Realtors not responsible to disclose sex offenders

A Nassau County Supreme Court justice ruled last week, that real estate agents have no obligation to inform prospective buyers about information regarding their neighbors - including convicted sex offenders who live across the street. Judge Bruce D. Alpert of the Mineola State Supreme Court declared an Oceanside real estate agent not guilty of withholding pertinent information based on "caveat emptor" or "buyer beware." According to Judge Alpert, it is the responsibility of the buyer, not the agent or seller, to research any information about the nature of the neighborhood. Neil and Kerry Glazer, who brought the suit, purchased a new home on Soper Street in Baldwin in June of 1999. Two days later, Ms. Glazer gave birth to a baby girl and shortly thereafter a neighbor informed the couple that a convicted child molester lived across the street.

Testing restrictions lifted

Despite requests for compromise by residents and one of its own members, the Board of Education voted three to one in favor of ending its testing restrictions policy at the January 12 meeting. This vote ended a long-standing district policy forbidding testing on religious holidays, despite the call by many religious groups for its continuation.

Democrats finally have their day

Just three days after the dawn of a new century, Nassau County history was made with the installation of a Democratic majority in the county legislature, the once impenetrable bastion of Republican power. The third Nassau County Legislature began on Monday, Jan. 3, when ten Democrats and nine Republicans raised their right hands and took oaths in unison at a swearing in ceremony at Nassau Community College.

February

Police statistics show crime down

Crime rates in five of the seven major crime statistics went down from 1998 to 1999, according to officers at the First Precinct. However, what police were most proud of was an area where statistics went up. Drug busts went up 48 percent in 1999. Sergeant John Carney credited this increase to Inspector Anthony Rocco's continued development of a plain clothes force. Areas where arrests decreased include robbery, 11 percent; business burglaries, 31 percent; auto theft, 17 percent; assaults, 4 percent; miscellaneous crimes, 33 percent and murder. There were no murders in Baldwin in 1999.

Senate bill expands senior RX coverage

Five New York State senators announced their support of a bill that will increase pharmaceutical insurance coverage for Nassau County seniors at a press conference held on Wednesday, Feb. 2, at the Sandel Senior Center in Rockville Centre. EPIC, or the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Plus Program, will make prescription drugs more affordable to lower-income seniors not eligible for Medicaid. Since its inception 13 years ago, the current EPIC program has saved New York seniors over $683 million dollars by reducing out-of-pocket expenses for seniors by more than half. Angela Marshall/Herald

Members of the Union Reform Temple, which bordered Baldwin, announced in February that its doors would close this year. The membership merged with Oceanside's Temple Avodah.

Union Reform to close doors

It is the end of an era for the Union Reform Temple, which borders Baldwin and has long been a part of the community. Plans to close the temple's doors were announced in late February.According to past president Peter Sobel, membership continually dwindled over the last few years because of the decreasing number of Jews settling in the community. Later in the year, members of Union Reform chose to merge with Temple Avodah of Oceanside.

Meadow 5th-grade loses battle for life

Meadow Elementary School's flag flew at half mast on Friday, February 18 in remembrance of one of its own. Christopher Jean-Louis, a fifth-grader at the school, died on Thursday from injuries suffered after being hit by a car on Sunday, February 13. He was 11.

Audubon Society sues county

Brooklyn Waterworks, which has lain dormant and rotting for decades, became the center of a legal battle this year between environmentalists and the local developer who looks to build a nursing home on the site. The South Shore Audubon Society and head of Trout Unlimited sued the Water Works Realty Corp. as well as the entire body of the Nassau County Legislature and County Executive Thomas Gulotta for granting the developer an easement onto a neighboring preserve. Direction to care for and protect the Brookside Preserve, Nassau County property bordering both Baldwin and Freeport, was given to the Audubon Society in 1988. The group feels they were honoring this agreement when they filed the Article 78 suit on Feb. 4, calling for an annulment or reversal of the county's Nov. 4 easement granting , which they claimed would have detrimental effects on the preserve.An agreement between the developer and the Audubon society was made during the year and the suit was dropped.

