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Bellmore • Merrick VOLUME 2, NUMBER 1

IN PRINT & ONLINE

OCTOBER 2014

BELLMORE, MERRICK SMALL BUSINESSPERSONS OF THE YEAR

MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT ON NOVEMB NOVEMBER BER E 4

Add Pink to Halloween THE “MAYOR OF BELLMORE” RE” E”” RE RETIRES ETIRES

NEWS

Your NewsMag

Bellmore Chamber Presents Annual Halloween Parade

n Saturday, October 25, the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores will host the Annual Halloween Parade and Trick-or-Treating for the children of the community. Assembly will take place at the Bellmore fire house on Pettit Avenue at 11:45 a.m. The festivities will begin at noon with the parade heading up Bedford Avenue with the children in their costumes. Spooky

Spooktacular in North r Merrick

Merrick To Hold o Halloween Parade rad

music will be heard throughout our downtown, and Trick or Treating will follow the parade. All merchants that have “Mr. Pumpkin” on their window will be participating in giving treats to the children. So come on down in your scary and not-so scary costumes. It truly is a sight to see all the happy faces on the children. For information you can call the chamber of commerce office at 679-1875

he Merrick Chamber of Commerce mmerce m rc aannual nnual day, ay October O Octob 25, Halloween Parade is Saturday, ing at R RS Jones and d from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., starting ssed in ending at 1 p.m. at the Gazebo. Come dressed usinesses. costume, and trick or treat at the local businesses.

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OCTOBER 2014 | V.2 NO. 1

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oin n in in for the 2014 14 Ha Hal Halloween Spooktaculo ac lar, hosted t by the th North No o r Merrick err Civic and Central o and the PrintAssociation po ing Empo Emporium, on SaturOct cto day, October 25 at Fraser P k, North N Park, Merrick (FrasA Av er Avenue just south of Old Mill Road) at 11 a.m. Bring your ghosts and goblins to this North Merrick annual event, where there will be plenty of crafts, games, entertainment and, of course, candy and raffles. A donation of $1 per child is suggested and we appreciate a donation to the

dessert table. (Rain date is Sunday, October 26.) Contact NCMCA President Claudia Borecky at 972-6988 if you would like more information about this event, would like to join the Spooktacular team or would like your children to do community service for this event. Membership to NCMCA is $20 per family per year. Contributions to the association can be made online by visiting www. northmerrickcivic.org. You do not need to be a member to attend any of its meetings or events.

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NEWS

V.2 NO. 1 | OCTOBER 2014

Your NewsMag

Salpino’s Moves into North Bellmore

alpino’s Specialty Italian Gourmet store is coming to North Bellmore. Moving into the 10,000 square-foot building formerly occupied by Party City for many years - at the southwest corner of Bellmore Avenue and Newbridge Road, Sal Gambino, co-owner of Salpino's, told Your NewsMag that the new building will allow the Italian specialty store to offer items and specialties his 4500 square foot store on Merrick Road in Wantagh can’t offer: full lines of cheeses and a full bakery – for starters. “We had actually wanted more room in Wantagh because we make more salads all the time but we don’t have enough room to refrigerate everything. So, in the North Bellmore store the deli case will be longer, the meat case will be longer, we’ll have a new bakery with pastries and cookies, and we’ll have a lot

of other new stuff there,” said Gambino. He and his father picked the North Bellmore location to expand because they are originally from near the area. “It’s a huge store and it’s a good location,” he said. Originally started on 1985 on Wantagh Avenue not far from Cherrywood Shopping Center, the Gambino family eventually closed Salpino’s, opening instead in Oceanside. “The Wantagh Avenue location was good, but my parents always believed they could do better with something bigger offering more,” he said. From Oceanside they opened in the strip mall on Merrick Road in Wantagh, where they are currently located. They opened another location in Babylon, which remains its second store. Responding to whether the North Bellmore store will be a success, Gambino said “a lot of our customers are from North

Bellmore, they know our food, they know everything is fresh and good, we’ll just be able to offer them more.” Gambino said the new store in North Bellmore will have a whole new cheese department, with someone making fresh cheese all day long. “The cheese department will be big,” he maintained. “There will be a lot of imported cheeses and smoked, stuffed, nosalt and regular mozzarellas, for example.”

GOING HEAD TO HEAD Claiming Salpino’s was the first Italian gourmet store in the vicinity, Gambino says he’s coming back to the North Bellmore location knowing he will compete head-to-head with the new North Shore Farms store on Jerusalem Avenue in North Bellmore, and with Iavarone’s in Wantagh. “We’ll have to go head-to-head with them. We need to show our pres-

Co-owners Joe Barbieri and Sal Gambino ready Salpino's for opening. ence with a new store in the area. People want to go to where things look good, and we believe our food is more flavorful” than some of the other specialty stores in the vicinity, he said. ‘We prepare olives, for example, or sundried tomatoes that take two days to draw the flavor out of them, not simply take them out of the bucket to serve,” he continued. “And our most popular food is macaroni salad,” he continued. “We make it all week long.”

While the Wantagh store employs roughly 20 to 25, he says he’s training about 10 people from the North Bellmore area to work the store in North Bellmore, which will employ upwards of 50. Hours of the new store during the weekday will be 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturdays 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sundays, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Aside from full lines of cheeses and a new bakery baking fresh breads, the new store will boast a red-and-black delicatessen design inspired by Boar’s Head Brand, which provides meats and other provisions. “We were honored as a Boar’s Head Deli of Distinction in 2001,” Gambino remarked. And, in 2010 Salpino's was invited to and participated in the company’s Round Table. The store will be open by the end of the month, with many giveaways and chances to win foods or your liking.

“Geekfest” Comes to Your Library By Erin Donohue everal months ago the Bellmore, Merrick, North Bellmore and North Merrick libraries embarked on the “Geek the Library” campaign focused on educating the community on the expansive library services available and to discover what their patrons love ( aka “geek”) so they could be better served. As part of this initiative, each of the libraries has created signature “geek” events that will run over the next few months. Events are open for residents of the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, and individual library policies apply.

Merokians "geek" their library at the Merrick Fair.

GEEK OUT First on the agenda is the Bellmore Memorial Library GeekFest, a celebration of all things pop culture on Saturday, October 25, beginning at 10 a.m. Come to the library and experi-

ence a Manga vs. America Comics Throwdown, Empire Sabre Guild Performance, a screening (age 13+) of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, a Harry Potter Scavenger Hunt, Buffy-oke

(Buffy the Vampire Slayer singa-long), a juried fan art exhibition and more. Be sure to stop by the Bellmore library and “geek out” for the day at 2288 Bedford Avenue.

and more. Open for all ages, the library is located at 1691 Meadowbrook Road. On Sunday January 25, The Merrick Library will “geek” creatively with a “Maker Day” from 1 to 5 p.m. Visitors will be treated to demonstrations of the library’s 3-D printing, the 3-D doodler - which actually “make” things - as well as crafts and other creative projects, for all ages. They are at 2279 Merrick Avenue. Bellmore librarians had a The final signature event "geek out" at the Bellmore Fair. will be at the North Bellmore Library on Sunday, May 31, “I The North Merrick Library Geek the Oldies.” The highwill host an “I Geek Tech” light of this program will be a event on Saturday, January 10, concert with the band, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Squeaky Clean. They are loExperts in technology will cated at 1551 Newbridge help visitors with their elecRoad. tronic devices, there will be rolling programs on how to set Visit your library to learn more up email, social networking, information on how you can what apps meet your needs “Geek” in your community, too.

SEPTEMBER 2014 | V.2 NO. 1

Your NewsMag

☞ TABLE OF CONTENTS

Celebrates its First Anniversary

PAGES 2-9 NEWS Halloween festivities in your neighborhood; Salpino’s opens in North Bellmore; NYAmerican Water builds new office in Merrick; Susan Helsinger wins community award; Bellmore-Merrick Jewish groups discuss war in Gaza; Veterans Day activities in your community; Garden at St. Mark to close for the season; Bellmore resident, chamber mainstay Kevin MacKinnon dies; Four civics groups to sponsor Candidates Night.

PAGE 10, 12: ELECTIONS: U.S. 4th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Candidates Bruce Blakeman and Kathleen Rice square off for a national congressional seat on issues of importance to our communities.

PAGE 11: AWARDS The Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce recognizes Steve Eplan of Bellmore and Andrew Nachamie of Merrick as outstanding Small Businesspersons of the Year.

PAGE 14: PROFILE What’s making you smile all the way to the Geller Dental Group.

PAGE 18: HEALTH MATTERS Comprehensive website focuses on services for special needs families; Merrick dentist wants your unused Halloween candy; Dawson Taxi pitches in for breast cancer; Breast Cancer summit; Chocolate Works donates for breast cancer.

PAGES 24, 25: RESTAURANT REVIEW Merrick’s Acqua Restaurant offers classic Italian dining while offering open views of Merrick Bay.

PAGE 26: MILESTONES Popular“Mayor of Bellmore”retires from – the post office!

PLUS: Interns wanted at Long Island Film Office; Karen Bella makes it as singer-songwriter on pure talent alone; A1 Vitamins moves into Merrick; what’s in your Halloween wine cabinet.

