Halloween isn’t usually associated with cleanliness. A holiday that often ends up being a night of shaving cream, egg and toilet paper attacks doesn’t usually foster scrubbing, sweeping and picking up garbage — except for the occasional unfortunate homeowner. But this year, as in years past, Elmont’s going to make cleaning the name of the game on Oct. 21, holding its annual Elmont “Clean-up Day,” an opportunity for residents to put themselves to work. more

Belmont Racetrack’s lights went dark for the season on Sunday night, but not before racing fans had one last chance to catch some of the best racing in the country. more

For distance runners, every mile is an exercise in pushing themselves further and testing the limits of what they can do physically. Every muscle is stretched farther, every breath puffs out the chest a little wider. more

Local school districts are scouring their budgets, looking for places where they can save after word came down last week that Gov. David Paterson will likely try to cut school aid mid-year by more than a half billion dollars statewide as part of his $5 billion Deficit Reduction Plan. more

A gas station attendant in Elmont showed an iron will with a gutsy display of bravado last week, as he swiped a 12-gauge shotgun out of the hands of a would-be robber trying to steal cash from his register. more

Kathleen Rice ascended to the district attorney’s post four years ago as a virtual unknown -- a former federal prosecutor and Brooklyn assistant district attorney who had never run for political office before. Back then, she appeared a tad unsure of herself, slightly nervous in her interviews with the Herald. And why not? She was opposing the legendary Denis Dillon, who had served as Nassau County district attorney for 31 years. Despite being a political neophyte, Rice ran a strong campaign, and was elected with 51 percent of the vote to Dillon’s 49 percent. Four years later, we’re happy that Rice was elected. She has proven herself to be a consummate professional who only improved an already well-run D.A.’s office. Cases are processed nearly twice as fast as they once were. Conviction rates are up. And Rice has garnered a national reputation for her aggressive stance against driving while intoxicated. Many now call her the toughest DWI prosecutor in the country. more

It’s hard to argue with a track record like that of Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, a Democrat from Glen Cove. Over the past eight years, he took a fiscally mismanaged, virtually insolvent county and turned it around, consistently balancing a budget that seemingly could not be balanced. Suozzi saved money by cutting the county work force by 1,000 employees and instituting tried-and-true management practices that were previously nonexistent. At the same time, he has put in place a host of programs to improve residents’ quality of life, from smoking-cessation regimens to energy-efficiency incentives. more

When Gina Capone of Valley Stream was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 2000, she began scouring the Internet to find someone with diabetes whom she could talk with; someone who knew what she was going through. Capone’s aunt was the only person she knew with diabetes, and her aunt’s case was filled with complications. more

Franklin Square and Elmont saw their fair share of parade floats and gleeful teenagers last weekend, as three separate homecomings turned the area into one long parade. H. Frank Carey, Sewanhaka and North high schools held their Homecoming festivities on Saturday, filling the local streets with marching bands and parade floats, not to mention the most all-American of royalty, the Homecoming courts. more

Two Elmont Memorial High School students were small town heroes to their friends and neighbors earlier this month after a downed tree threatened to cause a serious accident. more