VOLUME 1, NUMBER 10 IN PRINT & ONLINE

Your town. Your schools. Your leadership. Your community matters! www.YourNewsMag.com

JULY 2014

Bellmore • Merrick

LIIFE'S ADVENTURES ...

ANCHOR DOWN FOR FRESH SEAFOOD ...

FIELDS OF DREAMS CLOSE TO REALITY....

Merrick's Wimbledon Champion!

Noah Rubin Wins the Jr's ...NNNoooaaahhh RRRuubbbiiinn WWWiinnsss ttthhheee JJrrr''sss .....

Merrick's Wimbledon Champion!

Noah Rubin Wins the Jr's ...

© PHOTO BY ANDREW COWIE

2 Your NewsMag JULY 2014 | №10NEWS

Th omas Reynolds Foundation Helps Kids Toward a Better Life

Thomas Reynolds is as large as life and giving as much now to his friends and to

kids he never knew as he did when he was alive and attended St. Elizabeth Ann Seton school. Only now, he speaks and gives through his three-year-old Th omas Reynolds Foundation.

Having raised tens of thou-sands of dollars through the foundation, those funds now extend research into the whys and wherefores of ependymo-ma, the brain tumor Th omas succumbed to on October 7, 2011. Further, it is giving young kids with the disease an oppor-tunity to go places and see things they would never have been able to do otherwise, helping them to fulfi ll a wish.

“Th e funds we are raising are going toward extending the lives of children with this dis-

ease,” remarked Lisa Tuminel-lo-Reynolds, Th omas’s mother who, along with her mother and dad, cared for Th omas during his critical illness.

She said that $50 buys one hour of research toward an un-derstanding of the disease, whether the monies are direct-ed toward studying the origins of the disease or how to better treat the tumor individually, through direct manipulation of tumor genes, for example, to relieve discomfort.

During the fi rst Annual Th omas Reynolds Foundation run/walk at Newbridge Road Park in May 2012 - sponsored along with Special Spaces and SEAS - $11,000 was raised, translating into the potential of a lot of research time for a cure. “Th is is all money well spent,” Th omas’s mother said.

“People don’t know about and understand the disease,” she continued, “and that’s why the Th omas Reynolds Founda-tion is so important.” Tuminel-lo-Reynolds called the founda-tion an ideal way to bring atten-tion to the disease and the dev-astation it visits upon thou-sands of young lives, while also off ering for the fi rst time, she believes, an avenue of hope for these kids.

Indeed, Nassau County, with the help of Legislator Dave Denenberg and Chief Deputy County Executive Rob Walker, pronounced the date of May 28 as offi cially Th omas Reynolds Day throughout the county, in perpetuity. Making the date an offi cial day will ensure, Denen-berg told this magazine at the pronouncement, people be-come of aware of ependymoma.

At present there are three main events, or activities, the foundation holds for raising funds for ependymoma aware-ness and research. Besides the yearly Th omas Reynolds Foun-datiion run/walk at Newbridge Road Park every June – in asso-ciation with SEAS and Special Spaces - an Ependymoma Awareness event is held yearly. And, of course, there are the Th omas Boxes.

During Th omas’s treatments he remained home-bound, un-able to go out. When his dis-ease was in remission SEAS granted the family the opportu-nity to take Th omas around the country, to visit American trea-sures, and meet sports stars such as Mets players and Is-landers players.

And Th omas Boxes extends that same opportunity to the

children and their families to take that trip to see their favorite things in their favorite places. “It is a wish list” for the family that is paid for through the foundation, she said.

Th omas’s mother wishes to thank the thoughtfulness of people in several communities who have privately donated to the foundation during its short time – over and above the an-nual fundraisers, reminding them that their donations are now getting help to children with the disease whom didn’t have that help before.

“Everyone’s donations are helping to fi nd a better quality of life for these children,” Tuminel-lo-Reynolds concluded.

For information on the Th om-as Reynolds Foundation visit www.Th omasReynoldsFounda-tion.org.

NEWS 3Your NewsMag№10 | JULY 2014

How Suite It Is: Bringing Back the Parties

Merrick resident Greg Pomponio wants to bring back the Sweet 16

parties and Ladies Nights of yesterday, parties he had be-come well known for holding when 1828 Sunrise Highway was known as Th e Apartment.

“We had Hollywood themes back then,” he remembers. “We held Sweet 16 parties, bar mitzvahs,” and all manner of social events that made the lo-cale a popular place to gather, mingle with friends and make new ones.

Pomponio said he wants to bring the parties back by off er-ing the plush spaces and the dance fl oor as a rental for a variety of parties large and small. Comfortable furniture, a pool table, an electronic juke-box that sends photos to friends - or parents - who have iPhones are just a few of the features Suite 1828 will off er for those 'coming out' parties - or business parties.

Pomponio told this magazine those innocent party days changed over the years when tastes and styles evolved and new halls opened for even bigger par-ty experiences. So Pomponio changed with the times and moved toward hosting the biker crowd. “We changed the name of Th e Apartment to Oscars in 1997 but the concept failed, so we changed it back to Th e Apart-ment in 2000 and that failed too,” he told this magazine.

He says that in 2000 he then began reaching out to the biker crowd that liked to ride, “a fam-ily crowd, just like the one we had with Th e Apartment,” and soon changed the name to Jugs and Stokers. “Jugs are those round-shaped cylinders you seen on motorcycles under the biker” that power the bike, he said. And the pistons in the cyl-inders stroke up and down to create the power to push the bike. “Clever, motor head ter-minology” to bring the biker

crowd around, he continued. “But,” he said, “what made

us diff erent from other biker bars is that we enforced a poli-cy that all bikers had to hang their colors, their biker affi lia-tions [Hell’s Angels, Th e Va-grants, et. al.] at the door” to keep the public drinking place a family aff air. “Th ose with af-fi liations complied,” he said. While the Harley-Davidsons were lined up outside, the at-mosphere was family relaxed and friendly inside.

Pomponio once again found success with the biker formula. “It was a very relaxed atmo-sphere that held 150 bikers easily,” he continued. Every-one knew everyone else, and making new friends was easy.

Indeed, as Jugs and Strokers, the lounge held several fund-raisers over the years for breast cancer and multiple sclerosis, for example, raising tens of thousands of dollars.

But in 2010 he decided to retire from the scene he had worked in since his father, Jimmy, built The Apartment in 1972, and sold Jugs and Strokers. Along the way, how-ever, he had received a plaque commendation from Post 1282 of the American Le-gion, something Pomponio hung on the walls of Jugs and Strokers with pride, he told this magazine.

Th e Jugs and Strokers ‘brand’ soon faltered under the new owners and Pompo-nio bought the business back in 2012 to run it once more. By then, the biker scene had changed but he took time to think out what his next strate-gy could be to revive the busi-ness. “I left my memorabilia here, left it in good faith to perpetuate the Jugs and Stro-kers brand, but they didn’t carry on the name in the way we had envisioned, ” includ-ing removing the American Legion plaque he had re-

ceived, he said. Pomponio now looks to

come full circle, and has re-named the lounge and public drinking place Suite 1828. In buying back Jugs and Strokers he thought he could get the old vibe back, he said, “and we did – to a degree.”

Th e new name, he said, con-jures up the former Th e Apart-ment name. “Come on down, kick back and have the ‘suite’ life,” he said. “It’s an extension of Th e Apartment, yes,” he added or have a party at your "suite."

In Suite 1828 there are at least two lounging areas with plush chairs for casual sit downs and conversation. Th ere is a pool ta-ble and the new TouchTunes juke box, in the form of an iPhone that takes photos of par-ty revelers to send to friends with iPhones or on Facebook while it spins music.

New entertainment will include a DJ on Saturday nights, Wednes-day’s open mic night with Joe Vin-cino and Mike and the Outlaws on Th ursday nights. “We’re working to get more acoustic music and dance bands in here” for the younger crowd, he said.

Wantagh businessman Chris Pollini, who lives in Bellmore, was in for a beer, saying he has been coming to the place for a while. “Th e crowd and people here are outstanding, you can make new friends” in a heart-beat. Bellmore businessman Vincent Guasto also frequents the lounge, saying he comes be-cause of loyalty to Pomponio. “You make new friends here eas-ily , they become like family.”

Mark Mercado of Merrick, another frequent visitor, says “I love it here,” adding the en-vironment is friendly and re-laxing.

Pomponio extends an invita-tion to families, businesses and non-profi ts in the Bell-mores, Merricks and Wantagh to consider hosting their par-ties once again at Suite 1828.

4 Your NewsMag JUNE 2014 | №9

It’s Getting Better All of the Time...

That’s not just a line from a Beatles song. Our community is growing and improving all of the time.  Each month as I set out to work on the next

issue of Your NewsMag I am delighted to fi nd our community fi lled with interesting people, new busi-nesses fl ourishing, improvements to the neighbor-hood and great entertainment right here in our own back yard.

