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Two slates compete for four Amityville school board seats By CAROLYN JAMES cjames@liherald.com
Carolyn James/Herald
The now-vacant Sunrise Mall, which could be the next location for an Amazon warehouse.
Sunrise Mall closure renews debate over proposed Amazon facility Residents express their views on the plan By MIKE POLANSKY & CAROLYN JAMES Herald Reporters
The recent closure of Dick’s Sporting Goods, the last remaining tenant at Sunrise Mall, has renewed attention to a proposed Amazon warehouse and distribution center now under review by the Town of Oyster Bay. According to plans submitted to the town, Amazon would develop 26.7 acres of the site into a 24/7 warehouse and delivery station, including fleet service and vehicle inspection buildings. The project is expected to employ 75 to 100 warehouse workers and up to 305 drivers, with construction estimated to take about 13 months once approvals are secured. The future of the remaining roughly 50 acres of mall property has not been determined. Reaction from nearby residents has been mixed, with many citing quality-of-life concerns. “I have lived in this town for 30 years and this is a quality-of-life issue,” said Carmela
Hahl of Westwood Road. “The site is right in my backyard, and it could affect the value of our homes if we see a large volume of trucks going in and out … and us having to breathe all that diesel fuel when the trucks are idling.” Rashid Malik of Linwood Place raised similar concerns about “the prospect of having to deal with this big facility with trucks and noise issues,” adding that the mall’s presence had been “great” for the neighborhood. Anne Salerno, also of Linwood Place, said she “would have preferred affordable housing,” but added, “I guess anything is better than having a ghost mall.” For Michael Pearson of East Gate, whose home borders the property, the scale of operations is troubling. He pointed to “24 hours, seven days operation, with hundreds of workers, people coming and going.” Others were less concerned. Linda Conboy of Ashwood Place and Brian Zash of Linwood Place said the project would not significantly CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Two groups of residents are vying for four seats on the Amityville Board of Education in a race that has drawn significant attention within the school district community. The Tide Turners, whose motto is “Putting students first and bringing back financial discipline,” are running as a team and include Wendy Canestro, Donelle Cronin, Stephannie Andrews and Chris Papile. Canestro and Andrews previously served on the school board. The group faces opposition from A Rising Tide, whose candidates are Angel Davenport, Michael McDonald, Equasia YardJean and Cheryl Quintyne-Best. A Rising Tide is campaigning on inclusivity, academic excellence and fiscal accountability. The following information was provided by the candidates upon request.
A RISING TIDE
Angel Davenport Angel Davenport is a 36-year resident of the district and a 1994 graduate of Amityville High School. She said she is running to help strengthen academic achievement, fiscal responsibility and community trust. “I want to ensure that every student has access to a safe, supportive and successful learning
environment while (also) supporting administrators, teachers, staff and families,” she said. Davenport has worked in education for 28 years and currently works in the Babylon School District focusing on mathematics and special education. She also serves in an administrative leadership role with the Western Suffolk BOCES summer school program. She is a member of NYSUT and serves as an administrative assistant and church leader locally. “If elected my priority is to rebuild community trust while focusing on student achievement, responsible budgeting and creating safe, supportive schools where all students can succeed,” she said. Equasia Yard-Jean With 28 years of experience in education, Equasia Yard-Jean currently serves as a school building and district leader with New York City Public Schools, supporting more than 125 school leaders across pre-K-12 and GED programs serving more than 48,000 students. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Mount Saint Vincent, where she mentors aspiring educators and prepares future teachers. She said she is running “to ensure every student has access to a high quality, equitable education that prepares them for success. CONTINUED ON PAGE 10