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Vol. 25 No. 39
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Your strength and resiliency inspires
I
Courtesy Ian Randman
Pedaling the continent, always headed north Ian Randman, 22, a North Bellmore native, is on an epic cross-country trip from Key West, Florida, to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska — the southern and northernmost points in the continental United States that are accessible by road. The trip is daunting, but it’s for a good cause: Randman is raising money in honor of his cousin, Joshua Randman, who died in 2018 of a form of pediatric cancer, at age 20. Story, more photos, page 3.
Model trains and class reunions: friendship in the wake of Covid-19 By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
When Gary Gaccione was diagnosed with Covid-19 in March 2020, he didn’t know if he was going to make it. “When I was in the hospital the first night, I said to the doctor, ‘Am I going to be oK?’” Gaccione recounted. “I myself didn’t realize how bad Covid was. He said, ‘I don’t really know. I can’t tell you — I can’t lie to you.’”
Gaccione, a former North Bellmore School District art teacher, spent many weeks at the hospital, and then more in rehab, before he was finally able to come home that May, on oxygen and for the most part confined to his house. That was over two years ago. His is a story of resiliency, Gaccione said, and how you handle what life gives you. In the wake of some of his darkest days, and the recovery
that followed them, Gaccione took time to rediscover himself, re-form connections with people he’d known in the past, and look toward his hopefully brighter future.
All aboard!
For 45 years, Gaccione has lived next door to Frank Martucci, and they’d always had a good, neighborly relationship. In the first weeks after Gaccione came Continued on page 10
t has been over two years since the spread of the coronavirus upended our way of life. And as we slowly transition back to some semblance of normal, it’s important to stop and acknowledge the resiliency and strength of the Bellmore community through it all. This year has not been easy, but our community has been able to find light in the darkness. We’ve celebrated holidays together, gone to parades and festivals, and watched our neighbors and businesses do great things in Bellmore and beyond. The Herald has been with you through it all. We remain focused on delivering what matters most to you, whether it’s our coverage of the annual Bellmore Family Street Festival, or the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District’s sports teams. Through these ever-changing times, all of us at the Herald strive to report the news of the day swiftly and accurately. We have adapted to provide you with even more information, going above and beyond, to give you the latest scoop online at LIHerald.com, and in our newsletter. Even though the pandemic stretched us to our limits, we
stuck it out with you, and it is our pledge to show the same resiliency that you, as a community, have shown through it all. Producing the news, however, is a costly endeavor. We must pay the salaries of reporters, editors, photographers, graphic artists, advertising account executives, press operators, drivers and manag managers. Now, more than ever, we are relying on you, our readers, to support us, as we have sup supported you through this crisis. Please consider taking an annual subscription to the Herald. See our subscription ad on Page 17. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. We hope you are pleased with our coverage, and if so, you might consider taking a two- or threeyear subscription. We want to hear what you have to say about the issues affecting our community. Feel to contact me, and let me know what you’d like to read about. Email me at jvallone@liherald. com, or call me at (516) 569-4000, ext. 287. Enjoy the paper, and we hope to hear from you! JorDAN VALLoNE Senior Reporter