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HERALD Seaford unearths 1976 time capsule Page 3 VOL. 74 NO. 22
Molloy graduation at Jones Beach
Student health fair at WHS
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MAY 28 - JUNE 3, 2026
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9/11 Committee builds legacy from loss lived and worked in this community.” The district has long held The Wantagh Warrior 9/11 moments of silence and read Committee is continuing to the names of Wantagh resiexpand its efforts to ensure that dents who died each year, Waldyounger generations never for- man said, but staff members get the impact of the Sept. 11 wanted to create something attacks, as it raises funds for a more permanent and meaningpermanent memoriful for students al, student scholarborn after the ships and educaattacks. tional trips to the “All of our kids National September that go to school 11 Memorial & now were born Museum. after 9/11,” WidmaCreated in 2023, nn said. “The only the committee grew recollection they out of conversahave is from word tions among school of mouth or from a administrators and textbook.” staff who felt the The committee district needed a launched the Wantmore lasting tribute agh Warriors 9/11 to the lives lost in 5K in 2024 as its prithe attacks, includmary fundraiser to ing those of Wantsupport several iniagh residents. tiatives, including “We really do CHRISTOPHER discounted trips for live by that mantra Wantagh High WIDMANN of ‘Never forget,’” juniors to the 9/11 Assistant principal, Christopher WidMemorial, scholarm a n n , a s s i s t a n t Wantagh High School ships for graduatprincipal of Wanting seniors, teacher agh High School, said. “We grant programs and the eventuwant students to understand al construction of a memorial the impact that it had on our on school grounds. The event country and on the people who
By HUNTER FENOLLOL
hfenollol@liherald.com
Courtesy Veolia
The Cedar Creek Water 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. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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ll of our kids that go to school now were born after 9/11. The only recollection they have is from word of mouth or from a textbook.
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