YourNewMag #01

Your town. Your schools. Your leadership. Your community matters! www. YourNewsMag.com

OCTOBER 2013

Bellmore • Merrick

IN PRINT & ONLINE

Still, They Wait

Growing the Family Tree ● Making a SPLASH

Were You at the Fairs?

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News

Your NewsMag

№1 | OCTOBER 2013

Will property taxes remain stable in the face of devalued properties?

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merging concern in some circles contends residents of Nassau County who did not grieve their property assessments in 2013 may pay up to $2000 more in property taxes come the spring of 2014, to make up for the reduction in taxes granted to those who did grieve their assessments.

This news comes after the county granted lower assessments to Bellmore and Merrick residents to compensate for their loss of value after their homes were severely gutted and made uninhabitable..

The Post-Hurricane Sandy Assessment Stabilization Plan paid to stabilize rates so those whose home assessments

weren’t lowered would not have to pay more.

A source close to the issue said that, normally, property tax bills reflect a .25 uniform % of value in the statements. But, households who grieved their property taxes instead will see a .19 uniform % of value, suggesting a decrease in value, making those with the higher value pay more to make up for the decreased value of the other properties. Up to $2000 more?

By multiplying the value of your home by .25 – and adding in other variables such as taxes from other taxing districts – you will arrive at the amount of your property tax

bill. But for those who multiply by .19, they will receive a lower bill than those who multiply by .25. “That could come out to as much as $2,000 for a home,” the source, who requested anonymity, said.

However, Jim Davis, county assessor for the Department of Assessment, responded this way to an email from this publication on the very question: “Everyone is at .25. If someone files a grievance, ARC [the Assessment Review Commission] has the ability to negotiate at a lower ratio to settle cases before they become a liability, but the ratio for my sake is always .25. With Superstorm Sandy, there will be no

shift from effected homes to non-effected homes. Tax rates were determined based on pre-storm values and bills are being sent out at post-storm values. The difference will be made up from CDBG [Community Development Block Grant] monies from the state.

The reduced values are being treated almost as an exception, like the STAR exemption.”

Finally, another source who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak, said the county government is working to assure that residents don’t get a spring 2014 property assessment surprise of up to $2000 in the mail.

Afforable Care Act info at libraries Information on the new Affordable Care Act, now law, is available at all four local libraries: The Bellmore Memorial Library, the Merrick Public Library, The North Bellmore Public Library and the North Merrick Public Library.

Librarians and staff will be able to assist residents who wish to learn about the benefits of the new health care law.

In New York the law provides new health insurance exchanges in which families and individuals can choose from one of up to several health care providers to provide health coverage within an affordable budget; tax credits to small businesses to afford health care for their employees; support for health coverage for early retirees; expansion of coverage to cover family members up the age of 29; and no financial caps on the amount of coverage an insurer will pay toward serious illnesses.

The law also protects residents from being turned away for pre-existing conditions.

Visit your local library to learn more.

Grand Opening of New Location on Sat. Nov 2 from 2 - 5pm

Dr. Rania Elbax, DDS

1756A Merrick Avenue, Merrick

Participating with most major insurance plans.

Comprehensive Dental Care for infants, Children, Adolescents and those with Special Needs.

News

№1 | OCTOBER 2013

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Construction on sports facility begins in mid-October

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onstruction on the former Verizon building off Centre Avenue immediately north of the train trestle in Bellmore to turn it into a new fitness facility is set to begin on or about October 15.

The new facility, a 30,000-square-foot-plus state-ofthe-art training complex, will be home to the newest Xtreme Gym, which has two other gyms in the Bellmore-Merrick community, both on Merrick Road.

“The new gym will not compete with the other two gyms,” said owner Neil Wolfson. He explained that the two gyms on Merrick Road largely serve

clientele south of Sunrise Highway and Merrick Road, and the new gym will focus and serve clientele north of Sunrise Highway living in North Bellmore and North Merrick, and up into Levittown and East Meadow.

The Bellmore gym has been a traditional school for weightlifting, Wolfson said.

And the Merrick gym accommodates many Merrick mothers who take classes to help keep them in shape and active. He does not anticipate a drop-off in membership from either gym in favor if the new facility.

Members from each of the gyms will be able to go to the new gym as part of overall membership.

“It’s right near the Bellmore train station” to enable gym and fitness enthusiasts an opportunity to work out after getting home from work, he said.

What’s completely different about the new facility is that it will feature a swimming pool, a racquetball court and a basketball court in addition to workout rooms and towel service, and offer multiple fitness classes, such as yoga, spin classes and kickboxing.

“There will also be an Xtreme Café,” Wolfson said, serving sal-

Beechwood to give presentation

From www.YourNewsmag.com The Beechwood Organization will be the guests at the monthly meeting of the North Bellmore Civic Association meeting on Monday, October 21, starting at 7 p.m. at the North Bellmore Public Library.

Attorneys for the company, which builds communities and is now building the Country Pointe community at the old Army base in North Bellmore, will discuss the plans for the 79-home community now under construction as the site.

Renderings of the homes will be provid-

ed, all which start at $500,000; discuss the services the firm will provide to those who live in them; and discuss all other pertinent aspects of the project.

The firm also built the Meadowbrook Pointe community at the old Roosevelt Raceway area.

The meeting will be the first of the month for the civic association, which generally meets on the second Tuesday of every month. The Columbus Day holiday pushed the meeting back to the October 21 date.

For information call the library at 785-6260.

ads and smoothies, for starters.

“They can replenish some nutrition after a workout,” he said.

He said the Bellmore and Mer-

rick communities are very fit and health-conscious communities, so the new state-of-the-art facility made sense to build.

Hurricane season is half-over

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ellmore and Merrick residents still rebuilding their homes in some fashion are understandably uneasy about when the next storm could hit again, to unravel the lives they have diligently tried to put back together. Some have even suffered through post –traumatic shock, health professionals tell us.

So a chance comment that sandstorms of the Sahara Desert in Africa were hindering the formation of hurricanes over the mid-Atlantic in early August, followed by news reports several weeks later that sunsets on Caribbean Islands were more red than normal because of heavy sand particulate in the atmosphere, lead us scrambling to www.wunderground.com (Weather Underground).

There we read a blog from Dr. Jeff Masters, who holds sway over the website and is its director of meteorology, in a July 31 blog of a huge dust storm indeed that blew out from the Sahara into the tropical Atlantic, where hurricanes that slam into the U.S. are born after crossing the Atlantic into the Caribbean. The blog was accompanied with animation of the dust track for good measure.

Hot, dusty Saharan air rides high in

the atmosphere over cooler air, he noted in the blog, and the dust blocks sunlight from hitting the water, keeping the water cooler. This event, apparently, is enough to cool the water significantly to muddle hurricane formation.

