By Michael Grife
The families of Brian McAleese, a firefighter lost on Sept. 11, and Jeffrey Goldstein, a Baldwin resident who perished in a jet-ski accident, have given scholarships to Baldwin students to honor the memory of their lost loved ones.
The Brian G. McAleese Memorial Scholarship will be given out every year to one male and one female who graduate Baldwin High School. The recipients must maintain a B average, make a contribution to school life and the community, and go on to attend a junior college, four-year college or technical school.
This year, the winners of the scholarship were Courtney-Leigh Harmon and Christopher Davis. Each will receive $343 towards their college education and a supplemental award of $911. These figures hold special significance: they represent the number of firefighters lost on Sept. 11 and the date on which the tragedy occurred.
Dawn McAleese, the wife of Brian, presented Harmon and Davis with the awards in a ceremony at Baldwin High. Scholarships were also presented to students at Plaza Elementary and the Lenox School in the name of Brian McAleese. Award-winners at this level received bonds to help with future expenses. These three schools are the alma-maters of Brian McAleese.
The Jeffrey Goldstein Memorial Scholarship is presented to three Baldwin High graduates each year. The largest non-academic scholarship at Baldwin High, the $1,000 award is given to students who have solid character and are active in school activities.
This year's recipients are Felicia Accetta, Susan Goon and Tammera Walker.
"I am extremely excited that I was chosen for the award," said Goon, who will attend SUNY Buffalo in the fall.
The Jeffrey Goldstein Memorial Scholarship was established by his brother, Eric, of Burlington, Vermont. Jeffrey, a life-long resident of Baldwin, died tragically in a jet-ski accident in the summer of 1998. Eric said he established the fund so something positive could arise from his brother's passing.
"It's a nice way to give back to the community," said Eric, whose whole family grew up in Baldwin and attended Baldwin schools.
