Former North Hempstead Town Supervisor May Newburger has just been appointed to head the new Nassau County Planning Federation. Having led the town through the '90s and into the new millennium, Ms. Newburger is now set to guide local villages and towns through new planning projects. This new county program will address issues such as zoning and downtown redevelopment. FULL STORY

It is often said that children are the hope of the future and that is the underlying belief in a small, homemade gesture of goodwill that has been cooked up at the Village Coffee Shop, better known simply as Nick's. One of the regulars, Cooky Blaha, whose son First Lt. Christopher (Chrissie) Blaha of the 10th Mountain Division is serving his second tour in Afghanistan, placed a basket in the front window asking for contributions of pens, pencils, crayons, coloring books and paper for the children of Afghanistan. FULL STORY

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy men's and women's swimming and diving teams had strong performances, Saturday afternoon, Jan. 10, at the O'Hara Hall swimming pool, despite being handed their first loss on the season by a strong Rowan University. The Profs men's team won 136-105, while the women's team defeated the Mariners 130-91. FULL STORY

The Great Neck South Rebels mens basketball team won more than bragging rights and their seventh game in a row on Jan. 17. Their 65-58 win over Great Neck North made them 4-0 in Conference A-1, tied with Jericho for first place. FULL STORY