But in his September 16 blog he entered this: “With the African monsoon now beginning to wane, and a [weather oscillation] expected to be in a phase that will bring sinking air to the tropical Atlantic during the remainder of September, the Cape Verde hurricane season is likely over; I give only a 30% chance that we will see a tropical storm develop between the Lesser Antilles Islands [Caribbean] and coast of Africa during the remainder of hurricane season.”

That’s good news, perhaps, to all rebuilding as we approach the first anniversary of the third most devastating and expensive weather event in the U.S. since 1980 – according to the website.

However, he added this warning, “… we will likely get several more tropical storms forming in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, or waters near the Bahamas during the remainder of the season.” And that is precisely where Hurricane Sandy formed.

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Your NewsMag

☞ TABLE OF CONTENTS ● PAGE 5: PROFILE: Civil litigators help (civil litigators help balance community needs, privacy) Attorneys Gold, Stewart and Benes LLP help residents and businesses live together. ● PAGE 6: Were you at the Bellmore Fair and Merrick Fair?

See yourself in a selection of photos from the annual autumn festivals – and online at www.yournewsmag.com.

● PAGE 10: COVER STORY: Still, They Wait It’s been close to a year, many are still not in their homes – and winter’s approaching.

● PAGE 19: Making a SPLASH Helping clean up the bays is a leisurely exercise in community give-back.

● PAGE 20: What’s in the$49.864 million CHSD Bond?

Education, infrastructure and field improvements cited as essential

● PAGE 24: FEATURE Growing the Family Tree JFK Alumni act in harmony to mentor tomorrow’s students to give back to community

● PLUS: Local news – PAGE 2 Health Matters – PAGE 13 Schools - PAGE 20 Civics roundup – PAGE 22

● ON THE COVER: Nicole Oberst’s home is still uninhabitable almost a year later.

Fair photos by Harrison Bromberg and Isabella Feldman.

Bellmore • Merrick

Your NewsMag Comes To Town A grassroots community effort to bring local news right to your home

By Jill Bromberg

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his is your community NewsMagazine that focuses on your town, your schools, your leadership and your community matters. Everyone who contributes to your NewsMag lives in the community and knows it well. We are here every day bringing our children ng to school, shopping in the stores and living om the community life that we cover. Your community is important to us because your community is our community.

My husband Marc grew up on Randy Lane in Bellmore.

He went to Shore Road Elementary, Grand Avenue Middle School and Kennedy High School. He always told me great stories about his childhood and many reasons why he thought we should move to either Bellmore or Merrick. There are fabulous schools, the people in the town care and there are a great variety of local shops and restaurants.

When searching for a home 12 years ago, my husband told me that he always hoped that he could live in the Gables section of Merrick. He had fond childhood memories of riding his bicycle from his home in Bellmore up Newbridge Road to Robinhood’s on Sunrise Highway to buy a toy. He marveled over the castle- like structure of the homes as he glanced down the streets he passed.

Flash forward 30 years later, here we are living in a beautiful English Tudor in the Gables section of Merrick! Marc, my son Harrison and I enjoy regular bike rides to admire the neighborhood.

I am always pleasantly surprised to find out how many of my husband’s childhood friends have stayed in the area to enjoy the great schools, shops and easy commute into the city. Speaking of the city, as a single woman I lived in Manhattan on 80th Street and First Avenue for many years.

Then I met my future husband, a housepainter from Bellmore, who introduced me to this lovely community. And I never looked back.

Hailing from Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communication, my first work-related gig was advertising manager for the school’s newspaper, The Daily Orange. After graduating I was recruited by General Foods International. As I learned and gathered experience from top marketing and strategic planners I worked my way to group director of Saatchi & Saatchi’s Rowland Promotion and Design Group. I had the invaluable experience of learning about a variety of products and services in order to best promote them to meet company objectives. Always something new, always something exciting.

When asked to join one of my clients, W Sp Springs-Wamsutta, to help them with a rebranding strategy for all of their many brands, I could not resist the opportunity. But the company eventually moved its headquarters from New York to South Carolina. I commuted for a while, but that got old. So I set out to find a new l local opportunity. Before I knew it I found a pl place at the Merrick Life and Bellmore Life newspape And now, I bring you Your NewsMag. papers.

While working at Merrick Life and Bellmore Life I became a member of the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores. What happened is that I fell in love with the good nature and comeradery of the people who volunteer and give to the community. My dad was always involved in community organizations. When I was a child, he would tell me that it was part of being a good doobie. Bellmore and Merrick have fabulous Chambers of Commerce that contribute to the spirit and vitality of the community.

For the last three years I’ve served on the board of the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores. Your NewsMag is now a member of both Merrick and Bellmore Chambers of Commerce. The chamber members are all volunteers who own businesses and care to give their time to make our community a festive and wonderful place to be. The seeds of Your NewsMag were planted to build on that same principle.

Your NewsMag is a news magazine delivered to every home in Merrick and Bellmore free of charge because you live here and are part of the community. Advertising support pays for Your NewsMag so please give a shout out to the many participating businesses by shopping local. The publication is called Your NewsMag because the publication belongs to you. My goal is to bring you a NewsMag that everyone can participate in and enjoy. Your newsmagazine will be available in print and updated daily online. If you go online to YourNewsMag.com you will find colorful pictures from events and even more news. There will be opportunities to enter and win prizes. As part of an effort to involve young people in Your NewsMag we will challenge all seniors from each high school to submit a writing sample for a monthly column on the events and happenings in their school. This column can include sports updates, special events and the goings on in each grade.

If you know of 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. We welcome comments and suggestions to info@yournewsmag.com. A personal thank you to all of you for making the towns of Merrick and Bellmore the kinds of towns that brings its kids back home.

Profile

№1 | OCTOBER 2013

Your NewsMag

Civil litigators help community Balance needs , privacy

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ess Corporation knows them, Billy Dean has been challenged by them, White Castle has felt their full assault, and P.C. Richards is familiar. Community entities such as the Bellmore Preservation Group and several residents could not have remained resolute in the face of crawling commercialism - or received reparations - without them.

But neither do Jeff Gold nor Chris Benes of Gold, Stewart and Benes LLP, attorneys in Bellmore, dwell on the past as they marshal their resources toward the next big case on their docket: a trial coming up in Supreme Court representing a Merrick man who was run over by an alleged drunk driver and then hit again by an elderly driver in his ‘80s.

In practice together about seven years, Mr. Gold, a Democrat with a Juris Doctorate in law from Fordham, and Mr. Benes, a Republican with a JD from University of Buffalo, comprise a team of six civil litigators who, in their words, “kick ass” in court.