March

Angela Marshall/Herald

A run for fun

Racers got their Irish up and running during the 17th annual 5K Run on Saturday, March 18. Nabbing the number one spot was Luis Mejia of Freeport with a time of 17:06. Has followed closely by two of Baldwin's finest. Paul Englehart, 17:21, finished almost a minute before fellow Baldwinite Brian Ronan, 18:17, who was recovering from injuries that kept him off the course last year.

Baldwin man honored for saving lives

Baldwin's Bruce Raheb was recently given Long Island Boating World magazine's Annual Lifesaving Award for rescuing three fishermen 25 miles off the Jones Beach Inlet. Captain Raheb had been out scouting for sharks when he heard the call for help. He and crew member Ryan Flaherty pulled three men who were left struggling for life after their boat sank.

Brittney Grimes

Student publishes 2nd book at 10

While many of her playmates only dream of the future, Brittney Grimes has already taken a strong step towards fulfilling her childhood fantasies. At 10, she is a published author with a long history of accomplishments. Brittney was six when she began writing poetry. She loved the flow of words and bringing her thoughts alive on paper. Brittney is publishing her second book of poetry "Ice Cream Dreams."

All Saints' Church turns 50

In the eyes of Christianity, 50 years is but a speck of time. However, to the members of Baldwin's All Saints' Episcopal Church, it is a milestone achievement. This year, the All Saints' congregation is celebrating a half century of worship in their Merrick Avenue church.

Parents say classes at the max

Even as board members asked residents to attend budget meetings to see how their money was being spent, the Baldwin School District administration said it was too late to re-evaluate class size for the coming year. Citing cost and space issues, administrators said the research several residents were calling for at the March 15 meeting could not be completed in time. Some parents at the meeting were for class size to be reduced because their children were in classes with 29 students.

Baldwinite practices midwifery

Before the rise of obstetrics in the last century, it was common practice for women to bear their children at home in the company of midwives. While technological advances and reliance on doctors has made hospital births the norm, some, like Baldwin's Jeanette Breen, keep the ancient practice of midwifery alive. "Society has changed but I don't think the life of a midwife has," Ms. Breen said. While the average midwife follows the same practices of old - teaching the mother how to relax and enjoy the process of birth without pain killers - most perform their services in hospitals or birthing centers now. Only a few, as low as one percent, according to Ms. Breen, deliver babies at home. Ms. Breen is among them.

April

Railroad renovations expand

Just as construction finally began on the Baldwin Train Station's ticket office last month, the Town of Hempstead announced that a complete overhaul will be done to the commuter parking field as well. Improvements include new curbing, sidewalks, resurfacing and striping. Lighting will also be upgraded. According to town officials, construction on the lot was scheduled to be completed by Spring of 2001.

Friendly's closes north Baldwin restaurant

North Baldwin residents with a yen for one of those famous Friendly's ice cream sundaes will now have to travel a little further to satisfy that urge. One of Baldwin's two Friendly's restaurants closed in early April in a company restructuring effort that shut down 13 facilities on Long Island. According to Friendly's officials, the Baldwin site at 1221 Grand Avenue was among a group of company owned facilities that lagged other outlets in both sales and profitability. Their Merrick Road location remains open.

Protest held at 1st Precinct

Chanting "no justice, no peace," approximately 40 Roosevelt residents marched through Baldwin to the First Precinct Station on Merrick Road, Saturday, April 15. The march from the Baldwin Train Station to the police station was held in response to several arrests made in Roosevelt earlier this month. The marchers, led by Hempstead attorney Frederick Brewington, feel that the First Precinct behaved abusively and brutally during an April 7 confrontation with several Roosevelt residents. Angela Marshall/Herald

Jill Martinez, center, represents some Baldwin residents in their fight to stop the DeMita Congregacion from removing a covenant from their Church Street location.

