_________________ BALDWIN ________________ Savings & Success!
HERALD Hundreds of gifts given to children
Page 3 Vol. 31 No. 2
JANUARY 4 - 10, 2024
$1.00
THE LEADER IN PROP ERTY TAX REDUCT ION Sign up today. It onl y takes seconds. Apply online at mptrg .com/heraldnote or call 516.715.1266 Maidenbaum Property Tax Reduction Grou p, LLC 483 Chestnut Stree t, Cedarhurst, NY 11516
123885 1111 1 028
Get Results. Sign Up Today!
Hablamos Español
Empty space turns into a new church munities. When he learned that the Sheepgate Assembly building was no longer in use, Beltre Pastor Carlos Beltre has big thought this would be the perplans for 2024, including build- fect opportunity for a place of ing connections and fully serv- worship to be “up and running ing the Baldwin community, again.” and it all hinged on the opening “This was like a win-win-win of a new church. situation for us,” Beltre said. The Bethlehem Assembly of The abandoned building, God has been in business for which was in bad shape, has more than 40 years, with its been in the process of being main campus in rebuilt since JanuValley Stream, one ary of 2023. Beltre other location in said he was able to Ro s e d a l e a n d a raise the funds to Spanish campus fix the building, that is also located which needed to be in Valley Stream. completely remodNow, it has moved eled. into an abandoned Beltre added that church, at 625 Joy the community’s Blvd., at the site of CARlos BElTRE response to the the former Sheep- pastor church’s renovagate Assembly. The tions has been overnew church held its first servic- whelming, and the pastor has es on Christmas Eve. overseen construction at the “We have been in this expan- site every day. He said neighsion mode with our church in bors have told him how excited Valley Stream,” Beltre said. “So they are for the church building we’ve been looking for a place to finally be opened again. to congregate and unfortunate- Sheepgate was a community ly we weren’t able to find any- church that helped residents of thing until this opportunity in Baldwin, and Beltre wants to Baldwin came along.” bring that back through his Beltre explained that he congregation. wanted the congregation to “We have been partnering expand into other nearby comContinued on page 7
By BEN FIEBERT
bfiebert@liherald.com
Courtesy Karenlynn Stracher
Karenlynn Stracher rehabilitates hundreds of animals every year, such as this opossum, in her home.
Karenlynn Stracher cares for sick, injured wildlife By BEN FIEBERT bfiebert@liherald.com
Karenlynn Stracher first helped an injured gull when she was 17. Now, nearly 40 years later, her home doubles as an animal rehabilitation center. Stracher, 56, of Merrick, rehabilitates sick and injured wild animals across Nassau County. She is a one-woman show, caring for a couple of hundred winged and four-legged patients every year. Now she is pleading with the Town of Hempstead to open a facility where animals can get the attention and help they need, as she faces challenges including an outbreak of a fatal disorder in raccoons in Baldwin and other local commu-
nities. “Volunteers for Wildlife, who was the only wildlife rehabilitation center in Nassau County, left Nassau County last year,” Stracher said. “So whatever rehabbers are left in Nassau County, which are a few of us, work out of our houses.” Her daily routine involves caring for a variety of animals in need of rehabilitation. In the morning she feeds as many as 100 animals, which include birds, raccoons, and squirrels that she houses in cages. She feeds them by bottle or syringe. She keeps water bottles and dishes of food full. All the cages are cleaned every day. “After that, I go into food prep,” Stracher Continued on page 2
T
his was like a win-winwin situation for us..