has carved out an identity for itself, with rail travel, churches of many denominations and schoolhouses lighting up the community with life in the late 1800s, and then exploding the population after World War II. Merrick boasts a number of cultural and historical notables, including “The Godfather” author Mario Puzo, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, who co-founded Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, actress Lindsay Lohan and Nobel Prize-winning economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman.

Courtesy Merrick Library

Charles Fox, president of the South Side Rail Road, had this house built in 1866 at the corner of Merrick Road and Merrick Avenue.

Courtesy Merrick Library

The Merrick LIRR train station in the 1920s.

2021 - 2022

A

Andrew Garcia/Herald

Members of the Merrick Fire Department gathered in July to dedicate their new Seagrave trucks.

T

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Living In Merrick

FIRE Department

he Merricks have a long and storied history of fire service. Merrick and North Merrick are each served by their own all-volunteer fire departments, with the chiefs and assistant chiefs elected by department members.The Merrick Fire Department is responsible for protection of homes and businesses south of Camp Avenue, while the North Merrick Fire Department is responsible keeping watch over all properties north of the thoroughfare. There is also an independent EMS squad covering all of the Merricks and Bellmores.

Bellmore-Merrick Emergency Medical Services 785-7700 2434 Grand Ave., Bellmore Chief: Matthew Lubliner Asst. Chief: Nicholas Lilli

Merrick F.D. Hook & Ladder Company No. 1 867-4459 1893 Oakwood Ave. Friendship Engine & Hose Company 378-9599 2075 Meadowbrook Road Empire Hose Company No. 3 Inc. 378-3633 2300 Merrick Ave. Chief Patrick Gavigan, Asst. Chiefs Ronnie Gies and Thomas Basso

North Merrick Fire Department

POLICE Department

s of 2017, the Nassau County police 1st Precinct has been housed in a 20,000-square-foot, state of the art facility on Police Merrick Road in Baldwin, Emergency 911 which includes a line-up room, several private 1st Precinct interview rooms, a locker 573-6100 room and break room.

Covers north of the The building is designed Sunrise Highway. to make sure that crime suspects cannot interact 7th Precinct with members of the 573-6700 public inside the precinct Covers south of the without authorization.

Sunrise Highway.

A plaque at the entrance states that the Bellmore-Merrick building is dedicated Emergency Medical to “the brave men Services and women of the Non-emergency: Nassau County Police Department, past, 785-7700 present and future.”

Emergency: 742-3300 The 1st Precinct Chief Matthew Lubliner, encompasses Baldwin, Asst. Chiefs South Hempstead, Nicholas Lilli and Uniondale, Roosevelt, East Meadow, North Scott Resnik Merrick, North Bellmore, 2434 Grand Ave., Merrick, Bellmore, and Bellmore 11710 parts of North Wantagh and Wantagh.

The 7th Precinct, on Merrick Road in Seaford, also serves parts of Merrick, as well as Bellmore, Wantagh, North Wantagh, Seaford, Massapequa, North Massapequa, Massapequa Park and East Massapequa.

Important Phone Numbers

NMFD Headquarters 223-4102 2095 Camp Ave., North Merrick Chief Christopher Fasano, Asst. Chiefs Ronald Higgins and Daniel Fasano Emergency Merrick: 221-7055 North Merrick: 221-1500 Non-emergency Merrick: 221-7055 North Merrick: 223-4102

Andrew Garcia/Herald Life

Flag bearers from the Merrick Fire Department held the nation’s colors high during the community’s Sept.

11 ceremony in 2019.

Herald file photo

Patrick Ryder was sworn in as commissioner of the Nassau County Police Department in February 2017. He has worked on a number of new department initiatives, including a new multi-pronged opioid battle plan, as well as a new social media platform and the Commissioner’s Community Council, a police task force that will establish a subdivision in each of the 19 legislative districts.

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Living In Merrick

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Mount Sinai South Nassau continues to serve community, breaks new ground

By Mike Smollins When faced with an “unprecedented” situation in April 2020 as coronavirus numbers reached their peak, 383, the staff at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital rose to the occasion and banded together to get through the difficult time. Now, staff is gearing up to continue the fight against the Delta variant.

While many lives were lost to the coronavirus, the hospital celebrated the release of hundreds of Covid-19 positive patients who were released with a clean bill of health. At a time when front-line workers were stretched thin, the Oceanside community and many others came together to show their support, donating food to the hospital’s staff daily throughout the pandemic.

With Covid-19 cases back on the rise and new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance announced on July 27, local hospitals are in full preparation mode. Dr. Adhi Sharma, chief medical officer at MSSN, recently discussed how people can protect themselves and their loved ones from the variant.

Sharma said that Mount Sinai has seen an increase over the last week in their Covid patient census. Where the hospital saw one to two cases a day in June, they saw eight between July 29 and 30.

Those new cases among patients have universally been seen in unvaccinated individuals.

“The challenge with Delta is that it is extremely transmissible,” Sharma said. “Even vaccinated individuals are getting Delta and we are seeing that in our staff.” Sharma added that most of the cases the hospital has seen has come from travel.

“We came out of the box, and we may have to go back in the box for a little bit,” he said. “That’s going to be challenging and I think we are going to see a lot of Covid cases as a result of that.”

Before, during and after the surge of the pandemic, MSSN was committed to delivering standardsetting, patient-centered health care. It is one of the region’s largest hospitals, with 455 beds, more than 900 physicians and 3,000 employees.

The hospital is an acute-care, not-for-profit teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art care in cardiac, cancer, orthopedic, bariatric, pain management, mental health and emergency services. It is a designated Stroke Center, boasts Long Island’s first and only Gamma Knife® and Novalis Tx™ radiosurgery technologies for superior cancer care,

expert orthopedic services, and emergency and elective angioplasty. MSSN has been designated as an Accredited Bariatric Surgery Center by MBSAQIP and is also a recipient of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s “Get With The Guidelines®”-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite.

MSSN’s beautiful North Addition houses two 36bed medical surgical units, a 36-bed inpatient behavioral health unit and comprehensive maternity services center with 26 private postpartum rooms, spacious labor and delivery rooms and a neonatal intensive care unit.

The hospital’s Emergency Services department is one of the largest and most advanced on Nassau County’s South Shore. Designated a regional stroke center and Level II Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons, the department houses 35 treatment rooms and specialty care, including a high-speed CT-scan and x-ray facility, pediatric emergency room and psychiatric emergency room.

