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APRIL 8 - 14, 2026
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Amityville cleanup delayed at the Delano Preserve By CAROLYN JAMES cjames@liherald.com
Charylle Williams, candidate for the Copiague Library Board
Equasia Yard-Jean, candidate for the Amityville Library Board
Helen Reilly, candidate for the Copiague. Library Board
Karen Klein, candidate for the Amityville Library Board
Robert Brachman, candidate for the Amityville Library Board
Lauren Scanlon, candidate for the Amityville Library Board
Challenges in Amityville and Copiague library board races By CAROLYN JAMES cjames@liherald.com
The Amityville and Copiague public libraries will each have contested board races this year, with multiple candidates seeking open seats. Amityville The vote is Tuesday, April 14. Residents will also be asked to approve the library budget (see related story, page 3). Four candidates — Equasia Yard-Jean, Robert Brachman, Lauren Scanlon and Karen Klein — are running at large for two seats. One is a five-year term currently held by Eileen Taylor, who is not seeking re-election, and the other is a one-year term held by Leslie Kretz, who is stepping down. The top vote-getter will serve the five-year term, while the second-highest will fill the
one-year seat. Karen Klein Klein previously served as a trustee and board president but stepped down seven years ago to pursue a master’s degree. Now retired, she said she hopes to rejoin the board. “I have been a library patron my entire life, since I was old enough to have a library card,” Klein said. “Now that I am retired, I have more time and would like, among other things, to help move the library’s renovation project forward. I believe my qualifications are appropriate.” The other candidates were not available for interviews but their biographies were posted on the Amityville Library website. Robert Brachman Brachman is a senior budget analyst at CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
A community cleanup targeting an invasive plant species at Delano Preserve in Amityville has been postponed, village and Town of Babylon officials announced. The event, originally scheduled for April 11, will be rescheduled for May or June after officials observed slower-than-expected growth of parrot feather, an invasive aquatic plant that threatens local waterways. “We wanted to get an early start on remediating this threat to our waterways but Mother Nature had other plans,” Village Trustee Adam J. Ansanelli said. “We hope our volunteers will be able to join us at a later date to help us control this invasive species.” Following a recent inspection, the Town of Babylon’s environ-
mental control department found that growth of the plant had not progressed as anticipated. The slower growth is likely due to the harsh winter, said Richard Groh, chief environmental analyst for the town, who added that it is too early to determine the full impact of prolonged cold temperatures and snow cover on plant life. If left untreated, parrot feather can spread quickly, degrade water quality and disrupt ecosystems in the preserve’s stream and nearby Avon Lake. The Delano Preserve is named for Charles Delano, the first publisher of the Amityville Record newspaper, which started in 1904. Updates on the rescheduled cleanup will be posted on Amityville.gov, the Amityville Village Hall Facebook page and the Save the Great South Bay website, where volunteers can sign up once a new date is announced.
Carolyn James/Herald
Delano Preserve on Union Avenue.