On the cover of Your NewsMag is a young Merokian that has made an unusual and tremendous accomplishment.  Noah Ru-bin of Merrick won the 2014 Boys Wim-bledon Championship tennis match in London.  Inside there is a very candid interview with Noah about what it takes to compete at this level - and some goals ahead. He is clearly a dedicated young man with a bright future ahead.  Your News-Mag will follow him on his journey and wishes him great success.  

Teens in our community continue to wow.  Imag-ine a high school student starting not one, but two businesses?  This young entrepreneur, Dylan Christie from Bellmore, tells Your NewsMag about these two successful businesses and his plans for the future.

In the spirit of being a good doobie, Eagle Court of Honor recipients Marc A. Kulins, Sean McGinn, Sean Heverin and Joh McMullin make a diff erence.  Find out about the community projects that earned them these prestigious awards inside.  

In the never-ending quest to keep our high schools in top fl ight condition, improvements are being made to the high school fi elds this summer.  Th e feature sto-ry inside gives you a peak at how this project is com-ing along.  I am sure you will fi nd it interesting.   

Th ere are also several new businesses opening in Merrick and Bellmore.  Anchor Down, the new restaurant that opened on Bayberry Avenue in Mer-

rick is one of those special fi nds nestled into the quiet neighborhood. Th e food, the staff and attention to de-tail make this new restaurant a must on your list.  Read more about what makes Anchor Down a great dining experience.  

After a great meal at one of our local eateries there is much to do about town.  Th e Long Island Interna-

tional Film Expo at the Bellmore Movies was a star-studded success.  More inside

about this annual event.  The Friday Ni-te Car Show at the Bellmore train sta-tion is always a fun stop before or after dining at one of the local restaurants.  If you are looking for local music, the-atre or laughs check out the schedule

inside for a sampling of options in the neighborhood.  For your entertainment

Your NewsMag readers are invited to en-ter and win a pair of tickets to see Air Sup-

ply live at NYCB Th eatre at Westbury.  Please look inside for more details. 

Your NewsMag is delivered to every home in the Merricks and Bellmores free of charge because you live here and are part of the community.  Adver-tising support pays for Your NewsMag, so please support participating businesses by shopping locally.  If you know something that is newswor-thy please let us know.  If your business is hav-ing an anniversary or someone in your family is celebrating a special occasion, we want to know.  After all, your news is our news.  Please join us on facebook and visit www.YourNews-Mag.com for daily and weekly news updates throughout the month.  I hope you enjoy the July issue of Your NewsMag.

JILL BROMBERGPublisher

Jill@YourNewsMag.com

☞ TABLE OF CONTENTS

OnlineErin Donohue

EditingDoug Finlay

ReportingSharon JonasLinda Delmonico PrussenKristen BuckleyKevin Halton Jr.

To advertise, Jill@yournewsmag.com

Phone: 516-633-8590

P.O. Box 15, Bellmore, New York 11710

Contact us with story ideas and news at:

Edit@yournewsmag.cominfo@yournewsmag.com

WHO’S WHO AT YOUR NEWSMAG

Advertising and PublishingJill Bromberg

Bellmore • Merrick

PAGES 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 – NEWSThomas Reynolds Foundation Helps Kids Toward a Better Life; How ‘Suite’ It Is: Bringing Back the Parties; Dave Denemberg’s Local July Meetings; New Strip Mall Coming? Bellmore Student Athlete Wins Two Top Honors; Bellmore Eagle Scout has Landed; Dave McDonough Ramps Up School Supply Drive; New Officers at Temple Beth-Am

PAGE 8 – COVER STORY A Few Minutes with Noah RubinMerrick student Noah Rubin won the Wimbledon Boy’s Championship this month. How does it feel, how often does he train, what is it like to be an Ameri-can ambassador to the world? We asked him those questions and more …

PAGE 11 – FEATURE STORY Fields of Dreams Closer to RealityA new bond for the Central High School District has set it on a course of capital action not seen in years. New synthetic school fi elds are being built and will be done by fall, but there’s more building in store for the winter and next year, much more.

PAGE 14 – MILESTONES Bonnie Markel, Merrick children’s librarian, retiresHer infl uence on everything from books to the way the build-ing looks will last a lifetime.

PAGE 18 – RESTAURANT REVIEW Anchor Down for Fine Seafood Dining in MerrickA one-page menu keeps the fi sh fresh and the fl avors accentuated

PAGES 20, 21: LIIFE ENTERTAINMENTTrends and Trailblazers at the Long Island Interna-tional Film ExpoWhat trends were revealed at opening night festivities; and what one reviewer thought about the opening night fi lms.

PLUS: Roy Weinman gets his rocking chair; Bellmore Memo-rial Library says NO SMOKING outside; North Bellmore-North Merrick baseball players win national championship; North Merrick Boy Scouts earn their Eagle wings; fi sh barbecuing is easy in summer; in the mood for some sweet wine?

NEWS 5Your NewsMag№9 | JUNE 2014

Bellmore Athlete Earns Two Top Honors

Seventeen-year-old Bell-more student James Brush earned honors for excel-

lence in two sports this past winter as a student at Holy Trinity High School in Hicks-ville, receiving award plaques during a spring sports award ceremony at the school in June.

James told this magazine he won the 2014 All NSCHSAA (Nassau Suff olk Catholic High School Athletic Association) Baseball Athletic Achievement Award for his play on the Holy Trinity Titans during the 2014 spring season.

While the team posted a .500 season at best, James said he and two teammates from East Meadow and Hicksville were voted by coaches as the best players on the team, receiving the honor. James plays third base and is also the team’s des-ignated hitter.

But James upped the award count by also earning the cov-

eted 2013-2014 All NSCHSAA Athletic Achievement Award for Wrestling, placing among the top five wrestlers in the school during the winter Catholic High School wres-tling tournament in February. By placing among the top five, he earned a spot in the States final competition held this year at Chaminade High School in Mineola, also in February.

He went 1-2 in tough competi-tion in the 182-pound weight di-

vision. James says he hopes to re-peat his winning ways and take a state championship next season.

Meanwhile, playing both fi rst and third bases on the Bang 1000 Seminoles traveling baseball team during summer, a team owned by North Bellmore resident Mike Feriggi, he traveled to Ft. Myers to play in the Perfect Game Tourna-ment against some of Florida’s best traveling summer baseball teams.

James’s goal is to get a base-ball scholarship to the college of his liking.

Bellmore Eagle Lands

Presiding Offi cer Norma L. Gonsalves (R-East Mead-ow, LD 13) attended

North Bellmore Boy Scout Troop 577’s Eagle Court of Honor for Marc A. Kulins, which was held at Saint Fran-ces De Chantal Auditorium in Wantagh.

Marc undertook a project to make improvements at the Garden City Bird Sanctuary, a 501(c)(3) nonprofi t organiza-tion, in Garden City. Marc constructed, stained and in-stalled two native Long Island fl ower boxes containing 45 young plants of 16 diff erent varieties and 20 tree identifi ca-tion posts.

He constructed a large ki-osk to hold the information about the gardens and tree I.D. posts while also clearing debris and weeds to repair, replace and stain several sec-tions of split rail fencing.

“Marc showed tremendous dedication and organizational skills to complete his project,” said Presiding Offi cer Gon-salves. “He helped with the beautifi cation of a local attrac-tion that residents from all over the county can come and enjoy. His eff orts will have a lasting eff ect on the communi-ty for many years to come.”

6 Your NewsMag JULY 2014 | №10NEWS

Beth-Am Temple Offi cers Installed

Temple Beth Am of Merrick and Bellmore installed its new offi cers at Shabbat ser-vices last month. Newly installed offi cers

from left , are, Jeff Newman, vice-president; Susan Futterman, vice-president; David Plass,

president; Paul Ross, secretary; and Steve Feig, vice-president.  Missing are Shari Weissbach, vice-president, and Scott Sachs, t reasurer.  Photo by Pam Brandenberger, Past President of Temple Beth Am.

New Strip Mall coming?

The SUVS in the open lot at Ocean Avenue and Merrick Road may be

gone relatively quickly. Patrick Cassino, own-

er-president of the Sun Auto Group on Sunrise Highway in Wantagh, whose SUVs are currently parked at that location, told this magazine he was closing in on a new piece of property because the property he was renting for $7500 for his new SU-Vs was also under con-tract to be purchased.

Which lead to attorney Bill Bonesso, who noted he was representing an

interested party of the old property that was once home to the East Bay Din-er, but was under con-tractual obligations and could not comment.

Plans obtained by Your NewsMag show two possi-ble strip mall layouts be-ing considered for the property, one in an L-shaped configuration. And Bellmore Preservation Group official Eileen Ca-zassa told this magazine there appear to be no ob-jections from surrounding residents concerning a strip mall at that location.

Watch that space!

NEWS 7Your NewsMag№10 | JULY 2014

County Legislator Dave Denenberg’s Local July Meetings

TAXPAYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Nassau County Legislator Dave Denenberg presents taxpayer assistance programs on Friday, July 25, at 1 p.m. at the Merrick Pub-

lic library, 2279 Merrick Avenue, Merrick, and again on Wednesday, August 6, at 1 p.m. at the Freeport Memorial Library, 144 West Merrick Road, Freeport.

