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Vol. 98 No. 44
october 28 - NoVeMber 3, 2021
Monitoring development in the 5 Towns “Right now we’re in the early stages of informing the community — there’s a lot of confuA grass-roots organization sion,” said Lawrence resident that defeated a public referen- Josh Justic, the coalition’s presidum to build a large-volume dent. “The potential develophealth care facility at the former ment could have a negative Number Six School impact on traffic in Woodmere over and on our quality eight and a half of life.” years ago is once In 2014, the coaliagain beginning a tion also spurred a campaign to limit 2-to-1 margin of vicdevelopment. The tory for a public refCommunity Coalierendum allowing tion of the Five t h e L aw re n c e Towns hopes to School District to mobilize residents sell the Number Six and increase awareSchool to the ness of a number of Hebrew Academy proposed projects of Long Beach. “I that its members think we were pretbelieve could nega- aVi PiNto ty effective in that tively impact the campaign,” Justic Vice president quality of their said. “We learned Community Coalition the value of comlives. From an Amamunicating with zon warehouse on the Nassau- the community and the commuQueens border that is expected nity coming together.” to be operational by December, Both Justic and Woodmere to the proposed development of resident Avi Pinto, the coalithe Woodmere Club, where 284 tion’s vice president, said they homes could be built, coalition did not oppose development, and officials see more traffic being understand that it is going to generated in an already high- happen, but it should make traffic area, and the potential sense. “Developers are going to impact on local schools, the environment and resources. Continued on page 11
by JeFFreY beSSeN jbessen@liherald.com
t
Lisa Margaria/Herald
SeVeNtH-graderS WatcHed teacHiNg assistant Theresa Kearney feed the fish and the turtle in Robert Faller’s memorial pond.
Here, the learning is hands-on
Woodmere environmental center is district gem by liSa Margaria lmargaria@liherald.com
The Woodmere Middle School Environmental Center, which used to be a weedy, concrete courtyard, blooms beautifully in the spring and is a popular hands-on learning spot for the school’s social studies, math, science, English, music, art and special-
education programs. Science Chair man Dr. B r i a n Te r r y h a s b e e n involved with the environmental center since the summer of 2013. Terry said that the Environmental Pond, built in memory of Woodmere student Robert Faller, who died in a 1990 helicopter crash, led to the idea of an environmental center in 2011,
when the Hewlett-Woodmere School District’s now-retired Superintendant for Business, Dr. Peter Weber, oversaw the beginnings of the courtyard’s makeover. Eric Scott, a former zookeeper, joined Weber in the effort when Scott was hired as a custodian in 2002. Since then, he has taken a leading Continued on page 32
he development should be done in a way that’s fair for everybody as much as possible.