Instead of sweets and treats this Halloween, a Great Pumpkin Run was held at Jacob Gunther Elementary School in North Bellmore this year. The brainchild of phys.-ed. teacher Jim Mulvey, the run had the students in each class dash around a pumpkin patch set up in the gym during their recess period, and then pick out pumpkins. An oversized pumpkin, "Jacob the Great Gunther Pumpkin," was on display in the lobby for a guess-the-weight contest. The student whose guess was closest took it home. more

Rockville Centre Guild for the Arts staged four performances of the musical "Gypsy" with local talent from Rockville Centre, Oceanside, East Rockaway and Merrick. Directed by Jon Grodeski, musical director Bill Margiotta, Produced by Diane Donoghue. more

I've recently written a series of articles chronicling what it's like to be arrested for drunk driving in Nassau County. Though I've had the participation of the district attorney's office, Nassau County police and a number of defense attorneys, as well as input from many readers, one voice has been noticeably absent. Until now. more

Saul Lerner, the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District athletic director, recently resigned his post as coordinator of the Nassau County Boys' Basketball Committee because, he said, the Section VIII Athletic Council rejected a proposal of his to fine-tune the seeding process that ultimately determines teams' playing schedules. In 2006, Lerner was the architect of an ability-grouping system that determined a team's conference by its record. Previously, teams were assigned to conferences without much regard to their records. Rather, officials used what they called the "snake," in which teams were seeded and then laid out on a grid that wound back and forth in serpentine fashion. more

The question of who will be Nassau's next county executive, Democratic incumbent Tom Suozzi or Republican challenger Ed Mangano, was still hanging over residents' heads as the Herald went to press on Tuesday. As the Board of Elections was taking time to recount ballots, community members took the time to talk about the outcome of local elections, and concerns about their neighborhoods and wallets. "The only thing I'd like to see gone is that tax, that energy tax, that 2.5 percent. That's bad," Marylou Swensen, a resident of East Meadow for 38 years, said. Though she declined to say who she voted for on Nov. 3, she said, "It's not fair. They screw up, and we have to pay for it. It's wrong, and that's my opinion." more

Frank Carney, a 16-year-old from Bellmore, was arrested on Nov. 6 and charged with committing a hate crime in Merrick, police said. According to authorities, a dark Nissan pulled up in front of a 22-year-old man walking on Alice Avenue in Merrick. Two people got out of the car, one armed with a knife, and began to chase the man, yelling anti-gay slurs. more

Anthony Badalamenti, the personal trainer accused of severely beating his girlfriend's 6-year-old son with a belt in their Merrick apartment last October, was given the maximum sentence of seven years in prison last week. Jessica Muniz, the boy's mother, was sentenced to two years, according to the District Attorney's Office. Badalamenti, 31, was convicted by a jury of three counts of second-degree assault, two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and endangering the welfare of a child. Muniz, 30, pleaded guilty to the same charges. more

The Herald was there for North Shore Animal League's 4th Annual DogCatemy Award Celebrity Gala, presented by Purina ONE. more

The Herald was there for North Shore Animal League America's 4th annual DogCatemy Celebrity Gala in the Cipriani Ballroom in Manhattan on Novemeber 5, presented by Purina ONE. Beautiful and famous two and four-legged celebrities walked the green carpet, smiling and barking for the cameras. more

On Oct. 19, Nassau County legislators voted to enact two amendments that will tighten the reins on convicted sex offenders. The first gives the Probation Department the power to request that the court direct the highest level offenders, Level 3, to wear GPS tracking ankle bracelets while on probation to better monitor their whereabouts. The second provision bars registered sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of their victims' homes or workplaces, within 1,000 feet of schools or within 500 feet of parks. The new law will take effect 120 days after it is signed by the County Executive, which must take place within 30 days of the law's passage in the Legislature. more