WHO’S WHO AT YOUR NEWSMAG Advertising and Publishing

Editing Doug Finlay

Jill Bromberg

Reporting Online Erin Donohue

Sharon Jonas Kevin Halton Linda Delmonico Prussen

t is hard to believe how fast this year has gone by. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the support of this community, both residents and advertisers, for their encouragement to continue and grow. It has been exciting, sometimes nerve racking, but ultimately quite a rewarding journey. A special thank you goes to the dedicated and talented neighborhood journalists that contribute to the success of Your NewsMag. As a team, we promise to continue to reach further into your community while also bringing to your door news of what’s going on in the neighborhood, with restaurant reviews, local business profiles, features and entertainment that reminds you just how special the Bellmores and the Merricks are to live, work and play. Ok Jill, dry your eyes and get on with it. Enjoying the festivities of Halloween is always a fun thing to do. I can still remember that feeling of excitement getting dressed up for Halloween to go trick-or-treating. When my son was younger, I used to love going trickor-treating with him. Now, my son likes to get dressed up and greet the young children at the door. This year I plan on dressing up to greet the trick-ortreaters with him. With lots of fun memories ahead, look inside for Halloween events and parades in the area. If you plan to decorate your house for Halloween, perhaps you would like to consider adding some pink. Pink pumpkins will remind friends and neighbors that October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Find out more about going “pink” inside. This year Your NewsMag is one of the sponsors of The NCCC Small Businessperson of the Year and Legislative Award Breakfast. The Nassau Council of Chambers’ honorees from our area are Merokian Andrew Nachamie Esq., principal of his firm in Merrick and a member of the Merrick Chamber of Commerce; and Steve Eplan, owner of the Rock Underground in Bellmore and a member of the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores. Congratulations to both of

Edit@yournewsmag.com info@yournewsmag.com To advertise, Jill@yournewsmag.com

Phone: 516-633-8590 P.O. Box 15, Bellmore, New York 11710

Anniversary Bellmore • Merrick

you! Read on to learn more personal information about Steve and Andrew. And now a sad note for many of us. Fellow member of the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmore and friend, Kevin MacKinnon, has passed on. Kevin worked hard to make our community a better place to live and enjoy. He will be sadly missed and I will remember him fondly as a sweet man, and always a gentleman. Please see a tribute to him inside. Part of what makes our community a great place to live is the wonderful people who devote time and energy to our town and people in need. Susan Helsinger is one of those special people. I have tremendous respect and admiration for all that Susan does. Learn more inside why the NYSAR presented Susan with the Community Service Award. With Election Day on November 4, each of us has an important decision to make. I encourage you take a few minutes and head to the polls. Inside you will find information that may help you make your decision about who to cast your vote for on Election Day. Your NewsMag is delivered to every home in the Merricks and Bellmores free of charge because you live here and are part of the community. Advertiser support pays for Your NewsMag, so please support participating businesses by shopping locally. If you know something that is newsworthy please let us know. If your business is having an anniversary or someone in your family is celebrating a special occasion, we want to know. After all, your news is our news. Please join us on Facebook and visit www.YourNewsMag.com for updates on news throughout the month. Once again, we at Your NewsMag thank the community for the privilege of welcoming Your NewsMag into their homes. I hope you enjoy this October edition of Your NewsMag. JILL BROMBERG PUBLISHER Jill@YourNewsMag.com

NEWS

V.2 NO. 1 | OCTOBER 2014

Your NewsMag

Merrick’s Susan Helsinger Receives Community Service Award

NYAmerican Water Builds New Office NY American Water is undergoing expansion of its present office at 90 Brooklyn Avenue in Merrick with a new 9500 square-foot office complex that will employee 50 people, according to a spokesperson for the water company. The new two-story office building, which will also feature a

parking garage at the second level, will be at the corner of Smith Street and Brooklyn Avenue. All employees at the Lynbrook NYAmerican Water location will be relocated to the new Brooklyn Avenue office. The spokesman added that the company was communicating closely with

the surrounding neighborhood on its construction schedule to reduce any inconvenience to the neighborhood. “The office has been designed to blend into the rest of the neighborhood,” the spokesman continued. The new NYAmerican Water building is expected to be operational by Fall 2015.

he New York Association of REALTORS® (NYSAR) awarded the First Annual Community Service Award to LIBOR’s Nassau Vice-President Susan Helsinger of Merrick, during the association’s fall business meetings held in upstate Verona late last month. Helsinger was recognized for her tireless work with The Jason Gruen Foundation, as well as all of her philanthropic endeavors in her community. The Jason Gruen Foundation was founded by Helsinger when her son, Jason, died suddenly while walking into his first-period class at Manhasset High School in 1985. Jason died of an undetected heart condition known as idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis and cardiomyopathy. The foundation raises money and awareness for children with heart ailments and provides services, such as free heart screenings, for children at public schools.

This important program has received much attention and many awards because, through early screening using EKGs and echocardiograms, it has detected beginning heart ailments in children to permit for early treatment and cure. For information on echocardiogramand EKG-screening programs available at your school, visit www.thejasongruenfoundation.org/.

NEWS

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OCTOBER 2014 | V.2 NO. 1

Bellmore-Merrick Jewish Groups Discuss the War in Gaza

he Hazak Chapter of the Bellmore Jewish Center will present “Peace, Politics and Projectiles: An Insider’s Look at the Aftermath of the War in Gaza,” presented by Gil Hoffman, chief political correspondent and analyst for the Jerusalem Post, on Monday, October, 27, from 7:30-9 p.m. at Bellmore Jewish Center, 2550 South Centre Avenue Bellmore. The program is co-sponsored by Bellmore Jewish Center, Temple Beth Am, Congregation Ohav Shalom, Merrick Jewish Center, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Long Island, Israel Bonds, and the Bellmore-Merrick Jewish Community Council. In this fascinating presentation, Hoffman will go behind the scenes in the decision-making during the operation in Gaza. He will discuss the regional ramifications of the war, focus on the interpersonal relations between Jerusalem and Washington, and offer up hope amid all the pessimism. This will be followed by Q & A.

The program is free and open to the general public. There will be an opportunity to purchase Israel bonds for those who wish to do so. Reservations are necessary, and can be obtained by calling 781-3072. For more information, contact Rabbi Bernstein at 7813072,\or Bill Berkowitz at 221-2056.

TOON TOWN TALK The Hazak Chapter will also present “Toon Town: Comic Books and New York City,” on Thursday, November 13, at 1:30 p.m. also at the center. Guest speaker Kent Worcester, professor of political science at Marymount Manhattan College, will use his numerous images taken from the pages of comic books to explore the longstanding relationship between New York City and the modern comic book. This program is sponsored by the New York Council for the Humanities and is free and open to the general public. Pre-registration is necessary, so call Bill at 221-2056 for information - and a seat.

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Veterans Day Activities on Tuesday, November 11 MERRICK

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The American Legion Post 1282 of Merrick will holds its annual Veterans Day ceremony in front of the Veterans Memorial Plaza on Merrick Avenue, across from Camp Avenue School, on Tuesday, November 11, at 11 a.m. All in the community are invited to attend, and people are expected to begin gathering at 10:45 a.m. for the 11 a.m. ceremony. Post members, ladies Post 1282 auxiliary units, fire department members and chaplains will also be in attendance.

MERRICK KIWANIS FIELD OF HONOR Merrick Kiwanis will also put up their Field of Honor on Merrick Avenue at the Veterans Plaza (across from Camp Avenue) from November 1 to November the 15. This project honors our veterans and all profits are donated to a local veterans charity.

Call today or visit us online to discover how The Geller Dental Group can make you smile!

516-785-4744 www.TheGellerDentalGroup.com 2140 Bellmore Avenue, Bellmore, NY 11710 (two blocks north of Sunrise Highway) Proud member of the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores.

INVISALIGN

NORTH BELLMORE The American Legion Post 1746 on Newbridge Road in North Bellmore will begin its day with a prayer vigil at 10:45 a.m. followed by a gathering at the North Bellmore Memorial Monument on the Newbridge Road schoolgrounds beginning at 11 a.m. Members of Post 1746 and their ladies auxiliary units

along with firefighters, a chaplain and members of the community are expected to be in attendance.

BELLMORE Meanwhile, the American Legion Post 948 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2770 will hold their annual ceremony at Bellmore War Veterans Park at the corner of Bedford Avenue and Broadway beginning at 11 a.m. A chaplain, fire department personnel and community members are expected to be in attendance.

VIETNAM WAR VETERANS The Bellmore-based Vietnam War Veterans Association will also hold its ceremony at 12 noon at the Vietnam War Memorial at Eisenhower Park, Field 6, in honor of those who served in Vietnam.

V.2 NO. 1 | OCTOBER 2014

Your NewsMag

Assemblyman Dave McDonough Fighting in Albany to make our communities a better place to live!

Improving Education Supporting Families Fighting to Reduce Taxes

Assemblyman

McDonough

An Experienced Legislator who is Working to Make Things Better for the Residents and Businesses of Nassau County 2014 Endorsements • CSEA • New York State Public Employees Federation AFL-CIO • New York State AFL-CIO • New York State United Teachers • New York State Nurses Association • Nassau County Police Benevolent Association • Nassau County Superior Officers Association • Nassau County Detectives Association • New York State Police Conference • Local 338 • New York League of Conservation Voters • Long Island Gasoline Retailers Association, Inc.

