Keyword: 'Bellmore=Merrick' | Herald Community Newspapers

Calhoun's Kelly Bogart recently took aim at the Olympics, finishing in 16th place out of more than 50 sharpshooters at the U.S. Olympics trials in Alabama recently.

Calhoun shooter competes at Olympic trials

Kelly Bogart is like many dedicated Calhoun High School students. Heavily involved in clubs and sports, the 18-year-old senior is a member of the concert choir and Science Olympiads, and has participated on the lacrosse and track teams. She’s also in two Advanced Placement classes. Each day before school, she packs her pens, pencils and notebooks. The only difference is that she also carries a .117 caliber air rifle. Hey, they don’t call her “Shooter” for nothing. more

By David Weingrad, dweingrad@liherald.com | 1/25/12

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is calling on school districts to immediately implement a new, state-mandated evaluation system for teachers or risk losing state aid dollars.

Bellmore-Merrick school officials shrug off Cuomo’s threat

Officials in Bellmore-Merrick’s five school districts say they aren’t worried that Governor Cuomo is threatening to withhold a state aid increase if they do not agree on a new, tougher teacher evaluation system within a month. Four of the districts –– the Bellmore, Merrick and North Bellmore elementary districts and the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District –– have already instituted the new system. Meanwhile, officials in the North Merrick Elementary District, which has not implemented it, say they weren’t expecting an aid increase anyway. more

By Scott Brinton, sbrinton@liherald.com | 1/24/12

Central District, Parent Center to host athletic recruiting seminar

The Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, the Bellmore-Merrick Community Parent Center and Nassau County Legislator David Denenberg will present a program about the college athletic recruiting process, “Does Your Child Dream of Playing Sports in College?” The event will take place on Thursday, Jan. 26, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Brookside School, 1260 Meadowbrook Road in North Merrick. more

By Scott Brinton, sbrinton@liherald.com | 1/17/12

Bellmore-Merrick’s Robert Kaefer was recently named the Nassau County Coach of the year for girls’ swimming. He has coached the girls’ program for 15 years and the boys for 16.

Bellmore-Merrick’s Robert Kaefer named county Swim Coach of the Year

It was a record year for the Bellmore-Merrick girls’ swim team. Finishing as runner-up in the Nassau County Championships and having sent five swimmers to the State Championship would have been enough to call it a successful season, but on top of that, the team notched yet another accolade. Coach Robert Kaefer, who has guided swimmers in and out of the pool for more than 15 years, was named the Nassau County Coach of the Year for girls’ swimming, an award voted on by his fellow coaches. more

By Deirdre Krasula, dkrasula@liherald.com | 1/16/12

Calhoun High School senior Asia Brown, seated, was named an Intel Science Talent Search Semifinalist this past week for her project on cancer research. She was joined here by her Calhoun science advisers, Nick Pappas, Kim Lascarides and Jennifer Pefanis.

Central District boasts five Intel semifinalists

One Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District senior examined teachers’ biases toward students with disabilities, mental and physical, and found in a survey of 5,000 educators across the country that teachers tended to grade students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and diabetes lower than students with a “visible disability,” such as cerebral palsy. more

By Scott Brinton, sbrinton@liherald.com | 1/15/12

The Bellmore-Merrick Community Parent Center, headed by Executive Director Wendy Tepfer, hosted a forum on Wednesday, “The Dangers In Your Medicine Cabinet,” which looked at the prescription-drug abuse epidemic now plaguing New York, including Nassau County.

Bellmore-Merrick Parent Center confronts Nassau’s pill epidemic

They’re called “pharm parties,” short for pharmacy parties. A group of teenagers –– perhaps as young as 12 and 13 years old –– methodically swipe opiate-based pain killers like Oxycontin and Oxycodone from their parents’ and grandparents’ medicine cabinets, dump the pills into a big bowl when no adult is looking and take turns rolling a die. Whatever number comes up, that’s the number of pills a teen must ingest. more

By Scott Brinton, sbrinton@liherald.com | 1/12/12

Russell Saporito of Merrick shoveled his sidewalk during a winter snowstorm last January.

Bellmore-Merrick chiropractors offer tips for pain-free snow-shoveling

While Nassau County has been mostly devoid of snowfall this winter, temperatures have dropped of late, leading weather-savvy residents to believe that the first snowfall of 2012 may be coming sooner rather than later. more

By David Weingrad, dweingrad@liherald.com | 1/11/12

State Sen. Charles Fuschillo, who represents Merrick and Bellmore, said his top priority for 2012 is to approve a state budget without raising taxes.

Bellmore-Merrick leaders look ahead to 2012

Only a couple of weeks into the New Year, local leaders have already set their priorities for 2012. Elected, civic and business leaders from across the Merricks and Bellmores recently spoke with the Herald and shared what they plan to focus on in the coming year. more

By David Weingrad, dweingrad@liherald.com | 1/11/12

Nine Calhoun seniors to play college ball

Seven members of the Calhoun High School varsity baseball team, one member of the boys’ lacrosse team and one member of the girls’ varsity soccer team have signed letters of intent to play college ball next year. more

1/9/12

Calhoun soccer stars honored

Six members of the Calhoun High School boys’ varsity soccer team recently received All-Conference honors. They are, from left, Alejandro Miguel (defense), Joe Cassisi (midfield), Angelo DiMatteo (forward), Vito Cassisi (midfield), Matt Donnelly (goalkeeper) and Dylan Delloiacono (forward). They were joined here by coach James Cantley. The squad made the playoffs this past season. more

1/9/12