Learn about tax exemptions and to pick up or drop off applications for the STAR (School Tax Reduction), Enhanced STAR, Senior Citizens’, Veterans’, Cold War Veterans’, Limited Income and Disability, Volunteer Firefi ghter/EMT and Home Improvement exemp-tions.  Exemption specialists will provide assistance and answer questions.

BOATING SAFETYLegislator Denenberg and the United States Coast

Guard Auxiliary present a workshop on boating safe-ty on Tuesday, August 12, at 7 p.m. at the Wantagh Public Library, 3285 Park Avenue, Wantagh. Captain Dawn Masterson, a member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 1-4, will be Mr. Denenberg’s guest for the meeting. 

Topics will include general boating safety, BUI ini-tiatives, personal watercraft safety and an overview of vessel operating requirements.  A question and an-swer period will follow.

FREE BREAST CANCER SCREENINGLeg. Dave Denenberg brings the mammography

van to the North Beldmore Public Library on Th urs-day, August 28, from 8:45 a.m., to noon, 1551 New-bridge Road. State-of-the-art equipment is used and operated by the Nassau Health Care Corporation’s staff . Th e mammograms are no-cost to women over 50 without insurance.

If you have insurance, your insurance company will be billed and you will be billed for your co-pay. If you have health insurance, you must bring a prescription for the mammography from your doctor. You are required to show photo ID at the time of the mammogram. If you have not had a mammography through the Nassau Health Care Corp., you must bring your prior films to this appointment. To make an appointment, call Leg. Denen-berg’s office at 571-6219. Appointments are required.

For questions about the meetings, call the Legisla-tor’s offi ce at 571-6219.

Assemblyman McDonough Embarks on 10th Annual School Supply Drive

State Assemblyman David G. McDonough (R,C-Mer-rick) once again seeks do-

nations of school supplies for the 2014-15 school year, which will then be distributed to un-derprivileged children from low-income families. Th e school supply drive is in con-junction with the John Th eissen Children’s Foundation.

“Th e John Th eissen Children’s Foundation has been conducting a ‘Back to School Program’ for many years. Back to school time can be extremely diffi cult for ma-ny children whose families can-not aff ord new clothes or school supplies. With your donation, you can make a child feel good about themselves and look for-ward to attending school,” said Assemblyman McDonough, add-ing, “it has been my privilege to be able to participate in this pro-gram for the last 10 years.”

Donations that are being sought are supplies that in-clude, but are not limited to, backpacks, spiral notebooks, pencils, pens, crayons, markers and other classroom necessi-ties. In addition, the founda-tion, through monetary dona-tions also provides new cloth-ing for children to wear.

Th e collection drive will be through August 29th between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily. Items may be dropped off at Assem-blyman McDonough’s District Offi ce at 404 Bedford Avenue, Bellmore.

For information you can contact Assemblyman Mc-Donough by calling 409-2070 or via e-mail at mcdonoughd@assembly.state.ny.us. Or, con-tact the John Th eissen Chil-dren’s Foundation by calling 679-5098, or by visiting their web site at www.jtcf.org.

8 Your NewsMag JULY 2014 | №10COVER STORY

A Few Minutes With Noah Rubin ... Eighteen-year-old Merrick resident Noah Rubin, a one-time Kennedy High School student who earned his degree from an online institution because of travel and practice pressures, won the 2014 Boys Wimbledon Championship tennis match in London this month. He beat fellow American Stefan Koslov 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 for the championship. He was preparing for the K-Zoo tournament, which could springboard into the Grand Slam circuit with a win at the tournament.

Your NewsMag was invited to speak with the mild-mannered yet intense young man in between practices to ask him a few questions:

How does it feel to have won Wimbledon, and how long did it take to

prepare for the win?It’s starting to sink in, it’s a

few days after and I’m begin-ning to realize just what kind of an accomplishment it was. For the fi rst couple of days I just got used to everyone talking about it. But now that I’m relaxing I’m beginning to understand just what an ac-complishment I’ve achieved. To me it was just another ten-nis game, to my family it was so much more. But I’ve been working my whole life for this, the day in-day out of the prac-ticing has given me the oppor-tunity to play at this level.

When or at what moment did you realize you wanted to be a tennis player at this level?

I loved soccer too and played a lot, but found out when I was around 11 or 12 years old that tennis was tak-ing up too much time, so I had to choose between the two. Besides, with a more nat-ural talent toward tennis, I loved how tennis was more individual, how much more I controlled the outcome. If I lost, it was because of me; if I won it as because of me. In soccer I could play my heart out and it would show in the game and we could still lose because the game is a team sport that depends upon ev-eryone on the team. I didn’t get any satisfaction out of that. I loved the camaraderie, but I felt more in control when I could do it myself.

How long will you practice, and where do you practice?

I do about 3-1/2-to-4 hours of practice a day on the court

six days a week, and I have ad-ditional off -court training about three hours a week, do-ing physical training such as pushups, pull ups, things like that. Th e courts I practice at are in Bethpage and Randall’s Island.

What does practice consist of, keeping a diet to keep a certain weight, strengthening your legs to be able to move around the court, about keeping your wind for the length of the match?

When I’m on the practice court with the coach I hit hundreds and hundreds of balls, and I’m running around constantly to keep my stamina up, yes. And I’ll do this for up to four hours at the highest level. I do leg sprinting and run a lot on my own around the neighborhood, too, like to the store or over to Kennedy to see my friends. Although my coach Larry Krueger and my dad Eric always remind me that my focus is not the same in practice as it will be on the court.

How long are you away traveling for competitive purposes?

I am away about 2 ½-to-3 weeks at a time. I will spend about a week-and-a-half at home.

Do you fi nd the countries you visit to be friendly toward you, to have the same basic values as you live here at home? You are an ambassa-dor of the United States, in your role representing the country.

I’ve been to England, France, Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica. There are many aspects that are the same, but they also have different perspectives, too. Geograph-ics can play a part in how they understand things, for example. How some drive, they don’t follow the rules. A one-way street can have three cars coming down in the opposite direction! I

have found some countries to be very friendly towards me, like France for instance. But people in some coun-tries will come to me with a predetermined sense of how they think I am, and so I get an opportunity to show them on court a different side of how I am to break that stereotype they have of me. Because of these op-portunities to show myself in my play, I found that the French, and even the En-glish, have supported me for years.

What are the sacrifi ces you’ve given up to be a bud-ding tennis star?

Since 8 or 9 years of age I have missed a lot of birthday parties and bar mitzvahs be-cause I needed to commit to practicing. I had coaches who needed me to practice. I was still able to hang around with my friends, though. But coach-es respected my abilities and knew that if I didn’t practice as much as the other kids at times to hang out with friends, they knew that the physical being wouldn’t be lost, either.

Have you met the tennis stars of today, Djokovic, Fed-erer, Nadal, the Williams Sis-ters, Martina Navratilova?

I met Djokovic at the Wim-bledon Ball after the fi nals. I’ve met and hit with Nadal to warm him up during the recent U.S. Open. But I’ve only seen the Williams sisters from a dis-tance.

What’s next in your career after Wimbledon?

I have the national tourna-ment called Kalamazoo, and whoever wins that tournament

gets a wild card, a direct ac-ceptance into the main draw of the U.S. Open. I’ve also got my ATF rankings up to com-pete in more professional tournaments. You start in ju-niors and get into the lowest level of tournaments called fu-tures and you keeping getting better rankings until you get to the grand slams. Th at’s the goal I want to achieve, that would be nice.

What advice can you give to students such as yourself about how to achieve what you’ve achieved.

If you don’t love it, quit. No one else can force you to do it. You have to be able to get out on that court alone, have to be willing to push to get what you want. Get out there every day. Since I’m on the road so much, it’s nice to get home to a family and friends that have always supported me and were always there, where I can do things be-sides talk about Wimbledon. My friends, for example, will congratulate me because of what I’ve done, but after that it’s just hanging out. I didn’t get much of that growing up, so I kind of cherish it.

At home in Merrick, relaxing

© PAUL BALLARD

9Your NewsMag№10 | JULY 2014

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10 Your NewsMag JULY 2014 | №10FEATURE

New Fields of Dreams Closer to RealityL

ast November’s Bell-more-Merrick Central High School District capi-

tal projects bond of $49.684 million was obviously designed to recalibrate the school district toward the 21st Century.

New science classrooms, school upgrades to state-of-the art facili-ties featuring HVAC, new bath-rooms and gym fl oors, and fi ve new synthetic turf fi elds were part of the gleaming $49 million-plus package - which residents ulti-mately agreed to pay an average of $104 more a year in taxes - de-pending on their property assess-ment - by voting yes to the bond.

Somewhat surprising in the face of a central school board that had carved out fractious reputations for either being for new school fi elds or being for new science class-rooms, but never both. It even cost one school board member a cen-sure for his outspoken views.