DeMita goes back to the board

No decision about Congregacion DeMita's future in Baldwin was made during the April 11 Town of Hempstead Council's long and sometimes volatile hearing. Long speeches about trust, promises and parking by Baldwin residents were countered by cries of racism, faith and justice on the part of Congregacion DeMita members. The hearing was held to decide whether the council would remove the restrictive covenant it had placed on the property in 1984. However, the council could not make a ruling until the Nassau County Planning Commission rendered a decision of its own. The council voted unanimously to uphold the covenant in November and Congregacion DeMita members put the building up for sale. However, appeals are still pending and, according to the church's council, members would still like to move to the Baldwin location if they win.

May

Children terrorized at gunpoint

The carefree ease of spring break ended all too soon for two Baldwin pre-teens when the boys were held at gunpoint on Wolfson Avenue, Monday, April 24. Although the boys were released without physical injuries, emotional scars from the incident remain. The boys had been walking to Baldwin Park when they were stopped and harassed by three males with guns who videotaped the incident.On April 24, three males, Daniel Glen of Freeport, Joseph Byer of Baldwin and Michael Byer of Baldwin were charged with attempted robbery in the first degree for the incident. A video recording of the incident was also recovered, according to police.

In the prime of his life

Speaking with Bruce Lister is like having a conversation with history while at the same time glimpsing the future. At 77, Mr. Lister has a long memory of this country's events and his participation in them for more than a half century. But it is his continued involvement in the community today that has earned Mr. Lister the title of Nassau County Senior Citizen of the Year for 2000. Mr. Lister was honored at the 26th Annual Senior Citizen Month Luncheon/Conference on May 12.

Herald debutson-line edition

Herald Community Newspapers went began their own on-line edition. As of May, residents have been able to read many of their favorite features on line, including up to the minute local news, by accessing the Herald's web site at www.liherald.com.Angela Marshall/Herald

The Baldwin Post Office on North Grand Avenue relocates and gets a whole new look.

New post office opens for business

The north Grand Avenue Post Office shut its doors in early May after more than half a decade of service. An updated, larger version opened next door at 1620 Grand Avenue on Monday, May 1. The new building is 5,900 square feet, more than double the 2,400 square feet of the old side. Instead of post office, this new building could almost be called a post store. Still armed with the traditional clerk service, this post office contains an array of items available for purchase at a cash registers. The walls are lined with packages of stamps, stationary and other items.

1967 time capsule is pulled from the ground after 33 years.

Meadow's history unearthed

Meadow Elementary School completed its longest lesson ever last week when hundreds of alumni returned to unearth a time capsule they had buried 33 years before. They gathered to see if their memories had withstood the test of time. They came in droves - men and women who had been between the ages of four and twelve at the time of the burial - to keep the promise they had made years ago. Most brought their own families and others, who lived to far away, sent stand-ins to take their place.

Fire District bond passes

The voting booths were hardly smoking at the Baldwin Fire Headquarters on Grand Avenue when the vote for a $2.95 million bond to expand the building passed. Only 319 of Baldwin's registered voters dropped by to cast their ballot on whether or not to support the bond. Changes to the headquarters include adding parking bays and enlarging the current doors to fit larger apparatus that are required by law; providing extra parking lots and storage for $300,000 worth of apparatus that is presently sitting outside because their is no room in the existing building.

Schoen squeezes past Gabriele

In one of the biggest turnouts in recent history, voters passed both the library and school budgets and reelected the incumbents on both boards on Tuesday, May 16. However, with only a 69-vote lead B.A. Schoen barely held on to his seat against newcomer Richard Gabriele. Also reelected were Mary Jo O'Hagan to the school board and Tony Lalli to the library board. Voters also approved a change in the transportation distance to the middle school with 1,238 voters approving the change and 770 against.

June

Chamber sets downtown strategy

After two years, $23,000 and countless man-hours, the Baldwin Chamber of Commerce finally released its Strategic Downtown Improvement Plan, which calls for a major renovation of the downtown area. The 66-page proposal, created by Abeles Phillips & Shapiro, Inc. calls for parking and traffic changes downtown development and tenant recruitment; increased landscaping and several major projects like the creation of a municipal center.

