While most people have forgotten about last week’s blizzard that dumped two feet of snow, Hewlett-Woodmere’s district leaders are criticizing CVS Pharmacy after snow was piled several feet high along the sidewalk on Peninsula Boulevard leading to the Woodmere Middle School.
District Superintendent Dina Anzalone addressed the situation at the board of education meeting at Hewlett High School on Feb. 25 and said that CVS’ failure to clear the sidewalk threatened student safety.
“My students cannot be forced onto Peninsula Boulevard,” Anzalone said recalling a phone call with CVS’ corporate office the Tuesday morning following the storm. “You need to clear this.”
Town of Hempstead code requires business owners during winter to maintain their sidewalks during snowy and icy conditions. There is no timeframe listed in the code for how long sidewalks can remain uncleared.
The district made several attempts to rectify the issue, as middle school security spoke with store staff and attempted to contact their corporate office. During a phone call between Anzalone and the Nassau County Police Department, she was told that it’s a town issue. It wasn’t until members of Hewlett-Woodmere’s facilities department went over and cleared a path that students could make it to school safely.
A similar situation happened during the January storm, when a foot of snow and sub-freezing temperatures hit the region. While CVS plowed its parking lot, the sidewalk was left unshoveled, forcing students to walk on Peninsula Boulevard during rush hour, which drew wide criticism from parents.
“They just pushed the snow into a wall,” Board of Trustees President Debi Sheinin said. “CVS didn’t care at all when the district called them. Last storm too.”
Frustrations over the snow shifted to side streets in the community, as the district noted its dissatisfaction with the Town of Hempstead. Driving around the community last week, plows left mounds of snow along the curbs, which students would also have to climb over. “You should be reaching out for the poor job that they did cleaning the streets,” Anzalone said.
Before the storm began, Anzalone worked with the Hewlett Woodmere Business Association, ensuring that sidewalks outside of businesses such as Broadway were clear.
Many school facility workers slept in the district Sunday night before to the storm, to ensure they could be there on Monday to begin the cleanup process. Anzalone said she was pleased with their hard work and dedication to reopen the district and reminded students to thank them.
“They really moved their backs just to make sure that school was ready for you,” Anzalone said. “It was a huge effort to open up and make sure that your children were safe.”
