__________________ SEAFORD _________________
Graduation Keepsake
Edition
June 25, 2026
HERALD
GRADUATES
Meet the
2026
VOL. 74 NO. 26
School staff to be recognized
Fight to reject water rate raises
Page 10
Page 16
JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2026
$1.00
The fight for Beech Street School goes on materials and prior statements tied to the approved sale. For the Wantagh PreservaThe Beech Street School- tion Society, the endorsement h o u s e , i n W a n t a g h , h a s from Preservation Long Island received formal recognition is a major validation of its camfrom Preservation Long Island paign to protect the former as a historically significant schoolhouse, which supporters landmark, which preservation say is one of the few surviving advocates say strengthens their early 20th-century school buildeffort to secure local protection ings on Long Island that retains for the school, which was built its architectural integrity. in 1909. “Preservation The recognition Long Island reprecomes just as ownsents all of Long ership of the propIsland,” said Thomerty is expected to as Watson, a trustee transfer from the of the preservation Wantagh School society. “It’s the preDistrict to Brah mier historical Property Owners voice. So it meant Inc. following a pubeverything to us. It lic vote that narrowvalidated what l y a p p r o v e d t h e ZACH STUDENROTH we’ve been saying.” $1.075 million sale, Preservation Long Preservation which preservation- Island Director Long Island Direcists warn could tor Zach Studencomplicate or potenroth said the buildtially derail the ongoing land- ing’s significance lies not only mark application before the in its age but in its rarity, and Town of Hempstead if timing is the degree to which it still not carefully managed. reflects early-20th-century Brah Property Owners Inc. school design, particularly its has indicated plans to demolish l a r g e b a n k s o f w i n d o w s , the existing Beech Street designed to provide light and Schoolhouse and redevelop the ventilation at a time when edusite with two private residential cational reformers prioritized homes, according to district
By HUNTER FENOLLOL
hfenollol@liherald.com
Courtesy Buddy Merriam
Buddy receiving the 2005 Long Island Music Hall of Fame “Long Island Sound Award” at Fiddle and Folk Festival in East Setauket.
Bluegrass icon Buddy Merriam to retire Back Roads at Seaford Library By HUNTER FENOLLOL hfenollol@liherald.com
For bluegrass legend Buddy Merriam, the upcoming concert at the Seaford Public Library will be more than just another summer performance, ending a more than fourdecade run with his band, Back Roads. When the now 73-year-old takes the outdoor stage June 27 at 7:30 p.m., the audience will be watching one of Long Island’s most influential musicians perform one of the band’s final shows after 45 years together. “It’s going to be emotional for me, really,” Merriam said. “It’s hard for me to imagine that it’s over. But it’s not over. It’s just going on to something else.” Merriam formed Buddy Merriam & Back Roads in 1980, helping establish bluegrass music on Long Island at a time when the genre remained a niche interest in the region.
Over the decades, the group became one of the longest-running bluegrass bands in the Northeast, performing throughout the country while building a devoted following at home. His contributions to Long Island’s music scene earned him the Long Island Sound Award from the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in 2015, recognizing his role in preserving and promoting the region’s musical heritage. Since 1991, he has also hosted “Bluegrass Time” on WUSB 90.1 FM in Stony Brook, introducing generations of listeners to the music he loves. “I’m proud of helping bluegrass stay alive and grow,” Merriam said. “I’ve mentored people that have really gone on and done some good things in the business.” The decision to retire Back Roads was not driven by a desire to stop performing. Rather, CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
I
t represents the beginning of official education in Wantagh.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 7