MSSN is the only hospital on Nassau’s South Shore permitted to perform angioplasty in an emergency or an elective basis. In the event you or a loved one need angioplasty, it can be performed on the spot at the hospital’s Center for Cardiovascular Health, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

And services are expanding, as on June 22, MSSN celebrated the groundbreaking for its J-Wing on its Oceanside campus. The wing will serve as the cornerstone of hospital’s $400 million capital expansion to increase health-care services. Projected to open in 2023, the $130 million J-Wing will stand at four stories and 100,000 square feet.

The chairman of Mount Sinai’s board of directors, Joe Fennessy, said the board re-evaluated old plans for the facility, updating the infrastructure to match the evolving trends in health care. “We began to reimagine what this hospital should be, and we realized to best serve the needs of our community, we had to be something different,” he said.

For more information about MSSN and its services, call (877) 768-8462 or (516) 632-3000, or go to www.southnassau.org. We encourage you to “like” them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Christina Daly/Herald

Board members and local officials broke ground on the future home of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s J-Wing on June 22.

2021 - 2022 Cohen Children’s Hospital 269-01 76th Ave. New Hyde Park 11040 470-3000

25

Living In Merrick American Lung Association 700 Veterans Memorial Highway Hauppauge 11788 (631) 265-3848 www.alany.org

MEDICAL

Mercy Medical Center 1000 N. Village Ave. Rockville Centre 11571 705-2525 Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 1101 Hempstead Turnpike Uniondale 11553 559-1000 Nassau University Medical Center 2201 Hempstead Turnpike East Meadow 11554 572-0123 North Shore University Hospital 300 Community Drive Manhasset 11030 562-0100 Northwell Health Long Island Jewish Valley Stream 900 Franklin Ave. Valley Stream 11580 256-6000 Northwell Health Long Island Jewish Medical Center 270-05 76th Ave. New Hyde Park 11040 (718) 470-7000 Northwell Health St. Joseph’s Hospital 4295 Hempstead Turnpike Bethpage 11714 579-6000 St. Francis Hospital 100 Port Washington Blvd.

Roslyn 11576 562-6000 St. John’s Episcopal Hospital 327 Beach 19th St. Far Rockaway 11691 (718) 869-7000 South Nassau Communities Hospital One Healthy Way Oceanside 11572 632-3000 South Nassau Urgent Care Center at Long Beach 325 E. Bay Drive Long Beach 11561 870-1010

SErvICES Winthrop University Hospital 259 First St., Mineola 11501 663-0333

Drugs, Alcohol Dependencies

Northwell Health Project Outreach 600 Hempstead Turnpike, Suite 250 West Hempstead 11552 481-2890

South Nassau Communities Hospital Mental Health Counseling Center 2277 Grand Ave Baldwin, 11510 377-5000

For the Disabled

South Shore Child Guidance Center 91 Guy Lombardo Ave. Freeport 11520 378-2992 (Outpatient services for children 18 and under)

Alcoholics Anonymous 292-3045 Hotline: 292-3040 www.nassauny-aa.org

ANCHOR (Answering the Needs of Citizens with Handicaps through Organized Recreation) 431-6946

Al-Anon and Alateen (For families and friends of alcoholics) 433-8003

Helen Keller Services for the Blind (718) 522-2122

Families Anonymous (800) 736-9805 Gam-Anon Hotline Gamblers Anonymous (877) 442-4248 LINK Center for Drug Info Inc. 185 Merrick Road, Suite 2D Lynbrook 11563 887-4848 L.I. Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence 1025 Old Country Road Mineola 11501 747-2606 Mineola Community Treatment Center 366 Jericho Turnpike Mineola 11501 742-4015 Narcotics Anonymous 827-9500 Nassau County Alliance for Addiction Services Hotline: 679-1111 Admin: 897-1330

Office for the Physically Challenged 60 Charles Lindbergh Blvd.

Uniondale 11553 227-7399

Mental Health Family and Children’s Association 100 E. Old Country Road Mineola 11501 746-0350 Long Island Crisis Center 2740 Martin Ave., Suite 2 Bellmore 11710 826-0244 Hotline: 679-1111 (24-hour crisis hotline and suicide prevention services) Mental Health Association of Nassau County 16 Main St., Hempstead 11550 489-2322 Nassau County Department of Mental Health 60 Charles Lindbergh Blvd.

Suite 200, Uniondale 11553 227-7057

Special Services AHRC Nassau 189 Wheatley Road Glen Head 11545 626-1000 HIV, AIDS, STD Hotline 800-462-6785 American Cancer Society (800) 227-2345 American Diabetes Association 534 Broadhollow Rd., Suite 10 Melville 11747 (631) 348-0422 www.diabetes.org American Heart Association 125 E. Bethpage Rd., Suite 100 Plainview 11803 777-8447

Arthritis Foundation 150 Broadhollow Rd., Suite 222 Melville 11747 (631) 427-8272 www.arthritis.org Birthright International (Anti-abortion counseling) 1859 Wantagh Ave. Wantagh 11793 785-4070 Hotline: 1-800-550-4900 Breast Cancer Hotline (800) 877-8077 Breast Cancer Action Coalition 1 in 9: Hewlett House 86 East Rockaway Road Hewlett 11557 374-3190 (Programs for breast cancer patients and survivors) Planned Parenthood 540 Fulton Ave. Hempstead 11550 750-2500 The Safe Center LI Against Domestic Violence 542-0404 - www.cadvnc.org

Urgent Care City MD (212) 772-3627 citymd.com Locations in: Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, Merrick, East Meadow and more

Radiology Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology 992-6437 (631) 992-6437 Locations in Lynbrook, Elmont, Merrick and more

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Living In Merrick

The Senior Life in...

T

Merrick

he Merrick Senior Center sits in the heart of Merrick Road Park. The athletic center provides an opportunity for seniors to exercise and engage in friendly competition. The Senior Center is known for its wide range of activities, including the popular Creative Writing Program.

It also offers vital services like blood pressure screenings, health programs and income tax assistance.

The Town of Hempstead declared a state of emergency in response to Covid-19 last year, leading to the closing of all town senior centers.

The Merrick Senior Center is back up and running, however, offering its usual array of activities and programs for the hamlet’s elderly residents.

