_______ Malverne/West HeMpstead ______
CoMMUNIty UPDAtE Infections as of June 21
6,088
Infections as of June 14 6,082
HERALD Pull Out
$1.00
Vol. 28 No. 26
WHHS honors its top scholars
Schumer spotted in Malverne
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JUNE 24 - 30, 2021
A safe return for campers The ‘spirit’ of Malverne’s Camp Lourdes is alive and well By torI BIEN newsroom@liherald.com
Christina Daly/Herald
Signs of unity Howard T. Herber Middle School’s Harmony Chorus performed a variety of dances during the Malverne School District’s Juneteenth Jubilee last Friday. More photos in next week’s issue.
Last year, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, only 60 percent of summer day camps were held in person, according to the American Camp Association. This year, following the release late last month of updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for summer camps, local day camps are poised for a return to in-person activities. With the summer season under way, the leadership of Camp Lourdes, in Malverne, hopes to continue its tradition of faith and fun for children of all
ages. “The spirit of Camp Lourdes is very communitybased,” said Linda Baldacchino, the camp’s coordinator, “and the children truly live out their faith by living in this community, where they have a lot of fun.” Since 1999, the camp, at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, celebrates faith among children of all ages through arts and crafts, music and dance. Many campers go on to join OLL’s Youth Ministry, which takes part in numero u s p h i l a n t h ro p i c eve n t s throughout the year. “A lot of times, kids feel as if their faith is boring, and it’s very much the opposite,” Baldacchino Continued on page 14
Brokers discuss buying and selling in Malverne, W.H. By NAkEEM GrANt ngrant@liherald.com
Low interest rates, proximity to New York City and good schools have made Malverne and West Hempstead prime locations in the post-pandemic real estate market, according to local brokers and agents. With houses in high demand, however, the supply isn’t keeping up, leading to multiple bids on virtually every home and properties selling at well above their original asking prices. “People have to realize that no matter what, people have to live somewhere,” said Anne Coffey, a broker at Coffey Realty
Solutions in Malverne. “I think people realized that during this pandemic, they should start thinking about buying and purchasing hard assets, and one of those assets is a house or a condo.” Coffey, a longtime Malvernite who has worked in real estate for more than 40 years, said that homes are going so fast that there’s no time to make an appraisal. “I’ve seen as many as 40 people lined up for a house,” she said. Sharona Beck, a broker at Sharona Beck Realty in West Hempstead and Cedarhurst, explained that there has recently been an influx of prospective
F
ear is a big motivating factor for buyers.
SHAroNA BECk
Broker, Sharona Beck Realty buyers from New York City looking to relocate to communities like West Hempstead. The pandemic, Beck said, has made people appreciate the need for more living space, while still being able to have a commuter’s access to the city. “So many people have pur-
chased homes during Covid that were not ready,” Beck said. “People were falling all over each other to buy anything. There were many buyers that were in apartments in city areas, and they weren’t even thinking of buying a piece of property, but Covid really escalated their timetable.” But, Beck added, “It’s not a
buyer frenzy like it was at this time last year. In the last couple of months, I’ve had a considerable amount of buyers just telling me that the market is way too high, and they want to sit it out. They don’t feel that they’re getting the best value for their dollar right now. That’s what happens when there’s very little Continued on page 14