But the average $104 more per year in taxes is not the whole story; in fact, the annual tax bill for resi-dents may be lower for at least a year because the district will not borrow the whole $49 million-plus at once, having opted instead to borrow only what it needs to get specifi c work accomplished each of the years of the bond.

Said Superintendent John De-Tommaso to this magazine: “We don’t need to borrow the full amount of the loan all at once, be-cause we won’t be able to get to classrooms and bathrooms until next year,” so residents’ new tax bills will not be based on a $49 million-plus fi gure, but only on a fraction the district borrowed in 2014 through other means to get the fi elds done.

New Director of Facilities Jon Simpkins explained that the state’s Education Department requires full architectural plans and costing from districts before it will agree to any re-furbishments. “The classrooms, bathrooms and HVAC are now be-ing planned out by our architects to be available to work on beginning early next year,” he said. This re-quires no borrowing at this time

from the $49 million-plus, but only for that which pays for the fields.

Said Cynthia Strait-Regal, depu-ty superintendent for business, at a March school board workshop meeting: “Th e district will not bor-row for the Capital Projects Bond until next year.”

FINALLY, MOVEMENTIt came as a shock for many at a

June 2013 board meeting when Marian Blane, presiding over her last offi cial meeting as president, announced the board had agreed to look at issuing a bond that could pay for all things on everyone’s wish list. “Clearly, there will be a number of options that we will consider regarding how to fund the cost of the projects we identi-fy,” she said.

“The options, among others, may include exploring proposing a bond for taxpayers to vote on … The board will be exploring all avenues.”

With DeTommaso coming aboard on July 1, new synergies among the two camps (fi elds vs. classrooms) in fi nding common ground appeared a possibility - for the fi rst time in a long time.

DeTommaso noted in the No-vember 2013 issue of Your News-Mag that he sensed upon his arriv-al in July 2013 a unanimity among board members in their resolve to get critical infrastructure fi xes do-ne, including fi elds, perhaps through a bond issue, as there was not enough capital available in the budget nor in reserves that could be accessed legally.

Unanimity was a key word be-cause the board for years struggled with several dwindling reserves to pay for substantial improvements to facilities in the face of a new state tax cap, reduced state aid, new sewer taxes by the county, and the county’s assertion that the district be required to pay for tax grievanc-es won by local commercial busi-nesses – which was eff ectively struck down by the courts.

Several residents advocating for new synthetic fi elds - by suggest-ing reserves could be transferred and released from the Employee Benefi t Accrued Liability Reserve fund as capital funds - girded the resolve of those in favor of new sci-ence classrooms, for example.

THE FIELDS Simpkins told Your NewsMag

that construction of the Mepham fi eld began while fi nals were going on, “when students were in other areas of the building,” away from the gym and the fi elds. He said the fi eld was fi rst roto-tilled, giving it a sparkling look before the hammer fell and the fi eld was excavated.

Kennedy and Calhoun are also in varied forms of reconstruction, but Mepham is the lead field. The fields are expected to be finished by the beginning of the September, by the beginning of the athletic year.

“Th ese are new drainage fi elds we are putting in,” he remarked. He explained that corrugated pip-ing (piping with holes in it) would fi rst be placed on the fi eld, with large 16-to-18-inch piping placed

fi ve feet in from the track and ap-proximately fi ve feet down, around the entire fi eld to act as the main conduct for carrying rainwa-ter from the fi eld to several dry-wells surrounding the fi eld. Water in the drywells would then leech into the surrounding soil.

Linking to the main corrugated pipe are smaller corrugated pipes to catch rain water throughout the fi eld. Th e pipes may take the shape of a star, or a central wheel with spokes, branching outward to drain it into the main pipe at vary-ing points under the perimeter of the fi eld, which carries the water from the fi eld. Th ese smaller pipes would be no more than six inches from the surface of the fi eld.

Once the pipes are laid down over base layers of gravel and sand, Simpkins - who came from the Bethpage School District and helped install a synthetic fi eld at that district – said another layer of gravel is then applied over the pip-ing before the fi eld is then applied.

Simpkins called the fi eld a fab-ric, which includes strands of 2 ½-inch synthetic material consid-ered to be the “grass.” Th e grass strands remain fl at until a layer of sand is then applied and a layer of rubber, both of which help the grass to stand straight up.

He said that when it rained, wa-ter would fall in among all the lay-ers, essentially collecting the water so it could fall into the corrugated holes in the pipes and be sent out to the drywells. Whatever water isn’t caught in the pipes would seek further into the ground.

At Kennedy, Simpkins said the contractors, Laser Industries of Ridge, New York, discovered a

much shallower water table that would require the company to disperse the drywells out across several yards, rather than dig them deeper into the ground. “Th e company knows how to work with this issue, so it isn’t a problem to resolve,” he said.

Laser Industries was picked be-cause it was the lowest bidder, a rule the state normally requires when school districts bid. Details of the deal were not available at last month’s school board meeting. Custom Clay and LanTec were also involved in the bidding process.

Recent projects by Laser Indus-tries include Th e Mitchell Field Athletic Complex, Bethpage and Hicksville High School athletic fi elds, several baseball fi elds at Nassau County’s Grant Park in Hewlett, two athletic fi elds at Ce-dar Creek Park in Wantagh and several athletic fi elds at John Burns Park in Massapequa.

John Pinto, director of PAL Boys Lacrosse, said he was “tickled pink” the new fields were being put in. His young student athletes and hun-dreds more from other athletic pro-grams had seen their time on school fields dwindle greatly because of re-strictions put on playing the grass fields. The restrictions were put in place in October 2012 to provide the district with a chance to regrow the three high school fields for fall sports.

But it was a tough proposition to regrow the three grass fi elds when organic fertilizer, the only nutrient the district was permitted to use, became the only means left to re-grow the fi elds. Simpkins said or-ganic fertilizer was not strong enough to rebuild strong grass roots, like older fertilizer could.

Measuring up Mepham

Bridging the gap at Kennedy

11Your NewsMag№10 | JULY 2014

Grubs could also attack the fi elds and or-ganic pesticides take much longer to eradi-cate the problem.

“At the end of the day it will all be done and I will be happy,” Pinto said. Kids, he said, will benefi t once again from the per-formance enhancement features the fi elds have built into them.

But, he concluded, “I hope these fi elds last for the length of time the builder says they will.”

Th e three new fi elds will have no frills: no lights, no benches and no other extras. “Cal-houn will get a new fence is about all,” re-marked Simpkins.

Let the games begin!

Drill, baby, drill at Calhoun

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KJ FARRELL’S BAR AND GRILL, 242 PETTIT AVE-NUE, BELLMORE, 804-9925

Th ursday, July 24: 7 p.m., 45RPM; 10 p.m., karaoke

Six musicians get it right every night play-ing hits from the ‘heyday’ of radio. Plus, youare the rockstar when you sing to your heart’s content with karaoke.

Friday, July 25: 7 p.m., Th e Code; 10 p.m., Jeff Regan Band

Th e Code covers the best of Th e Beatles, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Traffi c, Steely Dan, Th e Grateful Dead and more; while blues rock, Motown and melodic pop get a work-out from the six-piece Jeff Regan Band.

Saturday, July 26: 7 p.m., Streetfi ghter; 10 p.m., Th e Led

Streetfi ghter is the common rocker’s an-swer to Beatlemania. Afterward, get the Led Zeppelin out …

Sunday, July 27: 2 p.m., the Prune Belly Syndrome Benefi t.

Monday, July 28: 8 p.m., Open mic night and jam

Come practice your licks and arpeggios with Kenny Forgione and friends while revel-ing in the professional backline and stage lighting. Guitarists are seriously wanted here!

Th ursday, July 31: 7 p.m., Marty G and

the G Men; 10 p.m., karaoke.Vocal stylists and singers whose voices

have been compared those smooth golden throaters of the 1950s and ‘60s.

THEATER

MERRICK THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, 2222 HEWLETT AVENUE, MERRICK, 868-6400.

Th rough August 10: “Kaufmann and Hart’s You Can’t Take It With You.” Comedy.

Alice Sycamore has to introduce the family of her fiance, Tony Kirby, to her own fami-ly.  The Kirby’s are a wealthy, stuffy family of great self-importance, while the Sycamore’s are a collection of good-hearted luna-tics.  When the two families come together, life-style and philosophy collide head-on.

Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets $21; seniors and students on Fridays and Sundays, $18.

BELLMORE MOVIES AND SHOWPLACE, 222 PET-TIT AVENUE, BELLMORE; 783-7200.

Friday, July 25: 8:30 p.m, Th e 9th Annual Long Island Comedy Festival.

Features a full lineup of top comedians from Long Island, New York City and around the country. Enjoy a night of hilarious live stand-up comedy! Get tickets online at the official website – www.LongIslandComedy.com.

Saturday, July 26: 8 p.m., Rob Bartlett and Tony Powell of the “Imus In The Morning” Radio Show are back at Bellmore for more characterizations and comedy. For informa-tion on this show you can call 785-4234 or log onto www.NYentertainmentclub.com.

