Baldwin
HERALD
The MarkeT
The MarkeT July 23, 2020
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The Ultimate Local home Show
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the MarKet the Ultimate home showcase - Inside
Vol. 27 No. 30
elks member honored
school district installs new sign
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JUlY 23 - 29, 2020
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State talks reopening Cuomo rolls out guidelines for school district plans Union Free School District has been diligently working on a plan for reopening schools that bdownes@liherald.com will help ensure the safety of our In what has become a familiar students and staff, while also setting because of the coronavi- providing an effective learning rus pandemic, the e nv i ro n m e n t , ” New York State Baldwin Schools Board of Regents Superintendent Dr. met virtually on Shari Camhi said. July 13 to discuss “The district’s plan the findings of a will be guided by task force made up what is best for our of parents, school students, staff and officials, students the Baldwin comand teachers that munity, in addition was convened in to final directives June to collect provided by the opinions on how to governor and New reopen schools. York State EducaThe Board of tion Department.” Re g e n t s re c o mRegents Chanmended that school cellor Betty Rosa districts create noted that the recplans for in-person ommendations instruction, remote came after four virinstruction and tual Board of what is being Regents meetings c a l l e d h y b r i d dr. shari CaMhi we r e h e l d l a s t instruction, a mix Schools superintendent month. “Life has of in-person and changed radically remote learning. for New York’s stuThe guidance was distributed to dents, parents and educators school districts on July 15, and during the unprecedented Covidtheir reopening plans must be 19 emergency, and we have to submitted to the State Education provide flexibility to districts in Department by July 31. “Since May, the Baldwin Continued on page 4
By Bridget dowNes, Jeff BesseN and Matthew ferreMi
B
Courtesy Lance Livi
CoNtraCtor doMiNiCK laCitigNola and his team built a new pool deck for the Livi family so Ben Livi, 25, who has cerebral palsy, can make his way up unassisted.
A ‘miracle’ deck for Ben
Contractor creates new stairs for Baldwin family By Bridget dowNes bdownes@liherald.com
A Suffolk County contractor has changed the lives of a Baldwin family. Lance and Debi Livi’s 25-year-old son, Ben, was born with cerebral palsy, and is unable to walk without assistance. But he loves to walk around in the small, aboveground pool in their backyard, his parents said, because the buoyancy of the water allows him to walk by
himself. The small deck they had was useless for Ben, who does not speak, because he could not climb the ladder to the top to get into the pool, Lance and Debi said. Each time he went for a swim, they would lift him over the edge of the pool, and then rush in so he would have somebody in there with him. “Once he’s in the pool,” Lance said, “he doesn’t need anybody to walk with at all.” They decided they would
replace the deck this year. They explained what they had in mind to Dominick Lacitignola, the owner of Hope Custom Builders, whom they found on Angie’s List, and asked him to design and create a deck that would make it easier for Ben to make his way to the top of the deck to get into the pool. When he met Ben, Lance and Debi said, Lacitignola connected with him, and said he wanted to work on the projContinued on page 3
y the beginning of August . . . we will be able to share the most up-todate plan with our community regarding how Baldwin schools will operate in the fall.