Merrick
The MarkeT
HERALD Chamber unveils new lED sign
NMSD receives donated tech
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Vol. 23 No. 30
The MARKET The Ultimate Home Showcase - Inside
The MarkeT July 23, 2020
The Ultimate Local home Show
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JUlY 23 - 29, 2020
Deadline for public takeover plans extended announced in November, after years of criticism of NYAW by customers, lawmakers and The state Public Service Com- watchdogs over rate hikes, spotmission has extended the dead- ty water service and infrastrucline by which local municipali- ture management. Merrickties and authorities can submit based advocacy group Long proposals for a public takeover Island Clean Air Water and Soil of New York Amerhad urged the PSC ican Water, which to hear plans for a could halt the compublic takeover, pany’s $608 million arguing that serprivate sale to Libvice woes would erty Utilities. A continue if the sale petition calling on were to proceed. Town of Hemp“You can’t have stead officials to a situation where submit a plan has 80 percent of the collected more county is served by than 1,000 signapublic water — taxtures. free — and 20 perThe PSC began cent are stuck with soliciting plans on a private water June 22, before monopoly and pay New York Ameri- JoHN BRooKS taxes for private can Water’s July State senator water,” said Dave target date for the Denenberg, a cosale. If the private d i re c t o r o f L I sale were to go through, water CAWS. NYAW has reaped profits service for nearly 120,000 resi- “on the backs of Nassau Coundents across three districts in ty’s private water ratepayers.” Lynbrook, Merrick and Sea Cliff Town of Hempstead officials would be handed off to Ontario- declined to follow through with a based Liberty. public takeover of NYAW’s local Municipalities and authori- assets — which would add to the ties have until Oct. 15 to submit town’s six existing water distakeover plans. The sale to Liberty was Continued on page 2
By ANDREW gARCiA agarcia@liherald.com
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Courtesy William Leacock
MEpHAM HigH SCHool physics teacher William Leacock, who once led a lecture on Halloween wearing a beekeeper’s suit, retired at the end of the 2019-20 school year.
Retiring amid a pandemic
Looking back after 30 years as a physics teacher By JUSTiN DYNiA aseidman@liherald.com
The unusual end of the 2019-20 school year also marked the final chapter of a storied 30-year career in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District for Mepham physics teacher William Leacock, who is newly retired. A luminary among educators, Leacock taught Advanced Placement Physics I and II and Regents Physics at
Mepham High School beginning in 1989. He will be remembered for his gregariousness and the energy he brought to any room he entered. Leacock, 59, has long known that 2020 would be his final year of teaching — his long commute from Blue Point was a major factor in his decision to retire. He did not expect, however, that a global pandemic would interrupt his curtain call.
“When I left school on March 18, I knew it would be the last time I ever left the classroom,” Leacock said. Just days later, the district shifted to remote learning to comply with Covid-19 restrictions, and last month he taught his final class via Edmodo, an education platform. He found teaching from home “far less stressful,” he said, and adapted by keeping lessons familiar and using Continued on page 3
e have to consider whether or not a natural resource that is required for life itself should be taxed at all.