__________________ SEAFORD _________________
HERALD Miss Wantagh’s new flag box
Time capsule buried for 2076
At Forest Lake, it was Field Day
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VOL. 74 NO. 24
JUNE 11 - 17, 2026
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Seaford honors new and retiring educators By HUNTER FENOLLOL hfenollol@liherald.com
Courtesy Seaford School District
Seaford’s newly tenured educators were recognized for the career milestone at a Board of Education meeting on June 2.
More than two dozen Seaford School District administrators, teachers and support staff celebrated career milestones on June 2. The Board of Education meeting began with the annual retirement and tenure celebration. “It is my thrill and honor to recognize the retirees who have done so much for our district,” Superintendent Adele Pecora said, “and also our future Vikings forever who are getting tenure.” Collectively, the retiring CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Bill would allow Wantagh Warriors to keep nickname By HUNTER FENOLLOL hfenollol@liherald.com
A bill that would exempt the Wantagh School District from New York state’s Native American mascot ban has moved forward in the Senate, giving proponents renewed hope that the Warriors identity could be preserved. State Sen. Steve Rhoads, whose district includes Wantagh and Seaford, said the legislation recognizes what he describes as Wantagh’s unique historical connection to the name that has represented the community and its schools for decades. The bill would excuse Want-
agh from a state mandate requiring schools to cease using Native American mascots, logos, imagery or team names. The measure recently moved from the Senate’s Education Committee to its Investigations and Government Operations Committee, one of the final steps before it could reach the Senate floor for a vote. If the State Legislature passes the bill, Gov. Kathy Hochul could then sign it into law. “We’re in the last two weeks of session,” Rhoads said. “What I’ve encouraged residents to do is to reach out to Senator [Jessica] Scarcella-Spanton and Senate leadership to get this onto a
committee agenda and bring it to the floor so that we can get this piece of legislation passed.” The State Education Department’s mascot mandate, adopted in 2023, requires districts to comply with the ban or risk losing state aid. Wantagh, whose teams have long competed as the Warriors, has challenged the regulation through state and federal litigation while also seeking legislative relief. Earlier this year, the district received a one-year extension from the state, allowing it to continue using the Warriors name through June 30, 2027. In a Feb. 10 letter to the community, members of the Wantagh Board of
Education said they remained committed to preserving the Warrior identity while continuing legal challenges in both state and federal court. “We understand how deeply the Warrior identity is woven into the fabric of the Wantagh community,” board members said in the letter. “Your ongoing support and input have been the driving force behind our
efforts.” Rhoads argued that Wantagh’s circumstances differ from those of other districts because the community itself was named after a historical figure. According to Rhoads, Chief Wantagh was the Grand Sachem of the Montaukett tribe, signing a 1657 land compact with early CONTINUED ON PAGE 6