81.0°,
A Few Clouds Baldwin battens down
Schools, parks closed. Events cancelled.
Throughout Long Island residents are strapping in or getting out in anticipation of hurricane Irene. Reports of six-block long fuel lines were coming in to the Herald offices as early as 10 a.m. after government officials announced a hurricane watch for towns across the East Coast.
Baldwin school administrators held an emergency session to discuss storm contingencies and sent a phone alert to parents and employees just after 1 p.m. The announcement advised that all district buildings would be closed on Monday, August 29, and that all evening activities would be cancelled for that date. The message, distributed via the schools’ early alert voicemail system, also advised residents to check the district website for news on school events beyond Monday and town and state websites for safety and preparation advice.
The Town of Hempstead also announced closures of parks, programs and events via announcements on various media. Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray’s Facebook status read as follows early in the afternoon on Friday: “In anticipation of Hurricane Irene, all Hempstead Town parks will be closed on Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28. All town park programs and events, scheduled for Saturday, August 27, and Sunday, August 28, are canceled.”
Not all the storm readiness prep going on around town bore overtones of doom and gloom. Stiff-lipped Grand Avenue Thrift shop Glory Beezzz announced a “Come on Irene sale” during which anything located within18 inches of the shop’s floor was on sale for half off.
“We’re in a flood zone and we think the water could rise as high as 18 inches,” said Glory Beezzz owner Diedre Stammers. “So anything we have below that height is on sale. It’s been fun, in a way. People have been coming in with rulers and tape measures in search of a bargain.”
As of this writing town evacuation recommendations have split Baldwin. So far, only residents dwelling north of Sunrise Highway — Baldwin Harbor and a small portion of Baldwin proper — have been advised to abandon their homes. As the storm nears our shores, however, additional precautionary announcement may be forthcoming.
