_________________ BALDWIN ________________
HERALD Trees chipped at Town’s Mulchfest
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Vol. 31 No. 4
JANUARY 18 - 24, 2024
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Church care center closes permanently dents who were part of the learning center have integrated into other programs that the The Early Learning Center church offers, including Jesus at St. Peter’s Evang elical Care Bears for preschoolers Lutheran Church — a staple in and kindergartners, as well as the Baldwin community for the Sunday school program, nearly 30 years — shut down which is available for ages 3 to 13. last month because “We are happy to it couldn’t compete report that all our with the public students are now in schools, of ficials other programs and said. are doing well,” I n S e p t e m b e r, Rios said. “We are Maritza Lopez, the looking forward to lear ning center’s seeing our students director, noticed a and their families drop in enrollment, again at St. Peter’s and three months in all the youth and later, the decision family events held was made to end the throughout the pro g ram, which y e a r, i n c l u d i n g had served the comwe e k ly S u n d ay munity since 1995. school and confirThe reduction in mation classes.” e n r o l l m e n t w a s ANgElA RIoS Rios noted that attributed to the deacon expansion of uni- St. Peter’s Evangelical while it was sad to say “goodbye” to versal pre-K in pub- Lutheran Church t h e c e n t e r, s h e lic schools and understands the working parents’ importance of pre-K programs need for full-time daycare. “Sadly, a beloved part of our in public schools. She added St. Peter’s community, the Early that the center’s loss would Learning Center, closed at the have a mostly nostalgic impact end of 2023,” Angela Rios, the on the community. Some community members church’s deacon, said. Rios added that all the stuContinuEd on PAGE 9
By BEN FIEBERT
bfiebert@liherald.com
S
Courtesy Marguerite Keller
Red cabbage, daffodil bulbs and hydrangea trees were set in planters on Merrick Road and Grand Avenue last fall, using grant money from PSEG.
Grant money used to beautify downtown By BEN FIEBERT bfiebert@liherald.com
New trees and plants will be blooming in the spring, after the Baldwin Civic Association refilled old planters in the community, thanks to a $10,000 grant from PSEG last summer. From October to December, landscaper Tom Owens worked with the civic association to plant trees and cabbages in planters on Merrick Road and Grand Avenue. The funds were allocated for the association to explore ways to help beautify downtown Baldwin. “After many meetings, it was decided we would do a massive planting using old and
new planters along Merrick and Grand,” Marguerite Keller, the association’s vice president, said. “Two new concrete planters were purchased and installed on the corners of Merrick and Grand.” Keller was put in touch with Owens, who works at Evergreen Landscaping in Roosevelt. According to Keller, Owens planted hydrangea trees in the middle of the existing large planters, and then filled them in, along with the new planters with bulbs and decorative red cabbage. The red cabbages and other flowers were planted to ensure that the boxes have color throughout the winter months. Beneath the dirt are daffodil bulbs that will bloom bright ContinuEd on PAGE 5
adly, a beloved part of our St. Peter’s community, the Early Learning Center, closed at the end of 2023.