Fighting for our families and children: • Leading the effort to reform it can be penalized Common Core • Voted to reduce property and • Providing Long Island Schools business taxes with $2.7 billion in aid • By p passing g an on-time budge for • Sponsored legislation to define URTH UR TH the FOURTH year in a row FOU FO RT Hy the crime of cyber bullying so that • NO NEW TAXE TAXES

On Tuesday, November 4th, Please vote on the Republican, Conservative, Independence or Tax Revolt Party lines Paid for by Friends for McDonough

NEWS

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In and Around … CALHOUN HIGH SCHOOL will hold its Homecoming on October 25 … A special Halloween show, “THE MAD MONSTER PARTY AND THE MONKEY’S PAW,” will be shown at the Bellmore Theatre, 222 Pettit Avenue, on Sunday, October 26, at 2 p.m. For tickets call the theater box office at 783-81129, or call 785-4234 … According to a criminal complaint filed by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, MICHAEL BELFIORE, Doctor of Osteopathy, who practices preventive medicine in Merrick, was arrested after issuing “six prescriptions for oxycodone over six months to an undercover Nassau County Police Officer without a legitimate medical purpose in exchange for thousands of dollars,” according to a press release on the DEA website … The dwelling at 188 CAMP AVENUE, North Merrick, has

been torn down to be rebuilt as a two-family dwelling, according to an email received by North and Central Merrick Civic Association President Claudia Borecky . This comes after months of complaints from concerned neighbors that the house was abandoned and attracting thieves, who stole piping from the house. See related story in July issue of Your NewsMag at www.yournewsmag.com, past issues … SPLASH’S CLEAN MARINA PROGRAM provides classes for marina owners – and boat owners - in Merrick and Bellmore on safe ways to prepare and dispose of boating materials, such as shrink wrapping, how to properly clean boats and how to paint them – to protect the surrounding marina environment from turning toxic to wildlife and fish. The classes are sanctioned by the

National Oceanic and Aeronautic Administration (NOAA) … a FALL FESTIVAL will be held at Connect Church at 2658 Corner Lane, in Bellmore, on Friday, October 31, from 4-to-8 p.m. Featured will be a video game truck, a giant obstacle course, a puppet show, face painting, a live DJ, food, crafts, lots of candy and bouncers for the kids to bounce around on. And it’s all for free! For information contact the church at 500-1133 … PETSMART will open its newest store at the corner of Merrick and Newbridge Roads in Bellmore on Monday, November 17, with a grand opening on Saturday, November 22. A veterinary service, grooming and pet adoption services are said to part of the store’s operations … A “GHOSTS OF LONG ISLAND, STORIES OF THE PARANORMAL” program will be held on Tuesday, October 28, at 7 p.m. at Wantagh Public Library 3285 Park Avenue , Wantagh , sponsored by

OCTOBER 2014 | V.2 NO. 1

the Wantagh Preservation Society. Award-winning author and historian Kerriann Flanagan Brisky has investigated many Long Island locations that are presumably haunted, hear fascinating accounts of the paranormal, which are woven into Long Island’s rich history. All are welcome, refreshments will be served. Call 221-1200 or 826-8767 for information … THE BELLMORE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS property at 2333 Bellmore Avenue has been sold to Beechwood Homes, to be developed into houses. A Town of Hempstead spokesperson said the organization will have to apply to change the zoning at the site from Commercial A zoning – the Knights were a corporation - into Residential B zoning. Beechwood is currently building a neighborhood of homes in the $400,000-to-$600,000 range in North Bellmore, at the old 17-acre Army base.

Bell and Evans Ground Chicken or Turkey

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… THE GARDEN AT ST. MARK, an organic garden at the old St. Mark the Evangelist Church, 1692 Bellmore Avenue, (now St. Francis Episcopal Church) will hold its last sale of organic vegetables on Sunday, October 26, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. before closing down for the season. On October 26 there will also be a bake sale, which includes pies and other baked goods contributed by the community. Many of the vegetables grown are for the local food pantry in Freeport. Included in photo are, from left, Jen Henning, Ann McPartlin, Camille Gaynor, the Reverend Mark Genzler, Janet Roxburgh and Susan Salem.

V.2 NO. 1 | OCTOBER 2014

NEWS

Your NewsMag

A Presentation on How To Stop Teenage Drug Addiction

T A1 Vitamins has moved into the 400 square-foot storefront at the corner of Smith Street and Merrick Avenue from its former larger building on Merrick Road in Wantagh, offering a full array of health supplements for mind and body.

Local Civics to Sponsor Meet the Candidates Night In Merrick

he North Bellmore Civic Association, the North and Central Merrick Civic Association, the South Bellmore Civic Association and the South Merrick Community Civic Association will all sponsor a Meet the Candidate’s Night at the Merrick Road Park Golf Course Clubhouse on Tuesday, October 28, from 7-10 p.m. Among the candidate invited to speak are those running for a congressional seat, the

governor’s seat, the state comptroller and state district attorney seats, a state senate seat, a state assembly seat and judicial seats. Residents in attendance will be able to ask questions of the candidates after they present their positions to find out more about how they stand. Coffee and cake will be served, along with beverages. For details call SMCCA President Joe Baker at 978-8310.

he Bellmore Moms and Dads Group will sponsor a drug awareness and life-saving presentation by Nassau County Police Department Detective Pamela Stark on Thursday, November 13, from 7-9 p.m. at the Brookside School Auditorium, 1260 Meadowbrook Road, North Merrick. Among the topics being discussed include prescription drugs in the home, the heroin epidemic and home safety. Former drug addicts will discuss their journey through – and out of – addiction, and there will be a question-and-answer period to follow. This is a free event open to the public, including school-age children from seventh-grade on up, that may be worth every minute of your time. How to gain confidence through knowledge and other tools needed to battle peer pressure and temptations relating to drug use will be explored. The presentation will also discuss the signs to look for in your child who may be succumbing to drugs, and what dialog you should be hav-

ing with your kids. For parents of children entering middle school, this is a pivotal time in their lives, when they are vulnerable to outside influences. Detective Stark has been presenting the hard facts about drugs in your neighborhood and your homes to parents and young students all over Long Island. For information email to the bellmoremomsgroup@gmail.com.

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Your NewsMag

2014 ELECTIONS: U.S. FOURTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Kathleen Rice: Government Plays Stabilizing Force in Social, Economic Issues By Sharon Jonas

assau District Attorney Kathleen Rice is running on the Democratic ticket for the Fourth Congressional District seat being vacated by long-standing Democratic Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy. When Rice won Nassau County’s District Attorney race in 2005, she not only beat a 31-year incumbent, but became the first woman in Long Island to win the position. Now in her third term as DA, Rice is best known for her effective efforts to combat drunk driving by instituting tough penalties. Her implementation of innovative crime-reduction strategies includes targeting the causes of crime, educational programs and community involvement. She has lobbied for criminal justice reforms to prevent wrongful convictions, strengthened animal cruelty laws and bolstered protections for sex-workers and human trafficking victims. She is endorsed by a long list of Democratic public officials, including Congresswoman McCarthy, as well as the Woman’s Campaign Fund, the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Planned Parenthood of Nassau County, CSEA, the New York AFL-CIO, Sierra Club, AFSCME and the Uniform Firefighters Association of Greater New York. Her stance on the issues: What types of efforts would you support to bolster the economy? We start with creating more jobs. We need to focus on small businesses. If you walk down main streets in Freeport, Hempstead, Bellmore…you don’t see the big box stores, you see the mom and pop stores. We need to give them tax incentives to hire more people. That’s one way to get the economy going. And we need to support institutions like the Export Import Bank, which just came up for reauthorization. There was this whole right-wing push to cut funding for it when it’s probably the one federal agency that makes money and pays for itself. That almost got torpedoed by partisan gridlock, but thankfully they extended it for another nine months. It allows small businesses to engage in

international business by guaranteeing loans. What is your view of Common Core/ education/student loans? We are right now impoverishing the next generation of Americans. We need to lower the interest rates. You can finance a car at a lower cost than you can an education. It makes no sense. And, you can’t refinance them. We need to talk about letting kids make their monthly payment on their loan with pre-tax dollars. We need to give tax incentives to parents who can afford to somewhat finance so that their kids don’t need to take out monstrous loans. We need to make Pell Grants available to those who really need them, and [make grants available] at the graduate level as well. We need to be able to equip our kids with an education so they can compete in a growing global economy. We aren’t doing that right now. What people have told me [about Common Core] is that teachers hate it, parents hate it. The way it was rolled out was problematic. What it meant to do was to set metrics in place, so that the government can ensure whatever federal dollars go to elementary education we get our money’s worth, that kids are proficient at least in math, science and English so that they can compete in a global economy. It wasn’t an attempt to tell teachers we want you to just teach for the test. I think the federal government definitely has a role in making sure that kids are meeting certain proficiencies of the stem areas, but it shouldn’t be that teachers are solely judged on how kids do on these tests. If I’m fortunate enough to win I hope to take a seat on the Education Committee. I think that especially in this congressional district there is such a disparity in educational opportunities. In Garden City, where I grew up, 98% of the kids graduate from high school, while a stone’s throw away, in Hempstead, that rate dips to 38% - that’s wrong. Why do you feel texting while driving is such a pressing issue? It’s the number-one cause of death on the roads now, especially of teenagers, and the numbers are going up. But it’s not just a young person’s issue – everyone does it. It’s the biggest public safety [CONT. ON PAGE 12]