“We are litigation lawyers who represent community groups and individuals against businesses they believe are harmful to the community or are against their interests,” remarked Mr. Gold of their busy practice.

For example, a settlement was made in favor of a Merrick resident who would wake up in the mornings to the strong smell of garlic in his home, which required a neighborhood restaurant to install scrubbers into the outflow vents to greatly reduce or eliminate the aromas coming from the vents during hours of restaurant preparation and cooking.

They also we will represent small businesses in the Bellmores and Merricks who want to become good neighbors and get the most value of their relationship to the community by learning how to respect property lines and civil rights., said Benes.

Among their most satisfying successes is their representation of the Bellmore Preservation Group in challenging White Castle Corp’s intent to put up a restaurant at the corner of St. Marks Avenue and Sunrise Highway, on land owned by lifelong Bellmore resident Bill Sette.

Both Gold and Benes admitted many in Bellmore were annoyed at them for arguing the case against White Castle, adding “we like those hamburgers ourselves.” But the issue was one of the rights of residents to live in their adjoin-

ing neighborhood next to the proposed restaurant without fear of their values decreasing with a 24-hour restaurant in the neighborhood.

Underground gas tanks at a Hess Corp. gas station on Merrick Road leaked, causing an underground plumage of gas to drift southward under homes, causing the potential for harm. While Hess addressed health concerns and has remediated them, Gold and Benes got the most affected resident of the plume who lived next to the station, a settlement.

Billy Dean, an adult entertainment businessman with a business in North Bellmore, felt the wrath of the community when he and associates applied for and built a restaurant in Wantagh perceived to be a strip club. Gold and Benes represented the Wantagh homeowners, who got the opening of the restaurant stopped on the grounds that residents should be able to live freely without fear of intrusions from outsiders into their quiet neighborhood. ”We stopped it from opening,” said Gold. It is now on appeal at the Supreme Court Appellate Division .

Gold and Benes also negotiated a settlement between P.C. Richards and homeowners behind the old South Shore Buick Motors next to P.C. Richards, after the appliance store purchased the South Shore property. P.C. Richards intended to build a temporary store on the South Shore lot while it revamped its original store, but neighbors complained of new parking lots at the temporary store. An amicable settlement was reached by both parties, where the company purchased a home behind the property as a buffer.

“We chose Gold and Benes because they are Bellmore and Merrick residents,” Eileen Casazza, vice-president of the Bellmore Preservation Group, told this publication, and because they had handled the P.C. Richards case to the benefit of the community.

“They help point their clients in the right direction and give a clear explanation of the law,” she added.

Gold, Stewart and Benes LLP provide free consultations to discuss local issues residents may have about a variety of concerns.

Having represented several employment discrimination cases in Supreme Court, Mr. Benes concludes, “If you wonder whether you should speak to a lawyer, then you probably should.”

With this coupon only. Cannot combined with any ofer other or sale item. Offer expires 12/7/13. YNM

With this coupon only. Cannot combined with any ofer other or sale item. Offer expires 12/7/13. YNM

Proud member of the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores.

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Bellmore Fair Family Fun

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Cover Story

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№1 | OCTOBER 2013

Still, they wait W

hile the winds of autumn have brought relief from the summer’s humidity, many in Bellmore and Merrick are entering their third season of unresolved relief brought by the calamity of superstorm Sandy. Some are still not in their homes, others have foundations that continue to shift while still others have lost their homes altogether. All are fighting for funds - and winter’s coming on.

Nicole Oberst of Bellmore fled her house as the waters rose in the street on Beach Avenue the day before the storm. The storm hit on the third anniversary of the home she and her husband Andrew built. Two feet of water entered their home, which has an elevated stoop with several steps and a crawl space.

Lower-lying bungalows across the street had water to nearly their rooftops. She lived in her home briefly after the storm, using a generator. But one of her sons, Nikolas, developed an asthmatic condition from harsh cleaning chemicals and mold growth, so they now live in an apartment in Seaford.

“I want to elevate my home but was denied a Town of Hempstead building permit to raise it 6 ½ feet,” she said. “They will only allow me to raise it two feet.” Further, she was approved for a Small Business Administration loan for $185,000 and received $14,000 of it before the loan was withdrawn by the SBA. “They suddenly said I have insurance,” she said.

When FEMA first arrived in November after the storm the family received a displacement payment of approximately $2600, “But they promised money to pay for new contents in the house,” such as a new vacuum and other household items.

She has seen no money since.

She had a hearing in early October at the town’s zoning Board of Appeals to get a variance to build up 6 ½ feet. Susie Pokalsky, a town spokeswoman, told this publication that while the town has dropped all variance fees, the height requirement will be dictated by Federal Emergency Management Agency guidelines. They have the elevation or topography of each house, and it is they who determine how high a house can be raised, she said. So, the Obersts wait.

SINKING FEELING Lori Kypreos of Bellmore said water rose above Jeeps parked in the street once the surge hit with full force. “The water came up quickly and people on the block were caught and couldn’t get out.” Living on the canal, she stayed safely in her bedroom. In the morning she found her deck had sunk and cracks in the foundation had appeared.

“There were sinkholes that exposed cracks in the foundation,” she said, and those cracks in the foundation all around the house are growing larger.

More prominently, there is a crack in the house that shows a separation of the room featuring a hot tub and a commode from the main house, and the floor entering through her back door is sloped so that one has to ‘walk uphill’ to get farther into the house. “The floor is loosening from the compromised foundation,” she said.

While FEMA paid for damage to her basement in the sum of $30,000 for new sheetrock, a washer and dryer and a new boiler, plus $1500 for electrical boxes, “they did not pay for content,” she said.

And they would not pay to fix the foundation because she has house insurance. The insurer said the while there had been scouring that occurred by the water coming up around the foundation and taking soil with it, the foundation was damaged by a pre-existing condition and would not be paid for.

An insurance industry source told this publication it is up to the adjustor to determine if the damage done was from the storm, or if the storm may have revealed other damage already there.

“The adjustor has to give a full written report to the homeowner on why he thinks it is a pre-existing condition, he can’t just say it is without some proof,” the source said.

Which lead Kypreos to express: “I felt I

didn’t have a voice any longer. Who’s really out there to help me?”

She has since hired a claims consultant to reopen her case with her insurer that will include a proof of loss report. She hopes to eventually get $92,000 from insurance and other sources, such as NYRising, in order to elevate her home. Still, she waits.

State Senator Charles Fushillo Jr.’s office told this publication that he was in close contact with Governor Andrew Cuomo’s new Sandy czar John Kaiman expressing concern that NY Rising monies were not getting out to his constituents in south Merrick and south Bellmore.

