_________________ WANTAGH ________________
HERALD A holiday 5K at Cedar Creek
Vol. 72 No. 52
DECEMBER 19 - 25, 2024
1280727
Page 3 $1.00
Three cheers for repeat state champs! and has always been competitive. Cheerleading, she said, is a unique spor t that doesn’ t Hard work and dedication involve going head to head with paid off for the Seaford varsity another team. Instead, the comcheer team last month, when it petition focuses on one squad at captured the New York State a time. “We always kind of preach Public High School Athletic Association’s Game Day Cham- to them and have them focus on pionship in Class themselves, and C, after winning not about their the Class B title in competition, not 2023. about any other In the competiteam,” Fer rari tion, which took said. place at Hudson The Seaford Valley Community team represented College in upstate Nassau County’s Troy, the Seaford Section 8 in the squad went up state Class C conagainst 8 other test on Nov. 10, a teams from high week after it won schools of similar liSA FERRARi the county chams i z e a c r o s s t h e Coach, Seaford varsity p i o n s h i p. T h e cheer team state. team comprises 21 Pre paring for athletes who spend the competition as three hours a day, defending champions, the girls six days a week, perfecting were well aware of how much their routines. work they needed to do to win After all nine squads in again, coach Lisa Ferrari said. Class C performed in a prelimi“Coming in as a state champ, nary round, the top three qualiyou feel more pressure to keep fiers — Seaford, Putnam Valley that up and to continue last and Chenango Forks — did so year,” she said. “We didn’t nec- again in the finals. In a unique essarily know what to expect. situation this year, two reignWe just hoped for the best.” ing champs competed against Fer rari has coached the Continued on page 8 squad for 17 years, she said,
By CHARlES SHAW
cshaw@liherald.com
W
Mike Monahan/Herald
Holiday lights shine bright The Christmas tree and menorah lit up the night at the Wantagh Museum during the Wantagh Chamber of Commerce’s holiday celebration on Dec. 15. Story, more photos, Page 12.
Uniting for good causes at Wantagh H.S. Council leaders hope to turn their classmates into activists By CHARlES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com
Wantagh High School students Danny Donahue and Isabella Kugal are hoping to make a difference as co-presidents of the Student Council by encouraging their peers to make a positive impact in their community. Donahue, a junior, and Kugal, a senior, have been Student Council members since they were freshmen, but this is their first year as co-presidents. Their goal is to engage the entire student body with activities that bring awareness to several issues, such as food insecurity, bullying and mental health.
Last month, Donahue and Kugal mobilized students to write letters of gratitude to veterans at the Northport VA Medical Center. Donahue remembered writing similar letters to veterans when he attended Forest Lake Elementary School and wanted to continue the tradition as a high school student. Students were given a format about what to write, thanking the veterans for their service, and they were encouraged to add something personal, such as a connection to the veteran. “We really wanted to show our thanks to those who don’t really have friends or family this holiday season, because they’re veterans in the hosContinued on page 7
e didn’t necessarily know what to expect. We just hoped for the best.