Merrick: What's in a name?

Merrick, like many other communities on Long Island, is named for its original Native American inhabitants, the peace-loving Meroke tribe. You can see a statue of the Merrie Merrick Indian maid crafted by Merrick artist Robert Cariola at the entrance to the Norman J. Levy Park and Preserve.
  
That showcase preserve, created at the site of the former Merrick landfill, includes the Meadow Brook wetlands for kayak exploration, a hill for hiking and a pier that ends over a fishing hole in the Merrick Bay. It was inspired by Merrick landscaper Jay Pitti and named for one of his first supporters, a longtime state senator whose name also was given to a Merrick elementary school and the Meadowbrook Parkway itself.
  
The Merrick Road Park next to the preserve has a nine-hole golf course, a clubhouse for events, a senior center and sports fields near a firefighters’ training field. Merrick Estates Civic Association, also on the waterfront, has a pool that members can enjoy.
   
Near the turn of the century, Edward Cammann (namesake of Cammann’s Pond) and Richard Kent founded the Merrick Library. They also planted Dutch elm trees along Merrick Avenue to create a cathedral effect, sadly no more. Mr. Kent loved linden trees and planted many in an area now known as Lindenmere, helping give it that peaceful air.
  
Other developments in South Merrick with their own special character include Brock and Terrell (no two houses the same) and the Gables (Spanish-style homes not named for Clark Gable). In mid-Merrick, the Merrick Woods are named for the beautiful cedar forest that used to be there, and it still is pretty and woodsy.
  
North Merrick has the old Campgrounds former Methodist summer camp, also called Tiny Town, for its many small cottages. There’s also Briarcliff and “the flowers” streets among other neighborhoods.
  
Street names in Merrick tell its history, from the colonial Seaman and Hewlett families to the newly named Veterans Memorial Plaza that was Broadcast Plaza (named for when radio station WGBB was there). 
  
Schools also have a history, with Chatterton and Calhoun named for former superintendents. Even your community newspaper has its claim to fame, with former publisher Faith Laursen’s name gracing the preserve on the Merrick-Bellmore border.
  
What’s in a name? A lot of memories.