Merrick
HERALD
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Resident takes a walk to remember
little league gets the oK to play
JFK student feeds hospital workers
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Vol. 23 No. 26
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JUNE 25 - JUlY 1, 2020
Businesses primed for Phase Three
MERRicK RESidENT JENNiFER Schatzman recently started an initiative to fight racism in her community. With the help of a coworker and a local printer, she is distributing signs like this one to other residents who want to send a message.
salons and tattoo parlors are also allowed to reopen. Restaurants will only be perRocky Telese said that Elisa’s mitted to reopen indoors at 50 Ristorante has been something percent capacity, according to of a chameleon since the corona- the governor’s New York Forvirus shutdown began in mid- ward website. The maximum March. “We’ve been constantly number of people per table will changing for the be 10. “Outdoor past three seating has been months,” Telese, more popular than the owner of the we expected,” said Nor th Bellmore Telese, whose restaurant, said. brother, Paolo, is “Our takeout menu the head chef at doubled in size, we Elisa’s. “People just hosted a couple of want to get out and drive-in movies, do things they’re and with Phase 2, used to doing and we had outdoor enjoy a great seating for the first meal.” time in 25 years.” Rocky is unsure As Nassau how long the entered Phase 3 of expanded takeout the state’s reopenmenu will remain ing protocols on in place, since it Wednesday, Telese causes a strain on said his seating FEMY Aziz the kitchen staff, capacity — 89 — President, and with outdoor could be split in Merrick Chamber seating in place, half between there is no longer of Commerce indoor and outdoor room for drive-in tables. m ov i e s. “ T h o s e Restaurants are permitted to were more for fun than anything open for indoor dining in the else,” he said. third phase, provided employees On its website, the state and patrons wear masks, and six Department of Health recomfeet of social distancing is maintained between tables. Spas, nail Continued on page 3
By ToNY BElliSSiMo tbellissimo@liherald.com
B
Courtesy Jennifer Schatzman
Protests produce ‘signs’ of progress in Bellmore-Merrick By AlYSSA SEidMAN aseidman@liherald.com
Merrick’s “lack of diversity” was apparent to Jennifer Schatzman when she moved to the community from Manhattan’s Union Square three years ago, but it became even more glaring earlier this month, she said, when a group of counterprotesters halted a Black Lives Matter demonstration marching through the neighborhood on Merrick Road. Schatzman, who is white,
but has a biracial son as well as nieces and nephews who are black, took part in the June 2 protest. A fake flier that circulated on social media led some residents to believe the protest wouldn’t be peaceful, and that demonstrators could loot or damage property. So when Schatzman’s group tried to continue past the detractors, police told her the counter-protesters “didn’t have our interests at heart,” she said. As officers escorted the protesters past the smaller group,
they yelled, “Go back to Freeport!” and “All lives matter!” Some gave them the finger. “It made me question why I was living here,” Schatzman said. The incident also prompted a number of conversations among residents about how to combat racism the community. After Schatzman posted in the Merrick Moms Facebook group emphasizing the peaceful nature of the protest, one commenter suggested she make lawn signs to unify resiContinued on page 9
eing shut down for three months brought its share of emotional ups and downs, but we’ve come so far and we don’t want to go backwards.