Senior Adult Programs Barry and Florence Friedberg JCC 766-4341 15 Neil Court, Oceanside 11572 www.friedbergjcc.org Jewel Quinn Senior Center at Brookside School 571-8675 1260 Meadowbrook Road Director: Jeanne Ruvolo Nassau County Senior Citizens 227-8900 60 Charles Lindbergh Blvd., Suite 260 Uniondale 11533 Commissioner: Carolyn McCummings

Merrick Senior Center 868-4777 2550 Clubhouse Road Director: April Kodila Bellmore Senior Center 221-9696 2000 Bellmore Ave. Director: Donna Abriola Over 50 Club of Sacred Heart 378-1335 2200 Cameron Ave. President: Mary DeSantis

Lauren LaMagna/Herald Life

Participants of the Creative Writing Workshop at the Merrick Senior Center shared their writing at a showcase in 2019.

2021 - 2022

Living In Merrick

27

Mepham is home to Long Island champs

By TONY BELLISSIMO A three-pronged pitching attack, deep lineup and a defense that never stopped improving carried Mepham’s softball program to its highest height in the spring of 2021 The Pirates, who won their first-ever Nassau County title two years ago and were locked and loaded for 2020 before the pandemic hit, became Long Island champions for the first time after defeating Miller Place, 1-0, at Moriches Athletic Complex in the Class A matchup.

Senior Dominique DeLutri blasted a homer over the fence in center in the top of the sixth inning for the game’s only run. Her younger sister, freshman Giselle DeLutri, pitched the final four innings and allowed no hits after junior starter Gia Miccio gave up just one single in three innings of work.

“I knew it was gone immediately off the bat,” Dominique DeLutri said of her first-pitch long ball.

“Rounding third base and seeing all my teammates waiting at home plate was an amazing feeling.

Then Giselle closed it out. I’m so proud of her.”

Giselle struck out seven of the 13 batters she faced, including two in the bottom of the fifth when the Panthers had a runner on third base with only one out.

“Incredible,” junior Alanna Morse said. “I thought we had some good hits throughout the game, but sometimes it’s that one big moment that puts us over the top. It can be any one of us at any time, and today it was Dominique.”

With no state championships this year, Mepham finished the campaign with a record of 17-4.

Seeded No. 2 in the Nassau Class A tournament, the Pirates swept fourth-seeded MacArthur in the best-of-three finals last week to repeat as county champs.

“We had seven seniors who didn’t get to play last year and only brought back one returning award winner from 2019,” coach Brenda Dolan said. “It was a unique regular season and getting to play Class AA teams like Massapequa, East Meadow and Oceanside was a plus. Our chemistry got so much better as the season moved along.”

Having outrageous pitching depth and an offensive/defensive anchor like Morse gave Mepham some dimensions no opponent could match. Senior Kayleigh Roth, Miccio and freshman Giselle DeLutri saw equal amounts of work in the pitching circle, and sometimes all three appeared in the same game.

“I’m a fortunate coach to work with the pitching depth we’ve had the past two seasons,” Dolan said. “Kayleigh, Gia and Giselle, and also [junior] Kerri Hatcliffe, all had outstanding games this year. Occasionally we’d roll with someone for a full game, but usually we’re mixing in a few. We knew today would be at least two and maybe all three.”

Photos by Brian Ballweg/Herald

Above photo: Mepham repeated as Nassau County Class A softball champions and went on to defeat Miller Place last Saturday for its firstever Long Island title.

Brop in photo: Junior Gianna LaSpina homered twice on June 15 to lead the Pirates to a 14-2 win over MacArthur to complete a sweep of the Nassau Class A championship series.

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Email: agarcia@liherald.com

In many ways, putting out a newspaper each week is an interactive process. We need your participation to do our job, so we offer you — our readers and partners — a reminder of how and when to reach us.

Tell us what’s going on in your community, or news of upcoming events sponsored by civic, service, religious or community organizations. The deadline is 10 a.m. the Friday prior to publication.

Notices are printed free of charge, but must be typed.

We also welcome the news of your family life, your business life and your social life. We accept, at no charge, obituaries and Neighbors in the News items, including awards, honors, births, graduations, marriages and promotions.

We value your opinions, and provide a forum for them in our popular Letters to the Editor space. Letters are accepted until 5 p.m. the Friday prior to publication.

The Herald also offers tours of its Garden City headquarters and printing plant for schools, scouts and other community groups. To schedule a tour, contact Michael Romero at (516) 569-4000 ext. 235 or email mromero@liherald.com.

Mail: Merrick Herald Life, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530 Website: www.liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 Editor: Andrew Garcia (agarcia@liherald.com) (516) 569-4000 ext. 354 Advertising Account Executive:

Robert Cummings (rcummings@liherald.com) (516) 569-4000 ext. 247 Subscriptions: (516) 569-4000, press "7," or online at www.liherald.com/ subscribe.

Scott Brinton/Herald

A Merrick Fire Department firefighter prepared to battle a blaze on Clubhouse Road in October 2020.

2021 - 2022

Living In Merrick

ELECTED OFFICIALS

29

Town Officials

Donald X. Clavin Jr. Town of Hempstead Supervisor

Kate Murray

Christopher Carini

Town Clerk

Dennis Dunne

Councilman 5th District

Councilman 6th District

COUNTY

FEDERAL

United States Senator

Charles E. Schumer (D) Nassau County Executive

Nassau County Acting District Attorney

1550 Franklin Ave. Mineola, N.Y. 11501 (516) 571-3131

262 Old Country Road, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 (516) 571-3800

Laura Curran (D)

Nassau County Comptroller

Joyce Smith (D)

Jack Schnirman (D) 240 Old Country Road Mineola, NY 11501 (516) 571-2386 NCComptroller@ NassauCountyNY.gov

757 3rd Ave., Suite 1702 New York, N.Y. 10017 (212) 486-4430 United States Senate 313 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-6542

United States Senator

Nassau County Clerk

Maureen O’Connell (R) 240 Old Country Road Mineola, N.Y. 11501 (516) 571-2664

Nassau County Legislator District 13

Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D)

Thomas McKevitt (R) 1550 Franklin Ave. Mineola, N.Y. 11501 (516) 571-6213

Nassau County Legislator District 19

Steve Rhoads (R) 1550 Franklin Ave. Mineola, N.Y. 11501 (516) 571-6219

780 3rd Ave., Suite 2601 New York, N.Y. 10017 (212) 688-6262 United States Senate 478 Russell Building Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-4451

