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HERALD Free holiday services offered
King Kullen gives back to food bank
New educators welcomed to area
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Vol. 25 No. 35
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AUGUST 25 - 31, 2022
Gillen set to face off against DâEsposito By KYlE CHIN kchin@liherald.com
Tim Baker/Herald
Thereâs nothing better than a parade! Droves of excited onlookers watched the 2022 New York State Parade and Drill in Bellmore Village last weekend, an event hosted by the North Bellmore Fire Department. Story, more photos, Page 3.
Amid changing times, Bellmore Merrick Basketball league adapts
Hoops organization to resume indoor seasons By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
For indoor sports leagues like Bellmore Merrick Basketball, the coronavirus pandemic has created some challenges for administrators, who want to keep their organizations active while also keeping kids and their parents safe. Despite the challenges, Bellmore Merrick Basketball has remained a fixture in the com-
munity, thanks to some decisions made by its leaders to move the league to outdoor courts in nicer weather. Now, as the league prepares for the winter season, it is ready to head back indoors, and offer new clinics to basketball players of all ages. The league has been around for over 45 years, according to Mike Kruter, one of its administrators. Kruter has been involved in BMBB as a volunteer for 27 years, he said. All three of his
children played in the league. âThe league has always been promoted as a non-competitive, community league,â Kruter explained. Pre-pandemic, the normal season ran from November through March. Kindergartners and firstgrade students take part in clinics, which teach the fundamentals of the game, and once they enter second grade, regular league play, with 12 to 14 games, Continued on page 12
Laura Gillen is a step closer to claiming the open U.S. House seat left vacant by Kathleen Rice. The former Hempstead town supervisor was projected to win the Democratic primary for the 4th Congressional District on Tuesday, with nearly 67 percent of the vote in early returns. âTonight, voters spoke loud and clear that they want a representative who will fight tooth and nail against GOP politicians in Washington,â Gillen said in a statement following the win. She also decried Re publicans âwho want to pass a national a b o r t i o n b a n lAURA without excep- GIllEN tions to rape, woN the incest, or even if Democratic the womanâs life primary for is in danger.â âHealth care the 4th d e c i s i o n s â Congressional including basic District. birth control â are between a woman and her doctor, not by Washington politicians trying to score political points with their extremist base.â The 52-year-old Rockville Centre resident had been a favorite to win, endorsed by Rice as well as a number of major Democratic Party figures, including House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
and House Democratic Caucus chair Hakeem Jeffries. She now faces Hempstead town councilman Anthony DâEsposito in the Nov. 8 general election. He ran unopposed on the Republican ticket. Gillen has stated that repealing restrictions to state and local tax deductions passed in 2017 is one of her immediate priorities. She also voiced support for universal background checks on gun purchases to help curb crime and violence, while calling for expanded voting rights. Early results showed Nassau County Legislator CarriĂŠ Solages in second with 16 percent of votes. Solages advocated for an aggressive foreign policy, tax incentives for small businesses, and expanding protections for women. Keith Corbett had 14 percent of the vote. The Malverne mayor called for expansions to reproductive and voting rights while touting his experience in village planning and infrastructure. Finally, physician Muzib Huq from Elmont captured a little more than 1 percent of the vote. He had campaigned on improving the American health care system, championing racial and religious tolerance, and investing in anemic local and national infrastructure. While the fourth district is forecasted to safely lean Democrat by some, other pollsters â like McLaughlin & Associates â say DâEsposito had the best chance of claiming the seat if Gillen was his opponent.