“Half of my day every day is spent working on behalf of my constituents,” he said during a walk along the Jones Beach boardwalk, before it reopened.

He said that NYRising claims adjustors had reviewed and completed some 5000 applications, and that 2500 of those claims were now in NYRising case managers’ hands. At a NYRising meeting recently Bonnie Michelman, originally from Merrick, remarked she had dropped off hundreds of files she kept on all her contacts of agencies at the first NYRising office in Island Park, and was pleased when they promptly called her back to ask more questions. “Perhaps there’s hope,” she said then.

HOUSE IS GONE David Weiss, a practicing attorney in Bellmore, doesn’t even have a house anymore because the town condemned it so it was torn down. “I rent a house in Levittown that I pay for while I pay a mortgage and taxes for a house that isn’t even there,” he remarked.

Having lived for approximately 30 years on Lee Drive – “which is just a sandpit now” – all he wants is $250,000 from his insurance company, part of the federal National

Flood Insurance Program, and he’s now suing them for breach of contract to get it.

Suing them, he said, because insurance adjustors – affiliated with private companies that are contracted with FEMA to provide federal flood coverage – have repeatedly told him his house’s foundation was ruined because of a pre-existing condition, and had little to do with Sandy.

“Until I was flooded with up to three feet of water in my house from Sandy, I had never had water of any type in my house before,” he said. “So how could they say it was not caused by Sandy?”

When a demolition crew came in to salvage the house they discovered that the floors had buckled so severely the town was called in and the house was condemned.

The damage was so severe, he continued, that the slab of cement also had damage. FEMA further discovered the house, a split level, was below grade and could not be rebuilt.

“My wife and I lived in my office for a while, which had electricity on one side of it. I had a phone, the Internet, I could communicate,” said. Quickly getting up to speed with FEMA, SBA, Hempstead Town engineers and demolition experts, he realized it would be a long process so he found a house in Levittown in which to live.

He has received $28,000 from his insurance for content, and FEMA provided up to $5200 before it learned he has other income. He said FEMA now refuses him assistance because of the federal suit, and he has applied for increased cost of compliance (ICC) and has been told he will receive it – if he drops the suit. He has also filed with NYRising, and hopes to see something from those filings.

In the meantime, he has gotten new town building permits and is planning “to build a modest Colonial-style

Cover Story

№1 | OCTOBER 2013 home,” he said. He has paid roughly $50,000 for soil testing engineers, pile driver employees and a host of other specialists that come with building a new home – in a low-lying area. “I’m out $50,000 here, and have probably spent every penny I’ve saved for the past 15 years.”

He got a small business loan for $200,000 at a small interest, and will use that to help rebuild. But, he adds, it will cost $250,000 to rebuild. “And I’ll have to repay that,” he says. Of the federal lawsuit, “There are no other parties, no legal fees and no jury trial, it will all be litigated.”

“I am not alone,” he concluded. But, “there is nowhere else to go unless you get a sympathetic judge.”

No, he’s not alone. U.S. Senator Charles Schumer of New York sent a letter to FEMA Director Michael Fugate dated August 29, incensed that his constituents are being denied coverage because of a loophole that denies coverage due to earth movement (erosion), even if the erosion is caused by flooding.

“For years, if not decades, homeowners have paid into their flood insurance premiums with the basic premise that they would be protected when a massive storm strikes,” the letter read.

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It continued. “I understand that many of these denied homeowners obtained engineering reports, at their own expense, substantiating that the structure was compromised due to flooding, not earth movement.” Senator Schumer ended the letter, saying, “I respectfully urge you to reconsider FEMA’s stance on the ‘earth movement’ exclusion and that you initiate an internal review of the regulatory requirements guiding FEMA’s standard flood insurance policy. I would also ask that you review any denials for claims that have resulted from damage that resulted from an interpretation of whether movement of ground was from erosion or scouring.”

Late last month Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that homeowners denied claims due to earth movement would now be paid through NYRising, and they can refile claims to get the funds.

With several residents having long burned through their savings, how long will residents be expected to wait until they receive this latest round of funding –even as NYRising tries to excel payments?

Concluded Senator Fuscillo: “Residents are just now beginning to receive their funding from Hurricane Irene.”

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Health Matters

Brighter outlook a smile away A smile is one of the first things we notice about another person, and the appearance of your smile can greatly affect how you are perceived by others.

For some people, the condition of their gums prevents them from showing off their smile to others. However, a simple surgical procedure from a dental professional specially trained in the treatment of the tissues surrounding the teeth can help build confidence and allow these individuals to smile with assurance.

“Procedures like tooth whitening and boding are usually what come to mind when thinking of cosmetic procedures for the smile. What many people do not realize is that there are also procedures which can be performed on the gums to enhance the smiles of people who feel their teeth appear too long or too short, ” said Dr. Mitchell A. Kaufman, a local periodontist, and member of the American Academy of Periodontology.

After dental school, periodontists receive three years of specialized training in the treatment of the gums and other supporting structures of the teeth.

This expertise makes them distinctly qualified to perform procedures that enhance the appearance of the gums, and ultimately improve one’s smile.

The answer for the gums that are too long or a “gummy” smile may be a gingivectomy, where small amounts of gum tissue are gently removed.

“This procedure can make a dramatic difference for patients,” he said.

Another procedure, crown lengthening, is the second most popular cosmetic periodontal procedure for patients under age 50, according to an online poll of periodontists. With crown lengthening, excess gum and bone tissue is recontoured to expose more of the natural tooth. This can be done to one tooth to even your gum line, or to several teeth to expose a natural broad smile.

Conversely, some people believe their teeth appear too long. If your tooth root is exposed because your gums have receded, soft tissue grafts can cover exposed roots, reduce further gum recession and protect vulnerable roots from decay.

If you are interested in having the best smile you can, talk with Dr. Kaufman. He can evaluate your current smile and provide a range of treatments available to help achieve the look you want.

For information, visit Dr. Mitchell A. Kaufman att www.liperiodoc.com Or visit Periodontics and Implants, 2440 Merrick Road, Bellmore, 579-1718.

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Adelphi launches Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign

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delphi University has launched what it deems one of the first major university campus-wide breast cancer awareness initiatives of its kind, which will run the entire month of October 2013 to benefit the 33-year-old Adelphi NY Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline & Support Program, in Garden City at the Adelphi School of Social Work.

The decision to elevate Adelphi’s existing breast cancer awareness-related program to a high level “campaign” was a natural next step in its longstand-

ing commitment to the cause.

Several new pink pawthemed activities (to reinforce the Adelphi mascot and emblem, the Panther) will be introduced, created by Adelphi’s Peer Educators, students trained under the university’s Health Services Center Health Educator. The students will deliver and participate in health awareness campaigns and wellness events on a variety of topics, including breast health, alcohol and other drugs, sexual assault, body image, suicide, nutrition [CONT. ON PAGE 14] and more.