OCTOBER 2014 | V.2 NO. 1

Republican Bruce Blakeman: Reduce Government, Taxes To Rebound the Economy

esiding in Long Beach, Bruce Blakeman is vying for the U.S. Fourth Congressional District running against Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice on the Republican, Conservative and Independent Party lines. His resumé includes being the first presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature, a Town of Hempstead councilman, commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, a professor of business law at Hofstra University and a senior fellow of homeland securities at Long Island University. He has also been lawyer and a successful businessman. Endorsed by several Nassau County Republican leaders, he is also endorsed by Nassau County Policemen’s Benevolence Association, the Nassau Fire Marshal’s Benevolence Association, Nassau Detectives Association, New York Police Chief’s Benevolence Association, the Freeport PBA and the Lynbrook PBA. Inferring that both the far right and far left have turned Washington into total gridlock over wedge issues such as immigration – he is against amnesty - and gun control, Blakeman steers just right of center, which he says would enable him to sit down with congressional leaders to hammer out comprises on those issues imperative toward a functioning nation. A conservative-to-moderate Republican, he is for smaller government, lowering taxes and is pro-business. Blakeman spoke with Your NewsMag to stake his positions on several issues. On the economy: Real unemployment is closer to 12% when looking at U6 numbers, which show who has given up looking for full-time work or has been forced to take part-time work. Stagnation of wages is really income stagnation from full-time to part-time wages so that, overall, income has gone down. We need to create good-paying jobs with benefits from the private sector, not government, which has been expanding at an alarming rate. The middle class pays for government growth. We can create more jobs by lowering taxes so businesses have more money to invest in people,

equipment and technology to create jobs. We also need to start using cheaper energy. Gas has doubled and we need energy sources; we have a 100-year supply of natural gas, for example, but far left environmentalists won’t let us develop that. Lastly, let’s cut government regulations that stifle small businesses. On sequestration and the falling deficit: The national deficit is projected to go downto less than a trillion dollars, and I think part of that is because Republicans said government has to put the brakes on spending. I’m not for any further sequestration, but I would like to see Democrats and Republicans sit down and work out a plan to reduce the deficit further because we are mortgaging our children’s future, and it’s morally wrong to do so. We also need to reduce spending and we need to reduce size of government, it is a problem because it’s costly, it’s inefficient, it’s ineffective and the middle class has to pay for it. Who should pay for essential services if not the government, the private sector? Government shouldn’t be that big. Government needs to operate smaller and more efficiently, we need choices. Spending $2 billion on a website for the Affordable Care Act is a bad choice when it comes to money being spent. A better use would be for research for a cure for pediatric cancer, juvenile diabetes. Government has its priorities wrong, the bureaucracy is bloated and middle-class tax payers are suffering a very unsatisfying experience. They’re not getting services they are paying for. There are 17 job training programs, why can’t that be streamlined to three or four and focus on helping people transition to a new economy and new career job path? On ISIS and the threat from the Middle East: We have to protect our national interests and our security. We have ISIS, which has taken large areas of Iraq and Syria; we have Hamas, in [CONT. ON PAGE 12]

NCCC AWARDS

V.2 NO. 1 | OCTOBER 2014

Your NewsMag

Local Businesspersons Win County-Wide Recognition

he 30th Annual Outstanding Small Businessperson of the Year and Legislative Breakfast of the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce was held last week at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury to honor the Outstanding Small Businesspersons of the Year in Nassau County. The Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores honoree was Steve Eplan, while the Merrick Chamber of Commerce honoree was Andrew S. Nachamie.

ANDREW S. NACHAMIE Andrew is the principal of the Law Firm of Andrew S. Nachamie, P.C. located in Merrick, and is admitted to practice in New York, New Jersey and the District of Columbia. The firm conducts a general practice with concentration in the field of real estate transactions, including the purchasing, selling and leasing

Andrew has two children, Matthew and Jessica.

STEVE EPLAN

Andrew Nachamie

Steve Eplan

of residential and commercial properties, as well as representation of institutional lenders and mortgage bankers as bank attorney in mortgage transactions. The firm also handles wills and estate matters, as well as commercial and corporate transactions. Andrew has been in private practice since 1988. Andrew is a proud Merokian, having been born and raised in Merrick. He attended Penn State University,

graduating with a degree in accounting and received a J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law. Andrew believes it is important to support and be involved in the local community. He is on the Board of Directors of the Merrick Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Merrick Club of Kiwanis International, and has been active in little league and as coach of his children’s baseball and softball teams.

Steve Eplan, owner of The Rock Underground, a performance-based school of rock music, has been a lifelong resident of the Bellmore/Merrick area. He has been a student of its public school system, team member in its athletics programs, supporter of local fairs and charity events, coach for a local basketball team and a small business owner. Eplan owned the building at Bedford Avenue and Fredericks Street, where he ran his successful mortgage business “Perri Funding.” Having had experience with music school, being a student guitarist himself and, with the help of his two music partners, Paul Casanova and Billy Handy, Jr., in early 2010 he converted his hobby – and

building - into a full blown school called Rock Underground. He saw it as a logical step in the fulfillment of a vision for Bellmore Village, with its dance school, theatres and eateries. The concept was obvious. As Eplan says, “If you look at Bedford Avenue on a weekend, weekday afternoon or summer night, kids, ‘tweens’ and young adults descend on this area and bring with them an energy that could be turned into a positive creative force for this district.” Steve has been a highly motivated member, looking forward to organizing and sponsoring the music portion of the Bellmore Street Fair and, among other projects, working to make our streets safe through increased security technology. Steve resides in Merrick along with his wife Pamela, and three children Perri, Sammy and Jesse. They all attended the local schools.

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2014 ELECTIONS: U.S. FOURTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT KATHLEEN RICE

issue right now, and we have to take legislative steps to keep people safe. Eight years ago I took on the epidemic of drunk driving, an issue no one was talking about. The previous DA administration was giving a slap on the wrist to five-time DWI offenders, and that’s why seven out of 10 offenders came back. Now we are a national model for how to deal with this epidemic. [Texting while driving] is a national epidemic and not just a problem in Nassau County. Just as the federal government gave incentives to states to take on the DWI issue by withholding federal highway funding unless they raised the [drinking] age to 21, the states responded. New York State recently lost out on some federal funding because the texting law they did pass did not make it part of the law … to sit at a red light or stop sign and text was not illegal. New York State can’t afford to turn away any federal money. [CONT. FROM PAGE 10]

You were just endorsed by the Sierra Club, a leading environmental group. What environmental issues do you feel are most important and how do we address them? We have to invest more in renewable energy. This is also a way to jump start the economy. In the DA’s office I started a focus on the environmental crime unit, which went after polluters. We have a fragile eco system here and we need to be tough on environmental crime. From a long-term environmental standpoint, it’s smart. Federal tax credits for using solar panels are coming up in 2015, and those are endangered. We need to do everything we can to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels, not just from an economic standpoint, but a national security standpoint, and green energy is it. I’m running against someone who doesn’t think global warming exists. It’s a very extreme position and not many take that position. Your opponent says it’s easier to get food stamps than a job. How does that statement strike you? I’m not surprised because he says a lot of extreme and provocative things but doesn’t follow up with [facts]. How do you know that’s easier? I should hope that if you are a single mother struggling and you are not getting child support … that food stamps are easy to get. Not everyone on food stamps is gaming the system. But we need to have a plan, and not just for long-term jobs but keeping kids in school and providing job training because college isn’t for everybody. One of the programs I did in the Village of Hempstead was to help people,

whether they had ever been in trouble with the law or not, get job training, get drug treatment, whatever they needed to get their life on the right track. And that’s an incredibly successful program – it’s called COTA. Council of Thought and Action. You have a strong Catholic background but are an abortion rights advocate. Can you explain? This is an issue that’s not just about a woman’s right to choose whether or not to have a child, it’s about access, to make decisions about her own body, family planning, when you want to have children, how many you want to have, these are family decisions, not just a woman’s decision. It’s also important for woman to have access to early screening for uterine, cervical and breast cancers. My parents felt strongly that we had a faithbased education, and we did, and it made me who I am today, in terms of wanting to go into public service. We are our brother’s keeper, and lending a hand when people are down to help them get back up is the right thing to do.

Can you explain why your opponent is attacking you for firing part-time female workers? When I came into the DA’s office, I had maybe 13 women, all of whom had children in high school and college, and then I had all the young Assistant DAs, women who wanted to start a family but couldn’t go part-time because none of the women who were given the ability to have that flexibility would give their positions up, which I thought was horribly unfair. So I revamped the whole flex, part-time schedule to make it family-friendly. This is not a woman’s issue, it’s a family issue. You have the sandwich generation taking care of [family members] and who need flexibility to be a caregiver. And everyone in the office has it now. It’s a totally merit-based office. I did away with a 30% pay differential between men and women in my office. It turns out there was no upward mobility for women. Where do you think our military presence is most important? In what instances do you think we should get involved? The American people have no stomach for another war. I think the administration is doing what it needs to be doing, which is building an international coalition so it’s not just America going it alone. I think it’s wise not to commit to any boots on the ground, but certainly the issue of international terrorism needs to be under control. Whoever wins on November 4 is going to take some very difficult votes on this issue.

BRUCE BLAKEMAN [CONT. FROM PAGE 10]

which American tax payers subsidized those weapons that rained down on Israel because we gave Hamas funding to build hospitals and schools and they built tunnels and bought weapons instead. Hezbollah, Al Queda, Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic Jihad, they all have in common the destruction of western civilization, our way of live, and it is a larger and growing threat. It’s harder to manage them so we need to get serious about destroying them before they land on our shores. Drunk driving and texting that my opponent touts are local and state issues, not national security issues. And, we’re being soft on Iran, which is six months away from getting nuclear arms. I’m convinced radioactive material will find its way into a dirty bomb in Manhattan to destroy our economy. Paying for new military interventions: Prioritize. We don’t have to spend more money, just prioritize. The first order of government at the national level is homeland security, it is job number one. Everything else is below that. If we don’t have security then what do we really have? We don’t get to enjoy our freedom if our people are being killed and our institutions are being blown up. Middle-class families spend on what they need first, and then on what they want. We need to take care of security first, and then take care of what we want. The Affordable Care Act: It is probably one of the worst pieces of legislation every enacted, it is 2000 pages long and most of those in the Senate who voted on it probably didn’t read it. It’s a restructuring of our whole health care provider system, which until now may have been the greatest health care provider system in the world. And now it’s being dismantled. If you wanted to take care of 30 million underinsured or uninsured - and I wanted to take care of those 30 million, because people should be entitled to get health care – we could have assigned risk programs that took people with pre-existing conditions who couldn’t get health insurance and, if they could afford to pay the higher premium because of that pre-existing condition, they would have to pay it. If they couldn’t, then the government could step in and subsidize them. But we are taking apart a system that works well for 270 million people to solve a problem for 30 million people. This is just a pretext for a single payer system. Isn’t the ACA fashioned after Mitt Romney’s Romney Care in Massachusetts? Romney Care is a totally differ-

