__________________ SEAFORD _________________
HERALD Building legacy from loss
Molloy graduation
at Jones Beach
Seaford Teacher Appreciation
Page 3
Page 9
Page 10
VOL. 74 NO. 22
MAY 28 - JUNE 3, 2026
$1.00
Unearthing a 50-year-old time capsule “When the time capsule was opened, the first letter to be found — and the last item A time capsule was buried placed in the capsule before outside St. James Catholic sealing — was my father’s School, in Seaford, for the past handwritten letter of love to 50 years, quietly preserving the his wife and children,” Janice memories, hopes and voices of Whelan said. “It was like him students who roamed its halls speaking to us from heaven.” The simple note, wrapped during the United States’ around a quarter to keep it Bicentennial celebration. Nearly 200 alumni, parishio- secure, listed the names of Whelan’s wife, chilners and community members gathdren and even the ered outside St. family dog before James Parish on ending with one May 2 as the capword: “Love.” sule was unearthed Event coordina— just days before tor Kelley Sommerthe 50-year anniverville, a St. James sary of its burial in JANICE WHELAN alumna who helped May 1976. organize the celeSt. James alumna Inside were more bration, said that than 600 letters discovering Whelwritten by students and teach- an’s note was one of the cereers, school uniforms and hand- m o n y ’ s m o s t e m o t i o n a l written reflections from anoth- moments. er era, many remarkably pre“It was just a white piece of served thanks to the craftsman- paper enclosed with a quarter ship of Ronald Whelan, a in it,” Sommerville said. “It skilled builder who later owned listed all his family, his wife, his own construction company his children and their dog, and and helped engineer the cap- it just said ‘love.’ I teared up sule decades ago. He died in with that because I know the December of 1997. Whelan family.” For Whelan’s daughters, The capsule was buried durJanice and Monica, the ceremo- ing the nation’s Bicentennial ny became something far more CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 personal than a reunion.
By HUNTER FENOLLOL
hfenollol@liherald.com
Courtesy Veolia
The Cedar Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Wantagh, which officials have described as critical to protecting Long Island waterways and groundwater, has for decades been the subject of recurring odor complaints from nearby residents.
The hidden cost of clean water
Neighbors say odors from Cedar Creek impact daily life By HUNTER FENOLLOL hfenollol@liherald.com
For some living near the Cedar Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant off Merrick Road in Wantagh, the smell emanating from the facility is more than an occasional nuisance — it has shaped daily life for decades. The odors, often described by residents as sewage-like or sulfuric, have become a recurring source of frustration in nearby neighborhoods, including Seaford, particularly for homeowners closest to the South Shore waterfront the facility overlooks. “We pay such incredibly high taxes and can’t use our outdoor space,” said Seaford resident Debra Stoeckert Rapisardi, who has lived on Neptune South near the facility for 26 years. “There are times that you literally hold your nose when you have to go outside.” “This winter, for some strange reason, it was horrible, mostly every single night,” Rapisardi said. “You can’t even go sit outside and put your fire pit on.”
The problem, she said, has changed the way her family lives inside their own home. “I use my air conditioner all year long,” Rapisardi said. “I never, ever open up the windows.” Other residents described similar experiences, including smelling the odors while driving along the Wantagh Parkway or spending time outdoors near the water. Several said they have stopped reporting the issue altogether because they feel complaints lead nowhere. “You call, you complain about the smell, and they say, ‘Well, it can’t be coming from us,’” Rapisardi said. “Those calls go absolutely nowhere.” But officials with Veolia, the environmental services company that operates Cedar Creek on behalf of Nassau County, said the facility remains one of Long Island’s most critical pieces of environmental infrastructure. The Cedar Creek facility serves roughly CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
I
t was like him speaking to us from heaven.