District 5 office opens in Baldwin

For the first time, residents of Nassau County's Fifth Legislative District have a district office to call their own. Legislator Joseph Scannell opened the new office at 1968 Grand Avenue on Friday, June 2. The legislator said he hopes residents will think of it as a place to go when they have a problem they think the county can solve.

Tributes to a hero

Baldwin resident and school board member Louis J. Rotondo lost his six-month battle with lung cancer during the early morning hours of Monday, June 5. He would have turned 52 on June 22.A leader of two school districts, many of those who mourned were children he spent a lifetime trying to protect and educate. In addition to being a member of the Baldwin School District's Board of Trustees, Mr. Rotondo was the vice principal of the Bethpage High School.

Beloved rabbi bids farewell to Baldwin

Writer. Mentor. Teacher. Friend. And Rabbi. Rabbi Gershon Schwartz of the South Baldwin Jewish Center has been a community leader and an inspiration for fellow rabbi's and his congregation for nearly a decade. Now it is time to say goodbye. Rabbi Schwartz moved to Temple Sholom in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. Janette Pellegrini/Herald

Lady Bruins celebrate winning the Nassau County Class A softball championship for the third year in a row.

Lady Bruins three-peat

Long Beach put forth a valiant effort against Baldwin in the Nassau County Class A girls softball best-of-three championship series but in the end, the Lady Bruins did what they needed to do to win their third consecutive county crown.With a hard-fought 3-0 win in Game One under its belt, Baldwin needed a late-inning rally to secure an 8-4 victory in Game Two to sweep the series.

Board of Ed calls for action

Responding to Baldwin's recent English Language Arts exam's results, which found the district placing below neighboring systems, the school board called for additional services at the June 14 School Board meeting. Results released in June show that even though Baldwin's scores improved on the whole, two elementary school's scores went down. While saying that he still has faith in the school system, school board trustee James Scannell called for additional measures. Mr. Scannell said he was requesting an extra curricular program because "I do not want to see our fourth grade classroom curriculum turn over to preparation to this test."

Pergament Express signs lease

Anchoring its way into the Keyfood Shopping Center, Pergament Express signed a lease to move into the long-empty grocery store location. Pergament held the lease on the former Woolworth's building for more than half a decade but chose to wait for the Keyfood spot to become available.

Carcinogens found in house

Joe Loliscio has been viewed by many residents in Baldwin as the man who cried wolf one too many times. But recent air sampling tests conducted by J.N.M., an environmental engineering company, on behalf of the Department of Environmental Conservation, detected levels of MTBE, a cancer causing chemical found in gasoline, among others. The Loliscios live near a gas station. In a fax from the Nassau County Department of Health, provided by Mr. Lolicsio, tests from J.N.M. reported MTBE and 34 other chemicals, including carcinogens, outside and inside the house. Twenty-nine different chemicals found in gasoline were detected on the first floor, including Mr. Loliscio's 12-year-old daughter's room.

July

New playground for Baldwin Park

Vast improvements are planned for the Baldwin Park playground. Meeting safety requirements, according to Town of Hempstead representatives, will be part of the new design's focus. While designs are still under development some features include replacing the old equipment with new, modernizing designs, installing the latest groundcover, including rubber mats for safety; updating the spray pool, featuring a button-activated spray and additional sprinklers. A non-skid surface will be installed at the spray pool and new sun shelters are being designed to replace the old mushroom structures.

Fire sends four to hospital

In the third major fire to hit Baldwin in one week, a family was left homeless and four fire fighters were sent to the hospital after sections of the building collapsed with them inside. They were all released later that evening, Saturday, July 1.Three fire fighters, Jerry Brown, Scott Zinn and Captain Russell Brower, suffered burns when they entered the home of Maureen Bouderau on Seaman Avenue following reports by several area residents that they believed Ms. Bouderau and her four children were inside. The three men were hurt when portions of the ceiling and floor gave way. Hose Company Four member William Urbina, who was operating a hose line on the roof, was also taken to the hospital with symptoms of heat exposure and dehydration. It was later learned the family was not home at the time.