OCTOBER 2014 | V.2 NO. 1

ent model. The ACA is a nationwide exchange that people are forced into and pay a penalty if they don’t join, and businesses of 50 or more employees have to be part of ACA. [Editor’s note: Jonathan Gruber, who helped develop Romney Care, was also instrumental in devising the national ACA, and maintains both systems are the same in what services they offer medically. The two programs differ in how they are paid for.] Common Core: Common Core is a state, not a federal issue. From what I’ve seen and read it’s a flawed system, and many people are unhappy, as many at 64% are unhappy. It’s up to government(s) to try and fix it or repeal it. If it doesn’t appear to be working for students then the government should stop it. Look at Common Core and materially change it or try something else. Gun control: I think we have a mental health issue with regard to mass killings. We need to really concentrate on mental health issues, and how do we identify these people who are likely to commit these terrible acts of violence. I also believe that law-abiding citizens have a right to a firearm for personal protection or for sport. That right doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be regulated. I’m for background checks and I don’t think people should be able to get just any weapon, though I believe strongly in the second amendment. Gun owners have to be law-abiding citizens, mentally stable and there needs to be background checks Federal sentencing of criminals: We need to develop a sentencing system that has some form of guidelines, so that it doesn’t vary widely based on economic status or anything else. People should be treated the same. Also, the judge should have some discretion to look at the issues on a case-by-case basis. That’s why we put judges in there, to be able to reason and think and come to conclusions. They do have some flexibility, but it’s somewhat restricted. I would like to see more flexibility but, at the same time, more accountability. At the federal level they are lifetime appointees, so how do we hold them accountable for things they might do that we deem crazy. But I am more concerned with public safety than overcrowding of jails. We have to bring down the crime rate by creating new opportunities for people who may be predisposed to doing something unlawful. If they have more at stake in the community, the consequences are tougher, and they may think twice because they have something at stake. Many arrested now have no stake on the community.

V.2 NO. 1 | OCTOBER 2014

Your NewsMag

PROFILE Smile All the Way to Geller Dental Group

Your NewsMag

by Sharon G. Jonas

are is the person who loves going to the dentist, but the Geller Dental Group in Bellmore works hard to make the trip a lot less daunting. Their thoughtful consideration of a patient’s comfort, their level of expertise, range of on-site specialists and state-of the-art equipment all offer what they believe is a more secure, serene dental experience. At 2140 Bellmore Avenue, their facility presents as a stately home topped with a distinctive cupola and rimmed in tasteful landscaping. Reluctance to walk through the door might be less from anxiety than the impulse to linger on the front porch to imagine it’s where you live.

ROOMS WITH A VIEW Many of the spacious rooms offer an unexpected floor- to-ceiling window view of outdoor greenery accented by a birdhouse. The effect is immediately calming. Reclining in one of their soft, pale green chairs and viewing the scenery makes a patient wonder perhaps why more dentists don’t consider their office from a patient’s perspective. Every aspect of their facility, from the waiting room with a fireplace to the choice of wallpaper,

works to create a serene atmosphere. When necessary, nitrous oxide gas – a safe option on children as young as two - and sedation, allowing a patient to linger peacefully through treatment, are available.

COMPREHENSIVE CARE The Geller Dental Group claims to offer the distinct advantage as the only practice on Long Island with comprehensive care, providing a range of dental specialties under one roof. “We have something special,” says Dr. Mark Geller, the retired founder of the practice now working as the administrative director. “What patients love about our setup is they don’t have to leave when a specialist’s care or a consultation is needed,” he remarked. Oral surgery, root canals, periodontal work, TMJ treatments and implants are routinely performed on the premise. “When you have an additional procedure done at another office there’s often very littleto-any communication between the specialist/surgeon and the general practitioner...who ultimately have to work together. Ours is a teamwork approach,” says Dr. Geller. Also in-house is a pediatric specialist who

will recommend that children be seen at one year of age to check development, establish proper oral hygiene and instill a positive experience at that young age.

STRONG IN TECHNOLOGY “We offer a lot of cutting-edge technology, too,” continues Dr. Geller. “We’re practicing a totally different kind of dentistry, much finer, more predictable with longer-lasting results than in my heyday…” Equipment includes an impressive 3-D x-ray machine called a Cone Beam, which provides images of the jaw to allow for greater disease diagnosis to significantly increase an implant success, for example. “We don’t like the phrase, ‘It should be ok' " (ok,' ") says Dr. Geller. The Cone Beam allows for precise guided-implant placement and eliminates guess work. Avoiding nerves, sinuses and confirming bone integrity is assured using a Cone Beam. The newest innovation is a digitally-created mouth impression device use for making tooth impressions. A wand moves easily about the mouth to send exacting measurements to a computer, eliminating the use of gunky material once necessary to make a mold.

OCTOBER 2014 | V.2 NO. 1 Another intra-oral camera allows a patient to easily view on a screen what the dentist sees. “While not all patients like to know what’s going on,” women in particular, he says, seem to prefer validation and knowing what a process will involve. A laser cavity detector provides accurate determination if a spot on a tooth is merely a stain, or a cavity that needs repair. “It can do something that a dentist’s eyes, hands and x-ray reading can’t do.” This is especially helpful where a stain and a penetrating cavity may present the same. Since owning the latest in equipment requires learning how to properly use it, Dr. Randy Geller, Mark’s son and the practice’s director of dentistry, has taken hundreds of hours of continuing education courses, as have the specialists at the group. “We believe in a commitment to education. It’s what moves our practice forward,” states Dr. Mark Geller.

COSMETIC DENTISTRY For those looking to improve the appearance of their smile, several types of whitening procedures are available. Invisalign, the nearly invisible brace system, is routinely done for adults. “We do everything here except for children’s braces,” concludes Dr. Geller.

V.2 NO. 1 | OCTOBER 2014

Your NewsMag

Internships/Volunteer Positions Available at the Nassau County Film Office

orth Merokian Debra Markowitz, director of the Nassau County Film Office and director of the Long Island International Film Expo showing annually at the Bellmore Movies, emailed Your News Mag to tell us that the Nassau County Film Office has nonpaying, part-time internships and volunteer positions available in its Mineola office. The Nassau County Film Office helps production companies find locations and services when they are filming in the Nassau County area. It works with major studio films, independent films, commercials, industrial videos and fashion photography. It also works closely with the Long Island Film/TV Foundation on producing the Filmmakers Connection Meetings and the Long Island International Film Expo (LIIFE) yearly in Bellmore. Some past interns have gone on to become promotions managers of local radio stations, lawyers at the state attorney’s office, location scouts,

placement managers in the entertainment field, and other varied positions in the film and commercial industries. You must be good on the phone, computer literate, dependable and detail oriented. The Nassau County Film Office is open from Monday-Friday, 9 a.m to 4:45 p.m. Interns can be expected to work 2-33 days within those days/hours. A successful internship can earn you a highly respected letter of recommendation, college credits, contacts in the film industry and possible job referrals. If you are interested in a career in the film/tv/commercial industries, make yourself a more viable job candidate by learning what goes into a film shoot from the ground level up. Training is provided. E-mail your resume and the days/ hours you are available to ncantileno@nassaucountyny.gov. For information, contact the Nassau County Film Office at 516 571-3168 or ncantileno@nassaucountyny.gov.

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OCTOBER 2014 | V.2 NO. 1

V.2 NO. 1 | OCTOBER 2014

Your NewsMag

HEALTH MATTERS

New Website Portal Provides World of Services for Special Needs Children

ellmore resident Tim Flynn doesn’t understand what the fuss is about in the continual fight to reduce taxes, saying citizens may not know what their tax dollars actually pay for to improve their lives. For example, Flynn, who is a director at Special Olympics New York – Long Island Chapter, and works for AHRC, recently introduced an important website at the Bellmore street fair he has developed for families with children with special needs. He calls it a portal into the hundreds – if not thousands – of programs offered by New York State, “because our taxes help the state develop and pay for these essential programs that help these children with special needs live more productive and fulfilling lives,” he remarked. “My family and child – as do 85,000 other special needs children and their families – benefit from the present tax base because the state is second-tonone in providing assistance to families with special needs children,” Flynn continued in an interview with Your NewsMag. He said his discovery of new programs and companies virtually every day that offer free services and products designed for children with special needs paid for by the state drove him to design and introduce www.everythingspecialneeds.org at the Bellmore street fair last month. The website is an example of both the government and private industry’s commitment to helping children with special needs, said Flynn. The portal, which Flynn says took two years to develop, offers a comprehensive listing of services and products to help parents in their search for more complete solutions to raising their special needs children. “People have been told what they should do for their children, what products are available because services are hard to find,” said Flynn. But the website, he said, opens a new world up to parents to learn of products and services available for their special needs children so parents can

decide for themselves the best path to take in raising their child. Medical, educational, recreational and social services are all listed on the website, he continued. “The website allows parents to make more informed choices about how to care for their children based upon the types of services available, and it can connect them together to set up play dates for their children, for example,” he said. The website, said Ryan Fitzgerald, webmaster of the site, has already signed up 200 members from the fair alone. “This is a tremendous opportunity to build a valuable website for a very worthy cause,” he added. The website includes access to free programs and services on Long Island, and a subscription service for those who sign up to become members. “Those who sign up receive special information on fundraisers, for instance, or ways in which to build a better community of parents through connections and events taking place,” Flynn said. In remarks about the website to Flynn, parent Jenn Kirrane said that since the birth of her children she has struggled with finding the appropriate doctors, therapies and support. “I have always wished that there could be more help and guidance for families with special needs children.” She said. She hoped, she said, that this website could indeed be a lifesaver for many parents and their children.

