Meeting 5.28.2008 of the Wantagh-Seaford Homeowners' Assoc.

For years, one of the problem topics in Wantagh and Seaford has been the sewage treatment plant at Cedar Creek, Wantagh, a large, covered facility operated by Nassau County and its Department of Public Works. At the May 28, 2008, meeting of the Wantagh-Seaford Homeowners' Association, the invited speaker, Ray Ribeiro, engineer and commissioner of the D.P.W., spoke for almost 90 minutes about the plant and several of the problems that are often raised. At the outset, please note that the telephone number on the WHSA page at http://www.wantagh.li is answered by a human at all times (for odor complaints at Cedar Creek and other problems there): 571-7364. Mr. Ribeiro explained how a recent foul smell got out. Air leaving the facility is scrubbed by two chemical agents. The pump providing one of the two agents failed, and there was a slower repair instead of a quicker replacement. The County is looking into a negative-air-flow system whereby an open door would cause an inward draft rather than a release of odor.
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On other Cedar Creek complaints, Mr. Ribeiro distinguished between the part of Cedar Creek under the jurisdiction of the D.P.W. and the part that is under the Department of Parks. There was a discussion of the identification cards employees will use at all times to gain admittance to the D.P.W. section. It seemed that one resident wanted the license plate number copied down of every car entering the park. There were questions about the staffing of the guard booth. Many of these topics have been discussed in the Citizen over the years, and I am certain the Citizen will continue to cover the topic well.
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The tone of the meeting was constructive rather than confrontational. Including the speaker, Legislator Dunne, and the Association officers, there were about eighteen present. Thanks to all.
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There was also some discussion of work this fall in which the D.P.W. will move curbs and turning lanes at the intersection of Wantagh Avenue and Merrick Road to aid pedestrians.
In answer to a question about how to distinguish between town streets and county streets, the speaker could suggest no hard-and-fast rules. Generally, the county streets will have painted yellow and white lines as lane markers. The yellow diamond warning signs on county roads will bear a county abbreviation. However, parking signs on county roads are the jurisdiction of the town. In some cases, drains marked "N.C. Drain" do not mean that the street is a county street, as the mark was sometime only an indication by the manufacturer that the drain met county specifications. That is how "N.C. Drain" will be found on some drains installed in private lots.

Memorial Day parade, 2008

On Memorial Day, 2008, also called Decoration Day, a parade brought wreaths to decorate a soldiers' memorial at the Seaford NY Middle School. Ten photos of the parade are shown here on Flickr. Please click on each photo to enlarge it and read the descriptive caption.

Seaford, NY, School Vote

The budget passed the May 20, 2008, vote 1,481 to 1,099, according to Newsday. It would seem to indicate that 2,580 people voted, out of an estimated 11,000 eligible. The modification to the busing mileage lost, No 992- Yes 929. Link to the school district news page here.

Meeting 5.1.2008 of the Seaford Historical Society

The leadership and volunteers of the Seaford Historical Society welcomed those who attended the May 1, 2005, "Wine Tasting" meeting with a spread of large circular tables, tablecloths, glasses, nibble-food, and coffee. The brief business meeting was followed by an enthusiastic speaker, Seaford resident Joe Sheehy, on the history, variety, and taste of Long Island wines. Equally well prepared were the displays of the work the organization hopes to accomplish in restoring the museum. The generosity of individuals, civic organizations, and businesses continues impressive. Please note the mailing address for all correspondence, donations, and memberships: Seaford Historical Society, Post Office Box 1254, Seaford, NY 11783. More information is available at the society's website, http://www.SeafordHistoricalSociety.org
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I have been trying to learn about the names of Seaford streets that represent local families, as Jackson, Southard, Ray, and others. Some sort of list will soon appear on this blog. However, at this meeting I received friendly help about three matters: 1) that Condit Street is named after the builder of homes there; 2) that mail delivery and house numbers arrived about 1951; 3) that public water (as opposed to homeowners' well water) arrived around 1960. If you wish to correct or comment, please use my address as given in the right-hand column.
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Many thanks to the workers of the Seaford Historical Society and the Fire Department that helped make the evening of May 1 so enjoyable.

Street drainage info, 5.2.2008

Continuing the topic of street drainage: I have been informed that the Town of Hempstead's 2008 Highway Capital Program includes the current project (see photo) as "the "Guildford Park Area Part I." This is only the beginning of a project to reconstruct the roads in this area, and it may take several years. Paddock Road, for example, is not in 2008 plans, but when the street is reconstructed, it is said that any storm drain system improvements that are needed will be included in the project. The department and person that appears to be in charge is the Town of Hempstead Department of Engineering, 350 Front Street, Hempstead, NY 11550. The Commissioner of this department is William H. Rockensies, P.E.
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I can understand the logic of the present work. One begins where the drain outflow goes into Seaman's Creek at Waverly Avenue, then works backward to connect drains to that outflow. Much of the street disruption is caused by the need to move some other utilities out of way of the new drains. It is also understandable that the underground work must be done before repaving rather than after it!
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In the photo taken May 1, 2008, the crane is positioning a new catch basin (or other term?) in the hole dug on the curb line of Locust Avenue opposite Bit Path. The move of this concrete object from its temporary storage point on the east side into the hole on the west side took less than five minutes!

More on street drainage

My issue of the Wantagh-Seaford Citizen dated 4.17.2008 has arrived. On page 8 is a six-paragraph press release from Supervisor Kate Murray and Councilwoman Angie Cullin on the road improvement project "for the Guildford Park Area of Seaford" "slated for completion in July." Subscription to the Citizen is only $32 for two years. Link here.