12 Your NewsMag JULY 2014 | №10DEDICATIONS

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Temple Beth-El Dedicates New Prayer Space

By Carole Freidman

Last month Temple Beth-El of Bell-more unveiled and dedicated its new weekday prayer space (minyan room)

to the memory of long time North Bellmore resident Sidney (Sid) Z. Cohn. Sid’s wife Marlene and her family were in attendance for this special occasion, as were over 100 congregants of Temple Beth-El.

Cohn died two years ago and since then the temple has been looking for the appro-priate way to honor his memory. When the need arose to move the temple’s weekly prayer room to a new location in the build-ing, the perfect opportunity presented itself.

The new minyan room, which formerly served as a library, has been totally rede-signed. The pews from the former minyan room, which are of historic significance, were brought to Beth-El from a synagogue on the lower east side of Manhattan. The ark, which will hold the Torah, was newly constructed by Yehuda Giloni of Wantagh and incorpo-rates a stained glass window, which was part of the original minyan room. There is also a new Eternal Light over the ark.

Cohn is being memorialized because he was a special congregant of Temple Beth-El who took upon himself the responsibility of making sure there were always enough men to have a morning and evening prayer service (minyan), enabling those who needed to pray – especially mourners – to have the support they needed.

Because Cohn was a retired New York Police Department captain and a member of the Shomrim Society (the fraternal organization of Jewish Police Officers), a Shomrim Society color guard was present at the dedication ceremony.

In his introduction, Ira Minkoff, the president of Temple Beth-El, said that “there are very few

times during a term as temple president that a project becomes a labor of love.” “Cohn,” he con-tinued, “was one of the first people I met when it came time to don a tallis and tefillin in prepara-tion for my Bar Mitzvah.” Minkoff added that he was there “to teach me what to do and supply me with a bagel and a shmear for my efforts.”

Rabbi Howard Hoffman commented that Cohn was connected “in more than one way with the role of bringing humans closer to God and God down to earth, and this was for decades his passion.” He “used his commu-nication skills…to ensure that Temple Beth-El’s role as a house of prayer would be ful-filled every day for decades.”

Cohn’s daughter Marian spoke poignantly on behalf of the Cohn family.

At the end of the formal ceremony a torah was marched under a canopy (chuppah) from the main sanctuary to the new room and placed in the ark. All those attending had a chance to enter the room in small groups to view the room and recite a prayer along with Rabbi Hoff man and Cantor Eitan Binet.

Carole Friedman is the publicity chair-person for the Temple Beth-El Sisterhood.

Attendees recite a prayer with Rabbi Hoff man and Cantor Eitan Binet in the new prayer room.

Over 100 Temple Beth-El congregants attended the ceremony to dedicate the new space.

PHOTOS BY LARRY FRANKFORT

ENTREPRENEURS 13Your NewsMag№10 | JULY 2014

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Mepham Grad Develops Businesses With EaseS

eventeen-year-old Mepham graduate Dylan Christie now awaits the next journey of his

academic life, the University of Del-aware. It is there he thinks the col-lege crowd will really get the groove of his electronic dance DJ music, music he now spins regularly at Stage 48, on West 48th Street in Manhattan for the under-18 crowd.

A self-taught DJ, he’s been run-ning his own business spinning music from Blaster Jaxx, Marting Garrix and Hardwell for about a year, “and this is what I want to con-tinue into college,” he told this mag-azine recently.

Not that he will study disc-jock-eying, he will study management information systems, the discipline of applying bleeding edge comput-er technology to help manage companies big and small.

He just thinks he’ll find even more energy from the college crowd simply because they “get it” more, can turn with “it,” make it a part of their own identity as a music

style. Watching videos of his recent DJ sessions at Stage 48, the un-der-18 crowd really is hopping, the energy is there – and he’s stoked there’s more energy that awaits him at the University of Delaware.

But spinning music as a business is not where he was about three years ago. Winner of the 2014 Chamber of Commerce of the Bell-mores Commerce Award scholar-ship of $500 for developing his own businesses, he began modestly enough by building up relationships with online businesses that deal with training aids for hockey players.

Having played roller hockey at one time for the Bellmore-Merrick Roller Hockey league, he felt comfortable enough to contact several equipment manufacturers to inquire about get-ting training aids. “I was an aspiring hockey player who wanted to know how I could improve my game.” So he went to www.hockeyshot.com and purchased several training aids.

With training aids such as green bis-cuits, fly pucks and blade tape, he set

up a space downstairs using flooring tiles laid on the floor to provide a slip-pery surface in which to shoot the puck, stick handle it and do a variety of exercises all designed to strengthen his skills. He built a net, used drill pass-ers and puck-control trainers as well.

He took his training sessions out-side, too, where he would use the backyard to shoot at targets, such as cardboard goalies, nets and oth-er targets. Before long he was firing the puck off his rooftop at targets on the ground below, knocking water bottles off tables with near-100% accuracy. During those outdoor training sessions, he would video

tape them and post them at www.youtube.com/leftyhockeyreviews.com to provide ‘how-tos’ on how to score goals, how to stickhandle to achieve accuracy, how to back-hand and take one-time shots.

The site, he said, now has 2000 subscribers.

When he had compiled about 20 ‘how-to’ training videos, reviewing the products he had and posting them online as trickshot videos, he sent them to other small equipment companies who in turn sent him more training equipment to review. After posting for months equipment reviews online, “I got an email from thewhistle.com,” he said. Thewhis-tle.com is a sports outreach website for kids and teens that offers content videos for licensing opportunities.

The rest, they say, is history. At thewhistle.com his training videos open with advertisements before the training videos begin. “Those advertisements translate into li-censing fees I get for the videos I make,” he told this magazine.

A profile of Dylan and how he got involved in training videos appears on thewhistle.com website by click-ing on the hockey section and then the white arrow button at the bot-tom of the video post.

He told this magazine he also won the award from the chamber for his active work with Temple B’nai Torah in Wantagh. “I work at the temple helping my mom with such things as Chanukah sales and Chinese Auctions,” he said.

While interviewing Dylan he had a World Cup soccer game on. He al-so sported a couple of slight injuries to his legs – wearing shorts, men-tioning the injuries were from sliding on the grass while playing soccer. It turns out soccer his absolute favorite sport, and he played all four years on the Mepham Pirates soccer team!

So why didn’t he put up a soccer ‘how-to’ online video site, we asked. “I just didn’t have the time,” he said, mildly brushing off the question.

Young Dylan now readies to go off to the big dance …

Dylan readies to spin for the 'big dance.'

14 Your NewsMag JULY 2014 | №10MILESTONES

Merrick Children's Librarian Retires After 30 Years By Sharon G. Jonas

In 1985, when Bonnie Markel, a young mother of three, accept-ed a part-time job in the chil-

dren’s section at the Merrick Li-brary after trying substitute teach-ing, she thought it was a nice way to get out of the house. Armed with a Master of Library Science (MLS) degree from Queens Col-lege, she was excited to be working at least one night a week, applying her degree.  “I loved my job,” says Markel, “I’d come home with a big smile on my face.”

Now, after nearly 30 years of ser-vice at the Merrick Library, Markel retired from her position as head of the Children’s Department at the end of June. Her influence over the years will ensure that smiles live on in the faces of young patrons.

Credited with reshaping the na-ture of the children’s section and implementing innovative ideas, Markel not only won accolades from fellow professionals, but ob-vious approval from her target au-dience. Th e current children’s

room, designed for babies-through-sixth graders, is a spa-cious, window-lined wonderland loaded with more than a wide range of books. Embracing the “Family Place Library” concept that encourages family participa-tion, she said “It’s not a shhhhshh-hh library anymore.”

Th e room is large enough to ac-commodate a range of activities. While some still sit and quietly read at one end of the room or use one of the eight iPads affi xed to oversized crayon-shaped stations, others giggle, chatter and roam about enjoying a wide variety of toys including puzzles, dollhouses, Legos and a train table. It also con-tains a large saltwater fi sh tank, one of Markel’s ideas for the room, that continually draws children who stare and watch it.

“I’m a kid at heart,” Markel, who still enjoys reading children’s books, told this magazine. She helped select the thousands of books available for loan, and in-stalled 10 computers.

Markel said she looked forward to a new Mother Goose program starting after her retirement, which invites caregivers and ba-bies to enjoy 20-minute sessions designed to stimulate learning.

LEAD CHARGE INTO NEW BUILDINGPrior to the current state-of-the-

art library that opened in 2005, Markel recalls the previous build-ing where she was the only full

time employee. “Th e building was much smaller and the children’s room was downstairs in the base-ment. It was dark, not well-lit and we didn’t have any offi ces. When we moved to this nice big beautiful building…I was able to give the two part-timers full-time positions, and that helped immensely.”

Library Director Ellen Firer says, “When we moved into this building Bonnie led the charge. She’s been an invaluable member of the Merrick Library staff, offering superior cus-tomer service, which is important to us. She’s helped bring the children’s room into the 21st century.”