OCTOBER 2014 | V.2 NO. 1

Merrick Dentist Promotes Candy Buy Back

ith Halloween right around the corner, the staff at Merrick Pediatric Dentistry is gearing up for its Fourth Annual Halloween Candy Buy Back Event. The office will buy back children’s unopened Halloween candy at $1 per pound (maximum five pounds per child). The candy will be donated to a local veterans group, where a portion will be shipped to active troops and a portion will be used as part of a Thanksgiving event for homeless veterans on Long Island. Last year, with the help of Grand Avenue Builder’s Club, the office collected over 400 pounds of candy from children in the community. The children will also have the opportunity to draw pictures or write letters to the troops to send with the candy. Face painting, Raffles, crafts, balloons and other goodies will also be provided for the children free of charge. This is always a fun event for the children and a great way to get rid of some of their extra candy while helping a good cause! Help us make this year another great success.

This year’s event will take place on Saturday, November 1, from 3-5 p.m at Merrick Pediatric Dentistry, 1756A Merrick Avenue in North Merrick. For more information visit MerrickPediatricDentistry.com or call the office at 547-1997.

V.2 NO. 1 | OCTOBER 2014

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HEALTH MATTERS: BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Breast Cancer Summit

Dr. Simpson, a Merokian, awarded actress, activist and New York native Fran Drescher with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her continued dedication to cancer awareness. Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano stands to her right.

errick resident and Long Island Plastic Surgical Group President Dr. Roger L. Simpson and

his partners hosted 500 breast cancer survivors and members of the medical community at the Fourth Annual

Breast Cancer Summit held recently at the Coral House in Baldwin. In addition to presentations by health officials and a moving speech by the actress, the summit’s agenda also included a panel on innovations in breast reconstruction. The program featured Steve Keiles, director of clinical affairs at Ambry Genetics; Dr. Jonathan Haas, chief of radiation oncology at Winthrop-University Hospital and Robin Healy, a survivor and volunteer at Adelphi Breast Cancer Program. For information on this free annual forum, or to watch a replay, you can visit www.breastcancersummit.com

OCTOBER 2014 | V.2 NO. 1

Chocolate Works – in the Pink

n support of Breast Cancer Awareness month, and male breast cancer awareness, Cho colate Works is selling chocolate covered oreos and graham crackers with pink chocolate ribbons. It will donate $1 to breast c ancer research for every piece sold during the month of October.

awson Taxi, which covers the Bellmores and the Merricks as well as other locations, has gone Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month. During October the good people of Dawson are donating $200 per week to the 1 in 9: Hewlett House,

helping those who have been touched by cancer.

You can donate by visiting www.1in9.org

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V.2 NO. 1 | OCTOBER 2014

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Bellmore resident, chamber member Kevin MacKinnon dies

evin MacKinnon, a Bellmore resident of the Bellmore community for the past 19 years, has died. He was 64 years old. A retired Yellow Freighter employee who worked at the company for 35 years, MacKinnon owned the candy store called Days Gone Bye on Bedford Avenue. When the candy store closed, he worked at the Bellmore Bean Café. MacKinnon enjoyed working and being involved in the community. It showed when he a became of member of the Bellmore Lions Club and became a board member of The Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores. As a

member of the chamber, he could be seen participating in many chamber committees, which included the popular annual family street fair and festival, He was also co-chairman of the successful

Friday Night Car Show. He is survived by three daughters, two of whom are married, and four grandchildren. His funeral was at St. Barnabas the Apostle Church on Bedford Avenue.

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OCTOBER 2014 | V.2 NO. 1

Historic Bellmore House Gains Landmark Status “T he feeling I have at this moment is ecstatic,” remarked Walter Eisenhardt Jr. of Bellmore upon learning from Amy Strawgate of the Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday afternoon that the Hempstead Town Board had approved landmark status on his historical house at 2668 Martin Avenue once owned by Bellmore entrepreneur Charles Frisch. “The first thing I did was fire off an e-mail to the Charles A. Frisch relatives in Florida,” Eisenhardt continued. He then said he intends to approach local schools and offer tours to students interested in early Long Island history from both an architectural viewpoint, as well from a human interest point of view, more about the people who built, worked and lived in the community.” Not bad for an initial reaction, we figured. As was first reported in this

magazine in January, Eisenhardt got his first date in February with the town board to discuss granting historical status. The 105-year-old Victorian Folk Gothic-style home was built by Charles Frisch, now considered an entrepreneurial builder in the Bellmore area who built and owned the Clarkson Hotel, close to where the Vamps Club is now located. Frisch once advertised for a ‘live-in girl’ to clean and maintain the house in a local newspaper. Owned by Eisenhardt since 2007, the 2400-square-foot Frisch house was built in 1909. Eisenhardt researched Frisch and learned that he had extensive ties to the Bellmore-Merrick communities as a businessman and a builder. “He is one of the community’s first entrepreneurs,” said Eisenhardt, and he deserves to have his house recognized. Frisch’s ties go deep, said Eisenhardt. “He built

2400-square-foot bungalows at High Hill Beach on casino land owned by R.T. Wilmarth.” Wilmarth also ran the ferry from Bellmore to High Hill Beach. When High Hill Beach eventually dissolved, about 50 bungalows were moved to Gilgo Beach. Many still stand. High Hill Beach stood on the eastern shoreline of where Zachs Bay is now. However, Zachs Bay was not a bay until the 1930s, but an inlet from the Atlantic Ocean. Eisenhardt added that Frisch also owned a boat he kept docked in Freeport, where he was suspected of being a rum runner during prohibition.

When Frisch died, the local newspaper reported that he died of cirrocis of the liver. Enhancing the Quality of Life Hempsead Town Supervisor Kate Murray said in a prepared statement after the board’s vote to bestow landmark status on the house, “As we work to enhance the quality-of-life of neighbors for generations to come, we also recognize how important it is to preserve our cherished past.” The town noted Eisenhardt’s extensive research that provided substantial and irrefutable proof of Frisch’s influence in the communities. “Reports of Frisch’s business dealings, documented in historical newspaper archives, detailed his role in building bungalows at the former High Hill Beach – located on the current Jones Beach property – and his ownership of Hotel Clarkson, which was located at the intersection of Newbridge Road and Bellmore

Avenue,” said the statement. “We’re proud to do everything in our power to protect the legacy of this historic home,” town Councilman Angie Cullin said. Councilman Gary Hudes added that “This classic home truly is a Bellmore landmark, and now that we’ve made it official, its historic nature will be preserved for generations to come.” Eisenhardt remarked of his long-time dream to give Frisch the recognition he deserved as among the first – and best - of the early Bellmore entrepreneurs, " Bellmore (Smithville South) as an overall early historic community is off the radar, people are unaware of how much history took place, and how many remnants still stand.” The designation has only stoked Eisenhardt’s passion to continue to search for historical sites that, he maintains, are just as deserving of landmark recognition as the house was. And, already, he’s got a building in mind. Watch this space!

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RESTAURANT REVIEW

OCTOBER 2014 | V.2 NO. 1

Indulge Classic Italian Cuisine

Fabio and Chef Francesco (Frank) Giambanco with their signature Eggplant Pie.

uzzled at the end of Bayberry Avenue in south Merrick overlooking Nick’s Point on the gorgeous expanse of Merrick Bay is one of Merrick’s better-received Italian restaurants, Acqua. In a short span of two years since opening on July 12, 2012, the restaurant has become a go-to place for fundraising events, weddings, anniversary parties, campaign events and birthdays, as well as a destination for entertainment while dining on sumptuous family portions of classic Italian dishes first devised long ago in the kitchens of Sicily. Managed by Fabio and Francesco (Frank) Giambanco - whose father has owned and operated restaurants such as the original Matteo’s on Bedford Avenue in Bellmore Village, and Fabio’s in Levittown and Hicksville - the restaurant is aptly named for its location on the water. Yet, as the balmy evening breezes of summer have slowly transformed into the cool and harsh winds of fall and winter, the dining room, which seats 120, has been fitted with coverage that still permits open views of the bay while providing a warm-and cozy feel to indulge in classic comfort foods at two price points: full- and half-size portions. Family-style offerings of full portions easily feed a family of four, while half-portions still draw couples for a

romantic evening. Says Chef Francesco of his dishes: “There is enough food to take home with you to share with others the next day, to continue the flavors and tastes.” But you may want to come back again.

SIGNATURE DISHES Employing three classic waiters from their father’s earlier days at Matteo’s and Fabio’s, they willingly serve measured portion sizes onto the plate for diners to begin. A wildly popular dish at Acqua is the Timballo, which comes in full size only, at $29.95, especially for a large family. An eggplant pie, it is stuffed with tube pastas of your choice - including penne and rigatoni – and cheese, and topped with a marinara and spearmint leaf. The eggplant wraps around the pasta from the bottom up in the form of a bowl, and the dish is baked to create a firmness that becomes the “crust” of the pie. Diners will determine how many helpings they wish to indulge. Another popular dish is the chef’s Chicken Acqua, tender slices of large panseared chicken breasts basking in a twosauce combination: a red tomato sauce and a brown veal stock sauce that includes shallots, spinach and roasted peppers. The brown sauce reduces the impact of the tomato sauce by adding an earthen tone that complements the nuggets of mushrooms and roasted peppers.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

V.2 NO. 1 | OCTOBER 2014

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While Surrounded by a Gorgeous View The equally popular Chicken Marsala is a â&#x20AC;&#x153;comfort foodâ&#x20AC;? in which a half-order can satisfy a hungry appetite. It, too, is served with the brown veal stock sauce, which is created from the gelatin of veal bones and slowly cooked for at least 36 hours to develop its slightly thicker consistency and delicacy.