Residents call for action from town

During the first Town of Hempstead community meeting held in Baldwin that anyone present could remember, residents questioned why it took so long. Residents then proceeded to deliver a laundry list of items they feel have been neglected including cleaner streets and sidewalks.

August

Brown wins sanitation district seat

For the first time in Sanitation District Two's history, the vote for a new commissioner required police involvement. After it was announced that only 28 votes separated the two leading vote-getters, Officer Asif Siddiqi was called in to guard the 51 uncounted challenge votes. When the count was finally made, five days after the July 27 election, Gerald Brown, who had led in the original ballot cards, came out the victor. He beat sanitation commissioner, Jill Sandhaas Martinez, by 32 votes.

Baldwin fire hero dies

Henry Chambers was a man of high caliber who wore many hats. He was a member of the Marine Corps, Vietnam veteran, husband, father, firefighter and flight attendant for United Airlines. Mr. Chambers succumbed to cancer on Friday, August 4, just months after being diagnosed. He was 53.

Pierotti gets life in Baldwin murders

If the families of murder victims Willis Frost and Gerard Kennedy, Jr. were looking for remorse, they found none in John Pierotti' s final statement before sentencing on Thursday, August 31. Medicated and on crutches, Mr. Pierotti walked into Judge Daniel Cotter's Nassau County courtroom still maintaining his innocence and blaming his victims, now almost two years dead. He was given two consecutive life sentences without possibility of parole for the murdering the two men outside of Baldwin's Dragger Inn in 1998.

Officer from Baldwin shot

Being a police officer means being ready to put your life on the line and that's just what Officer Gregory John did. The 32-year-old Baldwin resident was shot Saturday, August 12 when attempting to enter the residence of a potentially disturbed person on Parkway Court in Brooklyn, according to police.

September

Angela Marshall/Herald

Baldwin residents listen to community leaders, including Nassau County Legislator Joseph Scannell and representatives from the First Precinct, explain the current burglary pattern during a meeting in September.

Pattern emerges in burglaries

A string of burglaries of homes with residents present sprang up in Baldwin this September. As least six of the 12 burglaries, believed to be part of a pattern, have resulted in resident confrontations with the perpetrators. Although most of the confrontations ended with the burglar leaving after he got what he wanted, at least one victim was slashed by a box cutter and one female was sexually assaulted. Several meetings were held to promote awareness of the burglaries. The pattern seemed to stall after an arrest was made later in the month.

Baldwinite shot

A Baldwin Resident was shot in the head at his Brooklyn Avenue home on Wednesday, Sept. 13. Timothy Maxwell, 22, ultimately died from his wounds. At the time, police would not rule drugs out as a motive. No one has been arrested in the murder.

A day to remember Mal

Residents, young and old, gathered at Baldwin Park to participate in a ceremony naming the park in Mal McGarry's honor on Saturday, Sept. 16. Mr. McGarry will forever be remembered as the "Mayor of Baldwin."During his years as an active member of the Baldwin community, Mr. McGarry won many friends including Dolores Annarella. Ms. Annarella, the chairperson of Mal's Pals, fought for three years to have the Town of Hempstead honor Mr. McGarry and said she was thrilled by the results.

St. Christopher's School celebrates 75 years

Students, faculty and alumni of St. Christopher's School in Baldwin have long considered themselves a family. This year the St. Christopher's family celebrates its 75 Anniversary. The yearlong celebration will be a time to honor the traditions and values upon which the school was founded. It will be a tie to remember the history of the school, the buildings and grounds, founders and leaders. And it will be a time to take pride in the timeless and lasting family bond that forms the backbone of St. Christopher's School.

