_________________ BALDWIN ________________ drivers who switched save d an average of $713
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VOL. 33 NO. 30
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Water safety takes center stage at park achieve the same confidence in the water, Owens recently connected with the Stew Leonard III A local teen was honored last Water Safety Foundation, creatweek at Veterans Memorial ed by Kim and Stew Leonard Jr., Park in East Meadow for his of the popular grocery chain, efforts to promote water safety Stew Leonard’s. The company and expand youths’ access to operates two locations on Long Island — one in East Meadow affordable swimming lessons. Jace Owens, a rising senior at and the other in Farmingdale. T he Leonards’ Baldwin High son, Stew Leonard School, is a swimIII, known affectionmer, volunteer and lifeguard at the pool ally as Stewie, died in the East Meadow in a drowning accipark. His family dent when he was 21 traces its origins to months old in 1989. the Caribbean, His parents created where many tragithe foundation in cally drowned his memory a year because they never later to prevent traglearned basic water edy from striking safety skills, despite other families, being surrounded JACE OWENS because drowning is by water, he shared Baldwin High School a leading cause of at a news confer- rising senior accidental death in ence on July 15. children age 4 and When Owens was younger, he under. was determined to break that Since its inception, the founcycle and began taking swim- dation has raised $6 million for ming lessons at 8-years-old. water safety awareness and edu“Swimming not only taught cation initiatives, including me discipline and confidence, training lifeguards and offering but it also gave me a sense of free or low-cost swim lessons for purpose and belonging,” he children in need every year. shared at a news conference on The Leonards shared that it July 15. only takes a few moments for a Wanting to help others
By JORDAN VALLONE
jvallone@liherald.com
Courtesy Sophea Sainsurin
Girl Scouts from several Baldwin-area troops gathered at Meadow Elementary School after planting a new community garden as part of the Growing Goodness initiative. The garden will provide fresh produce for Bethany House and serve as an outdoor classroom for Meadow students.
Girl Scouts grow goodness in the garden
Local troop plants vegetables to nourish families By ALLYSON FERRARI aferrari@liherald.com
With handfuls of soil and packets of seeds, more than 20 Baldwin-area Girl Scouts transformed a corner of Meadow Elementary School into something much larger than a garden — a place where lessons in leadership, nutrition and community service will one day provide fresh produce for families served by Bethany House. The project, called Growing Goodness, was made possible by a $1,500 state grant administered by the Girl Scouts of Nassau County. Baldwin residents and Girl Scout troop leaders Nicole Ricca and Sophea Sainsurin secured the grant to create a service project, and selected Meadow Elementary because of its outdoor space, support from Principal Yolanda Martin and its ability to host volunteers from several Baldwin-area troops. Students will help monitor the growing
beds while reinforcing classroom lessons in science and environmental stewardship. During the July 11 planting day, Girl Scouts from several Baldwin troops filled raised beds with soil, planted vegetables, herbs and flowers, and learned how community gardens can help address food insecurity. “We wanted the girls to understand that even a small garden can make a meaningful difference,” Sainsurin said. “When they see the food they planted helping families in need, it turns gardening into something much bigger than growing vegetables.” Every vegetable planted through Growing Goodness will eventually be harvested and donated to Bethany House, a Baldwin-based nonprofit that provides transitional housing and supportive services for women and children experiencing homelessness. Organizers said that the partnership helped the girls understand how something they planted CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
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very child deserves the chance to learn how to be safe around the water.
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