SIMPLY DONE â&#x20AC;&#x153;The best dishes are simple dishes,â&#x20AC;? Chef Giambanco told this magazine. For example, he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t add sugar to his sauces because â&#x20AC;&#x153;the simplicity of slow cookingâ&#x20AC;? eliminates any acidic taste. He maintains that slow cooking draws out natural sugars inherent in vegetables such as tomatoes, requiring no extra sugars. Chef Giambanco claims his dishes leave no rings of oil on the edges of the plate because they are â&#x20AC;&#x153;properly cookedâ&#x20AC;?, and he adds no additional oils. The fried zucchini appetizer for ex-

ample, available in both fulland half-size portions, is flashfried in oil and quickly pulled to add flecks of parmesan cheese that settle in between the julienne slices, leaving no oily or greasy taste. Served in abundance, they can be taken home and remain firm and full of flavor the next day. The 14-ounce Veal Chop Valdastano dinner is also flash-fried after being breaded and pounded â&#x20AC;&#x201C; again, with no oily or greasy aftertaste - with prosciutto added for richness. One chop, says the chef, will comfortably feed a group of four and comes in full portion price only, at $49.95. Shrimp Adam is â&#x20AC;&#x153;named after a customer,â&#x20AC;? Chef Giambanco revealed, and comes in half- and full-size portions served over a bed of lush greens. A half-portion includes five meaty U15sized shrimp, and the full-size portion includes 10 U15 shrimp.

For the health-conscious, dishes include a zucchini linguini for those with carbohydrate challenges, and a grilled Chicken Paiard coming with mixed vegetables. Ask the waiter for more health specials not on the menu. Lasagna is not offered at Acqua because, as Giambanco notes, it takes almost an hour to bake it, and he will not put it in a microwave to heat it up. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Microwaving alters the flavors of a dish, because it cooks it from the inside out.â&#x20AC;? Chef Giambanco remarked that he gets breads delivered fresh every morning from Brooklynâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famed Sal and Jerry Bakery. Giambanco, who received his license from the French Culinary Institute in New York City and has been in the restaurant business all his life, also offers up savory desserts, including top-selling homemade cannolis and a Na-

polean. Other desserts include Italian and Oreo cheesecakes, a chocolate mousse and tiramisu.

PARTY CENTRAL Acqua Restaurant specializes in custom-made parties, and has an upstairs dining room equipped for parties of up to 70 people. If more room is needed, Fabio Giambanco says the downstairs dining room, which seats 120, can be used for parties. Every Friday night entertainment is provided by Bellmore singer-musician Joe Salensio.

Acqua will throw a Halloween party on Friday, October 31, beginning at 7 p.m. A buffet, wine and bar will be featured, along with Acquaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature Martini. Also scheduled for Thursday, November 20, is Tapas night. Call 628-7040 for more details on these events, and others the restaurant holds throughout the year, such as wine-tasting dinners. Or visit www.acquamerrick. com to make reservations or to see the complete menu. - D.F

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OCTOBER 2014 | V.2 NO. 1

Popular Bellmore Postal Worker Retires P

at Montefusco, a welcoming and popular clerk at the Bellmore post office for over 20 years as he handed out stamps, money orders and made residents’ concerns over the labyrinth of postal services easy to understand with simple explanations, has retired from the post office. Known affectionately to many as both the “Mayor of Bellmore” and “Postmaster Pat,” he may be gone from the postal career he served for almost 35 years but he is not far away, having also cemented a position in Bellmore as a premiere entertainer who many of his favorite customers can still see Thursday evenings at the Greek Delight Restaurant on Merrick Road singing his best songs. In a recent interview with Your NewsMag, he told of his interest in a postal career that began while living in Rosedale, Queens, when his father told him to take the postal test. “My father spent his life in government service” and suggested it would be steady work for as long as he wanted it. That was in 1978. In 1979 he was accepted and was hired as a window clerk to work in the Valley Stream post office. “I served customers at the window, with stamps, money orders” and did bank deposits when necessary. He said the mail department was completely manual then, a room where there were scores of people in the back who had to sort the mail. “I started early, at 5 a.m., to get the mail out to the carriers,” he remembers. “There were 65 routes that had to be serviced,” and postal employees had to memorize all the routes to know which addresses went with which routes.

At Valley Stream, he became good at what he did and caught the attention of his managers. “While I started as a clerk, I trained as a retail window clerk and became a regular retail window clerk in 1983,” which kept him from having to sort mail early in the morning. But, “I worked my way up to acting supervisor, filling in when other supervisors were out.” The managerial bug prevailed and in 1989 he sprang from the Valley Stream location to pick up a position as manager at the Rockville Centre post office. “I didn’t like the manager’s position at all,” he recalls. “It was a more militant environment,” he said of life there. “The union was tougher, and the management was tough to work for,” he remarked. Faced with an unhappy position at Rockville Centre, he resolved to get out of the stress he was under by asking to be put back on as window clerk. He was granted his wish, but “I got quite a cut in pay.”

A CREATIVE SPARK The impact of a postal career has not hampered his developing interest in music, however, and he has led an equally successful parallel life as a sought-after musician. “My older brother played the bass and the guitar and he listened to a lot of music” back in Rosedale, he continued. The bluesy Allman Brothers and the heavier rockers Deep Purple were early favorites, he maintained. With friends who were also dabbling in instruments as he taught himself to play guitar - at age 13, they all got together and formed a band to see what could become of it. “My first band was called Freedom,” he said,” and we played school dances and CYO halls.” But, “we played FM music on stage,” not simply Top 40 singles. That “gig” didn’t last, as his friends became interested in other bands or girls – or schooling. But, just as quickly the

boys once again came back for the music and reformed as a band in 1976 to play for another 10 years. This time they called themselves, ironically, Inner Vision. “We still reform once a year, usually in June, and get people from the old Rosedale neighborhood down to watch us play at E.J. Farrell’s” on Pettit Avenue, he said.

A BREAK Montefusco would ultimately lay the guitar down after fathering three children, as time constraints became unrealistic and he increased his enjoyment in raising his children. It was for his children’s welfare that he took the leap and moved to Oceanside – where he still resides – in 1996, to give the kids a better school life. As happy as he was in raising his children, the “itch” to still play music silently pulled at him. Since 13 he had been playing guitar, in bands, being around music, blowing steam off in song. “It happened that one day a member of Inner Vision called, and before long we formed a band called Revival,” he told Your NewsMag. Just like that. He remarked that the name was from an early Allman Brothers song of the same name. What was different about this band from the others was that he became lead singer, and he sang a lot of Allman Brothers covers along with other blues numbers. “Revival lasted until 1997,” he said, when it finally played itself out. Having by now earned the respect of the community as postal retail clerk, he received a call from another friend who asked him to fill in with two other members of an acoustical trio. Anoth-

er member had left, and they needed someone to fill in until the other members could find a suitable replacement. He was intrigued, he says, because it was lighter music and he shared singing duties with two others. And so was born X-Session, a three-piece acoustic outfit that has lasted 10 years, adding a saxophone and an electric guitar to become a cover band. As an offshoot of his acoustical approach, he now plays solos Thursdays at the Greek Delight. “I get to see some former customers,” he said.

THE FUTURE Amid the long “dance” of the musical chairs, Montefusco in 2009 happened to take a test along with his son, then 20, to be a New York State court officer, scoring “99 out of 100,” he declared. But after going [CONT. ON PAGE 28] through a

V.2 NO. 1 | OCTOBER 2014

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Celebrating 1 Year

Making Your News Our News! CH A RE ERY EV ME HO

Thank you to all our advertisers and supporters for helping us reach our First Anniversary. We will continue to bring to your door news of what's happening in the neighborhood that we hope reminds you just how special the Bellmores and Merricks are to live, work and play.

Your town. Your schools. Your leadership. Your community matters! 7R $GYHUWLVH &RQWDFW -LOO v -LOO#<RXU1HZV0DJ FRP a (GLWRULDO DQG DOO RWKHU LQTXLUHV ,QIR#<RXU1HZV0DJ FRP a ZZZ <RXU1HZV0DJ FRP

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ENTERTAINMENT

OCTOBER 2014 | V.2 NO. 1

POPULAR BELLMORE POSTAL WORKER RETIRES [CONT. FROM PAGE 26] battery of physical and mental tests in relation to the position, in 2011 he was told Governor Andrew Cuomo had put a freeze on hiring new officers to the court. “I wasn’t looking for a new career,” he told this magazine, so he wasn’t concerned. His position at the Bellmore post office was secure - and he was close to the minimum retirement age. In a town that has 60 mail routes, Montefusco says bar-code readers read the mail now, and it’s all sorted in Melville, per route, before being sent to Bellmore for daily delivery. And, while 80% of the mail was firstclass mail when he started his career, “only 20% is now, the other 80% is advertising,” he maintained.

In 2013 he was called for the court officer job, “but I just wasn’t ready,” he said. He asked if he could defer the opportunity, “and they kept me on the list.” This past June, he was called again, three weeks away from the minimum eligible date to retire. Now retired from the Bellmore post office with a pension, he attended an academy in New York City, and graduated this past Monday, October 20. As a court officer, he is a “policeman of the court,” in which he has learned to fire a gun, learned security details and crowd control and will help court clerks and judges facilitate daily court cases. He maintains he will then be assigned to a court house in one of the five boroughs of New York City.

Bellmore Postmaster Raymond Chatterton told this magazine that “Pat was a very, very good employee who made connections with many customers.” He said several came from other towns such as Merrick, Freeport and Wantagh just to get postal products from him. “He is desperately missed here, because he was a special person” who made the post office tick, he said. Long-time Bellmore postal customer Joann Martiello of Bellmore agreed, “He was in many ways the heart of the post office.” Calling him a friendly, familiar face, she added that “he was very personable, and everyone knew his name.” He will be missed, she concluded. - D.F.