Over the years Markel not only created change, but was chal-lenged to react to forces out of her control. When a fi re in 2004 de-stroyed the entire children’s col-lection in the old library, she worked to begin anew. “We set up across the street in the lobby of the old LIRR train station, which wasn’t being used anymore. We were there about a year. We opened at 7 a.m.”

She recalls the transition in the late 1990s from the standard card catalogue to a computerized sys-tem. It was a “cold turkey” change, Markel remembers, made quickly and almost overnight. “Now you can get our card catalogue on your phone if you have the internet. Th at’s what it’s come to.” By going to www.merricklibrary.org and clicking on ‘catalogue,’ you can re-serve books or download them to an electronic device.

Markel also witnessed children changing over the years. “Th ey’re more impatient now and want ev-erything quickly.” She said the books are more “dramatic,” with an emphasis on fantasy, such as wizards, fairies and underworlds.

Now in Markel’s position as Children’s librarian is Susan Good-win, who has been with the Mer-rick Library’s since 1979. “It’s bit-tersweet,” said Goodwin. “Bonnie has been a fantastic head of the department. She’s innovative, cre-ative and great with the patrons. She’ll be a tough act to follow.”

15Your NewsMag№10 | JULY 2014

MAP Students Celebrate Commencement

Students at the Meadowbrook Alter-native Program marked their offi cial commencement from the program in

front of parents, family and friends late last month. Marching into the auditorium at the Brookside School to “Pomp and Circum-stance,” the students were warmly wel-comed by program director Susan Elling-haus.

“We are here today to celebrate your grad-uation and to celebrate the next phase on your journey through life,” said safety offi cer Donald Smith. “I want you to realize that as one door closes, another opens. You should never be afraid to walk through the door. You must walk through with confi dence and let the world know that you are here to make a diff erence. I know all of you will suc-ceed in whatever you attempt to do.”

Additionally, Class of 2008 graduate Ra-

quelle Kabatsky, valedictorian Tiff any Terra-vecchia and salutatorian Michelle Beery ad-dressed the audience throughout the cere-mony. CHSD Board of Education President Susan Schwartz presented diplomas to each of the graduates as they crossed the stage.

During the ceremony, several students re-ceived special awards. Daniel Healey was awarded the U.S. Army Scholar Athlete Award by Staff Sgt. Eli Henderson. Terravec-chia and Beery received the PTA Coordinat-ing Council Award, with Michael Dapolito being acknowledged with the BMUST Scholarship Award. Dapolito also was given $200 from Allstate Insurance, presented by Kabatsky. Terravecchia also received the Bellmore Lion’s Club Award. Beery, Tara Ey-ring, Daniel Pfl aumer and James Seible were all awarded the Meadowbrook Alter-native Program Award.

North Merrick Scouts Become Eagles

Presiding Officer Norma L. Gon-salves (R-East Meadow, LD 13) at-tended North Merrick Boy Scout

Troop 123’s Eagle Court of Honor for Ea-gle Scouts Sean McGinn, Sean Heverin and John McMullin held at the Sacred Heart Church School Auditorium in North Merrick.

For his Eagle project, Sean McGinn orga-nized and coordinated a children’s book drive to benefi t the charity Reach Out and Read which distributes books to less fortu-nate children through their pediatricians to promote literacy. With the help of Camp Av-enue Elementary School, he was able to col-lect well over 1000 books.

Sean Heverin undertook a project to beautify the 9/11 Memorial at the Merrick train station. He raised funds to purchase plants and materials that were needed for the garden. Along with 60 volunteers, Sean helped clean the area of dead plants, weeds and miscellaneous objects to put in plants, fl owers and a stone walkway into the Memorial.

John McMullin, to attain the rank of Eagle Scout, constructed a cage for quails at a non-profi t organization called Sweetbriar

Nature Center. Sweetbriar has trails to walk on and has had concerns with ticks due to the wooded area. In order to combat the tick population, they release quails, which eat ticks as a main source of food. John’s cage helps to protect the quails when they are young and is fi tted with a heat lamp to help raise them as well.

“Th ese young men showed tremendous dedication and organizational skills to com-plete their projects,” said Presiding Offi cer Gonsalves. “Th ey all serve as terrifi c role models for future scouts and have made lasting impacts on their communities.”

Pictured above, from left, are: Eagle Scout Sean McGinn, Presiding Offi cer Norma Gonsalves, Eagle Scouts John McMullin and Sean Heverin.

Proud member of the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores.

16 Your NewsMag JULY 2014 | №10

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NO SMOKING – OUTSIDE! Bell-more Memorial Library Director Maureen Garvey, left, and Nassau Project Coordina-tor for the Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island Carol Meschkow join in establish-ing a smoke-free zone around the Library.

ROCK ON: Nonageneri-an Roy Wein-man receives rocking chair from the Chamber of Commerce of the Bell-mores on the occasion of his retire-ment.

LASER PLUS SPA REOPENS: The Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores celebrated Laser Plus Spa's rebuilt facili-ty at 2717 Merrick Road in Bellmore with a ribbon cutting. From left are Marie Spohrer, Martha Verdi, Michael Pit-takas, Danny Antin, state Assemblyman David McDonough, county Legislator Michael Venditto, Denise Pearson McGuckin (staff), Town Clerk Nasrin Ahmad, Liz Clemens (staff), Ken Kaufman (owner), Bill Wilgus, Town Council-woman Angie Cullin, staff, county Legislator Dave Denenberg, Michael Schinella, Steve Alexander, Bob Podolski and Lisa Berger. Other staff members in random order are Andrea Feliclo, Gianna Zeccn and Libby Herring.

TASTY WIN: …. Michael Sava-rese receives a check for $100 for being the fi rst to consume 12 mouthwatering cupcakes during Nancy The Cup-cake Lady’s annu-al cupcake-eating contest. Those who didn’t still walked away with a smile …

SUMMER ATHLETICS 17Your NewsMag№10 | JULY 2014

North Bellmore-North Merrick Boys Win National Championship

NATIONAL 14U CHAMPS: From left, in back row, are Coach Bob Delaney, Chris Behan, Tyler Manger, Brian Donnelly, Chris Wasson, Alex Rodriguez, Nick Valeriano, Coach Mike Conry, Coach Ray Valeriano and Coach Sam Acri. In front row are Matt Conry, Jack Delaney, Alec Acri, Billy McAdam, and Eric Solomon. Visit www.yournewsmag.com for complete story.

18 Your NewsMag JULY 2014 | №10RESTAURANT REVIEW

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Anchor Down for Fine Seafood in MerrickA

nchor Down Seafood Bar and Grill at 1960 Bayberry Avenue in Merrick is the latest labor of

love from Chef Stephen Rosenbluth and wife Jennifer, who set the bar higher with distinctively simple – if elegant - offerings to keep the menu clutter down and keep the seafood fresh.

The location, previously known as the Cozy Clam and J.D’s on the Bay, features décor in a nautical motif in simple white and nautical blue, with plenty of sunlight from the skylights drenching the dining room of white linen tablecloths during daylight hours. No lowly-lit bar setting here. “This is a restaurant, not a bar,” re-marked Rosenbluth.

For Rosenbluth, whose resumé in-cludes work at Naples 45, Brasserie and Nick and Stef’s Steakhouse in New York City – working alongside long-time sous chef Matthew Winters, the restaurant is perhaps the evolution of a childhood dream. “I’ve loved fi shing all my life. I used to fi sh on the Freeport boats such

as Capt. Lou and Capt. Al,” he contin-ued. And, he’s always loved cooking seafood. He and Jennifer have cast a long line to “anchor down” and give the new restaurant a whirl.

Rosenbluth, who learned to prepare seafood the “New England” way while at Legal Seafood at Roosevelt Field, said that during the fi rst three week-ends he was open, he’s had upwards of 100-140 patrons coming in to taste from his menu.

SMALL, FOCUSED MENUTh e menu, like a fi ne resumé, is only

one page. “All my fi sh is fresh,” he said, so when it “comes in” he wants it going out quickly, too. Whole branzino, salm-on fi let and yellow fi n tuna featuring a wasabi sauce are staples on the menu, as are jumbo lump crab cakes, a popu-lar item already.

Th e crab cakes feature a light crispi-ness on the outside by using corn fl ake crumbs, said Rosenbluth. Th e cakes are

pure crabmeat with no fi ller and, while it is off ered as a starter with one crab cake, dinner provides two crab cakes “that provide for a full meal.”

Th e cakes are set on a sauce of remou-lade, infusing the fl avor in each bite, and give off no fi shy aroma, a testament to their just-cooked freshness. Th e ac-companying homemade cole slaw is light and fl avorful, leaving no heavy vin-egar or mayo aftertaste.

Blackened mahi mahi comes over a bed of sweet corn and a red pepper cou-lis. Accompanying the two light sides is a welcoming accent of cilantro. “I have an herb garden growing outside I pick from to add the fresh accents,” Rosen-bluth said. Th e fi sh is fl aky, and the spice light, not overpowering.

For those looking to blacken or Ca-jun-spice such items as salmon and tu-na, add $2.

