Long Island Assembly Republicans representing Nassau and Suffolk counties were united in calling for creation of an Empire Zone in Nassau County, one of 11 counties in the state still not part of the Empire Zones program. Several business leaders and members of local chambers of commerce joined the Assembly members at RMB Drafting Service in East Meadow to show support for their efforts. FULL STORY

The Garden City Police Department reports the arrest of Raymond Beck, a 50-year-old male white from Rockville Centre, for public lewdness. According to reports, on Friday, March 25, at approximately 7:30 p.m., an 18-year-old Garden City woman was walking on Westminster Road near the St. Paul's complex when Beck allegedly approached her and exposed himself while making lewd remarks. The victim fled and immediately called Garden City police. FULL STORY

The Garden City Bombers baseball club will hold tryouts for the 2005 summer season for its high school aged teams Sunday, April 10, and Sunday, April 17. Tryouts will be held from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Community Park, Baseball Field Number 4. There are two Bombers teams for summer 2005: varsity - participants must be no older than 18 Aug. 1. The caliber of play is designed to be high school varsity; participants will play in the Connie Mack League; junior varsity - participants must be no older than 16 Aug. 1. The caliber of play is designed to be high school junior varsity; participants will play in the Mickey Mantle league. FULL STORY

March 19, the eve of Palm Sunday, sported sunny spring-like weather in helping to usher out the last days of winter while kicking off the official start of the Garden City Checkmate Sharks travel lacrosse team's 2005 campaign. The Sharks in their sophomore season, in playing outdoors for the first time this year, hosted an elite Long Island Express sixth-grade team at the C.W. Post campus in Brookville. FULL STORY