“This is very cool… and quite an honor,” new Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano said as a hundreds applauded and chanted his name on New Year’s Day. Mangano was sworn in as the eighth county executive in the auditorium of his alma mater, Bethpage High School. more

Joe LaRocco, 91, has lived in Lynbrook for nearly all of his nine decades. He remembers much of the area as farm land. “It’s always been a quiet village — that hasn’t changed much,” LaRocco reminisced recently. “It grew gradually because people began to realize how great the village was.” LaRocco has said that although the village has undergone many changes, its residents are what make it a community — and many residents and local officials agree that one of the people who played a large role in making the village what it is today is LaRocco. His dedication to work, community and family make him the ideal choice for the Herald’s 2009 Person of the Year. more

A Lynbrook woman was killed at 6:02 p.m. on Christmas Eve while attempting to cross a four-lane road. She was struck by a car driving westbound, according to Fifth squad detectives. more

As we batted around ideas for this week’s editorial, we agreed that a new take on an old idea — New Year’s resolutions — was in order. Rather than offer our own ideas, we decided, we’d ask the experts. more

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth ...” Well, I suppose that wouldn’t be on my Christmas wish, but I know my young son would appreciate some more teeth. more

Jeff Toback is leaving office next month, but the five-term county legislator is assuring the community that he is not going anywhere, and will continue to remain active in civic life. Toback also says he is not ruling out another run for elective office should the opportunity more

The much-maligned county tax on home energy has been rescinded. A bill to repeal the tax passed by a vote of 13-5 at Monday’s session of the Nassau County Legislature. more

The Our Lady of Peace Parish Social Ministry’s food pantry is stocked for the holidays, but its director, Sister Barbara Faber, said the pantry will still need donations after the holiday season is over. more

Third graders at Lynbrook’s Waverly Park School have been working to make the holidays a little brighter for servicemen and women in Iraq by collecting international phone cards for them to use to call home to family and friends. more

Members of the West End Student Council joined forces with the Lynbrook High School Students Taking Active Roles Together (START) Club to brighten the holidays for soldiers serving overseas. They collected items such as batteries, toiletries, socks and hard candies, and stuffed them into holiday stockings to be delivered to soldiers serving in Iraq. more