Rounding out the dinner menu are shrimp stuff ed with crab and Ritz butter cracker crumb stuffi ng, and roasted chicken with asparagus. For true meat lovers, a New York strip steak is also

RESTAURANT REVIEW 19Your NewsMag№10 | JULY 2014

served. While Heirloom tomato salad, arugula and pickled onion come with the steak, extra sides such as mashed potatoes or French fries, spinach or broccoli in garlic and olive oil can be added for $5.

Casual bites at the Anchor Down are available as lighter fare to satisfy the gastronomic cravings of those on the go. Th e Anchor Down burger comes topped with Applewood-smoked bacon, Jack cheese and 1000 Island dressing.

Fish and chips are a charmer, indeed. Dredged in buttermilk and a restau-rant-made crab fry, the bite- size pieces

of haddock – or other fi sh he may use, de-pending on what’s in – are light, fl aky and moist, and can be consumed by hand. Fried in soy oil, there are no crunchy crusts to contend with in the dish, often a hallmark of less-considerable chefs.

Th e dish comes with cole slaw and French fries. It also comes with a small tumbler of malt vinegar, to bring zest.

Th e crispy chicken sandwich, like the burger, comes topped with Apple-wood-smoked bacon, lettuce and toma-to, and a Sriracha mayonnaise. Th e taste of the smooth and spicy mayo comes on gradually, and you’ll fi nd yourself eager for another bite. Ask for the golden fries with this dish.

A Po’boy sandwich of shrimp or oys-ters in Old Boy remoulade caps the ca-sual bites off erings.

A selection of clams, oysters and mussels are available as appetizers to start off your dining experience, along with fried calamari, a chopped salad and New England clam chowder or lobster bisque.

IMBIBE TO WASH IT DOWN

The flip side of the menu lists several wines, in-cluding both white and red; specialty craft beers from local breweries; and two cocktails: The Sea Siren, and the Bloody Mariner. While the Mari-ner is, essentially, a Bloody Mary, it adds a splash of Amber ale along with a sea-salt rim.

The Sea Siren, vodka, lemonade and peach schnapps, gives the bar-tender a chance to go out and into the herb garden to pick fresh mint to place in the drink.

Small details add character to the restaurant, which you will find when you visit. Large linen napkins or, if sitting at the bar, colorful pla-cemats add to the dining experi-ence. A large chalk blackboard calls out daily and weekly specials. Background music is both easy and entertaining.

Rosenbluth purchases his fresh fish offerings and

shellfish selections from

local fish markets in Free-port daily, or local shellfish-

ermen, where appropriate. He also buys meats locally in Merrick. Anchor Down accommodates those

with food allergies – including nuts; glu-ten-free diets; vegans; diabetics; as well as other diet-conscious consumers.

For a fresh American seafood ex-perience, call 544-4334 to make a reservation.

Nautical Blue-and-white motif helps accentuate light Owner

Stephen Rosenbluth with long-time sous chef Matthew Winters.

The herb garden

20 Your NewsMag JULY 2014 | №10LIIFE ENTERTAINMENT

Trends and Trailblazers at the Annual Long Island International Film ExpoBy Kristen Buckley

At the 17th annual Long Is-land International Film Expo offi cial opening

night in mid-July several exec-utive producers, producers, di-rectors and writers collected in the Filmmakers Lounge (Th e Firemens Exempt Hall next to the Bellmore Movies) to dis-cuss their projects, get inter-views with Your NewsMag, im-bibe and take in the lavish food spread donated by Piccolo’s Ristorante.

Debra Markowitz, director of the Nassau County Film Offi ce, and director of the LIIFE, told this magazine they added ma-ny new fi lms this year from previous years because of al-most 100 more submissions, due in large measure to the fi lm festival’s new distinction from Movie Maker Magazine as one of the 25 Best Film Festi-vals in Th e World.

Film stars who were sched-uled to attend included Wil-liam Sadler (“Th e Shawshank Redemption”); Dominic Fu-musa (“Nurse Jackie”); Marc Coppola (“Apocalypse Now”); Kevin Corrigan (“Grounded for Life”); Nick Sandlow (“Orange is the New Black”); Neal Huff (“Moonrise Kingdom”); Robert Clohessy (“Boardwalk Empire,” “Blue Bloods”); James van der Beek (“Dawson’s Creek”); Terry Serpico (“Army Wives”); John Cullum (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”); Lauren Hodges (“Rubicon”); James McCaff rey (“Rescue Me”); Cathy Moriarty (“Raging Bull”) and  Dee Snid-er of Long Island’s ‘90s band Twisted Sister.

158 movies, ranging from shorts to full-length features and including trailers and mu-sic videos originating from all over the world were scheduled to be shown throughout the nine-day fi lm extravaganza at the 102-year-old Bellmore Movies, owned by Anne and Henry Stampfel.

Trending at this year’s LIIFE, within this year’s new batch of entries, was the emergence of

several new female fi lm mak-ers. Th irty fi lms in LIIFE were made by female directors, which is an unprecedented number of female directors in the fi lm festival’s history.

Th is trend could represent a larger shift in mainstream American cinema. Indeed, the general public may have no-ticed a signifi cant increase in female-driven fi lms during the past year, including Disney’s runaway hit “Frozen” and more recent summer fi lms such as “Malefi cent” and “Th e Fault in Our Stars.”

Markowitz expressed excite-ment over this new rise of fe-male talent in the independent fi lm industry – being a director herself. When asked which fe-male-directed fi lm she was most looking forward to seeing at this year’s fi lm expo, she sin-gled out a fi lm titled “Shunned,” which is a docu-mentary feature directed by Janice Villarosa that focuses on the lives of male-to-female transsexuals in the Philippines.

Th is magazine was able to speak with Joy Shatz, one of the many female directors whose work will be showcased throughout the week. Shatz, from Forest Hills, Queens, wrote, produced and directed a short fi lm called “Wild Wom-an,” a project that had its Long Island premiere at the festival.. “Wild Woman,” a short mocku-mentary about a reporter’s mis-sion to uncover the legend of the eponymous Wild Woman, had its world premiere at the Soho International Film Festi-val. Wild Woman serves as the

directorial debut of Shatz, who also employed her previous ex-perience as an actress by play-ing 13 diff erent characters in her own short fi lm.

Another outstanding female director to be found on the pro-gram is Bellmore native Leslye Abbey. Armed with several awards and humanitarian awards from LIIFE, her latest documentary feature, “Buff alo Nation: Th e Children Are Cry-ing,” had its world premiere preceding the opening night reception. Abbey's documenta-ry fi lm project is a personal and touching one about the Survi-vors Art Foundation known as “Raw Visions: Art of Survival.” Her latest fi lm, “Buff alo Nation: Th e Children are Crying,” por-trays the lives of the Lakota people of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and the devastat-ing rate of suicide within the children of the Sioux Nation.

LIIFE TECHNICAL AWARDSTechnical awards are tradi-

tionally handed out during LIIFE’s opening night ceremo-nies. Th is year’s short group of talented fi lm makers earning awards included: Best Original Song – “Here Comes the Wolf” by John Nolan. Honorable Men-tion in this category went to Dan Redfi eld for “Moustache; Best Original Score – a tie between “Man on the Edge,” by John Bush, and “Modern Nature,” by Alexander Leon. Honorable Mention went Ankit Varshneya for “ Rab de Vaasta”; Best Cine-matography in a Short Film – Matt Bockelmann for “Gradua-tion”; Best Cinematography in a Feature Film – Patrick Ginnet-ty for “Trouble With Women”; and Best Editing – Matt Childar, “Th e Boy and the Bus.” Honor-

able Mentions in this category included Robert La Rosa for “Th e Return,” and Jackie Xerri for “Mint Chip.”

Another rising and interesting movement conversed at LIIFE is new technological trends, which several fi lmmakers have begun employing. Marc Riou, a cinematographer who won 2013’s annual LIIFE Technical Award for Best Cinematography for the short fi lm “Tilt of a Rose” (a fi lm distributed by Th e Ma-jors Productions, a production company that was co-founded by Riou), off ered thoughtful in-sight into the technical trends of independent fi lmmaking.

He told this magazine that more independent fi lmmakers are using better resolution cam-eras because these high-quality cameras are now much more af-fordable for aspiring fi lmmak-ers. He also mentioned that there was a major wave of 4K resolution movies in the inde-pendent fi lm industry, which is a much higher defi nition than that of the average video.

Larry Strong, another fi lm mak-er, pointed out that, at times, the higher-resolution cameras com-ing into vogue can work at cross purposes to the intentions of a fi lm, explaining that lower-reso-lution cameras can help create a sought-after environment a fi lm maker may be looking for.

Damian Voerg, a Hempstead native and director of a wartime drama – along with Strong - fea-

tured in LIIFE this year titled “Cig-arette Soup,” acknowledge the growing use of DSLR, or digital single-lens refl ex cameras. DSLR are digital cameras that combine the optical mechanics of a digital imaging sensor and a single-lens refl ex camera. Th is highly ad-vanced and readily available technology helps to create well-shot and well lit shorts and helped Voerg produce the raw documentary type of feel to his fi lm, which he places in the found footage genre – or cinema veritae.