STATE

Governor

Kathy Hochul (D)

NYS State Capitol Building

Albany, N.Y. 12224 (518) 474-8390

State Attorney General

Letitia James (D)

200 Old Country Road, Suite 240 Mineola, N.Y. 11501 (516) 248-3300 NYS State Capitol Building Albany, N.Y. 12224 (518) 776-2000

State Comptroller

Thomas P. DiNapoli (D) 110 State St., Albany, N.Y. 12236 (518) 474-4044

State Assemblyman 14th District

David G. McDonough (R) 404 Bedford Ave., Bellmore, N.Y. 11710 (516) 409-2070 Legislative Office Building 443, Albany, N.Y. 12248 (518) 455-4633

State Senator 8th District

John Brooks (D)

5550 Merrick Road, Massapequa, N.Y. 11758 (516) 882-0630 Legislative Office Building 806, Albany, N.Y. 12247 (518) 455-2765

United States Representative Fourth District

Kathleen Rice (D)

200 Garden City Plaza, Suite 200 Garden City, N.Y. 11530 (516) 739-3008 1508 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225-5516

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Living In Merrick

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Staying connected to your

Town & County Nassau County

Nassau County is governed by an elected Legislature, which is comprised of members from 19 districts. It includes an independent budget director who advises the Legislature on spending and revenue matters. Residents may submit petitions for proposed laws that legislators must consider. Legislators serve two-year terms.

The county executive — currently Democrat Laura Curran — serves a four-year term and is the chief administrator. Nassau also has an elected comptroller, currently Jack Schnirman; district attorney, Madeline Singas; and a county clerk, Maureen O’Connell.

Nassau County

Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building 1550 Franklin Ave. Mineola, N.Y. 11501 571-6000 www.nassaucountyny.gov

Numbers to know Assessor’s Office ............571-1500 Assessment Review .......571-3214 Board of Elections ..........571-2411 Bus Information .............542-0100 Civil Service Commission 572-1882 Community College .......572-7500 Consumer Affairs ...........571-2600 Coordinating Agency for Spanish Americans (CASA) .........572-0750 County Attorney .............571-3056 County Clerk ..................571-2664 County Comptroller .......571-2386 County Executive ...........571-3131 County Legislature .........571-6200 Department of Drug and Alcohol Addiction .......................227-7007 District Attorney .............571-3800 Economic Development .572-1945 Film Commission ...........571-3168 Fire Commission ............573-9900 Health Department ........227-9697 Housing .........................571-0360 Human Resources ..........571-4246 Human Rights Commission ...................571-3662 Investigations .................571-3072 Leg. Budget Review Office .................571-6296 Management and

Budget Office .................571-3122 Medical Center ..............572-0123 Medical Examiner ..........572-6400 Mental Health ................227-7057 Minority Affairs ..............572-1933 Parks, Recreation, Museums .......................572-0200 Planning Commission ....571-9600 Physically Challenged.....227-7399 Probation Department ...571-5700 Public Works ..................571-9600 Purchasing Office ...........571-4200 Recreation ......................571-3090 Section 8 and Homeless 571-0360 Senior Citizen Affairs ......227-8900 Sheriff’s Department ......571-2113 Social Services Department....................227-8519 Traffic and Parking Violations .......................572-2700 Traffic Safety Board ........571-5032 Treasurer’s Office............571-2090 Veterans Services ...........572-6560 Volunteer Services ..........571-4481 Youth Board ...................227-7134

Town of Hempstead

The Town of Hempstead, founded in 1644, is the largest township in the United States, encompassing 142 square miles with a population of roughly 760,000 people. Within the town, there are 34 unincorporated areas and 22 incorporated villages, more than 65 parks and marinas, and 2,500 miles of roads.

Hempstead is overseen by a town supervisor — currently Republican Don Clavin — and a six-member Town Council. The six council members are elected from one of six districts. The supervisor has a twoyear term, and the council members have four-year terms of office.

The supervisor is the chief executive officer of town government, presiding over all town board meetings and directing the legislative and administrative functions of that body. The supervisor also oversees the day-to-day operations of a municipal government of 24 major departments. As the town’s chief financial officer, the supervisor is responsible for the creation and the implementation of a town budget.

Council members are responsible for adopting the annual budget, amending the town code and the building zone ordinances, adopting all traffic regulations, and hearing applications for changes of zone and special exceptions to zoning codes.

Town Hall One Washington St. Hempstead 11550 489-5000 www.townofhempstead.org Numbers to know Supervisor Don Clavin ....................812-3260 Tom Muscarella .............812-3179 Dennis Dunne ................812-3180 Receiver of Taxes, Jeanine Driscoll ..

538-1500 Town Clerk Kate Murray ........489-5000 x3046 Town Attorney ...............489-5000 Animal Shelter ...............785-5220 3320 Beltagh Ave., Wantagh 11793 Civil Service Commission 489-5000 Comptroller ....................812-3359 Conservation and Waterways .....................431-9200 Highway Department .....812-3471 Housing Authority ..........485-9666 Occupational Resources .485-5000

Parks and Recreation .....292-9000 Planning and Economic Development .................538-7100 Public Safety ..................538-1900 Sanitation.......................378-4210 Special pick-up ...............378-4210 Program Info and Sanitation Inspectors.......................378-4210 Senior Enrichment ..........485-8100 Water department .........794-8300 24-hour emergency line ...............794-8181 Zoning Board of Appeals ......................489-5000

2021 - 2022

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Living In Merrick

Merrick

chaMber Of cOMMerce

All addresses are in Merrick N.Y. 11566 except where otherwise noted Darcy Chiropractic, PC Walter Darcy 1819 Merrick Avenue (516) 379-3052

$2.49 Pressed Cleaners Merrick Jeff Curtis 2208 Sunrise Highway (516) 415-7571 jeffreycurtis@yahoo.com

darcychiropractic@gmail.com

1 of A Kind Live Edge Slabs Isabel Munoz Doerbecker 4140 Austin Blvd Island Park, NY 11558 (516) 234-5489

Dime Community Bank Diane Duel 1775 Merrick Avenue 718-782-6200; X-5957 dduel@dime.com