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health matters

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№1 | OCTOBER 2013

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[CONT. FROM PAGE 13] Throughout October, Paw (named for the Adelphi Panther mascot) sales will be held to raise money for the Breast Cancer Hotline. Supporters will be able to sign their pink paper paw and hang it on their office door, fridge, etc. as a sign of support for a loved one who was affected by breast cancer.

On October 28, the campus community and the public will gather at the flag pole for a Paws of Silence and then, as a collective, form the shape of a human ribbon. The Peers will close the month with a workshop: Big or Small, Support them All, to educate the campus and community on breast cancer.

The Adelphi NY Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline & Support Program was founded in 1980 and was the first program of its kind in the state to address the psychological and societal issues associated with breast cancer. The program serves as a clearinghouse for breast cancer resources and organizations throughout the State.

As the only statewide toll free breast cancer hotline, they answer almost 4,000 calls each year and have over 350,000 website visits each year. The hotline is staffed by nearly 100 specially trained, professionally supervised volunteers, most of whom are breast cancer survivors. Professional counseling is provided to 1,500 people each year, and all of the services are free. Visit the Hotline at http://www. adelphi.edu/nysbreastcancer or call 800-877-8077.

SELECTED HIGHLIGHT EVENTS • Thursday, October 17: Breast

Cancer Hotline’s Celebration of Survivorship – 6:15 p.m., Doors Open; 7 p.m., Program begins in the Ruth S. Harley University Center, 2nd Floor, Thomas Dixon Lovely Ballroom.

• Monday, October 28: Paws of Silence – 2 p.m., Flag Pole; Formation of Human Ribbon – 2 p.m., lawn between Levermore Hall and Ruth S. Harley University Center, wear a pink (preferably) or white shirt to participate in the formation of the human ribbon • Tuesday, October 29: Big or Small, Support Them All Workshop hosted

by Adelphi’s Peer Educators – 6-8 p.m., Ruth S. Harley University Center, 2nd Floor, Thomas Dixon Lovely Ballroom The Adelphi New York Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline and Support Program is also offering new breast cancer support groups in October that meet at the Adelphi University School of Social Work. All groups are free, but pre-registration is required. Please call Sandi Kafenbaum, LCSW, at 877-4314 for more information.

The new support groups include: Women who were recently diagnosed: Tuesdays from 10:30 a.m.-noon.

Women with metastatic breast cancer: Mondays from 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m.

Young women with breast cancer: Mondays from 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

Men with breast cancer: Second Monday of each month from 7:00-8:30 p.m.

Spouses and their partners: Wednesdays from 6:30-8 p.m.

№1 | OCTOBER 2013

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health matters

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№1 | OCTOBER 2013

At 78, he’s still in the game

“I

start clients off with a workout of the upper body, the chest, shoulders and arms and then into the lower body and the legs, to burn the carbs,” remarked personal trainer (PT) Roger Sigoda. “And then I get them into a half-hour cardiovascular workout to burn the fat.”

The 78-year-old PT has been into fitness all his life, starting as a football player at Great Neck High, where he says he was the first one to tackle NFL great Jim Brown of Manhasset High. “He made five yards every time, but I stopped him and broke my nose on that tackle.”

In 1957-58 he was a PT instructor in the Army, barking out orders over privates to get them in shape. With side careers in the garment district, then auto mechanics and tanning salons, he came back to personal training and has worked for Extreme Gym for four years, he says.

By having a personal trainer you keep the idea of working out and bettering yourself in your mind all the time, he says of the goal and reason for having a PT. Working out routinely lowers cholesterol, lowers blood pressure and helps ttoward maintaining a healthy diet, he says. He gives his clients a diet program designed to complement the workouts so that, within a few weeks, there are noticeable changes in physique and sense of well-being. ‘Eat protein in the morning,” he says, to get metabolism started .Then have a bigger lunch and a small dinner, with two snacks in between for a total of five balanced meals throughout the day.

Another reason to have a PT: “90% of people do exercises improperly and don’t see any benefit.”

Sogoda works at Exteme Gym, 2119 Merrick Road, Merrick, or call 442-2963. Come see how the older half stay fit and young.

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№1 | OCTOBER 2013

On the Bays

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SPLASH makes every day a feel-good day

T

he 27-foot Carolina Skiff left its berth from the Wantagh Park boat basin on a brilliant morning, the water calm as it headed out into East Bay and turned west toward the Merrick dock at the Norman J. Levy Park and Preserve. Along the way cormorants and ospreys dove for their breakfast, homes on the shoreline were under repair or under expansion.

The skiff, operated by the Bellmore-Merrick-Wantagh

lines of the bays as it can hold, removing it from the shorelines and alleviating the dangers such debris could cause to boaters on the bays.

“We can go anywhere we want in the bays, and there is always plenty of debris to pick up,” said Rick Kopitsch, who volunteers on Tuesday mornings to collect debris. “Sandy has created an industry for us by breaking apart docks, and hauling picket fences and doors into the bays,” he said.

I see that our hard work pays off chapter of SPLASH (Stop Polluting Littering and Save the Harbors), is big enough to have fit several Kennedy High School Senior experience students for a class in environmental responsibility. But its real purpose is to hold as much debris from the shore-

But, added Carolyn LaRosa, “We also go where boaters gather on the weekends on the shorelines of the islands, and we have removed lawn chairs, flip flops and even table cloths.” In point, there is no end to where the debris comes from – and where it goes.

FEEL-GOOD ACTIVITY There is also no end to the recognition volunteers receive in collecting debris from the shores and the waters. “The bay constable was thanking us just the other day for the good work we do,” said Kopitsch. While the crew went about removing debris from beneath the dock at the preserve, people walking the dock waved and shouted

down their appreciation. A man identifying himself only as Dominic from Levittown, watched the volunteers place the debris in a Hempstead Town-supplied dumpster at the boat basin after the skiff came in. He had just retired, he said, and wanted a “fun, feel-good activity” to occupy some of his time.

LaRosa said she feels good after removing unsightly debris. “I see that our hard work pays off.” Bill Hollweg added that, with all the styrofoam and floating debris the SPLASH chapter removed during the summer, “the bays look cleaner now, and I can see it.”

Underneath the nature preserve dock, the volunteers hunted for and placed several wooden planks into the skiff, a huge truck tire with inner tubing (while wondering where the truck was) and small sections of docks. “I’ve found wood with price tags on it, it was that new,” said Captain Lenny Deibler. LaRosa went along the shoreline, picking up small debris such as cloth, plastic bottles and papers and placing them into bags.