All of these trends add to the distinctive and alluring identity that has helped expose and devel-op this outstanding fi lm festival.

"Wild Woman" director Joy Shatz

From left are the producer of 'Until Death" with Director Sean Dahlberg; Michael Arbouet and Larry Strong of "Cigarette Soup"; and Jackie Xerri of "Mint Chip."

LIIFE ENTERTAINMENT 21Your NewsMag№10 | JULY 2014

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Wonders of the Ancient World: Opening Films at LIIFEBy Kristen Buckley

The fi lm festival offi cial opening night fi lm block starting at 6:45 p.m. fea-

tured only two fi lms, one short student fi lm and one two-hour feature fi lm - a considerably short number of entries screened than the following 9:40 p.m. fi lm block that screened fi ve fi lm entries. However, the 6:45 p.m. fi lm block still man-aged to present a pair of impres-sive movies that display the tal-ent and diversity of this es-teemed international fi lm festi-val and its featured fi lmmakers.

Th e fi rst entry, a short fi lm making its Long Island premiere at LIIFE titled “Carry On,” is a 16-minute student fi lm from China. Taking place during 1944 in Japanese-occupied China, it tells the story of a Chinese father who saves the life of his young daughter from invading Japa-nese troops. Short fi lms often evoke personal interest in view-

ers because they manage to con-vey a wide range of emotional and narrative power in a limited amount of time.

Fortunately, the short’s direc-tor Yatao Li has made a memora-ble short fi lm with enough ten-sion and catharsis to fi ll a fea-ture-length fi lm and managed to do so in less than one quarter of the time of any 90-minute fi lm, which deserves praise for its exe-cution. Quickly noticeable is “Carry On” ’s ability to incorpo-rate fully formed and coherent themes in its narrative structure.

Th roughout “Carry On,” all sex-ually mature young women of every conquered Chinese village are gathered up and taken away by the invading Japanese for om-inously implied purposes. Sexu-al potency and desire can mean life or death, as a middle-aged menopausal woman is spared because she is deemed undesir-able by the soldiers. Meanwhile, the girl’s virile grandfather ex-presses his wish to bed another

woman before dying in the cold. Death is another natural exis-

tence in the story, as the grandfa-ther dies shortly after pretending to be dead as a pure joke. As he plays dead, the soldiers uninten-tionally desecrate the corpse un-til they realize that he’s not play-ing dead, then warn the others to show respect for the dead.

Th e strongest aspect of the short is the ending, which is usually the highest point of any good short fi lm. Accompanied by uplifting music, the father is able to save his daughter from a horrible fate by hiding her in a food sack. We are moved by a shot of the father’s face when he realizes that the soldier who has discovered his secret will actual-ly protect his child.

The actor exhibits an array of emotions, from relief to happiness and sadness all at once, that even as the father is executed off-screen, we are relieved to see the hidden daughter on her way out to free-dom, as the screen fades to black.

The feature-length film, “The Historian,” was even more ambi-tious and emotionally satifying. The film follows the story of Ben Rhodes, a classics professor with a troubled past who takes a new job at a new university in a new town and his encounters with a rival clas-sics professor, an intense and trou-bled man named Val Hadley, and a bubbly grad student named Anna.

Professor Hadley is played by William Sadler (“Th e Shawshank Redemption,” “Th e Green Mile,” “Iron Man 3”), who received a special achievement award from LIIFE last year. He plays the part of a vulnerable anti-hero, the kind of character that American audiences have grown to love thanks to characters such as Wal-ter White and Frank Underwood.

Th e more light-hearted char-acter of Ben Rhoades is por-trayed with awkwardly human charm by the fi lm’s director, Miles Doleac, who is actually a professor at the University of Southern Mississippi.

“Th e Historian” is loosely based on Doleac’s personal ex-periences as a professor and his views of higher education and the relationships between pro-fessors with grad students, other professors and deans. Th e fi lm has a fascinating balance of heavy drama - which could have easily made it a dark and edgy thriller - and abundant doses of quirky comedy that make it feel like an independent fi lm look at life in university.

Th e fact that this fi lm is not as easy to categorize as one might initially believe is the mark of a complex narrative, which is pres-ent in “Th e Historian.” Th e rela-tionship between Hadley and Rhodes is the strongest element of the story and is gripping. If on-ly there had been a more central plot of the fi lm.

Nevertheless, “Th e Historian” is as well formed and thought provoking as the many classical statues present in the academic offi ces of the university.

REVIEWS

22 Your NewsMag JULY 2014 | №10

Enter to Win two tickets

To Enter visit www.YourNewsMag.comAll entries must be submitted by Friday August 8, 2014.

Saturday August 16 at 8 pm

Live

Fish On the Barbie i s Ideal Summer Fare

By Kevin Halton, Jr.

Summer is a great time for pool parties and family bar-becues. If you love good

food and are interested in be-ing in great physical shape then continue reading.

Most people have a limited knowledge of cooking vari-ous foods on the grill, as pro-cessed hot dogs and ham-burgers have become the un-healthy norm. Organic sea-food, on the other hand, is a delicious and healthy alter-native. Seafood is high in protein, low in calories and tastes delicious on the grill.

Th e gas grill’s ability to pro-vide easy-to-control, fast, even-ly distributed heat is ideal for fi sh. Grilling allows you to quickly seal in the moisture that contributes to great-tasting fi sh.

Critical to successful grilling is choosing the types of fish that are the most accommodating for the grilling process. Many varieties of fish fillets are adequate, while whole fish work even better. The best fillets for the barbecue are salmon steaks, Chilean sea bass, swordfish steaks, tuna steaks and striped bass fil-let. The top whole fish choices for grilling include black sea bass, red snapper, bluefish, porgies and bronzini.

Whole fish hold together well, are far more flavorful and are less expensive than fillets. Your local fish market should offer complete clean-ing and removal of all unnec-essary inner parts for any whole fish you purchase. The

whole fish you bring home should be grill-ready!

As you return home, fi re up the grill so it’s nice and hot. While it’s heating up, place the fi sh in a shallow pan, gener-ously rubbing olive oil on both sides. Add your favorite herbs and spices, garlic, parsley and basil, as well as fresh squeezed lemons. Turn the heat down to medium and place the fi sh gently on the grill.

Cover, and then flip when ready. Be sure to cook thor-oughly. Whole fish will take a bit longer than fillets. Be sure to visit your local fish market for sound advice on selection, grilling tips, and preparation. You’ll wonder how something can taste so delicious and healthy while dining on your grill-pre-pared seafood!

Congratulations, Laurelle!

Th e Etri family

is thrilled to announce the graduation of

Laurelle Jade Etri from New York Medical College

as a Doctor of Physical Th erapy.

ENTERTAINMENT 23Your NewsMag№10 | JULY 2014

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Something to wine aboutIN THE MOOD FOR SOMETHING SWEET?

By Linda Delmonico Prussen

Are you in the mood for something sweet? Most of us are, at least some-times. But before you reach for the

white zinfandel or your tried-and-true Riesling, why not try some other surpris-ing and surprisingly sweet wines?

Go French with Sancerre blanc made with the Sauvignon blanc grape. Look for the lowest alcohol level allowed, 10.5%. Another French classic to try is Vouvray, made primarily with the Chenin blanc grape. Again, if your goal is sweetness, look for the lower alcohol variety.

Want it sweet and cheap? And yes, I said cheap. Try the Portuguese wine Vinho Verde: White, light, semi-sweet and refreshing. Think Sprite, or 7-up! This consistently good wine comes in many different brands and all of them are guaranteed to be wal-let-friendly.

And if you fi nd yourself too uncom-fortable moving too far from Riesling, try some other sweet German varietals, such as Liebfraumilch and Gewurztraminer.

Do you like your sweetheart to be a little bubbly? Try Moscato. Even if not in the traditional “sparkling” bottle, most are at least a little eff ervescent.

Why do I keep saying look for the lowest alcohol content? In most regular wines, not dessert, or ports, or fruit wines, you can gues-timate the sweetness by the alcohol content. Th is is because the sugar is burned off as the alcohol content rises. It’s why you’ll some-times hear talk of “residual sugar” in wine.

Dessert wines, ports, and fruit mixed wines are produced diff erently and may not hold true to that theory. Beware, all will be sweeter and many, like ports, will have high alcohol contents.

If you would rather stick with Riesling, but try something new, then Frisk’s Prickly Ries-ling is a deliciously well-balanced wine with the taste of a prickly pear. Firestone Riesling is also a well-made wine with the taste of lemon drops candy, and Pacifi c Rim Dry Riesling is not really dry. Instead, it’s a dryer version of the other Rieslings the vineyard produces, but a great alternative to the overly sweet cloying Rieslings on the market.

See where Delmonico-Prussen will be tasting wine in this area, at www.yournewsmag.com.

24 Your NewsMag JULY 2014 | №10