It is a sunny and pleasant late spring day and outside of the Nathan L.H. Bennett Pavilion at Hempstead Town Hall, the town's Bay Constables, fully clad in their uniforms, are exchanging pleasantries. Just a few minutes before, the Bay Constables, members of the Town of Hempstead's Conservation and Waterways Department, have just received the town's Distinguished Service Award for their service during the Sept. 11 crisis and the days following it. For the dozen honorees, the recognition is bittersweet since they would gladly trade it in for an uneventful Sept. 11, 2001. FULL STORY

They gather at noon in the newly renovated building at 357 Jericho Turnpike in Old Westbury to worship, celebrate and offer thanks for their new home. It's difficult to imagine now that the building, with its architectural beauty and colonial charm, was once a horse barn. But the beautiful new home of Bethel United Pentecostal Church is a testimony of what faith and dedication can accomplish. FULL STORY

Effective July 1, the Nassau County Department of Health will institute a new system for certifying lifeguards. FULL STORY