“We pick up a lot of balloons,” she maintained, and voiced concern that events such as fairs and birthday par-

ties release balloons that eventually break, fall into the water and kill wildlife as they attempt to eat them.

Crews seeking debris have to be mindful of how much they put into the boat, for two reasons. One is the weight, as too much can slow down or create a capsizing

condition. The other is the work at having to haul the debris to the dumpster at the end of a haul. “It used to be easier, said “ Gary Smith, president of the Bellmore-Merrick chapter, “but the town condemned a building we used so it takes longer to discard of the debris“.

The skiff goes out three times a week for about an hour at a time, and uses three different crews. Volunteers are welcome to join, as are students for educational opportunities and to get community service credits toward graduation. Call 785-4324 for information on how to volunteer on a SPLASH boat.

20

Schools

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№1 | OCTOBER 2013

What the new Central High School District bond will buy

N

ew Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District Superintendent John DeTommaso’ s articulation of the new $49.864 million 15-year bond, of which $26.984 million, or 53.9%, is paid for through New York State Building aid - with a $250,000 grant from Nassau County Legislator Dave Denenberg put into the mix – was also no overstatement.

With Mepham built in 1936 during President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s terms in office under the Works Progress Administration, and the last bond issued by the district for the 1966 construction of Kennedy High School, Mr. DeTommaso mapped out a fairly sobering view of the state of the schools in his presentation, as detailed by what would be replaced or upgraded.

Saying the district can’t ‘bandaid’ problems as they arise anymore – though he said the district has done a terrific job so far in doing so –

because the fixes are no longer cost effective, he put forth an ambitious plan with the help of several administration officials and the district’s architect that focuses on three areas: efficient buildings, improved resources and smart financing.

With the basic infrastructure of all the schools in desperate need of replacement or upgrades, critical on the list is the installation of energy efficient systems that provide energy performance, in which “money is put back through guaranteed savings.”

CRITICAL ITEMS HVAC systems need to be replaced with dual heaters for improved air capacity; both gas and oil lines need to be installed to provide a choice for the district as to which cost-effective fuel to use during economic downturns; up to 77 bathrooms need to be replaced in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act; all classrooms would be

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equipped with air conditioning without adding ducts to the system; doors would be replaced or upgraded; and deteriorating masonry, curbs and sidewalks would all replaced for both safety and integrity reasons.

Improved resources would include replacing all science labs to university-like functionality. “Our labs no longer accommodate current instructional models,” Mr. DeTommaso said. He said the district does have some updated labs, but is in need of completely new labs to help students remain competitive in an ever-increasing challenging educational environment.

Another resource improvement is upgrading all five athletic fields to synthetic turf. “The fields we have now are in poor shape because of overuse,” Mr. DeTommaso said. He said that the district, as well as students and parents, have to virtually “cross our fingers” when there is rain as to how the fields are going to function.

Roger Smith of BBS Architects and Engineers, told the nearly 100 attendees at a recent district meeting that, while it has installed synthetic turf on a regular basis for the last 7-10 years, the company recently replaced its first 13-year-old synthetic turf field.

SPECIFICS Specifically, Grand Avenue and Merrick Avenue Middle Schools will get new HVAC systems, roofs replaced, new science rooms and rest rooms, new art and faculty rooms, a new music suite, its gym floor refinished, synthetic turf, security upgrades and new exterior upgrades.

Calhoun High School will get HVAC, new restrooms, new science labs and a new Calhoun Café, new auditorium side curtains, new ceiling tiles, a synthetic field and its gym floor refinished.

Kennedy High School will get HVAC, new hot water heater, new

restrooms and science labs, a new family consumer science lab, new band room, new floors, new visitor bleachers, a synthetic turf field and expansion of sidewalks.

Mepham High School would get similar upgrades as both Calhoun and Kennedy, but also a new theatrical lighting and sound system as well as a synthetic field.

Mr. DeTommaso said the engineers would act as energy performance contractors who could look at other work, such as roofs and windows, to determine if acting on those items would create further efficiencies.

Smart financing includes $26.984 million paid for the state over the 15 years of the bond. The cost to homeowners would be $8.67 per month, or $104.04 per year for the life of the bond. One attendee commented that a latte grande costs over $8.

The vote will be put to the communities on Monday, December 2.

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22

Civics

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№1 | OCTOBER 2013

CIVICS ASSOCIATION ROUNDUP

By Sharon Jonas Here is a writeup of what went on last month and what to expect this month from the civic associations in your area.

BELLMORE CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS orth Bellmore Civic Association (NBCA) - The first meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 21, at the North Bellmore Public Library at 7 pm.

Representatives from Beechwood Homes will discuss the housing development being constructed at the former military base in North Bellmore. For detailed information go to www.northbellmorecivic.org. (Also see News, p. 3) South Bellmore Civic Association (SBCA) - The first meeting took place on September 16. Topics included an appeal to The Bellmore Plaza Shopping Center to upgrade its façade, building stone entrance pillars to four neighborhoods, meeting with the county Department of Public Works for road revitalization, owners of King Kullen Shopping Center agreeing to repave the parking lot and landscape, acquiring Children at Play signs for Newbridge Road and meeting with Legislator Denenberg’s office regarding security at Mill Pond Park.

SBCA President Alison Frankel was one of four people selected to participate in “New York Rising,” a project started by Governor Andrew Cuomo and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to assist communities following Superstorm Sandy. The first meeting was on September 17 at Acqua Restaurant in Merrick. SBCA welcomes suggestions for use of this program’s funding. Ideas being considered include sea walls, evacuation routes, lifting streets and strengthening low-lying areas vulnerable to flooding. Send ideas to southbellmorecivic@gmail.com.

The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 4,, at 7 p. m. in the Bellmore Memorial Library. For more information go to www. southbellmorecivic.org or call 418-BAYS.

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MERRICK CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS South Merrick Community Civic Association (SMCCA) – The South Merrick Community Civic Association met on September 24 at the Merrick Golf Course Clubhouse. Over 50 residents attended.

President Joe Baker welcomed guest speakers Dr. Dominick Palma, superintendent of the Merrick School District, and Keechant Sewell, the new commanding officer of the Seventh Precinct.

|

To help combat safety issues Mr. Baker said a School Security Committee and a Neighborhood Watch Program were established by SMCCA and he encouraged community support of them.

Superintendent Palma reported that security cameras on school property provide him with information on a daily basis. He encouraged everyone to send him emails about incidents, such as the needles and syringes allegedly found at the Lakeside school.

