DEADLINE MARCH 31ST
HERALD
2754 North Jerusalem Road North Bellmore, NY 516-679-4805 • 516-6 79-48 Elisas Restaurant.com 06
NOW OPEN FOR LUNCH
ION ERTY TAX REDUCT THE LEADER IN PROP
Apply online at ote mptrg.com/heraldn 6 26 5.1 .71 516 l cal or Maidenbaum Property
Hablamos Español
p, LLC
Tax Reduction Grou
JOIN US EVERY WEDNESDAY
Bellmore Parents page is live
12pm-3pm for a 12”Pizz
Page 3
(in Addition to Our Regular Me
Vol. 29 No. 8 FEBRUARY 19 - 25, 2026
$1.00
$
8.50
Our menu is available online
a for nu)
at www.elisasrestaurant.com
133691
Let’s bring your tax bill down!
_________________ bellmore ________________
Seniors drive safety change Student leaders secure new school zone signs near Mepham H.S. After discussing the idea with their teacher, the students began researching the issue Two seniors at Wellington C. and reaching out to officials. Mepham High School turned a Wilson said they first consulted classroom leadership assign- school administrators, includment into real-world change, ing principal Anthony DeMarsuccessfully advocating for new tinis, before contacting local school zone signage representatives and on Stewart Avenue working with Chris to improve traffic Schneider of the safety near the camTown of Hempstead. pus. Wilson said SchJake Wilson, 18, neider and his staff and Brayden Selighelped guide them man, 17, spearheadthrough the process, ed the effort which included multhrough Pirate for a tiple phone calls and Purpose, an initiaattending a town t ive w i t h i n t h e meeting to underschool’s Senior stand how municiSchool and Commupal decisions are nity Leadership made. BRAYDEN class that challenges “Getting to see students to identify how the town meetSEliGMAN community needs ing works and the and take action. people who repreThe pair said they first sent me helped me personally,” became concerned about speed- Wilson said. “Something that ing vehicles while parking directly impacts me and that along the street as students. Brayden and I thought of — “Seeing some students or seeing them put that into even parents picking up kids action was definitely a privijust kind of flying down these lege.” roads, I thought it was pretty Their advocacy paid of f dangerous,” Seligman said, not- when multiple school zone ing that limited visibility and signs were installed along frequent traffic near dismissal Continued on page 24 added to the risk.
By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ
hgaldamez@liherald.com
Holden Leeds/Herald
Chamber holds annual installation dinner Members of the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmore were sworn in at the annual installation. Story, additional photos, Page 3.
Bellmore house fire claims life of 72-year-old man; destroys two structures By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com
A predawn fire tore through two homes on Chapman Avenue on Feb. 11, killing a 72-year-old man, critically injuring a 69-year-old woman and destroying neighboring properties before firefighters brought the blaze under control, authorities said. Police said officers were dispatched at 4:31 a.m. to reports of a residential fire. When they arrived, the house was fully engulfed, and flames spread to an adjacent home, causing significant damage to at least two other houses. The 72-year-old man, later identified as John
Mora, was found inside his residence and pronounced dead at the scene, according to Nassau County police. His wife, Marie Mora, 69, was transported to a local hospital in critical condition, officials said. Their children, Greg, Alex and Mariana Mora, were not home at the time. According to a GoFundMe created for the families, the Mora family also lost their dog and cat, Luna and Kiki, in the fire. The neighboring Glynn family — Tom, Ann, Caitlin and Tommy — escaped without injury. As of press time, the fundraiser had raised $49,000 to support the two families in rebuilding their lives. Bellmore Fire De par tment Chief Eric Continued on page 14