Five Towns Year in Review

From January to December, 2011 was an interesting year in the Five Towns from a number of students earning recognition for their scholastic work to the damage of Tropical Storm Irene and the Lawrence football team winning the Nassau County Conference III title.
In between there was compassion as friends and neighbors raised money for hit-and-run victim David Gerges, North Woodmere native Dr. Bruce Decter saved a man’s life at JFK Airport and Woodmere firefighters handled multiple drownings on the same day.
There was a lot of fun as Woodmere native a “NYC Housewife” Jill Zarin visited her hometown for a day, Yeshiva Ketana students sent a science experiment into space on the final shuttle mission and Kulanu honored eight vital contributors.
We remembered the lives of several Five Towners, including Edward “Tim” Carpenter, Bette Bass, Murray Handwerker and Dr. Norman Amer. The Lawrence School District said goodbye to retired Superintendent Dr. John Fitzsimons and hello to new Superintendent Gary Schall
Peninsula Hospital Center was expected to close, but will remain open, however Far Rockaway High School graduated its last class in June.
Here is a look back at 2011 in the Five Towns. http://www.liherald.com/fivetownsyir.html