But many residents spoke out saying that school security efforts should include more than watching activity that already took place. Adding guards is a measure still expressed by many residents. Other suggestions included making arrests for trespassing, rounding up kids hanging out and making their parents come to pick them up, installing sensor lights with silent alarms to notify police of activity, locking the gates at night and fencing the entire area.

Superintendent Palma agreed to lock gates around Lakeside School and add more lighting. Additional security issues require school board review and hoped residents would attend the October 8 meeting.

Commander Keechant Sewell said she may be new to the area, but not to the issues.

Encouraging community awareness, she said, “Your eyes and ears are important to us.” She said that Lakeside has been a focus for the police and officers repeatedly check the area throughout the night.

Speaking on behalf of the POP division, Sgt. Dave Veverka said, “My biggest problem is personnel.” While short staffed, he said, “I think we do a good job.” POP, or Problem Oriented Police, work closely with the schools and preventing underage drinking.

The next scheduled meeting will be “Meet the Candidates” night on Tuesday, October 29, at the Merrick Golf Course Clubhouse at 7 pm. Co-sponsored with North and Central Merrick Civic Association, speakers are those on the ballot for the November election. For complete information go to www.southmerrickcivic.org North and Central Merrick Civic Association (NCMCA) – The first meeting of the month will be “Meet the Candidates” night co-sponsored with the South Merrick Community Civic Association. It will be held on Tuesday, October 29, at the Merrick Golf Course Clubhouse at 7 pm.

All candidates on the ballot for November’s election are invited to briefly speak.

For detailed information go to www. northmerrickcivic.org

№1 | OCTOBER 2013

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Feature

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â„–1 | OCTOBER 2013

JFK Alumni: Growing the Family Tree Indeed, Weiss says he has met many alumni in his real estate dealings, some moving back, or selling their homes to their children, who also went to Kennedy. “You can be a success at Kennedy and not forget where you come from.�

ORIGINS

I

f you saw the band Kamellot performing at the Bellmore Family Street Fair last month - as well as at the second JFK Alumni reunion at Mulcahy’s in Wantagh – you heard more than simple tasty blues and rock samplings played by superb musicians such as guitarist Phil Grande from Joe Cocker’s Live 1990 album, singer Ben Phillip and singer Dana Rayne, who tours with Le Bouche.

You saw several musicians who make up the nucleus of a movement in the Bellmores and Merricks that looks to build upon close friendships and ties to ‘pay it forward’ to the community through the growth of a dynamic alumni association. The association, more than being a group of like-minded people with shared high school experiences and lasting relationships who want to throw parties, thinks it can mentor young Kennedy students in the benefits of building strong community rela-

tionships that can help develop careers even where many alumni now practice: in business, accounting, finance, law, medicine or performance – and hopefully keep them here in Bellmore and Merrick. “There are several businesses along just Merrick Road in Merrick and Bellmore that are operated by Kennedy alumni,� Dr. Gary Morganstern told this publication. Craig Maltz of Stride-Rite Shoes, Mark Knoll, DDS, John Mascaro’s wife of Bagel Boss, David Feldman of Suburbia Prime Meats, Silverman and Gott, dentists - quickly come to mind.

Then there are Phil Assabi of D&P Auto Sales and Scott Russ of Scott Russ Music on Sunrise Highway. “And those businesses can offer internships to Kennedy Senior Experience students who may want to get hands-on experience in a field they may be interested in joining,� added Dr. Harry TsoTsos, an alumni member and orthodontist

practicing in Wantagh during a sit down at Dr. Morganstern’s office.

Others in the sit-down group included Scott Russ and Bob Pizzimenti, financier and vice-president of the Kennedy Boosters.

Sharing morning bagels with his long-time buddies, Dr. Morganstern said the association would like to work with students at the school to keep the connection of the Kennedy spirit alive. “This association is about creating relationships� in the community that will last in the community, he said. These relationships need to be celebrated, embraced and nurtured, he said. Call it development of a “family tree,�

Dr. Tsotsos added. “It’s wonderful that the Kennedy alumni association is active,� said David Weiss, who practices law in Bellmore, with an office on Bedford Avenue. Weiss was inducted into the Kennedy Hall of Fame in 2010. “It gives the current student body

a sense of future� that they can remain active and build their lives in the community.

Eileen Connelly, assistant principal at Kennedy High School who has been at the school 18 years, told this publication that when she first arrived at the school “I couldn’t believe there was no alumni,� especially when there were some accomplished people in the Hall of Fame.

The school had an alumni association in the 1990s for about four years, she said. “I am active in my alumni,� she continued, so she went about getting a fundraiser together for a Hall of Fame Dinner in 2010.

Around the time Connelly was gathering momentum for a fundraiser, Dr. Morganstern was thinking of ways to ‘carry the memory’ of his late brother, Dr. Joel Morganstern, forward.

He died several years earlier but had been active at the school as a class president in the 1970s. Weiss, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame that year, said he [CONT. ON PAGE 26]

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was good friends with Joel. “He was married to one of my first dates growing up.”

Dr. Morganstern, thinking scholarship in his brother’s name, attended the fundraiser that year inquisitive as to what could be accomplished in forwarding that scholarship. “There are a number of alumni that have chosen to honor their deceased loved ones or families so the next generation of students can benefit from those honors,” such as scholarships, Connelly said.

Proceeds from class reunions and sports boosters held by the JFK Alumni go precisely toward those scholarships.

Again…to pay it forward.

Dr. Morganstern said last month’s Multi-Class Reunion at Mulcahy’s in Wantagh raised $8500 toward scholarships to deserving students in the future.

The scholarships included one for $250 to the School Spirit honoring Class of 1980; four $200 PTA scholarships totaling $800; two Sports Booster scholarships at

№1 | OCTOBER 2013

$250 each; one $250 music boosters scholarship; and one $250 wrestling boosters scholarship.

COMING BACK Craig Maltz, who owns Stride-Rite in Merrick, says he has met several alumni throughout the years who have moved back into the community. Why? he was asked.

“I think they are trying to give something back to the community because the schools were very good to them,” and they may want their children to have the same or better opportunities than they had, he said. “Their education at Kennedy helped get them to where they are.”

Ben Phillip, a musician with a following and who sang with Ka-

mellot at the recent Bellmore Fair, has been instrumental in getting well-known musicians into play with core members of Kamellot, including guitarist Bob Gallo, a songwriter who wrote songs for the Bill Cosby Show on TV. Phillip played late last month at Hudson’s on the Nautical Mile in Freeport with several special guests, including Matt Miller, one-time drummer for Blood, Sweat & Tears, Danny Moranda of Queen and Nick Lazarev, who had played with the Brecker Brothers.

