There will be an election for commissioner of the Manhasset-Lakeville Water/Fire District on Tuesday, Dec. 14. Candidates are incumbent James Sharkey of Great Neck, Joseph Geiman of New Hyde Park and Brian Clemency of Manhasset. The League of Women Voters will sponsor a candidates' debate to be held at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 8, at Firehouse #1 on Bayview Avenue in Manhasset. The election will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the firehouses of Company #1 on Bayview Avenue in Manhasset, #3 on Prospect Street in Great Neck, #4 on Northern Boulevard in Great Neck and #5 on 78th Avenue in North New Hyde Park. At our request, the three candidates supplied the newspaper with their statements, which are printed below. FULL STORY

Champions for Charity 2004 takes place from Dec. 1 to 5. It is the Americana's annual holiday shopping benefit, designed to raise funds for more than 80 of Long Island's not-for-profit organizations. Participating tenants of Americana Manhasset donate 25 percent of designated pre-tax purchases to the organization of the customer's choice. Americana Manhasset Gift Cards are eligible for a 10 percent donation when purchased during the five-day program. (Participating store gift certificates are eligible subject to individual store policy.) FULL STORY

What a season it was for the Manhasset Middle School Girls Swim Team. From the season opening event, a Relay Carnival at Great Neck South on September 29, the Manhasset Middle School Girl's team showed great promise. Despite other teams having two and three times as many swimmers as the Manhasset team, our girls proved that strength was not necessarily the number of swimmers, but in the fewer seconds it took to swim the races. The Manhasset team won most events which was an indicator for the season to follow. FULL STORY

St. Mary's CYO Intramural Basketball Town League program will begin this Saturday, Dec. 4. FULL STORY