Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation sponsored by State Senator Steve Rhoads and Assemblyman Davd McDonough dedicating a portion of the Wantagh State Parkway pathway from Route 27 to Jerusalem Road to the memory of William Cornell, a former classmate of Senator Rhoads whose life was tragically cut short in 1982.

Cornell was an eighth-grade honors student at Wantagh Junior High School and a member of the school’s cross-country team. On September 21, 1982, William was running with his teammates along the pathway when a vehicle skidded out of control and struck him. He was just 13 years old.

For Senator Rhoads, the dedication is both a long overdue personal tribute and an opportunity to advance public safety as the Senator is advocating for improvements to the pathway itself as well as reflective cable safety guard rails to protect walkers and runners using the pathway, including current Wantagh students.

“Billy was my classmate, and his death was a tragedy that deeply affected both our school and the entire Wantagh community,” said State Senator Steve Rhoads. “Being a Wantagh Warrior has always been about standing together, looking out for one another and turning adversity into action. This dedication honors William’s memory, but it also gives us an opportunity to make this pathway safer for future generations of students, runners and families.”

“Unfortunately, we can’t change what happened to Billy, but we can make sure his legacy has a lasting positive impact,” Rhoads said. “By honoring William and working to strengthen the safety of this pathway, we are carrying forward the Warrior spirit of which he was a part and taking steps to protect the next generation.  I would like to think he would have been proud of that effort.”

The legislation was unanimously approved by the State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Hochul.