54.0°,
Partly Cloudy December 2014
Inwood firefighter Joseph Sanford dies
Sanford who fell through the first floor into the basement during a Woodmere house fire, died on Dec. 23. He was the first African-American 1st deputy chief of the department. He made his way up the ranks in his 19 years as a volunteer firefighter after serving the required five-year probation period. He eventually became a lieutenant, captain and 1st deputy chief.
He was buried at Greenfield Cemetery in Uniondale on Dec. 31.
At its Dec. 8 meeting, the Lawrence School District’s Board of Education unanimously approved a restructuring plan to take effect next September, and includes creating upper and lower schools in what is now the middle school and closing the Number Five School.
The Number Five School will be leased to either an agency, organization or institution that services special-needs children. The district anticipates saving more than $550,000 and generate $350,000 in annual revenue, officials said.
The plan, which was introduced at a board meeting on Oct. 27, would move the district’s third- and fourth-graders to the middle school and create a lower school to include fifth-graders, while creating an upper school for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. Pre-K and kindergarten students would remain at the Number Four School. The Number Two School would exclusively house first and second grades.
Driving turns hazardous in Cedarhurst and Lawrence with 15 reported accidents
Between Oct. 28 and Nov. 26, 15 motor vehicle incidents were reported in Cedarhurst and Lawrence according to the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department, which included a driving-while-intoxicated arrest, multiple-vehicle accidents, and pedestrians being hit.
“These weren’t just fender-benders,” said John McHugh, chief of the LCFD. “In some instances the cars were destroyed and people were seriously injured.”
According to McHugh, speeding played a role in some, and others involved vehicles making left turns at busy intersections. “The severity is more troubling, including the serious pedestrian accidents,” he said, adding that the number of accidents is up compared with the same period in other years.
Trees in Woodmere damaged during Hurricane Sandy to be replaced
Nassau County was in the process of cutting down and removing approximately 75 trees along Peninsula Boulevard in Woodmere that died as a result of saltwater intrusion from Hurricane Sandy flooding.
The county contracted with Harder Tree Service, a Hempstead-based tree removal company, to do the work, at a cost of approximately $85,000. Once the trees are removed, new trees will be planted.
