A Driveway Dilemma

Mira Hennon '25  ~  March 2025

As we move into the spring season of 2025, it is clear to everyone that this past winter in Buffalo, New York has been cold, icy, and especially destructive on the local roads. Nardin Academy AP Biology and Anatomy teacher, Mr. Alex Ladowski, had his driveway redone last summer, and paid a hefty price for this luxurious new pavement. However, it is almost April and his driveway is already crumbling. It seems like the harsh winter could be a cause, but is the weather truly to blame? Not likely. Mr. Ladowski has faced extreme distress recently about the poor job of the workers and his sad excuse for a driveway. He believes the pitting that now has appeared in the driveway resulted from a problem with the sealing of the concrete. The company refuses to fix this free of charge. This is a safety hazard to the children of his neighborhood, including his own progeny, that ride their bikes and scooters on what is now a jagged approximately 70-foot stretch of pavement. “I just…  I can’t believe that I have to pay several thousand dollars more when I’ve already paid many, many thousands already,” he says when asked for his thoughts. Residents from all around Western New York already have to deal with severe potholes and annihilated streets. Can we no longer rely on the safety of a smooth driveway either? As this story develops, we can only hope that Mr. Ladowski receives the utmost cooperation from the pavement company and can get a brand new, beautiful, non-hole-filled driveway!