Waverly Avenue digging, 4.2.2008

I have deleted my previous post about the street construction, because much has become obvious. It seems that the digging project along Waverly Avenue, Bit Path, and Locust Avenue involves drainage. Various gas and water lines, perhaps also electricity and telephone, have to be moved to make way for better drainage. Twelve big 48-inch pipes were stored on Waverly Avenue, plus what appear to be concrete catchbasins marked for Guildford Park Drive. Yet there are many locations that have surveyors' marks that seem to indicate more excavations. Further information is welcome.

Half of Seaford train station is closed

As of April 2, 2008, the east half of the Seaford train station is closed. Passengers must use the stairways at Jackson Avenue. The escalator is out of service for replacement. The ticket machines and the mail box have been relocated to the north side of the escalator. Passengers buying tickets will first have to walk east to the ticket office and machines, then west to Jackson Avenue to reach the six-car section of the platform that remains in use. Passengers traveling to Seaford must sit in the west six cars, as other car doors will not open at Seaford.

New trustee at the Seaford Library

The Seaford Public Library Board of Trustees announced that Patricia Coughlin has been appointed to fill out the unexpired term of Jeanne Cox. Mrs. Coughlin, who has lived in the Seaford community for 42 years, teaches Math and Social Studies to fifth graders and holds a Master's Degree and additional graduate credits in reading. She will be sworn in March 31 at the Board of Trustees meeting.

Meeting 1.30.2008 of the Wantagh-Seaford Homeowners Assoc.

The Wantagh-Seaford Homeowners Association held a bimonthly meeting on January 30, 2008, in Room 152 of the Wantagh High School. The meeting, with an attendance of about eighteen, ran from 7:22 to 8:43 p.m. Following the Pledge, the slate of the nomination committee was presented and elected without challenge. I am sure the list of officers will soon appear on the Association's website here.
An attempt to summarize the meeting follows:
Assemblyman David McDonough explained the topic of Trump on the Ocean. Regarding PILOTS or payments in lieu of taxes, he pointed out that each assemblyman around the state would demand the same treatment if we succeeded in getting such payments for the Wantagh School District. As far as the Fire District is concerned, it may be possible to chart the added number of calls regarding events at the new restaurant and arrange some increased payment.
Floyd Earle, new president of the Wantagh Chamber of Commerce, spoke.
Richard and Lisa Shary spoke about park or environmental issues: the marine playground at Wantagh Park; security patrols at Wantagh and Cedar Creek; the rejection by Nassau County for the proposed Cedar Creek Park; windmills in the Atlantic; an artificial industrial island in the Atlantic; the Nassau Hub.
They distributed a map from the South Shore Bikeways Connection Study, which proposed connecting the Jones Beach Bikeway with the bike path in Massapequa Preserve. It would depart Cedar Creek on the east side, travel north on Cedar Street and Willoughby Avenue, east on Waverly Avenue, through Tackapausha Preserve, then east on Maple Street. Mr. Shary is president of the Friends of Masssapequa Preserve. He warned of 6,000 bikers daily on that route. He urged a route from Cedar Creek east to some unused paving on NY 135, then along the south side of the railroad to Massapequa.
As this blog concerns Seaford, I note that Waverly Avenue is a rather bumpy road for wheeled vehicles, bicycles, sedans or any other size. I am not certain, but I think Waverly Avenue was open by 1908 from Washington Avenue two blocks or so at least to the fire house. Perhaps in the 1920's, I understand it was lengthened west to Willoughby Avenue. Is the name "Waverly" Scottish in origin?

Meeting 1.3.2008 of the Seaford Historical Society

Each time I attend a meeting of the Seaford Historical Society, I am impressed how the individuals who lead this organization show cordiality and competence. They welcome newcomers and strangers. They know the order and timing of the program, and they run the meetings well.
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Harrison Hunt, historian and author of books on our Civil War, presented an excellent slide show, with narration, on Long Island's participation in that sad conflict (1861-1865). I have several pages of notes, but I will present items in my own order, attempting to begin with Seaford and move outwards.
1) The Seaford men who served in that war tended to be farmers and baymen, as these were the principal occupations. [Recall that the place name "Seaford" comes almost twenty years after the war.] We were part of the Town of Hempstead [town hall being in Hempstead], but the county was Queens and the draft board of 1863 met in Jamaica.
2) Apparently, the individual names of men from hereabouts who served in the war might be found in an 1890 census of Civil War veterans. Most seemed to have joined Company H of the New York 119 Volunteers. As Mr. Hunt addressed the Civil War from a Long Island viewpoint, instead of Seaford only, he did not provide individual names.
3) Moving a half-mile west of Seaford: The Wantagh Fire Department displays a bell from a Civil War warship outside its building on Park Avenue.
4) In North Bellmore, African Americans who served in the Civil War are buried in the Oakfield Road cemetery.
5) In North Wantagh, the cemetery on Wantagh Avenue (now adjacent to the church of St. Frances de Chantal) contains the grave of a doctor who served in the war and died there by disease, as many participants died.
6) Mr. Harrison displayed a photo of David Allen from Jerusalem (North Wantagh) in the Zuave uniform some regiments used. One must remember that the U.S. Army numbered fewer men than the volunteer regiments.
7) Delancey Floyd Jones served in both the Mexican War and the Civil War. A biography is in Wikipedia. A description of the Floyd-Jones of Massapequa (South Oyster Bay) is here.
8) In the early 1830's, having graduated from West Point, George Meade did survey work for the Long Island Rail Road, probably in Brooklyn or Queens, as the railroad began expansion eastward from Jamaica in April, 1836.
9) Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee were both stationed at Fort Hamilton sometime.
I may edit this post further. Corrections are welcome.