October

Angela Marshall/Herald

Jake Steinfeld, formerly of Baldwin, helps a student use fitness equipment that he donated to the Baldwin Middle School.

Fitness center by Jake

Fitness expert and former Baldwinite Jake Steinfeld returned home in October to dedicate a new fitness center at the Baldwin Middle School. Mr. Steinfeld, of Body by Jake and the Don't Quit! Foundation, said he decided to donate the center to give back to the community where he was raised.The center, which features treadmills, exercise bikes, and several different weightlifting machines, was dedicated to Mr. Steinfeld's high school coach, Mike Cohen.

Residents question future of undeveloped land

Rumors of possible development, ranging from soccer fields. to affordable housing, have many residents concerned about the status of 32 acres of county-owned property near Coes Neck Park in northern Baldwin. At a recent meeting, locals asked for a voice in any decision-making process regarding the land.The land, just south of the Southern State Parkway along Woodside Avenue, was once a privately-owned sand mine. Eventually, the large borrow pits created in the mining process were filled with materials, including construction debris and hazardous wastes. In the early 1980s, the Nassau County Health Department began condemnation proceedings on the property and eventually acquired the land for the county. It has remained untouched ever since.

Math scores down for 2 schools

Only two of Baldwin's seven elementary schools improved their scores during the second go-round with New York State's new fourth-grade math assessments. The five other schools showed decreased numbers, with between four and 25 percent fewer students making it into the two passing categories. Scores for the test taken in May were released in mid October. While less than half of Baldwin's eighth graders passed the new assessment, test results improved with five percent more students scoring in the passing levels, up from 43 percent last year. This trend was visible statewide as approximately only 40 percent of all eighth-grade students taking the test scored in the passing levels.

Student named Merit semi finalist

Paul Mezzina, a member of the Class of 2001, was named a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist. Paul is in a select group of 16,000 semifinalists chosen through-out the country. Fewer than one percent of the nation's high school seniors receive this honor.

Facade delays worrybusiness owners

Baldwin business owners were given what they considered to be more bad news about the future of the facade project on Grand Avenue during their monthly meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 17. They learned that not only have delays pushed the construction start back to spring or summer of 2001, but that renovations of landscape, lighting and sidewalks are not part of the project. The program is a joint venture between the Town of Hempstead and business owners on Grand Avenue between Merrick Road and the Baldwin Public Library. Half the cost will be paid from grants given to the town by the state and other agencies and half will be paid for by the store owners in the form of a low-interest loan.

November

Community concerned about test scores

Before the start of the Oct. 25 Community Input Meeting, students from Baldwin Senior High School entertained the school board and residents with songs from the school's upcoming production of the musical "Bye Bye Birdie." The song selections seemed to set the tone for the meeting, as board members later tried to "put on a happy face" while concerned parents asked "What's the matter with our kids' test scores today?" Also on the evening's agenda at the middle school was the subject of reducing class sizes. Several audience members questioned the school board's reluctance to state a position on the issue and challenged its diligence in seeking state and federal funds for reducing class sizes in Baldwin's schools.

Library plans 18,000-foot expansion

After months of community input meetings, the Baldwin Public Library Board voted unanimously on Thursday, Oct. 26, to put an expansion bond up for public vote in January. Because it is a school-district library, the bond will have to be put up by the Baldwin Union Free School District. Specific design and architectural plans for the 18,000-square-foot addition have been the subject of community meetings since June. And they are not finalized yet.

Baldwin Harbor resident shot

Gunshots, a woman's screams and police sirens jolted Baldwin Harbor residents from their sleep in the pre-dawn hours of Monday, Oct. 30. The shooting victim, Eliette Dominique of Daniel Crescent Drive, miraculously survived the attempt on her life, allegedly plotted by her brother-in-law. The attempted murder made national headlines recounting how after Ms. Dominque's husband had died in a hit-and-run accident last year, he had had another family living in New Jersey. Four men were ultimately charged in the shooting.