Info@1ofakindliveedgeslabs.com

6 Elements Sushi Tommy 2016 Merrick Road (516) 223-9200

6elementssushi@gmail.com

7-Eleven Pervez Mir 1800 Merrick Avenue (516) 378-6986 pervez9@msn.com

7-Eleven Michael Park 1555 Jerusalem Avenue (516) 292-1564

michaelpark0105@hotmail.com

AB Martial Arts Andrew Ball 2223 Jerusalem Ave North Merrick, NY 11566 (516) 804-5866

The Barking Biscuit Ribbon Cutting

Andrew S. Nachamie, PC 7 Smith Street (516) 678-7110 andrew@nachamie.com

Ann Parry Photography Inc. 1542 Park Ave (516) 732-9454 ann.parry@gmail.com

As You Wish Parties Brooke Lodge 59 Merrick Avenue (516) 590-7878 info@asyouwishparties.org

Able Health Care Steven Shapiro 1240 Broadcast Plaza (516) 394-3217

Bagel Boss John Mascaro 2101 Merrick Road (516) 442-3006 Bagel Plaza Sam Asatur 1704 Merrick Road (516) 378-3455

Accupuncture Wellness Emma Zhang 141 Merrick Avenue (516) 208-5555

Bagelman/Deliman Nonna Gushchina 84 Merrick Avenue (516) 223-7031

Ace's Wine & Spirits Joe Pascual 1811 Merrick Avenue (516) 379-3090

Bags N Things Shari Greenberg 2746 Judith Drive Bellmore, NY 11710 (516) 509-5068

dyingxpretty@gmail.com

stevens@ablehealthcare.com

su.acupuncture.wellness@gmail.com

aces.wine@gmail.com

Advance Irrigation Michael Pallotta 14A Oakwood Avenue (516) 868-0822

michael@advanceirrigation.com

Alexander Madison Realty Jonathan Matute 48 Merrick Avenue (516) 307-0800

info@alexandermadisonhomes.com

Allstate - Ricardo Mercado Agency 1393 Jerusalem Avenue (516) 385-5900 rmercado@allstate.com

Anchor Down Seafood Bar & Grill Stephen Rosenbluth 1960 Bayberry Avenue (516) 544-4334 srosenbluth123@gmail.com

info@bagelplaza.com

bgushchin@gmail.com

shari.l.greenberg@aol.com

BiCounty Electric Laurette Rezny 2279 Jerusalem Ave North Bellmore, NY 11710 (516) 221-2225 bicountyeci@gmail.com

Boost Your Beauty Medispa Mena Howe-Abitino 2159 Merrick Road (516) 868-3450

Cancos Tile & Stone Alon Benvenisti 55 Sunrise Highway (516) 868-5900 abenvenisti@cancos.com

Carefree Racquet Club Kathy Miller 1414 Jerusalem Avenue (516) 489-9005 carefreetennis@gmail.com

Cathy's Touch Gilda (Jill) Aparicio 67 Merrick Avenue (516) 377-1127 cathystouch@aol.com

Chabad Center for Jewish Life Rabbi Shimon Kramer 2174 Hewlett Avenue (516) 833-3057

programs@chabadjewishlife.org

Champions Martial Arts Sungwon Kang 391 Merrick Avenue (516) 223-5425 masterkang@gmail.com

Cipriano Landscaping & Nursery John Nunnencamp 1660 Front Street East Meadow, NY 11554 (516) 542-0499 ciprianonursery@optonline.net

CityMD Tina Thomas 1989 Merrick Road Merrick, New York 11566 (516) 584-4448 merrick@citymd.net

Classic Shave Barber Shop Jake Mirzakandov 2035A Merrick Road (516) 992-2394

classicshavebarber@gmail.com

Bourbon & Brews John Amaruso 361 Merrick Avenue (516) 544-4797

ClimbNvibe Anthony Riccardi 2477 Merrick Road Bellmore, NY 11710 (516) 804-5878

C & J's Canine Salon Carissa Kohler 2222 Jerusalem Avenue (516) 415-7711

CMC Design Architect, PC Gary Lenhart One Broadcast Plaza (516) 378-9000

boostyourbeautymedispa@gmail.com

johnamaruso@gmail.com

carissa.joanne@gmail.com

info@climbnvibe.com

gary.lenhart@cmcdesignarchitect.com

Lori Berger/Herald

Cobra Consulting Group, LLC Dave Denenberg 2340 McCord Avenue (516) 330-9930

Douglas Elliman Barbara Schultis 2300 Merrick Road (516) 623-4500 bschultis@elliman.com

davidden@optonline.net

Douglas Elliman Margaret Biegelman 2300 Merrick Road (516) 510-9290

Coldwell Banker American Homes Arlene Gregory 55 Merrick Avenue (516) 302-8500

margaretbie@aol.com

Douglas Elliman Seth Pitlake 2300 Merrick Road (516) 521-7976

Colony Cards John DeCristoforo 1984 Merrick Road (516) 377-3735

Dr. Howard Goodman 50 Merrick Avenue (917) 669-1727

agregory@cbamhomes.com

colonycardsandgifts@gmail.com

Companions Animal Hospital Irene Jiminez 1798 Merrick Road (516) 431-1133

companionsahny@gmail.com

Cross Fit Strong Island Richard Rubin 26 Benson Lane (516) 868-7767 info@crossfitstrongisland.com

CSM Engineering Carolyn Shah Moehringer 626 RXR Plaza Uniondale, NY 11550 (516) 378-4887 info@csmengineering.com

Cultural Arts Playhouse Merrick Bruce Grossman 1750a Merrick Avenue (516) 694 - 3330 merrickcap@gmail.com

Cure of Ars Bil Geasor 2323 Merrick Avenue (516) 623-1400

wgeasor@cureofarschurch.org

D & P Auto Sales, Inc. Phil Assabi 18 E. Sunrise Highway (516) 781-5641 terry@dandpauto.com

Daniel Gale Sotherby's International Realty Robyn Goldowski 36 S. Park Ave Rockville Centre, NY 11570 (516) 659-1997 robyngoldowski@danielgale.com

seth.pitlake@elliman.com

drgoodman27@gmail.com

Dr. Lori Landrio 2126 Merrick Mall (516) 546-4800

lml2020@optonline.net

Dr. Scott Schonfeld 31 Merrick Avenue (516) 705-8020 scottschonfeld@aol.com

Dr. Yolanda Stahl, DPM 1457 Merrick Avenue (516) 279-0815 yolanda_stahl@yahoo.com

