_________________ BALDWIN ________________
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LOOK INSIDE
Holiday Wrapping Paper Contest drawn by our young readers
Pastry shop hosts scavenger hunt
library hosts final antiracism quilting
Baldwinite debuts at Macy’s parade
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Vol. 28 No. 50
DECEMBER 9 - 15, 2021
Prominent town business vandalized with his phone and a white fourdoor sedan in which they arrived and then drove away. In the early morning of Nov. The Mahlers are offering the 27, the business office of Erik perpetrators and their parents Mahler, a former Baldwin Cham- an opportunity to clean up and ber of Commerce president and fix what they damaged, but they local real estate broker, was are also offering a reward for spray-painted with their arrest and “RAIST,” an apparconviction. ent misspelling of After reporting racist. the incidents to “ We l l , I w a s police, Tracy going to put up Mahler said on Christmas decorasocial media that tions, but now I she believed Baldhave to clean this win High School of f my of fice,” students were Mahler, who coinvolved. And she owns his intergenwrote that the erational family Mahlers’ daughter, business with his who attends the wife, Tracy, wrote school, had received in a Facebook post. DaRiEN WaRD physical threats, The Mahlers which she said she BCA president reported two inciwitnessed, promptdents of graffiti to ing her to keep her police that day, one daughter home for at his office and another at his two weeks. home, both of which had never In two social-media posts, been vandalized before, accord- Tracy Mahler also said she ing to Erik Mahler. believed the graffiti was part of Police also collected a video an unofficial scavenger hunt captured by the surveillance conducted by Baldwin High stucamera at his business, which dents. shows an individual spray-paintBecause the school district ing the front of his office, another recording or taking photos Continued on page 16
By CRistiNa aRRoyo RoDRiguEz carroyo@liherald.com
W
Cristina Arroyo Rodriguez/Herald
CHilDREN WatCHED fRoM atop the Baldwin’s Fire Department old-time fire truck as the evergreen by the Baldwin Historical Society behind it was lit.
Chamber of Commerce lights up Christmas season By CRistiNa aRRoyo RoDRiguEz carroyo@liherald.com
The Baldwin Chamber of Commerce kicked off the Christmas season last Sunday with its annual tree lighting at the Baldwin Historical Society, attracting more than 300 people for holiday treats, perfor mances, music and some old-fashioned holiday camaraderie to support the Baldwin business community. “It’s a personalized mind-
set for [residents] to consider saving their neighbor’s job or helping someone in another state,” said Erik Mahler, a chamber board member. He concluded by reiterating the chamber’s slogan: “Save a neighbor’s job — shop local.” Emceed by Baldwinite Debbie Pugliese, the event kicked off with a prayer by the Rev. James Smith of Bethlehem Lutheran Church and the pledge of allegiance by Boy Scout Troop 824. Then Michael Fincken, owner of
New World Music Center, introduced a series of solo acts by Baldwin youth, including Benjamin Mason, Mariel Mercado, Ezinne Ugbala, Kelly Ugbala, Gabriella Morales, Annaya Bomani, Daniel Altschuler, Rose Altschuler and Lauren Rooplall. As the soloists showed off their vocal, guitar or piano musical talents, Santa Claus arrived on a fire engine carrying presents donated by the Continued on page 12
e, as a community, agree violence and destruction of property is no way to solve disputes.