Students pitch ways to beautify Baldwin

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Students, parents and residents filed into a cafeteria in Baldwin High School last week for a Baldwin Civic Association meeting to discuss subjects that often come up: filling empty storefronts, picking up litter and ways to engage the community.

The only difference at this monthly meeting, though, is that students from elementary to high school were leading the discussion.

The BCA launched its first ever essay/poster contest over the winter for students in grades four through 12 in Baldwin. Students had the option of designing a poster or writing an essay — varying on word count based on age — along the theme of “Keeping Baldwin beautiful.”

More than 85 students participated, according to Helena Hillian, the BCA’s membership chair, and after a panel of six judges reviewed the essays and posters, 11 semifinalists and finalists were named.

Those 11 students we honored last week at the BCA meeting and each had a chance to read their essay or present their poster to the community.

David Zuckerman, a 17-year-old junior at BHS, said when he first heard of the essay contest a few months ago, he instantly knew what he’d be writing about. Zuckerman’s home, like many others in Baldwin, was flooded during Superstorm Sandy. In the midst of the damage and uncertainty that followed the storm, Zuckerman remembers a community coming together to lend a helping hand and assist those in need whenever possible.

“A bunch of neighbors helped out other neighbors and it was the most beautiful thing ever,” he recalled, adding that he witnessed people passing out hot chocolates, picking up debris and homes and businesses with power allowing others to charge their devices or keep warm.

Baldwin Middle School seventh grader Cortneii Samuel, 12, pitched ideas to beautify the community in her essay, including constructing a boardwalk in Baldwin Park to attract visitors and provide residents with a scenic spot. She, and several other student presenters, also said it would be beneficial to entice restaurant and store owners to open businesses in Baldwin.

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