RSS 2.0 FeedDecember 30, 2010, Wantagh Seaford Citizen
The year in review
From The Citizen pages in 2010.
Before the sounding of the midnight bell, let us pause to take one last look at the people, places and events in Wantagh and Seaford during 2010.
The year opened and closed with news about Aqua Water, the private water company that services residents of Wantagh and Seaford. In January, the Town of Hempstead and the Town of Oyster Bay announced a plan to re-activate the Southeastern Nassau Water Authority to study the idea of a public takeover of Aqua Water. Later that month, residents learned that the New York State Public Service Commission granted Aqua a 12% increase to rates that made residents more determined to pursue the idea of a public water authority.
United States Senator Charles Schumer called the increase “egregious” and asked the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of the U.S. Congress, to look into Aqua America’s businesses practices.
In September the towns of Hempstead and Oyster Bay appointed five residents to serve on the board of the Southeastern Nassau Water Authority, including John Malloy of Wantagh. They held their first public meeting in early December to outline plans and discuss residents’ concerns.
Residents remained concerned over the problems brewing at the Cedar Creek Water Treatment Plant in Wantagh. In February the new county Legislature, led by the Republicans, held a hearing, bringing to light the myriad problems at the plant, including 22 serious violations to its permit. The Legislature renewed its promise to hire additional employees to address maintenance issues at the plant.
In June Cedar Creek briefly ceased operation when the diesels went down but was later repaired. An additional $10 million was pledged to fix problems at the plant.
Also this summer, the Cedar Creek Health Risk Assessment Committee and residents met with plant personnel. The county promised that more changes would take place within a few months, including the removal of Richard Cotugno as the Superintendent of the plant. A new superintendent was hired, as well as support staff to fix the problems.
Other changes occurred at Cedar Creek Water Pollution Control Plant, including the re-opening of the guard booth.
While problems seemed to diminish at Cedar Creek, problems began at Bay Park, the county's other sewage treatment plant, where sludge was being dumped illegally into Reynolds Channel. The county responded to the crisis at Bay Park by shipping up to 80,000 gallons of sludge per day to Cedar Creek for treatment.
Just this week, The Citizen learned that Washington D.C. would intervene by providing $11 million for upgrades at the sewage treatment plants, thanks to Senator Charles Schumer.
There was other good news for our waterways as well. The state announced this summer that part of a planned water trail along the South Shore of Long Island will include a stop along Wantagh’s waterfront at Wantagh Park.
The state also announced it is building a hook-up from its Jones Beach sewage treatment plant to the outflow pipe at Cedar Creek that will keep treated effluent out of Zach’s Bay and the waters surrounding Jones Beach.
And thanks to Operation SPLASH the state finally released money for the TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) Study that will examine nitrogen level in our waterways.
Economic woes in Albany and in the county effected taxpayers in Wantagh and Seaford. The state proposed more closures at Jones Beach but last minute scrambling helped keep the West Bath House open.
The state also built a new guard rail along th Wantagh Parkway in response to public outcry in 2009 when 18-year-old Matthew Scarpetti was killed by a errant motorcycle on that ran onto the bike path.
However, the state raised park fees from $8 to $10 at Jones Beach. Also, there was no fireworks display at Jones Beach for the Fourth of July.
The county also increased park fees this year. Bruce Piel, executive director of PARCnassau and Wantagh resident, brought to light several issues facing our parks.
He called for a new commissioner of parks, spoke out against the tripling of users fees without legislative approval and questioned the budgeting process that allocates funds the parks. The county also kicked out for-profit day camps from county parks and replaced them with county-run programs.
Unfortunately the Wantagh Park Marina saw a rash of burglaries and vandalism to the boats this summer. Residents again called for more police presence in our parks.
But our parks were happy places as well. The Cedar Creek Aerodrome was renamed the Lufbery Aerodrome this summer after Major Raoul Lufbery, a World War I flying ace.
