Fire-delayed menorah blessing and Christmas tree lighting in Wantagh set for Sunday
The Wantagh Preservation Society's 139-year-old building received minimal damage in the Nov. 30 fire, its president Beth Obergh said. Credit: Paul Mazza
A holiday festival that was cut short after a fire broke out last month at the Wantagh Preservation Society is rescheduled to Sunday.
The menorah blessing and Christmas tree lighting, sponsored by the Wantagh Chamber of Commerce, will take place at 4:30 p.m. at 1700 Wantagh Ave., organizers said.
The event was one of many scheduled activities at the annual Winter Wonderland on Nov. 30 that included shopping, food vendors, a petting zoo and photos with Santa.
Around 3:30 p.m., volunteers from the Wantagh Fire Department noticed smoke emerging from the roof and chimney of the site’s Victorian Railroad Station, chamber president Cathy McGrory Powell said.
The Wantagh Fire Department said about 50 to 60 volunteers worked to put out the blaze, which burned a hole in the middle of the roof. The Seaford and North Bellmore fire departments also responded.
"They just sprang into action," McGrory Powell said.
Firefighters, chamber and society members and vendors helped people evacuate the building safely.
No one was injured, officials said.
The historic building, which dates to 1885, suffered minimal damage, said Beth Obergh, preservation society president.
Firefighters helped society members remove historic documents from the building.
The entire collection — which consists of photos, letters, documents and maps that date back to the early history of Wantagh — was saved, Obergh said.
"That’s huge that the fire department was able to do that," Obergh said. "Their expertise really paid off."
The menorah and the tree are both symbols of miracles, and so it is fitting that something similar happened in Wantagh, McGrory Powell said.
The society has not yet received the fire marshal’s report or official cause of the fire.
The Nov. 30 tree lighting was postponed because electricity was disconnected at the site.
Once the museum got electricity back this week, McGrory Powell said organizers immediately rescheduled the event.
"This is a resilient community," she said. "We were not going to not let it happen."
The event will occur on society grounds, as its buildings are still closed as of Tuesday.
A holiday festival that was cut short after a fire broke out last month at the Wantagh Preservation Society is rescheduled to Sunday.
The menorah blessing and Christmas tree lighting, sponsored by the Wantagh Chamber of Commerce, will take place at 4:30 p.m. at 1700 Wantagh Ave., organizers said.
The event was one of many scheduled activities at the annual Winter Wonderland on Nov. 30 that included shopping, food vendors, a petting zoo and photos with Santa.
Around 3:30 p.m., volunteers from the Wantagh Fire Department noticed smoke emerging from the roof and chimney of the site’s Victorian Railroad Station, chamber president Cathy McGrory Powell said.
The Wantagh Fire Department said about 50 to 60 volunteers worked to put out the blaze, which burned a hole in the middle of the roof. The Seaford and North Bellmore fire departments also responded.
"They just sprang into action," McGrory Powell said.
Firefighters, chamber and society members and vendors helped people evacuate the building safely.
No one was injured, officials said.
The historic building, which dates to 1885, suffered minimal damage, said Beth Obergh, preservation society president.
Firefighters helped society members remove historic documents from the building.
The entire collection — which consists of photos, letters, documents and maps that date back to the early history of Wantagh — was saved, Obergh said.
"That’s huge that the fire department was able to do that," Obergh said. "Their expertise really paid off."
The menorah and the tree are both symbols of miracles, and so it is fitting that something similar happened in Wantagh, McGrory Powell said.
The society has not yet received the fire marshal’s report or official cause of the fire.
The Nov. 30 tree lighting was postponed because electricity was disconnected at the site.
Once the museum got electricity back this week, McGrory Powell said organizers immediately rescheduled the event.
"This is a resilient community," she said. "We were not going to not let it happen."
The event will occur on society grounds, as its buildings are still closed as of Tuesday.
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Newsday Live Music Series: Long Island Idols Newsday Live presents a special evening of music and conversation with local singers who grabbed the national spotlight on shows like "The Voice," "America's Got Talent,""The X-Factor" and "American Idol." Newsday Senior Lifestyle Host Elisa DiStefano leads a discussion and audience Q&A as the singers discuss their TV experiences, careers and perform original songs.