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ENTERTAINMENT

V.2 NO. 1 | OCTOBER 2014

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Karen Bella Making It on Pure Talent Alone By Kevin Halton

ellmore musician and Calhoun graduate Karen Bella grew up with a heart filled with music. The Bellmore native credits her parents of Polish and Israeli descent for her two passions. Says Bella, “music and food were my main and only interests!” Her mother, Debbie, made her children her life’s priority. “She was always there for my brothers and sister, and she always supported me on every level with my musical path.” However, Bella credits her father, Peter, for her musical talents. “His voice is very Elvis-like. He never went through with his singing career, but his side of the family is gifted with the talent of music and art.” After mom introduced her to Barbra Streisand in the musical “Funny Girl,” Bella became enamored with music. She dis-

covered that singing was her one true love and something she wanted to pursue further. It wasn’t until her early adulthood that she began taking music more seriously. Some of her biggest musical influences include Alanis Morissette, Jewel, Elton John, The Beatles, John Mayer and many more. Bella has been told her voice is a mix of Alanis Morissette and Jewel. She takes it as a great compliment. Her album "Ordinary Girl," available on iTunes, is very personal for her,

she says. “It is more of a statement of self than a release to be successful.” Bella felt the need to do something she’d never done before, something that no one thought she could do. And not only did she do it, but she did it all by herself. “I played the instruments and sang my own music. It is raw and simple. Real and honest.” Bella is fluent in Hebrew and has recorded some of her songs in Hebrew as well. She claims she has been a musician since she was born and wrote her first official song at the tender age of 12 years old. Bella plays the Ovation Celebrity guitar and describes the guitar as a perfect fit. Her father gave it to her when she first began playing. Aside from the guitar, this talented artist also plays the piano and ukulele. She plans on learning the banjo next. With

over a hundred songs written, Bella says all of her songs are a part of her and represent a different chapter of her life, mood and essence. When Karen is not sitting in her room, singing songs for her dog – also named Bella, she tries to perform in public as much as her schedule allows. You can see her jamming tunes at open mic nights at K.J. Farrell’s, at hired shows, the Bellmore Bean Cafe and even karaokes on Long Island! Bella describes performing in front of a live audience as though she’s flying. “You face your fear and do what you love … Affect people’s hearts and fly! It’s like you’re on drugs, but there is no drug out there that can make you feel that type of high.” Bella has performed at New York City’s oldest rock club, The Bitter End, where legendary artists Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan,

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Lady Gaga, Neil Diamond, Paul Simon, Gavin DeGraw, Woody Allen, Jon Stewart, Randy Newman, Billy Crystal, Norah Jones, Curtis Mayfield and many other entertainers have performed. “There is so much history there. You name them, they’ve played there!” Ideas for her next album are in the works. She says it’s going to take some time because she wants her next project to be on a different level than the first one. Her next performance is Thursday, October 30, at 7 p.m. at RS Jones in Merrick. More shows are being planned. For Bella, it’s always important she keep in touch with her fans and fellow artists. “Music is life and life is music!” For information about performances, news and anything Karen Bella you can visit: http://kbonkbella.wix.com/ karenbella.

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OCTOBER 2014 | V.2 NO. 1

Entertainment in Your Neighborhood RS JONES, 153 MERRICK AVENUE, MERRICK; 378-7177 Tonight, October 23: Soul Mate Friday, October 24: The Joy of Painting Saturday, October 25: 42nd & Nelson Monday, October 27: Psychic with Jeffrey Wands Wednesday, October 29: Blind Boy Blues – Vinny St. Marteen Thursday, October 30: Karen Bella Friday, October 31: Chic ‘N Martini Saturday, November 1: Treutlein, Novak and Perricone Wednesday, November 5: Barry Waller Thursday, November 6: Mike Barry Friday, November 7: Jan Slow Saturday, November 8: Sweet Suzi & Sugafixx Wednesday, November 12: Pete Kanelous & Friends Thursday, November 13: Woody Mack

Friday, November 14: Unwind Saturday, November 15: Fourteen Feet KJ Farrell’s, 242 Pettit Avenue, Bellmore; 804-9925 Tonight, October 23: All Revved Up, 7 p.m.; Live Karaoke, 10 p.m. Hear the country’s #1 Meat Loaf tribute band; afterward, be your own wild rock star! Friday, October 24: Generations, 7 p.m.; The Mystic, 10 p.m. Classic rock from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s is rolling out in front with Generations. Then it’s time for pop covers with The Mystic. Saturday, October 25: Maccanation, 7 p.m.; Wreckers, 10 p.m. Macca Nation takes on Paul McCartney songs, and sings with them. The Wreckers three-piece band then put it all back together again. Monday, October 27: Open Mic & Jam night, 8 p.m. Free buffet, come jam with Kenny Forgione and friends while getting polished up by full

backline and professional stage/ lighting/sound engineer. Tuesday,October28:OriginalMusic Night,7p.m. Threebands…TBA. Wednesday,October29:WonderousStories,8p.m. AtrioofmusicianswhoplayBeatles, TheWho,EltonJohn,Yes,DavidBowie, MoodyBluesandwhateverelseinon thetipsoftheirfingers Thursday,October30:SirDuke,7 p.m.;livekaraoke,10p.m. Firstup,aStevieWondertribute band.Thentryityourself. Friday,October31:HALLOWEEN PARTY,7p.m. Music for this cryptic adventure is from Pudding Time/Basket Case/ Return of Saturn playing tributes to Primus, Green Day and No Doubt. No doubt. Saturday,November1:TheTouch,7 p.m.;Uppercut,10p.m. VotedBestBandin1985,TheTouch stillplaysthehitsfromJackson5,DepecheMode,TheMonkees,TheCure andothers.

THESUITE,1828SUNRISEHIGHWAY, MERRICK;623-4449 Friday,October24:Outrider,7:30 p.m.;CrimsonStreet,10p.m. Friday,October31:St.MuddyJohnson EveryThursdaynight:Mike&The Outlaws,acoustictrio EverySaturdaynight:DJEclipse spinsthehottesthitstotheclassics

MERRICKCENTERFORTHEPERFORMING ARTS,2222HEWLETTAVENUE,MERRICK; 868-6400 The 22nd year of live theater begins on: Saturday, November 15-Sunday, December 7: D.L. Coburn’s The Gin Game (a comedy) Two kindred spirits play out their contentious relationship over a game of gin rummy in this touching and hilarious Pulitzer Prize winning drama. Saturday, December 27- Sunday, January 8: I Ought to be in Pictures (a comedy) A Neil Simon comedy set in Holly-

wood. A father-daughter relationship develops between an unsuccessful scriptwriter afraid of commitments and his visiting adolescent daughter abandoned at the age of three who longs for parental love. Saturday, January 31- Sunday, February 22: Deidre (a World Premiere musical) If a prophecy foretold that your life would bring about the death of a nation, how would you live that life? Set in ancient Ireland, Deirdre is a retelling of one of the oldest tales of passion and betrayal. Infused with the Celtic spirit by an evocative score, clashing swords, and the prophecy of a mystical Druid, Deirdre is the story of a fatal beauty whose destiny is to bring war to the kingdom, and of the two men who pursue her- one out of love and the other out of obsession. Join in for this world premiere of a new musical by local Long Island writers. ShowtimesareFridaysandSaturdaysat8p.m.Sundaysat3p.m.Tickets are$21,$18forseniorsandstudentson FridaysandSundays.

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V.2 NO. 1 | OCTOBER 2014

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Something to wine about…

Limited release Halloween wines: Spooktacular - or just plain scary? By Linda Delmonico Prussen

ou may have noticed winemakers have been getting into the Halloween spirit with interesting limited release wines. I’m a huge fan of red blends; Apothic Red and Ménage a Trois are favorites of mine. When I first noticed Apothic Dark, last Halloween season, I asked a liquor store owner about the wine and his response was that it was, “Just a different label for the season, but the same wine.” While some spirits companies do change up their packaging for different holidays, I doubted that this was the case here. A little research this year, as well as finally trying the wine, I can say there clearly is a difference. Apothic Dark is, of course, darker in the glass. The nose is less fruity than Apothic Red and slightly spicier. It tasted somewhat drier to me, though residual sugar amounts may actually be about the same. The mouth-feel was not as lush as Apothic Red and the taste was definitely less fruity and less jammy, with more spice and mocha. For those wine lovers that want a drier, less fruity red blend this would be a great choice. Interestingly, I thought that it would be perfect for me—but it turns out I pre-

fer the lusher, fruitier Apothic Red. Another vino I have not tried, but you may want to invite to your Halloween parties this year, is Ménage a Trois Midnight. This, like Apothic Dark, is a twist on the original and enormously popular red blend Ménage aTrois. The winemaker’s tasting notes are quite similar to Apothic Dark. Another wine company that, while not seasonal, has adopted a Halloween-ish theme, wis “Once Upon a Vine.” With wines such as “The Big Bad Red Blend,” “The Lost Slipper Sauvignon Blanc,” “The Fairest Chardonnay,” “The Charming Pinot Noir,” and to satisfy fans of bubbly, sweet wines, “The Enchanted Woods Bubbly,” you’re sure to find something for everyone at your soiree. Their website, www.thewinebar. com/once-upon-a-vine also includes an area with innovative Halloween cocktails made from their wines. HobNob has also gotten into the act with a limited release, skull-adorned bottle called, “Wicked Red Blend.” And my current favorite red blend, “Primal Roots,” might also fit the bill for serving at a scary film showing.

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