The weather was big news this year. In February, a snowstorm dropped 18 inches of snow in our area and in March a fierce nor’easter with winds blowing up to 75 miles per hour, brought down hundreds of trees and left 32,538 residents in Wantagh and Seaford without power. 92 alarms were answered in Wantagh and 423 alarms were answered in Seaford during this storm. In September the much anticipated Hurricane Earl, that followed the same path as the 100-year storm of 1939, turned out to be a dud, although it did flood Jones Beach.
However the year ended with a blast of snow. The blizzard of December 26 was one of the largest on record, dumping close to two feet of snow and disrupting holiday plans.
It was a long, hot summer with a record number of days over 90 degrees. It was also the beginning of a long heated battle between residents and T-Mobile, the telecommunications giant over the building of six wireless antennas on the roof of the Farmingdale Wantagh Jewish Center on Woodbine Avenue.
The proliferation of cellular equipment on residential streets created the Wantagh Homeowners Association and an alliance with neighbors in North Bellmore and Merrick. Together they urged the Town of Hempstead to pass legislation that would restrict the placement of cellular equipment on residential streets. The town also hired a telecommunications expert to advocate on behalf of residents at zoning board hearings.
In October the town’s expert testified at a seven-hour hearing involving T-Mobile and its Wantagh application. Over 100 residents, led by Pam Dempsey, were on hand to voice their concern about the project. This month the town’s zoning Board of Appeals denied T-Mobile’s request to build six cell antennas on the roof of the Farmingdale-Wantagh Jewish Center.
The Wantagh Library hired Maggie Marino as its new library director after dismissing Library Director John Bosco who was found guilty of insubordination. He was suspended in 2009. Mr. Bosco remains determined to clear his name.
There were changes at the Seaford Library as well. The Board of Trustees said a fond farewell to Library Director Marilyn Griffin who retired this week and will welcome Frank McKenna in January as its new library director.
The Wantagh-Seaford Homeowners Association spearheaded a number of issues to insure quality of life in our communities.
This year residents welcomed the re-paving of Wantagh Avenue and the dedication of the brand-new fire headquarters in Seaford.
But some were unhappy about plans to open a dinner theater club on Sunrise Highway owned by Billy Dean’s that some residents thought would include nude entertainment. However, the Town of Hempstead’s zoning Board of Appeals said no nude dancing would be allowed. The public is waiting to see what will happen in 2011.
The community also addressed the increase of heroin use among teenagers at several community forums, including one sponsored by the Wantagh-Seaford Homeowners Association. Police told residents that heroin use and arrests are on the rise and provided some basic information to determined if your child was using illegal drugs. The school districts also responded to this crisis with their own programs and Nassau County initiated a new three-step enforcement program called Operation HALT (Heroin Abuse Location and Targeting).
A series of purse snatchings in Wantagh and the surrounding communities was a cause for concern for residents. The two robbers are still at large.
Volunteers at the Town of Hempstead’s Animal Shelter on Wantagh Avenue alleged abuse at the facility and has issued a lawsuit against the Town of Hempstead just last week.
Meanwhile the Town of Hempstead and the county District Attorney have conducted its own investigation into mismanagement in the shelter and denies all allegations of abuse to the animals. The town has also initiated new and enchanced services at the shelter.
Despite cutbacks to school aid, Wantagh, Seaford and Levittown passed school budgets and continue to raise educational standards for students.
In Wantagh some parents protested cuts to the school budget and in September teachers spoke out about their lapsed contract. The district also wished Jeanette Stern best wishes in her retirement and welcomed Timothy Picullo as the new Wantagh Middle School principal.
In Seaford, Superintendent Thomas Markle retired and was replaced with Brian Conboy. Dan Smith is the new Seaford Middle School principal, replacing retired Roseanne Careri.
