_________________ WANTAGH ________________
HERALD Sharks galore on the South Shore
New kayak launch at Seaford park
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Vol. 70 No. 34
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AUGUST 18 - 24, 2022
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Fighting for Seaford history Nine-year-old sells lemonade to support historical museum By MICHAEl MAlASZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com
Michael Malaszczyk/Herald
Wantagh County Park looks quiet, but gets busy With a large marina for boats, long trails for walking and running, a public pool, large fields and fishing spots, there are always activities at Wantagh Park, even as the summer winds down.
Although it is plagued by structural issues, lack of funding and a lack of support in the community, the Seaford Historical Museum has found a glimmer of hope in one of Seaford’s younger residents. Nine-year-old Mark Simonson Jr., a student at Seaford’s Manor Elementary School, is trying to do his part to support the museum, setting up a lemonade stand outside the building and advertising that all proceeds will go to preserving it. Thus far, he has raised $196 for the museum, with a goal of collecting $500.
The museum, run by the Seaford Historical Society, is housed in a historic building on Waverly Avenue that dates to 1893. The building served as a schoolhouse until 1917, when the school board decided that the school population had outgrown it. The building sat vacant for two years before becoming a firehouse in 1919, and served Seaford in that capacity until 1975. The fire department donated it to the historical society, which then turned it into the museum. “The building itself is a Seaford artifact,” Judy Bongiovi, the historical society president, said. The artifacts inside the buildContinued on page 4
The Civil Air Patrol is training ground for future pilots By MICHAEl MAlASZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com
For Wantagh and Seaford teens interested in a career as a pilot, joining the Civil Air Patrol could be the fastest route to those aspirations. Gill Robb Wilson and then New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia created the Civil Air Patrol in 1941, recognizing the threat of German U-boats to the mainland United States and the potential of aviation to combat them. Shortly after its inception, the patrol sank two U-boats off the coasts of Long Island and Delaware.
After World War II, the air patrol created its cadet program, which was intended for teenagers who were interested in aviation. The air patrol was eventually claimed by the newly created Air Force as its auxiliary, and the cadet program grew popular. One squadron of the cadet program is based at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Wantagh. According to Rick Gomez-Nieto, the program leader, the Civil Air Patrol conducts up to 90 percent of search-and-rescue operations in the continental United States, but thanks to Long Island’s stellar volunteer services, the program in Wantagh is largely a training program.
“In an area like ours, our search-and-rescue missions are pretty limited,” Gomez-Nieto said. “So here on Long Island, it’s more about teaching the cadets how to fly, and this includes aerospace education as well as community service.” St. Jude’s has a mission center in Seaford, and part of the air patrol’s community service involves going to supermarkets and asking people to purchase items to donate to the mission center. The air patrol also participates in Legislative Day, when cadets from all 50 states meet with members of Congress to discuss funding for the patrol.
Gomez-Nieto’s daughter, Lauren, a lieutenant in the air patrol, has represented New York numerous times. The cadets are rewarded for their community service with the opportunity to fly airplanes. The squadron uses Cessnas, and the training begins with an observation flight, Gomez-Nieto said.
“At the start, the professional pilot takes the controls,” he said. “Once they’re at a safe altitude, the cadet takes control and flies for about an hour before the pilot takes control again.” This process repeats itself numerous times, before the cadets are ready to get their pilot’s licenses. Continued on page 12