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INCORPORATING THE WEST HEMPSTEAD BEACON VOL. 76 No. 04
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January 22 - 28, 2026
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$1M for clean water ship and advocacy. “We have wonderful people that we have elected, and they have not forgotRep. Laura Gillen unveiled that more ten about any one of us,” she said. than $1 million in federal funding is on “When we turn on our tap water, we its way to help replace one of the want to make sure that everyone is region’s oldest water plants and drinking safe water.” Purdie, a village resident who preimprove the safety of drinking water for sented Gillen with hundreds of signaresidents of Hempstead village. Standing with Mayor Waylyn Hobbs tures following a party, demanding Jr., Trustee Tanya Carter, and resident urgent help, sparked the push for federactivist Mary Purdie at the Hempstead al funding. “She said, “We need clean water here Water Department, Gillen said on Tuesin Hempstead, I’m giving day that the village will you these signatures, and receive the federal grant to if I vote for you, you got to support upgrades at the promise me that you will water treatment facility — not forget the people of a plant now more than 100 Hempstead,” Purdie said. years old. “I promised Miss “Hempstead has sufPurdie, I promised the fered from legacy water mayor that if I got to contamination, crumbling Hempstead, I’d fight for infrastructure and unacevery resident to get access ceptable water quality that to the clean water that they has long been ignored by deserve, because it should the federal government,” not matter where you live said Gillen, who represents to determine whether or many communities across TANYA CARTeR not your water is cancer Nassau County. Trustee Hempstead free,” Gillen added. The announcement folHobbs said the funding lows growing community village is a critical step for the concern over the presence of PFAs — per- and polyfluoroalkyl sub- largest village in the state. “We deserve to make sure that all of stances — in local water sources. These manmade chemicals have been linked our elected officials from local, state and to serious health risks, including can- federal level come through for the residents of the Village of Hempstead, and cer. “After local officials found alarming you [Gillen] have and you have delivlevels of cancer causing PFAs in the ered, and we’re excited about it,” he drinking water, the need for federal said. In total, the project is expected to cost help was not just necessary, it was urgent,” she said. “Clean drinking nearly $50 million. So far, the village water, as we all know, is essential for has received $1 million from Nassau the health of any community and the County, nearly $37 million from New families here in Hempstead should not York state, and the new $1 million federhave to worry about developing life al grant. Roughly another $11 million is threatening illnesses every time they needed. “Without that help, this project turn on the tap.” COntinued On Page 4 Carter praised the village’s leader-
By ALYSSA R. GRIFFIN
agriffin@liherald.com
Courtesy Martin Hopp Architect
the 89,000-square-feet evergreen Charter School on Laurel avenue in Hempstead.
Hempstead school blends architecture, sustainability Evergreen Charter School unveils innovative mass timber building By SeAN KeNNeDY Correspondent
An innovative, award-winning structure now adorns the skylines in Hempstead, as the Evergreen Charter School’s recently opened Secondary School stands as one of the first of its kind in the United States. As one of the first school buildings on the East Coast constructed of mass timber, the building serves as one of the prime examples of when modern architecture meets high sustainability standards. Evergreen uses a cross-laminated timber structure, reducing the building’s carbon impact. “The inspiration comes from our thinking about the environment and about providing our students with the best possible building,” said Gil Bernardino, president and co-founder of the Evergreen Charter School. “Our inspiration, our values, and our way of thinking resulted in this spectacular building.”
After the structure’s completion in August 2025, the environmentallyfriendly facility spans across 89,000-square-feet on Laurel Avenue, creating a space for students from seventh through 12th grades to earn not just an education, but learn about environmental and sustainability awareness. “What’s really nice about the building itself is that it becomes a prop for teaching,” said Martin Hopp, the building’s architect. Around the school, there are air sensors that detect levels of chemical compounds such as carbon dioxide. The goal is to have the students seeing these sensors and learn to understand the world around them, and how they interact with their environment daily. “One of our focuses for the building was indoor air quality, and indoor environmental awareness,” Hopp said. “The students can interact with the [screens], see what the [compound] COntinued On Page 5
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hen we turn on our tap water, we want to make sure that everyone is drinking safe water.