Seaford also opened a brand new 8,000 square-foot music wing for students. Meanwhile Seaford Harbor School will have to wait a little longer for the access road to be built for Harbor School because of of a possible second state environmental quality review to be done in order to be compliant on all state issues. Seaford High School had a bomb scare this fall that turned out to be nothing more than a hoax.
Congratulations to the following teams and students at Wantagh and Seaford High Schools.
The Wantagh wrestling team won the seventh straight conference championship in January (as well as its third straight county dual title); the Warriors’ lacrosse team ranked fifth in the state this year and the boys’ track team captured the division title.
Tyler Wasserman was 2010 Wantagh High School valedictorian and Talia Cohen was the 2010 Salutatorian.
In Seaford, the Vikings football team are county champs!
Zi Han Liu was Seaford’s 2010 valedictorian and Jennifer Rodriguez was the salutatorian.
In Levittown, Chaimaa Makoudi was the 2010 valedictorian for MacArthur High School in Levittown and Michael Reilly was the salutatorian. Levittown’s Superintendent Herman Sirois announced his retirement at the end of the 2010-2011 school year.
Births, deaths and seasonal events marked the passing of the year in Wantagh and Seaford. Our First Baby of the Year was Grace Lee King of Wantagh; Jade Spano of Seaford was Mother of the Year and Wantaghite Steven Moriarty was Father of the Year. Kelley Garland was Miss Wantagh.
Other individuals of distinction that made the news this year were Russ Bastin, past commander of the Wantagh American Legion Post, who retired from the Legion this year.
Congratulations to the following Women of Distinction, a state honor that recognizes outstanding service and character. They are Martha Verdi (Wantagh), Joan Mahoney Brown (Wantagh), Linda Toscano, (The Citizen’s publisher), Linda Hurley (Seaford), Janice Seyfried (Wantagh), Vilma Nuzio (Wantagh), Ele Ruth Melendez (Wantagh).
Sadly, we lost Brittany Vega, a 14-year-old student at Wantagh High School who was killed in September crossing Sunrise Highway.
Rabbi Robert Raab, longtime leader and rabbi emeritus of Suburban Temple died in September at 86 years of age.
The Wantagh Fire Department lost several members this year including ex-fire Chief Michael Minogue and Gordon Madder. Betty Kefer, a 55-year member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Wantagh Fire Department, died in July.
Beloved teacher and community member Eleanor Foti died in November.
The Citizen also lost its longtime associate publisher June Irwin in the Spring.
Traditions continued in Wantagh and Seaford. In Wantagh, there was the Chamber’s annual Fun Hunt with the giant Easter Bunny; the Kiwanis’s ninth annual Chefs of Wantagh fundraiser. There was the John Theissen 5K race in May as well as the return of the Blue Angels for Memorial Day. There was the Memorial Day parade, the Fourth of July parade and the crowning of a new Miss Wantagh. In October the Wantagh Chamber of Commerce sponsored the Wantagh Good Guy Award to Mulcahy’s John Murray.
In Seaford, the Chamber sponsored its own Easter Egg Hunt. Also in the spring the Seaford Wellness Council held its annual clean-up at Tackapausha, followed by the Memorial Day Parade.
This fall the Seaford Chamber of Commerce sponsored a Taste of Seaford, a wildly successful fundraiser to assist the Seaford Historical Society to upgrade the Seaford Museum.
In both communities there were tree lighting ceremonies to welcome in the holidays. In Seaford the fire department had Santa ride into town on a firetruck and in Wantagh Park kids can mail their letters to Santa.
The Seaford Wellness Council sponsored its Hot Chocolate Run with over 900 entrants this year and in Wantagh the chamber sponsored the Snowball Run; Wantaghite John Theissen again advocated for children and the voices of carolers could be heard at the annual Carol Sing, sponsored by the Wantagh Preservation Society.
Now the good old year is with the past. Wantaghites and Seafordites turn their eyes to 2011. May the new year bring peace and hope to all in our little part of the world. Happy New Year, Wantagh and Seaford!
