Community Corner

Good News: Honoring First Responders and Centenerians

Some stories put a smile on your face. Here's our wrap-up from around Nassau County.

As a local news organization, Patch covers stories of all kinds, from heartbreaking tragedies to nitty-gritty breakdowns of government and school district issues. But some stories are simply inspiring, often showing that at the heart of our communities is a desire to do good. Here are some of the touching headlines from the past seven days.

Sandel's Oldest Residents Celebrate Their 100th Birthdays

When Selma Stone and Viola Chisholm were born in 1913, the average life expectancy was 47 years.

The Rockville Centre residents, the oldest members of Sandel Senior Center, certainly bucked that trend when they both turned 100 years old. The center hosted a birthday celebration for them last Wednesday.

Long Beach Public School Buildings Ready for Classes

When Long Beach public school students return to classes on Sept. 9, they will see and experience many new features. 

West School will welcome students back to the building for the first official day of classes since Superstorm Sandy hit last October, with the repair work complete on all first-floor classrooms, the cafeteria and the gymnasium.

Bellmore First Responder to be Honored

John Curley, a New York City Firefighter and volunteer at the Bellmore Fire Department will be honored by the Firemen's Association of the State of New York (FASNY) on Friday for rescuing a woman from her home, which was engulfed in flames, according to an article in Newsday. 

Volunteers Help Fill 150 Backpacks to 'Even Playing Field'

Volunteers recently filled 150 backpacks to help students in need start the year on an even playing field at UJA-Federation’s Tov b’Yachad Supplies for Success at Yeshiva of South Shore in Hewlett. 

The number of Jewish households in poverty and near-poverty on Long Island and throughout the eight-county service area of UJA continues to climb, according to the UJA-Federation of New York Jewish Community Study of New York 2011: Special Report on Poverty, June 2013.

Massapequa's Can-Do Taekwondo Kids

Three Massapequa youngsters were members of the U.S. Taekwondo championship team honored by Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano Friday. 

William Vaccaro, Sarah Rudnick and Christina LoBuglio were among 65 participants who competed in the 2013 U.S. Nationals Taekwondo Tournament in Chicago. The tournament was formerly known as the United States Junior Olympics. 

Merrick Artist Releases First EP

Nick Taldi, also known as Nikmoody, said that he loves to write and create. Over the years was able to combine his two passions and make music.

Taldi released his first EP, "Farewellcome Vol. 1." on Tuesday night.

MacArthur Graduate Publishes First Book

Katie (Hetzel) McKnight, a 1987 graduate of MacArthur High School, wrote a suspenseful-romance novel entitled Secrets Revealed.  Eternal Press published the book in e-book format on August 8, 2013.  The paperback is due out next month. In addition to amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and ITunes will carry the book online.


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