Elite Family Dental Care John G. Stanescu 1835 Cynthia Lane (516) 608-0001 elitefamilydentalcare@gmail.com

Esquire Tuxedos Michael Zisman 2156 Merrick Road (516) 378-6060

michael@esquiretuxedos.com

Expedia Cruises Joyce Mariner 29A Merrick Avenue (516) 900-5483

merrick@expediacruises.com

First National Bank of Long Island Joe Nappi 1810 Merrick Avenue (516) 771-6000 joseph.nappi@fnbli.com

Fishman & Tynan PLCC Maureen Tynan 1757 Merrick Avenue (516) 379-9806 office@fishmantynan.com

Continued on next page

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Merrick

chaMber Of cOMMerce

All addresses are in Merrick N.Y. 11566 except where otherwise noted

FJF Remodelers, Inc Frank Firriolo 2605 Kenny Avenue (516) 379-4043

Home Instead Senior Care mark labib 19 Merrick Avenue (516) 826-6307

Kiddsmiles Gaby Morgan 2211 Merrick Road (516) 365-5439

Flowers by Voegler Theresa Soto 1171 Merrick Avenue (516) 481-1277

Home RX Anthony Scuccimarri 2174 Hewlett Avenue (516) 623-8900

Kona Ice of LI South Shore Julieann Puglin 1483 Merrick Avenue (516) 342-5757

Fortune Crystals 2116 Merrick Avenue (516) 214-6018

Impressed Jewelry Josef Munarov 43 Merrick Avenue (516) 280-4700

Continued from previous page

firriolo1218@optonline.net

sototheresa@optonline.net

fortunecrystals11@gmail.com

Fusco, Brandenstein and Rada Jared Rada 180 Froehlich Farm Blvd Woodbury, NY 11797 (516) 496-0400 JRada@FBRlaw.com

Gadget Rx Andrew Gniazdowski 1824B Merrick Road (516) 379-7979 gadgetrxny@gmail.com

Galleria of Merrick Tommy Pernice 1339 Merrick Avenue (516) 623-7167 marineo51@aol.com

General Builders Amir Riven 128 Merrick Avenue (516) 377-0900 ariven1@gmail.com

Giammusso & Associates, Inc. Michael Giammusso 112 Smith Street (516) 322-2716

giammussoassociates@gmail.com

Goshinkan Dojo Jeff Lovering 1754 Merrick Ave 516-223-7233 jeffrandel@aol.com

Griffin Design Studios Jorge Porta 1819 Merrick Avenue (718) 614-2826 hello@gdsnyc.com

Gyro Palace George Lakis 1694 Sunrise Highway (516) 868-4500 ussgk@aol.com

Hamilton Capital Charles Kassatly 31 Merrick Avenue (516) 632-5692

charles.kassatly@ceterais.com

Home Instead Senior Care Mark Labib 19 Merrick Avenue (516) 826-6307

michele.wachter@homeinsteadnassau.com

mark.labib@homeinsteadnassau.com

anthony@homerxofli.com

impressedj@yahoo.com

Income Tax Plus Martha Verdi 1725 Bellmore Avenue Bellmore, NY 11710 (516) 785-3046

gaby@kiddsmiles.com

fun@konaoflisouthshore.com

Krohn, Rosenblum and Rosenblum Charles Rosenblum 25 Merrick Avenue (516) 868-0808 charles@krrlaw.net

itpjoe@prodigy.net

Kumon of Merrick Steve Dershowitz 71 Merrick Avenue (516) 206-4200

Island Empanada of Merrick Ashley Coll 2142 Merrick Avenue Merrick, NY 11566 (516) 608-2663

merrick_ny@ikumon.com

La Strada of Merrick Eva & Guy Saraniero 2100 Merrick Avenue (516) 867-5488

J&D Invitations Etc Jan Lum 1752A Merrick Avenue Merrick, NY 11566 (516) 378-3636

Land & Home Design, Inc. Mike Marzigliano 1760 Gildersleeve Street (516) 378-1840

Jay Sorid, Esq. 3160 Clubhouse Rd Merrick, NY 11566 (516) 695-7474

Launderama Regina Goetz 1146 Merrick Avenue (516) 486-8622

islandempanadamerrick@gmail.com

jdinvitationsetc@gmail.com

jaysorid@aol.com

Jim Jam Full Service Cleaner Steve Nam 1200 Merrick Avenue (516) 485-1188 jj.clean@hotmail.com

Josie and Jade Boutique Marissa Arteca 69 Merrick Avenue (516) 344-5742 josieandjademerrick@gmail.com

Jovia Richard Salmon 2005 Merrick Road (516) 561-0030

rsalmon@joviafinancial.com

KB Beauty by Laser Lina Bonnen 1820 Merrick Rd (516) 629-7088

kbbeautybylaserspa@gmail.com

Keats Tax & Financial Service William Keats 64 Roydon Drive East 516-785-6455 billkeatsea@gmail.com

Khan Orthodontic Group Sabeeh Khan 28 Merrick Avenue (516) 378-1033 michelle@skhanortho.com

lastradaofmerrick@gmail.com

spm18@aol.com

regina.goetz@mac.com

Law office of Nicole D. Venditti, PC 1776 Princeton Place (516) 849-3161 ndvenditti@gmail.com

Legendary Motion Julia Scheffler 1967 Alfred Road West (516) 369-1126 info@legendarymotion.com

Let's Roll! Fresh Hand Rolled Ice Cream Craig Fleischer 2023 Merrick Road (516) 442-1475 Little Kitchen Creations

by Wendy - The Happy Pig Food Truck Wendy Lantigua 1924 Webster Street (516) 448-5126 littlekitchencreations@gmail.com

LI Prime 2 Endo Blvd Garden City, N.Y. 11530 (516) 569-4000 www.liprime.com

Living LARGE 2 Endo Blvd Garden City, N.Y. 11530 (516) 569-4000 www.livinglargeli.com

Mangia Mish & The Pampered Chef Michele Kaplan 2781 Beach Drive (516) 380-1435

Merrick Oral Surgery Steve D'Abundo 2116 Merrick Avenue (516) 546-1444

Marci & Jeff Vasconi 1737 Frederick Avenue (516) 632-8921

Merrick Park Tailors & Cleaners Andy Liu 36 Merrick Avenue (516) 868-8851

mangiamish@gmail.com

marci.vasconi@gmail.com

Margaret Mueller pe153@yahoo.com

Marissa's Brow & Beauty Bar Marissa Mazzie 63 Merrick Avenue (516) 644-9056

marissasbrowandbeautybar@gmail.com

Meadowbrook Collision Bruce Schanstra 415 Babylon Tpke.