Remarking that he has been involved with music since age 10, and singing in bands since he was 15, “I was in the wedding business playing a lot of weddings, [CONT. ON PAGE 29]

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№1 | OCTOBER 2013

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[CONT. FROM PAGE 24] and through the years I met guys who went on to some pretty successful careers.” He kept in touch with them. Now, those relationships pay dividends because he can ask them, when they have some free time, to join the Kamellot band and play for the community – as they did at the Bellmore Fair.

Bringing in well-known musicians with drawing power to play in front of the community he grew up in, he says “It’s great to be able to give back to the community because the community has given so much to me,” he said.

The band Kamellot, says Dr. Morganstern, is an offshoot, a metaphor for alumni harmony. He says the band can bring in wellknown players thanks to Ben and, in so doing, help draw anticipation to the band and

more attendees to watch the show. “At the shows we sell T-shirts whose proceeds go directly to the scholarships,” he said.

He said Kamellot is actually a reference to the president whose name the school is named after, John F. Kennedy. He alluded to an exciting time in American history brought on in part by an exciting man, and Dr. Morganstern has every intention of carrying that indomitable spirit forward – for the sake of tomorrow’s students.

In the last two years the alumni has de-

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29

veloped a website and facebook page, acquired 501(c) status as a nonprofit organization, gained more than 200 members, developed a memorial scholarship and held two successful reunions under its belt. And there is much more to come.

WHO’S WHO Board members include Dr. Gary Morganstern (Class of ’73), president; Howard Kaden, (Class of ’80), vice-president; Maury Josephson, Esq, (Class of ’78), secretary; Beth Littleman

Josephson (Class of ’79), recording secretary; Mark Meyerowitz (Class of ’69) and Elaine Pincus Coluccio (Class of ’78), treasurers; Elyse Singer Lowe (Class of ’73), historian; Gwen Rappel Rosenberg (Class of ’73), photographer; and Paulette Briner Gaze (Class of ’68), membership chairperson.

Trustees include Dr. Matt Kuschner (Class of ’77), David Weiss, Esq. (Class of ’69), Dr. Keith Annapolen (Class of ’71), Dr. Harry Tsotsos (Class of ’82), Dr. Jay Fishbein (Class of ’76) Kenny Greenbaum (Class of ’80), and Bonnie Michelman (Class of ’76). Ben Abruzzo (Class of’73) acts as musical chairperson.

For information on the alumni association, visit www.bellmorejfkalumni.org or visit its Kamellot facebook page.

Sunday, October 20, 2013 5 Mile Walk on “The Boardwalk”

Parking Field 5 (Zachs Bay) Rolling Start between 8-11AM Merrick Avenue and Sunrise Highway across from Merrick Train Station.

Phone: 442-0901

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AT W E S T B U RY

SATURDAY OCTOBER 19 • 7PM

SUNDAY OCTOBER 20

FRIDAY OCTOBER 25

SATURDAY OCTOBER 26

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 1

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 10 • 3PM

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 13

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 14

FRI. & SAT. NOV. 15 & 16

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 17 • 5PM

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 23

For more information visit

www.TheTheatreAtWestbury.com • Box Office Open Mon.-Sat. 12:30PM-5:30PM

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Music playing in your neighborhood Nicolas James Bistro - Merrick.

(546-4805) Rob Jack Live and Unplugged: Friday, October 11 and Thursday, October 24; Saturday, November 16 and Thursday, November 21. Acoustic guitarist with vocals, with special guests.

Michael Duca: Fridays, October 18, and November 1, 15 and 29. Michael will play pop hits and popular classics, with vocals and harmonica.

Brian McGeough: Fridays, October 25 and November 8. This acoustic guitarist and vocalist has been a regular fixture in the Long island’s music scene for a while, playing mellow folk-rock and country-rock favorites from the ‘60s to the present.

Pocket Change Live (Steve and Haig): Saturdays, October 26 and November 2 and 23. Classic rock, county, folk and pop hits from the ’50s through today with guitar duo and vocalists Haig Mathosian and Steve Palopoli.

Bellmore Bean Café – Bellmore (804-4624) October 11 – Dan with eadings by Mimi October 12 – Jay Braiman October 18 – Bayview Terrace October 19 – The Vel-Tones October 20 – Chelsey

October 21 – Poetry Night, open mic October 25 –Brooklyn Time Machine October 26 – The Brewbers RS Jones – Merrick (378-7177) Friday, October 11 – Carrie McQuade Saturday, October 12 – Treutlein, Novak and Perricone Wednesday, October 16 – “C” Squared Harmonies Thursday, October 17 – Fabtalbo Friday, October 18 – Jan Slow Saturday, October 19 – Joe Vicino and Friends Monday, October 21 –Reaching out with Richard Wednesday, October 23 – Mike Barry Thursday, October 24 – Woody Mack Friday, October 25 – Chic ‘n Martini Saturday, October 26 – Breakaway Wednesday, October 30 – Biscuit Kings Thursday, Halloween – Mike Martino Sunday, November 3, RS Jones celebrates 20 years! Come join them in the fun

K.J. Farrell’s – Bellmore (804-9925) Tonight, October 10 – 7 p.m.: FM (formerly Steeling Dan) For the past 15 years Steeling Dan has brought the best of the Steely Dan playbook.

Friday, October 11 - 7 p.m.: RPM; 10 p.m. Empire Radio Empire Radio was voted Best LI Cover Band 2013.

Saturday, October 12 – 7 p.m. Kamellot; 10 p.m. Uppercut State Senator Charles Fuschillo Jr. and state Assemblyman Dave McDonough congratVersatility makes ulate Bellmore-North Bellmore Little League's Girls Softball Team, 10-year-old division, Kamellot the best JFK Alumni band ever! for winning New York State Softball Championship.

(See p. 24) Uppercut is high-energy funk Wednesday, October 16 – 8 p.m.: Wonderous Stories Floyd; 10 p.m.: Halfstep Party rock meets cover rock.

Thursday, October 17 – 7 p.m.: SailA Pink Floyd and Grateful Dead Saturday, October 26 – 7 p.m.: VOR in’ Shoes tribute bands Hair-metal heavy rock A Little Feat tribute band Thursday, October 24 – 7 p.m.: Sir Duke Thursday, October 31 – 7 p.m.:TuesFriday, October 18 – 7 p.m.: For the Stevie Wonder tribute band day Afternoon Record; 10 p.m. Desert Hwy. Friday, October 25 – 6 p.m.: BlindLong Island’s only Moody Blues Saturday, October 19 – 7 p.m.: US&- side Tackle; 10 p.m.: Mystic tribute band

Marc Bromberg Painting The Painter of Choice that: • can help select an elegant palette for your home • you can trust in your home • is extremely neat & clean • returns all calls same day

Interior/Exterior Water Damage Repair Sheetrock/Plaster

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