Association to focus on issues

The new Baldwin Civic Association held its second meeting last Saturday morning in the cafeteria of Baldwin Senior High School. A crowd of some 50 early risers discussed issues ranging from vandalism to business development and the design of new “Shop Baldwin First” banners.

“This is the first time in the 14 years that I’ve lived in Baldwin that people have actually gotten together to work on our issues,” said Sara Hill, who returned early from visiting her son in Florida to attend the gathering. “It’s a very positive, hopeful event.”

Co-chairing the meeting were BCA cofounders Linda Degen and David Viana, who kept discussions focused and the pace crisp. The meeting’s main agenda item was to break the BCA into task-specific committees that will work independently, but under the auspices of the BCA. The following groups were formed:

Group: Empty Properties

Focus: This group will focus on improving the overall aesthetics of Baldwin. Members will contact landlords of vacant properties and urge them to maintain their storefronts, or at least allow members of the group to do so. One idea floated Saturday was to let children from local arts programs decorate vacant shop windows.

Group: Planters/Landscaping

Focus: These organizers’ first order of business will be to round up the Town of Hempstead botanical planters currently scattered around Baldwin and display them in a unified fashion along Grand Avenue and the surrounding streets. This group will also recruit local florists and landscapers to help reinvigorate Baldwin’s identity as “Marigold City,” and will take charge of maintaining and beautifying the “Welcome to Baldwin” signs on the hamlet’s main traffic arteries.

Group: Banners

Focus: Chaired by BCA co-founder Linda Degen, who worked on an earlier incarnation of this effort some years prior, this group will design and have manufactured a series of cloth banners to hang from brackets on street lamps. The design and creation of the banners will be locally sourced to the greatest possible extent, and the final design will be submitted to the BCA for their approval. When the banners are finalized, the group will look for local merchants to sponsor them. The Fire Department and Sanitation District 2 will coordinate the hanging of the displays.

Group: Violations

Focus: The law-and-order arm of the BCA, this group will study the statutes governing the upkeep of the community and attempt to enforce them. They will look for signs that are too large or bright, improperly placed newspaper boxes and trash cans, and gas stations that are spilling out onto neighboring streets. Group members will coordinate with the town and county bodies that enforce building codes, and will also investigate complaints from the community.

Group: Potential Businesses

Committee

Focus: Bringing new business to Baldwin. This group will look at vacant spaces in the area and try to attract businesses to occupy them. Many companies that franchise or are looking to expand now list their space requirements on their websites. The group will match unoccupied storefronts and businesses that could fill them.

Each of the groups created over the weekend is seeking energetic volunteers with ideas to contribute. Community members interested in joining a civic association group should email the BCA at baldwincivic@yahoo.com or leave a message at facebook.com/Baldwinneedsrevitalization.

The next two BCA meetings have been scheduled for Jan. 11, at the Baldwin Public Library, and Feb. 4, at the high school. The times will appear on the Herald’s calendar page when they are finalized.