Freeport, NY 11520 (516) 705-8846

office@meadowbrookcollision.com

Meroke Auto Repair, Inc. Fred Schmelzle (516) 378-5885

fredmeroke@aol.com

Merrick Jeep Dodge Chrysler Ira Reiter 3614 Sunrise Highway Wantagh, NY 11793 516-868-4400 x1119

merdodgefleet@optonline.net

Merrick Cinemas Dean Theodorous 15 Fisher Avenue (516) 868-1601

merrickcinemas5@gmail.com

Merrick Community Nursery School & Day Camp Christine Cicero 69 Willis Avenue (516) 868-1071 mcns1955@gmail.com

Merrick Dance Centre Courtney Wrigley 160 W. Merrick Road 516-623-0962 merrickdancecentre@gmail.com

Merrick Dental Care Tassos Katechis 1846 Merrick Avenue (516) 378-1725 merrickdental@gmail.com

Merrick Herald Robert Cummings 2 Endo Blvd Garden City, N.Y. 11530 (516) 569-4000 ext. 272 liherald.com

Merrick Master Locksmiths Steven Talisman 34 Babylon Turnpike (516) 868-3434

merrickmasterlocksmiths@gmail.com

merrickoralsurgery@yahoo.com

norman5786403@hotmail.com

Merrick Pediatric Dentistry Dr. Rania Elbaz 1756A Merrick Avenue (516) 547-1997 rania.elbaz@gmail.com

Merrick Physical Therapy Joseph Ruisi 2092 Merrick Avenue (516) 223-4300 info@merrickpt.com

Merrick Surgical Supplies & Home Care Inc. Leo and Andra Levine 139 Merrick Avenue (516) 378-0119

llevine@merricksurgical.com

Merrick Wine & Spirits Suzanne Pascual 2152 Merrick Road (516) 223-8400

joepascual517@gmail.com

Merrick Woods Country Day School Adam Langbart 1075 Merrick Avenue (516) 483-7272 adam@merrickwoods.com

Michael's Salon Irina Khaimov 32 Merrick Avenue (516) 868-0601 aaf10017@gmail.com

Moms & Tots Judy Rubin 145 S Merrick Road (516) 623-4099 momsandtots2@aol.com

Mortgage Professionals Corp.

Lisa Napolitano 12 Merrick Avenue (516) 369-5129 lisa@mpcteam.com

Mutts & Butts Mike Silverman 2076 Merrick Road (516) 379-3456

mike@muttsandbutts.com

N.F. Walker, Inc. Merrick Funeral Home Danford Baxter 2039 Merrick Avenue (516) 378-0303 staff@nfwalkerfh.com

Continued on next page

2021 - 2022

33

Living In Merrick

Merrick

chaMber Of cOMMerce

All addresses are in Merrick N.Y. 11566 except where otherwise noted Sterling National Bank Lydia Edu-Daly 2090 Merrick Road (516) 379-3444

Continued from previous page

Nassau County Craft & Gift Shows Alan Finchley PO Box 431 Pt. Lookout, NY 11569 (516) 442-6000

LEduDaly@snb.com

Sufiya's Grill Sina Motamedi 2057 Merrick Road (516) 644-2201

alan@nassaucountycraftshows.com

Nassau Drive Shaft Bob Gagliardo 2279 Babylon Tpke (516) 867-3680

info@sufiyasgrill.com

nassaudriveshaft@aol.com

Natural Remedies Josh Duren 1016 Jerusalem Avenue (516) 992-8417

naturalremediesmerrick@gmail.com

New York Life Insurance Company Robert Bricken 1983 Marcus Avenue Lake Success, NY 11042 (516) 354-5749 rbricken@ft.newyorklife.com

Newbridge Inn Gary Francke 2227 Jerusalem Avenue (516) 809-9530 franckeg@optonline.net

Newsday Media Group Linda Kurtz 6 Corporate Drive Melville, NY 11747 (631) 843-3260 linda.kurtz@newsday.com

North Merrick Chiropractic Dr. James W. Rogers 399 Merrick Avenue (516) 867-7096 doctorjimm@aol.com

Off the Brook Alysha 1810 Merrick Road (516) 608-6543 offthebrook@gmail.com

On Point Land Services Corp.

Bea Demirakos 2163 Merrick Avenue (516) 600-9750 bea@onpointland.com

Lori Berger/Herald

Members of the Merrick Chamber of Commerce Board, Kate Murray and Chris Carini.

Perrino Family Dentistry Dr. Aldo Perrino 1808 Merrick Road (516) 378-7070 Perrinofamilydentistry@gmail.com

Polished Dental Care Lauren Greco 31 Merrick Avenue (516) 344-5353

polisheddentalcare@gmail.com

Popick Accounting & Tax Services LLC Justin Popick 1980 Broadcast Plaza (516) 608-8372 jpopick@popicktax.com

Printing Emporium Douglas Mills 14 Kees Place (516) 223-2220

info@printingemporium.com

Progressive Dentistry Steven Levy 2565 Beverly Road (516) 378-8600 stevenmlevydmd@gmail.com

Progressive School of Long Island Eric Jacobson 1425 Merrick Avenue (516) 868-6835 eric@progressiveli.org

Psychic Readings Theresa Ranko 1554 Jerusalem Avenue (516) 761-2272 zekekaslov123@gmail.com

On The Safe Side, Inc. Robert Ginsberg 1661 Birch Drive (516) 623-5800

Pure Pilates Kristine Schanstra 2285 Babylon Tpke.

(516) 867-0008

Outback Steakhouse Jenny Medina 2124 Merrick Mall (516) 377-7761

Queen of Hearts Julie Marchesella 29 Merrick Avenue (516) 377-1357

Pawfinity and Beyond Jenna Albala 1163 Merrick Avenue (516) 489-8200

R & C Rubbish Removal Chris Kruz 10 Marconi Boulevard Copiague, NY 11726 (516) 541-1557 R.K. Enterprises, Inc. Ajay Shah 1701 Merrick Rd. (516) 868-2342

onthesafesideinc@gmail.com

OBS3302@outback.com

pawfinityandbeyond@gmail.com

Perfect Run Printing Russell Sparks 2272 Babylon Tpke.

