🌱Merrick Drone Olympics + Nassau Car Thefts Triple

Good morning Merrick! I hope you are having a leisurely Sunday morning. I’m Merlin Douglass, your regular guest curator and have I got news for you!

First, today's weather:

Sunny today but a little cooler with windy gusts High: 52 Low: 41

Here are the top five stories in Merrick today:

1. Four men were busted in a prostitution ring at a Baldwin Road home in Hempstead on Thursday, April 14. Three of the four men were Hempstead residents. (Daily Voice) In related but separate news, two women were arrested for prostitution following numerous community complaints in Commack on Friday. (Daily Voice)
2. You have to be careful crossing the road. A pedestrian crossing South Franklin Street in Hempstead was hit by a car at 2:15 P.M. on Friday, April 15 by a woman who remained at the scene after the accident. The victim, who was not identified in the report, sustained serious injuries and is in critical condition in the hospital. (Newsbreak)
3. In better news, students at Ronald A. Chatterton School in Merrick took to the air practicing their mad drone skills. In the final installment of the Drone Olympics in the Merrick Free Union School District, teams from the 5th and 6th grades demonstrated their coding, programming and eventually flying small drones using software on laptops. The challenges included knocking down bowling pins, landing in a hula hoop and flying in between goal posts. (LI Herald.com)
4. Hempstead town officials have removed swastikas from trees in Forest City Community Park in Wantagh. The hateful symbols were sprayed painted on trees in red and black on a trail deep within the park boundaries. The town says they may add cameras to park entrances to track vandals arriving during off-hours. (Newsday, subscription required)
5. As car thefts skyrocket, Nassau County officials are urging car owners not to leave their key fobs inside their automobiles. Car thefts in Nassau County have tripled since last year as thieves brazenly work in teams despite cameras and even nearby observers. Police say that 95% of stolen cars are unlocked with the key fobs inside. (CBS)

Today in Merrick:

• Today might be a great day to visit Planting Fields Park where visitors to the Gold Coast estate from the 1920s will find art, architecture and landscape. The 409 acres offer an extensive collection of gardens including a sensory garden, a children’s playhouse and a cloister garden among others. The grounds are open from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. and admission to the greenhouses is free but passes to visit the estate buildings can be obtained from your local library, not including parking costs.
• The Cradle of Aviation Museum has a special roster of events for the whole week of Spring Break with an exhibit called Flying Cars, Stars and Mars! for the junior science and space explorer. The museum is open from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Admission is $21 for adults and $19 for children aged 2 to 12 and seniors 62 and up.

From my notebook:

• Higher interest rates haven’t slowed the Long Island housing market. The 30-year fixed rates hit 5% this month for the first time since February 2011. Prices are running about 8.3% higher than March of last year. (Newsday, subscription required)
• Oyster Bay has a full lineup of activities for seniors at various centers through the month of April. From Zumba to painting, there are plenty of things to choose from. These activities take place Monday through Friday. (Oyster Bay)

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There you go, Merrick. You’re all set to start the day. Tomorrow your regular curator, Ash DeMello, will be back to woo you into the week with lots more news you need to know.

- Merlin Douglass