_________________ bellmore ________________
HERALD How to live more, hurt less
New tree spruces up neighborhood
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Vol. 29 No. 33
AUGUST 13 - 19, 2026
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Public takeover of Liberty is urged by locals treatment for PFAS and PFOA contaminants, water main replacements and lead service Critics of Liberty Water are line replacements. The water authority was crecontinuing their push for the South Nassau Water Authority ated by the state in 2021 specifito acquire the private utility’s cally to acquire Liber ty’s Town of Hempstead operations, Hempstead operations. Water arguing that a public takeover authority officials said earlier should move forward before a this year that they were preproposed rate increase goes pared to begin negotiations into effect. with Liberty, with the process Members of the expected to take Merrick-based Long several months. Island Clean Air Claudia Borecky, Water & Soil rallied a co-director of LI outside Hempstead C AW S , s a i d t h e Town Hall on Aug. environmental 4, calling on town ClAUDIA BoRECky advocacy group’s officials to hold goal is to ensure Co-Director, their appointees to Liberty customers the water authority Long Island Clean Air are not left with the a c c o u n t a b l e a n d Water & Soil financial burden move quickly while negotiations toward a potential acquisition continue. of Liberty Utilities, which is One of the group’s requests headquartered in Merrick. is for the Town of Hempstead Liberty submitted a pro- to establish a special water disposed rate hike to the New York trict or dedicated fund that State Public Service Commis- would direct tax revenue genersion in May that calls for a 37 ated through Liberty custompercent increase for customers ers toward efforts benefiting in the Merrick district and a those customers, including a 29.7 percent increase for cus- potential acquisition. tomers in the Sea Cliff district. “What we’re asking for is Liberty officials have said instead of putting that into the the increases are necessary to town’s general fund ... set up a fund infrastructure improveContinued on page 2 ments, including iron removal,
By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ
hgaldamez@liherald.com
I
Courtesy Cure of Ars
Cure of ars seeks memories, photos ahead of 100th anniversary this october.
Curé of Ars seeks century of memories for upcoming celebration By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com
As Curé of Ars Roman Catholic Church prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary this fall, the parish is asking current and former members of the community to help preserve its history by sharing photographs, memories and memorabilia by Sept. 1. The materials will help the church create a historical record of the parish as it prepares for its centennial celebration in October. Among the projects planned is a commemorative book modeled after one created for the parish’s 75th anniversary. “We will be doing a book, as we did for the 75th anniversary,” said the Rev. Frank Caldwell, pastor of Curé of Ars. “To have a
historical record of the foundation of the parish.” The church is seeking photographs, videos, newspaper articles, programs, memorabilia and personal stories. Parishioners are encouraged to share memories of sacraments, parish events, ministries, people who influenced their faith or other experiences connected to Curé of Ars. Digital submissions can be emailed to cureofars100@gmail.com. Original photographs can also be brought to the rectory to be scanned and returned. The church asks that submissions include the person’s name, event, date and phone number. For Caldwell, who joined Curé of Ars in 2016, the centennial preparations have Continued on page 9
was satisfied with the rally.