Slaying unnervescommunity

With the police command post finally gone, residents of Baldwin Oaks were ready to begin the healing process last Friday. Three days earlier, on Oct. 31, a real-life Halloween horror had shattered their quiet existence when a visiting teen was slain in their streets. The aftermath of a confrontation between several bike-riding teens and a young couple out for a walk left Akil Melville mortally wounded at the crossroads of this small community, where Center Drive, South Drive and Fenimore Place all meet. The 17-year-old from Brooklyn had been visiting his aunt, Judy Campbell of Center Drive.

Youth missing from outreach program

Curiously missing from last week's Baldwin Oaks Civic Association "Youth Outreach Meeting" were young people. The meeting, Nov. 11 at Coes Neck Park, was sponsored primarily in response to the Halloween-night slaying of a Brooklyn teen who was attacked by a group of teenagers and stabbed to death. Organizers had hoped to discuss the incident with area teens and consider what can be done to prevent future violence in their community. Although disappointed by the poor turnout of teenagers and adults alike, organizers were more optimistic by the end of the meeting. Some residents felt headway was made in bridging the generation gap with a few of the younger attendees, and community members vowed to renew their commitment to being good neighbors.

Regents results good

Ninety-seven percent of 12th graders statewide last school year either passed the one Regents exam or approved alternative tests required to graduate, proof that students are meeting the challenge of higher academic standards, state Department of Education officials said recently in announcing the results. But, while pleased with the 99-percent success rate of Baldwin High School seniors on the English Regents exam, district administrators and board members are less euphoric than state officials. They contend that the additional Regents requirements for graduation being phased in for five more years present a difficult and serious challenge to Baldwin students, staff and facilities.

DeMita 'church' for sale

After years of legal battles, Congregacion DeMita has put its Baldwin property back on the market. However, this does not mean that the Manhattan-based church has stopped all plans to relocate to Baldwin."They have put [the property] up for sale, but at the same time, they have filed an appeal to the [state] Supreme Court," said Bill Boness, one of the congregation's lawyers. Church members put the property up for sale after they failed to pass the latest legal hurdle put up by the Town of Hempstead Council. In September, the council unanimously denied the church the right to lift a covenant that said the property must be maintained as a warehouse. Church members would still like to move into the Baldwin location if they receive a favorable ruling from the Supreme Court, Mr. Boness said.

Edelman wins school-board seat

America may have had trouble choosing a new president, but it was easy to see who the voters' choice was in Baldwin's special school board election this November. More than 400 votes separated Bill Edelman from his closet competitor in the Nov. 15 election. The election was held to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Louis Rotondo.

December

Superintendent recommends changes

The debate between those in favor of class size reduction and those partial to full-day Kindergarten rages on, despite the recommendation made by Superintendent Dr. Kathy Weiss at the Wednesday, Dec. 13 Baldwin Board of Education meeting. Dr. Weiss asked the school board to consider a full-day K program and reduce class sizes in grades K-5, both for the 2001-2002 school year. The superintendent made her proposal based on the findings of two research committees created in September to study the feasibility of instituting the programs in the district.

McDermott elected to fire board

The three-man race for Baldwin Fire Department Commissioner featured plenty of lawn signs, but was refreshingly free from partisan politics and mudslinging. On Election Day, Tuesday, Dec. 12, the ballots at fire department headquarters were easy to understand and the voting machines left no chads hanging. And, when the polls closed at 9 P.M., the official results were known almost immediately and offered no real surprises. Michael McDermott was elected to the Board of Fire Commissioners. Mr. McDermott, a 25-year veteran of the Baldwin Fire Department, received 602 of the 1129 votes cast, easily outdistancing runners-up Robert Hachemeister (338 votes) and Ralph Rose (189 votes). Though not technically the incumbent in the race, Mr. McDermott enjoyed an incumbent's advantage, having been appointed to the board in November 1999 following the resignation of Commissioner Gary Eckles. Also, the Board of Fire Commissioners endorsed Mr. McDermott during his campaign.