(516) 546-1544

perfectrunprinting@gmail.com

purepilatesmerrick@gmail.com

juliemarc@optonline.net

ka7767@yahoo.com

Randy Shotland 95 Halley Drive Blue Point, NY 11772 (516) 909-5813 rshotland@aol.com

Richner Communications, Inc. 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, N.Y. 11530 (516) 569-4000 Richner Printing and Mailing Services 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, N.Y. 11530 (516) 569-4000 www.richnerprinting.com

Risk Strategies Company Sean Rosenfeld 900 Stewart Avenue Garden City, NY 11530 516-336-5962 srosenfeld@tsgfin.com

Roma Pizza Nick Maltese 53 Merrick Avenue (516) 223-7476 Ponyboy009@aol.com

RS Beanery Margaret Mueller 153 Merrick Avenue (516) 208-3538 RSBeanery@gmail.com

S. Robert Kroll, Esq. 25 Merrick Avenue (516) 378-3051 srkroll20@aol.com

S.J. Edwards, Inc. Sharon Davis 2163 Merrick Avenue (516) 208-9988

School of Rock Rockville Centre Monica Rubin 197 N. Long Beach Road Rockville Centre, NY 11570 (516) 234-ROCK rockvillecentre@schoolofrock.com

Serengeti Design Studios Femy Aziz 45 Merrick Avenue (516) 623-2828 prints@sdsportraits.com

SERVPRO of Freeport, Roosevelt Annmarie Rousseaux 53 E Merrick Road Freeport, NY 11520 (239) 728-1079

office@servprofreeportroosevelt.com

Shamrock's Bar & Grill Tracy Flynn 708 Merrick Avenue (516) 992-1818

tazielove13@yahoo.com

Teachers Federal Credit Union Joan Flannery 1638 Merrick Road 631-698-7000 x6944 joanf@teachersfcu.org

Temptations for Her Jeff & Randi Grann 2165 Merrick Road (516) 623-5772 jeff@temptationsforher.com

The Annex Wellness & Fitness Center Jamie Rockwin 1757 Merrick Avenue (516) 623-4386 jamie@theannexwellfit.com

Signature Premier Properties - Kathy Viard 324 Merrick Avenue (516) 223-9463 kviard@signaturepremier.com

The Best Kept Secret Sheri Bleiwas 2769 Lindenmere Drive (516) 581-7825

Signature Premier Properties - Lynn Karp 324 Merrick Avenue (516) 659-2291

The Diner Boys Dominique 2221 Jerusalem Avenue 1-516-809-7130

lkarp@signaturepremier.com

Signature Premier Properties Marian Fraker-Gutin 12 Bedford Avenue (516) 868-6660 mfrakergut@aol.com

Sandra G. Johnson, CPA PC 109 Bedford Avenue Bellmore, NY 11710 (516) 409-1120

Sip & Say Craft Wine & Spirits Dawn Vieira 2067 Merrick Road (516) 992-8111

sjohnson@sgjcpa.com

Tara Notrica 2830 Bay Drive Merrick, NY 11566 (516) 546-8618

tra363@gmail.com

Salon Speciale Christina Speciale 44 Merrick Avenue (516) 682-2464

salonspeciale@yahoo.com

graham@summitpt.info

The Barking Biscuit Ira Reiter (516) 606-5882

Silver Fin Capital Group LLC Seth Feinman 11 Grace Avenue Great Neck, NY 11021 (516) 304-5008

info@sjedwards.com

Summit Physical Therapy Graham Webb 209 Merrick Avenue (516) 867-0500

sfeinman@gosfc.com

dawn@sipsay.com

merdodgefleet@optonline.net

sbleiwas@optonline.net

dominiquerosedb@gmail.com

The Goddess Within Spa Mary Ann Roncondino 2154 Merrick Road (516) 992-2503

goddesswithinspa@gmail.com

The Mindful Connection of Long Island Lauren Altchiler, Ph. D 1991 Smith Street (631) 513-2921

TheMindfulConnectionLI@gmail.com

The Needlepaint Nook Janice Tillis 2110 Merrick Mall (516) 623-0250 info@theneedlepaintnook.com

Continued on next page

34

www.liherald.com

Living In Merrick

Merrick

chaMber Of cOMMerce

All addresses are in Merrick N.Y. 11566 except where otherwise noted

Continued from previous page

Therapeutic Solutions Physical Therapy Jamie L. Rockwin 1757 Merrick Avenue (516) 623-4388

jrockwin@therapeuticsolutionspt.com

Tiffany Dry Cleaners & Alterations Jeff Wenger 1623 Merrick Road (516) 377-0082 jeff@tiffanydrycleaner.com

Total Care Adult Health,NP,PLLC Amy Waldman 1401 Jerusalem Avenue (516) 548-8432 awaldman@tcadult.com

Valley Ornamental Iron Works Joseph and Susan Volpe 411 Babylon Tpke.

Freeport, NY 11520 (516) 377-6684 jvalleyiron@aol.com

WIN Home Inspections Steven Enella 1643 Hendrickson Avenue (516) 221-2023 senella@wini.com

Lori Berger/Herald

Grand Opening celebration, Cathy’s Touch on Merrick Ave.

Xpress Coups 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, N.Y. 11530 (516) 569-4000 Executive Board President Ira Reiter Merrick Jeep Dodge Chrysler Vice President Margaret Mueller RS Beanery

Secretary Margaret Biegelman Douglas Elliman Treasurer Andrew S. Nachamie Andrew S. Nachamie, PC Immediate Past President Mrs. Femy Aziz Serengeti Design Studios Board of Directors Julie Marchesella Queen of Hearts

Douglas Mills Printing Emporium Randy Shotland Randy Shotland Joe Baker South Merrick Community Civic Association Arlene Gregory Coldwell Banker American Homes Marian Fraker-Gutin Signature Premier Properties

Lori Berger Merrick Herald Sharon Davis S.J. Edwards, Inc. Christine Mooney Merrick Chamber Administrative Assistant

Alyssa Seidman/Herald

Laura and Dave Tiongson, right, of Merrick, perused succulents offered by Jonah Rangel and Andrea Pasqualino, of Jonah’s Garden in North Bellmore at the Merrick Chamber of Commerce’s pop-up shop in October 2020.

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